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<PAGE>
Exhibit 2.1
EXECUTION COPY
ASSET
PURCHASE AGREEMENT
This Asset Purchase Agreement
("AGREEMENT") dated December 22, 2005 is
by and among Sato International Pte. Ltd., an entity organized under the laws
of
the Republic of Singapore (and, as applicable, together with any assignees or
designees, jointly and severally "BUYER"), and Checkpoint Systems,
Inc., a
Pennsylvania corporation ("SELLER").
RECITALS
Seller desires to sell to Buyer,
and Buyer desires to purchase from
Seller, the Acquired Business (as defined below) as a going concern.
The parties, in consideration of
the foregoing premises and the
following agreed upon terms and conditions, intending to be legally bound,
agree
as follows:
1. DEFINITIONS AND USAGE
1.1 DEFINITIONS
"ACCOUNTS
RECEIVABLE" - the accounts receivable reflected on
Final Statement of Net Operating Assets (as defined below in Section 2.3(e)),
consisting of the trade accounts receivable and other rights to payment from
customers of Acquired Business and the full benefit of all security for such
accounts or rights to payment, including all trade accounts receivable
representing amounts receivable in respect of goods shipped or products sold or
services rendered to customers of Acquired Business.
"ACQUIRED ASSETS -
as defined in Section 2.1.
"ACQUIRED
BUSINESS" - means the design, manufacture and/or
sales of: (i) with respect to North America, label converting for laser
printers, horticultural identification labeling solutions, (ii) with respect to
the United States of America, laser solutions/printers, thermal
solutions/printers, hand-held labeling solutions and the
"Turn-O-Matic" ticket
dispensing systems, (iii) with respect to Europe, laser solutions/printers,
thermal barcode printers and associated thermal hardware (including track and
trace devices) and consumables (including stock/customized labels, tags and
tickets for retail, manufacturing, logistics, industrial and horticultural
applications), and (iv) with respect to the Asia Pacific region, thermal
solutions/printers, custom labels to the courier industry, prime labels to the
foodservice industry, white labels, and other specialized thermal barcode
printing applications; provided, however, that the Acquired Business shall not
include any labels or labels solutions that incorporate EAS, EM, RF or RFID
technology and Service Bureau Products. The definition of Acquired Business
shall not include the business of Checkpoint Meto Benelux B.V., Kimball Systems
B.V. and Checkpoint Systems France, S.A. with respect to which the Parties
intend to enter into a separate, but similar agreement (as far as possible
under
Dutch and French law) after the necessary consultation procedures with the
workers' representation has been conducted, and the Purchase Price shall be
adjusted accordingly to reflect the exclusion of the assets of such businesses
from the Assets to be sold hereunder.
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"APPURTENANCES" - all privileges, rights, easements,
hereditaments and appurtenances belonging to or for the benefit of the Land,
including all easements appurtenant to and for the benefit of any Land (a
"DOMINANT PARCEL") for, and as the primary means of access between,
the Dominant
Parcel and a public way, or for any other use upon which lawful use of the
Dominant Parcel for the purposes for which it is presently being used is
dependent, and all rights existing in and to any streets, alleys, passages and
other rights-of-way included thereon or adjacent thereto (before or after
vacation thereof) and vaults beneath any such streets.
"ASSUMED
EMPLOYEES" - as defined in Section 10.1(a)(ii).
"ASSUMED
LIABILITIES" - as defined in Section 2.4(a).
"BREACH" -
any breach of, or any inaccuracy in, any
representation or warranty or any breach of, or failure to perform or comply
with, any covenant or obligation, in or of this Agreement or any other
Contract,
or any event which with the passing of time or the giving of notice, or both,
would constitute such a breach, inaccuracy or failure.
"BUSINESS
DAY" - any day other than (a) Saturday or Sunday or
(b) any other day on which banks in the State of Delaware, U.S.A. are permitted
or required to be closed.
"BUYER" - as
defined in the first paragraph of this Agreement.
"BUYER
PARTIES" - as defined in Section 11.2(a).
"RETAINED
ASSETS" - as defined in Section 2.2.
"CLOSING" -
as defined in Section 2.7.
"CLOSING
DATE" - the date on which the Closing actually takes
place.
"COBRA - means
Section 49808B of the Code (as well as its
predecessor provision, Section 162(k) of the Code) and Sections 601 through
608,
inclusive of ERISA.
"CODE" - the
Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.
"COMMERCIALLY
REASONABLE EFFORTS" - for purposes of this
Agreement, "commercially reasonable efforts" will not be deemed to
require a
Person to undertake extraordinary or unreasonable measures, including the
payment of amounts in excess of normal and usual filing fees and processing
fees, if any.
"CONFIDENTIAL
INFORMATION" - as defined in Section 12.1.
"CONSENT" -
any approval, consent, ratification, waiver or
other authorization.
"CONVEYANCE
DOCUMENTS" - as defined in Section 2.8(a)(i).
"CONTEMPLATED
TRANSACTIONS" - all of the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement.
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"CONTRACT" -
any written agreement, contract, lease, promise
or undertaking.
"DISCLOSURE
SCHEDULES" - all of the disclosure schedules
identified in this Agreement delivered by Seller to Buyer concurrently with the
execution and delivery of this Agreement, except as otherwise specified herein.
"EAS" -
Electronic Article Surveillance.
"EM" - means
electromagnetic technology.
"EMPLOYEE
PLANS" - as defined in Section 3.16(a).
"EMPLOYEES
RECEIVING AN OFFER" - as defined in Section
10.1(a)(i).
"ENCUMBRANCE"
- any charge, claim, condition, equitable
interest, lien, right of way, easement, encroachment, right of first option,
right of first refusal, restriction on use, transfer, receipt of income or
exercise of any other attribute of ownership.
"ENVIRONMENT"
- soil, land surface or subsurface strata,
surface waters (including navigable waters and ocean waters), groundwater,
drinking water supply, stream sediments, ambient air (including indoor air),
plant and animal life and any other environmental medium or natural resource.
