|
Exhibit 4.1 AMENDED AND RESTATED
CREDIT AGREEMENT Dated as of December 23, 2008 Among VARISTAR
CORPORATION, THE BANKS,
as defined herein, BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.,
KEYBANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION,
and
WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
each as Co-Documentation Agents and U.S. BANK NATIONAL
ASSOCIATION,
as Agent
execution copy AMENDED AND RESTATED
CREDIT AGREEMENT THIS AMENDED AND
RESTATED CREDIT AGREEMENT, dated as of December 23, 2008, is
by and between VARISTAR CORPORATION, a Minnesota corporation (the
"Borrower" as of the date of this Agreement), the banks or
financial institutions listed on the signature pages hereof or
which hereafter become parties hereto by means of assignment and
assumption as hereinafter described (individually referred to as a
"Bank" or collectively as the "Banks"), BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.,
KEYBANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, and WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL
ASSOCIATION, as Co-Documentation Agents, and U.S. BANK NATIONAL
ASSOCIATION, a national banking association, as agent for the Banks
(in such capacity, the "Agent") and as Lead Arranger.
Preliminary Statement The
Borrower, certain Banks, the Co-Documentation Agents and the Agent
have entered into a Credit Agreement, dated as of October 2,
2007 (as thereafter amended, the "Existing Credit Agreement"),
under which the Banks and the Swing Line Bank made loans to the
Borrower and issued letters of credit for the account of the
Borrower or its Subsidiaries. The Borrower has requested that the
Banks continue to make loans and letters of credit available to the
Borrower, as more particularly described herein, and the Borrower,
the Banks named herein, the Co-Documentation Agents and the Agent
have agreed that the Existing Credit Agreement shall be amended to
read as follows to govern such existing loans and letters of credit
and those made and issued hereafter under the terms hereof.
ARTICLE I DEFINITIONS AND ACCOUNTING TERMS
Section 1.1 Defined Terms
. In addition to the terms defined elsewhere in this Agreement, the
following terms shall have the following respective meanings (and
such meanings shall be equally applicable to both the singular and
plural form of the terms defined, as the context may require):
" Adjusted Cash Flow Leverage
Ratio " means the ratio, calculated for each period of four
consecutive fiscal quarters of the Borrower, of: (a) the sum
of (i) total consolidated Funded Debt of the Borrower and its
Subsidiaries as of the last day of such period, plus
(ii) Funded Debt of the Parent that is guarantied by the
Borrower or its Subsidiaries unless the Parent is Investment Grade
Rated; to (b) EBITDA for such period.
" Advance " means the
portion of the outstanding Revolving Loans by the Banks as to which
one of the available interest rate options and, if pertinent, an
Interest Period, is applicable. An Advance may be a "LIBOR
Advance", "Base Rate Advance" (each, a "type" of Advance).
" Adverse Event " means the
occurrence of any event that could have a material adverse effect
on the business, operations, property, assets or condition
(financial or otherwise) of the Borrower and the Subsidiaries as a
consolidated enterprise or on the ability of the Borrower or the
Material Subsidiaries to perform their respective obligations under
the Loan Documents. " Agent "
means U.S. Bank National Association, as agent for the Banks
hereunder and each successor, as provided in
Section 11.8 , who shall act as Agent.
" Agent’s Fee Letter "
means the letter agreement, dated as of the date hereof (as
hereafter amended from time to time) between the Borrower and the
Agent respecting certain fees payable to the Agent for its own
account. " Agreement " means
this Amended and Restated Credit Agreement, as it may be further
amended, modified, supplemented, restated or replaced from time to
time. " Applicable Commitment Fee
Rate; Applicable Margin " means the following: (a) Prior
to the Permitted Reorganization Effective Date, the percentages set
forth below, determined based on the applicable Level as determined
under this subparagraph (a):
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Applicable Margin
|
|
Applicable
|
|
|
|
LIBOR
|
|
Base Rate
|
|
Commitment
|
|
Level:
|
|
Advances
|
|
Advances
|
|
Fee Rate
|
|
Level I:
|
|
|
1.250
|
%
|
|
|
0.250
|
%
|
|
|
0.150
|
%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Level II:
|
|
|
1.500
|
%
|
|
|
0.500
|
%
|
|
|
0.200
|
%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Level III:
|
|
|
1.750
|
%
|
|
|
0.750
|
%
|
|
|
0.225
|
%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Level IV:
|
|
|
2.000
|
%
|
|
|
1.000
|
%
|
|
|
0.250
|
%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Level V:
|
|
|
2.250
|
%
|
|
|
1.250
|
%
|
|
|
0.300
|
%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Level VI
|
|
|
2.750
|
%
|
|
|
1.750
|
%
|
|
|
0.350
|
%
|
The Applicable Commitment Fee Rate and Applicable Margin shall
be those shown for Level IV as of the date of this Agreement. The
Applicable Commitment Fee Rate and Applicable Margin shall be
adjusted ten (10) Business Days after receipt of the
Compliance Certificate and quarterly financial statements of the
Borrower, commencing with the
2
Compliance Certificate and quarterly financial statement for the
quarter ending December 31, 2008, based on calculation of the
Adjusted Cash Flow Leverage Ratio in such Compliance Certificate,
and shall remain in effect until the next-following Compliance
Certificate and quarterly financial statements so delivered to the
Agent. In the event that the Borrower has not submitted quarterly
financial statements or a Compliance Certificate as required by
Sections 8.1(b) and (c) , from the date such
quarterly financial statements and Compliance Certificate are
required until they are delivered, the Applicable Commitment Fee
Rate and the Applicable Margin shall be the highest percentage
specified above until such time as a Compliance Certificate and
such financial statements are delivered, after which time the
Applicable Commitment Fee Rate and the Applicable Margin for each
type of Loan shall be readjusted to the rate applicable to the
Adjusted Cash Flow Leverage Ratio calculated on such Compliance
Certificate. For purposes of this subparagraph (a), the Levels
shall be defined and determined as follows: Level I shall
apply if the Adjusted Cash Flow Leverage Ratio is less than or
equal to 1.00 to 1.00. Level II shall apply if the Adjusted
Cash Flow Leverage Ratio is greater than 1.00 to 1.00 but less than
or equal to 1.50 to 1.00. Level III shall apply if the
Adjusted Cash Flow Leverage Ratio is greater than 1.50 to 1.00 but
less than or equal to 2.00 to 1.00. Level IV shall apply if
the Adjusted Cash Flow Leverage Ratio is greater than 2.00 to 1.00
but less than or equal to 2.50 to 1.00. Level V shall apply
if the Adjusted Cash Flow Leverage Ratio is greater than 2.50 to
1.0 but less than or equal to 3.00 to 1.00. Level VI shall
apply if the Adjusted Cash Flow Leverage Ratio is greater than 3.00
to 1.00. (b) On and after the Permitted Reorganization
Effective Date and receipt of confirmation of the ratings of
unsecured senior indebtedness of New OTC, the percentages set forth
below, determined based on the applicable Level as determined under
this subparagraph (b):
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Applicable Margin
|
|
Applicable
|
|
|
|
LIBOR
|
|
Base Rate
|
|
Commitment
|
|
Level:
|
|
Advances
|
|
Advances
|
|
Fee Rate
|
|
Level I:
|
|
|
0.875
|
%
|
|
|
0.000
|
%
|
|
|
0.150
|
%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Level II:
|
|
|
1.250
|
%
|
|
|
0.250
|
%
|
|
|
0.200
|
%
|
3
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Applicable Margin
|
|
Applicable
|
|
|
|
LIBOR
|
|
Base Rate
|
|
Commitment
|
|
Level:
|
|
Advances
|
|
Advances
|
|
Fee Rate
|
|
Level III:
|
|
|
1.625
|
%
|
|
|
0.625
|
%
|
|
|
0.225
|
%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Level IV
|
|
|
1.875
|
%
|
|
|
0.875
|
%
|
|
|
0.250
|
%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Level V
|
|
|
2.375
|
%
|
|
|
1.375
|
%
|
|
|
0.350
|
%
|
The Applicable Commitment Fee Rate and Applicable Margin shall
be adjusted ten (10) Business Days after any change in ratings
that would require such adjustment. For purposes of this
subparagraph (b), the Levels shall be defined and determined as
follows: Level I shall apply if New OTC’s Long Term
Debt Rating is A- or better (S&P) and A3 or better
(Moody’s). Level II shall apply if New OTC’s
Long Term Debt Rating is BBB+ (S&P) and Baa1 (Moody’s)
but no numerically lower Level applies. Level III shall
apply if New OTC’s Long Term Debt Rating is BBB (S&P) and
Baa2 (Moody’s) but no numerically lower Level applies.
Level IV shall apply if New OTC’s Long Term Debt
Rating is BBB- (S&P) and Baa3 (Moody’s) but no
numerically lower Level applies. Level V shall apply if New
OTC’s Long Term Debt Rating is below BBB- (S&P) or Baa3
(Moody’s). In the event of a split rating (i.e., Long Term
Debt Ratings by S&P and Moody’s that would not be in the
same Level), the Level shall be based on the lower of the two Long
Term Debt Rating. " Assumption and
Release Agreement " means an agreement among New OTC, the Agent
(on behalf of the Agent and the Banks, as provided in
Section 12.3 ) and Varistar Corporation in the form of
Exhibit B , duly executed and delivered by New OTC, the
Agent and Varistar Corporation. "
Authorized Representatives " means any officers or employees
of the Borrower designated by the Borrower for purposes of giving
and receiving notices hereunder, requesting and repaying Loans,
agreeing to rates of interest and otherwise transacting business
with the Agent and the Banks hereunder.
" Base Rate " means, for any
day, a fluctuating rate per annum as determined by the Agent to
equal to the greatest of (a) the Prime Rate in effect on such
day, (b) a rate per annum equal to the Federal Funds Effective
Rate in effect on such day plus 0.50% per annum, or (c) the
LIBOR Rate (Reserve Adjusted) Daily Floating in effect on such day
plus 1.00% per annum. If for any reason the Agent shall have
determined (which determination shall be conclusive in the absence
of manifest error) that it is unable to ascertain the Federal Funds
Effective Rate or the LIBOR Rate (Reserve Adjusted) Daily Floating
for any reason (including, without limitation, the
4
inability or failure of the Agent to obtain sufficient bids or
publications in accordance with the terms hereof), the Base Rate
shall be a fluctuating rate per annum equal to the Prime Rate in
effect from time to time per annum until the circumstances giving
rise to such inability no longer exist.
" Base Rate Advance" means an
Advance designated as such in a notice of borrowing under
Section 2.3 or a notice of continuation or conversion
under Section 2.4 . "
Borrower " means Varistar Corporation prior to the Permitted
Reorganization Effective Date, and Otter Tail Corporation, a
corporation to be hereafter organized and formed by the Parent as
provided in Section 12.1(b) (also referred to as "
New OTC " in this Agreement) on and following the Permitted
Reorganization Effective Date. For clarity, some provisions in this
Agreement refer to "Varistar Corporation", which references shall
mean and be limited to Varistar Corporation, and not New OTC,
whether before or after the Permitted Reorganization Effective
Date. Similarly, references to "New OTC" shall mean and be limited
to Otter Tail Corporation. "
Borrower Obligations " means each and every debt, liability
and other obligation of the Borrower of every type and description
arising under or in connection with any of the Loan Documents which
the Borrower may now or at any time hereafter owe to a Bank or to
the Banks or to the Agent, whether such debt, liability or
obligation now exists or is hereafter created or incurred, whether
it is direct or indirect, due or to become due, absolute or
contingent, primary or secondary, liquidated or unliquidated, or
sole, joint, several or joint and several, and including
specifically, but not limited to, all indebtedness, liabilities and
obligations of the Borrower arising under this Agreement, any
Letter of Credit Agreement and the Notes.
" Business Day " means any day
(other than a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday in the State of
Minnesota) on which national banks are permitted to be open in
Minneapolis, Minnesota and New York, New York and, with respect to
LIBOR Advances, a day on which dealings in Dollars may be carried
on by the Agent in the interbank LIBOR market.
