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Exhibit
10.1
[Published CUSIP Number:
]
AMENDED AND RESTATED
CREDIT AGREEMENT
Dated as of May 31,
2007
among
NORTHWEST PIPE
COMPANY,
as Borrower,
BANK OF AMERICA,
N.A.,
as Administrative Agent,
Swing Line Lender
and
L/C Issuer,
and
The Other Lenders Party
Hereto
BANC OF AMERICA SECURITIES
LLC,
as
Sole Lead Arranger and Sole
Book Manager
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
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Section
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Page |
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ARTICLE I. DEFINITIONS AND ACCOUNTING
TERMS
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1 |
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1.01
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Defined Terms |
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1 |
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1.02
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Other
Interpretive Provisions |
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23 |
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1.03
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Accounting Terms |
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24 |
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1.04
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Rounding |
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25 |
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1.05
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Exchange Rates; Currency Equivalents |
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25 |
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1.06
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Additional Alternative Currencies |
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25 |
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1.07
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Change
of Currency |
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26 |
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1.08
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Times
of Day |
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27 |
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1.09
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Letter
of Credit Amounts |
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27 |
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ARTICLE II. the COMMITMENTS and
Credit Extensions
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27 |
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2.01
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Committed Loans |
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27 |
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2.02
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Borrowings, Conversions and Continuations of Committed
Loans |
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27 |
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2.03
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Letters of Credit |
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29 |
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2.04
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Swing
Line Loans |
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38 |
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2.05
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Prepayments |
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42 |
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2.06
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Termination or Reduction of Commitments |
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43 |
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2.07
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Repayment of Loans |
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43 |
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2.08
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Interest |
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43 |
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2.09
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Fees |
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44 |
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2.10
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Computation of Interest and Fees; Retroactive Adjustments of
Applicable Rate |
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45 |
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2.11
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Evidence of Debt |
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46 |
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2.12
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Payments Generally; Administrative Agent’s
Clawback |
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46 |
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2.13
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Sharing of Payments by Lenders |
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48 |
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2.14
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This
section intentionally left blank |
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49 |
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2.15
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This
section intentionally left blank |
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49 |
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2.16
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Increase in Commitments |
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49 |
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ARTICLE III. TAXES, YIELD PROTECTION
AND ILLEGALITY
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50 |
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3.01
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Taxes |
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50 |
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3.02
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Illegality |
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53 |
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3.03
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Inability to Determine Rates |
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53 |
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3.04
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Increased Costs |
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53 |
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3.05
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Compensation for Losses |
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55 |
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3.06
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Mitigation Obligations; Replacement of
Lenders |
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56 |
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3.07
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Survival |
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56 |
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ARTICLE IV. CONDITIONS PRECEDENT TO
CREDIT EXTENSIONS
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56 |
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4.01
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Conditions of Initial Credit Extension |
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56 |
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4.02
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Conditions to all Credit Extensions |
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59 |
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
(continued)
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Section
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Page |
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ARTICLE V. REPRESENTATIONS AND
WARRANTIES
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59 |
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5.01
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Existence, Qualification and Power |
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59 |
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5.02
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Authorization; No Contravention |
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60 |
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5.03
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Governmental Authorization; Other Consents |
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60 |
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5.04
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Binding Effect |
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60 |
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5.05
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Financial Statements; No Material Adverse
Effect |
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60 |
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5.06
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Litigation |
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61 |
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5.07
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No
Default |
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61 |
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5.08
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Ownership of Property; Liens |
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61 |
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5.09
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Environmental Compliance |
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61 |
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5.10
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Insurance |
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61 |
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5.11
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Taxes |
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61 |
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5.12
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ERISA
Compliance |
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62 |
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5.13
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Subsidiaries; Equity Interests |
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62 |
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5.14
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Margin
Regulations; Investment Company Act |
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62 |
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5.15
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Disclosure |
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63 |
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5.16
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Compliance with Laws |
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63 |
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5.17
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Taxpayer Identification Number; Other Identifying
Information |
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63 |
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5.18
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Intellectual Property; Licenses, Etc. |
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63 |
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5.19
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Rights
in Collateral; Priority of Liens |
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63 |
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5.20
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Solvency |
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64 |
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ARTICLE VI. AFFIRMATIVE
COVENANTS
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64 |
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6.01
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Financial Statements |
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64 |
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6.02
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Certificates; Other Information |
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65 |
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6.03
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Notices |
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66 |
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6.04
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Payment of Obligations |
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67 |
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6.05
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Preservation of Existence, Etc. |
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67 |
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6.06
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Maintenance of Properties |
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67 |
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6.07
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Maintenance of Insurance |
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68 |
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6.08
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Compliance with Laws |
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68 |
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6.09
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Books
and Records |
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68 |
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6.10
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Inspection Rights |
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68 |
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6.11
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Use of
Proceeds |
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68 |
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6.12
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This
subsection intentionally left blank |
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68 |
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6.13
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Additional Subsidiary Guarantors |
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68 |
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6.14
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Collateral Records |
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69 |
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6.15
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Security Interests and Real Property Liens |
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69 |
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6.16
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Other
Services |
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70 |
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6.17
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Financial Covenants |
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70 |
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ARTICLE VII. NEGATIVE
COVENANTS
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71 |
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7.01
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Liens |
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71 |
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7.02
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Investments |
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72 |
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7.03
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Indebtedness |
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72 |
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7.04
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Fundamental Changes |
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73 |
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7.05
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Dispositions |
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73 |
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7.06
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Restricted Payments |
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74 |
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7.07
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Change
in Nature of Business |
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74 |
ii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
(continued)
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Section
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Page |
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7.08
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Transactions with Affiliates |
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74 |
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7.09
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Burdensome Agreements |
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74 |
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7.10
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Use of
Proceeds |
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75 |
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ARTICLE VIII. EVENTS OF DEFAULT AND
REMEDIES
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75 |
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8.01
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Events
of Default |
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75 |
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8.02
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Remedies Upon Event of Default |
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77 |
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8.03
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Application of Funds |
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78 |
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ARTICLE IX. ADMINISTRATIVE
AGENT
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78 |
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9.01
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Appointment and Authority |
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78 |
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9.02
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Rights
as a Lender |
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79 |
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9.03
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Exculpatory Provisions |
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79 |
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9.04
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Reliance by Administrative Agent |
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80 |
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9.05
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Delegation of Duties |
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80 |
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9.06
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Resignation of Administrative Agent |
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80 |
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9.07
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Non-Reliance on Administrative Agent and Other
Lenders |
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81 |
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9.08
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No
Other Duties, Etc. |
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81 |
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9.09
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Administrative Agent May File Proofs of
Claim |
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82 |
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9.10
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Collateral and Guaranty Matters |
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82 |
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ARTICLE X.
MISCELLANEOUS
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84 |
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10.01
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Amendments, Etc. |
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84 |
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10.02
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Notices; Effectiveness; Electronic
Communication |
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86 |
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10.03
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No
Waiver; Cumulative Remedies |
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88 |
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10.04
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Expenses; Indemnity; Damage Waiver |
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88 |
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10.05
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Payments Set Aside |
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90 |
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10.06
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Successors and Assigns |
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90 |
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10.07
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Treatment of Certain Information;
Confidentiality |
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94 |
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10.08
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Right
of Setoff |
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95 |
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10.09
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Interest Rate Limitation |
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95 |
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10.10
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Counterparts; Integration; Effectiveness |
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96 |
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10.11
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Survival of Representations and Warranties |
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96 |
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10.12
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Severability |
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96 |
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10.13
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Replacement of Lenders |
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96 |
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10.14
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Governing Law; Jurisdiction; Etc. |
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97 |
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10.15
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Waiver
of Jury Trial |
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98 |
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10.16
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No
Advisory or Fiduciary Responsibility |
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98 |
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10.17
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USA
PATRIOT Act Notice |
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99 |
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10.18
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Time
of the Essence |
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99 |
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10.19
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Judgment Currency |
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99 |
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10.20
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Certain Agreements Not Enforceable |
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99 |
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SIGNATURES
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S-1 |
iii
SCHEDULES
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1.01
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Mandatory
Cost Formulae |
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1.02
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Existing
Letters of Credit |
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2.01
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Commitments and Applicable Percentages |
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5.06
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Litigation |
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5.09
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Environmental Matters |
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5.13
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Subsidiaries; Other Equity Investments; Equity Interests in the
Borrower |
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7.01
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Existing
Liens |
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7.03
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Existing
Indebtedness |
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10.02
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Administrative Agent’s Office; Certain Addresses for
Notices |
EXHIBITS
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Form of
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A
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Committed
Loan Notice |
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B
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Swing
Line Loan Notice |
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C
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Note |
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D
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Compliance Certificate |
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E
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Assignment and Assumption |
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F
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Subsidiary Guaranty |
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G
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Opinion
Matters |
iv
AMENDED AND RESTATED
CREDIT AGREEMENT
This AMENDED AND RESTATED
CREDIT AGREEMENT (“ Agreement ”) is entered into
as of May 31, 2007, among NORTHWEST PIPE COMPANY, an Oregon
corporation (the “ Borrower ”), each lender from
time to time party hereto (collectively, the “ Lenders
” and individually, a “ Lender ”), and
BANK OF AMERICA, N.A. , as Administrative Agent, Swing Line
Lender and L/C Issuer. This Agreement is an amendment and
restatement, and not a novation, of that certain Credit Agreement
dated as of May 20, 2005 as subsequently amended, among the
Borrower, Bank of America, N.A., as administrative agent, swing
line lender and l/c issuer and sole lender (although additional
lenders were contemplated, there were none other than Bank of
America) (the “ 2005 Credit Agreement ”). This
Agreement amends, supersedes and restates the 2005 Credit
Agreement.
The Borrower has requested
that the Lenders provide a revolving credit facility, and the
Lenders are willing to do so on the terms and conditions set forth
herein.
In consideration of the
mutual covenants and agreements herein contained, the parties
hereto covenant and agree as follows:
ARTICLE I.
DEFINITIONS AND ACCOUNTING
TERMS
1.01 Defined
Terms.
As used in this Agreement,
the following terms shall have the meanings set forth
below:
“ Administrative
Agent ” means Bank of America in its capacity as
administrative agent under any of the Loan Documents, or any
successor administrative agent.
“ Administrative
Agent’s Office ” means, with respect to any
currency, the Administrative Agent’s address and, as
appropriate, account as set forth on Schedule 10.02
with respect to such currency, or such other address or account
with respect to such currency as the Administrative Agent may from
time to time notify to the Borrower and the Lenders.
“ Administrative
Questionnaire ” means an Administrative Questionnaire in
a form supplied by the Administrative Agent.
“ Affiliate
” means, with respect to any Person, another Person that
directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries,
Controls or is Controlled by or is under common Control with the
Person specified.
“ Aggregate
Commitments ” means the Commitments of all the
Lenders.
“ Agreement
” means this Credit Agreement.
“ Alternative
Currency ” means each of Euro, Canadian Dollars and each
other currency (other than Dollars) that is approved in accordance
with Section 1.06 .
1
“ Alternative
Currency Equivalent ” means, at any time, with respect to
any amount denominated in Dollars, the equivalent amount thereof in
the applicable Alternative Currency as determined by the
Administrative Agent or the L/C Issuer, as the case may be, at such
time on the basis of the Spot Rate (determined in respect of the
most recent Revaluation Date) for the purchase of such Alternative
Currency with Dollars.
“ Alternative
Currency Sublimit ” means an amount equal to the lesser
of the Aggregate Commitments and $50,000,000. The Alternative
Currency Sublimit is part of, and not in addition to, the Aggregate
Commitments.
“ Applicable
Percentage ” means with respect to any Lender at any
time, the percentage (carried out to the ninth decimal place) of
the Aggregate Commitments represented by such Lender’s
Commitment at such time. If the commitment of each Lender to make
Loans and the obligation of the L/C Issuer to make L/C Credit
Extensions have been terminated pursuant to
Section 8.02 or if the Aggregate Commitments have
expired, then the Applicable Percentage of each Lender shall be
determined based on the Applicable Percentage of such Lender most
recently in effect, giving effect to any subsequent assignments.
The initial Applicable Percentage of each Lender is set forth
opposite the name of such Lender on Schedule 2.01 or in the
Assignment and Assumption pursuant to which such Lender becomes a
party hereto, as applicable.
“ Applicable
Rate ” means the following percentages per annum, based
upon the Consolidated Total Leverage Ratio as set forth in the most
recent Compliance Certificate received by the Administrative Agent
pursuant to Section 6.02(b) :
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| Applicable Rate |
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Pricing
Level
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Consolidated Total
Leverage Ratio
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Eurocurrency
Rate + |
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Standby
Letters
of
Credit |
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Commercial
Letters of
Credit |
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Commitment Fee |
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Base Rate
+ or - |
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1
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> 3.50:1 |
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1.625 |
% |
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1.625 |
% |
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0.8125 |
% |
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0.35 |
% |
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0.00 |
% |
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2
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> 3.00:1 but <3.50:1 |
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1.375 |
% |
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1.375 |
% |
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0.6875 |
% |
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0.30 |
% |
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0.00 |
% |
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3
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> 2.50: but <3.00:1 |
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1.125 |
% |
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1.125 |
% |
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0.5625 |
% |
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0.25 |
% |
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0.00 |
% |
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4
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> 2.00 but <2.50:1 |
|
1.00 |
% |
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1.00 |
% |
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0.50 |
% |
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0.20 |
% |
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-0.25 |
% |
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5
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<2.00:1 |
|
0.75 |
% |
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0.75 |
% |
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0.375 |
% |
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0.175 |
% |
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-0.50 |
% |
Any increase or decrease in
the Applicable Rate resulting from a change in the Consolidated
Total Leverage Ratio shall become effective as of the first
Business Day immediately following the date a Compliance
Certificate is delivered pursuant to Section 6.02(b) ;
provided , however , that if a Compliance Certificate
is not delivered when due in accordance with such Section, then
Pricing Level 1 shall apply as of the first Business Day after the
date on which such Compliance Certificate was scheduled to have
been delivered and shall continue until the fifth Business Day
following the date such Compliance Certificate is in fact
delivered. For the avoidance of doubt, the date on which a
Compliance Certificate was scheduled to have been delivered refers
to the scheduled delivery date, unmodified by any grace period. The
Applicable Rate in effect from the Closing Date through the
delivery date of the first Compliance Certificate required to be
delivered together with the financial statements described in
Section 6.1(b) shall be determined based upon Pricing
Level 3.
2
Notwithstanding anything to
the contrary contained in this definition, the determination of the
Applicable Rate for any period shall be subject to the provisions
of Section 2.10(b) .
“ Applicable
Time ” means, with respect to any borrowings and payments
in any Alternative Currency, the local time in the place of
settlement for such Alternative Currency as may be determined by
the Administrative Agent or the L/C Issuer, as the case may be, to
be necessary for timely settlement on the relevant date in
accordance with normal banking procedures in the place of
payment.
