Back to top

NOTE PURCHASE AGREEMENT

Note Purchase Agreement

NOTE PURCHASE AGREEMENT | Document Parties: POOL CORP You are currently viewing:
This Note Purchase Agreement involves

POOL CORP

. RealDealDocs™ contains millions of easily searchable legal documents and clauses from top law firms. Search for free - click here.
Title: NOTE PURCHASE AGREEMENT
Governing Law: New York     Date: 2/15/2007
Industry: Recreational Products     Sector: Consumer Cyclical

NOTE PURCHASE AGREEMENT, Parties: pool corp
50 of the Top 250 law firms use our Products every day

EXHIBIT 10.1

CONFORMED COPY


 


 

 



 

 

POOL CORPORATION

 

 

 

 

 

$100,000,000 Floating Rate Senior Notes due February 12, 2012

 


 

 

_________

 

 

NOTE PURCHASE AGREEMENT

 

 

_________

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dated as of February 1, 2007

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

Section

Page

 

1.

AUTHORIZATION OF NOTES.

1

 

1.1.

Description of Notes.

1

 

1.2.

Floating Interest Rate Provisions for the Notes.

1

 

1.3.

Subsidiary Guaranty.

2

 

 

 

 

2.

SALE AND PURCHASE OF NOTES.

2

 

 

 

 

3.

CLOSING.

3

 

 

 

 

4.

CONDITIONS TO CLOSING.

3

 

4.1.

Representations and Warranties.

3

 

4.2.

Performance; No Default.

3

 

4.3.

Compliance Certificates.

4

 

4.4.

Opinions of Counsel.

4

 

4.5.

Purchase Permitted By Applicable Law, etc.

4

 

4.6.

Sale of Other Notes.

4

 

4.7.

Payment of Special Counsel Fees.

4

 

4.8.

Private Placement Numbers.

5

 

4.9.

Changes in Corporate Structure.

5

 

4.10.

Funding Instructions.

5

 

4.11.

Amendment of Credit Agreement.

5

 

4.12.

Proceedings and Documents.

5

 

 

 

 

5.

REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE COMPANY.

5

 

5.1.

Organization; Power and Authority.

5

 

5.2.

Authorization, etc.

6

 

5.3.

Disclosure.

6

 

5.4.

Organization and Ownership of Shares of Subsidiaries; Affiliates.

7

 

5.5.

Financial Statements; Material Liabilities.

7

 

5.6.

Compliance with Laws, Other Instruments, etc.

8

 

5.7.

Governmental Authorizations, etc.

8

 

5.8.

Litigation; Observance of Statutes and Orders.

8

 

5.9.

Taxes.

9

 

5.10.

Title to Property; Leases.

9

 

5.11.

Licenses, Permits, etc.

9

 

5.12.

Compliance with ERISA.

10

 

5.13.

Private Offering by the Company.

11

 

5.14.

Use of Proceeds; Margin Regulations.

11

 

5.15.

Existing Indebtedness; Future Liens.

11

 

5.16.

Foreign Assets Control Regulations, etc.

12

 

5.17.

Status under Certain Statutes.

12

 

5.18.

Environmental Matters.

12

 

 

 

 

6.

REPRESENTATIONS OF THE PURCHASERS.

13

 

6.1.

Purchase for Investment.

13

 

6.2.

Source of Funds.

13

 

 

 

 

7.

INFORMATION AS TO COMPANY.

15

 

7.1.

Financial and Business Information.

15

 

7.2.

Officer's Certificate.

17

 

7.3.

Electronic Delivery.

18

 

7.4.

Visitation.

18

 

 

 

 

8.

PREPAYMENT OF THE NOTES.

19

 

8.1.

Required Prepayments.

19

 

8.2.

Optional Prepayments.

19

 

8.3.

Mandatory Offer to Prepay Upon Change of Control.

19

 

8.4.

Allocation of Partial Prepayments.

21

 

8.5.

Maturity; Surrender, etc.

21

 

8.6.

Purchase of Notes.

21

 

8.7.

LIBOR Breakage Amount.

21

 

 

 

 

9.

AFFIRMATIVE COVENANTS.

22

 

9.1.

Compliance with Law.

