Exhibit 10.75
CONFIDENTIAL
TCBY SYSTEMS,
LLC
Distribution Service
Agreement
with Banta Foods,
Inc.
November 22, 2006
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DISTRIBUTION
AGREEMENT
THIS AGREEMENT
is made and entered into as of the
22nd day of November, 2006, by and between TCBY SYSTEMS,
LLC, a Delaware limited liability company
(“COMPANY”) and BANTA FOODS, INC., a Missouri
Corporation (“DISTRIBUTOR”). DISTRIBUTOR will commence
distribution services under this Agreement on January 8, 2007 (the
“Effective Date”) unless otherwise mutually agreed upon
by the parties.
RECITALS
A .
The COMPANY is engaged in the
worldwide business of franchising or licensing retail TCBY Stores
and other related concepts (“Franchised Stores”).
COMPANY also has several COMPANY-owned stores that it supports
directly (“Company Stores”). The Franchised
Stores and or individual franchisees (the
“Franchisees”) function as independent companies and
are individually and solely responsible for the activities at each
location, including purchasing needed products and supplies, which
includes responsibility for purchasing from DISTRIBUTOR.
COMPANY is responsible for activities at its Company Stores.
Company Stores and Franchised Stores are jointly referred to herein
as “Stores”, the Franchisees and individuals
responsible for Company Stores are jointly referred to as
(“Operators”) and the combined efforts of the COMPANY
and its Franchisees is referred to as the
“System”. COMPANY takes steps to assist Stores to
meet its purchasing needs and has the right to designate
distributors and suppliers for the System.
B.
The DISTRIBUTOR is engaged in the
business of purchasing, selling, distributing and delivering food
service products (including the Products, as defined below).
In connection therewith, the DISTRIBUTOR manages, controls,
prepares and furnishes reports to its customers concerning the
inventories of products and supplies the DISTRIBUTOR purchases,
manages and controls for sale, distribution and delivery to its
customers.
C.
COMPANY wishes to appoint
DISTRIBUTOR as a distributor of certain approved proprietary food
and related products to the Stores located within the Territory (as
defined below), and DISTRIBUTOR wishes to accept such appointment,
all on the terms and conditions hereinafter set forth.
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AGREEMENT
NOW, THEREFORE,
in consideration of the mutual
covenants herein set forth and other good and valuable
consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which is hereby
acknowledged, the parties agree as follows:
1.
Appointment
- Subject to all terms and
conditions of this Agreement, COMPANY hereby appoints DISTRIBUTOR
as a distributor of the products within the product categories
listed in Schedule 1 (the “Products”), to the
Stores in the territory serviced by DISTRIBUTOR’s
distribution center located in Springfield, Missouri (the
“Territory”) as reflected in the map depicted in
Schedule 2 and DISTRIBUTOR hereby accepts such
appointment.
2.
Distribution of
Products
2.01
Products
- DISTRIBUTOR will maintain in its inventory of
Products the following: (i) Products designated by COMPANY that
contain the proprietary trademarks, service marks, logos or labels
of COMPANY or any of its affiliates or that are made pursuant to
specifications provided by COMPANY, its affiliates, or licensors
for limited distribution to Operators (defined below) or other
entities licensed by COMPANY, its affiliates or licensors
(“TCBY Branded Products”), and (ii) other supplies or
other national or regional branded Products designated or
contracted for by COMPANY to be maintained in inventory by
DISTRIBUTOR for distribution to COMPANY, its affiliates and the
Operators. (Collectively, Products described in clauses (i)
and (ii) are referred to as “Proprietary
Products”). DISTRIBUTOR will also maintain in its
inventory non-proprietary Products which DISTRIBUTOR stocks in its
inventory for sale to COMPANY, its affiliates and its Operators.
DISTRIBUTOR shall not be required to maintain more than two hundred
(200) Proprietary Products in inventory at any time. All Coca
Cola Products carried for COMPANY shall be excluded from the
calculation of the number of Proprietary Products.