" Capital Expenditure " means
any amount debited to the fixed asset account on the consolidated
balance sheet of the Borrower in respect of (a) the
acquisition (including, without limitation, acquisition by entry
into a Capitalized Lease), construction, improvement, replacement
or betterment of land, buildings, machinery, equipment or of any
other fixed assets or leaseholds, and (b) to the extent
related to and not included in (a) above, materials, contract
labor and direct labor (excluding expenditures properly chargeable
to repairs or maintenance in accordance with GAAP).
" Capitalized Lease " means
any lease which is or should be capitalized on the books of the
lessee in accordance with GAAP. "
Cash Flow Leverage Ratio " means the ratio, calculated for
each period of four consecutive fiscal quarters of the Borrower, of
total consolidated Funded Debt of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries
as of the last day of such period to EBITDA for such period.
5
" Code " means the Internal
Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or any successor statute,
together with regulations thereunder.
" Commitment " means the
maximum unpaid principal amount of the Loans of all Banks which may
from time to time be outstanding hereunder, being initially
$200,000,000, as the same may be increased from time to time
pursuant to Section 2.9 or reduced from time to time
pursuant to Section 4.3 , or, if so indicated, the
maximum unpaid principal amount of Loans of any Bank (which amounts
are set forth on Schedule 1.1(a) hereto or in the
relevant Assignment and Assumption Agreement for such Bank) and, as
the context may require, the agreement of each Bank to make Loans
to the Borrower and to participate in the Letters of Credit subject
to the terms and conditions of this Agreement up to its Commitment.
" Commitment Fees " shall have
the meaning set forth in Section 3.2 .
" Compliance Certificate "
means a certificate in the form of Exhibit C , duly
completed and signed by an authorized officer of the Borrower.
" Controlled Foreign
Corporation " means a Subsidiary that is a controlled foreign
corporation under Section 957 of the Code.
" Default " means any event
which, with the giving of notice to the Borrower or lapse of time,
or both, would constitute an Event of Default.
" Defaulting Bank " means any
Bank, as determined by the Agent, that has (a) failed (a "
Funding Default ") to fund any portion of its Loans or
Participation Interests (in each case, a " Defaulted Loan ")
within three Business Days of the date required to be funded by it
hereunder, (b) notified the Borrower, the Agent or the Swing
Line Bank in writing that it does not intend to comply with any of
its funding obligations under this Agreement or has made a public
statement to the effect that it does not intend to comply with its
funding obligations under this Agreement or under other agreements
in which it commits to extend credit, (c) failed, within three
Business Days after request by the Agent, to confirm that it will
comply with the terms of this Agreement relating to its obligations
to fund prospective Loans and Participation Interests, (d)
otherwise failed to pay over to the Agent or any other Bank any
other amount required to be paid by it hereunder within three
Business Days of the date when due, unless the subject of a good
faith dispute, or (e) (i) become or is insolvent or has a
parent company that has become or is insolvent or (ii) become
the subject of a bankruptcy or insolvency proceeding, or has had a
receiver, conservator, trustee or custodian appointed for it, or
has taken any action in furtherance of, or indicating its consent
to, approval of or acquiescence in any such proceeding or
appointment or has a parent company that has become the subject of
a bankruptcy or insolvency proceeding, or has had a receiver,
conservator, trustee or custodian appointed for it, or has taken
any action in furtherance of, or indicating its consent to,
approval of or acquiescence in any such proceeding or
appointment.
6
" EBIT " means, for any
period of determination, the consolidated net income of the
Borrower and its Subsidiaries before provision for income taxes,
plus , to the extent subtracted in determining consolidated
net income, Interest Expense, all as determined in accordance with
GAAP, excluding (to the extent included): (a) non-operating
gains (including, without limitation, extraordinary or nonrecurring
gains, gains from discontinuance of operations and gains arising
from the sale of assets other than inventory), excluding gains
resulting from sale of fixed assets, during the applicable period;
(b) similar non-operating losses, excluding losses from sale
of fixed assets, during such period, and (c) payments of any
premiums and any other costs, fees and expenses required to be paid
by the terms thereof in connection with the repayment or redemption
of Interest-bearing Debt existing as of the date of this Agreement
and of Preferred Stock existing as of the date of this Agreement;
provided that if the Borrower or any Subsidiary acquires a
Person (an " Acquired Person ") in an Acquisition in such
period, then all of the Acquired Person’s EBIT (calculated
for such Person as set forth above) for the period of determination
shall be added to EBIT, and if the Borrower or any Subsidiary sells
all or substantially all of the stock or assets of any Subsidiary
in any such period, then the EBIT of such Subsidiary (calculated
for such Person as set forth above) shall be deducted from EBIT.
" EBITDA " means, for any
period of determination, EBIT, plus, to the extent subtracted in
determining the consolidated net income of the Borrower and its
Subsidiaries, depreciation and amortization, as determined in
accordance with GAAP, excluding (to the extent included) payments
of any premiums and any other costs, fees and expenses required to
be paid by the terms thereof in connection with the repayment or
redemption of Interest-bearing Debt existing as of the date of this
Agreement and of Preferred Stock existing as of the date of this
Agreement; provided that if the Borrower or any Subsidiary
acquires a Person (an " Acquired Person ") in an Acquisition
in such period, then, without duplication, all of the Acquired
Person’s EBITDA (calculated for such Person as set forth
above) for the period of determination shall be added to EBITDA,
and if the Borrower or any Subsidiary sells all or substantially
all of the stock or assets of any Subsidiary in any such period,
then the EBITDA of such Subsidiary (calculated for such Person as
set forth above) shall be deducted from EBITDA.
" EBITDAR " means, for any
period of determination, EBITDA, plus , to the extent
subtracted in determining the consolidated net income of the
Borrower and its Subsidiaries, Rental Expense ;
provided that if the Borrower or any Subsidiary acquires a
Person (an " Acquired Person ") in an Acquisition in such
period, then, without duplication, all of the Acquired
Person’s EBITDAR (calculated for such Person as set forth
above) for the period of determination shall be added to EBITDAR,
and if the Borrower or any Subsidiary sells all or substantially
all of the stock or assets of any Subsidiary in any such period,
then the EBITDAR of such Subsidiary (calculated for such Person as
set forth above) shall be deducted from EBITDAR.
" ERISA " means the Employee
Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, and any
successor statute, together with regulations thereunder.
7
" ERISA Affiliate " means
any trade or business (whether or not incorporated) that is a
member of a group of which the Borrower is a member and which is
treated as a single employer under Section 414 of the Code.
" Federal Funds Effective Rate
" means, for any day, an interest rate per annum equal to the
weighted average of the rates on overnight Federal funds
transactions with members of the Federal Reserve System arranged by
Federal funds brokers, as published for such day by the Federal
Reserve Bank of New York, or, if such rate is not so published for
any day which is a Business Day, the average of the quotations for
such day on such transactions received by the Agent from three
Federal funds brokers of recognized standing selected by it. In the
case of a day which is not a Business Day, the Federal Funds
Effective Rate for such day shall be the Federal Funds Effective
Rate for the preceding Business Day. Each change in the Base Rate
due to a change in the Federal Funds Effective Rate shall take
effect on the effective date of such change in the Federal Funds
Effective Rate. " Federal Reserve
Board " means the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve
System or an successor thereto. "
Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio " means the ratio, calculated
for each period of four consecutive fiscal quarters of the
Borrower, of: (a) the total for such period of
(i) EBITDAR, minus (ii) Restricted Payments, and
minus (iii) income taxes paid in cash during such
period; to (b) the sum for such period of
(i) Interest Expense, plus (ii) mandatory or
scheduled principal payments of consolidated Funded Debt of the
Borrower and its Subsidiaries (including payments of Capitalized
Leases), and plus (iii) Rental Expense.
" Funded Debt " means, without
duplication, all obligations of a Person or its Subsidiaries on a
consolidated basis: (a) in respect of borrowed money,
including without limitation Loans hereunder; (b) secured by a
mortgage, pledge, security interest, lien or charge on the assets
of such Person or Subsidiaries, whether the obligation secured is
the obligation of the owner or another Person (provided that
non-recourse obligations will only be taken into account up to the
fair market value of the related property); (c) any obligation
for the deferred purchase price of any property or services
evidenced by a note, payment contract (other than an account
payable arising in the ordinary course of business) or other
instrument, (d) any obligation as lessee under any Capitalized
Lease; (e) net liabilities under any interest rate swap or
hedging agreement; and (f) undertakings or agreements to
reimburse or indemnify issuers of letters of credit other than
commercial letters of credit. "
Event of Default " means any event described in
Section 10.1 .
8
" GAAP " means generally
accepted accounting principles as applied in the preparation of the
audited consolidated financial statement of the Borrower referred
to in Section 7.5 . "
Guaranty " means to (a) endorse, guarantee,
contingently agree to purchase or to provide funds for the payment
of, or otherwise become contingently liable upon, any obligation of
any other Person, except by the endorsement of negotiable
instruments for deposit or collection (or similar transactions) in
the ordinary course of business, or (b) agree to maintain the
net worth or working capital of, or provide funds to satisfy any
other financial test applicable to, or other obligations of, any
other Person. " Indebtedness "
means, without duplication, all obligations, contingent or
otherwise, which in accordance with GAAP should be classified upon
the obligor’s balance sheet as liabilities, but in any event
including the following (whether or not they should be classified
as liabilities upon such balance sheet): (a) obligations
secured by any mortgage, pledge, security interest, lien, charge or
other encumbrance existing on property owned or acquired subject
thereto, whether or not the obligation secured thereby shall have
been assumed and whether or not the obligation secured is the
obligation of the owner or another party; (b) any obligation
on account of deposits or advances; (c) any obligation for the
deferred purchase price of any property or services, except trade
accounts payable arising in the ordinary course of business,
(d) any obligation as lessee under any Capitalized Lease;
(e) all guaranties, endorsements and other contingent
obligations in respect to Indebtedness of others;
(f) undertakings or agreements to reimburse or indemnify
issuers of letters of credit; and (g) net liabilities under
any interest rate swap, collar or other interest rate hedging
agreement. For all purposes of this Agreement, the Indebtedness of
any Person shall include the Indebtedness of any partnership or
joint venture in which such Person is a general partner or a joint
venturer. " Interest and Dividend
Coverage Ratio " means the ratio, calculated for each period of
four consecutive fiscal quarters of New OTC, of: (a) EBIT for
such period; to (b) the sum for such period of
(i) Interest Expense, plus (ii) dividends or
interest on Preferred Stock. "
Interest-bearing Debt " means, without duplication, all
obligations of the Borrower or a Subsidiary on a consolidated
basis: (a) in respect of borrowed money; (b) secured by a
mortgage, pledge, security interest, lien or charge on the assets
of the Borrower or a Subsidiary, whether the obligation secured is
the obligation of the owner or another Person (provided that
non-recourse obligations will only be taken into account up to the
fair market value of the related property); (c) for the
deferred purchase price of any property or services evidenced by a
note, payment contract (other than an account payable arising in
the ordinary course of business) or other instrument, (d) as
lessee under any Capitalized Lease; (e) that are all
guaranties and contingent or other legal obligations in respect to
Interest-bearing Debt of other Persons, excluding ordinary course
endorsements; (f) that are net liabilities under any interest
rate swap, collar or other interest rate hedging agreement;
(g) that are undertakings or agreements to reimburse or
indemnify issuers of letters of credit other than commercial
letters of credit; (h) that are amounts calculated in respect
of synthetic leases as if such leases were Capitalized Leases,
(i) that are amounts calculated in respect of Permitted Sales
and Leasebacks as provided in the definition thereof; and
(j) that are indebtedness attributable to
9
Permitted Securitization Transactions (whether or not such
transactions include recourse to the Borrower or a Subsidiary).
" Interest Expense " means,
for any period of determination, the aggregate consolidated amount,
without duplication, of interest paid, accrued or scheduled to be
paid in respect of any Indebtedness of the Borrower and its
Subsidiaries, including in all cases interest expense determined in
accordance with GAAP and, to the extent not otherwise included in
GAAP interest expense: (a) all but the principal component of
payments in respect of conditional sale contracts, Capitalized
Leases and other title retention agreements; (b) commissions,
discounts and other fees and charges with respect to letters of
credit and bankers’ acceptance financings; (c) net costs
under any interest rate swap, collar or other interest rate hedging
agreements, in each case determined in accordance with GAAP;
(d) amounts calculated in respect of synthetic leases as if
such leases were Capitalized Leases, (e) interest attributable
to Permitted Sales and Leasebacks, as provided in the definition
thereof, and (f) discount or other yield attributable to
Permitted Securitization Transactions.
