EXHIBIT 10(a)
EXECUTION COPY
U.S. $4,000,000,000
FIVE-YEAR CREDIT AGREEMENT
Dated as of February 22, 2005
Among
SEARS HOLDINGS CORPORATION
and
SEARS ROEBUCK ACCEPTANCE CORP.
and
KMART CORPORATION,
as Borrowers
and
THE INITIAL LENDERS NAMED HEREIN,
as Initial Lenders
and
CITICORP USA, INC.
and
BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.,
as Syndication Agents
and
BARCLAYS BANK PLC,
LEHMAN COMMERCIAL PAPER INC.,
HSBC BANK USA,
MERRILL LYNCH BANK USA,
MORGAN STANLEY BANK,
THE ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND, PLC
and
WACHOVIA BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION,
as Documentation Agents
and
J.P. MORGAN SECURITIES INC.,
CITIGROUP GLOBAL MARKETS INC.
and
BANC OF AMERICA SECURITIES LLC,
as Lead Arrangers and Joint
Bookrunners
and
JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.,
as Administrative Agent
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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Page
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ARTICLE I
DEFINITIONS AND ACCOUNTING TERMS
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SECTION
1.01. Certain Defined
Terms
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1
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SECTION
1.02. Computation of Time
Periods
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19
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SECTION
1.03. Accounting Terms
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19
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ARTICLE II
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AMOUNTS AND TERMS OF THE ADVANCES
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SECTION
2.01. The Revolving Advances
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19
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SECTION
2.02. Making the Revolving Advances
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19
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SECTION
2.03. The Swingline Advances
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20
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SECTION
2.04. Making the Swingline Advances
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21
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SECTION
2.05. Fees
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22
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SECTION
2.06. Optional Termination or Reduction of the
Commitments
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22
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SECTION
2.07. Repayment of Advances
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22
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SECTION
2.08. Interest on Advances
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22
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SECTION
2.09. Interest Rate Determination
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23
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SECTION
2.10. Optional Conversion of Revolving Advances
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23
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SECTION
2.11. Optional and Mandatory Prepayments of
Advances
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23
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SECTION
2.12. Increased Costs
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24
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SECTION
2.13. Illegality
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25
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SECTION
2.14. Payments and Computations
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25
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SECTION
2.15. Taxes
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25
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SECTION
2.16. Sharing of Payments, Etc.
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27
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SECTION
2.17. Use of Proceeds of Advances
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28
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ARTICLE III
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AMOUNT AND TERMS OF THE LETTERS OF
CREDIT
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SECTION
3.01. L/C Commitment
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28
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SECTION
3.02. Procedure for Issuance of Letter of Credit
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28
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SECTION
3.03. Fees and Other Charges
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28
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SECTION
3.04. Letter of Credit Participations
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29
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SECTION
3.05. Reimbursement Obligation of the Borrowers
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29
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SECTION
3.06. Obligations Absolute
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30
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SECTION
3.07. Letter of Credit Payments
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30
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SECTION
3.08. Applications
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30
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SECTION
3.09. Use of Letters of Credit
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30
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ARTICLE IV
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CONDITIONS TO
EFFECTIVENESS
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SECTION
4.01. Conditions Precedent to Effectiveness
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30
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SECTION
4.02. Conditions Precedent to Each Extension of
Credit
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32
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SECTION
4.03. Effective Date
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32
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ARTICLE V
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REPRESENTATIONS AND
WARRANTIES
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SECTION
5.01. Representations and Warranties of the
Borrowers
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32
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ARTICLE VI
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COVENANTS
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SECTION
6.01. Affirmative Covenants
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35
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SECTION
6.02. Negative Covenants
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38
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SECTION
6.03. Financial Covenant
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41
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ARTICLE VII
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EVENTS OF DEFAULT
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SECTION
7.01. Events of Default
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41
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ARTICLE VIII
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THE AGENT
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SECTION
8.01. Appointment
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43
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SECTION
8.02. Delegation of Duties
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43
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SECTION
8.03. Exculpatory Provisions
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43
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SECTION
8.04. Reliance by Agent
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44
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SECTION
8.05. Notice of Default
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44
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SECTION
8.06. Non-Reliance on Agents and Other Lenders
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44
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SECTION
8.07. Indemnification
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44
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SECTION
8.08. Agent in Its Individual Capacity
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45
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SECTION
8.09. Successor Agent
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45
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SECTION
8.10. Documentation Agents and Syndication
Agents
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45
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ARTICLE IX
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MISCELLANEOUS
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SECTION
9.01. Amendments, Etc.
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45
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SECTION
9.02. Notices, Etc.
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46
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SECTION
9.03. No Waiver; Remedies
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47
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SECTION
9.04. Costs and Expenses
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47
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SECTION
9.05. Right of Set-off
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48
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SECTION
9.06. Binding Effect; Effectiveness
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48
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SECTION
9.07. Assignments and Participations
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48
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SECTION
9.08. Confidentiality
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50
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SECTION
9.09. Governing Law
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50
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SECTION
9.10. Execution in Counterparts
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50
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SECTION
9.11. Jurisdiction, Etc.
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51
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SECTION
9.12. WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL
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51
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SECTION
9.13. Release of Collateral
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51
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SECTION
9.14. USA PATRIOT Act Notice
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52
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SECTION
9.15. Integration
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52
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Schedules
Schedule IA - Pricing
Grid
Schedule 5.01(r) -UCC Filing
Jurisdictions
Schedule 6.02(a) -Existing
Liens
Exhibits
Exhibit A - Form of Notice of
Borrowing
Exhibit B - Form of Assignment
and Acceptance
Exhibit C - Form of Borrowing
Base Certificate
Exhibit D - Form of Guarantee and
Collateral Agreement
Exhibit E-1 - Form of Opinion of
Counsel for the Borrowers (Sears Law Department)
Exhibit E-2 - Form of Opinion of
Counsel for the Borrowers (Kmart Law Department)
Exhibit E-3 - Form of Opinion of
Special Counsel for the Borrowers (Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen &
Katz)
FIVE-YEAR CREDIT AGREEMENT
Dated as of February 22, 2005
SEARS HOLDINGS CORPORATION, a
Delaware corporation (" Holdings "), SEARS ROEBUCK
ACCEPTANCE CORP., a Delaware corporation (" SRAC "), KMART
CORPORATION, a Michigan corporation (" Kmart Corp. "), the
banks, financial institutions and other institutional lenders (the
" Initial Lenders ") listed on the signature pages hereof,
CITICORP USA, INC. and BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., as syndication
agents, BARCLAYS BANK PLC, LEHMAN COMMERCIAL PAPER INC., HSBC BANK
USA, MERRILL LYNCH BANK USA, MORGAN STANLEY BANK, THE ROYAL BANK OF
SCOTLAND, PLC and WACHOVIA BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, as
documentation agents, J.P. MORGAN SECURITIES INC., CITIGROUP GLOBAL
MARKETS INC. and BANC OF AMERICA SECURITIES LLC, as lead arrangers
and joint bookrunners (the " Lead Arrangers "), and JPMORGAN
CHASE BANK, N.A. (" JPMorgan Chase Bank "), as
administrative agent (the " Agent ") for the Lenders (as
hereinafter defined), agree as follows:
ARTICLE I
DEFINITIONS AND ACCOUNTING TERMS
SECTION
1.01. Certain Defined Terms
. As used in this Agreement, the
following terms shall have the following meanings (such meanings to
be equally applicable to both the singular and plural forms of the
terms defined):
" Adjustment Date " has
the meaning set forth in the Pricing Grid.
" Advance " means any
advance by a Lender to any Borrower as part of a
Borrowing.
" Affiliate " means, as to
any Person, any other Person that, directly or indirectly,
controls, is controlled by or is under common control with such
Person or is a director or officer of such Person. For purposes of
this definition, the term "control" (including the terms
"controlling", "controlled by" and "under common control with") of
a Person means the possession, direct or indirect, of the power to
direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of
such Person by contract or otherwise.
" Agent's Account " means
the account of the Agent maintained by the Agent at JPMorgan Chase
Bank at its office at 270 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10017,
Account No. 304288446, Attention: Bank Loan
Syndications.
" Applicable Lending
Office " means, with respect to each Lender, such Lender's
Domestic Lending Office in the case of a Base Rate Advance and such
Lender's Eurodollar Lending Office in the case of a Eurodollar Rate
Advance.
" Applicable Margin "
means, initially, (a) 0.875% per annum for Eurodollar Rate Advances
and (b) 0% per annum for Base Rate Advances; provided , that
on and after the first Adjustment Date occurring after the
Effective Date, the Applicable Margin will be determined pursuant
to the Pricing Grid.
" Application " means an
application, in such form as the Issuing Lender may specify from
time to time, requesting the Issuing Lender to open a Letter of
Credit.
" Assignment and
Acceptance " means an assignment and acceptance entered into by
a Lender and an Eligible Assignee, and accepted by the Agent, in
substantially the form of Exhibit B hereto.
" Authorized Officer "
means, as to Holdings or any Borrower, its president, chief
executive officer, chief financial officer, vice
president and controller, vice
president and treasurer, vice president, finance, executive vice
president, finance or any other person designated by it and
acceptable to the Required Lenders.
" Available Cash " means,
on any date, (a) the aggregate amount of cash and Cash Equivalents
of Holdings and its Subsidiaries on such date (determined on a
Consolidated basis and in accordance with GAAP) minus (b)
$125,000,000.
" Available Commitment "
means as to any Lender at any time, an amount equal to the excess,
if any, of (a) such Lender's Commitment then in effect over
(b) such Lender's Extensions of Credit then outstanding;
provided , that in calculating any Lender's Extensions of
Credit for the purpose of determining such Lender's Available
Commitment pursuant to Section 2.05(a), the aggregate principal
amount of Swingline Advances then outstanding shall be deemed to be
zero.
" Base Rate " means a
fluctuating interest rate per annum in effect from time to time,
which rate per annum shall at all times be equal to the higher
of:
(a) the rate of interest
announced publicly by JPMorgan Chase Bank in New York, New York,
from time to time, as its prime rate; and
(b) 1/2 of one percent per annum
above the Federal Funds Rate.
" Base Rate Advance "
means an Advance that bears interest as provided in
Section 2.08(a)(i).
" Borrower Information "
has the meaning specified in Section 9.08.
" Borrowers " means,
collectively, SRAC and Kmart Corp.; provided that in the
event SRAC is dissolved, merged with and into Holdings or any
Subsidiary of Holdings or otherwise ceases to exist in accordance
with Section 6.01(d), then Sears shall designate that Sears or a
direct wholly owned Domestic Subsidiary of Sears become a Borrower
for all purposes of the Loan Documents.
" Borrowing " means a
borrowing consisting of simultaneous Advances of the same Type made
by each of the applicable Lenders pursuant to Section 2.01 or
Section 2.03.
" Borrowing Base " means,
at any time, an amount equal to (a) 85% of the aggregate
outstanding Eligible Credit Card Accounts Receivable at such time
plus (b) the lesser of (i) 70% of the Net Eligible Inventory
at such time minus 100% of Other Borrowing Base Reserves and
(ii) 85% of the Net Orderly Liquidation Value at such time. The
Agent may, in its Permitted Discretion and with 5 days notice to
the Borrowers, reduce the advance rates set forth above or adjust
one or more of the other elements used in computing the Borrowing
Base.