2.02
Approved
Operators - DISTRIBUTOR shall sell and deliver to
Franchisees and Operators of Stores approved by COMPANY and located
within the Territory such quantities of the Products (subject to
minimum Product order requirements) as the Operators may order from
time to time during the term of this Agreement. DISTRIBUTOR shall
cease selling TCBY Branded Products to any Operator not later than
three (3) days following receipt of written notice from COMPANY
advising DISTRIBUTOR that such Operator is no longer approved by
COMPANY and shall, within such timeframe, further cease selling,
under the terms of any supplier agreement negotiated by COMPANY,
all Proprietary Products to such Operators referenced in such
notice. In addition, DISTRIBUTOR shall have the right to cease the
sale and distribution of Products to
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any Operator (a) who is in default
of its obligations to DISTRIBUTOR, provided that DISTRIBUTOR has
given COMPANY at least three (3) business days notice of such
default before ceasing deliveries to such Operator, or (b) who has
filed a voluntary petition in bankruptcy or under any other similar
insolvency or debtor relief law or who has had such a petition
filed against it, or who has made a general assignment for the
benefit of its creditors. COMPANY shall also have the right to
reinstate delivery to any Operator that COMPANY previously stopped
selling by providing written notice to DISTRIBUTOR and DISTRIBUTOR
shall provide such delivery as soon as mutually agreed between the
parties.
A list of the present Operators with
Stores located within the Territory and approved by COMPANY and
their respective Store locations is attached hereto as Schedule
3 . During the term of this Agreement, COMPANY shall
maintain and provide to DISTRIBUTOR a current list of all Operators
with Stores within the Territory who have been approved by COMPANY
for distribution of the Products under this Agreement. DISTRIBUTOR
shall have the right to rely upon such list, as amended or modified
by COMPANY in writing from time to time, in performing its
obligations under this Agreement. COMPANY shall notify DISTRIBUTOR
of new Stores within the Territory not less than fourteen (14) days
prior to the desired date of first shipment of Products to any such
new Stores. In addition, provided and to the extent that COMPANY
and DISTRIBUTOR mutually agree in writing, DISTRIBUTOR shall
provide distribution services to Stores located outside the
Territory, as designated by COMPANY.
COMPANY represents and warrants that
the terms of this Agreement, as and if amended in the manner
permitted under this Agreement, are binding upon and shall govern
DISTRIBUTOR and COMPANY’s obligations with respect to
distribution services performed by DISTRIBUTOR hereunder and that
each Franchisee that is an owner or operator of a Franchised Store
within the System shall be bound by the terms of this Agreement, as
it may hereafter be amended, upon such Operator’s purchase of
Proprietary Products from DISTRIBUTOR.
2.03
Product Orders
- All Product orders shall be submitted by the
Operators to DISTRIBUTOR and shall specify the location of the
Operator’s Stores, the type of Product, and the quantity
desired. Operators may place orders electronically
(“Electronic Orders”) or by telephoning or faxing
DISTRIBUTOR’s customer service center in accordance with the
guidelines detailed below. Orders placed by fax or telephone will
be subject to a higher Markup as detailed in Section 4.12.
All shipment expenses from DISTRIBUTOR’s distribution center
to the Operator’s location shall be at DISTRIBUTOR’s
expense unless otherwise noted elsewhere in this Agreement. Product
order guides will be provided by DISTRIBUTOR to the Operators
monthly via DISTRIBUTOR’s website and with a hard copy
delivered to each Store, with availability of such order guides to
be
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made prior to the beginning of the
month, but only after review and approval of the order guide by
COMPANY. The order guides will be organized by Product categories
and will include, among other things, the Product Sell Price (as
defined herein), Product units and new Products. DISTRIBUTOR will
assign one product code number to each stock-keeping unit
(“SKU”) of each Product, which will be common
throughout its entire distribution system and will be used on all
documents such as order guides, invoices, monthly reports, etc.
SKU’s, and, accordingly, the assigned product code number,
must differ for equivalent Products supplied by different
suppliers. DISTRIBUTOR will utilize the existing TCBY product item
numbers. Only Products approved for sale to its Operators by
the COMPANY will be listed on this order guide. Electronic Orders
will be placed via internet using DISTRIBUTOR’s
web-site. All Electronic Orders, including order add-ons and
modifications, are subject to the standard order cut-off time of
11:00 a.m. local time, two (2) days prior to their scheduled
delivery day. Orders not placed electronically may be subject
to earlier cut-off times than those established above as mutually
agreed upon between COMPANY and DISTRIBUTOR. Operators will
be notified prior to the time of final order cut-off if a product
is expected to be out of stock so that an alternative may be
ordered, subject to the provisions of Section 3.02.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, Stores that have a scheduled
delivery day of Monday, must have their orders placed by 11:00 a.m.
local time on the preceding Friday and Stores that have a scheduled
delivery day of Tuesday must have their orders placed by 11:00 a.m.
on the preceding Sunday.
