Exhibit 10.1
ASSET PURCHASE AGREEMENT
THIS ASSET PURCHASE AGREEMENT (this
“ Agreement ”) is made and entered into as of
February 27, 2008, by and among RathGibson, Inc., a Delaware
corporation (the “ Purchaser ”),
Mid-South Control Line, Inc., a Louisiana corporation (the
“ Company ”), Richard E. Lore, Sr. (“
Lore ”), both individually and as Trustee of: (i)
the REL Grantor Retainer Annuity Trust No. 1, a Louisiana trust
(“ Lore Trust No. 1 ”); (ii) the REL Grantor
Retainer Annuity Trust No. 2, a Louisiana trust (“ Lore
Trust No. 2 ”); and (iii) the REL Grantor Retainer
Annuity Trust No. 3, a Louisiana trust (“ Lore Trust
No. 3 ” and, together with Lore Trust No. 1 and Lore
Trust No. 2, the “ Lore Trusts ”), and Barry
J. Hebert (“ Hebert ”). Lore, the Lore
Trusts and Hebert are sometimes referred to herein individually
as a “ Stockholder ” and collectively as
the “ Stockholders ”.
Recitals :
A.
The Company is engaged in the business of
supplying stainless steel tubing, nickel alloy tubing and
accessories to the United States and international oil and gas
industry (the “ Business ”).
B.
The Stockholders collectively hold all of the
issued and outstanding shares of the Company’s capital
stock.
C.
Upon the terms and subject to the conditions set
forth herein, the Company desires to sell to the Purchaser the
Business as a going concern, and the Purchaser desires to
purchase the Business from the Company as a going concern.
D.
In connection with the purchase and sale of the
Business described above, the parties desire that, upon the
terms and subject to the conditions set forth herein, the
Purchaser purchase the Purchased Assets from the Company and
assume from the Company the Assumed Liabilities (and no other
Liabilities of the Company).
E.
Capitalized terms used herein have the
respective meanings set forth in Article VIII .
Agreement :
NOW, THEREFORE , in consideration of the
mutual agreements and covenants herein contained and for other good
and valuable consideration, the receipt and adequacy of which are
hereby acknowledged, the parties hereby agree as follows:
ARTICLE I
PURCHASE AND SALE
1.1
Purchase and Sale of Assets .
Upon the terms and subject to the conditions contained
herein, at the Closing, the Company will sell, convey, transfer,
assign and deliver to the Purchaser, and the Purchaser will
purchase from the Company, all of the right, title and interest
of the Company in and to all of the properties and assets used
in, held for use in, developed for, or related to, the operation
of the Business, other than the Excluded Assets (all such
properties and assets other than the Excluded Assets are
referred to herein as the “ Purchased Assets
”), free and clear of all Liens. Without in any way
limiting the generality of such term, the Purchased Assets
include the following:
(a)
all bank accounts of the Company other than the
Excluded Bank Account (collectively, the “ Assumed Bank
Accounts ”);
1
(b)
all machinery, equipment (both fixed and mobile,
including computer equipment), replacement parts, maintenance
stores, furniture, furnishings, fixtures, leasehold
improvements, vehicles (other than any vehicles that are
Excluded Assets) and other tangible personal property;
(c)
all computer software and systems (including
data and related documentation), including maintenance
agreements related thereto;
(d)
all items of inventory, including raw materials,
work in process, finished goods, supplies, spare parts and other
items of inventory and all shipping containers and other parts
relating thereto, in each case whether located on the
Company’s premises or located elsewhere;
(e)
all of the Material Contracts (other than those
relating to the Senior Debt) and each other Contract to which the
Company is a party that is set forth on Schedule 1.1(e)
(collectively, the “ Assumed Contracts
”);
(f)
all accounts receivable, trade receivables,
notes receivable and other receivables of the Company arising on
or before the Closing Date (collectively, the “
Acquired Accounts Receivable ”);
(g)
all Company Permits, to the extent
transferable;
(h)
all prepaid accounts, expenses and deposits;
(i)
all open purchase orders or invoices entered
into by the Company that relate to products or services to be
provided by the Company, or products, services or supplies to be
delivered for the benefit of the Company;
(j)
all Business Confidential Information;
(k)
to the extent not included in the Business
Confidential Information, all books, data, records, manuals,
ledgers, files, documents, correspondence, forms, and other
materials and databases (in any form or medium), including all
books and records and materials maintained at the offices of the
Company, advertising matter, stationery, forms, labels, shipping
materials, catalogs, brochures, art work, product descriptions,
price lists, regulatory files, correspondence, mailing lists,
purchase orders, credit, collection and sales records, sales,
advertising and promotional materials and records, purchasing
materials and records, personnel records, market surveys and
related materials, business procedures, accounting records,
litigation files, correspondence files, studies, reports, lists,
and the personnel and wage records of Hired Employees and
materials maintained for the Business;
(l)
all choses-in-action, rights under guarantees
and warranties, rights of set-off, rights of recoupment, rights
to indemnification, prepaid accounts, expenses, deposits, rights
to refunds, rights with respect to Proceedings, rights of
recovery and similar rights in favor of the Company with respect
to any of the Purchased Assets;
(m)
the insurance policies set forth on Schedule
1.1(m) and all assets associated therewith (collectively,
the “ Assumed Insurance Policies ”);
(n)
all Intellectual Property Rights (collectively,
the “ Business Intellectual Property ”);
2
(o)
all rights to telephone and facsimile numbers,
including all ten-digit “800”, “888” or
similar numbers, as well as rights to receive mail and other
communications addressed to the Company (including mail and
communications from customers, advertisers, suppliers,
distributors, agents and others and payments with respect to the
Purchased Assets);
(p)
all rights with respect to unemployment,
workers’ compensation and other similar insurance and
related funded reserves, in each case, relating to Hired
Employees;
(q)
the employee benefit plans of the Company listed
on Schedule 1.1(q) and all assets associated therewith
(collectively, the “ Assumed Company Benefit
Plans ”);
(r)
all rights under agreements with employees,
consultants and independent contractors of the Company
concerning non-competition, non-solicitation, confidentiality or
ownership rights;
(s)
the goodwill generated by or associated with the
Business; and
(t)
to the extent assignable by the Company to the
Purchaser, all other assets of any nature whatsoever other than
the Excluded Assets.
1.2
Excluded Assets . The
parties expressly acknowledge and agree that, notwithstanding
anything to the contrary in this Agreement or any other
Transaction Document, the Purchased Assets shall not include,
and the Purchaser shall not purchase, the following assets,
properties and rights of the Company (collectively, the “
Excluded Assets ”):
(a)
the assets set forth on Schedule 1.2(a)
;
(b)
the bank account established by the Company in
connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement
solely for use in connection with post-Closing obligations of
the Company (the “ Excluded Bank Account
”);
(c)
the Non-Conforming Inventory Items (as defined
below);
(d)
all cash and cash equivalents of the
Company;
(e)
each Company Benefits Plan and all assets
associated therewith, other than the Assumed Company Benefit
Plans and the assets associated therewith;
(f)
each insurance policy of the Company and all
assets associated therewith, other than the Assumed Company
Insurance Policies and the assets associated therewith;
(g)
the rights of the Company under this Agreement
and the other Transaction Documents;
(h)
all choses-in-action, rights under guarantees
and warranties, rights of recoupment, rights to indemnification,
prepaid accounts, expenses, deposits, rights to refunds, rights
with respect to Proceedings, rights of recovery and similar
rights in favor of the Company exclusively related to any
Excluded Assets or Excluded Liabilities; and
(i)
all taxpayer and other identification numbers
and corporate or other organizational minute books, corporate
seal, stock ledger, tax returns and records, and other books
and
3
records pertaining exclusively to the
Company’s organization, existence or capitalization.
1.3
Assumed Liabilities .
Subject to and upon the terms and conditions set forth in
this Agreement, as partial consideration for the Purchased
Assets, the Purchaser agrees to assume and pay, and discharge,
perform or otherwise satisfy when due in accordance with the
terms thereof, only the Liabilities of the Company referenced
below in this Section 1.3 (collectively, the “
Assumed Liabilities ”), and no other Liabilities of
the Company of any kind. The Assumed Liabilities consist
solely of:
(a)
the Acquired Accounts Payable and all other
Current Liabilities of the Company, as of the Closing Date, in
each case solely to the extent such Assumed Accounts Payable and
other Current Liabilities are reflected in the Final Working
Capital Statement; and
(b)
to the extent not included in Section
1.3(a) , all Liabilities of the Company arising under
the Assumed Contracts and other Purchased Assets, in each case
solely to the extent relating to circumstances or events first
occurring or existing after the Closing (and specifically
excluding any Liabilities for any breach of any such Assumed
Contract by the Company that occurred prior to the Closing or
any violation of Law by the Company that occurred prior to the
Closing) (the “ Assumed Contracts Liabilities
”).
For the avoidance of doubt, no right of any
Purchaser Indemnified Party under this Agreement (including any
right of any Purchaser Indemnified Party for indemnification or
any other remedy for breach of any of the representations,
warranties, contracts or agreements of the Company or the
Stockholders set forth herein) shall be affected by the
assumption by the Purchaser of the Assumed Liabilities.
1.4
Excluded Liabilities .