"ENVIRONMENTAL,
HEALTH AND SAFETY LIABILITIES" - any cost,
damages, expense, liability, obligation or other responsibility arising from or
under any Environmental Law or Occupational Safety and Health Law.
"ENVIRONMENTAL
LAW" - any Legal Requirement that requires or
relates to: (a) advising appropriate authorities of actual Releases of
pollutants or hazardous substances or materials, violations of discharge limits
or other prohibitions; (b) preventing or reducing to acceptable levels the
Release of pollutants or hazardous substances or materials into the Environment;
(c) reducing the quantities, preventing the Release or minimizing the hazardous
characteristics of wastes that are generated; (d) reducing to acceptable levels
the risks inherent in the transportation of hazardous substances, pollutants,
oil or other potentially harmful substances; or (e) cleaning up pollutants that
have been Released or paying the costs of such clean up or prevention.
"ERISA" - the
Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974,
as amended.
"GOVERNING
DOCUMENTS" - with respect to any particular entity,
(a) if a corporation, the articles or certificate of incorporation and the
bylaws; (b) if a general partnership, the partnership agreement and any
statement of partnership; (c) if a limited partnership, the limited partnership
agreement and the certificate of limited partnership; (d) if a limited
liability
company, the articles of organization and operating agreement; (e) if another
type of Person, any other charter or similar document adopted or filed in
connection with the creation, formation or organization of the Person; (f) all
equity holders' agreements, voting agreements, voting trust agreements, joint
venture agreements, registration rights agreements or other agreements or
documents relating to the organization, management or operation of any Person
or
relating to the rights, duties and obligations of the equity holders of any
Person; and (g) any amendment or supplement to any of the foregoing.
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"GOVERNMENTAL
AUTHORIZATION" - any Consent, license,
registration or permit issued, granted, given or otherwise made available by or
under the authority of any Governmental Body or pursuant to any Legal
Requirement.
"GOVERNMENTAL BODY" - any: (a)
nation, state, county, city,
town, borough, village, district or other jurisdiction; (b) federal, state,
local, municipal, foreign or other government; (c) governmental or
quasi-governmental authority of any nature (including any agency, branch,
department, board, commission, court, tribunal or other entity exercising
governmental or quasi-governmental powers); (d) multinational organization or
body; (e) body exercising, or entitled or purporting to exercise, any
administrative, executive, judicial, legislative, police, regulatory or taxing
authority or power; or (f) official of any of the foregoing.
"HAZARDOUS
ACTIVITY" - the distribution, generation, handling,
importing, management, manufacturing, processing, production, refinement,
Release, storage, transfer, transportation, treatment or use (including any
withdrawal or other use of groundwater) of Hazardous Material in, on, under,
about or from any of the Leased Real Property or any part thereof into the
Environment and any other act, business, operation or thing that increases the
danger, or risk of danger, or poses an unreasonable risk of harm, to persons or
property on or off the Leased Real Property.
"HAZARDOUS
MATERIAL" - any substance, material or waste which
is regulated by Environmental Laws enacted by any Governmental Body.
"INDEMNIFIED
PARTY" - as defined in Section 11.4.
"INDEMNIFYING
PARTY" - as defined in Section 11.4.
"INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY ASSETS" -
means generally, the
intellectual property in which Seller has a proprietary interest that is used
in
the Acquired Business, such Intellectual Property Assets being the Meto IP
Rights and the intellectual property set forth on Schedule 2.1(f).
"INVENTORIES"
- all inventories of the Acquired Business
reflected on Final Statement of Net Operating Assets (as defined below in
Section 2.3(e)), wherever located, including all finished goods, work in
process, raw materials, spare parts and all other materials and supplies to be
used or consumed by Acquired Business in the production of finished goods.
"IRS" - the
United States Internal Revenue Service and, to the
extent relevant, the United States Department of the Treasury.
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"KNOWLEDGE"
means:
(a) With respect to
Seller: the Knowledge of Seller, or words
of similar import, mean the
actual knowledge and the knowledge that
such individuals should have had
in the performance of their normal
duties on behalf of the
respective employing entity in a reasonably
prudent manner, without inquiry
or investigation, of the following
individuals: (i) George Off (Chairman and
Chief Executive Officer),
(ii) W. Craig Burns (Executive
Vice President, Chief Financial Officer
and Treasurer), (iii) John E.
Davies, Jr. (President of Asia Pacific
and Latin America), (iv) David
C. Donnan (President of North America),
(v) Per H. Levin (President of
Europe), (vi) John R. Van Zile (Senior
Vice President, General Counsel
and Secretary, (vii) Arthur W. Todd
(Vice President, Corporate
Controller and Chief Accounting Officer,
(viii) Mark Gentle (General
Manager, Label Solutions Europe), (ix)
Edmund Trossen (Director of
Marketing and Sales, Checkpoint Systems
GmbH, (x) Mark Lenhauser
(Managing Director of Hirschhorn Facility),
(xi) John Saccameno (Vice
President and General Manager - North
America), (xii) Joseph Podsedly
(General Manager of Romeoville
Facility), (xiii) Richard
Wescott (Director of Sales Bar Code
Solutions), (xiv) Shawn Baer
(Vice President and General Manager of
Horticulture Printing Facility),
(xv) Badi Ala'i (Managing Director,
Checkpoint Australia and New
Zealand), (xvi) Michael Champness
(Director of Supply Chain
Solutions, Checkpoint Meto Limited), (xvii)
Barry Lim (Managing Director,
Checkpoint Malaysia), and (xviii)
Christopher Powell (Director of
Manufacturing, Checkpoint Meto
Australia), or
(b) With respect to
Buyer: the Knowledge of Buyer, or words of
similar import, mean the actual
knowledge, without investigation, of
the following individuals: (i)
Mr. Masonori Otsuka (President and COO
of Sato Corporation), Mr.
Toshihiro Waki (Managing Director of Sato
International Pte. Ltd.), Mr.
Kazuo Matsuyama (Director and General
Manager of Sato International
Pte. Ltd., and Mr. Kiyohiko Yoshii
(Director and Senior Manager of
Sato International Pte. Ltd.).