DISTRIBUTOR may schedule deliveries
at any time and day of the week. However, where reasonably
possible, DISTRIBUTOR will schedule ordering days and delivery days
that are mutually agreed upon by and between DISTRIBUTOR and each
Operator and will provide notice to the affected Operator at least
fourteen (14) days before routing changes. On an exception basis,
DISTRIBUTOR will consider shortening the permissible time frames
for scheduled deliveries for those Operators that, given unique and
compelling business needs, require the same. Operator will be
notified of any Product shortages at the time of order placement in
the case of an Electronic Order and, if not an Electronic Order, no
later than the morning of their order cut-off day.
2.04
Deliveries.
Delivery vehicles
used by DISTRIBUTOR will only display the marks of DISTRIBUTOR,
except for locations that cannot accommodate delivery by
DISTRIBUTOR’S existing tractor trailers or in the instances
where recovery deliveries are made by outside services or
DISTRIBUTOR has the need for temporary short term rental
equipment.
DISTRIBUTOR agrees that, excluding
key drops (deliveries scheduled to be made during the period
running from one (1) hour or more after the retail closing time of
the Store to deliveries
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one (1) hour or more before the
retail opening time of the Store), an overall average of 90% of all
regularly scheduled deliveries will be made within a two (2) hour
window, meaning no earlier than one (1) hour before and no later
than one (1) hour after the scheduled delivery time. If a delivery
is anticipated to fall outside of this two (2) hour window,
DISTRIBUTOR will immediately notify the Operator. DISTRIBUTOR will
provide an inside delivery to each Operator in accordance with
Company’s temperature store requirements as detailed in
Section 4.09, placing refrigerated and frozen Products into their
appropriate storage areas, but will not be responsible for stocking
shelves or rotating inventories.
All invoices for deliveries made
during Store’s business hours will be signed for by the
Store’s store manager or other representative prior to
DISTRIBUTOR’s driver leaving the Store (provided that the
driver is not unreasonably delayed). Copies of invoices for
deliveries made after the Store’s regular business hours will
be left at the Store.
The COMPANY agrees to use its
commercially reasonable efforts to cause Operators to provide keys
and security codes for night deliveries where necessary. In
the event Operator refuses to provide keys and security codes,
Operator will promptly meet the delivery driver at the scheduled
appointment time or at such other time as Operator has been
notified in the event of a late delivery. If the Operator
fails to meet the DISTRIBUTOR delivery at the appropriate time on
more than one occasion, the Operator shall be responsible for
payment of a penalty fee of [CONFIDENTIAL] (1) to
DISTRIBUTOR for subsequent occurrences. In the event of a
Product shortage or delivery problem that occurs during an
unattended delivery, the authorized representative of the Stores
will contact the distribution center no later than the first
Notification Deadline following such unattended delivery. The
“Notification Deadline” is 4:00 p.m. local time each
day for the affected Stores.
2.05
Delivery
Frequency/Routing - DISTRIBUTOR will provide each Operator with a
minimum delivery frequency based on annual case volume as shown
below as long as the Operator meets the minimum order requirements
set forth in Section 5 hereof:
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Delivery Frequency
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Annual Case Volume
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Summer Routing
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Winter Routing
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Less than 200 cases
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4 deliveries during a 12 month period
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200-349 cases
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6 deliveries during a 12 month period
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350-499 cases
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8 deliveries during a 12 month period
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500-999 cases
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Every 4 weeks
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Every 4 weeks
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1,000-1,999 cases
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Every 3 weeks
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Every 4 weeks
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2,000-3,499 cases
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Every week
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Every 2 weeks
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Greater than 3,499 cases
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Every week
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Every week
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(1)
Confidential treatment has been
requested for the redacted portion. The confidential,
redacted portions have been filed separately with the
SEC.
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This schedule is intended to serve
as a guideline only and DISTRIBUTOR agrees to provide additional
regular deliveries as requested by Operator and approved by COMPANY
in writing. COMPANY will provide DISTRIBUTOR with the initial
delivery frequency for each Store in Schedule 3 .
COMPANY and DISTRIBUTOR will mutually agree on the exact date for
routing changes from summer to winter and winter to summer but each
period will be approximately six (6) months with summer routing
from April through September and winter routing from October
through March.
In the event an emergency delivery
is required based upon the Operator’s needs and not due to a
delivery error by DISTRIBUTOR nor during the time periods specified
in Section 2.06, DISTRIBUTOR will accommodate the Operator’s
request with the most efficient available delivery method. All
additional freight expense will be at the Operator’s expense
and will be billed upon DISTRIBUTOR’s receipt of the invoice
from the shipping agent. If DISTRIBUTOR is able to schedule such an
emergency delivery in conjunction with a nearby route, the
additional freight expense will be [CONFIDENTIAL] (2).