“ Approved Fund
” means any Fund that is administered or managed by
(a) a Lender, (b) an Affiliate of a Lender or (c) an
entity or an Affiliate of an entity that administers or manages a
Lender.
“ Arranger
” means Banc of America Securities LLC, in its capacity as
sole lead arranger and sole book manager.
“ Asset Coverage
Ratio ” means the ratio of (a) the sum of
(i) 85% of Eligible Accounts Receivable, plus (ii) 60% of
Eligible Inventory, plus (iii) 30% of Eligible Property, Plant
and Equipment to (b) Consolidated Total Debt. All of the
foregoing shall be determined by Administrative Agent upon receipt
and review of all collateral reports required in the Loan Documents
and such other documents and collateral information as
Administrative Agent may from time to time require. This ratio
shall be calculated at the end of each fiscal quarter of the
Borrower.
“ Assignee Group
” means two or more Eligible Assignees that are Affiliates of
one another or two or more Approved Funds managed by the same
investment advisor.
“ Assignment and
Assumption ” means an assignment and assumption entered
into by a Lender and an assignee (with the consent of any party
whose consent is required by Section 10.06(b) ), and
accepted by the Administrative Agent, in substantially the form of
Exhibit E or any other form approved by the
Administrative Agent.
“ Attributable
Indebtedness ” means, on any date, in respect of any
capital lease of any Person, the capitalized amount thereof that
would appear on a balance sheet of such Person prepared as of such
date in accordance with GAAP.
“ Audited Financial
Statements ” means the audited consolidated balance sheet
of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries for the fiscal year ended
December 31, 2006, and the related consolidated statements of
income or operations, shareholders’ equity and cash flows for
such fiscal year of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries, including
the notes thereto.
“ Availability
Period ” means the period from and including the Closing
Date to the earliest of (a) the Maturity Date, (b) the
date of termination of the Aggregate Commitments pursuant to
Section 2.06 , and (c) the date of termination of
the commitment of each Lender to make Loans and of the obligation
of the L/C Issuer to make L/C Credit Extensions pursuant to
Section 8.02 .
3
“ Bank of
America ” means Bank of America, N.A. and its
successors.
“ Base Rate
” means for any day a fluctuating rate per annum equal to the
higher of (a) the Federal Funds Rate plus 1/2 of 1% and
(b) the rate of interest in effect for such day as publicly
announced from time to time by Bank of America as its “prime
rate.” The “prime rate” is a rate set by Bank of
America based upon various factors including Bank of
America’s costs and desired return, general economic
conditions and other factors, and is used as a reference point for
pricing some loans, which may be priced at, above, or below such
announced rate. Any change in such rate announced by Bank of
America shall take effect at the opening of business on the day
specified in the public announcement of such change.
“ Base Rate
Committed Loan ” means a Committed Loan that is a Base
Rate Loan.
“ Base Rate Loan
” means a Loan that bears interest based on the Base Rate.
All Base Rate Loans shall be denominated in Dollars.
“ Borrower
” has the meaning specified in the introductory paragraph
hereto.
“ Borrower
Materials ” has the meaning specified in
Section 6.02 .
“ Borrowing
” means a Committed Borrowing or a Swing Line Borrowing, as
the context may require.
“ Business Day
” means any day other than a Saturday, Sunday or other day on
which commercial banks are authorized to close under the Laws of,
or are in fact closed in, the state where the Administrative
Agent’s Office with respect to Obligations denominated in
Dollars is located and:
(a) if such day relates to
any interest rate settings as to a Eurocurrency Rate Loan
denominated in Dollars, any fundings, disbursements, settlements
and payments in Dollars in respect of any such Eurocurrency Rate
Loan, or any other dealings in Dollars to be carried out pursuant
to this Agreement in respect of any such Eurocurrency Rate Loan,
means any such day on which dealings in deposits in Dollars are
conducted by and between banks in the London interbank eurodollar
market;
(b) if such day relates to
any interest rate settings as to a Eurocurrency Rate Loan
denominated in Euro, any fundings, disbursements, settlements and
payments in Euro in respect of any such Eurocurrency Rate Loan, or
any other dealings in Euro to be carried out pursuant to this
Agreement in respect of any such Eurocurrency Rate Loan, means a
TARGET Day;
(c) if such day relates to
any interest rate settings as to a Eurocurrency Rate Loan
denominated in a currency other than Dollars or Euro, means any
such day on which dealings in deposits in the relevant currency are
conducted by and between banks in the London or other applicable
offshore interbank market for such currency; and
4
(d) if such day relates to
any fundings, disbursements, settlements and payments in a currency
other than Dollars or Euro in respect of a Eurocurrency Rate Loan
denominated in a currency other than Dollars or Euro, or any other
dealings in any currency other than Dollars or Euro to be carried
out pursuant to this Agreement in respect of any such Eurocurrency
Rate Loan (other than any interest rate settings), means any such
day on which banks are open for foreign exchange business in the
principal financial center of the country of such
currency.
“ Canadian
Dollars ” means the lawful currency of Canada.
“ Cash
Collateralize ” has the meaning specified in
Section 2.03(g) .
“ Change in Law
” means the occurrence, after the date of this Agreement, of
any of the following: (a) the adoption or taking effect of any
law, rule, regulation or treaty, (b) any change in any law,
rule, regulation or treaty or in the administration, interpretation
or application thereof by any Governmental Authority or
(c) the making or issuance of any request, guideline or
directive (whether or not having the force of law) by any
Governmental Authority.
“ Change of
Control ” means an event or series of events by which any
Person or two or more Persons acting in concert shall have acquired
by contract or otherwise, or shall have entered into a contract or
arrangement that, upon consummation thereof, will result in its or
their acquisition of the power to exercise, directly or indirectly,
a controlling influence over the management or policies of the
Borrower, or control over the equity securities of the Borrower
entitled to vote for members of the board of directors or
equivalent governing body of the Borrower on a fully-diluted basis
(and taking into account all such securities that such Person or
group has the right to acquire pursuant to any option right)
representing 25% or more of the combined voting power of such
securities.
“ Closing Date
” means the first date all the conditions precedent in
Section 4.01 are satisfied or waived in accordance with
Section 10.01 .
“ Code ”
means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.
“ Collateral
” means any and all assets and rights and interests in or to
property of the Borrower and each of the other Loan Parties,
whether real or personal, tangible or intangible, in which a Lien
is granted or purported to be granted pursuant to the Collateral
Documents.
“ Collateral
Agent ” means Bank of America acting as Collateral Agent
with respect to Collateral pursuant to the terms of the
Intercreditor Agreement.
“ Collateral
Documents ” means the Security Agreement and all other
agreements, instruments and documents now or hereafter executed and
delivered in connection with this Agreement pursuant to which Liens
are granted or purported to be granted to the Administrative Agent
in its capacity as Collateral Agent in Collateral securing all or
part of the Obligations each in form and substance satisfactory to
Administrative Agent.
“ Collected
Balance ” means, on any day, all funds on deposit in the
Designated Account for which final credit has been given to
Borrower.
5
“ Commitment
” means, as to each Lender, its obligation to (a) make
Committed Loans to the Borrower pursuant to
Section 2.01 , (b) purchase participations in L/C
Obligations, and (c) purchase participations in Swing Line
Loans, in an aggregate principal amount at any one time outstanding
not to exceed the Dollar amount set forth opposite such
Lender’s name on Schedule 2.01 or in the Assignment
and Assumption pursuant to which such Lender becomes a party
hereto, as applicable, as such amount may be adjusted from time to
time in accordance with this Agreement.
“ Committed
Borrowing ” means a borrowing consisting of simultaneous
Committed Loans of the same Type, in the same currency and, in the
case of Eurocurrency Rate Loans, having the same Interest Period
made by each of the Lenders pursuant to Section 2.01
.
“ Committed Loan
” has the meaning specified in Section 2.01
.
“ Committed Loan
Notice ” means a notice of (a) a Committed
Borrowing, (b) a conversion of Committed Loans from one Type
to the other, or (c) a continuation of Eurocurrency Rate
Loans, pursuant to Section 2.02(a) , which, if in
writing, shall be substantially in the form of Exhibit A
.
“ Compliance
Certificate ” means a certificate substantially in the
form of Exhibit D , provided , however , that,
absent objection from Agent, Borrower may provide the information
required by Exhibit D in a different format.
“ Consolidated
EBITDA ” means, for any period, for the Borrower and its
Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis, an amount equal to
Consolidated Net Income for such period plus the following
to the extent deducted in calculating such Consolidated Net Income:
(i) Consolidated Interest Charges for such period,
(ii) the provision for Federal, state, local and foreign
income taxes payable by the Borrower and its Subsidiaries for such
period, (iii) depreciation and amortization expense and
(iv) non-cash expenses resulting from a change in accounting
principles relating to stock options. For purposes of calculating
Consolidated EBITDA, EBITDA for permitted acquisitions made by the
Borrower, based on financial statements and information reported to
the SEC shall be included in the calculation of Consolidated
EBITDA. The permitted acquisitions’ EBITDA shall be
incorporated on a decreasing pro-rata basis, with 100% of the
permitted acquisitions’ EBITDA included in the calculation
for the first calendar quarter end following the closing of the
acquisition, 75% included in the second quarter end, 50% included
in the third quarter end and 25% included in the fourth quarter
end. Beginning with the fifth quarter following the closing of the
acquisition, the EBITDA for the acquisitions’ prior fiscal
year shall no longer be incorporated in the calculation of
Consolidated EBITDA.
“ Consolidated
EBITDAR ” means, for any period, Consolidated EBITDA
plus lease and rent expense for the most recently completed
quarter preceding the date of determination multiplied by
four.
“ Consolidated Fixed
Charge Coverage Ratio ” means, on any date of
determination, the ratio of Consolidated EBITDAR for the period of
four consecutive fiscal quarters of Borrower and its Subsidiaries
then most recently ended to the sum of (i) Consolidated
Interest Charges for such period, (ii)consolidated current
maturities of long-term debt plus consolidated
current
6
maturities of capital leases as shown on
Borrower’s consolidated balance sheet for such date of
determination and (iii) consolidated operating lease and other
rent payments calculated for the most recently completed quarter
preceding the date of determination multiplied by four.
“ Consolidated
Interest Charges ” means, for any period, for the
Borrower and its Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis, the sum of
(a) all interest, premium payments, debt discount, fees,
charges and related expenses of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries
in connection with borrowed money (including capitalized interest)
or in connection with the deferred purchase price of assets, in
each case to the extent treated as interest in accordance with
GAAP, and (b) the portion of rent expense of the Borrower and
its Subsidiaries with respect to such period under capital leases
that is treated as interest in accordance with GAAP.
“ Consolidated Net
Income ” means, for any period, for the Borrower and its
Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis, the net income of the
Borrower and its Subsidiaries (excluding extraordinary gains and
extraordinary losses) for that period. The terms
“extraordinary gains and extraordinary losses” in this
definition include gains and losses from a material event or
transaction that is unusual in nature or occurs infrequently and
results in a gain or loss in excess of $2,500,000.
“ Consolidated
Senior Funded Debt ” means, on any date of determination,
Consolidated Total Debt, less Subordinated Debt.
“ Consolidated
Senior Leverage Ratio ” means, on any date of
determination, the ratio of Consolidated Senior Funded Debt to
Consolidated EBITDA for the period of four consecutive fiscal
quarters of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries then most recently
ended.
“ Consolidated Total
Debt ” means, on any date of determination, for the
Borrower and its Subsidiaries (i) any indebtedness for
borrowed money (including commercial paper and revolving credit
line borrowings) or which is evidenced by bonds, debentures or
notes or otherwise representing the deferred purchase price of
property or extensions of credit whether or not representing
obligations for borrowed money (other than trade, payroll and taxes
payable), (ii) debt of a third party secured by liens on the
assets of the Borrower or a Subsidiary, (iii) capitalized
lease obligations, (iv) guaranties, (v) obligations with
respect to swaps, letters of credit if drawn and similar
obligations, (vi) mandatory redeemable preferred stock or its
equivalent and (vii) letters of credit in excess of industrial
revenue bond obligations. Consolidated Total Debt shall be reduced
by the amount of cash held by Borrower on deposit with Agent.
Consolidated Total Debt does not include indebtedness of any
Subsidiary owed to Borrower or another Subsidiary.
“ Consolidated
Tangible Net Worth ” means, on any date of determination,
for the Borrower and its Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis,
Shareholders’ Equity of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries on
that date minus the Intangible Assets of the Borrower and
its Subsidiaries on that date.
“ Consolidated Total
Leverage Ratio ” means, on any date of determination, the
ratio of Consolidated Total Debt to Consolidated EBITDA for the
period of four consecutive fiscal quarters of the Borrower and its
Subsidiaries then most recently ended.
7
“ Contractual
Obligation ” means, as to any Person, any provision of
any security issued by such Person or of any agreement, instrument
or other undertaking to which such Person is a party or by which it
or any of its property is bound.
“ Control
” means the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power
to direct or cause the direction of the management or policies of a
Person, whether through the ability to exercise voting power, by
contract or otherwise. “ Controlling ” and
“ Controlled ” have meanings correlative
thereto.
“ Credit
Extension ” means each of the following: (a) a
Borrowing and (b) an L/C Credit Extension.
“ Debtor Relief
Laws ” means the Bankruptcy Code of the United States,
and all other liquidation, conservatorship, bankruptcy, assignment
for the benefit of creditors, moratorium, rearrangement,
receivership, insolvency, reorganization, or similar debtor relief
Laws of the United States or other applicable jurisdictions from
time to time in effect and affecting the rights of creditors
generally.
“ Default
” means any event or condition that constitutes an Event of
Default or that, with the giving of any notice, the passage of
time, or both, would be an Event of Default.
“ Default Rate
” means (a) when used with respect to Obligations other
than Letter of Credit Fees, an interest rate equal to (i) the
Base Rate plus (ii) the Applicable Rate, if any,
applicable to Base Rate Loans plus (iii) 2% per
annum; provided , however , that with respect to a
Eurocurrency Rate Loan, the Default Rate shall be an interest rate
equal to the interest rate (including any Applicable Rate and any
Mandatory Cost) otherwise applicable to such Loan plus 2% per
annum, and (b) when used with respect to Letter of Credit
Fees, a rate equal to the Applicable Rate plus 2% per
annum.
“ Defaulting
Lender ” means any Lender that (a) has failed to
fund any portion of the Committed Loans, participations in L/C
Obligations or participations in Swing Line Loans required to be
funded by it hereunder within one Business Day of the date required
to be funded by it hereunder unless such failure has been cured,
(b) has otherwise failed to pay over to the Administrative
Agent or any other Lender any other amount required to be paid by
it hereunder within one Business Day of the date when due, unless
the subject of a good faith dispute or unless such failure has been
cured, or (c) has been deemed insolvent or become the subject
of a bankruptcy or insolvency proceeding.