"LAND" - all
parcels and tracts of land in which Seller has an
ownership interest.
"LEASE" - any
Leased Real Property agreement or any other
lease or rental agreement, license, right to use or installment and conditional
sale agreement to which a Seller is a party and any other Seller Contract
pertaining to the leasing or use of any Tangible Personal Property.
"LEASED REAL
PROPERTY" - any land, improvements and
Appurtenances subject to a Lease to which Seller is a party.
"LEGAL
REQUIREMENT" - any legally binding federal, state,
local, municipal, foreign, international, multinational or other constitution,
law, ordinance, principle of common law, code, regulation, statute or treaty.
"LIABILITY" -
with respect to any Person, any liability or
obligation of such Person of any kind, character or description, whether known
or unknown, absolute or contingent, accrued or unaccrued, disputed or
undisputed, liquidated or unliquidated, secured or unsecured, joint or several,
due or to become due, vested or unvested, executory, determined, determinable
or
otherwise, and whether or not the same is required to be accrued on the
financial statements of such Person.
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"LOSSES" - defined in
section 11.2(a).
"MATERIAL ADVERSE
CHANGE" - means a change in (or effect on)
the condition (financial or otherwise), of the properties, assets, liabilities,
rights, obligations, operations or business of the Acquired Business, taken as
a
whole, which change (or effect) individually or in the aggregate, is materially
adverse to such condition, properties, assets, liabilities, rights,
obligations,
operations or business of the Acquired Business taken as a whole (it being
understood that changes in generally prevailing economic conditions or
conditions which affect all companies in the Acquired Business' industry in a
similar fashion do not constitute a Material Adverse Change).
"MATERIAL CONSENTS"
- as defined in Section 7.3.
"MATERIAL
CONTRACT" - Each Contract that relates solely to the
Acquired Business that (i) represents One Hundred Thousand Dollars ($100,000)
or
more of revenues or expenses; or (ii) contains a material covenant not to
compete or otherwise significantly restricts the Seller's ability to conduct
the
Business; or (iii) provides for the extension of credit to a customer other
than
consistent with normal credit terms; or (iv) provides for a material guaranty
or
indemnity by Seller; (v) contains a right of first refusal for any of the
Acquired Assets; or (vi) requires Seller to buy or sell goods or services with
respect to which there will be material losses or will be costs and expenses
materially in excess of expected receipts (other than as provided for or
otherwise reserved against on the most recent of the balance sheets); or (vii)
is otherwise material to the Acquired Business.
"NET OPERATING
ASSETS" - shall mean those asset line items set
forth on Schedule 2.3(b) net of the liability line items set forth on Schedule
2.3(b), all as set forth on the Most Recent Balance Sheet (as defined in
Section
2.3).
"OCCUPATIONAL
SAFETY AND HEALTH LAW" - any Legal Requirement
designed to provide safe and healthful working conditions and to reduce
occupational safety and health hazards, including the Occupational Safety and
Health Act, and any program, whether governmental or private (such as those
promulgated or sponsored by industry associations and insurance companies),
designed to provide safe and healthful working conditions.
"ORDER" - any
order, injunction, judgment, decree, ruling,
assessment or arbitration award of any Governmental Body or arbitrator.
"ORDINARY COURSE OF
BUSINESS" - an action taken by a Person
will be deemed to have been taken in the ordinary course of the Acquired
Business only if that action is consistent in nature, scope and magnitude with
the past practices of Seller.
"PERMITTED
ENCUMBRANCES" - as defined in Section 3.6.
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"PERSON" - an
individual, partnership, corporation, business
trust, limited liability company, limited liability partnership, joint stock
company, trust, unincorporated association, joint venture or other entity or a
Governmental Body.
"PROCEEDING"
- any action, arbitration, audit, hearing,
investigation, litigation or suit (whether civil, criminal, administrative,
judicial or investigative, whether formal or informal, whether public or
private) commenced, brought, conducted or heard by or before any Governmental
Body or arbitrator.
"PURCHASE
PRICE" - as defined in Section 2.3.
"RECORD" - information
that is inscribed on a tangible medium
or that is stored in an electronic or other medium and is retrievable in
perceivable form.
"RELEASE" -
any release, spill, emission, leaking, pumping,
pouring, dumping, emptying, injection, deposit, disposal, discharge, dispersal,
leaching or migration on or into the Environment or into or out of any
property.
"REPRESENTATIVE" - with respect to a particular Person, any
director, officer, manager, employee, agent, consultant, advisor, accountant,
financial advisor, legal counsel or other representative of that Person.
"RETAINED
LIABILITIES" - as defined in Section 2.4(b).
"RF" - radio
frequency.
"RFID" - means a radio frequency
identification circuit.
"SCHEDULE" -
a schedule contained in the Disclosure Schedules.
"SELLER" -
means CHECKPOINT SYSTEMS, INC. or, with respect to
certain Acquired Assets owned by or vested in a Seller Local Entity, A SELLER
LOCAL ENTITY, as required by the context of this Agreement depending on the
actual ownership with respect to a specific Acquired Asset.
"SELLER
CONTRACT" - any Contract related solely to the
Acquired Business.
"SELLER LOCAL
ENTITY" - as defined in Section 2.1.4
"SERVICE BUREAU
PRODUCTS" - sales, brokering, order processing
and/or production anywhere in the world, not limited to current sales by Seller
under Check-Net(R), of the following: tags and labels with either static and/or
dynamically changing variable data, graphic tags and labels, woven labels, care
labels, and other retail and/or apparel trim items, excluding EM, RF and RFID,
where customers, products, and orders are setup, received, parsed, transmitted,
shipped, and updated by electronic means or otherwise, for sales to the retail
and apparel markets.
"TANGIBLE PERSONAL
PROPERTY" - as defined in Section 2.1(a).