Where possible, a store may order up to [CONFIDENTIAL] (3)
cases to be delivered to a nearby store, on that store’s
delivery day (and with that store’s consent) without an
additional charge. Products delivered to a nearby store will
be billed on a separate invoice.
Should the need arise for an
emergency or special delivery due to supplier error, DISTRIBUTOR
and COMPANY will work with the supplier to remedy the shortage at
the supplier’s expense. If supplier fails to pay the
additional freight expense, COMPANY will be required to do so
provided DISTRIBUTOR notifies COMPANY immediately of supplier
non-performance. If an emergency delivery is necessary due to
DISTRIBUTOR error, DISTRIBUTOR will arrange a special delivery with
any additional freight to be paid by DISTRIBUTOR.
2.06
Special Deliveries During
Roll-Out - DISTRIBUTOR and COMPANY recognize that during
the initial roll-out phase of the DISTRIBUTOR distribution program,
many new processes will be in place for each of COMPANY, the
Operators and DISTRIBUTOR, including changes in the way the
Operators order, the distance from the DISTRIBUTOR distribution
center to the Operators, and lead times from order day to delivery
day for the Operators. Therefore, DISTRIBUTOR will process up to
one (1) emergency order for each Operator for the first thirty (30)
days following the commencement of distribution service at no
additional charge, subject to
(2)
Confidential treatment has been
requested for the redacted portion. The confidential,
redacted portions have been filed separately with the
SEC.
(3)
Confidential treatment has been
requested for the redacted portion. The confidential,
redacted portions have been filed separately with the
SEC
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the minimum order requirements and
applicable handling fees, if any, as set forth in Section 5 of this
Agreement. Such additional deliveries will be made within the
confines of DISTRIBUTOR’s existing route schedule unless
products required by Operator are a Kill Item, in which case the
delivery will be expedited in accordance with Section
3.02.
2.07
Return of
Products/Credits –Any Products ordered by Operators which
are returned to DISTRIBUTOR for any reason must be returned no
later than the next regularly scheduled delivery (except that, in
the case of Products to be returned as a result of concealed
damage, within the remaining shelf life of such Products) and all
claims for Products to be returned must be made either to the
driver upon check-in of the order, by telephone by 4 p.m. on the
day of delivery following receipt of the Products if an unattended
delivery or, in the case of concealed damage, within twenty-four
(24) hours of discovery of concealed damage by the Operator.
All returned items must be in unmarked original packaging and must
be in suitable condition for resale (unless damaged or mis-marked
Product was the reason for the return). Subject to the foregoing,
DISTRIBUTOR shall provide credit to the affected Operator for
defective, shorted or damaged Products within twenty-four (24)
hours of the driver’s return if brought to the driver’s
attention or noticed by the driver during delivery or, in any
event, within forty-eight (48) hours of DISTRIBUTOR’s receipt
of the Operator’s claim of damaged, shorted or defective
Products (or receipt of product, if warranted) and will immediately
provide documentation on its website for Operator of such credit if
the original order was placed electronically or via fax or phone if
the order was placed in some other manner. Notwithstanding
the foregoing, no returns will be permitted for cooler or freezer
items, or fresh produce due to misorder by the Operator.
Products refused by Operator at time of delivery for reasons other
than damage or remaining shelf life below agreed upon parameters
will be subject to a [CONFIDENTIAL] (4) restocking charge to
be paid by Operator. In the event that the shorted, defective
or damaged Product is a Kill Item, then DISTRIBUTOR will remedy the
situation in accordance with Section 3.02 if so requested by the
Operator.
2.08
Limited Time Offers
(“LTO’s”) - In
order to allow DISTRIBUTOR to maintain service levels to the
Operators, COMPANY will provide DISTRIBUTOR with at least
twenty-eight (28) days prior written notice of any and all
LTO’s to be run by COMPANY (subject to availability of LTO
Products from the supplier within the twenty-eight (28) day
period). Such written notices shall include estimated usage for the
Products to be promoted if such usage is expected to deviate
materially from historical levels or if a new Product. Subject to
the above, DISTRIBUTOR agrees to stock sufficient inventory for any
new Proprietary Products to be used in national LTO
(4)
Confidential treatment has been
requested for the redacted portion. The confidential,
redacted portions have been filed separately with the
SEC.