“ Designated
Account ” means the Borrower’s demand deposit
account at Bank of America No. 4541595135.
“ Disposition
” or “ Dispose ” means the sale, transfer,
license, lease or other disposition (including any sale and
leaseback transaction) of any property by any Person, including any
sale, assignment, transfer or other disposal, with or without
recourse, of any notes or accounts receivable or any rights and
claims associated therewith.
“ Dollar ”
and “ $ ” mean lawful money of the United
States.
8
“ Dollar
Equivalent ” means, at any time, (a) with respect to
any amount denominated in Dollars, such amount, and (b) with
respect to any amount denominated in any Alternative Currency, the
equivalent amount thereof in Dollars as determined by the
Administrative Agent or the L/C Issuer, as the case may be, at such
time on the basis of the Spot Rate (determined in respect of the
most recent Revaluation Date) for the purchase of Dollars with such
Alternative Currency.
“ Domestic
Subsidiary ” means any Subsidiary that is organized under
the laws of any political subdivision of the United
States.
“ Eligible Accounts
Receivable ” means trade accounts created in the ordinary
course of the Borrower’s business, upon which the
Borrower’s right to receive payment is absolute and not
contingent upon the fulfillment of any condition whatsoever, other
than the obligation to provide future deliveries under phased
purchase contracts, and in which Administrative Agent has a
perfected security interest of first priority, and shall not
include, unless agreed to by Administrative Agent in writing and in
advance:
| |
(i) |
any account which is more than one hundred twenty
(120) days past due, except with respect to any account for
which the Borrower has provided extended payment terms not to
exceed one hundred eighty (180) days and any such extended
payment account is more than thirty (30) days past
due; |
| |
(ii) |
that portion of any account for which there exists any right of
setoff, defense or discount (except regular discounts allowed in
the ordinary course of business to promote prompt payment) or for
which any defense or counterclaim has been asserted; |
| |
(iii) |
any account which represents an obligation of the United States
government or any agency of the United States (except accounts
which represent obligations of the United States government for
which the assignment provisions of the Federal Assignment of Claims
Act, as amended or recodified from time to time, have been complied
with to Administrative Agent’s satisfaction); |
| |
(iv) |
any account which represents an obligation of an account debtor
located in a foreign country other than an account debtor located
in the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba,
Ontario, Saskatchewan, the Yukon Territory, or other jurisdiction
approved in advance and in writing by Administrative Agent, as long
as, in Administrative Agent’s determination, such Canadian or
other jurisdictions recognize Administrative Agent’s first
priority security interest in and right to collect such account as
a consequence of any security agreements and UCC filings in favor
of Administrative Agent or the Borrower has obtained a letter of
credit or foreign receivable insurance in form and substance
satisfactory to Administrative Agent; |
| |
(v) |
any account, which arises from the sale or lease to or
performance of services for, or represents an obligation of, an
employee, affiliate, partner, member, parent or subsidiary of the
Borrower; |
9
| |
(vi) |
that portion of any account, which represents retention rights
on the part of the account debtor; |
| |
(vii) |
This subsection intentionally left blank. |
| |
(viii) |
that portion of any account from an account debtor which
represents the amount by which the Borrower’s total accounts
from said account debtor exceeds twenty-five percent (25%) of
the Borrower’s total accounts; and |
| |
(ix) |
any account deemed ineligible by Administrative Agent when
Administrative Agent, in its sole discretion, deems the
creditworthiness or financial condition of the account debtor to be
unsatisfactory. |
“ Eligible
Assignee ” means any Person that meets the requirements
to be an assignee under Section 10.06(b)(iii) ,
(v) and (vi) (subject to such consents,
if any, as may be required under Section 10.06(b)(iii)
).
“ Eligible
Inventory ” means inventory acquired or manufactured in
the ordinary course of the Borrower’s business and in which
Administrative Agent has a perfected security interest of first
priority and shall be inclusive of costs and estimated earnings in
excess of billings on uncompleted contracts, but shall not
include:
(A) work in process and
inventory that is obsolete, unsaleable or damaged;
(B) parts and
supplies;
(C) propane tank inventory
that is not accounted for at any specific United States location;
or
(D) any inventory not located
in the United States.
“Eligible Property
Plant and Equipment” means the Borrower’s net
property, plant and equipment, other than real property, at book
value in accordance with GAAP, in which Administrative Agent has a
perfected security interest or lien of first priority, less any of
such property not located in the United States and less all rolling
stock. Eligible Property Plant and Equipment shall also include the
Borrower’s real property at book value in accordance with
GAAP located in the United States, even if Administrative Agent
does not have a lien on it, so long as such real property is not
subject to any Lien other than a Lien described in
Section 7.01(a) , 7.01(c) , 7.01(d) ,
7.01(g) or 7.01(h) .
“ EMU ”
means the economic and monetary union in accordance with the Treaty
of Rome 1957, as amended by the Single European Act 1986, the
Maastricht Treaty of 1992 and the Amsterdam Treaty of
1998.
“ EMU
Legislation ” means the legislative measures of the
European Council for the introduction of, changeover to or
operation of a single or unified European currency.
10
“ Environmental
Laws ” means any and all Federal, state, local, and
foreign statutes, laws, regulations, ordinances, rules, judgments,
orders, decrees, permits, concessions, grants, franchises,
licenses, agreements or governmental restrictions relating to
pollution and the protection of the environment or the release of
any materials into the environment, including those related to
hazardous substances or wastes, air emissions and discharges to
waste or public systems.
“ Environmental
Liability ” means any liability, contingent or otherwise
(including any liability for damages, costs of environmental
remediation, fines, penalties or indemnities), of the Borrower, any
other Loan Party or any of their respective Subsidiaries directly
or indirectly resulting from or based upon (a) violation of
any Environmental Law, (b) the generation, use, handling,
transportation, storage, treatment or disposal of any Hazardous
Materials, (c) exposure to any Hazardous Materials,
(d) the release or threatened release of any Hazardous
Materials into the environment or (e) any contract, agreement
or other consensual arrangement pursuant to which liability is
assumed or imposed with respect to any of the foregoing.
“ Equity
Interests ” means, with respect to any Person, all of the
shares of capital stock of (or other ownership or profit interests
in) such Person, all of the warrants, options or other rights for
the purchase or acquisition from such Person of shares of capital
stock of (or other ownership or profit interests in) such Person,
all of the securities convertible into or exchangeable for shares
of capital stock of (or other ownership or profit interests in)
such Person or warrants, rights or options for the purchase or
acquisition from such Person of such shares (or such other
interests), and all of the other ownership or profit interests in
such Person (including partnership, member or trust interests
therein), whether voting or nonvoting, and whether or not such
shares, warrants, options, rights or other interests are
outstanding on any date of determination.
“ ERISA ”
means the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of
1974.
“ ERISA
Affiliate ” means any trade or business (whether or not
incorporated) under common control with the Borrower within the
meaning of Section 414(b) or (c) of the Code (and
Sections 414(m) and (o) of the Code for purposes of provisions
relating to Section 412 of the Code).
“ ERISA Event
” means (a) a Reportable Event with respect to a Pension
Plan; (b) a withdrawal by the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate
from a Pension Plan subject to Section 4063 of ERISA during a
plan year in which it was a substantial employer (as defined in
Section 4001(a)(2) of ERISA) or a cessation of operations that
is treated as such a withdrawal under Section 4062(e) of
ERISA; (c) a complete or partial withdrawal by the Borrower or
any ERISA Affiliate from a Multiemployer Plan or notification that
a Multiemployer Plan is in reorganization; (d) the filing of a
notice of intent to terminate, the treatment of a Plan amendment as
a termination under Section 4041 or 4041A of ERISA, or the
commencement of proceedings by the PBGC to terminate a Pension Plan
or Multiemployer Plan; (e) an event or condition which
constitutes grounds under Section 4042 of ERISA for the
termination of, or the appointment of a trustee to administer, any
Pension Plan or Multiemployer Plan; or (f) the imposition of
any liability under Title IV of ERISA, other than for PBGC premiums
due but not delinquent under Section 4007 of ERISA, upon the
Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate.
11
“ Euro ”
and “ EUR ” mean the lawful currency of the
Participating Member States introduced in accordance with the EMU
Legislation.
“ Eurocurrency
Rate ” means, for any Interest Period with respect to a
Eurocurrency Rate Loan, the rate per annum equal to the British
Bankers Association LIBOR Rate (“ BBA LIBOR ”),
as published by Reuters (or other commercially available source
providing quotations of BBA LIBOR as designated by the
Administrative Agent from time to time) at approximately 11:00
a.m., London time, two Business Days prior to the commencement of
such Interest Period, for deposits in the relevant currency (for
delivery on the first day of such Interest Period) with a term
equivalent to such Interest Period. If such rate is not available
at such time for any reason, then the “Eurocurrency
Rate” for such Interest Period shall be the rate per annum
determined by the Administrative Agent to be the rate at which
deposits in the relevant currency for delivery on the first day of
such Interest Period in Same Day Funds in the approximate amount of
the Eurocurrency Rate Loan being made, continued or converted by
Bank of America and with a term equivalent to such Interest Period
would be offered by Bank of America’s London Branch (or other
Bank of America branch or Affiliate) to major banks in the London
or other offshore interbank market for such currency at their
request at approximately 11:00 a.m. (London time) two Business Days
prior to the commencement of such Interest Period.
“ Eurocurrency Rate
Loan ” means a Committed Loan that bears interest at a
rate based on the Eurocurrency Rate. Eurocurrency Rate Loans may be
denominated in Dollars or in an Alternative Currency. All Committed
Loans denominated in an Alternative Currency must be Eurocurrency
Rate Loans.
“ Event of
Default ” has the meaning specified in
Section 8.01 .
“ Excluded Taxes
” means, with respect to the Administrative Agent, any
Lender, the L/C Issuer or any other recipient of any payment to be
made by or on account of any obligation of the Borrower hereunder,
(a) taxes imposed on or measured by its overall net income
(however denominated), and franchise taxes imposed on it (in lieu
of net income taxes), by the jurisdiction (or any political
subdivision thereof) under the laws of which such recipient is
organized or in which its principal office is located or, in the
case of any Lender, in which its applicable Lending Office is
located, (b) any branch profits taxes imposed by the United
States or any similar tax imposed by any other jurisdiction in
which the Borrower is located and (c) except as provided in
the following sentence, in the case of a Foreign Lender (other than
an assignee pursuant to a request by the Borrower under
Section 10.13 ), any withholding tax that is imposed on
amounts payable to such Foreign Lender at the time such Foreign
Lender becomes a party hereto (or designates a new Lending Office)
or is attributable to such Foreign Lender’s failure or
inability (other than as a result of a Change in Law) to comply
with Section 3.01(e) , except to the extent that such
Foreign Lender (or its assignor, if any) was entitled, at the time
of designation of a new Lending Office (or assignment), to receive
additional amounts from the Borrower with respect to such
withholding tax pursuant to Section 3.01(a)
.
“ Existing Letters
of Credit ” means those Letters of Credit listed on
Schedule 1.02 .
“ Federal Funds
Rate ” means, for any day, the rate per annum equal to
the weighted average of the rates on overnight Federal funds
transactions with members of the Federal
12
Reserve System arranged by Federal funds
brokers on such day, as published by the Federal Reserve Bank of
New York on the Business Day next succeeding such day;
provided that (a) if such day is not a Business Day,
the Federal Funds Rate for such day shall be such rate on such
transactions on the next preceding Business Day as so published on
the next succeeding Business Day, and (b) if no such rate is
so published on such next succeeding Business Day, the Federal
Funds Rate for such day shall be the average rate (rounded upward,
if necessary, to a whole multiple of 1/100 of 1%) charged to Bank
of America on such day on such transactions as determined by the
Administrative Agent.
“ Fee Letter
” means the letter agreement, dated February 16, 2007,
among the Borrower, the Administrative Agent and the
Arranger.
“ Foreign Lender
” means, with respect to the Borrower, any Lender that is
organized under the laws of a jurisdiction other than that in which
the Borrower is resident for tax purposes. For purposes of this
definition, the United States, each State thereof and the District
of Columbia shall be deemed to constitute a single
jurisdiction.
“ Foreign
Subsidiary ” means any Subsidiary that is organized under
the laws of a jurisdiction other than the United States, a State
thereof or the District of Columbia.
“ FRB ”
means the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System of the
United States.
“ Fund ”
means any Person (other than a natural person) that is (or will be)
engaged in making, purchasing, holding or otherwise investing in
commercial loans and similar extensions of credit in the ordinary
course of its activities.
“ GAAP ”
means generally accepted accounting principles in the United States
set forth in the opinions and pronouncements of the Accounting
Principles Board and the American Institute of Certified Public
Accountants and statements and pronouncements of the Financial
Accounting Standards Board or such other principles as may be
approved by a significant segment of the accounting profession in
the United States, that are applicable to the circumstances as of
the date of determination, consistently applied.
“ Governmental
Authority ” means the government of the United States or
any other nation, or of any political subdivision thereof, whether
state or local, and any agency, authority, instrumentality,
regulatory body, court, central bank or other entity exercising
executive, legislative, judicial, taxing, regulatory or
administrative powers or functions of or pertaining to government
(including any supra-national bodies such as the European Union or
the European Central Bank).
“ Guarantee
” means, as to any Person, any (a) any obligation,
contingent or otherwise, of such Person guaranteeing or having the
economic effect of guaranteeing any Indebtedness or other
obligation payable or performable by another Person (the
“primary obligor”) in any manner, whether directly or
indirectly, and including any obligation of such Person, direct or
indirect, (i) to purchase or pay (or advance or supply funds
for the purchase or payment of) such Indebtedness or other
obligation, (ii) to purchase or lease property, securities or
services for the purpose of assuring the obligee in respect of such
Indebtedness or other obligation of the
13
payment or performance of such
Indebtedness or other obligation, (iii) to maintain working
capital, equity capital or any other financial statement condition
or liquidity or level of income or cash flow of the primary obligor
so as to enable the primary obligor to pay such Indebtedness or
other obligation, or (iv) entered into for the purpose of
assuring in any other manner the obligee in respect of such
Indebtedness or other obligation of the payment or performance
thereof or to protect such obligee against loss in respect thereof
(in whole or in part), or (b) any Lien on any assets of such
Person securing any Indebtedness or other obligation of any other
Person, whether or not such Indebtedness or other obligation is
assumed by such Person (or any right, contingent or otherwise, of
any holder of such Indebtedness to obtain any such Lien). The
amount of any Guarantee shall be deemed to be an amount equal to
the stated or determinable amount of the related primary
obligation, or portion thereof, in respect of which such Guarantee
is made or, if not stated or determinable, the maximum reasonably
anticipated liability in respect thereof as determined by the
guaranteeing Person in good faith. The term “Guarantee”
as a verb has a corresponding meaning.