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"TAX" - any
income, gross receipts, license, payroll,
employment, excise, severance, stamp, occupation, premium, property,
environmental, customs, vehicle, or other title or registration, capital stock,
franchise, employees' income withholding, foreign or domestic withholding,
social security, unemployment, disability, real property, personal property,
sales, use, transfer, value added, alternative, add-on minimum and other tax,
fee, assessment, levy, tariff, charge or duty of any kind whatsoever and any
interest, penalty, addition or additional amount thereon imposed, assessed or
collected by or under the authority of any Governmental Body or payable under
any tax-sharing agreement or any other Contract.
"TAX RETURN" - any
return (including any information return),
report, statement, schedule, notice, form, declaration, claim for refund or
other document or information filed with or submitted to, or required to be
filed with or submitted to, any Governmental Body in connection with the
determination, assessment, collection or payment of any Tax or in connection
with the administration, implementation or enforcement of or compliance with
any
Legal Requirement relating to any Tax.
"THIRD PARTY" - a Person that
is not a party to this
Agreement.
"THIRD PARTY
CLAIM" - any claim against any Indemnified Person
by a Third Party, whether or not involving a Proceeding.
"TRANSFERABLE
EMPLOYEES" - as defined in Section 3.15.
"TRANSFERRED
EMPLOYEES - as defined in Section 10.1(a)(ii).
2 SALE AND TRANSFER OF ACQUIRED
ASSETS; CLOSING
2.1 ASSETS TO BE SOLD
2.1.1 Upon the terms
and subject to the conditions set forth
in this Agreement (including the conditions listed in this Section 2.1 below),
at the Closing, Seller shall, or Seller shall cause a Seller Local Entity
(defined below in this Section 2.1) to, sell, convey, assign, transfer and
deliver to Buyer or Buyer's nominee, and Buyer or Buyer's nominee shall
purchase
and acquire from Seller, free and clear of any Encumbrances other than
Permitted
Encumbrances, all of Seller's, or all of Seller Local Entity's, right, title
and
interest in and to the following assets of the Acquired Business as a going
concern (but excluding the Retained Assets):
(a) the tangible
personal property items listed or described
in Schedule 2.1.1(a), which
Schedule shall be updated at Closing
("TANGIBLE PERSONAL
PROPERTY");
(b) the Inventories
reflected on the Final Statement of Net
Operating Assets;
(c) the Accounts
Receivable reflected on the Final Statement
of Net Operating Assets;
(d) the Seller
Contracts (including the Leased Real Property)
listed or described in Schedule
2.1.1(d);
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(e) the data and
Records related to the operations of the
Acquired Business, excluding all
personnel Records and other Records
that Seller is required by law
to retain in its possession (copies of
which shall be made available to
Buyer on request);
(f) the Intellectual
Property Assets of the Acquired Business
listed in Schedule 2.1.1(f); and
(g) pre-payments
relating to the Acquired Business and other
miscellaneous assets of the
Acquired Business listed on Schedule
2.1.1(g).
2.1.2 All of the
property and assets to be transferred to
Buyer under this Section 2.1 shall be herein referred to collectively as the
"ACQUIRED ASSETS." With respect to the Schedules referenced in this
Section 2.1
("ASSET SCHEDULES"), Seller hereby provides to Buyer on the date
hereof a
current schedule of such Assets. Not later than five (5) days prior to the
Closing Date, Seller shall deliver to Buyer final updated Asset Schedules.
Buyer
shall have an opportunity to review all such updated asset schedules and
request
that Seller provide an explanation and/or support that any assets added to such
schedules are part of the Acquired Business. The final disposition of the
Acquired Assets may be adjusted by the Final Statement of Net Operating Assets
(as defined in Section 2.3(e)).
2.1.3 Notwithstanding
the foregoing, the transfer of the
Acquired Assets pursuant to this Agreement shall not include the assumption of
any Liability related to the Acquired Assets unless Buyer expressly assumes
that
Liability pursuant to Section 2.4(a).
2.1.4 Seller shall
cause each applicable local subsidiary of
Seller (a "SELLER LOCAL ENTITY") in each of the jurisdictions where
the Acquired
Assets are being transferred to transfer those Acquired Assets owned by such
Seller Local Entity to Buyer or Buyer's nominee. Seller shall cause each Seller
Local Entity to enter into a separate written agreement (each a "LOCAL
AGREEMENT") for the sale and transfer of the portion of the Acquired
Assets
which are being transferred from the respective Seller Local Entity to Buyer or
a local entity of Buyer in the jurisdiction in which the assets are being
transferred. Except for modifications required pursuant to applicable laws of a
local jurisdiction, each Local European Agreement shall be substantially in the
form of the German Local Agreement unless otherwise agreed upon by the parties.
The parties agree that each Local entity shall be a third party beneficiary
under this agreement and shall have standing to enforce any rights and remedies
that it may have under this Agreement. To the extent this Asset Purchase
Agreement provides for remedies of either party, the parties acknowledge that
either party can seek remedies not only for their own damages but also for
damages of the Seller Local Entity (with respect to the Seller) or the Buyer
Local Entity (with respect to the Buyer).
2.1.5 In the event that
the transfer of any non-material
assets from a Seller Local Entity to a nominee of Buyer cannot occur prior to
Closing due to the need for a notice or other waiting period to expire (such
assets not sold at Closing shall be referred to herein as the "PENDING
ASSETS"),
the parties, in their sole discretion, shall Close on all of the transferable
Acquired Assets; provided, however, that neither party shall be required to
Close if the waiting period applies to the Acquired Assets located in Germany.
To the extent that there are Pending Assets at the end of Closing, the parties
agree that the Pending Assets shall be transferred to Buyer as soon as
practicable after such transfer is permissible under applicable local law, and
payment by Buyer will deferred until, and until such time Seller shall hold the
Pending Assets in escrow and the risk of loss therefor will not pass to Buyer
until the parties execute and deliver to the other the Local Transfer
Agreement.
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2.1.6 The Local
Agreements for Germany shall be in a form as
set out in Schedule 2.1.6 ("GERMAN LOCAL AGREEMENTS"). The Local
Agreements in
the remaining jurisdictions shall be as far as possible (taking into account
the
particularities of the respective jurisdiction) similar to the German Local
Agreement. The precise nature and conditions of the Local Agreements will
depend
on the laws, regulations and practices applying within each of the
jurisdictions
concerned. Where appropriate, the Parties to this Agreement will cause their
local subsidiaries to comply with any applicable legal requirement prior to
entering into the Local Agreements and, in particular, any obligation that may
exist to consult with relevant employee representation.