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promotions and other key items, as
reasonably requested by COMPANY. Unless retained on the
Operator’s menu at the instruction of the COMPANY or mutually
agreed to between COMPANY and DISTRIBUTOR, all LTO Products must be
removed from the DISTRIBUTOR distribution centers no later than
sixty (60) days after the completion of the LTO and COMPANY shall
purchase all remaining inventory of such LTO as provided in Section
3.02. The sale of LTO Products by DISTRIBUTOR is final and LTO
Products may not be returned to DISTRIBUTOR, unless the return is
necessitated due to a DISTRIBUTOR error or due to Product damage
not caused by the Operator.
3.
Suppliers of Products;
Inventory of Products.
3.01
Suppliers/Contracted
Products - The
Proprietary Products to be distributed to the Operators under the
terms and conditions of this Agreement shall be purchased by
DISTRIBUTOR, on its own account, from the suppliers (including
COMPANY) selected by COMPANY, pursuant to terms and conditions as
are agreed upon by and between DISTRIBUTOR and such suppliers
(including COMPANY). In the event COMPANY enters into direct
contracts with suppliers, the terms and conditions of such
contracts that obligate DISTRIBUTOR shall be provided to
DISTRIBUTOR for its business and legal review and, if the business
and legal terms of the proposed contract that apply to DISTRIBUTOR
are reasonably acceptable to DISTRIBUTOR, DISTRIBUTOR will approve
the supplier contract. The guaranteed supplier price provided under
such supplier contract (net of billbacks by DISTRIBUTOR, if any),
[CONFIDENTIAL] (5) and billed by COMPANY or its supplier,
shall be the “Cost” of the Product. COMPANY
agrees that no Royalty and Advertising Charges will be included in
the Cost of any of the Products. Products governed by such
supplier contracts negotiated by COMPANY are referred to herein as
“Contracted Products.” The freight charges for
Contracted Products will be an amount negotiated with the supplier
by COMPANY. DISTRIBUTOR agrees that Cost for any Contracted
Products will not include any unloading costs for palletized and
slipsheet loads.
3.02
Inventory
- During the term of this Agreement,
DISTRIBUTOR shall maintain an inventory of the Products in
quantities necessary to provide the Operators with an adequate
supply of such Products based upon initial usage projections by
COMPANY, future historical usage of such Products by the Operators,
and the fill rate performance requirements detailed below.
DISTRIBUTOR agrees to work with COMPANY, to attempt to maximize the
quantities of Products purchased to efficiently reduce the cost of
Products purchased, and to maximize Product inventory turns. In
addition, DISTRIBUTOR agrees to order Products in the quantities
indicated
(5)
Confidential treatment has been
requested for the redacted portion. The confidential,
redacted portions have been filed separately with the
SEC.
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on the inbound quantity matrix
attached hereto as Schedule 5, as amended by COMPANY to
reflect the growth in the number of Stores serviced by DISTRIBUTOR
in the Territory from time to time. DISTRIBUTOR further
agrees that any Products transported between its Jackson,
Mississippi and Clanton, Alabama distribution centers will be done
without increasing the Cost of the Product to the Operator.
To further insure DISTRIBUTOR’s ability to comply with the
performance requirements detailed later in this Section 3.02,
DISTRIBUTOR will also maintain at each distribution center
servicing Operators, “safety stock” of not less than
[CONFIDENTIAL] (6) days historical usage for all Proprietary
Products and will also have an additional [CONFIDENTIAL] (7)
days historical usage of white chocolate mousse, chocolate and
vanilla frozen yogurt on the road at all times. DISTRIBUTOR agrees
that all Products delivered to Operators will have at least
one-third of their original shelf-life remaining as of the date of
delivery.
COMPANY categorizes Products into
three classes:
Proprietary Products that Operators
must have (“Kill Items”), which Kill Items will not
number more than one hundred (100) at any time, excluding beverage
Products and LTO items. COMPANY will provide a list of Kill Items
to DISTRIBUTOR, which list will be updated by COMPANY from
time-to-time. The initial list of Kill Items is attached as
Schedule 4 .
Other Proprietary Products that can
be substituted in an emergency.
Non-proprietary Products, including,
any produce items that DISTRIBUTOR may agree to provide.
DISTRIBUTOR will achieve a 100% fill
rate on Kill Items with overnight emergency delivery, if requested,
an overall aggregate “fill rate” for all Products of
[CONFIDENTIAL] (8), and at least [CONFIDENTIAL] (9)
of all invoices issued by DISTRIBUTOR to the Operators will be
completely accurate at the time of initial issuance, with all of
the above measured quarterly. The “fill rate”
equals the percentage of Products or Kill Items, as the case may
be, obtained by dividing the total number of Products or Kill Items
shipped by DISTRIBUTOR and received by the Operators at the time of
delivery for the month, by the total number of Product or Kill
Items ordered by the Operators from the DISTRIBUTOR for that same
month. All fill rate
(6)
Confidential treatment has been
requested for the redacted portion. The confidential,
redacted portions have been filed separately with the
SEC.