" Interest Period " means, for
any LIBOR Advance, the period commencing on the borrowing date of
such LIBOR Advance or the date a Base Rate Advance is converted
into such LIBOR Advance, or the last day of the preceding Interest
Period for such LIBOR Advance, as the case may be, and ending on
the numerically corresponding day one, two, three or six months
thereafter, as selected by the Borrower pursuant to
Section 2.3 or Section 2.4 ;
provided , that: (a) any Interest Period which would
otherwise end on a day which is not a Business Day shall end on the
next succeeding Business Day unless such next succeeding Business
Day falls in another calendar month, in which case such Interest
Period shall end on the next preceding Business Day; (b) any
Interest Period which 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 (c) no Interest Period shall extend
beyond the Termination Date. "
Investment " means the acquisition, purchase, making or
holding of any stock or other security, any loan, advance,
contribution to capital, extension of credit (except for trade and
customer accounts receivable for inventory sold or services
rendered in the ordinary course of business and payable in
accordance with customary trade terms), any acquisitions of real or
personal property (other than real and personal property acquired
in the ordinary course of business) and any purchase or commitment
or option to purchase stock or other debt or equity securities of
or any interest in another Person or any integral part of any
business or the assets comprising such business or part
thereof.
10
" Investment Grade Rated "
means having a Long Term Debt Rating of BBB- or better by S&P
and Baa3 or better by Moody’s.
" Letters of Credit " shall
have the meaning set forth in Section 2.8 .
" Letter of Credit Agreements
" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.8 .
" Letter of Credit Obligations
" shall mean the aggregate amount of all possible drawings under
all Letters of Credit plus all amounts drawn under any Letter of
Credit and not reimbursed by the Borrower under the applicable
Letter of Credit Agreement. "
LIBOR Advance" means an Advance designated as such in a
notice of borrowing under Section 2.3 or a notice of
continuation or conversion under Section 2.4 .
" LIBOR Interbank Rate " means
the offered rate for deposits in United States Dollars for delivery
of such deposits on the first day of an Interest Period of a LIBOR
Advance, for the number of days comprised therein, quoted by the
Agent from Reuters Screen LIBOR01 page or any successor thereto as
of approximately 11:00 a.m., London time, on the day that is
two Banking Days preceding the first day of the Interest Period of
such LIBOR Advance, or the rate for such deposits determined by the
Agent at such time based on such other published service of general
application as shall be selected by the Agent for such purpose;
provided, that in lieu of determining the rate in the foregoing
manner, the Agent may determine the rate based on rates offered to
the Agent for deposits in United States Dollars in the interbank
eurodollar market at such time for delivery on the first day of the
Interest Period for the number of days comprised therein.
" LIBOR Interbank Daily Rate "
means the offered rate for deposits in United States Dollars for
interest periods of one month determined by the Agent from Reuters
Screen LIBOR01 page or any successor thereto as of approximately
11:00 a.m., London time, on each Business Day (without taking
into account the two-day future delivery convention applicable to
such reports), which rate shall remain in effect until the next
following Business Day. " LIBOR
Rate (Reserve Adjusted) " means a rate per annum calculated for
the Interest Period of a LIBOR Advance in accordance with the
following formula:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
LRRA
|
|
=
|
|
LIBOR Interbank Rate
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1.00 - LRR
|
|
|
In such formula, "LRR" means "LIBOR Reserve Rate" and "LRRA"
means "LIBOR Rate (Reserve Adjusted)", in each instance determined
by the Agent for the applicable Interest Period. The Agent’s
determination of all such rates shall be conclusive in the absence
of manifest error. " LIBOR Rate
(Reserve Adjusted) Daily Floating " means a rate per annum
calculated for the Interest Period of a LIBOR Advance in accordance
with the following formula:
11
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
LRRADF
|
|
=
|
|
LIBOR Interbank Daily Rate
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1.00 - LRR
|
|
|
In such formula, "LRR" means "LIBOR Reserve Rate" and "LRRADF"
means "LIBOR Rate (Reserve Adjusted) Daily Floating". The
Agent’s determination of all such rates shall be conclusive
in the absence of manifest error. "
LIBOR Reserve Rate " means a percentage equal to the daily
average during such Interest Period of the aggregate maximum
reserve requirements (including all basic, supplemental, marginal
and other reserves), as specified under Regulation D of the
Federal Reserve Board, or any other applicable regulation that
prescribes reserve requirements applicable to Eurocurrency
liabilities (as presently defined in Regulation D) or
applicable to extensions of credit by the Agent the rate of
interest on which is determined with regard to rates applicable to
Eurocurrency liabilities. Without limiting the generality of the
foregoing, the Eurocurrency Reserve Rate shall reflect any reserves
required to be maintained by the Agent against (i) any
category of liabilities that includes deposits by reference to
which the LIBOR Interbank Rate or LIBOR Interbank Daily Rate is to
be determined, or (ii) any category of extensions of credit or
other assets that includes LIBOR Advances.
" Lien " means any security
interest, mortgage, pledge, lien, hypothecation, judgment lien or
similar legal process, charge, encumbrance, title retention
agreement or analogous instrument or device (including, without
limitation, the interest of the lessors under Capitalized Leases
and the interest of a vendor under any conditional sale or other
title retention agreement). "
Loans " means the Revolving Loans and the Swing Line Loans.
" Loan Documents " means this
Agreement, the Notes, each Letter of Credit Agreement, the Parent
Negative Pledge and the Parent Subordination Agreement (prior to
the Permitted Reorganization only), each Material Subsidiary
Guaranty and each other instrument, document, guaranty, security
agreement, mortgage, or other agreement executed and delivered by
the Borrower, Material Subsidiary, the Parent (prior to the
Permitted Reorganization Effective Date only) or any other
guarantor or party granting security interests in connection with
this Agreement, the Loans or any collateral for the Loans.
" Long Term Debt Rating "
means the rating assigned by S&P or Moody’s to the long
term, unsecured and unsubordinated indebtedness of the Borrower.
" Material Subsidiary " means
(a) the Subsidiaries listed on Schedule 1.1(b)
hereto, and (b) any Subsidiary acquired or formed after the
date of this Agreement if at the time of such acquisition or
formation or at any time thereafter either (i) the
consolidated assets of such Subsidiary and its Subsidiaries shall
exceed 5.00% of the consolidated assets of the Borrower and its
Subsidiaries (excluding Otter Tail Power Company and its
Subsidiaries on and after the Permitted Reorganization Effective),
or (ii) the consolidated gross revenues of such Subsidiary and
its Subsidiaries shall
12
exceed 5.00% of the consolidated gross revenues of the Borrower
and its Subsidiaries (excluding Otter Tail Power Company and its
Subsidiaries on and after the Permitted Reorganization Effective).
Such assets and gross revenues shall be determined on a pro forma
basis at the time of such acquisition or formation, and shall be
determined thereafter at the request of the Agent, but not less
than one time per fiscal year of the Borrower thereafter.
Notwithstanding the foregoing neither Otter Tail Power Company nor
any other Subsidiary of Otter Tail Power Company shall be deemed a
Material Subsidiary. " Material
Subsidiary Guaranty " means the Guaranty in the form of
Exhibit D hereto, duly completed and executed by each
Material Subsidiary now existing or hereafter formed or acquired,
except for any Subsidiary that is a Controlled Foreign Corporation.
Material Subsidiary Guaranty shall include the New Material
Subsidiary Guaranty, after such guaranty is delivered as provided
in Section 12.2(g) . "
Moody’s " means Moody’s Investors Service, Inc.
" New OTC " shall have the
meaning set forth in Section 12.1(a) .
" Non-Power Company Assets "
means all tangible and intangible assets of the Parent except for
the Power Company Assets, and shall expressly include
(a) stock of the Borrower, and (b) all notes payable by the
Borrower or any Subsidiary to the Parent.
" New Material Subsidiary
Guaranty " means a guaranty by the Material Subsidiaries of New
OTC in the form of Exhibit E , duly executed and
delivered by each Material Subsidiary of New OTC (including
Varistar Corporation). " Notes
" means the Revolving Notes and the Swing Line Note.
" Otter Tail Power Company "
shall mean the surviving corporation in the merger of Parent with
the Merger Sub as provided in Section 12.1(h) .
" Parent " means Otter Tail
Corporation, a Minnesota corporation, and any successor thereof.
" Parent Negative Pledge "
means a letter agreement between the Parent and the Agent, dated as
of October 2, 2007, as confirmed to the Agent pursuant to an
acknowledgement and confirmation as provided in
Section 6.1(c) hereof in the form of
Exhibit F . " Parent
Agreement Release " means a release by the Agent, on behalf of
itself and the Banks, of the Parent Negative Pledge and the Parent
Subordination Agreement in the form of Exhibit G .
" Parent Subordination
Agreement " means a subordination agreement between the Parent
and the Agent as of October 2, 2007, as confirmed to the Agent
pursuant to an acknowledgement and confirmation as provided in
Section 6.1(c) hereof in the form of
Exhibit F .
13
" Participation Interests "
means the participation interest of each Bank in (a) any Swing
Line Loan, as provided in Section 2.7(b) ,
(b) Letters of Credit, as provided in
Section 2.8(a) and (b) , and (c) Loans of
other Banks, as provided in Section 4.5 .
" Payment Date " means the
Termination Date, plus (a) the last day of each Interest
Period for each LIBOR Advance and, if such Interest Period is in
excess of three months after the first day of such Interest Period,
and thereafter each day three months after each succeeding Payment
Date; (b) the last day of each month for any Swing Line Loan,
and (c) the last day of each March, June, September and
December of each year for each Base Rate Advance and for any fees
including, without limitation, Commitment Fees and the Letter of
Credit commissions payable under Section 2.8(c)(vi) .
" PBGC " means the Pension
Benefit Guaranty Corporation, established pursuant to Subtitle A of
Title IV of ERISA, and any successor thereto or to the functions
thereof. " Percentage " means,
as to any Bank, the proportion, expressed as a percentage, that
such Bank’s Commitment bears to the total Commitments of all
Banks. The Percentages of the Banks as of the date of this
Agreement are set forth on Schedule 1.1(a) .
" Permitted Divestitures "
means sales of stock or assets, transfers of stock or assets,
mergers resulting in divestiture of stock or assets or other
divestitures of assets of the Borrower and Subsidiaries, which, in
the aggregate for all such transactions during any one fiscal year
of the Borrower, shall not result in the sale, transfer or other
divestiture of stock or assets having a value in excess of 10% of
the consolidated assets of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries as of
the beginning of such fiscal year. "
Permitted Reorganization " means the transactions described
in Article XII hereof, which transactions shall be
deemed the Permitted Reorganization only when completed in
accordance with all of the requirements of Article XII
and upon satisfaction or waiver by the Required Banks, or if so
required by Section 13.2 all Banks, of all of the
conditions provided therein. "
Permitted Reorganization Effective Date " shall mean the
time that the Permitted Reorganization becomes effective and all
conditions provided in Article XII are satisfied or
waived by the Agent. " Permitted
Sales and Leasebacks " means sales and leasebacks of assets of
the Borrower or a Subsidiary involving a sale price of assets of
the Borrower and Subsidiaries not to exceed $20,000,000 in the
aggregate for all transactions after the date of this Agreement,
that give rise to (a) Interest Expense, prior to the Permitted
Reorganization Effective Date, and (b) Interest-bearing Debt, on
and after the Permitted Reorganization Effective Date, in each case
, calculated as if the relevant leases were Capitalized Leases
(whether or not actually constituting Capitalized Leases).
14
" Permitted Securitization
Transactions " means sales of accounts receivable and other
securitization transactions in nominal principal amounts not to
exceed $50,000,000; provided , that such transactions may
include only recourse to the Borrower or a Subsidiary
(a) under customary representations and warranties not
constituting credit support for the assets sold, and
(b) constituting credit support in an amount not exceeding 10%
of the nominal principal amount of the transaction. The nominal
principal amount of any Permitted Securitization Transaction, and
the discount or other yield attributable thereto for purposes of
determination of Interest Expense, shall each be determined on a
reasonable basis by the Borrower as if each such transaction were a
financing transaction and not a sale.
