Sept 24 (Reuters) - Empire Company Ltd EMPa.TO :
* EMPIRE COMPANY REACHES AGREEMENT TO ACQUIRE FARM BOY - ONTARIO'S FASTEST GROWING FOOD RETAILER
* SAYS DEAL FOR TOTAL ENTERPRISE VALUE OF $800 MILLION.
* SAYS INTENDS TO FINANCE TRANSACTION THROUGH A COMBINATION OF CASH ON HAND AND DEBT
* SAYS DEAL HAS EPS ACCRETION IN FIRST FULL FISCAL YEAR OF OWNERSHIP
* SAYS FARM BOY CO-CEOS JEAN-LOUIS BELLEMARE, JEFF YORK CONTINUE AS LEADERS OF FARM BOY
* SAYS FARM BOY WILL BE SET UP AS A SEPARATE COMPANY WITHIN EMPIRE'S STRUCTURE
* SAYS FARM BOY'S CO-CEOS HAVE AGREED, IN CONNECTION WITH DEAL, TO REINVEST IN RETURN FOR 12% INTEREST OF CONTINUING FARM BOY BUSINESS.