Notwithstanding anything else to the contrary contained in
this Agreement or any other Transaction Document, the Purchaser
is not assuming and will not otherwise be responsible or liable
for any Liability of the Company or any of the Stockholders
other than the Assumed Liabilities (all such Liabilities other
than the Assumed Liabilities, the “ Excluded
Liabilities ”). Without in any way limiting the
generality of such term, the Excluded Liabilities include:
(a)
any Liability of the Company for any
Indebtedness, including any Liabilities relating to the Senior
Debt;
(b)
any Liability of the Company or any of the
Stockholders relating to any Taxes;
(c)
any Liability of the Company under any
Environmental Law, including any Liability resulting from or
arising out of any Hazardous Materials present at, on, under, or
originating from any of the Purchased Assets or otherwise
associated with the operation of the Business prior to the
Closing, regardless of whether any such Liability or Hazardous
Materials were known or unknown to the Purchaser at the time of
the Closing;
(d)
any Liability with respect to any Contract of
the Company other than Assumed Contracts Liabilities;
(e)
any Liability of the Company under any bulk
sales or bulk transfer laws of any jurisdiction which may be
applicable to the transactions contemplated by this
Agreement;
(f)
any Liability resulting from or arising out of
any operations of the Company: (i) outside of the ordinary
course prior to the Closing; or (ii) from and after the
Closing;
4
(g)
any Liability resulting from or arising out of:
(i) any employees of the Company that are not Offered Employees;
or (ii) termination by the Company of its employment of the
Offered Employees in connection with such persons becoming
employees of the Purchaser in accordance with Section 5.3
, including any Proceedings and the resulting Liabilities
relating to claims of wrongful termination, age, race or sex
discrimination or other violation of Law;
(h)
any Liability under any Company Benefit Plan
(whether such Liability is incurred before, on or after the
Closing), other than Liabilities incurred after the Closing
under the Assumed Company Benefit Plans (the parties
specifically agree and acknowledge that, for the avoidance of
doubt, the “Liabilities incurred after the Closing under
the Assumed Company Benefit Plans” do not include any
Liabilities resulting from or associated with termination by the
Company of its employment of the Offered Employees in connection
with such persons becoming employees of the Purchaser in
accordance with Section 5.3 , including any employee
benefits or entitlements such as severance pay, accrued
vacation, sick or holiday pay and other paid time off, all of
which are Excluded Liabilities);
(i)
any Liability of the Company under any insurance
policy of the Company other than Liabilities incurred after the
Closing under the Assumed Company Insurance Policies;
(j)
any Liability of the Company with respect to
claims for indemnification, or reimbursement or advancement of
expenses related to indemnification claims, by any of its
officers, directors, employees or agents;
(k)
to the extent not reflected in any of the other
subsections of this Section 1.4 , any Liability of the
Company resulting from or arising out of any of the Excluded
Assets;
(l)
any Liability of any of the Company or any of
the Stockholders under this Agreement or any other Transaction
Document;
(m)
without limiting the generality of Section
1.4(b) , any Liability resulting from or arising out of any
claim or Proceeding by any Governmental Entity in any
jurisdiction: (i) in which the Company does not file Tax
Returns, that the Company or a Stockholder (with respect to the
Company) is subject to Tax or required to file Tax Returns in
that jurisdiction; (ii) where the Company or any
Stockholder (with respect to the Company) files Tax Returns but
does not compute its Tax on the basis of its net income
attributable to such jurisdiction, that the Company or such
Stockholder is subject to tax on the basis of its net income
attributable to such jurisdiction; or (iii) in which the
Company files Tax Returns but a Stockholder (with respect to the
Company) does not file Tax Returns, that such Stockholder is
subject to Tax or required to file Tax Returns with respect to
the Company in that jurisdiction;
(n)
any Liability of the Company or any of the
Stockholders for expenses, Taxes or fees incident to or arising
out of the negotiation, preparation, approval or authorization
of this Agreement, the other Transaction Documents or the
consummation (or preparation for the consummation) of the
transactions contemplated hereby (including all attorneys’
and accountants’ fees, and brokerage fees incurred by or
imposed upon any of the Company or any of the Stockholders);
and
(o)
any Liability incurred by the Purchaser
resulting from or arising out of any sale by the Purchaser of
any Non-Conforming Inventory Items to any Ultimate Buyer
pursuant to Section 5.12 (including warranty and product
return obligations and products liability claims), other than
those arising solely from the fault of the Purchaser in
connection with such sale.
Without acknowledging any liability to any
Person (other than the Purchaser and the other Purchaser
Indemnified Parties under this Agreement) with respect thereto,
the Company and the
5
Stockholders hereby agree and acknowledge that
the Company is retaining all of the Excluded Liabilities and the
Company shall (and the Stockholders shall cause the Company to)
pay, discharge, perform or otherwise satisfy, when due in
accordance with the terms thereof, all of the Excluded
Liabilities.
1.5
Allocation of Consideration .
The Purchase Price and those Assumed Liabilities and other
items included in “consideration” for purposes of
Code section 1060 (the “ Section 1060 Consideration
”) shall be allocated among the Purchased Assets based on
their fair market values, in compliance with Code section 1060
and the Treasury Regulations thereunder, in accordance with this
Section 1.5 (such allocation, the “
Allocation ”). For purposes of calculating
the Section 1060 Consideration, the amounts, as of the Closing
Date, of the accounts payable, accrued expenses and other
liabilities included in the Assumed Liabilities shall equal the
amounts thereof shown on the Final Post-Closing Net Working
Capital Statement. For purposes of the Allocation, the
parties agree that, as of the Closing Date: (a) the aggregate
fair market value of the Company’s property, plant and
equipment is $250,000; (b) the aggregate fair market value of
the items included in the Company’s Net Working Capital
shall equal the aggregate amount thereof shown on the Final
Post-Closing Net Working Capital Statement; and (c) the
remainder of the Purchase Price shall be allocated to goodwill.
As soon as reasonably practicable after determination of
the Final Post-Closing Net Working Capital Statement pursuant to
Section 1.10(c) , the Purchaser shall prepare and
deliver to the Company a proposed Allocation (the “
Draft Allocation ”). The Company may notify
the Purchaser in writing of any objections to the Draft
Allocation within fifteen (15) days after receipt thereof, which
notice shall include reasonable detail of the nature of each
disputed item; provided, however, that the basis for
dispute shall not include any objection to the methodology used
to calculate the Section 1060 Consideration and the fair market
values of the Company’s property, plant and equipment and
items included in the Company’s Current Assets, as
described above. If the Company does not provide such
notice within such fifteen (15) day period, the Draft Allocation
shall conclusively be deemed the “ Final Allocation
”, which shall be final and binding upon all parties
hereto and shall not be subject to dispute or review. If
the Company provides such notice within such fifteen (15) day
period to the Draft Allocation, then for a period of up to
fifteen (15) days after the Purchaser’s receipt of the
objection notice, the Purchaser and the Company shall use good
faith commercially reasonable efforts to resolve any dispute,
and if all disputed items are so resolved, the Draft Allocation
shall be revised to reflect such resolution and shall become the
Final Allocation. If the parties are unable to resolve all
disputed items within such fifteen (15) day period, they shall
submit only those disputed items that have not been resolved by
the parties to the Independent Accountants (as defined below)
for resolution. The Independent Accountants’
determination as to each disputed item shall be final and
binding upon all parties hereto, and the Draft Allocation shall
be revised in accordance with the Independent Accountants’
determination and shall become the Final Allocation. The
fees and expenses of the Independent Accountants in performing
their determination under this Section 1.5 shall be borne
one-half (1/2) by the Purchaser and one-half (1/2) by the
Company and the Stockholders, jointly and severally.
Within fifteen (15) days after the Draft Allocation
becomes the Final Allocation, the Purchaser shall prepare and
deliver to the Company IRS Form 8594 and any required exhibits
thereto, and any similar forms required under applicable state,
local or foreign Tax Law, which shall conform with the Final
Allocation, and both the Company and the Purchaser shall timely
file: (a) such Form 8594 with the IRS in accordance with
the requirements of Code section 1060; and (b) such other
forms with the applicable Governmental Entity in accordance with
the requirements of the applicable Tax Law. Any subsequent
adjustment to the consideration paid for the Purchased Assets,
including any adjustment to the Purchase Price described in
Section 1.10 or Section 7.11 , shall be reflected
in an amended Final Allocation and amended Form 8594 (and
amended applicable state, local or foreign forms) that the
Purchaser shall prepare and deliver to the Company. The
Company, the Stockholders and the Purchaser shall, and shall
cause their respective Affiliates to, report, act and file Tax
Returns in all respects and for all purposes consistent with the
Final Allocation. The Company, the Stockholders and the
Purchasers shall not, and shall cause their respective
Affiliates not to, take any
6
position, whether on audit, in Tax Returns or
otherwise, that is inconsistent with the Final Allocation unless
required to do so by applicable Law.
1.6
The Closing . The closing of
the purchase and sale of the Purchased Assets contemplated
by this Agreement (the “ Closing ”) shall
take place at the same time at which this Agreement is executed
and delivered by the parties. The date on which the
Closing takes place is referred to herein as the “
Closing Date ”.