" Borrowing Base
Certificate " means a certificate, signed by an Authorized
Officer of Holdings, in the form of Exhibit C or another form which
is acceptable to the Agent in its Permitted Discretion.
" Business Day " means a
day of the year on which banks are not required or authorized by
law to close in New York, New York or, in the case of matters
relating to SRAC, Greenville, Delaware or, in the case of matters
relating to Kmart Corp., Detroit, Michigan, and, if the applicable
Business Day relates to any Eurodollar Rate Advances, a day of the
year on which dealings are carried on in the London interbank
market.
" Cash Equivalents " means
investments of Holdings and its Subsidiaries recorded as cash or
cash equivalents in accordance with GAAP.
" Collateral " means all
property of the Loan Parties, now owned or hereafter acquired, upon
which a Lien is purported to be created by any Security
Document.
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" Collateral Release Date
" means the date on which the Collateral is released from the Liens
of the Agent pursuant to Section 9.13(c).
" Commercial L/C " means a
commercial documentary Letter of Credit under which the Issuing
Lender agrees to make payments in Dollars for the account of any
Borrower, on behalf of any Group Member, in respect of obligations
of such Group Member in connection with the purchase of goods or
services in the ordinary course of business.
" Commitment " means, as
to any Lender, the obligation of such Lender to make Revolving
Advances and participate in Swingline Advances and Letters of
Credit in an aggregate principal amount and/or face amount up to
(a) the amount set forth opposite such Lender's name on the
signature pages hereof or (b) if such Lender has entered into any
Assignment and Acceptance, the amount set forth for such Lender in
the Register maintained by the Agent pursuant to Section 9.07(d),
as such amount may be reduced pursuant to
Section 2.06.
" Commitment Fee Rate "
means, initially, 0.175% per annum; provided , that on and
after the first Adjustment Date occurring after the Effective Date,
the Commitment Fee Rate will be determined pursuant to the Pricing
Grid.
" Commitment Percentage "
means, as to any Lender at any time, the percentage which such
Lender's Commitment then constitutes of the aggregate Commitments
of all Lenders or, at any time after the Commitments shall have
expired or terminated, the percentage which the aggregate principal
amount of such Lender's Advances then outstanding constitutes of
the aggregate principal amount of the Advances then outstanding,
provided , that, in the event that the Advances are paid in
full prior to the reduction to zero of the Total Extensions of
Credit, the Commitment Percentage shall be determined in a manner
designed to ensure that the other outstanding Extensions of Credit
shall be held by the Lenders on a comparable basis.
" Commonly Controlled
Entity " means an entity, whether or not incorporated, that is
under common control with any Borrower within the meaning of
Section 4001 of ERISA or is part of a group that includes any
Borrower and that is treated as a single employer under Section 414
of the Internal Revenue Code.
" Consolidated " refers to
the consolidation of accounts of Holdings, excluding Sears Canada,
in accordance with GAAP and as presented on a GAAP
basis.
" Consolidated Adjusted
Leverage Ratio " means, as of any given day, the ratio of (a)
the sum of (i) Consolidated Average Net Debt on such day and (ii)
the product of Consolidated Rent Expense for the four immediately
preceding fiscal quarters for which financial statements are
available and 6 to (b) Consolidated EBITDAR for the four
immediately preceding fiscal quarters for which financial
statements are available.
" Consolidated Average Net
Debt " means, as of the last day of any period, (a) the sum of
(i) Consolidated Net Debt as of such day and (ii) the sum of
Consolidated Net Debt as of the end of each of the three
immediately preceding fiscal quarters divided by (b)
4.
" Consolidated EBITDA "
means for any period, Consolidated Net Income for such period
plus , without duplication and to the extent reflected as a
charge in the statement of such Consolidated Net Income for such
period, the sum of (a) provision for income taxes, (b) interest
expense, (c) depreciation and amortization expense, (d) results
attributable to the minority interest owned by any Person in a
non-wholly owned Subsidiary of Holdings to the extent such
Subsidiary is a Loan Party, (e) expenses relating to the Kmart
Corp. bankruptcy case in an amount not to exceed $12,000,000 in any
twelve month period, (f) the impact of conforming accounting
policies as a result of the Merger through the first full fiscal
year following the Merger, (g) all non-recurring expenses and
special charges related to the Merger incurred within twelve months
after the date of the Merger, (h) non-cash charges arising from
share-based payments (as defined in accordance with GAAP) to
employees or
3
directors and (i) any
extraordinary or other non-recurring non-cash expenses or losses,
and minus , to the extent included in the statement of such
Consolidated Net Income for such period, any cash payments made
during such period in respect of items added back pursuant to
clause (i) above subsequent to the fiscal quarter in which the
relevant non-cash expenses or losses were reflected as a charge in
the statement of Consolidated Net Income, all as determined on a
Consolidated basis. For the purposes of calculating Consolidated
EBITDA for any fiscal quarter pursuant to any determination of the
Consolidated Adjusted Leverage Ratio or the Consolidated Leverage
Ratio, (i) if at any time during such fiscal quarter Holdings or
any of its Subsidiaries (other than Sears Canada) shall have made
any Material Disposition, the Consolidated EBITDA for such fiscal
quarter shall be reduced by an amount equal to the Consolidated
EBITDA (if positive) attributable to the property that is the
subject of such Material Disposition for such fiscal quarter or
increased by an amount equal to the Consolidated EBITDA (if
negative) attributable thereto for such fiscal quarter and (ii) if
during such fiscal quarter Holdings or any of its Subsidiaries
(other than Sears Canada) shall have made a Material Acquisition,
Consolidated EBITDA for such fiscal quarter shall be calculated
after giving pro forma effect thereto as if such
Material Acquisition occurred on the first day of such fiscal
quarter. As used in this definition, "Material Acquisition" means
any acquisition of property or series of related acquisitions of
property that (a) constitutes assets comprising all or
substantially all of an operating unit of a business or constitutes
all or substantially all of the common stock of a Person and (b)
involves the payment of consideration by Holdings and its
Subsidiaries (other than Sears Canada) in excess of $100,000,000;
and "Material Disposition" means any Disposition of property or
series of related Dispositions of property that yields gross
proceeds to Holdings or any of its Subsidiaries in excess of
$100,000,000.
" Consolidated EBITDAR "
means, for any period, the sum of (a) Consolidated EBITDA for such
period plus (b) Consolidated Rent Expense for such
period.
" Consolidated Inventory
Coverage Ratio " means, as of the last day of any period, the
ratio of (a) Gross Domestic Inventory on such day to (b) Total Net
Extensions of Credit on such day.
" Consolidated Leverage
Ratio " means, as of any given day, the ratio of (a)
Consolidated Average Net Debt on such day to (b) Consolidated
EBITDA for the four immediately preceding fiscal quarters for which
financial statements are available. For purposes of determining the
Consolidated Leverage Ratio as of the end of the first four fiscal
quarters following the Effective Date, Consolidated Average Net
Debt and Consolidated EBITDA shall be calculated to give pro
forma effect to the Merger as if the Merger had occurred on
the first day of the relevant period of four consecutive fiscal
quarters.
" Consolidated Net Debt "
means, on any date, Consolidated Total Debt minus Available
Cash.
" Consolidated Net Income
" means, for any period, the consolidated net income (or loss) of
Holdings and its Subsidiaries, determined on a Consolidated basis
in accordance with GAAP; provided that there shall be
excluded (a) the income (or deficit) of any Person accrued prior to
the date it becomes a Subsidiary of Holdings or is merged into or
consolidated with Holdings or any of its Subsidiaries, (b) the
income (or deficit) of any Person (other than a Subsidiary of
Holdings) in which Holdings or any of its Subsidiaries has an
ownership interest, except to the extent that any such income is
actually received by Holdings or such Subsidiary in the form of
dividends or similar distributions and (c) the undistributed
earnings of any Subsidiary of Holdings (other than a Loan Party) to
the extent that the declaration or payment of dividends or similar
distributions by such Subsidiary is not at the time permitted by
the terms of any contractual obligation (other than under any Loan
Document) or Requirement of Law applicable to such
Subsidiary.
" Consolidated Rent
Expense " means, for any period, the aggregate amount of fixed
and contingent rentals payable by Holdings and its Subsidiaries for
such period with respect to operating leases of real estate,
determined on a Consolidated basis in accordance with
GAAP.
" Consolidated Total Debt
" means, at any date, the aggregate principal amount of all Debt of
Holdings and its Subsidiaries at such date, determined on a
Consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP, but excluding (i)
issued but not funded letters of
4
credit, (ii) reimbursement
obligations which are characterized as trade payables and are not
overdue with respect to trade letters of credit (other than Letters
of Credit issued hereunder) and (iii) contingent
obligations.
" Convert ", "
Conversion " and " Converted " each refers to a
conversion of Advances of one Type into Advances of the other Type
pursuant to Section 2.09 or 2.10.
" Credit Card Accounts
Receivable " means each "Account" (as defined in the UCC)
together with all income, payments and proceeds thereof, owed by an
issuer of credit cards to a Loan Party resulting from charges by a
customer of a Group Member (other than Sears Canada) on credit
cards issued by such issuer in connection with the sale of goods by
a Group Member (other than Sears Canada), or services performed by
a Group Member (other than Sears Canada), in each case in the
ordinary course of its business.
" DC " means any
distribution center owned or leased and operated by any Loan
Party.
" Debt " of any Person
means, without duplication, (a) all indebtedness of such
Person for borrowed money (excluding interest payable thereon
unless such interest is to be accrued and added to the principal
amount of such indebtedness), (b) all obligations of such
Person for the deferred purchase price of property or services
(other than (i) trade payables incurred in the ordinary course of
such Person's business and (ii) any such obligations which are due
less than twelve months from the date of incurrence), (c) all
obligations of such Person evidenced by notes, bonds, debentures or
other similar instruments (other than performance, surety and
appeals bonds arising in the ordinary course of business and other
than the endorsement of negotiable instruments for deposit or
collection or similar transactions in the ordinary course of
business) or in respect of acceptances or letters of credit,
(d) all obligations of such Person created or arising under
any conditional sale or other title retention agreement with
respect to property acquired by such Person (even though the rights
and remedies of the seller or lender under such agreement in the
event of default are limited to repossession or sale of such
property), (e) all obligations of such Person as lessee under
leases that have been or should be, in accordance with GAAP,
recorded as capital leases, (f) all direct recourse payment
obligations of such Person in respect of any accounts receivable
sold by such Person, (g) all Debt of others referred to in
clauses (a) through (f) above or clause (h) below and
other payment obligations guaranteed directly or indirectly in any
manner by such Person, or in effect guaranteed directly or
indirectly by such Person through an agreement (1) to pay or
purchase such Debt or to advance or supply funds for the payment or
purchase of such Debt, (2) to purchase, sell or lease (as
lessee or lessor) property, or to purchase or sell services,
primarily for the purpose of enabling the debtor to make payment of
such Debt or to assure the holder of such Debt against loss,
(3) to supply funds to or in any other manner invest in the
debtor (including any agreement to pay for property or services
irrespective of whether such property is received or such services
are rendered) or (4) otherwise to assure a creditor against
loss, and (h) all Debt referred to in clauses (a) through
(g) above secured by (or for which the holder of such Debt has
an existing right, contingent or otherwise, to be secured by) any
Lien on property (including accounts and contract rights) owned by
such Person, even though such Person has not assumed or become
liable for the payment of such Debt.