“ Hazardous
Materials ” means all explosive or radioactive substances
or wastes and all hazardous or toxic substances, wastes or other
pollutants, including petroleum or petroleum distillates, asbestos
or asbestos-containing materials, polychlorinated biphenyls, radon
gas, infectious or medical wastes and all other substances or
wastes of any nature regulated pursuant to any Environmental
Law.
“ Indebtedness
” means, as to any Person at a particular time, without
duplication, all of the following, whether or not included as
indebtedness or liabilities in accordance with GAAP:
(a) all obligations of such
Person for borrowed money and all obligations of such Person
evidenced by bonds, debentures, notes, loan agreements or other
similar instruments;
(b) all direct or contingent
obligations of such Person arising under letters of credit
(including standby and commercial), bankers’ acceptances,
bank guaranties, surety bonds and similar instruments;
(c) net obligations of such
Person under any Swap Contract;
(d) all obligations of such
Person to pay the deferred purchase price of property or services
(other than trade accounts payable in the ordinary course of
business);
(e) indebtedness (excluding
prepaid interest thereon) secured by a Lien on property owned or
being purchased by such Person (including indebtedness arising
under conditional sales or other title retention agreements),
whether or not such indebtedness shall have been assumed by such
Person or is limited in recourse;
(f) capital leases (but not
operating leases);
(g) all obligations of such
Person to purchase, redeem, retire, defease or otherwise make any
payment in respect of any Equity Interest in such Person or any
other Person, valued, in the case of a redeemable preferred
interest, at the greater of its voluntary or involuntary
liquidation preference plus accrued and unpaid dividends;
and
14
(h) all Guarantees of such
Person in respect of any of the foregoing.
For all purposes hereof, the
Indebtedness of any Person shall include the Indebtedness of any
partnership or joint venture (other than a joint venture that is
itself a corporation or limited liability company) in which such
Person is a general partner or a joint venturer, unless such
Indebtedness is expressly made non-recourse to such Person. The
amount of any net obligation under any Swap Contract on any date
shall be deemed to be the Swap Termination Value thereof as of such
date. The amount of any capital lease as of any date shall be
deemed to be the amount of Attributable Indebtedness in respect
thereof as of such date.
“ Indemnified
Taxes ” means Taxes other than Excluded Taxes.
“ Indemnitees
” has the meaning specified in Section 10.04(b)
.
“ Information
” has the meaning specified in Section 10.07
.
“ Intangible
Assets ” means assets that are considered to be
intangible assets under GAAP, including customer lists, goodwill,
computer software, copyrights, trade names, trademarks, patents,
franchises, licenses, unamortized deferred charges, unamortized
debt discount and capitalized research and development
costs.
“ Intercreditor
Agreement ” means that Second Amended and Restated
Intercreditor and Collateral Agency Agreement dated as of
May 31, 2007 (as the same may be amended or modified from time
to time) among Prudential Investment Management Inc., the
Prudential Noteholders (as defined therein), Bank of America, N.A.,
as Lender and L/C Issuer, Union Bank of California, N.A., as
Lender, HSBC Bank USA, National Association, as Lender, Northwest
Pipe Company, and Bank of America, as Collateral Agent.
“ Interest Payment
Date ” means, (a) as to any Loan other than a Base
Rate Loan, the last day of each Interest Period applicable to such
Loan and the Maturity Date; provided , however , that
if any Interest Period for a Eurocurrency Rate Loan exceeds three
months, the respective dates that fall every three months after the
beginning of such Interest Period shall also be Interest Payment
Dates; and (b) as to any Base Rate Loan (including a Swing
Line Loan), the last Business Day of each March, June, September
and December and the Maturity Date.
“ Interest
Period ” means, as to each Eurocurrency Rate Loan, the
period commencing on the date such Eurocurrency Rate Loan is
disbursed or converted to or continued as a Eurocurrency Rate Loan
and ending on the date one, two, three or six months thereafter, as
selected by the Borrower in its Committed Loan Notice;
provided that:
(i) any Interest Period that
would otherwise end on a day that is not a Business Day shall be
extended to the next succeeding Business Day unless such Business
Day falls in another calendar month, in which case such Interest
Period shall end on the next preceding Business Day;
15
(ii) any Interest Period that
begins on the last Business Day of a calendar month (or on a day
for which there is no numerically corresponding day in the calendar
month at the end of such Interest Period) shall end on the last
Business Day of the calendar month at the end of such Interest
Period; and
(iii) no Interest Period
shall extend beyond the Maturity Date.
“ Investment
” means, as to any Person, any direct or indirect acquisition
or investment by such Person, whether by means of (a) the
purchase or other acquisition of capital stock or other securities
of another Person, (b) a loan, advance or capital contribution
to, Guarantee or assumption of debt of, or purchase or other
acquisition of any other debt or equity participation or interest
in, another Person, including any partnership or joint venture
interest in such other Person and any arrangement pursuant to which
the investor Guarantees Indebtedness of such other Person, or
(c) the purchase or other acquisition (in one transaction or a
series of transactions) of assets of another Person that constitute
a business unit. For purposes of covenant compliance, the amount of
any Investment shall be the amount actually invested, without
adjustment for subsequent increases or decreases in the value of
such Investment.
“ IP Rights
” has the meaning specified in Section 5.18
.
“ IRS ”
means the United States Internal Revenue Service.
“ ISP ”
means, with respect to any Letter of Credit, the
“International Standby Practices 1998” published by the
Institute of International Banking Law & Practice, Inc.
(or such later version thereof as may be in effect at the time of
issuance).
“ Issuer
Documents ” means with respect to any Letter of Credit,
the Letter of Credit Application, and any other document, agreement
and instrument entered into by the L/C Issuer and the Borrower (or
any Subsidiary) or in favor of the L/C Issuer and relating to such
Letter of Credit.
“ Laws ”
means, collectively, all international, foreign, Federal, state and
local statutes, treaties, rules, guidelines, regulations,
ordinances, codes and administrative or judicial precedents or
authorities, including the interpretation or administration thereof
by any Governmental Authority charged with the enforcement,
interpretation or administration thereof, and all applicable
administrative orders, directed duties, requests, licenses,
authorizations and permits of, and agreements with, any
Governmental Authority, in each case whether or not having the
force of law.
“ L/C Advance
” means, with respect to each Lender, such Lender’s
funding of its participation in any L/C Borrowing in accordance
with its Applicable Percentage. All L/C Advances shall be
denominated in Dollars.
“ L/C Borrowing
” means an extension of credit resulting from a drawing under
any Letter of Credit which has not been reimbursed on the date when
made or refinanced as a Committed Borrowing. All L/C Borrowings
shall be denominated in Dollars.
16
“ L/C Credit
Extension ” means, with respect to any Letter of Credit,
the issuance thereof or extension of the expiry date thereof, or
the increase of the amount thereof.
“ L/C Issuer
” means Bank of America in its capacity as issuer of Letters
of Credit hereunder, or any successor issuer of Letters of Credit
hereunder.
“ L/C
Obligations ” means, as at any date of determination, the
aggregate amount available to be drawn under all outstanding
Letters of Credit plus the aggregate of all Unreimbursed
Amounts, including all L/C Borrowings. For purposes of computing
the amount available to be drawn under any Letter of Credit, the
amount of such Letter of Credit shall be determined in accordance
with Section 1.09 . For all purposes of this Agreement,
if on any date of determination a Letter of Credit has expired by
its terms but any amount may still be drawn thereunder by reason of
the operation of Rule 3.14 of the ISP, such Letter of Credit shall
be deemed to be “outstanding” in the amount so
remaining available to be drawn.
“ Lender ”
has the meaning specified in the introductory paragraph hereto and,
as the context requires, includes the Swing Line Lender.
“ Lending Office
” means, as to any Lender, the office or offices of such
Lender described as such in such Lender’s Administrative
Questionnaire, or such other office or offices as a Lender may from
time to time notify the Borrower and the Administrative
Agent.
“ Letter of
Credit ” means any letter of credit issued hereunder and
shall include the Existing Letters of Credit. A Letter of Credit
may be a commercial letter of credit or a standby letter of credit.
Letters of Credit may be issued in Dollars or in an Alternative
Currency.
“ Letter of Credit
Application ” means an application and agreement for the
issuance or amendment of a Letter of Credit in the form from time
to time in use by the L/C Issuer.
“ Letter of Credit
Expiration Date ” means the day that is 30 days prior to
the Maturity Date then in effect (or, if such day is not a Business
Day, the next preceding Business Day).
“ Letter of Credit
Fee ” has the meaning specified in
Section 2.03(i) .
“ Letter of Credit
Sublimit ” means an amount equal to $25,000,000. The
Letter of Credit Sublimit is part of, and not in addition to, the
Aggregate Commitments.
“ Lien ”
means any mortgage, pledge, hypothecation, assignment, deposit
arrangement, encumbrance, lien (statutory or other), charge, or
preference, priority or other security interest or preferential
arrangement in the nature of a security interest of any kind or
nature whatsoever (including any conditional sale or other title
retention agreement, any easement, right of way or other
encumbrance on title to real property, and any financing lease
having substantially the same economic effect as any of the
foregoing).
“ Loan ”
means an extension of credit by a Lender to the Borrower under
Article II in the form of a Committed Loan or a Swing Line
Loan.
17
“ Loan Documents
” means this Agreement, each Collateral Document, each Note,
each Issuer Document, the Fee Letter and the Subsidiary Guaranty,
if any.
“ Loan Parties
” means, collectively, the Borrower and each Subsidiary
Guarantor.
“ Mandatory Cost
” means, with respect to any period, the percentage rate per
annum determined in accordance with Schedule 1.01
.
“ Material Adverse
Effect ” means (a) a material adverse change in, or
a material adverse effect upon, the operations, business,
properties, liabilities (actual or contingent), condition
(financial or otherwise) of the Borrower or the Borrower and its
Subsidiaries taken as a whole; (b) a material impairment of
the ability of any Loan Party to perform its obligations under any
Loan Document to which it is a party; or (c) a material
adverse effect upon the legality, validity, binding effect or
enforceability against any Loan Party of any Loan Document to which
it is a party.
“ Material
Subsidiary ” means any Subsidiary of the Borrower
organized under any political subdivision of the United States, the
assets of which equal or exceed 10% of the assets of the Borrower
and all Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis.
“ Maturity Date
” means April 30, 2012; provided , however
, that if such date is not a Business Day, the Maturity Date shall
be the next preceding Business Day.
“ Multiemployer
Plan ” means any employee benefit plan of the type
described in Section 4001(a)(3) of ERISA, to which the
Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate makes or is obligated to make
contributions, or during the preceding five plan years, has made or
been obligated to make contributions.
“ Note ”
means a promissory note made by the Borrower in favor of a Lender
evidencing Loans made by such Lender to the Borrower, substantially
in the form of Exhibit C .
“ Obligations
” means all advances to, and debts, liabilities, obligations,
covenants and duties of, any Loan Party arising under any Loan
Document or otherwise with respect to any Loan or Letter of Credit,
whether direct or indirect (including those acquired by
assumption), absolute or contingent, due or to become due, now
existing or hereafter arising and including interest and fees that
accrue after the commencement by or against any Loan Party or any
Affiliate thereof of any proceeding under any Debtor Relief Laws
naming such Person as the debtor in such proceeding, regardless of
whether such interest and fees are allowed claims in such
proceeding. Obligations shall also include any obligation or
liability of any Loan Party to any Lender or any affiliate of any
Lender arising out of any Swap Contract.
“ Organization
Documents ” means, (a) with respect to any
corporation, the certificate or articles of incorporation and the
bylaws (or equivalent or comparable constitutive documents with
respect to any non-U.S. jurisdiction); (b) with respect to any
limited liability company, the certificate or articles of formation
or organization and operating agreement; and (c) with respect
to any partnership, joint venture, trust or other form of business
entity, the partnership, joint venture or other applicable
agreement of formation or organization and any agreement,
instrument, filing or notice with respect thereto filed in
connection with its formation or
18
organization with the applicable
Governmental Authority in the jurisdiction of its formation or
organization and, if applicable, any certificate or articles of
formation or organization of such entity.
“ Other Taxes
” means all present or future stamp or documentary taxes or
any other excise or property taxes, charges or similar levies
arising from any payment made hereunder or under any other Loan
Document or from the execution, delivery or enforcement of, or
otherwise with respect to, this Agreement or any other Loan
Document.
“ Outstanding
Amount ” means (i) with respect to Committed Loans
on any date, the Dollar Equivalent amount of the aggregate
outstanding principal amount thereof after giving effect to any
borrowings and prepayments or repayments of such Committed Loans
occurring on such date; (ii) with respect to Swing Line Loans
on any date, the aggregate outstanding principal amount thereof
after giving effect to any borrowings and prepayments or repayments
of such Swing Line Loans occurring on such date; and
(iii) with respect to any L/C Obligations on any date, the
Dollar Equivalent amount of the aggregate outstanding amount of
such L/C Obligations on such date after giving effect to any L/C
Credit Extension occurring on such date and any other changes in
the aggregate amount of the L/C Obligations as of such date,
including as a result of any reimbursements by the Borrower of
Unreimbursed Amounts.
“ Overnight Rate
” means, for any day, (a) with respect to any amount
denominated in Dollars, the greater of (i) the Federal Funds
Rate and (ii) an overnight rate determined by the
Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer, or the Swing Line Lender, as
the case may be, in accordance with banking industry rules on
interbank compensation, and (b) with respect to any amount
denominated in an Alternative Currency, the rate of interest per
annum at which overnight deposits in the applicable Alternative
Currency, in an amount approximately equal to the amount with
respect to which such rate is being determined, would be offered
for such day by a branch or Affiliate of Bank of America in the
applicable offshore interbank market for such currency to major
banks in such interbank market.
“ Participant
” has the meaning specified in Section 10.06(d)
.
“ Participating
Member State ” means each state so described in any EMU
Legislation.
“ PBGC ”
means the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation.
“ Pension Plan
” means any “employee pension benefit plan” (as
such term is defined in Section 3(2) of ERISA), other than a
Multiemployer Plan, that is subject to Title IV of ERISA and is
sponsored or maintained by the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate or
to which the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate contributes or has an
obligation to contribute, or in the case of a multiple employer or
other plan described in Section 4064(a) of ERISA, has made
contributions at any time during the immediately preceding five
plan years.
“ Person ”
means any natural person, corporation, limited liability company,
trust, joint venture, association, company, partnership,
Governmental Authority or other entity.
19
“ Plan ”
means any “employee benefit plan” (as such term is
defined in Section 3(3) of ERISA) established by the Borrower
or, with respect to any such plan that is subject to
Section 412 of the Code or Title IV of ERISA, any ERISA
Affiliate.
“ Platform
” has the meaning specified in Section 6.02
.
“ Public Lender
” has the meaning specified in Section 6.02
.