1.7
Purchase Price; Payments at Closing
. The aggregate consideration being paid by the
Purchaser to the Company for the Purchased Assets will consist
of: (x) assumption by the Purchaser of the Assumed Liabilities
on the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement and (y)
payment of the sum of $25,000,000 plus the Equalization Payment,
as adjusted pursuant to Section 1.10
(the “ Purchase Price ”). The
Purchase Price shall be paid at the Closing as follows:
(a)
to the Senior Lender, on behalf of the Company,
any amount necessary to pay off in full all Liabilities relating
to the Senior Debt (the “ Senior Debt Payoff Amount
”);
(b)
to the Escrow Agent, $1,600,000 (the “
Indemnity Escrow Deposit ”), in accordance with
Section 1.9(a) ;
(c)
to the Escrow Agent, $800,000 (the “
Net Working Capital Escrow Deposit ”), in
accordance with Section 1.9(b) ;
(d)
to RG Tube Holdings, LLC, a Delaware limited
liability company (“ RG Parent ”), $5,000,000
on behalf of Lore and $1,000,000 on behalf of Hebert, in
satisfaction of their respective purchase price payment
obligations with respect to units in RG Parent under the
Subscription Agreement, of even date herewith, by and among RG
Parent, Lore and Hebert (the “ Subscription
Agreement ”), which amount shall offset the portions
of the Remaining Purchase Price Amount (as defined below) that
the Company would otherwise distribute to Lore and Hebert in its
contemplated pro rata distribution to the Stockholders
with respect to the Company after the Closing, in accordance
with the Flow of Payments Letter Agreement (as defined below);
and
(e)
the balance to the Company (the “
Remaining Purchase Price Amount ”).
In order to facilitate the payments contemplated
by the foregoing subsections of this Section 1.7 , not
less than one (1) Business Day nor more than five (5) Business
Days prior to the Closing, the Company will prepare and deliver
to Purchaser a memorandum setting forth its calculation of the
Senior Debt Payoff Amount (if any) and the resulting Remaining
Purchase Price Amount, along with wire transfer information for
the Senior Lender and the Company.
1.8
Closing Deliveries .
(a)
Company and Stockholder Deliveries .
At the Closing, the Company and the Stockholders shall
deliver or cause to be delivered to the Purchaser:
(i)
a bill of sale for all of the Purchased Assets
that are tangible personal property in the form attached hereto
as Exhibit A (the “ Bill of Sale ”),
duly executed by the Company;
(ii)
an assignment of all of the Purchased Assets
that are intangible personal property in the form attached
hereto as Exhibit B , which assignment shall also contain
the Purchaser’s
7
assumption of the Assumed Liabilities (the
“ Assignment and Assumption Agreement ”),
duly executed by the Company;
(iii)
such other bills of sale, assignments,
certificates of title, documents and other instruments of
transfer and conveyance as may reasonably be requested by the
Purchaser, each in form and substance satisfactory to the
Purchaser, duly executed by the Company;
(iv)
evidence reasonably satisfactory to the
Purchaser concerning satisfaction of the Senior Debt and release
of any Liens associated with the Senior Debt, including payoff
letters executed by the lenders of the Senior Debt stating the
amount necessary to pay off the Senior Debt in full as of the
Closing Date;
(v)
evidence reasonably satisfactory to the
Purchaser concerning receipt by the Company of consents of
counterparties to each of the Assumed Contracts listed on
Schedule 1.8(a)(v) concerning the assignment of such
Assumed Contract by the Company to the Purchaser as contemplated
by this Agreement;
(vi)
articles of amendment to the Company’s
articles of incorporation ready to be filed with the State
of Louisiana providing for change of the name of the Company to
a name not including the words “Mid-South Control
Line” or any variation thereof (the “ Name Change
Documents ”);
(vii)
the Escrow Agreement, duly executed by the
Company, Lore and Hebert;
(viii)
an employment agreement between the Purchaser
and Lore, in the form attached hereto as Exhibit C (the
“ Lore Employment Agreement ”), duly executed
by Lore;
(ix)
an employment agreement between the Purchaser
and Hebert, in the form attached hereto as Exhibit D (the
“ Hebert Employment Agreement ”), duly
executed by Hebert;
(x)
an employment agreement between the Purchaser
and George Plaisance, in the form attached hereto as Exhibit
E (the “ Plaisance Employment Agreement
”), duly executed by George Plaisance;
(xi)
non-competition, non-solicitation and
confidentiality agreements, each in the form attached hereto as
Exhibit F (collectively, the “ Employee
Agreements ”), duly executed by each of Ryan Lore,
Richard Lore, Jr., Jessie Cochran and Blaise Cobert;
(xii)
the Subscription Agreement, the Letter
Agreement, dated as of February 27, 2008, by and among RG
Parent, Lore and Hebert (the “ RG Parent Units Letter
Agreement ”), Joinder Agreements between RG Parent and
each of Lore and Hebert, and any other documents required to
effect the investments contemplated by the Subscription
Agreement, each duly executed by Lore and Hebert;
(xiii)
the Letter Agreement, dated as of February 27,
2008, by and among RG Parent, the Purchaser, the Company and the
Stockholders (the “ Flow of Payments Letter
Agreement ”);
(xiv)
amended and restated lease agreements between
the Company and Lobo Holdings, LLC, concerning the properties
located at 5208 Taravella Road, Marrero, LA 70072 and 5216
Taravella Road, Marrero, LA 70072, each in a form reasonably
satisfactory to the Purchaser, duly executed by the parties
thereto;
8
(xv)
evidence reasonably satisfactory to the
Purchaser stating the terms of the lease between the Company and
Lore concerning the house located at 3 Dragon Hill, The
Woodlands, TX 77381;
(xvi)
a secretary’s certificate, dated as of the
Closing Date, duly executed by the Secretary of the Company,
certifying: (A) the Organizational Documents of the Company, as
in effect as of the Closing; (B) resolutions adopted by the
board of directors of the Company approving the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement; (C) resolutions adopted by the
stockholders of the Company approving the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement; and (D) the incumbent officers
of the Company as of the Closing; and
(xvii)
a good standing certificate for the Company for
its jurisdiction of organization and each jurisdiction in which
the Company is registered as a foreign corporation, dated as of
a date as near as reasonably practicable to the Closing
Date.
(b)
Purchaser Deliveries to the Stockholders
. At the Closing, the Purchaser shall deliver or cause to
be delivered to the Company or the Stockholders (as
applicable):
(i)
the Remaining Purchase Price Amount, by wire
transfer of immediately available funds to the Company’s
account, pursuant to Section 1.7(e) ;
(ii)
the Bill of Sale, duly executed by the
Purchaser;
(iii)
the Assignment and Assumption Agreement, duly
executed by the Purchaser;
(iv)
the Escrow Agreement, duly executed by the
Purchaser;
(v)
the Lore Employment Agreement, duly executed by
the Purchaser;
(vi)
the Hebert Employment Agreement, duly executed
by the Purchaser;
(vii)
the Plaisance Employment Agreement, duly
executed by the Purchaser;
(viii)
the Subscription Agreement, the RG Parent Units
Letter Agreement and any other documents required to effect the
investments contemplated by the Subscription Agreement, each
duly executed by RG Parent;
(ix)
a certificate of coverage with respect to the
matters referenced in Section 5.11 that is
reasonably satisfactory of the Company;
(x)
a secretary’s certificate, dated as of the
Closing Date, duly executed by the Secretary of the Purchaser,
certifying: (A) the Organizational Documents of the Purchaser as
in effect as of the Closing; (B) resolutions adopted by the
board of directors of the Purchaser approving the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement; and (C) the incumbent officers
of the Purchaser as of the Closing; and
(xi)
a good standing certificate for the Purchaser
for its jurisdiction of organization, dated as of a date as near
as reasonably practicable to the Closing Date.
9
(c)
Purchaser Deliveries to the Escrow Agent
. At the Closing, the Purchaser shall deliver or cause to
be delivered to the Escrow Agent, by wire transfer of
immediately available funds: (i) the Indemnity Escrow Deposit to
the Indemnity Escrow Account; and (ii) the Net Working Capital
Escrow Deposit to the Net Working Capital Escrow Account.
(d)
Purchaser Delivery to the Senior Lender .
At the Closing, the Purchaser shall deliver or cause to be
delivered to the Senior Lender, by wire transfer of immediately
available funds, the Senior Debt Payoff Amount, if any.
(e)
RG Parent Payment . At the Closing,
the Purchaser shall pay or cause to be paid to RG Parent the
$6,000,000 purchase price amount set forth in the Subscription
Agreement.
1.9
Escrow .