" Default " means any
Event of Default or any event that would constitute an Event of
Default but for the requirement that notice be given or time elapse
or both.
" Disposition " means any
sale of property other than goods held for sale in the ordinary
course of business.
" Dollars " and " $
" refers to lawful money of the United States.
" Domestic Lending Office
" means, with respect to any Lender, the office of such Lender
specified as its "Domestic Lending Office" on the signature pages
hereof or in the Assignment and Acceptance pursuant to which it
became a Lender, or such other office of such Lender as such Lender
may from time to time specify to the Borrowers and the
Agent.
5
" Domestic Subsidiary "
means any Subsidiary organized under the laws of any jurisdiction
within the United States.
" Effective Date " means
the date on which the conditions precedent set forth in Section
4.01 shall have been satisfied.
" Eligible Assignee "
means any Person approved by the Agent, the Issuing Lender and,
unless (a) an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing at
the time any assignment is effected in accordance with Section 9.07
or (b) the assignee is an existing Lender or an Affiliate of an
existing Lender, the Borrowers, in each case such approval not to
be unreasonably withheld or delayed; provided that neither
the Borrowers nor an Affiliate of the Borrowers shall qualify as an
Eligible Assignee.
" Eligible Credit Card
Accounts Receivable " means at the time of any determination
thereof, each Credit Card Accounts Receivable that satisfies the
following criteria at the time of creation and continues to meet
the same at the time of such determination: such Credit Card
Account Receivable (i) has been earned and represents the bona fide
amounts due to a Loan Party from a credit card payment processor
and/or credit card issuer, and in each case originated in the
ordinary course of business of the applicable Loan Party and (ii)
is not ineligible for inclusion in the calculation of the Borrowing
Base pursuant to any of clauses (a) through (i) below. Without
limiting the foregoing, to qualify as an Eligible Credit Card
Account Receivable, an Account shall indicate no person other than
a Loan Party as payee or remittance party. In determining the
amount to be so included, the face amount of an Account shall be
reduced by, without duplication, to the extent not reflected in
such face amount, (i) the amount of all accrued and actual
discounts, claims, credits or credits pending, promotional program
allowances, price adjustments, finance charges, credit card
processor fees or other allowances (including any amount that the
applicable Loan Party may be obligated to rebate to a customer, a
credit card payment processor, or credit card issuer pursuant to
the terms of any agreement or understanding (written or oral)) and
(ii) the aggregate amount of all cash received in respect of such
Account but not yet applied by the applicable Loan Party to reduce
the amount of such Credit Card Account Receivable. Unless otherwise
approved from time to time in writing by the Agent, no Credit Card
Accounts Receivable shall be Eligible Credit Card Accounts
Receivable if, without duplication:
(a) such Credit Card Accounts
Receivable are not owned by a Loan Party and such Loan Party does
not have good or marketable title to such Credit Card Accounts
Receivable free and clear of any Lien of any Person other than the
Agent;
(b) such Credit Card Accounts
Receivable do not constitute "Accounts" (as defined in the UCC) or
such Credit Card Accounts Receivable have been outstanding for more
than seven (7) business days;
(c) the issuer or payment
processor of the applicable credit card with respect to such Credit
Card Accounts Receivable is the subject of any bankruptcy or
insolvency proceedings;
(d) such Credit Card Accounts
Receivable are not valid, legally enforceable obligations of the
applicable issuer with respect thereto;
(e) such Credit Card Accounts
Receivable are not subject to a properly perfected security
interest in favor of the Agent, or are not in form and substance
reasonably satisfactory to the Agent, or are subject to any Lien
whatsoever other than Permitted Liens contemplated by the processor
agreements and for which appropriate reserves (as determined by the
Agent) have been established or maintained by the Loan
Parties;
6
(f) the Credit Card Accounts
Receivable do not conform to all representations, warranties or
other provisions in the Loan Documents relating to Credit Card
Accounts Receivable;
(g) such Credit Card Accounts
Receivable are subject to risk of set-off, non-collection or not
being processed due to unpaid and/or accrued credit card processor
fee balances, limited to the lesser of the balance of Credit Card
Accounts Receivable or unpaid credit card processor
fees;
(h) such Credit Card Accounts
Receivable are evidenced by "chattel paper" or an "instrument" of
any kind unless such "chattel paper" or "instrument" is in the
possession of the Agent, and to the extent necessary or
appropriate, endorsed to the Agent; or
(i) such Credit Card Accounts
Receivable do not meet such other usual and customary eligibility
criteria for Credit Card Accounts Receivable as the Agent may
determine from time to time in its Permitted Discretion.
" Eligible Inventory "
means, at any time, the Inventory of any Loan Party held for sale
to third party customers that is not ineligible for inclusion in
the calculation of the Borrowing Base pursuant to any of clauses
(a) through (s) below. Without limiting the foregoing, to qualify
as "Eligible Inventory" no Person other than the Loan Parties shall
have any direct or indirect ownership, interest or title to such
Inventory and no Person other than the Loan Parties shall be
indicated on any purchase order or invoice with respect to such
Inventory as having or purporting to have an interest therein.
Unless otherwise from time to time approved in writing by the
Agent, no Inventory shall be deemed Eligible Inventory if, without
duplication:
(a) the Loan Parties do not have
sole and good, valid and unencumbered title thereto (except for
Liens of the type described in clauses (a), (b), (c) and (e) of the
definition of Permitted Liens); or
(b) it is not located in the
United States, Puerto Rico or U.S. Virgin Islands; or
(c) it is not located at property
owned or leased by the Loan Parties (except to the extent such
Inventory is in transit between such locations or is located at a
dealer's store or is deemed eligible pursuant to clause (h)) or is
located at a third party warehouse or is located at a closed Store
(except pursuant to clause (f)) or is located at a closed DC;
or
(d) it is identified as accrued
Inventory without a receiver in the applicable Loan Party's
stockledger; or
(e) it is not subject to a valid
and perfected first priority Lien in favor of the Agent for the
benefit of the Agent and the Lenders; or
(f) it is Inventory located at a
Store which is being closed; provided however that such Inventory
will be deemed eligible for the first four (4) weeks after the
commencement of the Store Closure Sale for that Store;
or
(g) it is consigned from a vendor
or is at a customer location but still accounted for in the
applicable Loan Party's inventory balance; or
(h) it is in-transit from a
vendor and has not yet been received into a DC or Store; provided
that in-transit inventory purchased under "private label" letters
of credit issued by SRAC or Letters of Credit issued
7
hereunder shall be deemed
Eligible Inventory, subject to a 25% reserve, if (i) the relevant
Loan Party has sole title (including Inventory delivered on a FOB
shipping point basis and whether or not payment has been made to
the letter of credit beneficiary and/or the issuer of such letter
of credit), (ii) the relevant Loan Party has possession or control
over title documents relating to such Inventory, (iii) the
Inventory is fully insured and (iv) the Inventory would not be
deemed ineligible pursuant to any other provision of this
definition; or
(i) it is considered perishable
goods or is identified in the stockledger of the applicable Loan
Party as any of the following departments or consists of Inventory
which is ordinarily classified by such Loan Party consistent with
its historical practices as the following: bakery; dairy; deli;
floral; gasoline; live plants; meat; miscellaneous or other as
classified on the Loan Party's stockledger; produce; books;
magazines; restaurant operations; or seafood; or it is identified
per the applicable Loan Party's stockledger as candy,
provided that it will only be considered ineligible to the
extent that the Inventory Value thereof is greater than 2% of Gross
Inventory Value; or
(j) it is Inventory that is
packed-away and stored at a DC or a Store for future sale,
including merchandise of Sears and its Subsidiaries that has been
carried over for more than 9 months as currently reported as XOM
status per the RIM merchandising system; or
(k) from and after the delivery
by Holdings of the first monthly Borrowing Base Certificate after a
specified holiday or event has occurred, any Inventory (other than
seasonal apparel) identified as seasonal per the Loan Parties'
stockledger for sale for such specific holiday or event;
or
(l) it is identified as
wholesaler freight fees; or
(m) from and after any date that
is more than four (4) weeks past a specified selling season, any
Inventory that is seasonal apparel and that the Loan Parties have
identified, in accordance in all material respects with the Loan
Parties' current or historical accounting practices, as related to
such specific selling season, including merchandise of Sears and
its Subsidiaries that is currently reported by the SAMS database;
or
(n) it is Inventory which is
ordinarily classified by such Loan Party consistent with its
historical practices as repair services, provided that 50%
of the value of such Inventory shall constitute Eligible Inventory;
or
(o) it is Inventory on layaway or
is Inventory which has been sold but not delivered or as to which
any Loan Party has accepted a deposit from a third party;
or
(p) it is identified per the Loan
Parties' stockledger as Inventory that is in a leased department,
including digital imaging, photofinishing and 1 hour lab;
or
(q) it is otherwise deemed
ineligible by the Agent in its Permitted Discretion on at least
five (5) Business Days' notice to Holdings; or
8
(r) it is operating supplies,
packaging or shipping materials, cartons, labels or other such
materials not considered used for sale in the ordinary course of
business by the Agent in its Permitted Discretion; or
(s) it is Inventory which
exhibits, includes or is identified by any trademark, tradename or
other Intellectual Property right which trademark, tradename or
other Intellectual Property right (i) is subject to a restriction
that could reasonably be expected to adversely affect the Agent's
ability to liquidate such Inventory or (ii) the relevant Loan Party
does not have the right to use in connection with the sale of such
Inventory, either through direct ownership or through a written
license or sublicense.
" Environmental Action "
means any action, suit, demand, demand letter, claim, notice of
non-compliance or violation, notice of liability or potential
liability, investigation, proceeding, consent order or consent
agreement relating in any way to any Environmental Law,
Environmental Permit or Hazardous Materials or arising from alleged
injury or threat of injury to health, safety or the environment,
including (a) by any governmental or regulatory authority for
enforcement, cleanup, removal, response, remedial or other actions
or damages and (b) by any governmental or regulatory authority
or any third party for damages, contribution, indemnification, cost
recovery, compensation or injunctive relief.
" Environmental Law "
means any federal, state, local or foreign statute, law, ordinance,
rule, regulation, code, order, judgment, decree or judicial or
agency interpretation, policy or guidance relating to pollution or
protection of the environment, health, safety or natural resources,
including those relating to the use, handling, transportation,
treatment, storage, disposal, release or discharge of Hazardous
Materials.
" Environmental Liability
" means any liability, contingent or otherwise (including any
liability for damages, costs of environmental remediation, fines,
penalties or indemnities), of the Borrowers or any of their
Subsidiaries directly or indirectly resulting from or based upon
(a) violation of any Environmental Law, (b) the
generation, use, handling, transportation, storage, treatment or
disposal of any Hazardous Materials, (c) exposure to any
Hazardous Materials, (d) the release or threatened release of
any Hazardous Materials into the environment or (e) any contract,
agreement or other consensual arrangement pursuant to which
liability is assumed or imposed with respect to any of the
foregoing.
" Environmental Permit "
means any permit, approval, identification number, license or other
authorization required under any Environmental Law.
" ERISA " means the
Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended from
time to time, and the regulations promulgated and rulings issued
thereunder.