“ Register
” has the meaning specified in Section 10.06(c)
.
“ Related
Parties ” means, with respect to any Person, such
Person’s Affiliates and the partners, directors, officers,
employees, agents and advisors of such Person and of such
Person’s Affiliates.
“ Reportable
Event ” means any of the events set forth in
Section 4043(c) of ERISA, other than events for which the 30
day notice period has been waived.
“ Request for Credit
Extension ” means (a) with respect to a Borrowing,
conversion or continuation of Committed Loans, a Committed Loan
Notice, (b) with respect to an L/C Credit Extension, a Letter
of Credit Application, and (c) with respect to a Swing Line
Loan, a Swing Line Loan Notice.
“ Required
Lenders ” means, as of any date of determination, at
least two Lenders having more than 50% of the Aggregate Commitments
or, if the commitment of each Lender to make Loans and the
obligation of the L/C Issuer to make L/C Credit Extensions have
been terminated pursuant to Section 8.02 , at least two
Lenders holding in the aggregate more than 50% of the Total
Outstandings (with the aggregate amount of each Lender’s risk
participation and funded participation in L/C Obligations and Swing
Line Loans being deemed “held” by such Lender for
purposes of this definition); provided that the Commitment
of, and the portion of the Total Outstandings held or deemed held
by, any Defaulting Lender shall be excluded for purposes of making
a determination of Required Lenders.
“ Responsible
Officer ” means the chief executive officer, president,
chief financial officer, treasurer, assistant treasurer or
controller of a Loan Party. Any document delivered hereunder that
is signed by a Responsible Officer of a Loan Party shall be
conclusively presumed to have been authorized by all necessary
corporate, partnership and/or other action on the part of such Loan
Party and such Responsible Officer shall be conclusively presumed
to have acted on behalf of such Loan Party.
“ Restricted
Payment ” means any dividend or other distribution
(whether in cash, securities or other property) with respect to any
capital stock or other Equity Interest of the Borrower or any
Subsidiary, or any payment (whether in cash, securities or other
property), including any sinking fund or similar deposit, on
account of the purchase, redemption, retirement, acquisition,
cancellation or termination of any such capital stock or other
Equity Interest, or on account of any return of capital to the
Borrower’s stockholders, partners or members (or the
equivalent Person thereof).
20
“ Revaluation
Date ” means (a) with respect to any Loan, each of
the following: (i) each date of a Borrowing of a Eurocurrency
Rate Loan denominated in an Alternative Currency, (ii) each
date of a continuation of a Eurocurrency Rate Loan denominated in
an Alternative Currency pursuant to Section 2.02 , and
(iii) such additional dates as the Administrative Agent shall
determine or the Required Lenders shall require; and (b) with
respect to any Letter of Credit, each of the following:
(i) each date of issuance of a Letter of Credit denominated in
an Alternative Currency, (ii) each date of an amendment of any
such Letter of Credit having the effect of increasing the amount
thereof (solely with respect to the increased amount), and
(iii) each date of any payment by the L/C Issuer under any
Letter of Credit denominated in an Alternative Currency, such
additional dates as the Administrative Agent or the L/C Issuer
shall determine or the Required Lenders shall require.
“ Same Day Funds
” means (a) with respect to disbursements and payments
in Dollars, immediately available funds, and (b) with respect
to disbursements and payments in an Alternative Currency, same day
or other funds as may be determined by the Administrative Agent or
the L/C Issuer, as the case may be, to be customary in the place of
disbursement or payment for the settlement of international banking
transactions in the relevant Alternative Currency.
“ SEC ”
means the Securities and Exchange Commission, or any Governmental
Authority succeeding to any of its principal functions.
“ Security
Agreement ” means the Third Amended and Restated Security
Agreement by and between the Borrower and the Collateral Agent
dated contemporaneously with this Agreement.
“
Shareholders’ Equity ” means, as of any date of
determination, consolidated shareholders’ equity of the
Borrower and its Subsidiaries as of that date determined in
accordance with GAAP.
“ Special Notice
Currency ” means at any time an Alternative Currency,
other than the currency of a country that is a member of the
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development at such time
located in North America or Europe.
“ Spot Rate
” for a currency means the rate determined by the
Administrative Agent or the L/C Issuer, as applicable, to be the
rate quoted by the Person acting in such capacity as the spot rate
for the purchase by such Person of such currency with another
currency through its principal foreign exchange trading office at
approximately 11:00 a.m. on the date two Business Days prior to the
date as of which the foreign exchange computation is made;
provided that the Administrative Agent or the L/C Issuer may
obtain such spot rate from another financial institution designated
by the Administrative Agent or the L/C Issuer if the Person acting
in such capacity does not have as of the date of determination a
spot buying rate for any such currency; and provided further
that the L/C Issuer may use such spot rate quoted on the date as of
which the foreign exchange computation is made in the case of any
Letter of Credit denominated in an Alternative Currency.
21
“ Subordinated
Debt ” means unsecured debt subordinated to the
Borrower’s obligation to Lenders in a manner acceptable to
Required Lenders in their sole discretion.
“ Subsidiary
” of a Person means a corporation, partnership, joint
venture, limited liability company or other business entity of
which a majority of the shares of securities or other interests
having ordinary voting power for the election of directors or other
governing body (other than securities or interests having such
power only by reason of the happening of a contingency) are at the
time beneficially owned, or the management of which is otherwise
controlled, directly, or indirectly through one or more
intermediaries, or both, by such Person. Unless otherwise
specified, all references herein to a “Subsidiary” or
to “Subsidiaries” shall refer to a Subsidiary or
Subsidiaries of the Borrower.
“ Subsidiary
Guarantor ” means any Subsidiary which becomes a Material
Subsidiary.
“ Subsidiary
Guaranty ” means the Subsidiary Guaranty made by a
Subsidiary Guarantor in favor of the Administrative Agent and the
Lenders, substantially in the form of Exhibit F .
“ Swap Contract
” means (a) any and all rate swap transactions, basis
swaps, credit derivative transactions, forward rate transactions,
commodity swaps, commodity options, forward commodity contracts,
equity or equity index swaps or options, bond or bond price or bond
index swaps or options or forward bond or forward bond price or
forward bond index transactions, interest rate options, forward
foreign exchange transactions, cap transactions, floor
transactions, collar transactions, currency swap transactions,
cross-currency rate swap transactions, currency options, spot
contracts, or any other similar transactions or any combination of
any of the foregoing (including any options to enter into any of
the foregoing), whether or not any such transaction is governed by
or subject to any master agreement, and (b) any and all
transactions of any kind, and the related confirmations, which are
subject to the terms and conditions of, or governed by, any form of
master agreement published by the International Swaps and
Derivatives Association, Inc., any International Foreign Exchange
Master Agreement, or any other master agreement (any such master
agreement, together with any related schedules, a “ Master
Agreement ”), including any such obligations or
liabilities under any Master Agreement.
“ Swap Termination
Value ” means, in respect of any one or more Swap
Contracts, after taking into account the effect of any legally
enforceable netting agreement relating to such Swap Contracts,
(a) for any date on or after the date such Swap Contracts have
been closed out and termination value(s) determined in accordance
therewith, such termination value(s), and (b) for any date
prior to the date referenced in clause (a), the amount(s)
determined as the mark-to-market value(s) for such Swap Contracts,
as determined based upon one or more mid-market or other readily
available quotations provided by any recognized dealer in such Swap
Contracts (which may include a Lender or any Affiliate of a
Lender).
“ Swing Line
Borrowing ” means a borrowing of a Swing Line Loan
pursuant to Section 2.04 .
“ Swing Line
Lender ” means Bank of America in its capacity as
provider of Swing Line Loans, or any successor swing line lender
hereunder.
22
“ Swing Line
Loan ” has the meaning specified in
Section 2.04(a) .
“ Swing Line Loan
Notice ” means a notice of a Swing Line Borrowing
pursuant to Section 2.04(b) , which, if in writing,
shall be substantially in the form of Exhibit B .
“ Swing Line
Sublimit ” means an amount equal to the lesser of
(a) $10,000,000 and (b) the Aggregate Commitments. The
Swing Line Sublimit is part of, and not in addition to, the
Aggregate Commitments.
“ TARGET Day
” means any day on which the Trans-European Automated
Real-time Gross Settlement Express Transfer (TARGET) payment system
(or, if such payment system ceases to be operative, such other
payment system (if any) determined by the Administrative Agent
to be a suitable replacement) is open for the settlement of
payments in Euro.
“ Taxes ”
means all present or future taxes, levies, imposts, duties,
deductions, withholdings, assessments, fees or other charges
imposed by any Governmental Authority, including any interest,
additions to tax or penalties applicable thereto.
“ Threshold
Amount ” means $5,000,000.
“ Total
Outstandings ” means the aggregate Outstanding Amount of
all Loans and all L/C Obligations.
“ Type ”
means, with respect to a Committed Loan, its character as a Base
Rate Loan or a Eurocurrency Rate Loan.
“ Unfunded Pension
Liability ” means the excess of a Pension Plan’s
benefit liabilities under Section 4001(a)(16) of ERISA, over
the current value of that Pension Plan’s assets, determined
in accordance with the assumptions used for funding the Pension
Plan pursuant to Section 412 of the Code for the applicable
plan year.
“ United States
” and “ U.S. ” mean the United States of
America.
“ Unreimbursed
Amount ” has the meaning specified in
Section 2.03(c)(i) .
1.02 Other Interpretive
Provisions. With reference to this Agreement and each other
Loan Document, unless otherwise specified herein or in such other
Loan Document:
(a) The definitions of terms
herein shall apply equally to the singular and plural forms of the
terms defined. Whenever the context may require, any pronoun shall
include the corresponding masculine, feminine and neuter forms. The
words “ include ,” “ includes
” and “ including ” shall be deemed to be
followed by the phrase “without limitation.” The word
“ will ” shall be construed to have the same
meaning and effect as the word “ shall .” Unless
the context requires otherwise, (i) any definition of or
reference to any agreement, instrument or other document (including
any Organization Document) shall be construed as referring to such
agreement, instrument or other document as from time to time
amended, supplemented or otherwise modified (subject to any
restrictions on such amendments, supplements or modifications set
forth herein or in any other Loan Document), (ii) any
reference herein to any
23
Person shall be construed to include
such Person’s successors and assigns, (iii) the words
“ herein ,” “ hereof ” and
“ hereunder ,” and words of similar import when
used in any Loan Document, shall be construed to refer to such Loan
Document in its entirety and not to any particular provision
thereof, (iv) all references in a Loan Document to Articles,
Sections, Exhibits and Schedules shall be construed to refer to
Articles and Sections of, and Exhibits and Schedules to, the Loan
Document in which such references appear, (v) any reference to
any law shall include all statutory and regulatory provisions
consolidating, amending, replacing or interpreting such law and any
reference to any law or regulation shall, unless otherwise
specified, refer to such law or regulation as amended, modified or
supplemented from time to time, and (vi) the words “
asset ” and “ property ” shall be
construed to have the same meaning and effect and to refer to any
and all tangible and intangible assets and properties, including
cash, securities, accounts and contract rights.
(b) In the computation of
periods of time from a specified date to a later specified date,
the word “ from ” means “ from and
including ;” the words “ to ” and
“ until ” each mean “ to but
excluding ;” and the word “ through ”
means “ to and including .”
(c) Section headings herein
and in the other Loan Documents are included for convenience of
reference only and shall not affect the interpretation of this
Agreement or any other Loan Document.
1.03 Accounting
Terms.
(a) Generally . All
accounting terms not specifically or completely defined herein
shall be construed in conformity with, and all financial data
(including financial ratios and other financial calculations)
required to be submitted pursuant to this Agreement shall be
prepared in conformity with, GAAP applied on a consistent basis, as
in effect from time to time, applied in a manner consistent with
that used in preparing the Audited Financial Statements,
except as otherwise specifically prescribed
herein.
(b) Changes in GAAP .
If at any time any change in GAAP would affect the computation of
any financial ratio or requirement set forth in any Loan Document,
and either the Borrower or the Required Lenders shall so request,
the Administrative Agent, the Lenders and the Borrower shall
negotiate in good faith to amend such ratio or requirement to
preserve the original intent thereof in light of such change in
GAAP (subject to the approval of the Required Lenders); provided
that , until so amended, (i) such ratio or requirement
shall continue to be computed in accordance with GAAP prior to such
change therein and (ii) the Borrower shall provide to the
Administrative Agent and the Lenders financial statements and other
documents required under this Agreement or as reasonably requested
hereunder setting forth a reconciliation between calculations of
such ratio or requirement made before and after giving effect to
such change in GAAP.
(c) Consolidation of
Variable Interest Entities . All references herein to
consolidated financial statements of the Borrower and its
Subsidiaries or to the determination of any amount for the Borrower
and its Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis or any similar
reference shall, in each case, be deemed to include each variable
interest entity that the Borrower is required to consolidate
pursuant to FASB Interpretation No. 46 – Consolidation
of Variable Interest Entities: an interpretation of ARB No. 51
(January 2003) as if such variable interest entity were a
Subsidiary as defined herein.
24
1.04 Rounding. Any
financial ratios required to be maintained by the Borrower pursuant
to this Agreement shall be calculated by dividing the appropriate
component by the other component, carrying the result to one place
more than the number of places by which such ratio is expressed
herein and rounding the result up or down to the nearest number
(with a rounding-up if there is no nearest number).
1.05 Exchange Rates;
Currency Equivalents.
(a) The Administrative Agent
or the L/C Issuer, as applicable, shall determine the Spot Rates as
of each Revaluation Date to be used for calculating Dollar
Equivalent amounts of Credit Extensions and Outstanding Amounts
denominated in Alternative Currencies. Such Spot Rates shall become
effective as of such Revaluation Date and shall be the Spot Rates
employed in converting any amounts between the applicable
currencies until the next Revaluation Date to occur. Except for
purposes of financial statements delivered by Loan Parties
hereunder or calculating financial covenants hereunder or except as
otherwise provided herein, the applicable amount of any currency
(other than Dollars) for purposes of the Loan Documents shall be
such Dollar Equivalent amount as so determined by the
Administrative Agent or the L/C Issuer, as applicable.
(b) Wherever in this
Agreement in connection with a Committed Borrowing, conversion,
continuation or prepayment of a Eurocurrency Rate Loan or the
issuance, amendment or extension of a Letter of Credit, an amount,
such as a required minimum or multiple amount, is expressed in
Dollars, but such Committed Borrowing, Eurocurrency Rate Loan or
Letter of Credit is denominated in an Alternative Currency, such
amount shall be the relevant Alternative Currency Equivalent of
such Dollar amount (rounded to the nearest unit of such Alternative
Currency, with 0.5 of a unit being rounded upward), as determined
by the Administrative Agent or the L/C Issuer, as the case may
be.
1.06 Additional
Alternative Currencies.