(a)
Indemnity Escrow . At the Closing,
pursuant to and in accordance with Section 1.8(c)(i)
, the Purchaser will deposit the Indemnity Escrow Deposit into
an escrow account (the “ Indemnity Escrow
Account ”) established by the Purchaser and the
Company with Capital One Bank, N.A. (the “ Escrow
Agent ”) pursuant to an escrow agreement by and among
the Purchaser, the Company and the Escrow Agent, in the form
attached hereto as Exhibit G (the “ Escrow
Agreement ”). The Indemnity Escrow Deposit,
together with any interest and other earnings thereon
(collectively, the “ Indemnity Escrow Funds
”), will be held from and after the Closing until the date
that is fifteen (15) months after the Closing Date (subject to
extension for any then-pending claims of Purchaser Indemnified
Parties under Article VII ) (as so extended,
the “ Indemnity Escrow Period ”), to
serve as a source of recovery for: (i) any indemnifiable Losses
owed by the Stockholders to Purchaser Indemnified Parties
pursuant to Article VII ; and (ii) if the Purchaser
elects such method of satisfaction, any A/R Settlement Amount
owed by the Company and the Stockholders to the Purchaser
pursuant to Section 5.9 . As soon as
reasonably practicable after the date that is fifteen (15)
months after the Closing Date (the “ Initial
Indemnity Escrow Period End Date ”), the Escrow Agent
shall release to the Company any Indemnity Escrow Funds
remaining in the Indemnity Escrow Account as of the Initial
Indemnity Escrow Period End Date that are not then subject to
any then-pending claims of Purchaser Indemnified Parties under
Article VII . Any Indemnity Escrow Funds held
in the Indemnity Escrow Account after the Initial Indemnity
Escrow Period End Date because of the existence of then-pending
claim(s) of Purchaser Indemnified Parties under Article
VII shall be released from the Indemnity Escrow Account to
the Purchaser or the Company (as applicable) upon resolution of
the applicable claim(s), pursuant to the terms and conditions of
the Escrow Agreement. The Purchaser, the Company and the
Stockholders each agree to promptly take all actions (including
executing and delivering joint written instructions to the
Escrow Agent) requested by any of the other parties to effect
releases of Indemnity Escrow Funds in accordance with this
Section 1.9(a) , Section 5.9 , Article VII
and the Escrow Agreement.
(b)
Net Working Capital Escrow . At the
Closing, pursuant to and in accordance with Section
1.8(c)(ii) , the Purchaser will deposit the Net Working
Capital Escrow Deposit into an escrow account (the “
Net Working Capital Escrow Account ”) established
by the Purchaser and the Company with the Escrow Agent pursuant
to the Escrow Agreement. The Net Working Capital Escrow
Deposit, together with any interest and other earnings thereon
(collectively, the “ Net Working Capital Escrow
Funds ”), will be held from and after the Closing
until the Final Net Working Capital has been determined pursuant
to Section 1.10(c) and, if applicable, the required
amount of Net Working Capital Escrow Funds have been released to
the Purchaser in connection with a Downward Net Working Capital
Adjustment pursuant to Section 1.10(d) (the “
Net Working Capital Escrow Period ”). As soon
as reasonably practicable after the end of the Net Working
Capital Escrow Period, the Escrow Agent shall release to the
Company any Net Working Capital Escrow Funds remaining in the
Net Working Capital Escrow Account after release of any Net
Working Capital Escrow Funds required to be released to the
Purchaser in
10
connection with a Downward Net Working Capital
Adjustment pursuant to Section 1.10(d) , to the extent
applicable. The Purchaser, the Company and the
Stockholders shall each promptly take all actions (including
executing and delivering joint written instructions to the
Escrow Agent) requested by any of the other parties to effect
the releases of Net Working Capital Escrow Funds in accordance
with this Section 1.9(b) , Section 1.10(d) and the
Escrow Agreement.
1.10
Net Working Capital Adjustment
.
(a)
Joint Inventory . On or before the
Closing Date, the Purchaser and the Company shall jointly: (i)
determine the Inventory items as of the Closing Date that are
slow moving, obsolete or of below standard quality, which shall
be set forth on Schedule 1.10(a) (collectively, the
“ Non-Conforming Inventory Items ”); and (ii)
determine the physical quantities of Inventory items as of the
Closing Date, each of which determinations shall be final and
binding on the parties (collectively, the “ Joint
Inventory Determinations ”).
(b)
Adjustment at Closing . The Company
shall (and the Stockholders shall cause the Company to) prepare
in consultation with the Purchaser and deliver to the Purchaser,
not less than one (1) Business Day prior to the Closing
Date, a statement (the “ Preliminary Net Working
Capital Statement ”) setting forth the Company’s
good faith estimated calculation of the Net Working Capital as
of the Closing, which shall be prepared: (i) consistent with the
Company’s past practices (which shall, other than as
described in Section 2.4(a)(ii) of the Company Disclosure
Schedule, be in accordance with GAAP); and (ii) using the same
methodology and manner of calculation as the example calculation
set forth in Schedule 1.10(b) , and include
reasonable support for the calculations made therein. The
Purchase Price paid at the Closing pursuant to Section
1.7 shall be adjusted, dollar for dollar, up or down, as
appropriate, to the extent that the Net Working Capital set
forth on the Preliminary Net Working Capital Statement
(the “ Estimated Net Working Capital ”)
is greater than or less than $4,850,000.
(c)
Post-Closing Working Capital
Statement . As soon as reasonably practicable (and in
any event within sixty (60) days) after the Closing Date, the
Purchaser shall prepare and deliver to the Company and the
Stockholders a statement (the “ Post-Closing Net
Working Capital Statement ”) setting forth its
calculation of the Net Working Capital as of the Closing, which
statement shall be prepared: (i) using the Joint Inventory
Determinations; (ii) as to the method of valuing Inventory,
using the historical cost of each Inventory item on a
first-in/first-out basis applied in the same manner as was used
in preparation of the 2007 Financial Statements; (iii)
consistent with the Company’s past practices (which shall,
other than as described in Section 2.4(a)(ii) of the
Company Disclosure Schedule, be in accordance with GAAP); and
(iv) using the same methodology and manner of calculation as the
example calculation set forth in Schedule 1.10(b) ,
and include reasonable support for the calculations made
therein. If the Company and the Stockholders disagree with
the Post-Closing Net Working Capital Statement, the Company and
the Stockholders may, within ten (10) Business Days after
receipt thereof, notify the Purchaser in writing
(the “ Net Working Capital Dispute Notice
”), which Net Working Capital Dispute Notice shall provide
reasonable detail of the nature of each disputed item on the
Post-Closing Net Working Capital Statement and provide
reasonable support for each such position; provided ,
however , that the only bases for objection shall be: (i)
non-compliance with the standards set forth in this
Section 1.10(c) for the preparation of the
Post-Closing Net Working Capital Statement or as set forth in
the definition of Net Working Capital; and (ii) computational
errors. During such ten (10) Business Day period and any
subsequent time period in which the Post-Closing Net Working
Capital Statement is being disputed as provided in this
Section 1.10(c) , the Purchaser shall provide the Company
and the Stockholders and their representatives with reasonable
access, upon reasonable notice and during times mutually and
reasonably agreeable to the Purchaser, on the one hand, and the
Company and the Stockholders, on the other hand, to the books,
records and working papers of the Business related to the
calculations underlying the Post-Closing Net Working Capital
Statement. Unless the Company and the
11
Stockholders deliver a Net Working Capital
Dispute Notice within ten (10) Business Days after delivery of
the Post-Closing Net Working Capital Statement, such
Post-Closing Net Working Capital Statement shall be conclusively
deemed the “ Final Post-Closing Net Working Capital
Statement ,” shall be final and binding upon all
parties, and shall not be subject to dispute or review.
Any items or calculations not disputed by the Company and
the Stockholders in the Net Working Capital Dispute Notice shall
be conclusively deemed to have been agreed upon by the Company
and the Stockholders and shall be final and binding upon all
parties and shall not be subject to dispute or review. For
a period of fifteen (15) days after receipt by the Purchaser of
the Net Working Capital Dispute Notice, the Purchaser, on the
one hand, and the Company and the Stockholders, on the other
hand, shall use good faith commercially reasonable efforts to
resolve the disputed items between themselves and, if the
parties are able to resolve all of the disputed items during
such time period, the Post-Closing Net Working Capital Statement
shall be revised to the extent necessary to reflect such
resolution, shall be conclusively deemed the “ Final
Post-Closing Net Working Capital Statement ”, shall be
final and binding upon all parties, and shall not be subject to
dispute or review. If the parties are unable to resolve
all of the disputed items within such fifteen (15) day period,
the parties shall jointly engage a nationally-recognized
accounting firm reasonably acceptable to the Purchaser, on the
one hand, and the Company and the Stockholders, on the other
hand, with no relationship with any of the parties or any of
their respective Affiliates (the “ Independent
Accountants ”) and submit the disputed items to the
Independent Accountants for resolution. The Independent
Accountants shall act as experts and not arbiters and shall
determine only those items on the Post-Closing Net Working
Capital Statement being disputed by the Purchaser, on the one
hand, and the Company and the Stockholders, on the other hand,
as of the time of engagement of the Independent Accountants.
The Purchaser, the Company and the Stockholders shall
instruct the Independent Accountants to not assign a dollar
amount to any item in dispute greater than the greatest dollar
amount for such item assigned by the Purchaser, on the one hand,
or the Company and the Stockholders, on the other hand (as
applicable), or less than the dollar amount for such item
assigned by the Purchaser, on the one hand, or the Company and
the Stockholders, on the other hand (as applicable).
Promptly, but no later than thirty (30) days after
engagement, the Independent Accountants shall deliver a written
report to the Purchaser, the Company and the Stockholders as to
the resolution of the disputed items, which shall state the
resulting determination of the Final Net Working Capital.