" ERISA Affiliate " means
any Person that for purposes of Title IV of ERISA is a member
of any Borrower's controlled group, or under common control with
such Borrower, within the meaning of Section 414 of the
Internal Revenue Code.
" ERISA Event " means
(a) (i) the occurrence of a reportable event, within the
meaning of Section 4043 of ERISA, with respect to any Plan
unless the 30-day notice requirement with respect to such event has
been waived by the PBGC, or (ii) the requirements of subsection (1)
of Section 4043(b) of ERISA (without regard to subsection (2) of
such Section) are met with respect to a contributing sponsor, as
defined in Section 4001(a)(13) of ERISA, of a Plan, and an event
described in paragraph (9), (10), (11), (12) or (13) of
Section 4043(c) of ERISA is reasonably expected to occur with
respect to such Plan within the following 30 days; (b) the
application for a minimum funding waiver with respect to a Plan;
(c) the provision by the administrator of any Plan of a notice
of intent to terminate such Plan pursuant to
Section 4041(a)(2) of ERISA (including any such notice with
respect to a plan amendment referred to in Section 4041(e) of
ERISA); (d) the cessation of operations at a facility of any
Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate in the circumstances described in
Section 4062(e) of ERISA; (e) the withdrawal
9
by any Borrower or any ERISA
Affiliate from a Multiple Employer Plan during a plan year for
which it was a substantial employer, as defined in
Section 4001(a)(2) of ERISA; (f) the conditions for the
imposition of a lien under Section 302(f) of ERISA shall have
been met with respect to any Plan; (g) the adoption of an
amendment to a Plan requiring the provision of security to such
Plan pursuant to Section 307 of ERISA; or (h) the
institution by the PBGC of proceedings to terminate a Plan pursuant
to Section 4042 of ERISA, or the occurrence of any event or
condition described in Section 4042 of ERISA that constitutes
grounds for the termination of, or the appointment of a trustee to
administer, a Plan.
" Eurocurrency Liabilities
" has the meaning assigned to that term in Regulation D of the
Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, as in effect from
time to time.
" Eurodollar Lending
Office " means, with respect to any Lender, the office of such
Lender specified as its "Eurodollar Lending Office" on the
signature pages hereof or in the Assignment and Acceptance pursuant
to which it became a Lender (or, if no such office is specified,
its Domestic Lending Office), or such other office of such Lender
as such Lender may from time to time specify to the Borrowers and
the Agent.
" Eurodollar Rate " means,
for any Interest Period for each Eurodollar Rate Advance comprising
part of the same Borrowing, the rate per annum determined on the
basis of the rate for deposits in Dollars for a period equal to
such Interest Period commencing on the first day of such Interest
Period appearing on Page 3750 of the Telerate screen as of 11:00
A.M., London time, two Business Days prior to the beginning of such
Interest Period. In the event that such rate does not appear on
Page 3750 of the Telerate screen (or otherwise on such screen), the
" Eurodollar Rate " shall be determined by reference to such
other comparable publicly available service for displaying
eurodollar rates as may be selected by the Agent or, in the absence
of such availability, by reference to the rate at which the Agent
is offered Dollar deposits at or about 11:00 A.M., New York City
time, two Business Days prior to the beginning of such Interest
Period in the interbank eurodollar market where its eurodollar and
foreign currency and exchange operations are then being conducted
for delivery on the first day of such Interest Period for the
number of days comprised therein.
" Eurodollar Rate Advance
" means an Advance that bears interest as provided in
Section 2.08(a)(ii).
" Eurodollar Rate Reserve
Percentage " for any Interest Period for a Eurodollar Rate
Advance by any Lender means the reserve percentage applicable to
such Lender two Business Days before the first day of such Interest
Period under regulations issued from time to time by the Board of
Governors of the Federal Reserve System (or any successor) for
determining the maximum reserve requirement (including any
emergency, supplemental or other marginal reserve requirement) with
respect to liabilities or assets consisting of or including
Eurocurrency Liabilities (or with respect to any other category of
liabilities that includes deposits by reference to which the
interest rate on Eurodollar Rate Advances is determined) having a
term equal to such Interest Period.
" Events of Default " has
the meaning specified in Section 7.01.
" Extensions of Credit "
means as to any Lender at any time, an amount equal to the sum of
(a) the aggregate principal amount of all Revolving Advances held
by such Lender then outstanding, (b) such Lender's Commitment
Percentage of the aggregate principal amount of Swingline Advances
then outstanding and (c) such Lender's Commitment Percentage of the
L/C Obligations then outstanding.
" Federal Funds Rate "
means, for any period, a fluctuating interest rate per annum equal
for each day during such period 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 (or, if such day is not a Business Day, for
the next preceding Business Day) by the Federal Reserve Bank of
New York, or, if such rate is not so published for any day
that is a Business Day, the
10
average of the quotations for
such day on such transactions received by the Agent from three
Federal funds brokers of recognized standing reasonably selected by
it.
" GAAP " has the meaning
specified in Section 1.03.
" Gift Card Liability
Reserve " shall mean, at any fiscal month end, as the case may
be, a reserve equal to the total value of all gift cards
outstanding.
" Governmental Authority "
means any nation or government, any state or other political
subdivision thereof, any agency, authority, instrumentality,
regulatory body, court, central bank or other entity exercising
executive, legislative, judicial, taxing, regulatory or
administrative functions of or pertaining to government, any
securities exchange and any self-regulatory organization (including
the National Association of Insurance Commissioners).
" Gross Domestic Inventory
" means, on any day, the cost of all Inventory of Holdings and its
Subsidiaries (determined on a first-in-first-out basis either under
the retail or average cost method) located in the United States,
Puerto Rico or U.S. Virgin Islands on such day (other than
consignment Inventory (including Inventory subject to "sale or
return" arrangements) and import Inventory that is in transit from
a location outside of the United States) less reserves taken
in accordance with GAAP, determined on a consolidated basis in
accordance with GAAP; provided that, until the Collateral
Release Date, Inventory shall only be included in the calculation
of Gross Domestic Inventory if such Inventory is subject to a
perfected first-priority Lien in favor of the Agent pursuant to the
terms of the Security Documents.
" Gross Inventory Value "
shall mean, at any month end, the Inventory Value of the domestic
Inventory for Stores and DCs per the Loan Parties' stockledger as
calculated in Exhibit C hereto under the heading of "Inventory
Subject to Net Recovery Rate".
" Group Members " means,
collectively, Holdings, the Borrowers and their respective
Subsidiaries.
" Guarantee and Collateral
Agreement " means the Guarantee and Collateral Agreement to be
executed and delivered by Holdings, Sears, Kmart, Kmart Management
Corporation, the Borrowers and each Subsidiary Guarantor,
substantially in the form of Exhibit D.
" Hazardous Materials "
means (a) petroleum and petroleum products, byproducts or breakdown
products, radioactive materials, asbestos-containing materials,
polychlorinated biphenyls and radon gas and (b) any other
chemicals, materials or substances designated, classified or
regulated as hazardous or toxic or as a pollutant or contaminant
under any Environmental Law.
" Information Memorandum "
means the information memorandum dated January 2005, as amended or
supplemented from time to time, used by the Agent in connection
with the syndication of the Commitments.
" Insolvency " means with
respect to any Multiemployer Plan, the condition that such Plan is
insolvent within the meaning of Section 4245 of ERISA.
" Insolvent " means
pertaining to a condition of Insolvency.
" Intellectual Property "
means the collective reference to all rights, priorities and
privileges relating to intellectual property, whether arising under
United States, multinational or foreign laws or otherwise,
including copyrights, copyright licenses, patents, patent licenses,
trademarks, trademark licenses, technology, know-how and processes,
and all rights to sue at law or in equity for any infringement or
other impairment thereof, including the right to receive all
proceeds and damages therefrom.
11
" Interest Period " means,
for each Eurodollar Rate Advance comprising part of the same
Borrowing of Revolving Advances, the period commencing on the date
of such Eurodollar Rate Advance or the date of the Conversion of
any Base Rate Advance into such Eurodollar Rate Advance and ending
on the last day of the period selected by the applicable Borrower
pursuant to the provisions below and, thereafter, each subsequent
period commencing on the last day of the immediately preceding
Interest Period and ending on the last day of the period selected
by the applicable Borrower pursuant to the provisions below. The
duration of each such Interest Period shall be one, two, three or
six months, or, subject to clause (c) of this definition, 7 days or
nine or twelve months, as the applicable Borrower may, upon notice
received by the Agent not later than 12:00 noon on the third
Business Day prior to the first day of such Interest Period,
select; provided , however , that:
(a) a Borrower may not select any
Interest Period that ends after the Termination Date;
(b) Interest Periods commencing
on the same date for Eurodollar Rate Advances comprising part of
the same Borrowing shall be of the same duration;
(c) in the case of any such
Borrowing, a Borrower shall not be entitled to select an Interest
Period having duration of 7 days or nine or twelve months unless,
by 2:00 P.M. on the third Business Day prior to the first day of
such Interest Period, each Lender notifies the Agent that such
Lender will be providing funding for such Borrowing with such
Interest Period (the failure of any Lender to so respond by such
time being deemed for all purposes of this Agreement as an
objection by such Lender to the requested duration of such Interest
Period); provided that, if any or all of the Lenders object
to the requested duration of such Interest Period, the duration of
the Interest Period for such Borrowing shall be one, two, three or
six months, as specified by the applicable Borrower in the
applicable Notice of Borrowing as the desired alternative to an
Interest Period of 7 days or nine or twelve months;
(d) whenever the last day of any
Interest Period would otherwise occur on a day other than a
Business Day, the last day of such Interest Period shall be
extended to occur on the next succeeding Business Day,
provided , however , that, if such extension would
cause the last day of such Interest Period of one month or longer
to occur in the next following calendar month, the last day of such
Interest Period shall occur on the next preceding Business Day;
and
(e) whenever the first day of any
Interest Period of one month or longer occurs on a day of an
initial calendar month for which there is no numerically
corresponding day in the calendar month that succeeds such initial
calendar month by the number of months equal to the number of
months in such Interest Period, such Interest Period shall end on
the last Business Day of such succeeding calendar month.
" Internal Revenue Code "
means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to
time, and the regulations promulgated and rulings issued
thereunder.
" Inventory " as defined
in the Uniform Commercial Code as from time to time in effect in
the State of New York.