22

 

9.2.

Insurance.

22

 

9.3.

Maintenance of Properties.

22

 

9.4.

Payment of Taxes and Claims.

22

 

9.5.

Corporate Existence, etc.

23

 

9.6.

Books and Records.

23

 

9.7.

Subsidiary Guaranty; Release.

23

 

9.8.

Pari Passu Ranking.

24

 

 

 

 

10.

NEGATIVE COVENANTS.

24

 

10.1.

Funded Indebtedness.

24

 

10.2.

Fixed Charge Coverage.

24

 

10.3.

Priority Debt.

24

 

10.4.

Liens.

24

 

10.5.

Subsidiary Indebtedness.

26

 

10.6.

Mergers, Consolidations, etc.

27

 

10.7.

Sale of Assets.

27

 

10.8.

Nature of Business.

28

 

10.9.

Transactions with Affiliates.

29

 

10.10.

Terrorism Sanctions Regulations.

29

 

 

 

 

11.

EVENTS OF DEFAULT.

29

 

 

 

 

12.

REMEDIES ON DEFAULT, ETC.

31

 

12.1.

Acceleration.

31

 

12.2.

Other Remedies.

32

 

12.3.

Rescission.

32

 

12.4.

No Waivers or Election of Remedies, Expenses, etc.

33

 

 

 

 

13.

REGISTRATION; EXCHANGE; SUBSTITUTION OF NOTES.

33

 

13.1.

Registration of Notes.

33

 

13.2.

Transfer and Exchange of Notes.

33

 

13.3.

Replacement of Notes.

34

 

 

 

 

14.

PAYMENTS ON NOTES.

34

 

14.1.

Place of Payment.

34

 

14.2.

Home Office Payment.

34

 

 

 

 

15.

EXPENSES, ETC.

35

 

15.1.

Transaction Expenses.

35

 

15.2.

Survival.

35

 

 

 

 

16.

SURVIVAL OF REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES; ENTIRE AGREEMENT.

35

 

 

 

 

17.

AMENDMENT AND WAIVER.

36

 

17.1.

Requirements.

36

 

17.2.

Solicitation of Holders of Notes.

36

 

17.3.

Binding Effect, etc.

37

 

17.4.

Notes held by Company, etc.

37

 

 

 

 

18.

NOTICES.

37

 

 

 

 

19.

REPRODUCTION OF DOCUMENTS.

38

 

 

 

 

20.

CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION.

38

 

 

 

 

21.

SUBSTITUTION OF PURCHASER.

39

 

 

 

 

22.

MISCELLANEOUS.

39

 

22.1.

Successors and Assigns.

39

 

22.2.

Payments Due on Non-Business Days.

39

 

22.3.

Accounting Terms.

40

 

22.4.

Severability.

40

 

22.5.

Construction.

40

 

22.6.

Counterparts.

40

 

22.7.

Governing Law.

40

 

22.8.

Jurisdiction and Process; Waiver of Jury Trial.

40

 

 


 

SCHEDULE A   --   Information Relating to Purchasers

SCHEDULE B   --   Defined Terms

SCHEDULE 5.4   --   Subsidiaries; Ownership of Subsidiary Stock; Affiliates

SCHEDULE 5.5   --   Financial Statements

SCHEDULE 5.14   --   Use of Proceeds

SCHEDULE 5.15   --   Existing Indebtedness

SCHEDULE 10.4   --   Liens

SCHEDULE 10.5   --   Subsidiary Indebtedness

EXHIBIT 1.1   --   Form of Senior Note

EXHIBIT 1.3   --   Form of Subsidiary Guaranty

EXHIBIT 4.4(a)   --   Form of Opinion of Special Counsel for the Company

EXHIBIT 4.4(b)   --   Form of Opinion of General Counsel of the Company

EXHIBIT 4.4(c)   --   Form of Opinion of Special Counsel to the Purchasers

 

 

 


 

 

 

POOL CORPORATION

109 Northpark Boulevard

Covington, LA 70433-5521

985-892-5521

Fax: 985-892-2438

 

 

$100,000,000 Floating Rate Senior Notes due February 12, 2012

 

 

Dated as of February 1, 2007

 