The Post-Closing Net Working Capital Statement as
determined by the Independent Accountants shall be conclusively
deemed the “ Final Post-Closing Net Working Capital
Statement ,” shall be final and binding upon all
parties and shall not be subject to dispute or review. The
Net Working Capital as of the Closing set forth on the Final
Post-Closing Net Working Capital Statement is referred to herein
as the “ Final Net Working Capital .”
The fees and expenses of the Independent Accountants
incurred in connection with the resolution of disputes pursuant
to this Section 1.10(c) shall be borne jointly and
severally by the Company and the Stockholders unless the Final
Net Working Capital determined by the Independent Accountants is
greater by more than one-half of one percent (0.5%) than the Net
Working Capital proposed by the Purchaser in the Post-Closing
Net Working Capital Statement, in which case the fees and
expenses of the Independent Accountant incurred in connection
with the resolution of disputes pursuant to this
Section 1.10(c) shall be borne by the Purchaser.
(d)
Post-Closing Net Working Capital
Adjustment . In addition to the Purchase Price
adjustment relating to Net Working Capital occurring at Closing
pursuant to Section 1.10(b) , the Purchase Price shall be
further adjusted, dollar for dollar, up or down, as appropriate,
by an amount (the “ Net Working Capital
Adjustment Amount ”) equal to the Final Net Working
Capital minus the Estimated Net Working Capital, which amount
may be positive or negative, subject to the following sentences
of this Section 1.10(d) . If the Net Working
Capital Adjustment Amount is a negative number, there shall be a
downward Net Working Capital adjustment equal in amount to the
absolute value of the Net Working Capital Adjustment Amount (a
“ Downward Net Working Capital Adjustment ”)
and such Downward Net Working Capital Adjustment shall be
satisfied, within five (5) Business Days after determination of
the Final Net Working Capital, as follows: (i) first , by
release to the Purchaser of Net Working Capital
12
Escrow Funds; and (ii) second , to the
extent that there are not sufficient Net Working Capital Escrow
Funds in the Net Working Capital Escrow Account to satisfy such
obligation in full, the Company and the Stockholders shall
jointly and severally pay the unsatisfied amount to the
Purchaser by wire transfer of immediately available funds.
If the Net Working Capital Adjustment Amount is a positive
number, there shall be an upward Net Working Capital adjustment
equal in amount to the absolute value of the Net Working Capital
Adjustment Amount (an “ Upward Net Working Capital
Adjustment ”) and such Upward Net Working Capital
Adjustment shall be satisfied, within five (5) Business Days
after determination of the Final Net Working Capital, by payment
by the Purchaser to the Company of the Upward Working Capital
Adjustment amount, by wire transfer of immediately available
funds. If any payment required under this Section
1.10(d) is not made in full within five (5) Business Days
after determination of the Final Net Working Capital, such
payment will thereafter bear simple interest at a rate equal to
the prime rate in effect from time to time (as published in the
Wall Street Journal) plus two (2) percentage points, until paid
in full.
(e)
Definitions . As used in this
Section 1.10 : (i) “ Net Working Capital
” means the Current Assets minus Current Liabilities; (ii)
“ Current Assets ” means, solely to the
extent included in the Purchased Assets, any cash in the Assumed
Bank Accounts as of the Closing, short-term investments,
accounts receivable , accounts receivable accrued,
inventory, deposits (including lease deposits), retainers, work
in process, prepaid expenses and other current assets of the
Company, in each case as determined consistent with the
Company’s past practices (which shall, other than as
described in Section 2.4(a)(ii) of the Company Disclosure
Schedule, be in accordance with GAAP) (excluding: (A) any
effects from purchase accounting; and (B) any receivables from
the Stockholders or any other related parties); and (iii)
“ Current Liabilities ” means, solely to the
extent included in the Assumed Liabilities, all accounts
payable, accrued expenses and other current liabilities of the
Company, in each case as determined consistent with the
Company’s past practices (which shall, other than as
described in Section 2.4(a)(ii) of the Company Disclosure
Schedule, be in accordance with GAAP) (excluding: (A) any
effects from purchase accounting; and (B) any Liabilities of the
Company that are satisfied in full at Closing pursuant to
Section 1.7 ).
(e)
Clarification . For the avoidance
of doubt, the parties agree and acknowledge that any Net Working
Capital adjustment pursuant to this Section 1.10 will not
preclude the Purchaser Indemnified Parties from recovering any
indemnifiable Losses in accordance with Article VII
arising out of any breach of the Stockholders’
representations and warranties set forth in Section 2.4 ,
but the Purchaser shall not be entitled to recover twice for the
same matter.
1.11
Bulk Sales Laws . The
Company, the Stockholders and the Purchaser hereby waive, to the
fullest extent allowable under applicable law, compliance with
the requirements of the bulk sales or bulk transfer laws of any
jurisdiction which may be applicable to the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement.
ARTICLE II
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES CONCERNING THE COMPANY
The Company and the Stockholders each hereby
jointly and severally represent and warrant to the Purchaser as
follows:
2.1
Existence; Good Standing; Authority;
Enforceability . The Company is a corporation duly
incorporated, validly existing and in good standing under the
laws of the State of Louisiana and has all required power and
authority to own and operate its properties and to conduct its
business, as presently conducted and presently planned by the
Company to be conducted. The Company is duly licensed or
qualified to do business as a foreign corporation and is in good
standing in each jurisdiction listed on
13
Section 2.1(a) of the Company Disclosure
Schedule, which constitute all jurisdictions in which such
license or qualification is necessary under the applicable Law
as a result of the conduct of the Company’s Business by
the Company, except where the failure to be so licensed or
qualified or to be in good standing would not reasonably be
expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material
Adverse Effect. The Company has the required corporate
power and authority to execute and deliver this Agreement and
the other documents contemplated hereby (collectively, the
“ Transaction Documents ”), to perform its
obligations hereunder and thereunder, and to consummate the
transactions contemplated hereby and thereby. The
execution and delivery of this Agreement and the other
Transaction Documents by the Company, the performance by the
Company of its obligations hereunder and thereunder, and the
consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby
have been duly authorized by all required corporate action on
the part of the Company (including approval by the
Company’s board of directors and stockholders), and no
other corporate authorization or proceedings on the part of the
Company (including approval by the Company’s board of
directors and stockholders) are required therefor. This
Agreement and the other Transaction Documents to which the
Company is a party, have each been duly executed and delivered
by the Company and, assuming the due authorization, execution
and delivery of this Agreement and such other Transaction
Documents by the Purchaser and the Stockholders (as applicable),
this Agreement and, except as set forth on Section 2.1(b)
of the Company Disclosure Schedule, such other Transaction
Documents constitute legal, valid and binding obligations of the
Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with
their terms, except for the Equitable Exceptions. Correct
and complete copies of the Company’s Organizational
Documents and minutes reflecting all meetings and consents in
lieu of meetings of the Company’s board of directors, any
committees thereof, and the Company’s stockholders have
been supplied by the Company to the Purchaser. The books
of account, stock records, minute books and other records of the
Company are accurate, up to date and complete, and have been
maintained in all material respects in accordance with prudent
business practices and all applicable Laws. The Company is
not in default under or in violation of any provision of its
Organizational Documents or any resolution adopted by the
Company’s board of directors, any committee thereof, or
its stockholders.
2.2
Capitalization; Subsidiaries .
(a)
The authorized capital stock of the Company
consists of fifty thousand (50,000) shares of Common Stock, no
par value per share, consisting of Class A Common Stock of the
Company (“ Class A Common Stock ”) and Class
B Common Stock of the Company (“ Class B Common
Stock ”), of which: (i) the only issued and
outstanding shares of Class A Common Stock are the ninety-eight
(98) shares of Class A Common Stock held by Lore, both
individually and as Trustee of the Lore Trusts; and (ii) the
only issued and outstanding shares of Class B Common Stock are
the eight (8) shares of Class B Common Stock held by Hebert.
All of the issued and outstanding shares of capital stock
of the Company are duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid
and nonassessable, and none of them were issued in violation of
any pre-emptive rights, rights of first offer or first refusal
or similar rights, or in violation of the Securities Act or any
other applicable securities Law. There are no outstanding
options, warrants, Contracts or other rights of any kind,
whether written or oral, to acquire (including securities
exercisable or exchangeable for or convertible into) any shares
of any class of capital stock of the Company (or securities
convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for any such
shares). There are no Contracts to which the Company or
any other Person is a party with respect to: (i) voting of any
shares of capital stock of the Company (including any proxy or
director nomination rights); or (ii) transfer of any shares of
capital stock of the Company (including any right of first
refusal, drag-along, tag-along and pre-emptive rights).
There are no stock option, stock incentive or other plans,
programs, arrangements or Contracts (whether written or oral)
providing for the issuance or grant of options to purchase or
acquire shares of capital stock of the Company, restricted
stock, stock appreciation rights, phantom stock or any other
interest or right in respect of or concerning any capital stock
of the Company. The Company has no
14
obligation (contingent or otherwise) to
purchase, redeem, retire, call or otherwise acquire any shares
of its capital stock or any interest or right in respect of or
concerning any capital stock of the Company.