" Inventory Reserves "
means the following:
(a) a reserve for shrink, or
discrepancies that arise between Inventory quantities on hand per
the Loan Parties' unit inventory system, and physical counts of the
Inventory which will be equal to the greater of (i) the
mathematical average of the historical shrink results expressed as
a percent of sales, multiplied by sales for the relevant
year-to-date period and adjusted for the cost complement for the
relevant year-to-date period, but only to the extent such amount
exceeds reserves already netted out of the Gross Inventory Value
per the
12
stockledger; or (ii) an amount
determined by the Agent in its Permitted Discretion on five (5)
Business Days' notice to Holdings; and
(b) a reserve for intracompany
profit, equal to the most recent three (3) fiscal months of
capitalized cost of the foreign buying offices owned and operated
by any Loan Party, with the time frame subject to change on five
(5) Business Days' notice to Holdings based on Inventory
performance, or the Agent's Permitted Discretion; and
(c) to the extent not already
netted out of the Gross Inventory Value per the stockledger or not
treated as ineligible pursuant to the definition of Eligible
Inventory, a reserve for (i) hard (permanent) markdowns, (ii)
seasonal merchandise, (iii) discontinued and clearance merchandise,
(iv) change in product mix of merchandise, (v) change in pricing
strategy or markon percentages, (vi) damaged merchandise, (vii)
price changes, or (viii) other adjustments as deemed appropriate;
and
(d) a reserve for Inventory
returned (other than as a result of reclamations) to either the
return goods center (" RGC "), the vendor, given to charity,
or otherwise considered non-saleable, whether defective or
non-defective. This reserve is to be calculated as the monthly
average for the most recent rolling 12 fiscal month period of
return (other than as a result of reclamations) activity to the
vendors, the RGC, given to charity, or otherwise considered
non-saleable, whether defective or non-defective, both from the
Stores and DCs, and is subject to change on five (5) Business Days'
notice to Holdings at the Agent's Permitted Discretion; and such
reserve to be recalculated by the 10th day after each month-end and
to be reflected on each Borrowing Base Certificate delivered by
Holdings after such date until the amount of such reserve is
recalculated pursuant hereto.
" Inventory Value " shall
mean, with respect to any Inventory of the Loan Parties, the value
of such Inventory valued at cost on a basis consistent with the
Loan Parties' current and historical accounting practice per the
stockledger (without giving effect to LIFO reserves and general
ledger reserves for discontinued inventory, markdowns, intercompany
profit, rebates and discounts, any cut off adjustments, revaluation
adjustments, purchase price adjustments or adjustments with respect
to the capitalization of buying, occupancy, distribution and other
overhead costs reflected on the balance sheet of the Loan Parties
in respect of Inventory). The value of the Inventory as set forth
above will, without duplication for any Inventory Reserves, be
calculated net of the reserve established by the Loan Parties on a
basis consistent with the Loan Parties' current and historical
practice in respect of lost, misplaced or stolen Inventory at such
time.
" Investment Grade Ratings
" shall consist of ratings of at least (i) Baa3 from Moody's, (ii)
BBB- from S&P or (iii) BBB- from Fitch
Ratings; provided that solely in the case that the rating at issue
is the minimum rating provided under this definition, such rating
shall, in addition, have a stable or better outlook.
" Issuing Lender " means,
collectively, JPMorgan Chase Bank, Bank of America, N.A. or Fleet
National Bank, Citibank, N.A. (provided that any reimbursement or
payment on account of a Letter of Credit issued by Citibank, N.A.
hereunder shall be made to Citicorp USA, Inc.), and any other
Lender which at the request of any Borrower and with the consent of
the Agent, not to be unreasonably withheld, agrees to become an
Issuing Lender, it being understood that with the consent of the
requesting Borrower (not to be unreasonably withheld) the Issuing
Lender may arrange for one or more Letters of Credit to be issued
by affiliates of such Issuing Lender, in which case the term
"Issuing Lender" shall include any such affiliate with respect to
Letters of Credit issued by such affiliate. Each reference herein
to "the Issuing Lender" shall be deemed to be a reference to the
relevant Issuing Lender with respect to the relevant Letter of
Credit.
" Kmart " means Kmart
Holding Corporation, a Delaware corporation.
13
" L/C Commitment " means
$1,500,000,000.
" L/C Obligations " means
at any time, an amount equal to the sum of (a) the aggregate then
undrawn and unexpired amount of the then outstanding Letters of
Credit and (b) the aggregate amount of drawings under Letters of
Credit that have not then been reimbursed or discharged pursuant to
Section 3.05 (after giving effect to the proviso
thereof).
" Lenders " means the
Initial Lenders and each Person that shall become a party hereto
pursuant to Section 9.07.
" Letters of Credit "
means the collective reference to Commercial L/Cs and Standby L/Cs;
individually, a " Letter of Credit ".
" Lien " means any lien,
security interest or other charge or encumbrance of any kind, or
any other type of preferential arrangement, including the lien or
retained security title of a conditional vendor and any easement,
right of way or other encumbrance on title to real property, but
excluding consignments or bailments of goods of third parties and
the interests of lessors under operating leases.
" Loan Documents " means
this Agreement, the Security Documents, the Notes, any Application
and any amendment, waiver, supplement or other modification to any
of the foregoing.
" Loan Parties " means
each Group Member that is a party to a Loan Document.
" Martha Stewart Reserve "
shall mean, at any fiscal month end, a reserve equal to the then
current accrued and unpaid royalty in excess of $25,000,000 earned
for Martha Stewart merchandise sold as reflected on the most recent
Borrowing Base Certificate.
" Material Adverse Change
" means a material adverse change in the business, condition
(financial or otherwise) or operations of Holdings and its
Subsidiaries taken as a whole.
" Material Adverse Effect
" means a material adverse effect on (a) the business, condition
(financial or otherwise) or operations of Holdings and its
Subsidiaries taken as a whole or (b) the validity or enforceability
of any of the Loan Documents or the rights and remedies of the
Agent and the Lenders thereunder.
" Merger " has the meaning
specified in Section 4.01(a).
" Moody's " means Moody's
Investors Service, Inc.
" Multiemployer Plan "
means a multiemployer plan, as defined in Section 4001(a)(3)
of ERISA, to which Holdings or any ERISA Affiliate is making or
accruing an obligation to make contributions, or has within any of
the preceding five plan years made or accrued an obligation to make
contributions.
" Multiple Employer Plan "
means a single employer plan, as defined in
Section 4001(a)(15) of ERISA, that (a) is maintained for
employees of Holdings or any ERISA Affiliate and at least one
Person other than Holdings and the ERISA Affiliates or (b) was
so maintained and in respect of which Holdings or any ERISA
Affiliate could have liability under Section 4064 or 4069 of
ERISA in the event such plan has been or were to be
terminated.
" Net Eligible Inventory "
means, at any time, an amount equal to the Inventory Value of
Eligible Inventory less Inventory Reserves.
" Net Orderly Liquidation
Value " means the product of (i) Net Recovery Rate and (ii) the
Gross Inventory Value.
14
" Net Recovery Rate "
means the quotient of (x) the estimated net income, payments and
proceeds (net of expenses) which could reasonably be realized in
connection with an orderly liquidation of each Loan Party's
Inventory given a reasonable period of time for soliciting offers
for the sale of such Inventory on an "as is, where is" basis based
on an appraisal provided by an independent third party appraiser
retained or approved by the Agent in consultation with the
Borrowers and (y) the Gross Inventory Value as of the effective
date of the estimate provided pursuant to clause (x) of this
definition
" Note " means a
promissory note of any Borrower payable to the order of any Lender
evidencing the Commitment of such Lender.
" Notice of Borrowing "
has the meaning specified in Section 2.02(a).
" Other Borrowing Base
Reserves " means, to the extent that relevant merchandise is
not treated as ineligible pursuant to the definition of Eligible
Inventory, the following:
(a) a reserve in an amount to be
determined by the Agent in its Permitted Discretion for rent
expense at leased Store and DC locations;
(b) a reserve for royalties
payable to non-Loan Parties in respect of licensed merchandise
(other than the Martha Stewart Reserve);
(c) the Martha Stewart
Reserve;
(d) the Gift Card Liability
Reserve;
(e) PACA Liability Reserves;
and
(f) PASA Liability
Reserves.
" Other Taxes " has the
meaning specified in Section 2.15.
" PACA " means the
Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act of 1930, as
amended.
" PACA Liability Reserve "
means an amount calculated on a monthly basis by the Agent to
provide for vendor liabilities pursuant to PACA.
" PASA " means the Packers
and Stockyards Act of 1921, as amended.
" PASA Liability Reserve "
means the liability for vendor liabilities pursuant to
PASA.
" PBGC " means the Pension
Benefit Guaranty Corporation (or any successor).
" Permitted Discretion "
means a determination made in good faith and in the exercise of
commercially reasonable business judgment.
" Permitted Holder " means
ESL Investments, Inc. and any of its Affiliates other than a Group
Member.
" Permitted Liens " means:
(a) Liens for taxes, assessments and governmental charges or
levies to the extent such taxes, assessments or governmental
charges are being contested in good faith and by proper proceedings
and as to which appropriate reserves are being maintained;
(b) Liens imposed by law, such as materialmen's, mechanics',
carriers', workmen's and repairmen's Liens and other similar Liens
arising in the ordinary course of business securing obligations
that are not overdue for a period of more than 30 days or that are
being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings and as to
which
15
appropriate reserves are being
maintained; (c) landlords' Liens arising in the ordinary course of
business securing (i) rents not yet due and payable, (ii) rent for
Stores in an amount not to exceed the monthly base rent due for the
immediately preceding calendar month and (iii) rents for Stores in
excess of the amount set forth in the preceding clause (ii) so long
as such amounts are being contested in good faith by appropriate
proceedings and as to which appropriate reserves are being
maintained; (d)any attachment or judgment lien not constituting an
Event of Default under Section 7.01(f); (e) Liens presently
existing or hereafter created in favor of the Agent, on behalf of
the Lenders; (f) Liens arising by the terms of commercial letters
of credit entered into in the ordinary course of business to secure
reimbursement obligations thereunder, provided that such Liens only
encumber the title documents and underlying goods relating to such
letters of credit; (g) consignments and claims under PACA and PASA;
and (h) Liens in favor of issuers of credit cards arising in the
ordinary course of business securing the obligation to pay
customary fees and expenses in connection with credit card
arrangements.
" Person " means an
individual, partnership, corporation (including a business trust),
joint stock company, trust, unincorporated association, joint
venture, limited liability company or other entity, or a government
or any political subdivision or agency thereof.
" Plan " means a Single
Employer Plan or a Multiple Employer Plan.
" Pricing Grid " means the
pricing grid set forth on Schedule IA.
" Pro Forma Financial
Information " means the pro forma financial data of Holdings
contained in the Registration Statement.
" Refunded Swingline
Advances " has the meaning specified in Section
2.04(b).
" Register " has the
meaning specified in Section 9.07(d).
" Registration Statement "
means the Registration Statement of Holdings on Form S-4 filed with
the SEC (Registration No. 333-120954) and declared effective on
February 18, 2005.
" Reimbursement Obligation
" means the obligation of the Borrowers to reimburse the Issuing
Lender pursuant to Section 3.05 for amounts drawn under Letters of
Credit.
" Related Intellectual
Property " means such rights with respect to the Intellectual
Property of the Borrowers and their Subsidiaries (other than Sears
Canada) as are reasonably necessary to permit the Agent to enforce
its remedies under the Loan Documents with respect to the
Collateral.
" Reorganization " means
with respect to any Multiemployer Plan, the condition that such
Plan is in reorganization within the meaning of Section 4241 of
ERISA.
" Reportable Event " means
any of the events set forth in Section 4043(c) of ERISA, other than
(i) those events as to which the thirty day notice period is waived
under subsections .27, .28, .29, .30, .31, .32, .34 or .35 of PBGC
Reg. Section 4043 and (ii) any event that must be reported solely
as a result of the bankruptcy filing by Kmart Corp. and certain of
its Subsidiaries on January 22, 2002 in the Bankruptcy Court for
the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division.
" Required Lenders "
means, at any time, the holders of more than 50% of the Commitments
then in effect or, if the Commitments have been terminated, the
holders of more than 50% of the Total Extensions of Credit then
outstanding.