" Person " means any natural
person, corporation, limited liability company, partnership, joint
venture, firm, association, trust, unincorporated organization,
government or governmental agency or political subdivision or any
other entity, whether acting in an individual, fiduciary or other
capacity. " Plan " means an
employee benefit plan or other plan, maintained for employees of
the Borrower or of any ERISA Affiliate, and subject to Title IV of
ERISA or Section 412 of the Code.
" Power Company Assets " means
all tangible and intangible assets of the Parent consisting of
property, contracts, leases, right, privileges, franchises,
patents, trademarks, licenses, registrations and other assets that
pertain to the Parent’s electric generation and transmission
business. " Preferred Stock "
means stock of the Borrower other than common stock.
" Prime Rate " means the rate
of interest from time to time announced by the Agent as its "prime
rate." For purposes of determining any interest rate which is based
on the Prime Rate, such interest rate shall be adjusted each time
that the prime rate changes. "
Related Party " means any Person (other than a Subsidiary):
(a) which directly or indirectly through one or more
intermediaries controls, or is controlled by, or is under common
control with, the Borrower, (b) which beneficially owns or
holds 5% or more of the equity interest of the Borrower; or
(c) 5% or more of the equity interest of which is beneficially
owned or held by the Borrower or a Subsidiary. The term "control"
means the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to
direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of a
Person, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by
contract or otherwise. " Rental
Expense " means, for any period of determination, the aggregate
amount, without duplication, of rent paid, accrued or scheduled to
be paid under any lease of assets that is not a Capitalized Lease.
" Reportable Event " means a
reportable event as defined in Section 4043 of ERISA and the
regulations issued under such Section, with respect to a Plan,
excluding, however, such events as to which the PBGC by regulation
has waived the requirement of Section 4043(a) of ERISA that it be
notified within 30 days of the occurrence of such event,
provided that a failure to meet the minimum
15
funding standard of Section 412 of the Code and
Section 302 of ERISA shall be a reportable event regardless of
the issuance of any such waivers in accordance with Section 412(d)
of the Code. " Reporting
Entity " is defined in Section 8.1(a) .
" Required Banks " means
(subject to Section 2.11 with respect to any Defaulting
Bank) those Banks whose total Percentage exceeds 50.00%, or if no
Commitments remain in effect, whose share of principal of the Loans
exceeds 50.00% of the aggregate outstanding principal of all Loans.
" Restricted Payments " means
any expenditure by the Borrower or any Subsidiary for purchase,
redemption or other acquisition for value of any shares of the
Borrower’s or any Subsidiary’s stock, payment of any
dividend thereon (other than stock dividends and dividends payable
solely by a Subsidiary to another Subsidiary or by a Subsidiary to
the Borrower, which shall include dividends by Varistar Corporation
to New OTC after the Permitted Reorganization Effective Date), any
distribution on, or payment on account of the purchase, redemption,
defeasance or other acquisition or retirement for value of, any
shares of the Borrower’s or any Subsidiary’s stock, or
the setting aside of any funds for any such purpose (other than
payment to, or on account of or for the benefit of, the Borrower or
any Subsidiary only). Consummation of the Permitted Reorganization
in accordance with the terms and conditions set forth in
Article XII hereof shall not be deemed to constitute a
Restricted Payment. " Revolving
Loans " means the Loans described in Section 2.1(a)
. " Revolving Notes " means
the promissory notes of the Borrower described in Section
2.5(a) , substantially in the form of Exhibit A-1 ,
issued by the Borrower to each of the Banks, as such promissory
notes may be amended, modified or supplemented from time to time,
and such term shall include any substitutions for, or renewals of,
such promissory notes. "
S&P " means Standard & Poor’s Ratings Group.
" Subsidiary " means any
Person of which or in which the Borrower and its other Subsidiaries
own directly or indirectly 50% or more of: (a) the combined
voting power of all classes of stock having general voting power
under ordinary circumstances to elect a majority of the board of
directors of such Person, if it is a corporation, (b) the
capital interest or profit interest of such Person, if it is a
partnership, joint venture or similar entity, or (c) the
beneficial interest of such Person, if it is a trust, association
or other unincorporated organization.
" Swing Line Guideline " means
the maximum unpaid principal amount of the Swing Line Loans which
may from time to time be outstanding hereunder, being initially
$20,000,000. " Swing Line Bank
" means U.S. Bank. " Swing Line
Loans " means the Loans described in Section 2.1(b)
.
16
" Swing Line Note " means
the promissory note of the Borrower described in Section 2.5(b),
substantially in the form of Exhibit A-2 , issued by
the Borrower to the Swing Line Bank, as such promissory note may be
amended, modified or supplemented from time to time, and such term
shall include any substitutions for, or renewals of, such
promissory note. " Swing Line
Participation Amount " is defined in Section 2.7(b)
. " Termination Date " means
the earliest of (a) October 2, 2010, (b) the date on
which the Commitments are terminated pursuant to
Section 10.2 hereof or (c) the date on which the
Commitments are reduced to zero pursuant to Section 4.3
hereof. " Total Capitalization
" means as of any date of determination, the sum of (a) the
amounts set forth on the consolidated balance sheet of the Borrower
as the sum of the common stock, preferred stock, additional paid-in
capital and retained earnings of the Borrower (excluding treasury
stock); plus (b) the principal amount of
Interest-bearing Debt of the Borrower and the Subsidiaries.
" Unrefunded Swing Line Loans
" is defined in Section 2.7(b) .
" U.S. Bank " means U.S. Bank
National Association, in its individual capacity and not as Agent
hereunder. Section 1.2
Accounting Terms and Calculations . Except as may be
expressly provided to the contrary herein, all accounting terms
used herein shall be interpreted and all accounting determinations
hereunder (including, without limitation, determination of
compliance with financial ratios and restrictions in Articles
VIII and IX hereof) shall be made in accordance with
GAAP consistently applied. Any reference to "consolidated"
financial terms shall be deemed to refer to those financial terms
as applied to the Borrower and its Subsidiaries in accordance with
GAAP. Section 1.3 Computation
of Time Periods . In this Agreement, in the computation of a
period of time from a specified date to a later specified date,
unless otherwise stated the word "from" means "from and including"
and the word "to" or "until" each means "to but excluding."
Section 1.4 Other
Definitional Terms . The words "hereof", "herein" and
"hereunder" and words of similar import when used in this Agreement
shall refer to this Agreement as a whole and not to any particular
provision of this Agreement. References to Sections, Exhibits,
schedules and like references are to this Agreement unless
otherwise expressly provided. ARTICLE II TERMS OF LENDING
AND ISSUANCE OF LETTERS OF CREDIT
Section 2.1 The Commitments
and the Swing Line Loans . Subject to the terms and conditions
hereof and in reliance upon the warranties of the Borrower herein:
(a) Subject to the terms and conditions hereof and in reliance
upon the warranties of the Borrower herein, each Bank agrees,
severally and not jointly, to make loans (each, a
17
"Revolving Loan" and, collectively, the "Revolving Loans") to
the Borrower from time to time from the date hereof until the
Termination Date, during which period the Borrower may repay and
reborrow in accordance with the provisions hereof, provided
, that the aggregate unpaid principal amount of any Bank’s
Revolving Loans, its Percentage of Letter of Credit Obligations and
its Percentage of Swing Line Loans shall not exceed such
Bank’s Commitment and provided , further , that
the total of all outstanding Revolving Loans, Letter of Credit
Obligations and Swing Line Loans shall not exceed the aggregate
Commitments of all Banks at any time. The Revolving Loans shall be
made by the Banks on a pro rata basis, calculated for each Bank
based on its Percentage. (b) Upon request by the Borrower, the
Swing Line Bank may, at its sole discretion, make loans (each a
"Swing Line Loan" and, collectively, the "Swing Line Loans") to the
Borrower from time to time from the date hereof until the
Termination Date, provided, that the aggregate unpaid principal
amount of the Swing Line Loans at any one time outstanding shall
not exceed the Swing Line Guideline.
Section 2.2 Advance
Options . The Revolving Loans shall be constituted of LIBOR
Advances and/or Base Rate Advances, as shall be selected by the
Borrower, except as otherwise provided herein. Any combination of
types of Advances may be outstanding at the same time, except that
the total number of outstanding LIBOR Advances shall not exceed
eight (8) at any one time. Each LIBOR Advance shall be in a
minimum amount of $500,000. Each Base Rate Advance shall be in a
minimum amount of $100,000. Swing Line Loans may be in any amount
requested by the Borrower.
Section 2.3 Borrowing
Procedures . (a) Request by Borrower . Any request by
the Borrower for a Loan shall be in writing, or by telephone
promptly confirmed in writing, and must be given so as to be
received by the Agent not later than: (i) 1:00 p.m.,
Minneapolis time, one Business day prior to the date of the
requested Loan, if the Loan shall be comprised of Base Rate
Advances; or (ii) 12:00 noon, Minneapolis time, three Business
days prior to the date of the requested Revolving Loan, if the
Revolving Loan shall be, or shall include, a LIBOR Advance. Each
request for a Loan shall specify (1) the borrowing date (which
shall be a Business Day), (2) the amount of such Loan and the
type or types of Advances comprising such Loan, and (3) if
such Loan shall include LIBOR Advances, the initial Interest
Periods for such Advances. The Swing Line Bank and the Borrower
shall, from time to time, enter into mutually acceptable
arrangements for requests for Swing Line Loans, notices of funding,
funding and repayment of the Swing Line Loans.
18
(b) Funding of Agent . The Agent shall promptly notify
each other Bank of the receipt of such request, the matters
specified therein, and of such Bank’s Percentage of the
requested Revolving Loans. On the date of the requested Revolving
Loans, each Bank shall provide its share of the requested Revolving
Loans to the Agent in immediately available funds not later than
11:00 a.m., Minneapolis time. On the date of any requested
Swing Line Loans that the Swing Line Bank has agreed to make, the
Swing Line Bank shall provide the requested Swing Line Loan to the
Agent in immediately available funds not later than 4:00 p.m.,
Minneapolis time. Unless the Agent determines that any applicable
condition specified in Article VI has not been
satisfied, the Agent will make the requested Loans available to the
Borrower at the Agent’s principal office in Minneapolis,
Minnesota in immediately available funds not later than 5:00 p.m.
(Minneapolis time) on the lending date so requested,
provided that the Agent shall not be required to make any
amount of the requested Revolving Loans available to the Borrower
unless the Agent shall have received such amount from the Banks,
and provided , further , that unless the Agent shall
have been notified in writing by a Bank prior to the time requested
Revolving Loans shall be made hereunder that such Bank does not
intend to make its Percentage share of the requested Revolving
Loans available to the Agent, the Agent may assume that such Bank
has made such Percentage share available to the Agent and the Agent
may in reliance on such assumption make Revolving Loans available
to the Borrower a corresponding amount. In any case that the Agent
has made a Revolving Loan to the Borrower on behalf of a Bank but
has not received the amount of such Revolving Loan from such Bank
by the time herein required, such Bank shall pay interest to the
Agent on the amount so advanced at the overnight Federal Funds rate
from the date of such Revolving Loan to the date funds are received
by the Agent from such Bank, such interest to be payable with such
remittance from such Bank of the principal amount of such Revolving
Loan. If the Agent does not receive payment from such Bank by the
next Business Day after the date of any Revolving Loan, the Agent
shall be entitled to recover such Revolving Loan, with interest
thereon at the rate then applicable to the such Revolving Loan, on
demand, from the Borrower, without prejudice to the Agent’s
and the Borrower’s rights against such Bank. If such Bank
pays the Agent the amount herein required with interest at the
overnight rate before the Agent has recovered from the Borrower,
such Bank shall be entitled to the interest payable by the Borrower
with respect to the Revolving Loan in question accruing from the
date the Agent made such Revolving Loan.