(a) The Borrower may from
time to time request that Eurocurrency Rate Loans be made and/or
Letters of Credit be issued in a currency other than those
specifically listed in the definition of “Alternative
Currency;” provided that such requested currency is a
lawful currency (other than Dollars) that is readily available and
freely transferable and convertible into Dollars. In the case of
any such request with respect to the making of Eurocurrency Rate
Loans, such request shall be subject to the approval of the
Administrative Agent and the Lenders; and in the case of any such
request with respect to the issuance of Letters of Credit, such
request shall be subject to the approval of the Administrative
Agent and the L/C Issuer.
(b) Any such request shall be
made to the Administrative Agent not later than 11:00 a.m., 20
Business Days prior to the date of the desired Credit Extension (or
such other time or date as may be agreed by the Administrative
Agent and, in the case of any such request pertaining to Letters of
Credit, the L/C Issuer, in its or their sole discretion). In the
case of any such request pertaining to Eurocurrency Rate Loans, the
Administrative Agent shall promptly
25
notify each Lender thereof; and in the
case of any such request pertaining to Letters of Credit, the
Administrative Agent shall promptly notify the L/C Issuer thereof.
Each Lender (in the case of any such request pertaining to
Eurocurrency Rate Loans) or the L/C Issuer (in the case of a
request pertaining to Letters of Credit) shall notify the
Administrative Agent, not later than 11:00 a.m., ten Business Days
after receipt of such request whether it consents, in its sole
discretion, to the making of Eurocurrency Rate Loans or the
issuance of Letters of Credit, as the case may be, in such
requested currency.
(c) Any failure by a Lender
or the L/C Issuer, as the case may be, to respond to such request
within the time period specified in the preceding sentence shall be
deemed to be a refusal by such Lender or the L/C Issuer, as the
case may be, to permit Eurocurrency Rate Loans to be made or
Letters of Credit to be issued in such requested currency. If the
Administrative Agent and all the Lenders consent to making
Eurocurrency Rate Loans in such requested currency, the
Administrative Agent shall so notify the Borrower and such currency
shall thereupon be deemed for all purposes to be an Alternative
Currency hereunder for purposes of any Committed Borrowings of
Eurocurrency Rate Loans; and if the Administrative Agent and the
L/C Issuer consent to the issuance of Letters of Credit in such
requested currency, the Administrative Agent shall so notify the
Borrower and such currency shall thereupon be deemed for all
purposes to be an Alternative Currency hereunder for purposes of
any Letter of Credit issuances. If the Administrative Agent shall
fail to obtain consent to any request for an additional currency
under this Section 1.06 , the Administrative Agent
shall promptly so notify the Borrower.
1.07 Change of
Currency.
(a) Each obligation of the
Borrower to make a payment denominated in the national currency
unit of any member state of the European Union that adopts the Euro
as its lawful currency after the date hereof shall be redenominated
into Euro at the time of such adoption (in accordance with the EMU
Legislation). If, in relation to the currency of any such member
state, the basis of accrual of interest expressed in this Agreement
in respect of that currency shall be inconsistent with any
convention or practice in the London interbank market for the basis
of accrual of interest in respect of the Euro, such expressed basis
shall be replaced by such convention or practice with effect from
the date on which such member state adopts the Euro as its lawful
currency; provided that if any Committed Borrowing in the
currency of such member state is outstanding immediately prior to
such date, such replacement shall take effect, with respect to such
Committed Borrowing, at the end of the then current Interest
Period.
(b) Each provision of this
Agreement shall be subject to such reasonable changes of
construction as the Administrative Agent may from time to time
specify to be appropriate to reflect the adoption of the Euro by
any member state of the European Union and any relevant market
conventions or practices relating to the Euro.
(c) Each provision of this
Agreement also shall be subject to such reasonable changes of
construction as the Administrative Agent may from time to time
specify to be appropriate to reflect a change in currency of any
other country and any relevant market conventions or practices
relating to the change in currency.
26
1.08 Times of Day.
Unless otherwise specified, all references herein to times of day
shall be references to Pacific time (daylight or standard, as
applicable).
1.09 Letter of Credit
Amounts. Unless otherwise specified herein, the amount of a
Letter of Credit at any time shall be deemed to be the Dollar
Equivalent of the stated amount of such Letter of Credit in effect
at such time; provided , however , that with respect
to any Letter of Credit that, by its terms or the terms of any
Issuer Document related thereto, provides for one or more automatic
increases in the stated amount thereof, the amount of such Letter
of Credit shall be deemed to be the Dollar Equivalent of the
maximum stated amount of such Letter of Credit after giving effect
to all such increases, whether or not such maximum stated amount is
in effect at such time.
ARTICLE II.
THE COMMITMENTS AND CREDIT
EXTENSIONS
2.01 Committed Loans.
Subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, each Lender
severally agrees to make loans (each such loan, a “
Committed Loan ”) to the Borrower in Dollars or in one
or more Alternative Currencies from time to time, on any Business
Day during the Availability Period, in an aggregate amount not to
exceed at any time outstanding the amount of such Lender’s
Commitment; provided , however , that after giving
effect to any Committed Borrowing, (i) the Total Outstandings
shall not exceed the Aggregate Commitments, (ii) the aggregate
Outstanding Amount of the Committed Loans of any Lender,
plus such Lender’s Applicable Percentage of the
Outstanding Amount of all L/C Obligations, plus such
Lender’s Applicable Percentage of the Outstanding Amount of
all Swing Line Loans shall not exceed such Lender’s
Commitment, and (iii) the aggregate Outstanding Amount of all
Committed Loans denominated in Alternative Currencies shall not
exceed the Alternative Currency Sublimit. Within the limits of each
Lender’s Commitment, and subject to the other terms and
conditions hereof, the Borrower may borrow under this
Section 2.01 , prepay under Section 2.05 ,
and reborrow under this Section 2.01 . Committed Loans
may be Base Rate Loans or Eurocurrency Rate Loans, as further
provided herein.
2.02 Borrowings,
Conversions and Continuations of Committed Loans.
(a) Each Committed Borrowing,
each conversion of Committed Loans from one Type to the other, and
each continuation of Eurocurrency Rate Loans shall be made upon the
Borrower’s irrevocable notice to the Administrative Agent,
which may be given by telephone. Each such notice must be received
by the Administrative Agent not later than 11:00 a.m.
(i) three Business Days prior to the requested date of any
Borrowing of, conversion to or continuation of Eurocurrency Rate
Loans denominated in Dollars or of any conversion of Eurocurrency
Rate Loans denominated in Dollars to Base Rate Committed Loans,
(ii) four Business Days (or five Business Days in the case of
a Special Notice Currency) prior to the requested date of any
Borrowing or continuation of Eurocurrency Rate Loans denominated in
Alternative Currencies, and (iii) on the requested date of any
Borrowing of Base Rate Committed Loans. Each telephonic notice by
the Borrower pursuant to this Section 2.02(a) must be
confirmed promptly by delivery to the Administrative Agent of a
written Committed Loan Notice, appropriately completed and signed
by a Responsible Officer of the Borrower. Each Borrowing of,
conversion to or continuation of Eurocurrency Rate Loans
denominated in Dollars shall be in a principal
27
amount of $1,000,000 or a whole multiple
of $100,000 in excess thereof. Each Borrowing of, conversion to or
continuation of Eurocurrency Rate Loans denominated in Alternative
Currencies shall be in a minimum principal amount of $2,000,000 or
a whole multiple of $500,000 in excess thereof. Except as provided
in Sections 2.03(c) and 2.04(c) , each Committed
Borrowing of or conversion to Base Rate Committed Loans shall be in
a principal amount of $500,000 or a whole multiple of $100,000 in
excess thereof. Each Committed Loan Notice (whether telephonic or
written) shall specify (i) whether the Borrower is requesting
a Committed Borrowing, a conversion of Committed Loans from one
Type to the other, or a continuation of Eurocurrency Rate Loans,
(ii) the requested date of the Borrowing, conversion or
continuation, as the case may be (which shall be a Business Day),
(iii) the principal amount of Committed Loans to be borrowed,
converted or continued, (iv) the Type of Committed Loans to be
borrowed or to which existing Committed Loans are to be converted,
(v) if applicable, the duration of the Interest Period with
respect thereto, and (vi) the currency of the Committed Loans
to be borrowed. If the Borrower fails to specify a currency in a
Committed Loan Notice requesting a Borrowing, then the Committed
Loans so requested shall be made in Dollars. If the Borrower fails
to specify a Type of Committed Loan in a Committed Loan Notice or
if the Borrower fails to give a timely notice requesting a
conversion or continuation, then the applicable Committed Loans
shall be made as, or converted to, Base Rate Loans; provided
, however , that in the case of a failure to timely request
a continuation of Committed Loans denominated in an Alternative
Currency, such Loans shall be continued as Eurocurrency Rate Loans
in their original currency with an Interest Period of one month.
Any automatic conversion to Base Rate Loans shall be effective as
of the last day of the Interest Period then in effect with respect
to the applicable Eurocurrency Rate Loans. If the Borrower requests
a Borrowing of, conversion to, or continuation of Eurocurrency Rate
Loans in any such Committed Loan Notice, but fails to specify an
Interest Period, it will be deemed to have specified an Interest
Period of one month. No Committed Loan may be converted into or
continued as a Committed Loan denominated in a different currency,
but instead must be prepaid in the original currency of such
Committed Loan and reborrowed in the other currency.
(b) Following receipt of a
Committed Loan Notice, the Administrative Agent shall promptly
notify each Lender of the amount (and currency) of its Applicable
Percentage of the applicable Committed Loans, and if no timely
notice of a conversion or continuation is provided by the Borrower,
the Administrative Agent shall notify each Lender of the details of
any automatic conversion to Base Rate Loans or continuation of
Committed Loans denominated in a currency other than Dollars, in
each case as described in the preceding subsection. In the case of
a Committed Borrowing, each Lender shall make the amount of its
Committed Loan available to the Administrative Agent in Same Day
Funds at the Administrative Agent’s Office for the applicable
currency not later than 1:00 p.m., in the case of any Committed
Loan denominated in Dollars, and not later than the Applicable Time
specified by the Administrative Agent in the case of any Committed
Loan in an Alternative Currency, in each case on the Business Day
specified in the applicable Committed Loan Notice. Upon
satisfaction of the applicable conditions set forth in
Section 4.02 (and, if such Borrowing is the initial
Credit Extension, Section 4.01 ), the Administrative
Agent shall make all funds so received available to the Borrower in
like funds as received by the Administrative Agent either by
(i) crediting the account of the Borrower on the books of Bank
of America with the amount of such funds or (ii) wire transfer
of such funds, in each case in accordance with instructions
provided to (and reasonably acceptable to) the Administrative Agent
by the Borrower; provided , however , that if, on the
date the Committed
28
Loan Notice with respect to such
Borrowing denominated in Dollars is given by the Borrower, there
are L/C Borrowings outstanding, then the proceeds of such
Borrowing, first , shall be applied to the payment in full
of any such L/C Borrowings, and, second , shall be made
available to the Borrower as provided above.
(c) Except as otherwise
provided herein, a Eurocurrency Rate Loan may be continued or
converted only on the last day of an Interest Period for such
Eurocurrency Rate Loan. During the existence of a Default, no Loans
may be requested as, converted to or continued as Eurocurrency Rate
Loans (whether in Dollars or any Alternative Currency) without the
consent of the Required Lenders, and the Required Lenders may
demand that any or all of the then outstanding Eurocurrency Rate
Loans denominated in an Alternative Currency be prepaid, or
redenominated into Dollars in the amount of the Dollar Equivalent
thereof, on the last day of the then current Interest Period with
respect thereto.
(d) The Administrative Agent
shall promptly notify the Borrower and the Lenders of the interest
rate applicable to any Interest Period for Eurocurrency Rate Loans
upon determination of such interest rate. At any time that Base
Rate Loans are outstanding, the Administrative Agent shall notify
the Borrower and the Lenders of any change in Bank of
America’s prime rate used in determining the Base Rate
promptly following the public announcement of such
change.
(e) After giving effect to
all Committed Borrowings, all conversions of Committed Loans from
one Type to the other, and all continuations of Committed Loans as
the same Type, there shall not be more than ten Interest Periods in
effect with respect to Committed Loans.
2.03 Letters of
Credit.
(a) The Letter of Credit
Commitment .
(i) Subject to the terms and
conditions set forth herein, (A) the L/C Issuer agrees, in
reliance upon the agreements of the Lenders set forth in this
Section 2.03 , (1) from time to time on any
Business Day during the period from the Closing Date until the
Letter of Credit Expiration Date, to issue Letters of Credit
denominated in Dollars or in one or more Alternative Currencies for
the account of the Borrower, and to amend or extend Letters of
Credit previously issued by it, in accordance with subsection
(b) below, and (2) to honor drawings under the Letters of
Credit; and (B) the Lenders severally agree to participate in
Letters of Credit issued for the account of the Borrower and any
drawings thereunder; provided that after giving effect to
any L/C Credit Extension with respect to any Letter of Credit,
(x) the Total Outstandings shall not exceed the Aggregate
Commitments, (y) the aggregate Outstanding Amount of the
Committed Loans of any Lender, plus such Lender’s
Applicable Percentage of the Outstanding Amount of all L/C
Obligations, plus such Lender’s Applicable Percentage
of the Outstanding Amount of all Swing Line Loans shall not exceed
such Lender’s Commitment, and (z) the Outstanding Amount
of the L/C Obligations shall not exceed the Letter of Credit
Sublimit. Each request by the Borrower for the issuance or
amendment of a Letter of Credit shall be deemed to be a
representation by the Borrower that the L/C Credit Extension so
requested complies with the conditions set forth in the proviso to
the preceding sentence. Within
29
the foregoing limits, and
subject to the terms and conditions hereof, the Borrower’s
ability to obtain Letters of Credit shall be fully revolving, and
accordingly the Borrower may, during the foregoing period, obtain
Letters of Credit to replace Letters of Credit that have expired or
that have been drawn upon and reimbursed. All Existing Letters of
Credit shall be deemed to have been issued pursuant hereto, and
from and after the Closing Date shall be subject to and governed by
the terms and conditions hereof.
(ii) The L/C Issuer shall not
issue any Letter of Credit, if:
(A) subject to
Section 2.03(b)(iii), the expiry date of such requested Letter
of Credit would occur more than twelve months after the date of
issuance or last extension, unless the Required Lenders have
approved such expiry date; or
(B) the expiry date of such
requested Letter of Credit would occur after the Letter of Credit
Expiration Date, unless all the Lenders have approved such expiry
date.