(b)
The Company does not own or control, directly or
indirectly, any capital stock or other equity interest in any
other Person. The Company is not a successor in interest
to any other Person, whether by merger, consolidation or other
business combination, reorganization, acquisition of assets or
otherwise.
2.3
No Conflict; Consents and Approvals
.
(a)
Neither the execution, delivery and performance
by the Company and the Stockholders of this Agreement and the
other Transaction Documents to which they are a party, nor the
consummation by the Company and the Stockholders of the
transactions contemplated hereby and thereby in accordance with
the provisions hereof and thereof does or will: (i) conflict
with, violate or result in a breach of any of the Organizational
Documents of the Company; (ii) materially violate, materially
conflict with, result in a material breach of any provision of,
constitute a default (or an event which, with or without the
giving of notice or lapse of time, or both, would constitute a
default) under, result in a loss of any material right or
material benefit under, require the consent of the other party
or parties thereto under, result in the termination of,
accelerate the performance required by, or (except as set forth
in Section 2.3(b) of the Company Disclosure Schedule)
result in the other party or parties thereto having a right of
termination, amendment, modification, cancellation or
acceleration under, any Contract to which the Company is a party
or to which any of its property is subject; (iii) materially
violate any Law or Order applicable to the Company or any of its
assets or properties; (iv) result in the creation or imposition
of any Lien upon any of the assets or properties of the Company
or upon any of the shares of Company capital stock; (v) result
in the vesting of, the payment of, or the creation of any
obligation, whether absolute or contingent, to vest or pay, on
behalf of the Company, any equity or equity-related grant,
bonus, severance, termination, “golden parachute” or
other similar payment (including any
“double-trigger” rights), whether pursuant to a
Contract or under applicable Law, with respect to any current or
former employee, officer or director of the Company or any other
Person; (vi) give any Governmental Entity the right to revoke,
suspend, modify or terminate any Company Permit; or (vii) give
any Governmental Entity or other Person the right to challenge
any of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
(b)
Except as set forth on Section 2.3(b) of
the Company Disclosure Schedule, the execution, delivery and
performance by the Company and the Stockholders of this
Agreement and the other Transaction Documents to which they are
a party, and the consummation by the Company and the
Stockholders of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby
in accordance with the provisions hereof and thereof will not:
(i) require any consent, waiver, approval, authorization, order
or permit of, declaration, filing or registration with, other
action by, or notification to, any Governmental Entity; or (ii)
require the consent, waiver, approval, authorization,
notification or action of, by or to (as applicable) any other
Person pursuant to any Contract to which the Company is a party
or to which any of its property is subject. The Company
has, on or prior to the Closing, given all notices, made all
filings and obtained all consents set forth on Schedule
1.8(a)(v) .
2.4
Financial Statements; Undisclosed
Liabilities; Accounts Receivable; Inventory; Financial
Controls .
(a)
Attached as Section 2.4(a)(i) of the
Company Disclosure Schedule are correct and complete copies of:
(i) the unaudited balance sheet of the Company as of December
31, 2006 and related unaudited statements of income,
shareholders’ equity and cash flows for the year ended
December 31, 2006 (the “ 2006 Financial
Statements ”); and (ii) the unaudited balance sheet of
the Company as of December 31, 2007 and the related unaudited
statements of income, shareholders’ equity and cash
flows
15
for the year ended December 31, 2007 (the
“ 2007 Financial Statements ” and,
collectively with the 2006 Financial Statements, the “
Financial Statements ”). Except as set forth
on Section 2.4(a)(ii) of the Company Disclosure Schedule,
the Financial Statements have been prepared in accordance with
GAAP consistently applied throughout the periods indicated
therein, have been prepared in accordance with the books and
records of the Company, and present fairly, in all material
respects, the financial condition, results of operations and
cash flows of the Company as of the respective dates and during
the respective periods indicated therein. The Company is
not a party to, and it does not otherwise have any Liabilities
under, any off-balance sheet arrangements.
(b)
Except for: (i) Liabilities set forth on the
2007 Financial Statements; (ii) Liabilities incurred after
December 31, 2007 in the ordinary course of business (none of
which results from or relates to any breach of contract, breach
of warranty, tort, infringement or violation of Law), which are
not material, either individually or in the aggregate; and (iii)
Liabilities set forth on Section 2.4(b) of the
Company Disclosure Schedule, the Company has no material
Liabilities.
(c)
Except: (i) for trade payables incurred in the
ordinary course of business and either set forth on the 2007
Financial Statements or incurred since the date of the 2007
Financial Statements (none of which results from or relates to
any breach of contract, breach of warranty, tort, infringement
or violation of law); and (ii) as set forth on Section
2.4(c) of the Company Disclosure Schedule, the Company has
no Indebtedness.
(d)
All of the Acquired Accounts Receivable: (i)
represent valid obligations of customers of the Company arising
from bona fide transactions entered into in the ordinary course
of business; and (ii) are current and collectible in full,
without any counterclaim or set off, when due (and in no event
later than ninety (90) days after the Closing Date), subject to
any allowance for doubtful accounts set forth in the 2007
Financial Statements. Except as set forth on Section
2.4(d)(i) of the Company Disclosure Schedule, no Person has
any Lien on any of the Acquired Accounts Receivable or any part
thereof, and no Contract concerning any deduction, free goods,
discount or other deferred price or quantity adjustment has been
made with respect to any such Acquired Accounts Receivable.
Except as set forth on Section 2.4(d)(ii) of the
Company Disclosure Schedule, no accounts payable of the Company
have been outstanding for more than ninety (90) days.
(e)
The Company has not modified the terms of,
discounted, set off or accelerated the collection of any of the
accounts receivable of the Company within the one (1) year
period prior to the date of this Agreement. Except as set
forth on Section 2.4(e) of the Company Disclosure
Schedule, the Company has not delayed any of the payment terms
or otherwise paid any of the accounts payable of the Company
outside the ordinary course of the Company’s business
consistent with past practice within the one (1) year period
prior to the date of this Agreement.
(f)
All of the inventory of the Company (“
Inventory ”) other than the Non-Conforming
Inventory is of a quality and quantity usable and, with respect
to finished goods, saleable in the ordinary course of business
consistent with past practices, subject to reserves for slow
moving, obsolete or below standard quality items that have been,
except as set forth on Section 2.4(a)(ii) of the Company
Disclosure Schedule, established in accordance with GAAP.
The aggregate value of the Inventory as reflected in the
balance sheet included in the 2007 Financial Statements, as
adjusted through the date of this Agreement, has been written
down on the books of account of the Company to realizable market
value or adequate reserves have been provided therein in
accordance, except as set forth on Section 2.4(a)(ii) of
the Company Disclosure Schedule, with GAAP. Section
2.4(f)(i) of the Company Disclosure Schedule lists all of
the Inventory as of the Closing Date and, with respect to
Inventory owned by or held for the account of a customer,
identifies such customer and Inventory in reasonable detail, and
specifies the location of such Inventory. Schedule
1.10(a) specifically identifies all items of Inventory
16
that are slow moving, obsolete or of below
standard quality. Except: (i) for Inventory in transit in
the ordinary course of business consistent with past practices;
and (ii) as set forth on Section 2.4(f)(iii) of the
Company Disclosure Schedule, all Inventory is located at the
Company’s Marrero, LA facility.
(g)
The Company maintains books and records that, in
all material respects, accurately and completely reflect its
assets and liabilities. To the Company’s Knowledge,
the Company maintains internal accounting controls that are
sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that: (i)
transactions are executed only in accordance with
management’s authorization; (ii) except as set forth on
Section 2.4(a)(ii) of the Company Disclosure Schedule,
transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of
the financial statements of the Company in accordance with GAAP
and to maintain accountability for the assets and liabilities of
the Company; (iii) receipts and expenditures of the Company are
executed only in accordance with management’s
authorization; (iv) unauthorized acquisition, disposition or use
of assets is prevented or timely detected; and (v) accounts,
notes and other receivables are recorded accurately, and proper
and adequate procedures are implemented to effect the collection
thereof on a current and timely basis. To the
Company’s Knowledge, except as set forth on Section
2.4(g) of the Company Disclosure Schedule, there are no
weaknesses in the design or operation of such internal
accounting controls that could materially adversely affect the
ability of the Company to initiate, record, process and report
financial data.
2.5
Absence of Certain Changes .