2.4 Continuation or Conversion of
Loans . The Borrower may elect to (i) continue any
outstanding LIBOR Advance from one Interest Period into a
subsequent Interest Period to begin on the last day of the earlier
Interest Period, or (ii) convert any outstanding Advance into
another type of Advance (on the last day of an Interest Period
only, in the instance of a LIBOR Advance), by giving the Agent
notice in writing, or by telephone promptly confirmed in writing,
given so as to be received by the Agent not later than:
19
(a) 1:00 p.m., Minneapolis time, one Business day prior to
the date of the requested continuation or conversion, if the
continuing or converted Advance shall be a Base Rate Advance; or
(b) 12:00 noon, Minneapolis time, three Business days prior to
the date of the requested continuation or conversion, if the
continuing or converted Advance shall be a LIBOR Advance. Each
notice of continuation or conversion of an Advance shall specify
(i) the effective date of the continuation or conversion date
(which shall be a Business Day), (ii) the amount and the type
or types of Advances following such continuation or conversion
(subject to the limitation on amount set forth in
Section 2.2 ), and (iii) for continuation as, or
conversion into, LIBOR Advances, the Interest Periods for such
Advances. Absent timely notice of continuation or conversion,
following expiration of an Interest Period unless the LIBOR Advance
is paid in full the Agent may at any time thereafter convert the
LIBOR Advance into a Base Rate Advance. Until such time as such
Advance is converted into a Base Rate Advance by the Agent or the
Borrower or is continued as a LIBOR Advance with a new Interest
Period by notice by the Borrower as provided above, such Advance
shall continue to accrue interest at a rate equal to the interest
rate applicable during the expired Interest Period adjusted,
however, to reflect changes in the Applicable Margin. No Advance
shall be continued as, or converted into, a LIBOR Advance if the
shortest Interest Period for such Advance may not transpire prior
to the Termination Date or if a Default or Event of Default shall
exist. Section 2.5 The
Notes . The Loans shall be evidenced by the following Notes:
(a) The Revolving Loans of each Bank shall be evidenced by a
Revolving Note in the amount of such Bank’s Commitment
originally in effect and dated as of the date of this Agreement.
The Banks shall enter in their respective records the amount of
each Revolving Loan and Advance, the rate of interest borne by each
Advance and the payments made on the Revolving Loans, and such
records shall be deemed conclusive evidence of the subject matter
thereof, absent manifest error. (b) The Swing Line Loans shall
be evidenced by the Swing Line Note in the amount of the Swing Line
Guideline. The Swing Line Bank shall enter in its records the
amount of each Swing Line Loan and the payments made on the Swing
Line Loans, and such records shall be deemed conclusive evidence of
the subject matter thereof, absent manifest error.
Section 2.6 Funding
Losses . In the event of (a) any failure of the Borrower
to borrow, continue or convert a LIBOR Advance on a date specified
in a notice thereof, or (b) any payment (including, without
limitation, any payment pursuant to Section 4.2 ,
4.3 or 10.2 ), prepayment or conversion of any LIBOR
Advance on a date other than the last day of the Interest Period
for such Advance, the Borrower agrees to pay each Bank’s
costs, expenses and Interest Differential (as determined by such
Bank) incurred as a result of such event. The term "Interest
Differential"
20
shall mean that sum amount, not less than $0, equal to the
financial loss incurred by each Bank resulting from such event,
calculated as the difference between the amount of interest such
Bank would have earned (from like investments in the Money Markets
as of the first day of the Interest Period of the relevant Advance)
had such event not occurred and the interest the Bank will actually
earn (from like investments in the Money Markets as of the date of
such event) as a result of the redeployment of funds from such
event. Because of the short-term nature of this facility, the
Borrower agrees that the Interest Differential shall not be
discounted to its present value. The term "Money Markets" refers to
one or more wholesale funding markets available to the Banks,
including negotiable certificates of deposit, commercial paper,
LIBOR deposits, bank notes, federal funds and others. Such
determinations by each Bank of shall be conclusive in the absence
of manifest error. Section 2.7
Refunding of Swing Line Loans . (a) At any time
permitted hereunder, the Borrower may request the Banks to make
Revolving Loans which may be applied to repay the Swing Line Loans
outstanding. Upon occurrence and during continuance of a Default or
Event of Default, the Swing Line Bank may, on behalf of the
Borrower (which hereby irrevocably directs the Swing Line Bank to
act on its behalf), upon notice given by the Swing Line Bank no
later than 12:00 noon, Minneapolis time, on the relevant refunding
date, request each Bank to make, and each Bank hereby agrees to
make, a Revolving Loan (which shall be a Base Rate Advance), in an
amount equal to such Bank’s Percentage of the aggregate
amount of the Swing Line Loans (the "Refunded Swing Line Loans")
outstanding on the date of such notice, to refund such Swing Line
Loans. Each Bank shall make the amount of such Revolving Loan
available to the Agent in immediately available funds, no later
than 2:00 p.m., Minneapolis time, on the date of such notice. The
proceeds of such Revolving Loans shall be distributed by the Agent
to the Swing Line Bank and immediately applied by the Swing Line
Bank to repay the Refunded Swing Line Loans. (b) If, for any
reason, Revolving Loans may not be (as determined by the Agent in
its sole discretion), or are not, made pursuant to
Section 2.7(a) to repay Swing Line Loans, then,
effective on the date such Revolving Loans would otherwise have
been made, each Bank severally, unconditionally and irrevocably
agrees that it shall purchase a participating interest in such
Swing Line Loans ("Unrefunded Swing Line Loans") in an amount equal
to the amount of Revolving Loans which would otherwise have been
made by such Bank pursuant to Section 2.7(a) . Each
Bank will immediately transfer to the Agent, in immediately
available funds, the amount of its participation (the "Swing Line
Participation Amount"), and the proceeds of such participation
shall be distributed by the Agent to the Swing Line Bank in such
amount as will reduce the amount of the participating interest
retained by the Swing Line Bank in its Swing Line Loans.
(c) Whenever, at any time after the Swing Line Bank has
received from any Bank such Bank’s Swing Line Participation
Amount, the Swing Line Bank receives any payment on account of the
Swing Line Loans, the Swing Line Bank will distribute to such Bank
its
21
Swing Line Participation Amount (appropriately adjusted, in the
case of interest payments, to reflect the period of time during
which such Bank’s participating interest was outstanding and
funded and, in the case of principal and interest payments, to
reflect such Bank’s pro rata portion of such
payment if such payment is not sufficient to pay the principal of
and interest on all Swing Line Loans then due); provided,
however , that in the event that such payment received by
the Swing Line Bank is required to be returned, such Bank will
return to the Swing Line Bank any portion thereof previously
distributed to it by the Swing Line Bank. (d) Each
Bank’s obligation to make the Loans referred to in
Section 2.7(a) and to purchase participating interests
pursuant to Section 2.7(b) shall be absolute and
unconditional and shall not be affected by any circumstance,
including, without limitation, (i) any setoff, counterclaim,
recoupment, defense or other right which such Bank or the Borrower
may have against the Swing Line Bank, the Borrower or any other
Person for any reason whatsoever; (ii) the occurrence or
continuance of a Default or an Event of Default or the failure to
satisfy any of the other conditions precedent specified in
Article VI ; (iii) any adverse change in the condition
(financial or otherwise) of the Borrower; (iv) any breach of
this Agreement or any other Loan Document by the Borrower or any
Bank; or (v) any other circumstance, happening or event
whatsoever, whether or not similar to any of the foregoing.
Section 2.8 Letters of
Credit (a) Letters of Credit . Subject to the terms and
conditions of this Agreement, and on the condition that aggregate
Letter of Credit Obligations shall never exceed the lesser of (i)
$30,000,000 or (ii) the Commitments, and that the sum of
Letter of Credit Obligations plus Loans shall never exceed the
aggregate Commitments of all Banks, the Borrower may, in addition
to Loans, request that the Agent issue letters of credit for the
account of the Borrower or any Subsidiary, as provided in
Section 2.8(f) , by making such request to the Agent
(such letters of credit as any of them may be amended,
supplemented, extended or confirmed from time to time, being herein
collectively called the "Letters of Credit"). The Agent may, at its
discretion, elect to issue or decline to issue any requested Letter
of Credit. No Letter of Credit shall expire more than one year
after the date of issuance thereof (provided, that Letters of
Credit may automatically extend absent notice of termination by the
issuer). Upon the date of the issuance of a Letter of Credit, the
Agent shall be deemed, without further action by any party hereto,
to have sold to each Bank, and each Bank shall be deemed without
further action by any party hereto, to have purchased from the
Agent, a participation, in its Percentage, in such Letter of Credit
and the related Letter of Credit Obligations. (b) Purchase
Unconditional . Each Bank’s purchase of a participating
interest in a Letter of Credit pursuant to
Section 2.8(a) shall be absolute and unconditional and
shall not be affected by any circumstance, including, without
limitation, (i) any setoff, counterclaim, recoupment, defense
or other right which such Bank or the Borrower may have against
22
the Agent, the Borrower or any other Person for any reason
whatsoever; (ii) the occurrence or continuance of a Default or
an Event of Default or the failure to satisfy any of the other
conditions precedent in Article VI ; (iii) any
adverse change in the condition (financial or otherwise) of the
Borrower; (iv) any breach of this Agreement or any other Loan
Document by the Borrower or any Bank; (v) the expiry date of
any Letter of Credit occurring after such Bank’s Commitment
has terminated; or (vi) any other circumstance, happening or
event whatsoever, whether or not similar or any of the foregoing.
(c) Additional Provisions . The following additional
provisions shall apply to each Letter of Credit: (i) Upon
receipt of any request for a Letter of Credit, the Agent shall
notify each Bank of the contents of such request and of such
Bank’s Percentage of the amount of such proposed Letter of
Credit. (ii) No Letter of Credit may be issued if after giving
effect thereto the Letter of Credit Obligations shall exceed
$30,000,000 or if the sum of (A) the aggregate outstanding
principal amount of Loans plus (B) the aggregate Letter
of Credit Obligations would exceed the aggregate Commitments of all
Banks. The Commitment of each Bank shall be deemed to be utilized
for all purposes hereof in an amount equal to such Bank’s
Percentage of the Letter of Credit Obligations. (iii) Upon
receipt from the beneficiary of any Letter of Credit of any demand
for payment thereunder, Agent shall promptly notify the Borrower
and each Bank as to the amount to be paid as a result of such
demand and the payment date. If at any time the Agent shall have
made a payment to a beneficiary of such Letter of Credit in respect
of a drawing or in respect of an acceptance created in connection
with a drawing under such Letter of Credit, each Bank will pay to
Agent immediately upon demand by the Agent at any time during the
period commencing after such payment until reimbursement thereof in
full by the Borrower, an amount equal to such Bank’s
Percentage of such payment, together with interest on such amount
for each day from the date of demand for such payment (or, if such
demand is made after 2:00 p.m. Minneapolis time on such date, from
the next succeeding Business Day) to the date of payment by such
Bank of such amount at a rate of interest per annum equal to the
Federal Funds Effective Rate for such period. (iv) The
Borrower shall be irrevocably and unconditionally obligated
forthwith to reimburse the Agent for any amount paid by the Agent
upon any drawing under any Letter of Credit, without presentment,
demand, protest or other formalities of any kind, all of which are
hereby waived. Such reimbursement may, subject to satisfaction of
the conditions in Article VI hereof and to the
available Commitment (after adjustment in the same to reflect the
elimination of the corresponding Letter of Credit Obligation), be
made by the borrowing of Loans.
23
The Agent will pay to each Bank such Bank’s Percentage of
all amounts received from the Borrower for application in payment,
in whole or in part, of a Letter of Credit Obligation, but only to
the extent such Bank has made payment to the Agent in respect of
such Letter of Credit pursuant to clause (iii) above.