TO EACH OF THE PURCHASERS LISTED IN

THE ATTACHED SCHEDULE A:

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

POOL CORPORATION, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), agrees with each of you as follows:

 

 

1.    AUTHORIZATION OF NOTES.

 

1.1.    Description of Notes.

 

The Company has authorized the issue and sale of $100,000,000 aggregate principal amount of its Floating Rate Senior Notes due February 12, 2012 (the “Notes”, such term to include any such Notes issued in substitution therefor pursuant to Section 13 of this Agreement). The Notes will be substantially in the form set out in Exhibit 1.1, with such changes therefrom, if any, as may be approved by you, the Other Purchasers and the Company. Certain capitalized terms used in this Agreement are defined in Schedule B; references to a “Schedule” or an “Exhibit” are, unless otherwise specified, to a Schedule or an Exhibit attached to this Agreement.

 

1.2.    Floating Interest Rate Provisions for the Notes.

 

(a)    Adjusted LIBOR Rate . “Adjusted LIBOR Rate” means, for each Interest Period, the rate per annum equal to LIBOR for such Interest Period plus 0.60%. For purposes of determining Adjusted LIBOR Rate, the following terms have the following meanings:

 

“LIBOR” means, for any Interest Period, the rate per annum (rounded upwards, if necessary, to the next higher one hundred-thousandth of a percentage point) for deposits in U.S. Dollars for a 3-month period that appears on the Bloomberg Financial Markets Service Page BBAM-1 (or if such page is not available, the Reuters Screen LIBO Page) as of 11:00 a.m. (London, England time) on the date two Business Days before the commencement of such Interest Period (or three Business Days before the commencement of the first Interest Period).

 

“Reuters Screen LIBO Page” means the display designated as the “LIBO” page on the Reuters Monitory Money Rates Service (or such other page as may replace the LIBO page on that service) or such other service as may be nominated by the British Bankers’ Association as the information vendor for the purpose of displaying British Bankers’ Association Interest Settlement Rates for U.S. Dollar deposits.

 

(b)    Determination of the Adjusted LIBOR Rate . The Adjusted LIBOR Rate shall be determined by the Company, and notice thereof shall be given to the holders of the Notes, within two Business Days after the beginning of each Interest Period, together with (i) a copy of the relevant screen used for the determination of LIBOR, (ii) a calculation of the Adjusted LIBOR Rate for such Interest Period, (iii) the number of days in such Interest Period, (iv) the date on which interest for such Interest Period will be paid and (v) the amount of interest to be paid to each holder of Notes on such date. If the holders of a majority in principal amount of the Notes outstanding do not concur with such determination by the Company, as evidenced by a single written notice delivered to the Company within 10 Business Days after receipt by such holders of the notice delivered by the Company pursuant to the immediately preceding sentence, the determination of the Adjusted LIBOR Rate shall be made by such holders of the Notes, and any such determination made in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement shall be conclusive and binding absent manifest error.

 

(c)    Interest Period . “Interest Period” means for the Notes and for any period for which interest is to be calculated or paid, the period commencing on an interest payment date for such Notes, or on the date of Closing in the case of the first such period, and continuing up to, but not including, the next interest payment date. The interest payment dates for the Notes are February 12, May 12, August 12 and November 12.

 

1


1.3.    Subsidiary Guaranty.

 

The payment by the Company of all amounts due with respect to the Notes and the performance by the Company of its obligations under this Agreement will be guaranteed by each Domestic Subsidiary that is or hereafter becomes a borrower or guarantor under the Credit Agreement (individually, a “Subsidiary Guarantor” and collectively, the “Subsidiary Guarantors”), pursuant to the Subsidiary Guaranty in substantially the form of the attached Exhibit 1.3, as it hereafter may be amended or supplemented from time to time (the “Subsidiary Guaranty”).

 

 

2.    SALE AND PURCHASE OF NOTES.

 

Subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, the Company will issue and sell to you and each of the other purchasers named in Schedule A (the “Other Purchasers”), and you and each of the Other Purchasers will purchase from the Company, at the Closing provided for in Section 3, Notes in the principal amount specified opposite your respective names in Schedule A at the purchase price of 100% of the principal amount thereof. Your obligation hereunder and the obligations of the Other Purchasers are several and not joint obligations and you shall have no obligation and no liability to any Person for the performance or non-performance by any Other Purchaser hereunder.