Since December 31, 2007, there has not been any event or
change in the Company’s Business which has had or could
reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, except
as set forth in Section 2.5 of the Company
Disclosure Schedule, since December 31, 2007, the Company has
conducted its business and affairs only in the ordinary course
of business consistent with past practice, and the Company has
not:
(a)
entered into, amended, modified, waived any
rights under, or terminated any Material Contract;
(b)
made any capital expenditure(s) or entered into
any commitment therefor that involve more than $25,000
individually or $50,000 in the aggregate;
(c)
issued any capital stock of the Company or any
security that is convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable
for any capital stock of the Company, redeemed or otherwise
acquired any capital stock of the Company, declared or paid any
dividend or made any distribution or payment in respect of any
capital stock of the Company, split, combined or reclassified
any capital stock of the Company, or amended any of its
Organizational Documents;
(d)
except as set forth on Section 2.5(d) of
the Company Disclosure Schedule, paid any bonus to, or changed
any salary of, any of its employees, officers or directors;
(e)
entered into, amended, modified, waived or
terminated any Company Benefit Plan or entered into any
collective bargaining agreement;
(f)
made any loan or advance to any Person, other
than: (i) the extension of trade credit to customers of the
Company in the ordinary course of business consistent with past
practice; and (ii) advances to employees, officers and directors
of the Company to cover reimbursable travel and similar business
expenses in the ordinary course of business consistent with past
practice and not exceeding $5,000 with respect to any single
Person and $10,000 in the aggregate;
(g)
entered into any transaction that would be
required to be disclosed under Section 2.21 (Related
Party Transactions);
17
(h)
sustained any material damage to or destruction
or loss of any material property owned or used by the Company,
whether or not covered by insurance, or waived or released any
right of material value;
(i)
incurred any Indebtedness or redeemed, retired
or prepaid any Indebtedness, in each case other than trade
payables incurred and paid in the ordinary course of business
consistent with past practice;
(j)
guaranteed any obligation of any other
Person;
(k)
sold, encumbered or otherwise transferred any
tangible or intangible assets outside the ordinary course of
business consistent with past practice;
(l)
made any change in the accounting methods,
practices or principles used by the Company (including methods
for calculating any bad debt, contingency or other reserve for
accounting, financial reporting or Tax purposes), other than
changes that were required by GAAP or applicable Law;
(m)
acquired or agreed to acquire by merging or
consolidating with, or by way of any other business combination,
or by purchasing or exchanging any material portion of the
capital stock, other equity interests or assets of, or by any
other manner, any other Person;
(n)
commenced any Proceeding against any other
Person or received written notice of the commencement of any
Proceeding against the Company, or settled or compromised any
Proceeding; or
(o)
committed or agreed to any of the foregoing.
2.6
Material Contracts .
Section 2.6 of the Company Disclosure Schedule sets forth
a correct and complete list of all Contracts that are material
to the Company’s Business, as it is presently conducted
and proposed by the Company to be conducted (collectively,
the “ Material Contracts ”).
Without in any way limiting the generality of such term,
the Material Contracts include:
(a)
any Contract under which the Company: (i) sold
or purchased products or services pursuant to which the
aggregate of payments due to or from the Company, respectively,
in the one (1) year period ending on the date of this Agreement,
was equal to or exceeded $100,000; or (ii) anticipates selling
or purchasing products or services during the one (1) year
period after the date of this Agreement in which the aggregate
payments due to or from the Company, respectively, for such
products or services are expected to equal or exceed
$100,000;
(b)
any Contract with any current or former
employee, officer or director of, or consultant or independent
contractor to, the Company, including Contracts concerning
severance and similar matters;
(c)
any Contract under which the Company has agreed
to indemnify any other Person or directly or indirectly
guaranteed or otherwise agreed to be responsible for any
Liabilities of any other Person;
(d)
any Contract that contains a covenant not to
compete or any other Contract limiting or restricting the
ability of the Company to enter into or engage in any market or
line of business, to operate in any area or territory, or to
solicit or hire employees or other Persons;
18
(e)
any Contract under which the Company is the
beneficiary of any non-competition, non-solicitation or similar
rights;
(f)
any Contract which cannot be terminated without
penalty or payment within ninety (90) days by the Company;
(g)
any Contract involving or resulting in a
commitment of Company to make a capital expenditure or to
purchase a capital asset involving at least $25,000;
(h)
any lease or similar agreement pursuant to
which: (i) the Company is the lessee of, or holds or uses, any
machinery, equipment, vehicle or other tangible personal
property owned by any third Person for annual rent or similar
payments in excess of $25,000; or (ii) the Company is the lessee
of, or holds or uses, any real property owned by any third
Person;
(i)
any license agreement or other Contract relating
to Business Intellectual Property;
(j)
any Contract establishing a partnership or joint
venture or other cooperative undertaking;
(k)
any asset purchase agreements, stock purchase
agreements, and other equity financing, acquisition or
divestiture agreements and similar Contracts, including any
Contracts relating to the sale, lease or disposal of any
material properties or assets of the Company;
(l)
any Contract relating to Indebtedness;
(m)
any Contract which is not made in the ordinary
course of business; and
(n)
all Contracts to enter into any of the
foregoing.
Each of the Material Contracts has been duly
authorized and executed by the Company and, to the
Company’s Knowledge, the other party thereto, is in full
force and effect and represents a legal, valid and binding
obligation of the Company, enforceable in accordance with its
terms against the Company and, to the Company’s Knowledge,
the other parties thereto. The Company is not in breach
of, or default under, any Material Contract and, to the
Company’s Knowledge, no other party to any Material
Contract is in breach thereof or default thereunder. No
event has occurred or condition exists which, with or without
the giving of notice or the lapse of time, or both, would
constitute a breach or default by the Company or, to the
Company’s Knowledge, the other parties thereto, under any
Material Contract. The Company has not received any notice
alleging that it has breached or violated, or is in default
under, any of the Material Contracts. Correct and complete
copies of each Material Contract have been supplied by the
Company to the Purchaser.
2.7
Litigation . There are no
Proceedings pending or, to the Knowledge of the Company,
threatened against the Company or any of its properties or any
of its officers or directors (in their capacities as such) and,
to the Knowledge of the Company, there are no existing facts or
circumstances that could reasonably be expected to result in any
such Proceeding. The Company is not currently and has
never been subject to any Order. During the five (5) year
period prior to the date of this Agreement, there has not been,
and there are not currently, any internal investigations or
inquiries conducted by or with respect to the Company or any of
its employees, officers or directors, or any third-party or
Governmental Entity at the request of any of the foregoing,
concerning any financial, accounting, Tax,
19
conflict of interest, self-dealing, fraudulent
or deceptive conduct or other misfeasance or malfeasance
issues.
2.8
Taxes .
(a)
All Tax Returns required to be filed with any
Governmental Entity by the Company or with respect to the
Business or the Purchased Assets have been timely filed and were
correct and complete in all material respects. All Taxes
due and payable by the Company or with respect to the Business
or the Purchased Assets (whether or not shown on any Tax Return)
have been timely paid in full. The Company is not
currently the beneficiary of, and has not applied for, any
extension of time within which to file any Tax Return. No
claim has ever been made by any Governmental Entity in a
jurisdiction: (i) in which the Company does not file Tax Returns
that the Company or a Stockholder (with respect to the Company)
is or may be subject to Tax or required to file Tax Returns in
that jurisdiction; (ii) where the Company or any
Stockholder (with respect to the Company) files Tax Returns but
does not compute its Tax on the basis of its net income
attributable to such jurisdiction, that it is or may be subject
to tax on the basis of its net income attributable to such
jurisdiction; or (iii) in which the Company files Tax
Returns but a Stockholder (with respect to the Company) does not
file Tax Returns that such Stockholder is or may be subject to
Tax or required to file Tax Returns with respect to the Company
in that jurisdiction, and, to the Company’s Knowledge,
there is no valid basis on which a Governmental Entity could
assert such a claim. To the Company’s Knowledge, the
Company does not conduct business in any jurisdiction in a
manner that could reasonably result in a requirement to file a
Tax Return in that jurisdiction of a type that the Company has
not filed previously, or to pay Taxes to that jurisdiction on a
basis different from the basis, if any, on which it previously
paid Taxes to that jurisdiction.
(b)
The Company has withheld and paid all Taxes
required to have been withheld and paid by the Company in
connection with any amounts paid or owing, or any income or gain
allocated, to any current or former employee, independent
contractor, creditor, stockholder or other Person, and has
timely and properly completed and filed the Forms W-2 and 1099,
Schedules K-1 (or comparable schedules under state, local or
foreign Tax Law) or other Returns or reports required with
respect thereto.
(c)
No dispute concerning any Tax Liability of the
Company or with respect to the Business or the Purchased Assets
is pending or, to the Company’s Knowledge, threatened.
With respect to Taxes for which the statute of limitations
remains open, the Company has not received from any Governmental
Entity: (i) any notice indicating an intent to open a Tax audit
or other review; (ii) any request for information related to Tax
matters; or (iii) any notice of deficiency or proposed
adjustment for any amount of Tax proposed, asserted or assessed
against the Company or with respect to the Business or the
assets or properties of the Company. The Company has not
waived any statute of limitations in respect of Taxes or agreed
to any extension of time with respect to a Tax assessment or
deficiency of a Tax.
(d)
The Company has supplied to the Purchaser: (i) a
complete and correct list of all Tax Returns filed with respect
to the Company for Taxable periods for which the statute of
limitations remains open, indicating any of such Tax Returns
that have been audited or are currently being audited; and (ii)
complete and accurate copies of all material Tax Returns of the
Company, and of all examination reports and statements of
deficiencies payable by, assessed against or agreed to by the
Company with respect to such Tax Returns, for all Tax periods as
to which the statute of limitations remains open.
(e)
The Company has never obtained from a
Governmental Entity any ruling with respect to Taxes.
There is no pending request by the Company for a ruling by
a Governmental Entity with respect to Taxes.
20
(f)
The Company has no Liability for the Taxes of
any other Person, whether as a transferee or successor, under
any provision of any Law, by Contract or otherwise.
(g)
None of the Assumed Liabilities, individually or
in the aggregate, could obligate the Company to make a payment
that would not be deductible by reason of Code section 280G or
would be subject to Code section 4999.