(v) The Borrower’s obligation to reimburse the Agent for
any amount paid by the Agent upon any drawing under any Letter of
Credit shall be performed strictly in accordance with the terms of
this Agreement and the applicable Letter of Credit Agreement under
any and all circumstances whatsoever and irrespective of
(A) any lack of validity or enforceability of any Letter of
Credit, any Letter of Credit Agreement or this Agreement, or any
term or provision therein, (B) any draft or other document
presented under a Letter of Credit proving to be forged,
fraudulent, or invalid in any respect or any statement therein
being untrue or inaccurate in any respect, (C) payment by the
Agent under a Letter of Credit against presentation of a draft or
other document that does not comply with the terms of such Letter
of Credit, or (D) any other event or circumstance whatsoever,
whether or not similar to any of the foregoing, that might, but for
the provisions of this clause (v), constitute a legal or equitable
discharge of, or provide a right of setoff against, the
Borrower’s obligations hereunder. Neither the Agent nor the
Bank shall have any liability or responsibility by reason of or in
connection with the issuance or transfer of any Letter of Credit or
any payment or failure to make any payment thereunder (irrespective
of any of the circumstances referred to in the preceding sentence),
or any error, omission, interruption, loss or delay in transmission
or delivery of any draft, notice or other communication under or
relating to any Letter of Credit (including any document required
to make a drawing thereunder), any error in interpretation of
technical terms or any consequence arising from causes beyond the
control of the Agent; provided that the foregoing shall not be
construed to excuse the Agent from liability to the Borrower to the
extent of any direct damages (as opposed to consequential damages,
claims in respect of which are hereby waived by the Borrower to the
extent permitted by applicable law) suffered by the Borrower that
are caused by the Agent’s failure to exercise care when
determining whether drafts and other documents presented under a
Letter of Credit comply with the terms thereof. The parties hereto
expressly agree that, in the absence of gross negligence or willful
misconduct on the part of the Agent (as finally determined by a
court of competent jurisdiction), the Agent shall be deemed to have
exercised care in each such determination. In furtherance of the
foregoing and without limiting the generality thereof, the parties
hereto expressly agree that, with respect to documents presented
which appear on their face to be in substantial compliance with the
terms of the Letter of Credit, the Agreement may, in its sole
discretion, either accept and make payment upon such documents
without responsibility for further investigation or refuse to
accept and make payment upon such documents if such documents are
not in strict compliance with the terms of such Letter of
Credit.
24
(vi) The Borrower will pay to Agent for the account of each
Bank (subject to Section 2.11 with respect to any
Defaulting Lender) in accordance with its Percentage a letter of
credit fee with respect to each Letter of Credit equal to an
amount, calculated on the basis of face amount of each Letter of
Credit, in each case for the period from and including the date of
issuance of such Letter of Credit to and including the date of
expiration or termination thereof at a per annum rate equal to the
then-applicable Applicable Margin for LIBOR Advances, such fee to
be due and payable quarterly, in arrears on the Payment Dates. The
Agent will pay to each Bank (subject to Section 2.11
with respect to any Defaulting Lender), promptly after receiving
any payment in respect of letter of credit fee referred to in this
clause (v) , an amount equal to the product of such
Bank’s Percentage times the amount of such fees. The
Borrower shall also pay to Agent at the Principal Office for the
account of the Agent a fronting fee of 0.125% of the face amount of
the applicable Letter of Credit. At all times that the rate of
interest provided in Section 3.1(d) shall apply to the
Loans, the fee paid for the account of the Banks under this Section
shall be increased by 2.00% per annum. All fees hereunder shall be
computed on the basis of a year of 360 days and paid for the
actual number of days elapsed. (vii) The issuance by the Agent
of each Letter of Credit shall, in addition to the discretionary
nature of this facility, be subject to the conditions precedent
that the Borrower shall have executed and delivered such
applications and other instruments and agreements relating to such
Letter of Credit as the Agent shall have reasonably requested and
are not inconsistent with the terms of this Agreement (the "
Letter of Credit Agreements "). In the event of a conflict
between the terms of this Agreement and the terms of any Letter of
Credit Agreement (including the charging of any fees other than
normal and customary reimbursable expenses), the terms hereof shall
control. (viii) In the event that any Letter of Credit remains
outstanding after the Termination Date, the Borrower shall deliver,
prior to the Termination Date, cash collateral to be held and
applied in accordance with the terms of Section 10.3 . (d)
Indemnification; Release . The Borrower hereby indemnifies
and holds harmless the Agent and each Bank from and against any and
all claims and damages, losses, liabilities, costs or expenses
which the Agent or such Bank may incur (or which may be claimed
against the Agent or such Bank by any Person whatsoever),
regardless of whether caused in whole or in part by the negligence
of any of the indemnified parties, in connection with the execution
and delivery of any Letter of Credit or transfer of or payment or
failure to pay under any Letter of Credit; provided that the
Borrower shall not be required to indemnify any party seeking
indemnification for any claims, damages, losses, liabilities, costs
or expenses to the extent, but only to the extent, caused by
(i) the willful misconduct or gross negligence of the party
seeking indemnification, or (ii) by the failure
25
by the party seeking indemnification to pay under any Letter of
Credit after the presentation to it of a request required to be
paid under applicable law. (e) Existing Letters of Credit .
Letters of Credit previously issued by the Agent under the Existing
Credit Agreement shall be deemed to be "Letters of Credit" for all
purposes hereunder. (f) Issuance of Letters of Credit for
Account of Subsidiaries . Upon request of the Borrower, Letters
of Credit may be issued for the account of Subsidiaries of the
Borrower. In such event, the Borrower shall be deemed to have
irrevocably guarantied payment of the obligations of each
Subsidiary in respect of Letters of Credit issued for the account
of such Subsidiary, and if requested by the Bank, the Borrower
shall, together with such Subsidiary, enter into the Letter of
Credit Agreement as co-applicant or guarantor, and shall execute
and deliver such other instrument of guaranty as shall be required
by the Agent. Section 2.9
Increase to Commitments . The Borrower may, no more than
twice prior to the Termination Date, increase the Commitments
hereunder, by giving notice to the Agent, specifying the dollar
amount of the increase (which shall be an integral multiple of
$10,000,000, and which shall not result in total aggregate
Commitments hereunder in excess of $300,000,000); provided ,
however , that an increase in the Commitments hereunder may
only be made at a time when no Default or Event of Default shall
have occurred and be continuing. The Borrower may increase the
Commitments by either increasing a Commitment with an existing Bank
or obtaining a Commitment from a new financial institution, the
selection of which shall require the consent of the Agent, not to
be unreasonably withheld. The Borrower, the Agent and each Bank or
other financial institution that is increasing its Commitment or
extending a new Commitment shall enter into an amendment to this
Agreement setting forth the amounts of the Commitments, as so
increased, providing that any new financial institution extending a
new Commitment shall be a Bank for all purposes under this
Agreement. No such amendment shall require the approval or consent
of any Bank whose Commitment is not being increased and no Bank
shall be required to increase its Commitment unless it shall so
agree in writing. Upon the execution and delivery of such amendment
as provided above, this Agreement shall be deemed to be amended
accordingly and the Agent shall adjust the funded amount of the
Advances of the Banks so that each Bank (including the Banks with
new or increased Commitments) shall hold their respective
Percentages (as amended by such amendment) of the Advances
outstanding and the unfunded Commitments (and each Bank shall so
fund any increased amount of Advances).
Section 2.10 Purpose of the
Loans . The Loans shall be used (a) to refinance certain
indebtedness of the Borrower, and (b) for purposes of funding
working capital, capital expenditures, and other corporate purposes
of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries.
Section 2.11 Defaulting
Banks . Notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to the
contrary, if any Bank becomes a Defaulting Bank, then the following
provisions shall apply for so long as such Bank is a Defaulting
Bank (the " Default Period "):
26
(a) Commitment Fees . Such Defaulting Bank’s
Commitment, outstanding Loans and Participation Interests shall be
excluded for purposes of calculating the Commitment Fees and Letter
of Credit commissions payable to Banks, and such Defaulting Bank
shall not be entitled to receive any Commitment Fee or Letter of
Credit commission pursuant to Section 3.2 and
Section 2.8(c)(vi) , respectively, with respect to such
Defaulting Bank’s Commitment and such fees with respect to
such Defaulting Bank shall cease to accrue. (b) Voting .
Such Defaulting Bank shall be deemed not to be a "Bank" for
purposes of voting on any matters and the Commitment, outstanding
Loans and Participation Interests of such Defaulting Bank shall not
be included in determining whether all Banks or the Required Banks
have taken or may take any action hereunder (including any consent
to any amendment or waiver pursuant to Section 13.2 ).
(c) Prepayments . To the extent permitted by applicable law,
until the end of the Default Period, any voluntary prepayment of
the Loans shall, if Borrower so directs at the time of making such
voluntary prepayment, be applied to the Loans of other Banks as if
such Defaulting Bank had no Loans outstanding. (d) Reallocation
of Swing Line Loans and Letters of Credit . If any Swing Line
Loans or Letters of Credit are outstanding at the time a Bank
becomes a Defaulting Bank then: (i) all or any part of such
Defaulting Bank’s Participation Interests in such Swing Line
Loans or Letters of Credit shall be reallocated among the
non-Defaulting Banks in accordance with their respective
Percentages but only to the extent (x) the sum of all
non-Defaulting Banks’ Loans and Participation Interests plus
such Defaulting Bank’s Loans and Participation Interests does
not exceed the total of all non-Defaulting Banks’ Commitments
and (y) the conditions set forth in Article VI are
satisfied at such time; and (ii) if the reallocation described
in clause (i) above cannot, or can only partially, be
effected, the Borrower shall within three (3) Business Days
following notice by the Agent prepay such Defaulting Bank’s
portion of the Swing Line Loans, or deliver collateral for such
Defaulting Bank’s portion of drawings under Letters of Credit
to be held as provided in Section 10.3 (to the extent
not fully reallocated as provided in clause (i) above after
giving effect to any partial reallocation thereunder), or enter
into an alternative arrangement satisfactory to the Agent with
respect to such Defaulting Bank’s portion of the Swing Line
Loans or Letters of Credit. (e) Application of Payments .
Subject to application of voluntary prepayments as described in
Section 2.11(c) , any amount otherwise payable to a
Defaulting Bank hereunder (whether on account of principal,
interest, fees or otherwise and including any amount that would
otherwise be payable to such Defaulting Bank pursuant to
Sections 2.7(c) , 2.8(c)(iv) , 4.1 ,
4.2 , 4.3 , 4.4 , 4.5 or 10.4 )
shall, in lieu of being distributed to such Defaulting Bank, be
applied by the Agent (i) first , to the payment of any
amounts owing
27
by such Defaulting Bank to the Agent hereunder, (ii)
second , pro rata, to the payment of any amounts owing by
such Defaulting Bank to the Swing Line Bank hereunder, (iii)
third , to the funding of any Loan or the funding of any
Participation Interest in respect of which such Defaulting Bank has
failed to fund its Percentage thereof as required by this
Agreement, as determined by the Agent, (iv) fourth , at the
election of the Agent and the Borrower, either to (x) repay
Borrower Obligations to the non-Defaulting Banks, in such order of
application as the Agent shall designate, or (y) be held on
account with the Agent as cash collateral for future funding
obligations of the Defaulting Bank under this Agreement, (v)
fifth , pro rata, to the payment of any amounts owing to the
Borrower or the non-Defaulting Banks as a result of any judgment of
a court of competent jurisdiction obtained by the Borrower or any
Bank against such Defaulting Bank as a result of such Defaulting
Bank’s breach of its obligations under this Agreement and
(vi) sixth , to such Defaulting Bank or as otherwise
directed by a court of competent jurisdiction. (f) Remedy by
Defaulting Bank . In the event that the Agent, the Borrower and
the Swing Line Bank each agrees that a Defaulting Bank has
adequately remedied all matters that caused such Bank to be a
Defaulting Bank, then the Participation Interests of the Banks
shall be readjusted to reflect the inclusion of such Bank’s
Commitment and on such date such Bank shall purchase at par such of
the Loans of the other Banks (other than Swing Line Loans) as the
Agent shall determine may be necessary in order for such Bank to
hold such Loans in accordance with its Percentage. In addition, at
such time as a Defaulting Bank ceases to be a Defaulting Bank, the
Agent shall cause any and all collateral delivered by the Borrower
pursuant to Section 2.11(d)(ii) to be promptly released
and returned to the Borrower, and there shall be no retroactive
adjustment to or accrual of any Commitment Fees or Letter of Credit
commissions that would otherwise have been payable to such
Defaulting Bank during the Default Period if such Defaulting Bank
had not been a Defaulting Bank. (g) Non-exclusive Remedies .
