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Sealy IPO rakes in $448M

Larry Thomas -- Furniture Today, April 9, 2006

Archdale, N.C. — Bedding major Sealy raised $448 million in its initial public offering of common stock on April 7 as its shares began trading on the New York Stock Exchange.

The bedding producer said it will receive net proceeds of $295 million from the offering, more than half of which will be used to repay debt.

In addition, some $125 million has been set aside to pay a special dividend to existing stockholders, another $17.3 million for transaction-related bonuses for top managers, and $11 million will go to the buyout firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts to terminate a management services agreement.

KKR, which owned more than 80% of Sealy's stock prior to the IPO, retains a 56% stake. About 24% of the shares are now owned by the public, and another 8% remains in the hands of Sealy management.

Other major shareholders include Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance, which has approximately 4.5% of the shares, and the Teachers Assurance and Annuity Assn. of America, which has about a 2% stake.

The 28 million-share offering initially was priced at $16 per share, but shares traded as high as $18 on Friday morning.

Sealy said 8 million of the shares were sold by existing stockholders, and the group could sell an additional 4.2 million shares if the IPO underwriters exercise purchase options within 30 days.

Sealy has been owned by a series of private equity firms since 1989. KKR acquired controlling interest in April 2004.

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