(7)
Confidential treatment has been
requested for the redacted portion. The confidential,
redacted portions have been filed separately with the
SEC.
(8)
Confidential treatment has been
requested for the redacted portion. The confidential,
redacted portions have been filed separately with the
SEC.
(9)
Confidential treatment has been
requested for the redacted portion. The confidential,
redacted portions have been filed separately with the
SEC.
10
measurements (and invoice accuracy
requirements) will be net of supplier-related issues such as
shortages and delayed deliveries to DISTRIBUTOR, provided
DISTRIBUTOR notifies COMPANY immediately in the event of supplier
non-performance. If emergency delivery is required due to supplier
(including COMPANY) error, costs of emergency delivery shall be at
supplier (including COMPANY) expense, provided that, if the
supplier fails to absorb such expense, such delivery costs shall be
paid by the Operator provided DISTRIBUTOR has notified COMPANY
immediately in the event of such non-performance and Operator has
approved the additional expense in advance. If the
emergency delivery is due to DISTRIBUTOR error, then DISTRIBUTOR
will remedy the situation in as efficient manner as possible, which
may include emergency deliveries and special freight shipments, at
DISTRIBUTOR’S sole expense. If the emergency delivery is due
to Operator error, the Operator shall pay delivery costs for such
emergency delivery. From the moment of receipt of the
Products for storage by DISTRIBUTOR until the Products have been
accepted by Operator at the Store, DISTRIBUTOR assumes all risk of
loss or damage with respect thereto, shall be directly liable to
COMPANY for any such loss or damage to the Products and the related
costs and expenses for replacing the Products and agrees to obtain
and maintain adequate insurance coverage to insure against such
loss or damage.
In the event of substitution of a
Proprietary Product, the substituted Product must have been
previously approved by COMPANY in writing and, if the need for
substitution was caused due to DISTRIBUTOR error, the price of the
substituted Product will be determined based on the lower of the
Cost (as hereinafter defined) of the substituted Product or the
Cost of the out-of-stock Product that it replaces. In
addition, DISTRIBUTOR will reimburse COMPANY to the extent that
COMPANY would have realized a difference between its selling price
to DISTRIBUTOR and the amount that COMPANY would have paid for the
Proprietary Product from its supplier, unless the substitution is
due to COMPANY’s error. Upon request, COMPANY shall
provide to DISTRIBUTOR copies of invoices and other documentation
reasonably necessary to verify the amount of the difference claimed
by COMPANY. If substitution is due to supplier (including
COMPANY) error, then COMPANY shall cause supplier to, or if COMPANY
is the supplier, COMPANY shall, reimburse DISTRIBUTOR for any
reasonable losses sustained due to such error.
To the extent that DISTRIBUTOR is
unable to sell to the Operators quantities of the Proprietary
Products in DISTRIBUTOR’s inventory for any reason
whatsoever, including, but not limited to, Product discontinuation,
slow-moving inventory, unused LTO Products, promotional or seasonal
Products or exceeded shelf life due to sudden decline in Product
movement and not due to DISTRIBUTOR error, COMPANY will purchase,
or cause a third party to purchase, all remaining inventory of such
Proprietary Products at DISTRIBUTOR’s cost, F.O.B.
the
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DISTRIBUTOR distribution centers
plus DISTRIBUTOR’s handling and carrying charges, if properly
approved by COMPANY in advance as outlined below. In such
event, COMPANY will purchase or cause to be purchased all
perishable Proprietary Products within [CONFIDENTIAL] (10)
days after notice from DISTRIBUTOR or by the expiration date of the
Proprietary Products, whichever is earlier, and all nonperishable
Proprietary Products within [CONFIDENTIAL] (11) days after
notice from DISTRIBUTOR. In addition, if the inventory
re-purchase is necessitated for any reason other than DISTRIBUTOR
error, COMPANY shall reimburse to DISTRIBUTOR all reasonable
out-of-pocket costs and expenses (not to exceed an amount equal to
[CONFIDENTIAL] (12) of the Product’s Cost unless
DISTRIBUTOR receives COMPANY’S prior written consent)
incurred by DISTRIBUTOR in selling, returning or otherwise
disposing of such Products. DISTRIBUTOR shall provide COMPANY
with documentation or other proof that any such costs and expenses
were incurred by DISTRIBUTOR. In order to allow COMPANY to
monitor the supply and usage of the Proprietary Products,
DISTRIBUTOR shall provide to COMPANY a monthly obsolete and
slow-moving inventory report.