(iii) The L/C Issuer shall
not be under any obligation to issue any Letter of Credit
if:
(A) any order, judgment or
decree of any Governmental Authority or arbitrator shall by its
terms purport to enjoin or restrain the L/C Issuer from issuing
such Letter of Credit, or any Law applicable to the L/C Issuer or
any request or directive (whether or not having the force of law)
from any Governmental Authority with jurisdiction over the L/C
Issuer shall prohibit, or request that the L/C Issuer refrain from,
the issuance of letters of credit generally or such Letter of
Credit in particular or shall impose upon the L/C Issuer with
respect to such Letter of Credit any restriction, reserve or
capital requirement (for which the L/C Issuer is not otherwise
compensated hereunder) not in effect on the Closing Date, or shall
impose upon the L/C Issuer any unreimbursed loss, cost or expense
which was not applicable on the Closing Date and which the L/C
Issuer in good faith deems material to it;
(B) the issuance of such
Letter of Credit would violate one or more policies of the L/C
Issuer applicable to letters of credit generally;
(C) This subsection
intentionally left blank.
(D) except as otherwise
agreed by the Administrative Agent and the L/C Issuer, such Letter
of Credit is to be denominated in a currency other than Dollars or
an Alternative Currency;
(E) the L/C Issuer does not
as of the issuance date of such requested Letter of Credit issue
Letters of Credit in the requested currency;
(F) such Letter of Credit
contains any provisions for automatic reinstatement of the stated
amount after any drawing thereunder; or
30
(G) a default of any
Lender’s obligations to fund under
Section 2.03(c) exists or any Lender is at such time a
Defaulting Lender hereunder, unless the L/C Issuer has entered into
satisfactory arrangements with the Borrower or such Lender to
eliminate the L/C Issuer’s risk with respect to such
Lender.
(iv) The L/C Issuer shall not
amend any Letter of Credit if the L/C Issuer would not be permitted
at such time to issue such Letter of Credit in its amended form
under the terms hereof.
(v) The L/C Issuer shall be
under no obligation to amend any Letter of Credit if (A) the
L/C Issuer would have no obligation at such time to issue such
Letter of Credit in its amended form under the terms hereof, or
(B) the beneficiary of such Letter of Credit does not accept
the proposed amendment to such Letter of Credit.
(vi) The L/C Issuer shall act
on behalf of the Lenders with respect to any Letters of Credit
issued by it and the documents associated therewith, and the L/C
Issuer shall have all of the benefits and immunities
(A) provided to the Administrative Agent in Article IX
with respect to any acts taken or omissions suffered by the L/C
Issuer in connection with Letters of Credit issued by it or
proposed to be issued by it and Issuer Documents pertaining to such
Letters of Credit as fully as if the term “Administrative
Agent” as used in Article IX included the L/C Issuer
with respect to such acts or omissions, and (B) as
additionally provided herein with respect to the L/C
Issuer.
(vii) The L/C Issuer shall
not be under any obligation to issue bankers’
acceptances.
(b) Procedures for
Issuance and Amendment of Letters of Credit; Auto-Extension Letters
of Credit .
(i) Each Letter of Credit
shall be issued or amended, as the case may be, upon the request of
the Borrower delivered to the L/C Issuer (with a copy to the
Administrative Agent) in the form of a Letter of Credit
Application, appropriately completed and signed by a Responsible
Officer of the Borrower. Such Letter of Credit Application must be
received by the L/C Issuer and the Administrative Agent not later
than 11:00 a.m. at least two Business Days (or such later date and
time as the Administrative Agent and the L/C Issuer may agree in a
particular instance in their sole discretion) prior to the proposed
issuance date or date of amendment, as the case may be. In the case
of a request for an initial issuance of a Letter of Credit, such
Letter of Credit Application shall specify in form and detail
satisfactory to the L/C Issuer: (A) the proposed issuance date
of the requested Letter of Credit (which shall be a Business Day);
(B) the amount and currency thereof; (C) the expiry date
thereof; (D) the name and address of the beneficiary thereof;
(E) the documents to be presented by such beneficiary in case
of any drawing thereunder; (F) the full text of any
certificate to be presented by such beneficiary in case of any
drawing thereunder; (G) the purpose and nature of the
requested Letter of Credit; and (H) such other matters as the
L/C Issuer may require. In the case of a request for an amendment
of any outstanding Letter of Credit, such Letter of Credit
Application shall specify in form and detail satisfactory to the
L/C Issuer (A) the Letter of Credit to be
31
amended; (B) the
proposed date of amendment thereof (which shall be a Business Day);
(C) the nature of the proposed amendment; and (D) such
other matters as the L/C Issuer may require. Additionally, the
Borrower shall furnish to the L/C Issuer and the Administrative
Agent such other documents and information pertaining to such
requested Letter of Credit issuance or amendment, including any
Issuer Documents, as the L/C Issuer or the Administrative Agent may
require.
(ii) Promptly after receipt
of any Letter of Credit Application, the L/C Issuer will confirm
with the Administrative Agent (by telephone or in writing) that the
Administrative Agent has received a copy of such Letter of Credit
Application from the Borrower and, if not, the L/C Issuer will
provide the Administrative Agent with a copy thereof. Unless the
L/C Issuer has received written notice from any Lender, the
Administrative Agent or any Loan Party, at least one Business Day
prior to the requested date of issuance or amendment of the
applicable Letter of Credit, that one or more applicable conditions
contained in Article IV shall not then be satisfied, then,
subject to the terms and conditions hereof, the L/C Issuer shall,
on the requested date, issue a Letter of Credit for the account of
the Borrower or enter into the applicable amendment, as the case
may be, in each case in accordance with the L/C Issuer’s
usual and customary business practices. Immediately upon the
issuance of each Letter of Credit, each Lender shall be deemed to,
and hereby irrevocably and unconditionally agrees to, purchase from
the L/C Issuer a risk participation in such Letter of Credit in an
amount equal to the product of such Lender’s Applicable
Percentage times the amount of such Letter of
Credit.
(iii) If the Borrower so
requests in any applicable Letter of Credit Application, the L/C
Issuer may, in its sole and absolute discretion, agree to issue a
Letter of Credit that has automatic extension provisions (each, an
“ Auto-Extension Letter of Credit ”);
provided that any such Auto-Extension Letter of Credit must
permit the L/C Issuer to prevent any such extension at least once
in each twelve-month period (commencing with the date of issuance
of such Letter of Credit) by giving prior notice to the beneficiary
thereof not later than a day (the “ Non-Extension Notice
Date ”) in each such twelve-month period to be agreed
upon at the time such Letter of Credit is issued. Unless otherwise
directed by the L/C Issuer, the Borrower shall not be required to
make a specific request to the L/C Issuer for any such extension.
Once an Auto-Extension Letter of Credit has been issued, the
Lenders shall be deemed to have authorized (but may not require)
the L/C Issuer to permit the extension of such Letter of Credit at
any time to an expiry date not later than the Letter of Credit
Expiration Date; provided , however , that the L/C
Issuer shall not permit any such extension if (A) the L/C
Issuer has determined that it would not be permitted, or would have
no obligation, at such time to issue such Letter of Credit in its
revised form (as extended) under the terms hereof (by reason of the
provisions of clause (ii) or (iii) of
Section 2.03(a) or otherwise), or (B) it has
received notice (which may be by telephone or in writing) on or
before the day that is seven Business Days before the Non-Extension
Notice Date (1) from the Administrative Agent that the
Required Lenders have elected not to permit such extension or
(2) from the Administrative Agent, any Lender or the Borrower
that one or more of the applicable conditions specified in
Section 4.02 is not then satisfied, and in each such
case directing the L/C Issuer not to permit such
extension.
32
(iv) Promptly after its
delivery of any Letter of Credit or any amendment to a Letter of
Credit to an advising bank with respect thereto or to the
beneficiary thereof, the L/C Issuer will also deliver to the
Borrower and the Administrative Agent a true and complete copy of
such Letter of Credit or amendment.
(c) Drawings and
Reimbursements; Funding of Participations .
(i) Upon receipt from the
beneficiary of any Letter of Credit of any notice of a drawing
under such Letter of Credit, the L/C Issuer shall notify the
Borrower and the Administrative Agent thereof. In the case of a
Letter of Credit denominated in an Alternative Currency, the
Borrower shall reimburse the L/C Issuer in such Alternative
Currency, unless (A) the L/C Issuer (at its option) shall have
specified in such notice that it will require reimbursement in
Dollars, or (B) in the absence of any such requirement for
reimbursement in Dollars, the Borrower shall have notified the L/C
Issuer promptly following receipt of the notice of drawing that the
Borrower will reimburse the L/C Issuer in Dollars. In the case of
any such reimbursement in Dollars of a drawing under a Letter of
Credit denominated in an Alternative Currency, the L/C Issuer shall
notify the Borrower of the Dollar Equivalent of the amount of the
drawing promptly following the determination thereof. Not later
than 11:00 a.m. on the date of any payment by the L/C Issuer under
a Letter of Credit to be reimbursed in Dollars, or the Applicable
Time on the date of any payment by the L/C Issuer under a Letter of
Credit to be reimbursed in an Alternative Currency (each such date,
an “ Honor Date ”), the Borrower shall reimburse
the L/C Issuer through the Administrative Agent in an amount equal
to the amount of such drawing and in the applicable currency. If
the Borrower fails to so reimburse the L/C Issuer by such time, the
Administrative Agent shall promptly notify each Lender of the Honor
Date, the amount of the unreimbursed drawing (expressed in Dollars
in the amount of the Dollar Equivalent thereof in the case of a
Letter of Credit denominated in an Alternative Currency) (the
“ Unreimbursed Amount ”), and the amount of such
Lender’s Applicable Percentage thereof. In such event, the
Borrower shall be deemed to have requested a Committed Borrowing of
Base Rate Loans to be disbursed on the Honor Date in an amount
equal to the Unreimbursed Amount, without regard to the minimum and
multiples specified in Section 2.02 for the principal
amount of Base Rate Loans, but subject to the amount of the
unutilized portion of the Aggregate Commitments and the conditions
set forth in Section 4.02 (other than the delivery of a
Committed Loan Notice). Any notice given by the L/C Issuer or the
Administrative Agent pursuant to this
Section 2.03(c)(i) may be given by telephone if
immediately confirmed in writing; provided that the lack of
such an immediate confirmation shall not affect the conclusiveness
or binding effect of such notice.
(ii) Each Lender shall upon
any notice pursuant to Section 2.03(c)(i) make funds
available to the Administrative Agent for the account of the L/C
Issuer, in Dollars, at the Administrative Agent’s Office for
Dollar-denominated payments in an amount equal to its Applicable
Percentage of the Unreimbursed Amount not later than 1:00 p.m. on
the Business Day specified in such notice by the Administrative
Agent, whereupon, subject to the provisions of
Section 2.03(c)(iii) , each Lender that so makes funds
available shall be deemed to have made a Base Rate Committed Loan
to the Borrower in such amount. The Administrative Agent shall
remit the funds so received to the L/C Issuer in
Dollars.
33
(iii) With respect to any
Unreimbursed Amount that is not fully refinanced by a Committed
Borrowing of Base Rate Loans because the conditions set forth in
Section 4.02 cannot be satisfied or for any other
reason, the Borrower shall be deemed to have incurred from the L/C
Issuer an L/C Borrowing in the amount of the Unreimbursed Amount
that is not so refinanced, which L/C Borrowing shall be due and
payable on demand (together with interest) and shall bear interest
at the Default Rate. In such event, each Lender’s payment to
the Administrative Agent for the account of the L/C Issuer pursuant
to Section 2.03(c)(ii) shall be deemed payment in
respect of its participation in such L/C Borrowing and shall
constitute an L/C Advance from such Lender in satisfaction of its
participation obligation under this Section 2.03
.
(iv) Until each Lender funds
its Committed Loan or L/C Advance pursuant to this
Section 2.03(c) to reimburse the L/C Issuer for any
amount drawn under any Letter of Credit, interest in respect of
such Lender’s Applicable Percentage of such amount shall be
solely for the account of the L/C Issuer.
(v) Each Lender’s
obligation to make Committed Loans or L/C Advances to reimburse the
L/C Issuer for amounts drawn under Letters of Credit, as
contemplated by this Section 2.03(c) , shall be
absolute and unconditional and shall not be affected by any
circumstance, including (A) any setoff, counterclaim,
recoupment, defense or other right which such Lender may have
against the L/C Issuer, the Borrower, any Subsidiary or any other
Person for any reason whatsoever; (B) the occurrence or
continuance of a Default, or (C) any other occurrence, event
or condition, whether or not similar to any of the foregoing;
provided , however , that each Lender’s
obligation to make Committed Loans pursuant to this
Section 2.03(c) is subject to the conditions set forth
in Section 4.02 (other than delivery by the Borrower of
a Committed Loan Notice). No such making of an L/C Advance shall
relieve or otherwise impair the obligation of the Borrower to
reimburse the L/C Issuer for the amount of any payment made by the
L/C Issuer under any Letter of Credit, together with interest as
provided herein.
(vi) If any Lender fails to
make available to the Administrative Agent for the account of the
L/C Issuer any amount required to be paid by such Lender pursuant
to the foregoing provisions of this Section 2.03(c) by
the time specified in Section 2.03(c)(ii) , the L/C
Issuer shall be entitled to recover from such Lender (acting
through the Administrative Agent), on demand, such amount with
interest thereon for the period from the date such payment is
required to the date on which such payment is immediately available
to the L/C Issuer at a rate per annum equal to the applicable
Overnight Rate from time to time in effect, plus any
administrative, processing or similar fees customarily charged by
the L/C Issuer in connection with the foregoing. If such Lender
pays such amount (with interest and fees as aforesaid), the amount
so paid shall constitute such Lender’s Committed Loan
included in the relevant Committed Borrowing or L/C Advance in
respect of the relevant L/C Borrowing, as the case may be. A
certificate of the L/C Issuer submitted to any Lender (through the
Administrative Agent) with respect to any amounts owing under this
clause (vi) shall be conclusive absent manifest
error.
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(d) Repayment of
Participations .
(i) At any time after the L/C
Issuer has made a payment under any Letter of Credit and has
received from any Lender such Lender’s L/C Advance in respect
of such payment in accordance with Section 2.03(c) , if
the Administrative Agent receives for the account of the L/C Issuer
any payment in respect of the related Unreimbursed Amount or
interest thereon (whether directly from the Borrower or otherwise,
including proceeds of Cash Collateral applied thereto by the
Administrative Agent), the Administrative Agent will distribute to
such Lender its Applicable Percentage thereof in Dollars and in the
same funds as those received by the Administrative
Agent.
(ii) If any payment received
by the Administrative Agent for the account of the L/C Issuer
pursuant to Section 2.03(c)(i) is required to be
returned under any of the circumstances described in
Section 10.05 (including pursuant to any settlement
entered into by the L/C Issuer in its discretion), each Lender
shall pay to the Administrative Agent for the account of the L/C
Issuer its Applicable Percentage thereof on demand of the
Administrative Agent, plus interest thereon from the date of such
demand to the date such amount is returned by such Lender, at a
rate per annum equal to the applicable Overnight Rate from time to
time in effect. The obligations of the Lenders under this clause
shall survive the payment in full of the Obligations and the
termination of this Agreement.