(h)
There are no Liens on any of the Company’s
assets that arose in connection with any failure (or alleged
failure) to pay any Tax.
(i)
No Company Benefit Plan is, and the Company is
not otherwise party to any Contract or other plan
or arrangement that is, a “nonqualified deferred
compensation plan” subject to Code section 409A. The
Company has no actual or potential Liability to reimburse or
otherwise “gross-up” any Person for any interest or
additional tax imposed pursuant to Code
section 409A(a)(1)(B).
2.9
Employee Benefit Plans .
(a)
Correct and complete copies of all documents
comprising Company Benefit Plans, including all plan documents,
trusts and summary plan descriptions, as applicable, and the
most recent annual report on IRS Form 5500, if applicable, have
been supplied by the Company to the Purchaser and are listed in
Section 2.9(a) of the Company Disclosure Schedule.
(b)
All Company Benefit Plans are valid and binding
and in full force and effect and there are no material defaults
thereunder. Each Company Benefit Plan complies in all
material respects with all applicable provisions of ERISA, the
Code and other applicable Law. Any “employee pension
benefit plan” (within the meaning of Section 3(2) of
ERISA) maintained by the Company which is intended to be
qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code has, to the extent
applicable, received a determination letter from the IRS
evidencing such qualification, remains qualified under Code
section 401(a), and no event has occurred that will or could
give rise to disqualification or loss of tax-exempt status of
any such plan or trust under Code sections 401(a) or 501(a).
The Company does not provide any retiree health and life
benefits under any Company Benefit Plan, other than continuation
coverage required under the Consolidated Omnibus Budget
Reconciliation Act of 1985, as amended. There are no
pending or, to the Knowledge of the Company, threatened
Proceedings relating to any of the Company Benefit Plans.
The Company has not engaged in, or failed to engage in, a
transaction with respect to any Company Benefit Plan that is
reasonably likely to subject the Company to a tax or penalty
imposed by either Section 4975 or 4980B of the Code or Section
502(i), 502(c), 502(1) and 601 through 608 of ERISA.
(c)
No Company Benefit Plan subject to Title IV of
ERISA (including any “multiemployer plan” as defined
in ERISA) has been sponsored or contributed to by the Company or
any Person that is a member of a “controlled group of
corporations” or is under “common control”
with the Company (within the meaning of Section 414(b) or (c) of
the Code) during the six (6) year period preceding the date of
this Agreement.
(d)
All contributions required to be made, and
claims to be paid, under the terms of any Company Benefit Plan
have been timely made or reserves therefor on the Financial
Statements have been established, which reserves are adequate in
all material respects.
(e)
Except as set forth on Section 2.9(e) of
the Company Disclosure Schedule, each Company Benefit Plan can
be terminated by the Company within a period of thirty (30) days
following
21
the Closing Date, without any additional
contribution to such Company Benefit Plan or the payment of any
compensation or other amount or causing the vesting or
acceleration of any benefits.
(f)
None of this Agreement, the transactions
contemplated hereby, or any other agreement, plan (including any
Company Benefit Plans), arrangement or other Contract covering
any “disqualified person” with respect to the
Company, will give rise directly or indirectly to the payment to
a “disqualified person” with respect to the Company
of any amount that would be a “parachute payment”
(within the meaning of Section 280G(b) of the Code) when
considered collectively with payments to such person under any
other such agreements, plans, arrangements or other Contracts.
There is no written or unwritten agreement, plan,
arrangement or other Contract by which the Company is bound to
compensate any employee of the Company for excise taxes paid
pursuant to Section 4999 of the Code.
2.10
Labor Matters .
(a)
The Company is in compliance, in all material
respects, with all Laws governing the employment of labor,
including all such Laws relating to wages, hours, collective
bargaining, discrimination, civil rights, safety and health
(including OSHA and comparable state and local Laws),
workers’ compensation and the collection and payment of
withholding and/or Social Security Taxes and similar Taxes
(collectively, “ Labor Laws ”). The
Company has, during the five (5) year period prior to the date
of this Agreement, conducted the Business in compliance, in all
material respects, with all applicable Labor Laws. No
investigation, review or proceeding by any Governmental Entity
with respect to the Company in relation to any actual or alleged
violation of any Labor Law is pending or, to the Knowledge of
the Company, threatened, nor has the Company received any notice
from any Governmental Entity indicating an intention to conduct
the same.
(b)
There are no collective bargaining or other
labor union agreements to which the Company is a party or by
which it is bound. To the Knowledge of the Company, the
Company has not encountered any labor union organizing activity,
or had any actual or threatened employee strikes, work
stoppages, slowdowns or lockouts. There are no unfair
labor practice charges, grievances or complaints pending or, to
the Knowledge of the Company, threatened, by or on behalf of any
employee or group of employees of the Company. To the
Company’s Knowledge, none of the Company’s employees
plans to terminate his or her employment with the Company within
one (1) year after the date of this Agreement or in connection
with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement (except as
provided in Section 5.3(a) ). The Company is
not involved in any Proceeding involving any allegation of
violation of applicable Law by the Company in connection with
the Company’s employment or termination of any current or
former employee, officer, director or consultant, the Company
has not received any notice from any current or former employee,
officer, director or consultant (or any of their respective
legal counsel or other representatives) alleging any such
violation and, to the Company’s Knowledge, there is no
basis for any such Proceeding. The Company has not, within
the five (5) year period prior to the date of this Agreement,
entered into a settlement agreement or otherwise settled or
compromised any Proceeding or threatened Proceeding involving
any allegation of violation of applicable Law by the Company in
connection with the Company’s employment or termination of
any employee, officer, director or consultant.
(c)
The Company has not effectuated: (i) any
“plant closing” (as defined in the WARN Act)
affecting any site of employment or one or more facilities or
operating units within any site of employment of the Company; or
(ii) any “mass layoff” (as defined in the WARN Act)
affecting any site of employment or facility of the Company and
the transactions contemplated by this Agreement will not
constitute a “plant closing” or “mass
layoff”.
22
(d)
Section 2.10(d)(i) of the Company
Disclosure Schedule sets forth a correct and complete
description of each Contract concerning payment of commissions
or similar payments between the Company and any current or
former employee, officer or director of, or consultant to, the
Company. Section 2.10(d)(ii) of the Company
Disclosure Schedule sets forth a correct and complete list of
each Contract relating to employment, change in control,
severance, termination and similar matters between the Company
and any current or former employee, officer or director of, or
consultant to, the Company. Correct and complete copies of
each of the Contracts set forth on Section 2.10(d)(i) of
the Company Disclosure Schedule and Section 2.10(d)(ii)
of the Company Disclosure Schedule that are written have been
supplied by the Company to the Purchaser. Summaries
describing in reasonable detail the terms and conditions of each
of the Contracts set forth on Section 2.10(d)(i) of the
Company Disclosure Schedule and Section 2.10(d)(ii) of
the Company Disclosure Schedule that are oral have been supplied
by the Company to the Purchaser.
2.11
Real Property and Tangible Assets
.
(a)
The Company does not own any real property.
Section 2.11(a) of the Company Disclosure Schedule
sets forth a correct and complete list of all real property
leased by the Company (the “ Leased Real
Property ”). The Leased Real Property is
sufficient for operation of the Company’s Business, as
presently conducted and proposed by the Company to be conducted.
Correct and complete copies of all leases for Leased Real
Property (“ Real Estate Leases ”) have been
provided by the Company to the Purchaser. With respect to
each Real Estate Lease: (i) the Company has good, valid and
enforceable leasehold interests to the leasehold estate in the
Leased Real Property granted to it pursuant to the applicable
Real Estate Lease, subject to the Equitable Exceptions; (ii)
each of the Real Estate Leases has been duly authorized and
executed by the Company and, to the Company’s Knowledge,
the other party thereto, and is in full force and effect; and
(iii) neither the Company nor, to the Company’s Knowledge,
the other party thereto, is in material breach of any of the
Real Estate Leases and no event has occurred or condition exists
which, with or without the giving of notice or the lapse of
time, or both, would constitute a material breach by the Company
or, to the Company’s Knowledge, the other party thereto.
None of the Real Estate Leases is subject to or encumbered
by any Lien or other restriction that impairs or restricts the
use by the Company of the property as now conducted, except for
mortgages, deeds of trust and similar Liens securing
indebtedness of the applicable landlord. The Company is
current with the payment of rent on all Leased Real Properties.
The Company is not now, and has not during the five (5)
year period preceding the date of this Agreement been, involved
in any Proceeding or, to the Company’s Knowledge,
threatened Proceeding with any of its landlords. The
landlord under each Real Estate Lease has performed, in all
material respects, all maintenance obligations required under
such Real Estate Lease. All of the buildings, structures
and improvements thereon pursuant to which the Company operates
the Business are in good operating condition, reasonable wear
and tear excepted, have been maintained in accordance with good
industry practice, and, to the Company’s Knowledge, are
suitable for the uses for which they are presently being used in
the Business.
(b)
The Purchased Assets constitute all the assets
necessary for the Purchaser to conduct the Business, as
conducted and proposed to be conducted by the Company as of the
Closing. The Company owns or leases all tangible assets
necessary for the conduct of the Business, as presently
conducted and pro