3.03
Aged Inventory
Notification - DISTRIBUTOR will immediately notify COMPANY in
writing in the event that any quantities of its Proprietary
Products are within [CONFIDENTIAL] (13) days of expiration
of product life. If DISTRIBUTOR fails to do so, COMPANY shall
not be required to comply with the requirements set forth in
Section 3.02.
3.04
Present DISTRIBUTOR’s
Inventory -
DISTRIBUTOR agrees to purchase the existing merchantable and
saleable inventory of Proprietary Products from COMPANY’S
present distributor located in Alsip, Illinois in quantities not to
exceed a [CONFIDENTIAL] (14) days’ supply of such
Products, in the aggregate, provided that DISTRIBUTOR and COMPANY
have been given an opportunity by the present distributor to
inspect any such Product prior to purchase pursuant to this Section
3.04. DISTRIBUTOR will pay, via check, the present
distributor for Products purchased from it, within ten (10) days of
the later of DISTRIBUTOR’S receipt of the Products or the
receipt of the invoice approved by COMPANY for the
Products. DISTRIBUTOR shall be responsible for all
freight and unloading costs associated with transporting such
inventory from the existing DISTRIBUTOR’s locations listed
above. DISTRIBUTOR will not be responsible for any handling or
other fees charged by the current distributor in connection with
DISTRIBUTOR’s loading and transferring of such
inventory.
(10) Confidential treatment has been requested for
the redacted portion. The confidential, redacted portions
have been filed separately with the SEC.
(11) Confidential treatment has been requested for
the redacted portion. The confidential, redacted portions
have been filed separately with the SEC.
(12) Confidential treatment has been requested for
the redacted portion. The confidential, redacted portions
have been filed separately with the SEC.
(13) Confidential treatment has been requested for
the redacted portion. The confidential, redacted portions
have been filed separately with the SEC.
(14) Confidential treatment has been requested for
the redacted portion. The confidential, redacted portions
have been filed separately with the SEC.
12
COMPANY and the current distributor
will be required to provide all reasonable assistance and
cooperation to DISTRIBUTOR in connection with the purchase, loading
and transportation of such inventory from the current distributor
to the DISTRIBUTOR distribution center, including the scheduling of
mutually agreeable inventory inspection and pick-up
times.
In the event that the Cost of the
Product, as purchased from the existing distributor, exceeds or is
less than the Cost that DISTRIBUTOR would otherwise utilize in
determining the Sell Price for such Products obtained through
suppliers, including COMPANY, DISTRIBUTOR shall utilize the Cost
designated by COMPANY in determining the Sell Price and shall
invoice, pay to COMPANY or charge the Operator, as directed by the
COMPANY, in the amount of the difference. In the event
COMPANY directs DISTRIBUTOR to invoice the COMPANY, COMPANY shall
pay such invoiced amount within [CONFIDENTIAL] (15) days of
the date of the invoice. In the case of a rebate to COMPANY,
DISTRIBUTOR shall pay the rebated amount within
[CONFIDENTIAL] (16) days of its determination of the amount
to be rebated.
4.
Sell Price/Payment
Terms/Financial Reporting
4.01
Sell Price
- Beginning on the Effective Date and throughout
the entire term of this Agreement, the maximum purchase price at
which DISTRIBUTOR shall sell the Products, (the “Sell
Price”), to the Operators shall be determined by adding the
“Cost” (as hereinafter defined) of the Product plus
[CONFIDENTIAL] (17) per case for all deliveries
(collectively, “Markup”), subject to the other
provisions of this Agreement. For purposes of this Agreement,
the “Cost” of a Product other than a Contracted Product
shall be the sum of (a) the cost of the Product as shown on the
invoices to DISTRIBUTOR from the respective supplier, including
COMPANY, plus (b) if the invoiced cost of the Product is not a
delivered price, the applicable freight charges related to shipping
the Product from the supplier to DISTRIBUTOR’S distribution
center, plus (c) the Sourcing Fees (as later defined in Section
4.06), if any, attributable to the Product, less (d) promotional
allowances reflected on supplier invoices to DISTRIBUTOR.