" Requirements of Law "
means as to any Person, the Certificate of Incorporation and By
Laws or other organizational or governing documents of such Person,
and any law, treaty, rule or regulation or determination of an
arbitrator or a court or other
16
Governmental Authority, in each
case applicable to or binding upon such Person or any of its
property or to which such Person or any of its property is
subject.
" Restricted Payment "
means any dividend or other distribution (whether in cash,
securities or other property) with respect to any equity interests
in Holdings or any Subsidiary of Holdings, or any payment (whether
in cash, securities or other property), including any sinking fund
or similar deposit, on account of the purchase, redemption,
retirement, acquisition, cancellation or termination of any such
equity interests in Holdings or any Subsidiary of Holdings or any
option, warrant or other right to acquire any such equity interests
in Holdings or any Subsidiary of Holdings.
" Revolving Advance " has
the meaning specified in Section 2.01. A Revolving Advance may be a
Base Rate Advance or a Eurodollar Rate Advance (each of which shall
be a " Type " of Revolving Advance).
" S&P " means
Standard & Poor's Ratings Services, a division of The
McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
" Sears " means Sears,
Roebuck and Co., a New York corporation.
" Sears Canada " means the
collective reference to Sears Canada Inc., a Canadian corporation,
and its Subsidiaries.
" SEC " means the
Securities and Exchange Commission.
" Security Documents "
means the collective reference to the Guarantee and Collateral
Agreement, and all other security documents hereafter delivered to
the Agent granting a Lien on any property of any Person to secure
the obligations and liabilities of any Loan Party under any Loan
Document.
" Single Employer Plan "
means a single employer plan, as defined in
Section 4001(a)(15) of ERISA, that (a) is maintained for
employees of any Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate and no Person
other than such Borrower and the ERISA Affiliates or (b) was
so maintained and in respect of which any Borrower or any ERISA
Affiliate could have liability under Section 4069 of ERISA in
the event such plan has been or were to be terminated.
" Solvent " means, when
used with respect to any Person, that, as of any date of
determination, (a) the amount of the "present fair saleable value"
of the assets of such Person will, as of such date, exceed the
amount of all "liabilities of such Person, contingent or
otherwise", as of such date, as such quoted terms are determined in
accordance with applicable federal and state laws governing
determinations of the insolvency of debtors, (b) the present fair
saleable value of the assets of such Person will, as of such date,
be greater than the amount that will be required to pay the
liability of such Person on its debts as such debts become absolute
and matured, (c) such Person will not have, as of such date, an
unreasonably small amount of capital with which to conduct its
business, and (d) such Person will be able to pay its debts as they
mature. For purposes of this definition, (i) "debt" means liability
on a "claim", and (ii) "claim" means any (x) right to payment,
whether or not such a right is reduced to judgment, liquidated,
unliquidated, fixed, contingent, matured, unmatured, disputed,
undisputed, legal, equitable, secured or unsecured or (y) right to
an equitable remedy for breach of performance if such breach gives
rise to a right to payment, whether or not such right to an
equitable remedy is reduced to judgment, fixed, contingent, matured
or unmatured, disputed, undisputed, secured or
unsecured.
" Standby L/C " means an
irrevocable letter of credit under which the Issuing Lender agrees
to make payments in Dollars for the account of any Borrower, on
behalf of any Group Member in respect of obligations of such Group
Member incurred pursuant to contracts made or performances
undertaken or to be undertaken or like matters relating to
contracts to which such Group Member is or proposes to become a
party, including, without limiting the foregoing, for insurance
purposes or in respect of
17
advance payments or as bid or
performance bonds or for any other purpose for which a standby
letter of credit might be issued.
" Store " means any store
owned or leased and operated by any Loan Party.
" Store Closure Sale "
means a store closure sale that is properly advertised and
professionally managed over a defined period that is anticipated by
the Borrowers not to exceed 12 weeks (on average) from the date of
the same commencement.
" Subsidiary " of any
Person means any corporation, partnership, joint venture, limited
liability company, trust or estate of which (or in which) more than
50% of (a) the issued and outstanding capital stock having
ordinary voting power to elect a majority of the Board of Directors
of such corporation (irrespective of whether at the time capital
stock of any other class or classes of such corporation shall or
might have voting power upon the occurrence of any contingency),
(b) the interest in the capital or profits of such limited
liability company, partnership or joint venture or (c) the
beneficial interest in such trust or estate is at the time directly
or indirectly owned or controlled by such Person, by such Person
and one or more of its other Subsidiaries or by one or more of such
Person's other Subsidiaries.
" Subsidiary Guarantor "
means each Domestic Subsidiary of Holdings which owns Inventory or
Credit Card Accounts Receivable.
" Supermajority Lenders "
means, at any time, the holders of 66-2/3% or more of Commitments
then in effect or, if the Commitments have been terminated, the
holders of 66-2/3% or more of the Total Extensions of Credit then
outstanding.
" Swingline Advances " has
the meaning specified in Section 2.03.
" Swingline Commitment "
means the obligation of the Swingline Lender to make Swingline
Advances pursuant to Section 2.03 in an aggregate principal amount
at any one time outstanding not to exceed $100,000,000.
" Swingline Lender " means
JPMorgan Chase Bank, in its capacity as the lender of Swingline
Advances.
" Swingline Participation
Amount " has the meaning specified in Section
2.04(c).
" Taxes " has the meaning
specified in Section 2.15.
" Termination Date " means
the earlier of (a) the date that is five years after the Effective
Date and (b) the date of termination in whole of the Commitments
pursuant to Section 2.06 or 7.01.
" Total Availability "
means the amount at any time by which (a) the lesser of (i)
aggregate Commitments or (ii) the Borrowing Base, if applicable,
exceeds (b) the Total Extensions of Credit at such time.
" Total Extensions of
Credit " means at any time, the aggregate amount of the
Extensions of Credit of the Lenders outstanding at such
time.
" Total Net Extensions of
Credit " means, on any day, (a) Total Extensions of Credit on
such day less (b) Available Cash on such day.
" Type " means either a
Base Rate Advance or a Eurodollar Rate Advance.
18
" UCC " means the Uniform
Commercial Code as from time to time in effect in the State of New
York.
" Voting Stock " means
capital stock issued by a corporation, or equivalent interests in
any other Person, the holders of which are ordinarily, in the
absence of contingencies, entitled to vote for the election of
directors (or persons performing similar functions) of such Person,
even if the right so to vote has been suspended by the happening of
such a contingency.
SECTION
1.02. Computation of Time Periods
. In this Agreement (a) in the
computation of periods of time from a specified date to a later
specified date, the word "from" means "from and including" and the
words "to" and "until" each mean "to but excluding" (b) "including"
means "including without limitation"; and (c) unless otherwise
specified, any reference to a time of day means such time in New
York City.
SECTION
1.03. Accounting Terms . All accounting terms not specifically defined
herein or in the other Loan Documents shall be construed in
accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("
GAAP ") which for purposes of Section 6.03 shall be
consistently applied. If at any time any change
in U.S. generally accepted accounting principles would affect the
computation of any financial ratio or requirement set forth herein,
and either the Borrowers or the Required Lenders shall so request,
the Agent, the Lenders and the Borrowers shall negotiate in good
faith to amend such ratio or requirement to preserve the original
intent thereof in light of such change in U.S. generally accepted
accounting principles (subject to the approval of the Required
Lenders which shall not be unreasonably withheld), provided
that, until so amended, (i) such ratio or requirement shall
continue to be computed in accordance with U.S. generally accepted
accounting principles prior to such change in principles and (ii)
the Borrowers shall provide to the Agent and the Lenders financial
statements and other documents required under this Agreement or as
reasonably requested hereunder setting forth a reconciliation
between calculations of such ratio or requirement made before and
after giving effect to such change in U.S. generally accepted
accounting principles. For the avoidance of doubt, no
retroactive change in U.S. generally accepted accounting principles
shall apply to the construction of accounting terms under this
Agreement in the absence of an amendment hereto in accordance with
the terms of this Section 1.03.
ARTICLE II
AMOUNTS AND TERMS OF THE ADVANCES
SECTION
2.01. The Revolving Advances
. Each Lender severally agrees, on
the terms and conditions hereinafter set forth, to make revolving
advances (the " Revolving Advances ") to the Borrowers from
time to time on any Business Day during the period from the
Effective Date until the Termination Date in an aggregate amount at
any one time outstanding which, when added to such Lender's
Commitment Percentage of the sum of (i) the aggregate principal
amount of the Swingline Advances then outstanding and (ii) the L/C
Obligations then outstanding, equals the amount of such Lender's
Commitment; provided , that the aggregate principal amount
of any Borrowing made at any time shall not exceed the Total
Availability at such time. Each Borrowing under this Section 2.01
shall be in an aggregate amount of $5,000,000 or an integral
multiple of $1,000,000 in excess thereof (provided, that the
Swingline Lender may request, on behalf of the applicable Borrower,
Borrowings that are Base Rate Advances in other amounts pursuant to
Section 2.04(b)) and shall consist of Revolving Advances of the
same Type made on the same day by the Lenders ratably according to
their respective Commitments. Within the limits set forth in this
Section 2.01, the Borrowers may borrow under this Section 2.01,
prepay pursuant to Section 2.11 and reborrow under this
Section 2.01.
SECTION
2.02. Making the Revolving Advances
. (a) Each Borrowing
under Section 2.01 shall be made on notice, given not later than
(x) 12:00 noon on the third Business Day prior to the date of
the proposed Borrowing in the case of a Borrowing consisting of
Eurodollar Rate Advances or (y) 12:00 noon on the date of the
proposed Borrowing in the case of a Borrowing consisting of Base
Rate Advances, by the applicable Borrower to the Agent, which shall
give to each Lender prompt notice thereof by telecopier. Each such
notice of a Borrowing (a " Notice of Borrowing ") shall be
by telephone, confirmed immediately in writing, by email attachment
or by telecopier, in substantially the form of Exhibit A
hereto, specifying therein the requested (i) date of such
Borrowing, (ii) Type of Revolving Advances comprising such
Borrowing,
19
(iii) aggregate amount of
such Borrowing, and (iv) in the case of a Borrowing consisting
of Eurodollar Rate Advances, initial Interest Period for each such
Revolving Advance. Each Lender shall, before 1:00 P.M. on the
date of such Borrowing make available for the account of its
Applicable Lending Office to the Agent at the Agent's Account, in
same day funds, such Lender's ratable (in accordance with its
Commitment Percentage) portion of such Borrowing. After the Agent's
receipt of such funds and upon fulfillment of the applicable
conditions set forth in Article IV, the Agent will make such
funds available to the Borrower requesting such Borrowing at the
Agent's address referred to in Section 9.02.
(b) Anything in
subsection (a) above to the contrary notwithstanding,
(i) a Borrower may not select Eurodollar Rate Advances for any
Borrowing if the aggregate amount of such Borrowing is less than
$5,000,000 or if the obligation of the Lenders to make Eurodollar
Rate Advances shall then be suspended pursuant to Section 2.09
or 2.13 and (ii) the Eurodollar Rate Advances may not be
outstanding as part of more than ten separate
Borrowings.