The rights and remedies against a Defaulting Bank under this
Section 2.11 are in addition to other rights and
remedies which Borrower may have against such Defaulting Bank with
respect to any Funding Default and which the Agent or any Bank may
have against such Defaulting Bank with respect to any Funding
Default. Section 2.12
Replacement of Banks . If the Agent provides the Borrower
with a notice pursuant to Section 5.2 or if any Bank becomes a
Defaulting Bank, then the Borrower may, at its sole expense and
effort, upon notice to such Defaulting Bank and the Agent, require
such Defaulting Bank to assign and delegate, without recourse, all
of its interests, rights and obligations under this Agreement and
the related Loan Documents to an assignee that shall assume such
obligations (which assignee may be another Bank, if a Bank accepts
such assignment), provided that: (a) The Borrower shall have
paid to the Agent the assignment fee specified in Section
12.3(b)(ii) ;
28
(b) Such Defaulting Bank shall have received payment of an
amount equal to the outstanding principal of its Loans and its
portion of the Swing Line Participation Amount, accrued interest
thereon, accrued fees and all other amounts payable to it hereunder
and under the other Loan Documents from the assignee (to the extent
of such outstanding principal and accrued interest and fees) or the
Borrower (in the case of all other amounts); and (c) Such
assignment does not conflict with applicable law.
Section 2.13 Authorized
Representatives . The Borrower shall act hereunder through the
Authorized Representatives designated from time to time and all
notices and requests to be given and received by the Borrower,
including requests for Loans and designation of amounts of Advances
and Interest Periods, shall be given by and directed to such
Authorized Representatives. ARTICLE III INTEREST AND FEES
Section 3.1 Interest .
(a) LIBOR Advances . The unpaid principal amount of each
LIBOR Advance shall bear interest prior to maturity at a rate per
annum equal to the LIBOR Rate (Reserve Adjusted) in effect for each
Interest Period for such LIBOR Advance plus the Applicable Margin
per annum. (b) Base Rate Advances . The unpaid principal
amount of each Base Rate Advance shall bear interest prior to
maturity at a rate per annum equal to the Base Rate plus the
Applicable Margin per annum. (c) Swing Line Loans . The
unpaid principal amount of all Swing Line Loans shall bear interest
prior to maturity at a rate per annum equal to the LIBOR Rate
(Reserve Adjusted) Daily Floating plus the Applicable Margin for
LIBOR Advances per annum. (d) Interest After Maturity . Any
amount of the Loans not paid when due, whether at the date
scheduled therefor or earlier upon acceleration, shall bear
interest until paid in full at a rate per annum equal to the
greater of (i) 2.00% in excess of the rate applicable to the
unpaid principal amount immediately before it became due, or
(ii) 2.00% in excess of the Base Rate in effect from time to
time. Section 3.2 Commitment
Fee . The Borrower shall (subject to Section 2.11
with respect to any Defaulting Lender) pay fees (the "Commitment
Fees") to the Agent for the account of the Banks (in according with
their respective Percentages) in an amount determined by applying
the Applicable Commitment Fee Rate per annum to the average daily
unused amount of the Commitments (with the face amount of all
Letters of Credit deemed usage for such purpose, but
29
Swing Line Loans not deemed usage) of the Banks for the period
from the date hereof to the Termination Date.
Section 3.3 Computation .
Interest and Commitment Fees shall be computed on the basis of
actual days elapsed and a year of 360 days, provided, that any
interest or fee calculated with reference to the Prime Rate shall
be computed on the basis of actual days elapsed and a year of 365
days. Section 3.4 Payment
Dates . Accrued interest under Section 3.1(a) ,
(b) and (c) , and Commitment Fees shall be payable on
the applicable Payment Dates. Accrued interest under
Section 3.1(d) shall be payable on demand.
Section 3.5 Agent’s
Fee . The Borrower shall pay to the Agent fees described in the
Agent’s Fee Letter. ARTICLE IV PAYMENTS, PREPAYMENTS,
REDUCTION OR TERMINATION
OF THE CREDIT AND SETOFF
Section 4.1 Repayment .
Principal of the Loans, together with all accrued and unpaid
interest thereon, shall be due and payable on the Termination Date.
Section 4.2 Optional
Prepayments . The Borrower may, upon at least three
(3) Business Days’ prior written or telephonic notice
received by the Bank, prepay the Loans, in whole or in part, at any
time subject to the provisions of Section 2.6 , without
any other premium or penalty. Any such prepayment must be
accompanied by accrued and unpaid interest on the amount prepaid.
Each partial prepayment shall be in an amount of $50,000 or an
integral multiple thereof. Any prepayment of a LIBOR Advance shall
be in an amount equal to the remaining entire principal balance of
such Advance. Section 4.3
Optional Reduction or Termination of Commitment . The
Borrower may, at any time, upon no less than 2 Business Days prior
written or telephonic notice received by the Agent, reduce the
Commitment, with any such reduction in a minimum amount of $500,000
or an integral multiple thereof. Upon any reduction in the
Commitment pursuant to this Section, the Borrower shall pay to the
Agent for the account of the Banks the amount, if any, by which the
aggregate unpaid principal amount of outstanding Loans plus the
Letter of Credit Obligations exceeds the Commitment as so reduced.
Amounts so paid cannot be reborrowed. The Borrower may, at any
time, upon not less than 2 Business Days prior written notice to
the Agent, terminate the Commitment in its entirety. Upon
termination of the Commitment pursuant to this Section, the
Borrower shall pay to the Agent for the account of the Banks the
full amount of all outstanding Loans, all accrued and unpaid
interest thereon, all unpaid Commitment Fees accrued to the date of
such termination and all other unpaid obligations of the Borrower
to the Banks hereunder. All payment described in this Section is
subject to the provisions of Section 2.6 . Notwithstanding
the foregoing, the Commitment may not be reduced to an amount below
outstanding Letter of Credit Obligations, or terminated if Letters
of Credit are outstanding.
30
Section 4.4 Payments .
Payments and prepayments of principal of, and interest on, the
Notes and all fees, expenses and other obligations under the Loan
Documents shall be made (subject only to required withholding by
the Borrower in the case of non-compliance by a Bank with the
requirements of Section 13.3(e) ) without set-off or
counterclaim in immediately available funds not later than 2:00
p.m., Minneapolis time, on the dates due at the main office of the
Agent in Minneapolis, Minnesota, provided , however ,
that the Swing Line Bank and the Borrower shall enter into mutually
acceptable arrangements for payment of the Swing Line Loans which
may permit payment of the Swing Line Loans later than such time.
Funds received on any day after such time shall be deemed to have
been received on the next Business Day. The Agent shall promptly
distribute in like funds to each Bank its Percentage share of each
such payment of principal, interest and Commitment Fees. Subject to
the definition of the term "Interest Period", whenever any payment
to be made hereunder or on the Notes shall be stated to be due on a
day which is not a Business Day, such payment shall be made on the
next succeeding Business Day and such extension of time shall be
included in the computation of any interest or fees. The Agent is
authorized to debit the operating account of the Borrower
designated by the Borrower for such purpose from time to time for
all payments when due hereunder (provided that if such account
shall not have sufficient available funds to pay interest when due,
the Borrower shall pay such interest in immediately available
funds). Section 4.5 Proration
of Payments . If any Bank or other holder of a Loan shall
obtain any payment or other recovery (whether voluntary,
involuntary, by application of offset, pursuant to the Material
Subsidiary Guaranties or otherwise) on account of principal of,
interest on, or fees with respect to any Loan, or payment of any
Letter of Credit Obligations, in any case in excess of the share of
payments and other recoveries of other Banks or holders, such Bank
or other holder shall purchase from the other Banks or holders, in
a manner to be specified by the Agent, such participations in the
Loans held by such other Banks or holders as shall be necessary to
cause such purchasing Bank or other holder to share the excess
payment or other recovery ratably with each of such other Banks or
holders; provided , however , that if all or any
portion of the excess payment or other recovery is thereafter
recovered from such purchasing Bank or holder, the purchase shall
be rescinded and the purchase price restored to the extent of such
recovery, but without interest. ARTICLE V ADDITIONAL
PROVISIONS RELATING TO LOANS
Section 5.1 Increased
Costs . If, as a result of any change after the date hereof of
any law, rule, regulation, treaty or directive or in the
interpretation or administration thereof, or compliance by the
Banks with any request or directive (whether or not having the
force of law) from any court, central bank, governmental authority,
agency or instrumentality, or comparable agency: (a) any tax,
duty or other charge with respect to any Loan, the Notes or the
Commitments is imposed, modified or deemed applicable, or the basis
of taxation of payments to any Bank of interest or principal of the
Loans or of the Commitment Fees (other than taxes
31
imposed on the overall net income of such Bank by the
jurisdiction in which such Bank has its principal office) is
changed; (b) any reserve, special deposit, special assessment
or similar requirement against assets of, deposits with or for the
account of, or credit extended by, any Bank (excluding any reserve
or other requirement reflected in the calculation of LIBOR Rate
(Reserve Adjusted)) is imposed, modified or deemed applicable;
(c) any increase in the amount of capital required or expected
to be maintained by any Bank or any Person controlling such Bank is
imposed, modified or deemed applicable as a consequence of this
Agreement or the Loans made by such Bank; or (d) any other
condition (other than any condition relating to taxes, duties, or
other charges as set forth in clause (a) above) affecting this
Agreement or the Commitments is imposed on any Bank or the relevant
funding markets; and such Bank determines that, by reason thereof,
the cost to such Bank of making or maintaining the Loans, issuing
or participating in the Letters of Credit or extending its
Commitment is increased, or the amount of any sum receivable by
such Bank hereunder or under the Notes in respect of any Loan is
reduced to a level below which such Bank could have achieved but
for such change; then , the Borrower shall pay to such Bank
upon demand such additional amount or amounts as will compensate
such Bank (or the controlling Person in the instance of
(c) above) for such additional costs or reduction (provided
that the Banks have not been compensated for such additional cost
or reduction in the calculation of the LIBOR Reserve Rate). Any
Bank making such demand shall inform the Borrower of the basis for
such demand, and provide a statement showing, in reasonable detail,
calculation of the amount demanded. The Borrower will promptly
notify such Bank if the Borrower does not agree to such
Bank’s determination of any such amount. Any Bank’s
reasonable determination of such amount shall be presumed correct,
absent its manifest error or negligence in determining such
amounts. In determining such amounts, the Banks may use any
reasonable averaging, attribution and allocation methods.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, no Bank shall charge the Borrower
for additional amounts for such additional costs or reductions:
(i) which additional amounts applied or accrued more than
90 days prior to the time that such Bank became aware of the
event giving rise to such additional costs or reductions; or
(ii) unless such Bank is generally requiring payment under
comparable provisions of its agreements with similarly situated
borrowers. Section 5.2
Deposits Unavailable or Interest Rate Unascertainable or
Inadequate; Impracticability . If the Agent determines (which
determination shall be conclusive and binding on the parties
hereto), or in the case of Section 5.2(b) , the Agent
or the Required Banks determine, that:
32
(a) deposits of the necessary amount for the relevant
Interest Period for any LIBOR Advance are not available in the
relevant markets or that, by reason of circumstances affecting such
market, adequate and reasonable means do not exist for ascertaining
the LIBOR Interbank Rate for such Interest Period; or (b) that
the LIBOR Rate (Reserve Adjusted) will not adequately and fairly
reflect the cost to the Banks of making, maintaining or funding the
LIBOR Advance for a relevant Interest Period; the Agent shall
promptly give notice of such determination to the Borrower, and
(i) any notice of a new LIBOR Advance previously given by the
Borrower and not yet borrowed or converted shall be deemed to be a
notice to make a Base Rate Advance, and (ii) the Borrower
shall be obligated to either prepay in full any outstanding LIBOR
Advances or convert any such LIBOR Advance to a Base Rate Advance,
without premium or penalty on the last day of the current Interest
Period with respect thereto.
Section 5.3 Changes in Law
Rendering LIBOR Advances Unlawful . If at any time due to the
adoption of any law, rule, regulation, treaty or directive, or any
change therein or in the interpretation or administration thereof
by any court, central bank, governmental authority, agency or
instrumentality, or comparable agency charged with the
interpretation or administration thereof, or for any other reason
arising subsequent to the date of this Agreement, it shall become
unlawful or impossible for any Bank to make or fund any LIBOR
Advance, the obligation of such Bank to provide such Advance shall,
upon the happening of such event, forthwith be suspended for the
duration of such illegality or impossibility. If any such event
shall make it unlawful or impossible for the Bank to continue any
LIBOR Advance previously made by it hereunder, such Bank shall,
upon the happening of such event, notify the Agent and the Borrower
thereof in writing, and the Borrower shall, at the time notified by
such Bank, either convert each such unlawful Advance to a Base Rate
Advance or repay such Advance in full, together with accrued
interest thereon, subject to the provisions of
Section 2.6 .