2.1.7 The Local
Agreement of Checkpoint Systems Italia SPA
("ITALIAN LOCAL AGREEMENT") shall be based in the German Local
Agreement but
shall include the following provision:
"The respective obligations
of each of the transferor/seller and
transferee/purchaser to effect the Local Agreement shall be subject to the
satisfaction at or prior to the Closing Date of the following condition:
Each of the transferor/seller
and transferee/purchaser shall have (i)
duly completed the procedure of information and consultation with trade
unions/works council set forth by Section 47 of Law No. 428 of December 29,
1990
and (ii) duly accomplished any obligations set forth by the applicable National
Bargaining Collective Agreement or any union agreements currently applied in
connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement."
2.1.8 The remaining
Local Agreements shall be concluded as
soon as possible under the local Legal Requirements, in particular under the
applicable local labour law regulations.
2.2 RETAINED ASSETS
Notwithstanding anything to the
contrary contained in Section 2.1 or
elsewhere in this Agreement, for purposes of clarity the following assets of
Seller (collectively, "RETAINED ASSETS"), together with all other
assets owned
by Seller not listed as an Acquired Asset, are not part of the sale and
purchase
contemplated hereunder, are excluded from the Acquired Assets and shall remain
the property of Seller after the Closing:
(a) all cash, cash
equivalents and short-term investments
related to the Acquired
Business, except for cash attributable to any
prepaid deposits or other items
of deferred revenue set forth as an
asset on the Statement of
Estimated Net Operating Assets, as adjusted
by the Final Statement of Net Operating
Assets;
(b) all minute books,
stock Records and corporate seals of the
Sellers;
(c) all intellectual
property rights in the name Meto,
including, without limitation,
all trade name, trademark, and service
name rights ("METO IP
RIGHTS");
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(d) all claims for
refund of Taxes and other governmental
charges of whatever nature; and
(e) all rights,
including intellectual property, associated
with sale of Service Bureau
Products. RFID labels, tags and tickets and
all processes associated with
the design, fabrication, testing and
implementation of RFID into
consumer product, commercial and industrial
solutions.
2.3 CONSIDERATION
(a) Purchase Price. The
aggregate consideration, subject to
the application of Sections
2.6(a), 2.6(b) and 10.2 below, for the
Acquired Assets (the
"PURCHASE PRICE") shall be determined as follows:
(i) the
Estimated Net Operating Assets Amount, as
determined in Section
2.3(b), paid by Buyer to Seller on the
Closing Date, plus
(ii) the
Additional Cash Purchase Price, as set forth
in Section 2.3(c), paid
by Buyer to Seller on the Closing Date
net of the payment of
the Escrow Amount (as defined in Section
2.3(d) below) (the
Additional Cash Purchase Price together
with the Estimated Net
Operating Assets Amount is referred to
herein as the
"INITIAL PURCHASE PRICE"), plus or minus
(iii) the Final Net
Operating Assets Adjustment (as
determined pursuant to
either Section 2.3(f) or Section
2.3(g)), paid in
accordance with Section 2.3(h).
(b) Estimated Net Operating
Assets Amount. The "ESTIMATED NET
OPERATING ASSETS AMOUNT"
shall be the amount designated as such on the
Statement of Estimated Net
Operating Assets (as defined in this Section
2.3(b)). On the date hereof,
Seller has prepared and delivered to Buyer
the most recently internally
prepared, un-audited, month-end balance
sheet for the Acquired Business,
attached hereto as Schedule 2.3(b),
which will also contain an
initial statement of Net Operating Assets
amount as of such date
("MOST RECENT BALANCE SHEET"). Not later than
5:00 p.m. eastern United States
standard time on the day immediately
preceding the Closing Date, the
Seller shall deliver to Buyer an
internally prepared, un-audited,
balance sheet as of the Closing Date
and a statement of estimated Net
Operating Assets as of the Closing
Date ("STATEMENT OF
ESTIMATED NET OPERATING ASSETS"), prepared in a
manner consistent with the Most
Recent Balance Sheet and also made a
part of Schedule 2.3(b). The
Statement of Estimated Net Operating
Assets shall include a
calculation of the Estimated Net Operating
Assets Amount. Not later than
three (3) days prior to the Closing Date,
the Seller shall provide Buyer a
preliminary pro forma calculation of
the Statement of Estimated Net
Operating Assets.
(c) Additional Cash
Purchase Price. The "ADDITIONAL CASH
PURCHASE PRICE" is equal to
US$8,579,000.
(d) Escrow. On the date
hereof, Buyer shall initialize a wire
transfer of US$2,025,000 (an
amount equal to five percent (5%) of the
sum of: (i) the initial
statement of Net Operating Assets amount as
shown on the Most Recent Balance Sheet
plus (ii) the Additional Cash
Purchase Price) (the
"ESCROW AMOUNT") to an escrow account established
by Chicago Title and Trust
Company ("ESCROW AGENT"). The balance of the
Initial Purchase Price will be
paid by Buyer to Seller on the Closing
Date via wire transfer of
immediately available funds. The Escrow
Amount will be held and
distributed by the Escrow Agent in accordance
with the terms and provisions of
an escrow agreement which will be
executed and delivered by the
parties hereof concurrently with the
execution and delivery of this
Agreement.
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(e) Seller's
Preparation of Final Statement of Net Operating
Assets. As promptly as possible
following the close of business on the
Closing Date, but in no event
later than forty-five (45) days after the
Closing Date, the Seller shall
prepare, at the expense of Seller, a
final statement of Net Operating
Assets ("FINAL STATEMENT OF NET
OPERATING ASSETS"). Seller
shall prepare the Final Statement of Net
Operating Assets in a manner
consistent with the Most Recent Balance
Sheet, the Estimate Statement of
Net Operating Assets and shall include
a calculation, based upon the
Final Statement of Net Operating Assets,
of either: (i) an increase to
the Estimated Net Operating Assets Amount
or (ii) a decrease to the
Estimated Net Operating Assets Amount ("FINAL
NET OPERATING ASSETS
ADJUSTMENT") as part of the Final Statement of Net
Operating Assets.