(c) Each Notice of Borrowing
shall be irrevocable and binding on the applicable Borrower. In the
case of any Borrowing that the related Notice of Borrowing
specifies is to be comprised of Eurodollar Rate Advances, the
applicable Borrower shall indemnify each Lender against any loss,
cost or expense incurred by such Lender as a result of any failure
to fulfill on or before the date specified in such Notice of
Borrowing for such Borrowing the applicable conditions set forth in
Article IV, including any loss (including loss of anticipated
profits), cost or expense incurred by reason of the liquidation or
reemployment of deposits or other funds acquired by such Lender to
fund the Revolving Advance to be made by such Lender as part of
such Borrowing when such Revolving Advance, as a result of such
failure, is not made on such date.
(d) Unless the Agent shall have
received notice from a Lender prior to the time of any Borrowing
that such Lender will not make available to the Agent such Lender's
ratable portion of such Borrowing, the Agent may assume that such
Lender has made such portion available to the Agent on the date of
such Borrowing in accordance with subsection (a) of this
Section 2.02 and the Agent may, in reliance upon such
assumption, make available to the applicable Borrower on such date
a corresponding amount. If and to the extent that such Lender shall
not have so made such ratable portion available to the Agent, such
Lender and the applicable Borrower severally agree to repay to the
Agent forthwith on demand such corresponding amount together with
interest thereon, for each day from the date such amount is made
available to such Borrower until the date such amount is repaid to
the Agent, at (i) in the case of such Borrower, the interest
rate applicable at the time to Revolving Advances comprising such
Borrowing and (ii) in the case of such Lender, the Federal
Funds Rate. If such Lender shall repay to the Agent such
corresponding amount, such amount so repaid shall be made available
to the applicable Borrower and shall constitute such Lender's
Revolving Advance as part of such Borrowing for purposes of this
Agreement.
(e) The failure of any Lender to
make the Revolving Advance to be made by it as part of any
Borrowing shall not relieve any other Lender of its obligation, if
any, hereunder to make its Revolving Advance on the date of such
Borrowing, but no Lender shall be responsible for the failure of
any other Lender to make the Revolving Advance to be made by such
other Lender on the date of any Borrowing.
SECTION
2.03. The Swingline Advances
. (a) Subject to
the terms and conditions hereof, the Swingline Lender agrees to
make a portion of the credit otherwise available to the Borrowers
under the Commitments from time to time during the period from the
Effective Date until the Termination Date by making swing line
advances (" Swingline Advances ") to the Borrowers;
provided that (i) the aggregate principal amount of
Swingline Advances outstanding at any time shall not exceed the
Swingline Commitment then in effect (notwithstanding that the
Swingline Advances outstanding at any time, when aggregated with
the Swingline Lender's other outstanding Revolving Advances, may
exceed the Swingline Commitment then in effect) and (ii) the amount
of any Swingline Advance made at any time shall not exceed the
Total Availability at such time. During the period from the
Effective Date until the Termination Date, the Borrowers may use
the Swingline Commitment by borrowing, repaying and reborrowing,
all in accordance with the terms and conditions hereof. Swingline
Advances shall be available as Base Rate Advances only.
(b) Each Borrower shall repay to
the Swingline Lender the then unpaid principal amount of each
Swingline Advance made to it on the earlier of the Termination Date
and the first date after such Swingline Advance is made that is the
15th or last day of a calendar month and is at least
20
two Business Days after
such Swingline Advance is made; provided that on each date
that a Revolving Advance is borrowed by a Borrower, such Borrower
shall repay all Swingline Advances then outstanding, if any, and
may use all or a portion of such Revolving Advance to fund such
repayment.
SECTION
2.04. Making the Swingline Advances
. (a) Each
Borrowing under Section 2.03 shall be made on notice, given not
later than 1:00 P.M. on the date of the proposed Borrowing, by the
applicable Borrower to the Agent and Swingline Lender. Each such
Notice of a Borrowing shall be by telephone, confirmed immediately
in writing, by email attachment or by telecopier, in substantially
the form of Exhibit A hereto, specifying therein the requested (i)
date of such Borrowing and (ii) aggregate amount of such Borrowing.
Each Borrowing under the Swingline Commitment shall be in an amount
equal to $500,000 or a whole multiple of $100,000 in excess
thereof. Not later than 3:00 P.M. on the date of the proposed
Borrowing, the Swingline Lender shall make available to the Agent
at the Agent's Account an amount in immediately available funds
equal to the amount of the Swingline Advance to be made by the
Swingline Lender. Upon fulfillment of the applicable conditions set
forth in Article IV, the Agent shall make the proceeds of such
Swingline Advance available to the Borrower requesting such
Borrowing at the Agent's address referred to in Section
9.02.
(b) The Swingline Lender, at any
time and from time to time in its sole and absolute discretion may,
on behalf of the Borrowers (which hereby irrevocably direct the
Swingline Lender to act on their behalf), by notice given by the
Swingline Lender no later than 12:00 noon, request each Lender to
make, and each Lender hereby agrees to make, a Revolving Advance,
in an amount equal to such Lender's Commitment Percentage of the
aggregate amount of the Swingline Advances (the " Refunded
Swingline Advances ") outstanding on the date of such notice,
to repay the Swingline Lender. Each Lender shall make the amount of
such Revolving Advance available to the Agent at the Agent's
Account in same day funds, not later than 1:00 P.M. on the date of
such notice. The proceeds of such Revolving Advances shall be
immediately made available by the Agent to the Swingline Lender for
application by the Swingline Lender to the repayment of the
Refunded Swingline Advances. Each Borrower irrevocably authorizes
the Swingline Lender to charge such Borrower's accounts with the
Agent (up to the amount available in each such account) in order to
immediately pay the amount of such Refunded Swingline Advances to
the extent amounts received from the Lenders are not sufficient to
repay in full such Refunded Swingline Advances.
(c) If prior to the time a
Revolving Advance would have otherwise been made pursuant to
Section 2.04(b), one of the events described in Section 7.01 shall
have occurred and be continuing or if for any other reason, as
determined by the Swingline Lender in its sole discretion,
Revolving Advances may not be made as contemplated by Section
2.04(b), each Lender shall, on the date such Revolving Advance was
to have been made pursuant to the notice referred to in Section
2.04(b), purchase for cash an undivided participating interest in
the then outstanding Swingline Advances by paying to the Swingline
Lender an amount (the " Swingline Participation Amount ")
equal to (i) such Lender's Commitment Percentage multiplied
by (ii) the sum of the aggregate principal amount of
Swingline Advances then outstanding that were to have been repaid
with such Revolving Advances.
(d) Whenever, at any time after
the Swingline Lender has received from any Lender such Lender's
Swingline Participation Amount, the Swingline Lender receives any
payment on account of the Swingline Advances, the Swingline Lender
will distribute to such Lender its Swingline Participation Amount
(appropriately adjusted, in the case of interest payments, to
reflect the period of time during which such Lender's participating
interest was outstanding and funded and, in the case of principal
and interest payments, to reflect such Lender's pro
rata portion of such payment if such payment is not
sufficient to pay the principal of and interest on all Swingline
Advances then due); provided , however , that in the
event that such payment received by the Swingline Lender is
required to be returned, such Lender will return to the Swingline
Lender any portion thereof previously distributed to it by the
Swingline Lender.
(e) Each Lender's obligation to
make the Advances referred to in Section 2.04(b) and to purchase
participating interests pursuant to Section 2.04(c) shall be
absolute and unconditional and shall not be affected by any
circumstance, including (i) any set-off, counterclaim, recoupment,
defense or other right that such Lender or any Borrower may have
against the Swingline Lender, any 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 specified in Article IV, (iii) any adverse change
in the condition (financial or otherwise) of any Borrower, (iv) any
breach of this Agreement or any other Loan Document by any
Borrower, any other Loan Party or any other Lender or (v) any other
circumstance, happening or event whatsoever, whether or not similar
to any of the foregoing.
21
SECTION
2.05. Fees . (a) Commitment Fee .
The Borrowers jointly and severally agree to pay to the Agent for
the account of each Lender a commitment fee commencing on the
Effective Date on the average daily amount of the Available
Commitment of such Lender during the period for which payment is
made at a rate per annum equal to the Commitment Fee Rate in effect
from time to time, payable in arrears quarterly on the 5
th day subsequent to the last day of each April, July,
October and January, commencing April 30, 2005, and on the
Termination Date.
(b) Agent's Fees . The
Borrowers shall pay to the Agent for its own account such fees as
may from time to time be agreed between the Borrowers and the
Agent.
SECTION
2.06. Optional Termination or Reduction of the
Commitments . The Borrowers shall have the
right, without penalty or premium and upon at least three Business
Days' notice to the Agent, to permanently terminate in whole or
permanently reduce ratably in part the unused portions of the
respective Commitments of the Lenders, provided that no such
termination or reduction of the Commitments shall be permitted if,
after giving effect thereof and to any prepayments of the Advances
made on the effective date thereof, the Total Extensions of Credit
would exceed the aggregate amount of the Commitments as so reduced.
Any partial reduction of the Commitments shall be in the aggregate
amount of $5,000,000 or an integral multiple of $1,000,000 in
excess thereof.
SECTION
2.07. Repayment of Advances
. Each Borrower shall repay to
the Agent for the ratable account of the Lenders on the Termination
Date the aggregate principal amount of the Advances made to it then
outstanding.
SECTION
2.08. Interest on Advances . (a) Scheduled Interest . Each
Borrower shall pay interest on the unpaid principal amount of each
Advance made to it and owing to each Lender from the date of such
Advance until such principal amount shall be paid in full, at the
following rates per annum:
(i) Base Rate Advances .
During such periods as such Advance is a Base Rate Advance, a rate
per annum equal at all times to the sum of (x) the Base Rate
in effect from time to time plus (y) the Applicable
Margin in effect from time to time, payable (I) in the case of any
Base Rate Advance other than a Swingline Advance, in arrears
quarterly on the 5 th day subsequent to the last day of
each April, July, October and January during such periods and on
the date such Base Rate Advance shall be Converted or paid in full
and (II) in the case of any Swingline Advance, on the date that
such Swingline Advance is required to be repaid.
(ii) Eurodollar Rate
Advances . During such periods as such Advance is a Eurodollar
Rate Advance, a rate per annum equal at all times during each
Interest Period for such Advance to the sum of (x) the
Eurodollar Rate for such Interest Period for such Advance
plus (y) the Applicable Margin in effect from time to
time, payable in arrears on the last day of such Interest Period
and, if such Interest Period has a duration of more than three
months, on each day that occurs during such Interest Period every
three months from the first day of such Interest Period and on the
date such Eurodollar Rate Advance shall be Converted or paid in
full.
(b) Default Interest .
Upon the occurrence and during the continuance of an Event of
Default under Section 7.01(a) in respect of principal amounts, the
Borrowers shall pay interest on the unpaid principal amount of each
Advance and Reimbursement Obligation owing to each Lender, payable
in arrears on the dates referred to in clause (a)(i) or
(a)(ii) above, at a rate per annum equal to 2% per annum above the
rate per annum required to be paid on such Advance or Reimbursement
Obligation pursuant to clause (a)(i) or (a)(ii) above.
Further, the Borrowers shall pay interest, to the fullest extent
permitted by law, on the amount of any interest, fee or other
amount (other than principal) payable hereunder that is not paid
when due, from the date such amount shall be due until such amount
shall be paid in full, payable in arrears on the date such amount
shall be paid in full and on demand, at a rate per annum equal to
2% per annum above the rate per annum required to be paid on Base
Rate Advances pursuant to clause (a)(i) above.