 

 

2


3.    CLOSING.

 

The sale and purchase of the Notes to be purchased by you and the Other Purchasers shall occur at the offices of Foley & Lardner LLP, 321 North Clark Street, Suite 2800, Chicago, Illinois 60610-4764, at 9:00 a.m., Chicago time, at a closing (the “Closing”) on February 12, 2007 or on such other Business Day thereafter on or prior to February 28, 2007 as may be agreed upon by the Company and you and the Other Purchasers. At the Closing, the Company will deliver to you the Notes to be purchased by you in the form of a single Note (or such greater number of Notes in denominations of at least $100,000 as you may request) dated the date of such Closing and registered in your name (or in the name of your nominee), against delivery by you to the Company or its order of immediately available funds in the amount of the purchase price therefor by wire transfer of immediately available funds for the account of the Company to account number 882-357-791, for the benefit of SCP Distributors LLC, at Capital One Bank, NA, 313 Carondelet Street, 6th floor, New Orleans, LA 70130, ABA number 065000090. If at the Closing the Company shall fail to tender such Notes to you as provided above in this Section 3, or any of the conditions specified in Section 4 shall not have been fulfilled to your satisfaction, you shall, at your election, be relieved of all further obligations under this Agreement, without thereby waiving any rights you may have by reason of such failure or such nonfulfillment.

 

 

4.    CONDITIONS TO CLOSING.

 

Your obligation to purchase and pay for the Notes to be sold to you at the Closing is subject to the fulfillment to your satisfaction, prior to or at the Closing, of the following conditions:

 

4.1.    Representations and Warranties.

 

The representations and warranties of the Company in this Agreement shall be correct when made and at the time of the Closing.

 

4.2.    Performance; No Default.

 

The Company shall have performed and complied with all agreements and conditions contained in this Agreement required to be performed or complied with by it prior to or at the Closing and after giving effect to the issue and sale of the Notes (and the application of the proceeds thereof as contemplated by Section 5.14) no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary shall have entered into any transaction since the date of the Memorandum that would have been prohibited by Section 10 had such Section applied since such date.

 

3


4.3.    Compliance Certificates.

 

(a)    Officer’s Certificate . The Company shall have delivered to you an Officer’s Certificate, dated the date of Closing, certifying that the conditions specified in Sections 4.1, 4.2 and 4.9 have been fulfilled.

 

(b)    Secretary’s Certificate . The Company shall have delivered to you certificates of its and each Subsidiary Guarantor’s Secretary or an Assistant Secretary, dated the date of Closing, certifying as to the resolutions attached thereto and other corporate proceedings relating to the authorization, execution and delivery of the Notes and this Agreement.

 

4.4.    Opinions of Counsel.

 

You shall have received opinions in form and substance satisfactory to you, dated the date of the Closing (a) from Jones, Walker, Waechter, Poitevent, Carrere & Denegre L.L.P., special counsel for the Company covering the matters set forth in Exhibit 4.4(a) and covering such other matters incident to such transactions as you may reasonably request, (b) from Jennifer M. Neil, Corporate Secretary and General Counsel of the Company, covering the matters set forth in Exhibit 4.4(b) and covering such other matters incident to such transactions as you may reasonably request, and (c) from Foley & Lardner LLP, your special counsel in connection with such transactions, covering the matters set forth in Exhibit 4.4(c) and covering such other matters incident to such transactions as you may reasonably request.

 

4.5.    Purchase Permitted By Applicable Law, etc.

 

On the date of the Closing your purchase of Notes shall (i) be permitted by the laws and regulations of each jurisdiction to which you are subject, without recourse to provisions (such as Section 1405(a)(8) of the New York Insurance Law) permitting limited investments by insurance companies without restriction as to the character of the particular investment, (ii) not violate any applicable law or regulation (including, without limitation, Regulation U, T or X of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System) and (iii) not subject you to any tax, penalty or liability under or pursuant to any applicable law or regulation, which law or regulation was not in effect on the date hereof. If requested by you, you shall have received an Officer’s Certificate certifying as to such matters of fact as you may reasonably specify to enable you to determine whether such purchase is so permitted.