(f) Buyer's Review.
Buyer shall have a period of forty-five
(45) days following delivery to
it of the Final Statement of Net
Operating Assets to review, at
the expense of the Buyer, the Final
Statement of Net Operating
Assets and the calculation of the Final Net
Operating Assets Adjustment. Seller
agrees to provide to Buyer
materials or information in its
possession reasonably required by Buyer
to review the preparation of the
Final Statement of Net Operating
Assets and the calculation of
the Final Net Operating Assets
Adjustment. In the event that
Buyer does not provide written notice to
Seller within such forty-five
(45) day period that Buyer disagrees with
the Final Statement of Net
Operating Assets and/or the calculation of
the Final Net Operating Assets
Adjustment ("NOTICE OF DISAGREEMENT"),
then such Final Statement of Net
Operating Assets shall be deemed
final.
(g) Independent Review.
In the event Buyer provides Seller
with a Notice of Disagreement
and the parties have not resolved such
disagreement and made an
appropriate payment in connection therewith
within thirty (30) days after
the date of delivery of the Notice of
Disagreement, the parties shall
submit to a KPMG LLP ("INDEPENDENT
AUDITOR") such Initial
Statement, Statement of Estimated Net Operating
Assets, the Final Statement of
Net Operating Assets and calculation of
the Final Net Operating Assets
Adjustment, the Most Recent Balance
Sheet, the Notice of
Disagreement, and any other documents or
information which the parties
deem, or the Independent Auditor deems,
pertinent in order to make a
final and binding determination of any
issues as to which the parties
are in disagreement. The Independent
Auditor shall advise the parties
of its decision relative to the
controversy within sixty (60)
days (or as soon as practicable) after
its receipt of the applicable
statements and other documents or
information which it has
requested and at such time the Final Net
Assets Adjustment shall be
deemed final. Such firm shall be acting as
an arbitrator and not as an
auditor and shall decide only those issues
as to which the parties are not
in agreement. The fees and expenses of
the Independent Auditor shall be
equally apportioned between the Buyer
and the Seller.
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(h) Payment of Final Net Operating Assets
Adjustment. Within
fifteen (15) days after the
final determination of the Final Net
Operating Assets Adjustment as
provided in either Section 2.3(f) or
Section 2.3(g), (i) if the Final
Net Operating Assets Adjustment
results in an increase from the
Initial Purchase Price, Buyer shall pay
to Seller by wire transfer in
immediately available funds such increase
together with interest thereon
from the Closing Date to the date of
payment thereof, at an interest
rate equal to the "prime rate" as
published in The Wall Street
Journal (the "PRIME RATE") in effect on
the date of determination of the
Final Net Operating Assets Adjustment
("ACCRUED INTEREST"), and (ii) if
the Final Net Operating Assets
Adjustment results in a decrease
from the Initial Purchase Price,
Seller shall pay to Buyer by
wire transfer in immediately available
funds such decrease together
with the Accrued Interest. In the event
that a party does not make its
total payment as required by this
Section 2.3(h), then the unpaid
amount shall accrue interest at an
annual rate equal to the Prime
Rate plus five percent (5%) until fully
paid.
2.4 LIABILITIES
(a) Assumed
Liabilities. On the Closing Date, Buyer shall
assume and agree to pay,
discharge or perform, as appropriate, the
following liabilities and obligations
of Seller (the "ASSUMED
LIABILITIES"):
(i) all trade
accounts payable and accrued
liabilities reflected
on the Final Statement of Net Operating
Assets;
(ii) any warranty obligations of Seller
under written
warranty agreements and
statutory and common law warranty
obligations to
customers of the Acquired Business in the
Ordinary Course of
Business prior to the Closing Date; and
(iii) any
obligations of Seller under the Seller
Contracts listed or
described on Schedule 2.1(d) arising
subsequent to the
Closing Date.
(b) Retained
Liabilities. The Retained Liabilities (AS
HEREINAFTER DEFINED) shall
remain the sole responsibility of and shall
be retained, paid, performed and
discharged solely by Seller. "RETAINED
LIABILITIES" shall mean
every Liability of Seller other than the
Assumed Liabilities.
2.5 ALLOCATION
The Purchase Price shall be
allocated in each jurisdiction where a
Local Seller Entity transfers its Acquired Assets in accordance with Schedule
2.5. In any Proceeding related to the determination of any Tax, neither Buyer
nor Seller shall contend or represent that such allocation is not a correct
allocation.
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2.6 POST-CLOSING ADJUSTMENTS TO THE PURCHASE
PRICE
(a) Accounts
Receivable. Buyer shall use its Commercially
Reasonable Efforts to collect
all Accounts Receivable, but shall not be
required to institute litigation
or refer uncollectible receivables to
any collection agency. Any transferred
Accounts Receivable which are
not paid to Buyer within one
hundred twenty (120) days of Closing shall
be reassigned and transferred to
Seller at face value and Buyer shall
forthwith receive a payment for
the amount so reassigned and
transferred. On the 60th and
90th day following Closing, Buyer shall
provided to Seller an Accounts
Receivable aging report in writing. At
any time after the 90th day
following Closing, Seller may elect to have
any Account Receivable
reassigned to Seller and Buyer shall reassign
such Account Receivable to
Seller concurrently with Seller's payment to
Buyer therefor.
(b) Inventory. On the first
anniversary of Closing, Buyer
shall prepare and deliver to
Seller a written schedule of all obsolete,
non-usable Inventory and shall
reassign and transfer to Seller such
items at an amount equal to the
value assigned to such item on the
Final Statement of Net Operating
Assets and Buyer shall forthwith
receive payment for all
inventory so reassigned and transferred.