(e) Obligations
Absolute . The obligation of the Borrower to reimburse the L/C
Issuer for each drawing under each Letter of Credit and to repay
each L/C Borrowing shall be absolute, unconditional and
irrevocable, and shall be paid strictly in accordance with the
terms of this Agreement under all circumstances, including the
following:
(i) any lack of validity or
enforceability of such Letter of Credit, this Agreement, or any
other Loan Document;
(ii) the existence of any
claim, counterclaim, setoff, defense or other right that the
Borrower or any Subsidiary may have at any time against any
beneficiary or any transferee of such Letter of Credit (or any
Person for whom any such beneficiary or any such transferee may be
acting), the L/C Issuer or any other Person, whether in connection
with this Agreement, the transactions contemplated hereby or by
such Letter of Credit or any agreement or instrument relating
thereto, or any unrelated transaction;
(iii) any draft, demand,
certificate or other document presented under such Letter of Credit
proving to be forged, fraudulent, invalid or insufficient in any
respect or any statement therein being untrue or inaccurate in any
respect; or any loss or delay in the transmission or otherwise of
any document required in order to make a drawing under such Letter
of Credit;
(iv) any payment by the L/C
Issuer under such Letter of Credit against presentation of a draft
or certificate that does not strictly comply with the terms of such
Letter of Credit; or any payment made by the L/C Issuer under such
Letter of Credit to any Person purporting to be a trustee in
bankruptcy, debtor-in-possession, assignee for
35
the benefit of creditors,
liquidator, receiver or other representative of or successor to any
beneficiary or any transferee of such Letter of Credit, including
any arising in connection with any proceeding under any Debtor
Relief Law;
(v) any adverse change in the
relevant exchange rates or in the availability of the relevant
Alternative Currency to the Borrower or any Subsidiary or in the
relevant currency markets generally; or
(vi) any other circumstance
or happening whatsoever, whether or not similar to any of the
foregoing, including any other circumstance that might otherwise
constitute a defense available to, or a discharge of, the Borrower
or any Subsidiary.
The Borrower shall promptly
examine a copy of each Letter of Credit and each amendment thereto
that is delivered to it and, in the event of any claim of
noncompliance with the Borrower’s instructions or other
irregularity, the Borrower will immediately notify the L/C Issuer.
The Borrower shall be conclusively deemed to have waived any such
claim against the L/C Issuer and its correspondents unless such
notice is given as aforesaid.
(f) Role of L/C Issuer
. Each Lender and the Borrower agree that, in paying any drawing
under a Letter of Credit, the L/C Issuer shall not have any
responsibility to obtain any document (other than any sight draft,
certificates and documents expressly required by the Letter of
Credit) or to ascertain or inquire as to the validity or accuracy
of any such document or the authority of the Person executing or
delivering any such document. None of the L/C Issuer, the
Administrative Agent, any of their respective Related Parties nor
any correspondent, participant or assignee of the L/C Issuer shall
be liable to any Lender for (i) any action taken or omitted in
connection herewith at the request or with the approval of the
Lenders or the Required Lenders, as applicable; (ii) any
action taken or omitted in the absence of gross negligence or
willful misconduct; or (iii) the due execution, effectiveness,
validity or enforceability of any document or instrument related to
any Letter of Credit or Issuer Document. The Borrower hereby
assumes all risks of the acts or omissions of any beneficiary or
transferee with respect to its use of any Letter of Credit;
provided , however , that this assumption is not
intended to, and shall not, preclude the Borrower’s pursuing
such rights and remedies as it may have against the beneficiary or
transferee at law or under any other agreement. None of the L/C
Issuer, the Administrative Agent, any of their respective Related
Parties nor any correspondent, participant or assignee of the L/C
Issuer shall be liable or responsible for any of the matters
described in clauses (i) through (v) of
Section 2.03(e) ; provided , however ,
that anything in such clauses to the contrary notwithstanding, the
Borrower may have a claim against the L/C Issuer, and the L/C
Issuer may be liable to the Borrower, to the extent, but only to
the extent, of any direct, as opposed to consequential or
exemplary, damages suffered by the Borrower which the Borrower
proves were caused by the L/C Issuer’s willful misconduct or
gross negligence or the L/C Issuer’s willful failure to pay
under any Letter of Credit after the presentation to it by the
beneficiary of a sight draft and certificate(s) strictly complying
with the terms and conditions of a Letter of Credit. In furtherance
and not in limitation of the foregoing, the L/C Issuer may accept
documents that appear on their face to be in order, without
responsibility for further investigation, regardless of any notice
or information to the contrary, and the L/C Issuer shall not be
responsible for the validity or sufficiency of any instrument
transferring or assigning or purporting to transfer or assign a
Letter of Credit or the rights or benefits thereunder or proceeds
thereof, in whole or in part, which may prove to be invalid or
ineffective for any reason.
36
(g) Cash Collateral
.
(i) Upon the request of the
Administrative Agent, (A) if the L/C Issuer has honored any
full or partial drawing request under any Letter of Credit and such
drawing has resulted in an L/C Borrowing, or (B) if, as of the
Letter of Credit Expiration Date, any L/C Obligation for any reason
remains outstanding, the Borrower shall, in each case, immediately
Cash Collateralize the then Outstanding Amount of all L/C
Obligations.
(ii) In addition, if the
Administrative Agent notifies the Borrower at any time that the
Outstanding Amount of all L/C Obligations at such time exceeds 105%
of the Letter of Credit Sublimit then in effect, then, within two
Business Days after receipt of such notice, the Borrower shall Cash
Collateralize the L/C Obligations in an amount equal to the amount
by which the Outstanding Amount of all L/C Obligations exceeds the
Letter of Credit Sublimit.
(iii) The Administrative
Agent may, at any time and from time to time after the initial
deposit of Cash Collateral, request that additional Cash Collateral
be provided in order to protect against the results of exchange
rate fluctuations.
(iv) Sections 2.05 and
8.02(c) set forth certain additional requirements to deliver
Cash Collateral hereunder. For purposes of this
Section 2.03 , Section 2.05 and
Section 8.02(c) , “ Cash Collateralize
” means to pledge and deposit with or deliver to the
Administrative Agent, for the benefit of the L/C Issuer and the
Lenders, as collateral for the L/C Obligations, cash or deposit
account balances pursuant to documentation in form and substance
satisfactory to the Administrative Agent and the L/C Issuer (which
documents are hereby consented to by the Lenders). Derivatives of
such term have corresponding meanings. The Borrower hereby grants
to the Administrative Agent, for the benefit of the L/C Issuer and
the Lenders, a security interest in all such cash, deposit accounts
and all balances therein and all proceeds of the foregoing. Cash
Collateral shall be maintained in blocked, non-interest bearing
deposit accounts at Bank of America.
(h) Applicability of ISP
and UCP . Unless otherwise expressly agreed by the L/C Issuer
and the Borrower when a Letter of Credit is issued (including any
such agreement applicable to an Existing Letter of Credit),
(i) the rules of the ISP shall apply to each standby Letter of
Credit, and (ii) the rules of the Uniform Customs and Practice
for Documentary Credits, as most recently published by the
International Chamber of Commerce at the time of issuance shall
apply to each commercial Letter of Credit.
(i) Letter of Credit
Fees . The Borrower shall pay to the Administrative Agent for
the account of each Lender in accordance with its Applicable
Percentage, in Dollars, a Letter of Credit fee (the “
Letter of Credit Fee ”) for each standby or commercial
Letter of Credit equal to the Applicable Rate times the
Dollar Equivalent of the daily amount available to be drawn under
such Letter of Credit. For purposes of computing the daily amount
available to be drawn under any Letter of Credit, the amount of
such Letter of Credit shall be determined in accordance
with
37
Section 1.09 . Letter of
Credit Fees shall be (i) due and payable on the first Business
Day after the end of each March, June, September and December,
commencing with the first such date to occur after the issuance of
such Letter of Credit, on the Letter of Credit Expiration Date and
thereafter on demand and (ii) computed on a quarterly basis in
arrears. If there is any change in the Applicable Rate during any
quarter, the daily amount available to be drawn under each standby
Letter of Credit shall be computed and multiplied by the Applicable
Rate separately for each period during such quarter that such
Applicable Rate was in effect. Notwithstanding anything to the
contrary contained herein, upon the request of the Required
Lenders, while any Event of Default exists, all Letter of Credit
Fees shall accrue at the Default Rate.
(j) Fronting Fee and
Documentary and Processing Charges Payable to L/C Issuer . The
Borrower shall pay directly to the L/C Issuer for its own account,
in Dollars, a fronting fee (i) with respect to each commercial
Letter of Credit, at the rate specified in the Fee Letter, computed
on the Dollar Equivalent of the amount of such Letter of Credit,
and payable upon the issuance thereof, (ii) with respect to
any amendment of a commercial Letter of Credit increasing the
amount of such Letter of Credit, at a rate separately agreed
between the Borrower and the L/C Issuer, computed on the Dollar
Equivalent of the amount of such increase, and payable upon the
effectiveness of such amendment, and (iii) with respect to
each standby Letter of Credit, at the rate per annum specified in
the Fee Letter, computed on the Dollar Equivalent of the daily
amount available to be drawn under such Letter of Credit on a
quarterly basis in arrears. Such fronting fee shall be due and
payable on the tenth Business Day after the end of each March,
June, September and December in respect of the most recently-ended
quarterly period (or portion thereof, in the case of the first
payment), commencing with the first such date to occur after the
issuance of such Letter of Credit, on the Letter of Credit
Expiration Date and thereafter on demand. For purposes of computing
the daily amount available to be drawn under any Letter of Credit,
the amount of such Letter of Credit shall be determined in
accordance with Section 1.09 . In addition, the
Borrower shall pay directly to the L/C Issuer for its own account,
in Dollars, the customary issuance, presentation, amendment and
other processing fees, and other standard costs and charges, of the
L/C Issuer relating to letters of credit as from time to time in
effect. Such customary fees and standard costs and charges are due
and payable on demand and are nonrefundable.
(k) Conflict with Issuer
Documents . In the event of any conflict between the terms
hereof and the terms of any Issuer Document, the terms hereof shall
control.
2.04 Swing Line
Loans.
(a) The Swing Line .
Subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, the Swing
Line Lender agrees, in reliance upon the agreements of the other
Lenders set forth in this Section 2.04 , to make loans
in Dollars (each such loan, a “ Swing Line Loan
”) to the Borrower from time to time on any Business Day
during the Availability Period in an aggregate amount not to exceed
at any time outstanding the amount of the Swing Line Sublimit,
notwithstanding the fact that such Swing Line Loans, when
aggregated with the Applicable Percentage of the Outstanding Amount
of Committed Loans and L/C Obligations of the Lender acting as
Swing Line Lender, may exceed the amount of such Lender’s
Commitment; provided , however , that after giving
effect to any Swing Line Loan, (i) the Total Outstandings
shall not exceed the Aggregate Commitments, and (ii) the
aggregate Outstanding Amount of the Committed Loans of
38
any Lender, plus such
Lender’s Applicable Percentage of the Outstanding Amount of
all L/C Obligations, plus such Lender’s Applicable
Percentage of the Outstanding Amount of all Swing Line Loans shall
not exceed such Lender’s Commitment, and provided ,
further , that the Borrower shall not use the proceeds of
any Swing Line Loan to refinance any outstanding Swing Line Loan.
Within the foregoing limits, and subject to the other terms and
conditions hereof, the Borrower may borrow under this
Section 2.04 , prepay under Section 2.05 ,
and reborrow under this Section 2.04 . Each Swing Line
Loan shall be a Base Rate Loan. Immediately upon the making of a
Swing Line Loan, each Lender shall be deemed to, and hereby
irrevocably and unconditionally agrees to, purchase from the Swing
Line Lender a risk participation in such Swing Line Loan in an
amount equal to the product of such Lender’s Applicable
Percentage times the amount of such Swing Line
Loan.
(b) Borrowing
Procedures . Each Swing Line Borrowing shall be made upon the
Borrower’s irrevocable notice to the Swing Line Lender and
the Administrative Agent, which may be given by telephone. Each
such notice must be received by the Swing Line Lender and the
Administrative Agent not later than 1:00 p.m. on the requested
borrowing date, and shall specify (i) the amount to be
borrowed, which shall be a minimum of $250,000, and (ii) the
requested borrowing date, which shall be a Business Day. Each such
telephonic notice must be confirmed promptly by delivery to the
Swing Line Lender and the Administrative Agent of a written Swing
Line Loan Notice, appropriately completed and signed by a
Responsible Officer of the Borrower. Promptly after receipt by the
Swing Line Lender of any telephonic Swing Line Loan Notice, the
Swing Line Lender will confirm with the Administrative Agent (by
telephone or in writing) that the Administrative Agent has also
received such Swing Line Loan Notice and, if not, the Swing Line
Lender will notify the Administrative Agent (by telephone or in
writing) of the contents thereof. Unless the Swing Line Lender has
received notice (by telephone or in writing) from the
Administrative Agent (including at the request of any Lender) prior
to 2:00 p.m. on the date of the proposed Swing Line Borrowing
(A) directing the Swing Line Lender not to make such Swing
Line Loan as a result of the limitations set forth in the first
proviso to the first sentence of Section 2.04(a) , or
(B) that one or more of the applicable conditions specified in
Article IV is not then satisfied, then, subject to the terms
and conditions hereof, the Swing Line Lender will, not later than
3:00 p.m. on the borrowing date specified in such Swing Line Loan
Notice, make the amount of its Swing Line Loan available to the
Borrower at its office by crediting the account of the Borrower on
the books of the Swing Line Lender in Same Day Funds.
(c) Refinancing of Swing
Line Loans .
(i) The Swing Line Lender at
any time in its sole and absolute discretion may request, on behalf
of the Borrower (which hereby irrevocably authorizes the Swing Line
Lender to so request on its behalf), that each Lender make a Base
Rate Committed Loan in an amount equal to such Lender’s
Applicable Percentage of the amount of Swing Line Loans then
outstanding. Such request shall be made in writing (which written
request shall be deemed to be a Committed Loan Notice for purposes
hereof) and in accordance with the requirements of
Section 2.02 , without regard to the minimum and
multiples specified therein for the principal amount of Base Rate
Loans, but subject to the unutilized portion of the Aggregate
Commitments and the conditions set forth in
Section 4.02 . The Swing Line Lender shall furnish the
Borrower with a copy of the applicable Committed Loan Notice
promptly after delivering such notice to the
Administrative
39
Agent. Each Lender shall make
an amount equal to its Applicable Percentage of the amount
specified in such Committed Loan Notice available to the
Administrative Agent in Same Day Funds for the account of the Swing
Line Lender at the Administrative Agent’s Office for
Dollar-denominated payments not later than 1:00 p.m. on the day
specified in such Committed Loan Notic
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