(c) Regulation D
Compensation . Each Lender that is subject to reserve
requirements of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve
System (or any successor) may require the Borrowers to pay,
contemporaneously with each payment of interest on the
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Eurodollar Rate Advances,
additional interest on the related Eurodollar Rate Advances of such
Lender at the rate per annum equal to the excess of
(i) (A) the applicable Eurodollar Rate divided by
(B) one minus the Eurodollar Rate Reserve Percentage over
(ii) the applicable Eurodollar Rate. Any Lender wishing to
require payment of such additional interest (x) shall so
notify the Agent and the Borrowers, in which case such additional
interest on the Eurodollar Rate Advances of such Lender shall be
payable to such Lender at the place indicated in such notice with
respect to each Interest Period commencing at least five Business
Days after the giving of such notice and (y) shall notify the
Agent and the Borrowers at least five Business Days prior to each
date on which interest is payable on the amount then due it under
this Section. Each such notification shall be accompanied by such
information as the Borrowers may reasonably request.
SECTION
2.09. Interest Rate Determination
. (a) The Agent shall
give prompt notice to the Borrowers and the Lenders of the
applicable interest rate determined by the Agent for purposes of
Section 2.08(a)(i) or (ii).
(b) If, with respect to any
Eurodollar Rate Advances, the Required Lenders notify the Agent at
least one Business Day before the date of any proposed Eurodollar
Rate Advance that the Eurodollar Rate for any Interest Period for
such Advances will not adequately reflect the cost to such Required
Lenders of making, funding or maintaining their respective
Eurodollar Rate Advances for such Interest Period, the Agent shall
forthwith so notify the Borrowers and the Lenders, whereupon (i)
each Eurodollar Rate Advance will automatically, on the last day of
the then existing Interest Period therefor, Convert into a Base
Rate Advance, and (ii) the obligation of the Lenders to make, or to
Convert Advances into, Eurodollar Rate Advances shall be suspended
until the Agent shall notify the Borrowers and the Lenders that the
circumstances causing such suspension no longer exist.
(c) If any Borrower shall fail to
select the duration of any Interest Period for any Eurodollar Rate
Advances in accordance with the provisions contained in the
definition of "Interest Period" in Section 1.01, the Agent
will forthwith so notify such Borrower and the Lenders and such
Advances will automatically, on the last day of the then existing
Interest Period therefor, Convert into Base Rate
Advances.
(d) On the date on which the
aggregate unpaid principal amount of Eurodollar Rate Advances
comprising any Borrowing shall be reduced, by payment or prepayment
or otherwise, to less than $5,000,000, such Advances shall
automatically Convert into Base Rate Advances.
(e) Upon the occurrence and
during the continuance of any Event of Default under Section
7.01(a), (i) each Eurodollar Rate Advance will automatically,
on the last day of the then existing Interest Period therefor,
Convert into a Base Rate Advance and (ii) the obligation of
the Lenders to make, or to Convert Revolving Advances into,
Eurodollar Rate Advances shall be suspended.
SECTION
2.10. Optional Conversion of Revolving
Advances . The
Borrowers may on any Business Day, upon notice given to the Agent
not later than 12:00 noon on the third Business Day prior to the
date of the proposed Conversion and subject to the provisions of
Sections 2.09 and 2.13, Convert all Revolving Advances of one
Type comprising the same Borrowing into Revolving Advances of the
other Type; provided , however , that any Conversion
of Eurodollar Rate Advances into Base Rate Advances shall be made
only on the last day of an Interest Period for such Eurodollar Rate
Advances, any Conversion of Base Rate Advances into Eurodollar Rate
Advances shall be in an amount not less than the minimum amount
specified in Section 2.02(b) and no Conversion of any
Revolving Advances shall result in more separate Borrowings than
permitted under Section 2.02(b). Each such notice of a
Conversion shall, within the restrictions specified above, specify
(i) the date of such Conversion, (ii) the Revolving
Advances to be Converted, and (iii) if such Conversion is into
Eurodollar Rate Advances, the duration of the initial Interest
Period for each such Revolving Advance. Each notice of Conversion
shall be irrevocable and binding on the applicable
Borrower.
SECTION
2.11. Optional and Mandatory Prepayments of
Advances .
(a) Any Borrower may, without penalty or premium and upon
notice given not later than 12:00 noon on the date of such
prepayment to the Agent stating the proposed date and aggregate
principal amount of the
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prepayment, and if such notice is
given such Borrower shall, prepay the outstanding principal amount
of the Advances comprising part of the same Borrowing in whole or
ratably in part, together with accrued interest to the date of such
prepayment on the principal amount prepaid; provided ,
however , that (x) each partial prepayment shall be in an
aggregate principal amount of $5,000,000 or an integral multiple of
$1,000,000 in excess thereof (or, in the case of partial
prepayments of Swingline Advances, $100,000 or a whole multiple
thereof) and (y) in the event of any such prepayment of a
Eurodollar Rate Advance, the applicable Borrower shall be obligated
to reimburse the Lenders in respect thereof pursuant to Section
9.04(c).
(b) On the date of delivery of
any Borrowing Base Certificate, if the amount described in clause
(b) of the definition of Total Availability exceeds the amount
described in clause (a) of such definition, the Borrowers shall
prepay Advances in an amount equal to such excess, provided
that if the aggregate principal amount of Advances then outstanding
is less than the amount of such excess (because L/C Obligations
constitute a portion thereof), the Borrowers shall, to the extent
of the balance of such excess, replace outstanding Letters of
Credit and/or deposit an amount in cash in a cash collateral
account established with the Agent for the benefit of the Lenders
on terms and conditions satisfactory to the Agent. Any prepayment
of Loans pursuant to this Section 2.11(b) shall be applied, first,
to any Base Rate Advances then outstanding and the balance of such
prepayment, if any, to the Eurodollar Rate Advances then
outstanding.
SECTION
2.12. Increased Costs . (a) If, due to either
(i) after the date of this Agreement the introduction of or
any change in or in the interpretation of any law or regulation or
(ii) the compliance with any guideline or request from any
central bank or other governmental authority (whether or not having
the force of law) made or issued after the date of this Agreement,
there shall be any increase in the cost to any Lender of agreeing
to make or making, funding or maintaining Eurodollar Rate Advances
or issuing or participating in Letters of Credit (excluding for
purposes of this Section 2.12 any such increased costs resulting
from (i) Taxes or Other Taxes (as to which Section 2.15 shall
govern) and (ii) changes in the basis of taxation of overall net
income or overall gross income by the United States or by the
foreign jurisdiction or state under the laws of which such Lender
is organized or has its Applicable Lending Office or any political
subdivision thereof), then the Borrowers shall from time to time,
upon demand by such Lender (with a copy of such demand to the
Agent), pay to the Agent for the account of such Lender additional
amounts sufficient to compensate such Lender for such increased
cost; provided that a Lender claiming additional amounts under this
Section 2.12(a) agrees to use reasonable efforts (consistent with
its internal policy and legal and regulatory restrictions) to
designate a different Applicable Lending Office and/or take other
commercially reasonable action if the making of such a designation
or the taking of such actions would avoid the need for, or reduce
the amount of, such increased cost that may thereafter accrue and
would not, in the reasonable judgment of such Lender, be otherwise
disadvantageous to such Lender. A certificate as to the amount of
such increased cost, submitted to the Borrowers and the Agent by
such Lender, shall be entitled to a presumption of correctness. If
any Borrower so notifies the Agent after any Lender notifies the
Borrowers of any increased cost pursuant to the foregoing
provisions of this Section 2.12(a), such Borrower may, upon payment
of such increased cost to such Lender, replace such Lender with a
Person that is an Eligible Assignee in accordance with the terms of
Section 9.07 (and the Lender being so replaced shall take all
action as may be necessary to assign its rights and obligations
under this Agreement to such Eligible Assignee).
(b) If any Lender determines that
compliance with any change after the date of this Agreement in law
or regulation or any guideline or request after the date of this
Agreement from any central bank or other governmental authority
(whether or not having the force of law) affects or would affect
the amount of capital required or expected to be maintained by such
Lender or any entity controlling such Lender and that the amount of
such capital is increased by or based upon the existence of such
Lender's commitment to lend hereunder and other commitments of this
type, then, upon demand by such Lender (with a copy of such demand
to the Agent), the Borrowers shall pay to the Agent for the account
of such Lender, from time to time as specified by such Lender,
additional amounts sufficient to compensate such Lender or such
entity in the light of such circumstances, to the extent that such
Lender reasonably determines such increase in capital to be
allocable to the existence of such Lender's commitment to lend
hereunder. A certificate as to such amounts submitted to the
Borrowers and the Agent by such Lender shall be entitled to a
presumption of correctness.
(c) The Borrowers shall not be
required to compensate a Lender pursuant to this Section for any
increased costs or capital or reserve requirement or pursuant to
Section 2.15 for any taxes incurred more than six months prior to
the date that such Lender notifies the Borrowers of the change or
issuance giving rise to such increased costs or capital or reserve
requirement or tax and of such Lender's intention to claim
compensation therefor; provided that if the change or
issuance giving rise to such
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increased costs or capital or
reserve requirement or tax is retroactive, then the six-month
period referred to above shall be extended to include the period of
retroactive effect thereof.
SECTION
2.13. Illegality . Notwithstanding any other provision of this
Agreement, if any Lender shall notify the Agent that the
introduction of or any change in or in the interpretation of any
law or regulation makes it unlawful, or any central bank or other
governmental authority asserts that it is unlawful, for any Lender
or its Eurodollar Lending Office to perform its obligations
hereunder to make Eurodollar Rate Advances or to fund or maintain
Eurodollar Rate Advances hereunder, (a) each Eurodollar Rate
Advance will automatically, upon such demand, Convert into a Base
Rate Advance or an Advance that bears interest at the rate set
forth in Section 2.08(a)(i), as the case may be, and (b) the
obligation of the Lenders to make Eurodollar Rate Advances or to
Convert Advances into Eurodollar Rate Advances shall be suspended
until the Agent shall notify the Borrowers and the Lenders that the
circumstances causing such suspension no longer exist.
SECTION
2.14. Payments and Computations
. (a) The
Borrowers shall make each payment hereunder and under the other
Loan Documents, without any right of counterclaim or set-off, not
later than 1:00 P.M. on the day when due in U.S. dollars to the
Agent at the Agent's Account in same day funds. The Agent will
promptly thereafter cause to be distributed like funds relating to
the payment of principal or interest or commitment fees ratably
(other than amounts payable pursuant to Section 2.12, 2.15 or
10.04(c)) to the Lenders for the account of their respective
Applicable Lending Offices, and like funds relating to the payment
of any other amount payable to any Lender to such Lender for the
account of its Applicable Lending Office, in each case to be
applied in accordance with the terms of this Agreement. Upon its
acceptance of an Assignment and Acceptance and recording of the
information contained therein in the Register pursuant to Section
9.07(c), from and after the effective date specified in such
Assignment and Acceptance, the Agent shall make all payments
hereunder and under the other Loan Documents in respect of the
interest assigned thereby to the Lender assignee thereunder, and
the parties to such Assignment and Acceptance shall make all
appropriate adjustments in such payments for periods prior to such
effective date directly between themselves.
(b) Each Borrower hereby
authorizes each Lender, if and to the extent payment owed by
it