Jun 27, 2017   SOURCE: BusinessWire

Getty Realty Corp. Enters into Definitive Agreement to Acquire 49 Properties for $123 Million

Getty Realty Corp. (NYSE:GTY) (the “Company”) announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement providing for acquisition lease-back funding to Empire Petroleum Partners, LLC (“Empire”). The Company, through a subsidiary, will acquire fee simple interests in 49 convenience store and gasoline station properties (the “Properties”) for $123 million under a unitary lease. The transaction is expected to close before the end of the third quarter of 2017.

The Properties are located primarily within metropolitan markets in the states of Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, New Mexico and Texas. The unitary lease to be effective at closing provides for an initial term of 15 years, with four five-year renewal options. Rent is scheduled to increase annually during the initial and renewal terms of the lease.

“We are excited to have entered into this transaction and to begin a long-term relationship with Empire. The properties being acquired represent a high-quality convenience store and gasoline station portfolio and are located in markets which we have been targeting for some time. We believe this transaction demonstrates our commitment to the convenience store industry as well as our ability to respond quickly to meet the capital needs of our customers,” stated Christopher J. Constant, Getty’s President & Chief Executive Officer.

The Company is providing acquisition lease-back funding to Empire to facilitate its acquisition of properties from Circle K Stores Inc. (“Circle K”). Circle K has agreed to sell a portfolio of properties to Empire to satisfy compliance with regulatory requirements associated with its acquisition of CST Brands, Inc.

Upon closing, the Company expects the transaction to be immediately accretive to net earnings. The Company plans to fund the transaction through funds available under its Credit Agreement. The transaction is subject numerous closing conditions, including the closing of a separate purchase agreement under which Empire has agreed to purchase the Properties from Circle K, and regulatory review and approval of such separate agreement. The Company can offer no assurances that the transaction will close on the terms described herein, or at all.

Forward-Looking Statements

CERTAIN STATEMENTS CONTAINED HEREIN MAY CONSTITUTE “FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS” WITHIN THE MEANING OF THE PRIVATE SECURITIES LITIGATION REFORM ACT OF 1995. WHEN THE WORDS “BELIEVES,” “EXPECTS,” “PLANS,” “PROJECTS,” “ESTIMATES”, “ANTICIPATES”, “MAY” AND SIMILAR EXPRESSIONS ARE USED, THEY IDENTIFY FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS. THESE FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS ARE BASED ON MANAGEMENT’S CURRENT BELIEFS AND ASSUMPTIONS AND INFORMATION CURRENTLY AVAILABLE TO MANAGEMENT AND INVOLVE KNOWN AND UNKNOWN RISKS, UNCERTAINTIES AND OTHER FACTORS WHICH MAY CAUSE THE ACTUAL RESULTS, PERFORMANCE OR ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE COMPANY TO BE MATERIALLY DIFFERENT FROM ANY FUTURE RESULTS, PERFORMANCE OR ACHIEVEMENTS EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED BY THESE FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS. EXAMPLES OF FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO STATEMENTS REGARDING THE PERFORMANCE OF THE TRANSACTION, RENT FROM THE LEASE PERTAINING THERETO AND THE ACCRETIVE NATURE OF THE TRANSACTION.

INFORMATION CONCERNING FACTORS THAT COULD CAUSE THE COMPANY’S ACTUAL RESULTS TO DIFFER MATERIALLY FROM THESE FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS CAN BE FOUND IN THE COMPANY’S PERIODIC REPORTS FILED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION. THE COMPANY UNDERTAKES NO OBLIGATION TO PUBLICLY RELEASE REVISIONS TO THESE FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS TO REFLECT FUTURE EVENTS OR CIRCUMSTANCES OR REFLECT THE OCCURRENCE OF UNANTICIPATED EVENTS.

About Getty Realty Corp.

Getty Realty Corp. is the leading publicly-traded real estate investment trust in the United States specializing in the ownership, leasing and financing of convenience store and gasoline station properties. As of March 31, 2017, the Company owned 736 properties and leased 87 properties from-third party landlords in 24 states across the United States and Washington, D.C.