2.7 CLOSING
The purchase and sale provided
for in this Agreement (the "CLOSING")
will take place at the offices of Buyer's counsel at 233 North Michigan Avenue,
Suite 1720, Chicago 60601 at 10:00 a.m. (local time) on January 26, 2005,
unless
Buyer and Seller otherwise agree. The Closing shall be deemed effective at
11:59
p.m. (local time) that same day with respect to each Seller. Subject to the
provisions of Article 9, failure to consummate the purchase and sale provided
for in this Agreement on the date and time and at the place determined pursuant
to this Section 2.7 will not result in the termination of this Agreement and
will not relieve any party of any obligation under this Agreement. In such a
situation, the Closing will occur as soon as practicable, subject to Article 9.
2.8 CLOSING OBLIGATIONS
In addition to any other documents to be
delivered under other
provisions of this Agreement, at the Closing:
(a) Seller shall
deliver to Buyer:
(i) such bills
of sale, assignment and assumption
agreements, the German Local Agreements,
the Italian Local
Agreement and all other
Local Agreements and other instruments
of transfer; release of
lien instruments, and conveyance as
may reasonably be
requested by Seller and/or Buyer, each in
form and substance
satisfactory to the parties and their legal
counsel as appropriate
and executed by Seller (without
limitation,
"CONVEYANCE DOCUMENTS");
(ii)
assignments of all intellectual property set
forth on Schedule
2.1(f) executed by Seller;
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(iii)
non-competition and non-solicitation agreements
in the form of EXHIBIT
2.8(A)(iii), for the benefit of Buyer
with respect to the
Acquired Assets, executed by Seller;
(iv) a
certificate executed by Seller as to the
material accuracy of their
representations and warranties as
of the date of this
Agreement and as of the Closing in
accordance with Section
7.1 and as to their material
compliance with and
performance of their covenants and
obligations to be
performed or complied with at or before the
Closing in accordance
with Section 7.2;
(v) a
certificate of the Secretary of Seller
certifying, as complete and accurate as of
the Closing,
attached copies of the
Governing Documents of Seller,
certifying and
attaching all requisite resolutions or actions
of Seller's board of
directors (and shareholders, if required
by the Governing
Documents or by any legal requirement)
approving the execution
and delivery of this Agreement and the
consummation of the
Contemplated Transactions and certifying
to the incumbency and
signatures of the officers of Seller
executing this
Agreement and any other document relating to
the Contemplated
Transactions and accompanied by the requisite
documents for amending the relevant
Governing Documents of
Seller required to
effect such change of name in form
sufficient for filing
with the appropriate Governmental Body;
(vi) the legal
opinion of counsel to Seller, as to
the organization and
authority of Checkpoint Systems, Inc. to
enter into this
Agreement and the enforceability of this
Agreement with respect
to Checkpoint Systems, Inc.
(vii) duly
executed assignments of leases for each of
the Leased Real
Property and all other material Leases assumed
by Buyer with
applicable consents from each such lessor or
other party thereto, as
applicable and where required.
(b) Buyer shall deliver
to Seller as the case may be:
(i) the
Initial Purchase Price to an account
specified by Seller in
a writing delivered to Buyer at on the
Closing Date;
(ii) all
Conveyance Documents executed by Buyer;
(iii)
non-competition and non-solicitation agreements
in the form of EXHIBIT
2.8(B)(iii) (subject to completion of
the exhibits thereto),
for the benefit of Seller with respect
to Seller's business
not transferred hereunder, executed by
Buyer;
(iv) a certificate executed by Buyer
as to the
material accuracy of
its representations and warranties as of
the date of this
Agreement and as of the Closing in accordance
with Section 8.1 and as
to its material compliance with and
performance of its
covenants and obligations to be performed
or complied with at or
before the Closing in accordance with
Section 8.2; and
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(v) a
certificate of the Secretary of Buyer
certifying, as complete
and accurate as of the Closing,
attached copies of the
Governing Documents of Buyer and
certifying and attaching all requisite
resolutions or actions
of Buyer's board of
directors approving the execution and
delivery of this
Agreement and the consummation of the
Contemplated Transactions
and certifying to the incumbency and
signatures of the
officers of Buyer executing this Agreement
and any other documents
relating to the Contemplated
Transactions.
2.9 Break-up Fee. In the event
that the Closing of the Contemplated
Transactions does not occur on or before February 28, 2006 due to Buyer's
failure to materially perform its obligations under this Agreement, where such
failure is not due to Seller's failure to materially perform its obligations
under this Agreement, Buyer shall pay to Seller, an amount equal to One Million
US Dollars (US $1,000,000) in immediately available funds, via wire transfer to
an account designated by Seller, payable immediately out of the Escrow Amount
(the "BREAK-UP FEE").
3. REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES
OF SELLER
No specific representation or
warranty shall limit the generality or
applicability of a more general representation or warranty. Representations and
warranties of the Seller are initially made as of the date hereof. All
representations and warranties of Seller are made subject to the exceptions
noted in the Schedules delivered by Seller to Buyer concurrently herewith and
incorporated herein by reference. All exceptions noted in the Schedules are
numbered to correspond with the applicable paragraph of Article III to which
such exception refers. All representations and warranties shall be certified to
as of the Closing Date pursuant to Section 7.1. Except as otherwise indicated
on
the Schedules, each Seller Local Entity and Seller, jointly and severally,
represents and warrants to Buyer as follows:
3.1 ORGANIZATION AND AUTHORITY
Each Seller is a corporation
duly organized, validly existing and in
good standing under the laws of its jurisdiction of incorporation, with full
corporate power and authority to conduct its business as it is now being
conducted, to own or use the properties and assets that it purports to own or
use, and to perform all its obligations hereunder and under the Seller
Contracts.