Applicable freight, in those cases where the invoice cost to
DISTRIBUTOR for non-proprietary Products is not a delivered cost,
means that DISTRIBUTOR has added a reasonable freight charge,
agreed to in advance and in writing by COMPANY for delivering such
non-proprietary Products from suppliers to DISTRIBUTOR.
Applicable freight for any non-proprietary Product will not exceed
the rate charged by nationally recognized carriers operating in the
same market for the same type of freight service. Cost for any
non-proprietary Product will not be reduced by discounts for cash
or prompt payment available to DISTRIBUTOR, breakage allowances or
by backhaul revenue.
(15) Confidential treatment has been requested for
the redacted portion. The confidential, redacted portions
have been filed separately with the SEC.
(16) Confidential treatment has been requested for
the redacted portion. The confidential, redacted portions
have been filed separately with the SEC.
(17) Confidential treatment has been requested for
the redacted portion. The confidential, redacted portions
have been filed separately with the SEC.
13
Fuel or other transportation
surcharges indicated on the manufacturer’s or
supplier’s invoice or on freight invoices will increase Cost.
The Cost of a Contracted Product shall be determined in accordance
with Section 3.01. In no event will the Cost of Contracted
Products include amounts to be rebated to DISTRIBUTOR and
therefore, DISTRIBUTOR will not negotiate off-invoice manufacturer
rebates, labels/promotional allowances or any other “soft
money” received from supplier or freight carriers of
Contracted Products. In order to allow verification of the
foregoing commitment, DISTRIBUTOR agrees to provide documentation
substantiating the Cost of items DISTRIBUTOR purchases from
suppliers and freight carriers. DISTRIBUTOR agrees to limit
its collection of such “soft money” to the
manufacturers of non-proprietary Products. The Cost of
Contracted Products will not be reduced by discounts for cash or
prompt payment available to DISTRIBUTOR, breakage allowances or by
backhaul revenue. Fuel or other transportation surcharges indicated
on the manufacturer’s or supplier’s invoice or on
freight invoices will increase Cost.
The invoice format to be used by
DISTRIBUTOR will be approved by COMPANY and will contain separate
lines showing subtotals for various Product categories, applicable
taxes, the date of the ACH debit and other summary line items as
detailed elsewhere in this Agreement.
No splits will be permitted for any
Contracted Products except for maraschino cherries and malt.
Each of these split Products will have a Markup of
[CONFIDENTIAL] (18) per case, whether sold as a split or
full case.
4.02
“Cost” for
Contracted Products/True-Up Methodology - In the case of Contracted Products, COMPANY
agrees to notify DISTRIBUTOR as soon as practical after a change in
Cost has been agreed to with a supplier. COMPANY shall have
the right to adjust the Markup for individual Products (not
including the fuel surcharge or the [CONFIDENTIAL] (19)
Markup on the items listed in Section 4.01 above) from time to time
to an amount that is more or less than the agreed upon Markup per
case. If COMPANY exercises its right to lower
DISTRIBUTOR’s Markup on any Products, it will simultaneously
and correspondingly increase the Markup on other Products so as to
provide DISTRIBUTOR continuously with an average overall Markup of
[CONFIDENTIAL] (20) per case, as adjusted from time to time
pursuant to this Agreement.
Following each calendar quarter,
DISTRIBUTOR shall provide a cumulative report that reflects:
(i) the total number of cases of Products delivered to the Stores
under this Agreement during the preceding quarter
(“x”); (ii) the total of the Sell Prices charged for
all Products delivered to the
(18) Confidential treatment has been requested for
the redacted portion. The confidential, redacted portions
have been filed separately with the SEC.
(19) Confidential treatment has been requested for
the redacted portion. The confidential, redacted portions
have been filed separately with the SEC.
(20) Confidential treatment has been requested for
the redacted portion. The confidential, redacted portions
have been filed separately with the SEC.
14
Stores under this Agreement during
the preceding quarter (“y”), (iii) the total of the
Cost of each Product delivered to the Stores during such quarter
(“z”), and (iv) the “Average Putative
Markup” for Products delivered to the Stores, which shall be
calculated as follows: [(y-z)/x]. If the Average
Putative Markup is less than the Markup required pursuant to
Section 4.01 (and as modified pursuant to the other provisions of
this Agreement), with such deficiency being referred to herein as
the “Markup Deficiency”, COMPANY shall remit to
DISTRIBUTOR, an amount equal to the number of cases delivered to
the Stores under this Agreement during the preceding quarter
(“x”), multiplied by the Markup Deficiency. If
the Average Putative Markup exceeds the Markup required pursuant to
Section 4.01 (and as modified pursuant to the other
provi