Section 5.4 Discretion of the
Banks as to Manner of Funding . Notwithstanding any provision
of this Agreement to the contrary, each Bank shall be entitled to
fund and maintain its funding of all or any part of the Loans in
any manner it elects; it being understood, however, that for
purposes of this Agreement, all determinations hereunder shall be
made as if the Banks had actually funded and maintained each LIBOR
Advance during the Interest Period for such Advance through the
purchase of deposits having a term corresponding to such Interest
Period and bearing an interest rate equal to the LIBOR Interbank
Rate for such Interest Period (whether or not any Bank shall have
granted any participations in such Advances). ARTICLE VI
CONDITIONS PRECEDENT Section 6.1
Conditions of Closing . This Agreement shall become
effective, and shall govern Loans made and Letters of Credit issued
under the Existing Credit Agreement and further Loans and Letters
of Credit to be made hereunder, subject to the satisfaction of the
conditions
33
precedent, in addition to the applicable conditions precedent
set forth in Section 6.2 below, that the Agent shall
have received all of the following, in form and substance
satisfactory to the Agent, each duly executed and certified or
dated as of the date of this Agreement or such other date as is
satisfactory to the Agent and the following shall have occurred:
(a) The Notes, duly executed by the Borrower. (b) The
Material Subsidiary Guaranty, duly executed by each Material
Subsidiary. (c) Acknowledgment and confirmation of the Parent
Negative Pledge and the Parent Subordination Agreement in the form
of Exhibit F , executed by the Parent. (d) A
certificate or certificates of the Secretary or an Assistant
Secretary of the Borrower, attesting to and attaching (i) a
copy of the corporate resolution of the Borrower authorizing the
execution, delivery and performance of the Loan Documents,
(ii) an incumbency certificate showing the names and titles,
and bearing the signatures of, the officers of the Borrower
authorized to execute the Loan Documents, (iii) a copy of the
Articles or Certificate of Incorporation of the Borrower with all
amendments thereto, and (iv) a copy of the By-Laws of the
Borrower with all amendments thereto. In lieu of providing new
copies of such Articles or Certificates of Incorporation and
By-laws, such certificates may certify that there has been no
amendment to such documents from the copies of those documents
delivered with the Certificate of the Borrower dated as of
October 2, 2007. (e) A certificate or certificates of the
Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Material Subsidiaries
attesting to the incumbency of the officers of the Material
Subsidiary authorized to execute the Loan Documents and attaching
copies of any amendments to the Articles or Certificate of
Incorporation or By-Laws of the Material Subsidiary from the copies
of those documents delivered with the Certificates of the Material
Subsidiaries dated as of October 2, 2007, or May 6, 2008
for Miller Welding & Iron Works, Inc., or stating that there
have been no such amendments. (f) A Certificate of Good
Standing for the Borrower and each Material Subsidiary in the
jurisdiction of its incorporation, certified by the appropriate
governmental officials. (g) An opinion of counsel to the
Borrower and each Material Subsidiary, addressed to the Banks, in
substantially the form of Exhibit H . (j) The
Agent’s Fee Letter and payment of all fees and reimbursements
payable hereunder and thereunder.
Section 6.2 Conditions
Precedent to all Loans . The obligation of the Banks to make
any Loan hereunder shall be subject to the satisfaction of the
following conditions precedent (and
34
any request for a Loan shall be deemed a representation by the
Borrower that the following are satisfied): (a) Before and
after giving effect to such Loan, the representation and warranties
contained in Article VII shall be true and correct, as
though made on the date of such Loan; and (b) Before and after
giving effect to such Loan, no Default or Event of Default shall
have occurred and be continuing. ARTICLE VII REPRESENTATIONS
AND WARRANTIES To induce the Agent
and the Banks to enter into this Agreement, to grant the
Commitments and to make Loans hereunder, the Borrower represents
and warrants to the Agent and the Banks:
Section 7.1 Organization,
Standing, Etc . The Borrower and each of its corporate Material
Subsidiaries are corporations duly incorporated and validly
existing and in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of
their respective incorporation and have all requisite corporate
power and authority to carry on their respective businesses as now
conducted, to (in the instance of the Borrower) enter into the Loan
Documents and to perform its obligations under the Loan Documents.
The Borrower and each of the Material Subsidiaries are duly
qualified and in good standing as a foreign corporation in each
jurisdiction in which the character of the properties owned, leased
or operated by it or the business conducted by it makes such
qualification necessary, and failure to so qualify or remain in
good standing would constitute an Adverse Event.
Section 7.2 Authorization and
Validity . The execution, delivery and performance by the
Borrower of the Loan Documents have been duly authorized by all
necessary corporate action by the Borrower, and the Loan Documents
constitute the legal, valid and binding obligations of the
Borrower, enforceable against the Borrower in accordance with their
respective terms, subject to limitations as to enforceability which
might result from bankruptcy, insolvency, moratorium and other
similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally and
subject to limitations on the availability of equitable remedies.
Section 7.3 No Conflict; No
Default . The execution, delivery and performance by the
Borrower of the Loan Documents will not (a) violate any
provision of any law, statute, rule or regulation or any order,
writ, judgment, injunction, decree, determination or award of any
court, governmental agency or arbitrator presently in effect having
applicability to the Borrower, (b) violate or contravene any
provisions of the Articles (or Certificate) of Incorporation or
by-laws of the Borrower, or (c) result in a breach of or
constitute a default under any indenture, loan or credit agreement
or any other agreement, lease or instrument to which the Borrower
is a party or by which it or any of its properties may be bound or
result in the creation of any Lien on any asset of the Borrower or
any Material Subsidiary, which in any such case under this
subsection (c) would constitute an Adverse Event. Neither the
Borrower nor any Material Subsidiary is in default under or in
violation of any such law, statute, rule or regulation, order,
writ, judgment, injunction, decree,
35
determination or award or any such indenture, loan or credit
agreement or other agreement, lease or instrument in any case in
which the consequences of such default or violation could
constitute an Adverse Event. No Default or Event of Default has
occurred and is continuing.
Section 7.4 Government
Consent . No order, consent, approval, license, authorization
or validation of, or filing, recording or registration with, or
exemption by, any governmental or public body or authority is
required on the part of the Borrower to authorize, or is required
in connection with the execution, delivery and performance of, or
the legality, validity, binding effect or enforceability of, the
Loan Documents. Section 7.5
Financial Statements and Condition . The Parent’s
audited consolidated financial statements as of December 31,
2007, and the Borrower’s unaudited quarterly financial
statements as at September 30, 2008, as heretofore furnished
to the Banks, have been prepared in accordance with GAAP on a
consistent basis and fairly present the financial condition of the
Parent, the Borrower and the Subsidiaries as at such dates and the
results of their operations for the fiscal year then ended. As of
the dates of such consolidated financial statements, neither the
Borrower nor any Material Subsidiary had any material obligation,
contingent liability, liability for taxes or long-term lease
obligation which is not reflected in such consolidated financial
statements or in the notes thereto. Since December 31, 2007,
no Adverse Event has occurred.
Section 7.6 Litigation and
Contingent Liabilities . Except as described in
Schedule 7.6 , there are no actions, suits or
proceedings pending or, to the knowledge of the Borrower,
threatened against or affecting the Borrower or any Material
Subsidiary or any of their properties before any court or
arbitrator, or any governmental department, board, agency or other
instrumentality which, if determined adversely to the Borrower or
such Material Subsidiary, could constitute an Adverse Event. Except
as described in Schedule 7.6 , neither the Borrower nor
any Material Subsidiary has any contingent liabilities which are
material to the Borrower and the Subsidiaries as a consolidated
enterprise. Section 7.7
Compliance . The Borrower and the Material Subsidiaries are
in material compliance with all statutes and governmental rules and
regulations applicable to them.
Section 7.8 Environmental,
Health and Safety Laws . To the best of the Borrower’s
knowledge after due inquiry, there does not exist any violation by
the Borrower or any Material Subsidiary of any applicable federal,
state or local law, rule or regulation or order of any government,
governmental department, board, agency or other instrumentality
relating to environmental, pollution, health or safety matters
which will or threatens to impose a material liability on the
Borrower or a Material Subsidiary or which would require a material
expenditure by the Borrower or such Material Subsidiary to cure.
Neither the Borrower nor any Material Subsidiary has received any
notice to the effect that any part of its operations or properties
is not in material compliance with any such law, rule, regulation
or order or notice that it or its property is the subject of any
governmental investigation evaluating whether any remedial action
is needed to respond to any release of any toxic or hazardous waste
or substance into the environment, the consequences of which
non-compliance or remedial action could constitute an Adverse
Event.
36
Section 7.9 ERISA .
Each Plan complies with all material applicable requirements of
ERISA and the Code and with all material applicable rulings and
regulations issued under the provisions of ERISA and the Code
setting forth those requirements. No Reportable Event, other than a
Reportable Event for which the reporting requirements have been
waived by regulations of the PBGC, has occurred and is continuing
with respect to any Plan. As of each January 1, all of the
minimum funding standards applicable to such Plans have been
satisfied and there exists no event or condition which would permit
the institution of proceedings to terminate any Plan under Section
4042 of ERISA. Section 7.10
Regulation U . The Borrower is not engaged in the
business of extending credit for the purpose of purchasing or
carrying margin stock (as defined in Regulation U of the Board
of Governors of the Federal Reserve System) and no part of the
proceeds of any Loan will be used to purchase or carry margin stock
or for any other purpose which would violate any of the margin
requirements of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve
System. Section 7.11
Ownership of Property; Liens . Each of the Borrower and the
Material Subsidiaries has good and marketable title to its real
properties and good and sufficient title to its other properties,
including all properties and assets referred to as owned by the
Borrower and the Material Subsidiaries in the audited consolidated
financial statement of the Borrower referred to in
Section 7.5 (other than property disposed of since the
date of such financial statement in the ordinary course of
business). None of the properties, revenues or assets of the
Borrower or any of the Material Subsidiaries is subject to a Lien,
except for (a) Liens disclosed in the consolidated financial
statements referred to in Section 7.5 , (b) Liens
listed on Schedule 7.11 , or (c) Liens allowed
under Section 9.8 .
Section 7.12 Taxes . Each
of the Borrower and the Material Subsidiaries has filed all
federal, state and local tax returns required to be filed and has
paid or made provision for the payment of all taxes due and payable
pursuant to such returns and pursuant to any assessments made
against it or any of its property and all other taxes, fees and
other charges imposed on it or any of its property by any
governmental authority (other than taxes, fees or charges the
amount or validity of which is currently being contested in good
faith by appropriate proceedings and with respect to which reserves
in accordance with GAAP have been provided on the books of the
Borrower). No tax Liens have been filed and no material claims are
being asserted with respect to any such taxes, fees or charges. The
charges, accruals and reserves on the books of the Borrower in
respect of taxes and other governmental charges are adequate.
Section 7.13 Trademarks,
Patents . Each of the Borrower and the Material Subsidiaries
possesses or has the right, by way of ownership or license, to use
all of the patents, trademarks, trade names, service marks and
copyrights, and applications therefor, and all technology,
know-how, processes, methods and designs used in or necessary for
the conduct of its business, without known conflict with the rights
of others.
37
Section 7.14 Investment
Company Act . Neither the Borrower nor any Subsidiary is an
"investment company" or a company "controlled" by an investment
company within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940,
as amended. Section 7.15
Subsidiaries . Schedule 7.15 sets forth as of
the date of this Agreement a list of all Subsidiaries and the
number and percentage of the shares of each class of capital stock
owned beneficially or of record by the Borrower or any Subsidiary
therein, and the jurisdiction of incorporation of each Subsidiary.
Section 7.16 Partnerships and
Joint Ventures . Schedule 7.16 sets forth as of the
date of this Agreement a list of all partnerships or joint ventures
in which the Borrower or any Subsidiary is a partner (limited or
general) or joint venturer.
Section 7.17 Senior Debt
. The Loans are senior unsecured Indebtedness of the Borrower, and
are pari passu and of equal rank and seniority with all senior
unsecured Indebtedness of the Borrower. ARTICLE VIII
AFFIRMATIVE COVENANTS
|