3.2 ENFORCEABILITY; NO CONFLICT
(a) This Agreement
constitutes the legal, valid and binding
obligation of each Seller,
enforceable against each Seller in
accordance with its terms. Upon
the execution and delivery by each
Seller of each agreement to be
executed or delivered by any or all of
Seller at the Closing
(collectively, the "SELLER'S CLOSING DOCUMENTS"),
each of Seller's Closing
Documents will constitute the legal, valid and
binding obligation of each
Seller, enforceable against each of them in
accordance with its terms. Each
Seller has the absolute and
unrestricted right, power and
authority to execute and deliver this
Agreement and the Seller's
Closing Documents to which it is a party and
to perform its obligations under
this Agreement and the Seller's
Closing Documents and to
transfer, convey and sell to Buyer at the
Closing the Acquired Assets to be sold,
and such action has been duly
authorized by all necessary
action by Seller.
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(b) Except as set forth
in Schedule 3.2(b), neither the
execution and delivery of this
Agreement or any of the Seller's Closing
Documents nor the consummation
or performance of any of the
Contemplated Transactions will,
directly or indirectly (with or without
notice or lapse of time, or
both):
(i) Breach (A)
any provision of any of the Governing
Documents of Seller,
(B) any resolution currently in effect as
adopted by the board of
directors or the shareholder(s) of
Seller, or (C) any
Legal Requirement;
(ii) Breach
any provision of, or give any Person the
right to declare a
default or exercise any remedy under, or to
accelerate the maturity
or performance of, or payment under,
or to cancel, terminate
or modify, any material Seller
Contract; or
(iii) result
in the imposition or creation of any
Encumbrance upon or
with respect to any of the Acquired
Assets.
(c) Except as set forth
in Schedule 3.2(c), Seller has given
all notices to or obtained every
Consent from any Person in connection
with the execution and delivery
of this Agreement or, prior to or on
Closing, any of the Seller's
Closing Documents or the consummation or
performance of any of the
Contemplated Transactions, except where the
absence of such notice or
Consent would not have, either individually
or in the aggregate, a Material
Adverse Change.
3.3 FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Seller has delivered to Buyer
the un-audited, internally prepared, pro
forma statement of operations and statement of assets and liabilities for the
12-month period ended December 26, 2004 and the 6-month period ended June 26,
2005 and the 9-month period ended September 25, 2005, each attached hereto on
Schedule 3.3(a). Since December 26, 2004, there has been no change in the
accounting policies, practices or procedures relating to the Acquired Business
undisclosed to the Buyer.
3.4 ACQUIRED ASSETS
Except for the Retained Assets,
the Acquired Assets, which Seller is
selling to Buyer hereunder, constitute all of the assets, tangible and
intangible, set forth on the Estimated Statement of Net Operating Assets, as
adjusted by the Final Statement of Net Operating Assets, and are, as of the
date
hereof, and will be, as of the Closing Date, utilized by Seller in the Acquired
Business.
3.5 DESCRIPTION OF LEASED REAL PROPERTY
(a) [Intentionally
Omitted].
(b) Schedule 3.5(b)
contains an accurate description (by
location, name of lessor, date
of Lease and term expiry date) of all
Leased Real Property to be
assigned or sublet to Buyer.
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(c) Seller has been in
peaceable possession since the
commencement of the original
term of its Leases and is not in material
default thereunder and no
waiver, indulgence or postponement of the
obligations of Seller under any
lease has been granted by any lessor.
Each such lease is in full force
and effect and to Seller's Knowledge,
the lessor is not in default
thereof, and no occurrence, condition, or
act, including the execution and
delivery of this Agreement and the
other agreements and
transactions contemplated thereby, which (with or
without notice or lapse of time
or both) would constitute a default
thereunder.
3.6 TITLE TO ASSETS; ENCUMBRANCES
Seller owns good and
transferable title to all of the Acquired Assets
free and clear of any Encumbrances other than those described in Schedule 3.6
("PERMITTED ENCUMBRANCES"). Upon consummation of the Closing, Buyer
will acquire
from each Seller legal and beneficial ownership of, and good and marketable
title to, the Acquired Assets, free and clear of encumbrances except the
Permitted Encumbrances.
3.7 CONDITION OF PROPERTY
(a) Use of the Leased
Real Property for the various purposes
for which it is presently being
used is permitted as of right under all
applicable zoning legal requirements and is not subject to
"permitted
nonconforming" use or
structure classifications. All improvements are
in compliance with all
applicable Legal Requirements, including those
pertaining to zoning, building
and the disabled, are in good repair and
in good condition, ordinary wear
and tear excepted, and are free from
latent and patent defects.
(b) Each item of
Tangible Personal Property is suitable for
immediate use in the Ordinary Course of Business in a manner consistent
with historical use. No item of
Tangible Personal Property is in need
of repair or replacement other
than as part of routine maintenance in
the Ordinary Course of Business.
Except as disclosed in Schedule
3.7(b), all Tangible Personal
Property used in Seller's business is in
the possession of Seller.
3.8 ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE
All Accounts Receivable that are
reflected on the Final Statement of
Net Operating Assets represent or will represent valid obligations arising from
sales actually made or services actually performed by Seller in the Ordinary
Course of Business.
3.9 INVENTORIES
All items included in the
Inventories consist of a quality and quantity
usable and, with respect to finished goods, saleable, in the Ordinary Course of
Business of Seller.
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3.10 NO MATERIAL ADVERSE CHANGE
Since June 30, 2005 and except
as set forth on Schedule 3.10, there has
been:
(a) no Material Adverse
Change with respect to the Acquired
Business or any Leased Real
Property;
(b) no express waiver
or release by any Seller of any material
right of any Material Contract;
(c) no change in or
event affecting the Acquired Business that
is reasonably likely to have a
Material Adverse Change;
(d) no casualty, loss,
damage or destruction (whether or not
covered by insurance) of any of
the Acquired Assets or the Leased Real
Property, or that has involved
or is reasonably likely to involve a
loss, individually, of more than
Twenty-Five Thousand Dollars ($25,000)
or, in the aggregate, of more
than One Hundred Thousand Dollars
($100,000); and
(e) no written notice
received from any material customer or
supplier of the Acquired Business
to the effect that such customer or
supplier intends to terminate or
materially decrease expected ongoing
purchases from, or sales to, as
the case may be, Seller and Seller has
no Knowledge of such termination
or decrease.
3.11