 

4.6.    Sale of Other Notes.

 

Contemporaneously with the Closing, the Company shall sell to the Other Purchasers and the Other Purchasers shall purchase the Notes to be purchased by them as specified in Schedule A.

 

4.7.    Payment of Special Counsel Fees.

 

Without limiting the provisions of Section 15.1, the Company shall have paid on or before the Closing the fees, charges and disbursements of your special counsel referred to in Section 4.4 to the extent reflected in a statement of such counsel rendered to the Company at least one Business Day prior to the Closing.

 

4


4.8.    Private Placement Numbers.

 

A Private Placement Number issued by Standard & Poor’s CUSIP Service Bureau (in cooperation with the Securities Valuation Office of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners) shall have been obtained by Foley & Lardner LLP for the Notes.

 

4.9.    Changes in Corporate Structure.

 

The Company shall not have changed its jurisdiction of incorporation or been a party to any merger or consolidation or succeeded to all or any substantial part of the liabilities of any other entity, at any time following the date of the most recent financial statements referred to in Schedule 5.5.

 

4.10.    Funding Instructions.

 

At least three Business Days prior to the date of the Closing, you shall have received written instructions signed by a Responsible Officer on letterhead of the Company confirming the information specified in Section 3 including (i) the name and address of the transferee bank, (ii) such transferee bank’s ABA number and (iii) the account name and number into which the purchase price for the Notes is to be deposited.

 

4.11.    Amendment of Credit Agreement.

 

The Credit Agreement shall have been amended to permit the issuance and sale of the Notes to you and the Other Purchasers and you shall have received a copy of a fully executed counterpart of such amendment.

 

4.12.    Proceedings and Documents.

 

All corporate and other proceedings in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and all documents and instruments incident to such transactions shall be satisfactory to you and your special counsel, and you and your special counsel shall have received all such counterpart originals or certified or other copies of such documents as you or they may reasonably request.

 

 

5.    REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE COMPANY.

 

The Company represents and warrants to you that:

 

5


5.1.    Organization; Power and Authority.

 

The Company is a corporation duly organized and validly existing and in good standing under the laws of its jurisdiction of incorporation, and is duly qualified as a foreign corporation and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which such qualification is required by law, other than those jurisdictions as to which the failure to be so qualified or in good standing could not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. The Company has the corporate power and authority to own or hold under lease the properties it purports to own or hold under lease, to transact the business it transacts and proposes to transact, to execute and deliver this Agreement and the Notes and to perform the provisions hereof and thereof.

 

5.2.    Authorization, etc.

 

This Agreement and the Notes have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action on the part of the Company, and this Agreement constitutes, and upon execution and delivery thereof each Note will constitute, a legal, valid and binding obligation of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except as such enforceability may be limited by (i) applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other similar laws affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights generally and (ii) general principles of equity (regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law).

 

The Subsidiary Guaranty has been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action on the part of each Subsidiary Guarantor and upon execution and delivery thereof will constitute the legal, valid and binding obligation of such Subsidiary Guarantor, enforceable against such Subsidiary Guarantor in accordance with its terms, except as such enforceability may be limited by (i) applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, fraudulent conveyance, fraudulent transfer, moratorium or other similar laws affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights generally and (ii) general principles of equity (regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law).

 

5.3.    Disclosure.

 

The Company, through its agent, J.P. Morgan Securities Inc., has delivered to you and each Other Purchaser a copy of a Private Placement Memorandum, dated January 2007 (the “Memorandum”), relating to the transactions contemplated hereby. The Memorandum fairly describes, in all material respects, the general nature of the business and principal properties of the Company and its Subsidiaries. This Agreement, the Memorandum and the documents, certificates or other writings delivered to you and the Other Purchasers by or on behalf of the Company in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby and the financial statements listed in Schedule 5.5, (this Agreement, the Memorandum and such documents, certificates or other writings and such financial statements delivered to you and the Other Purchasers prior to January 25, 2007 being referred to, collectively, as the “Disclosure Documents”), taken as a whole, do not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein not misleading in light of the circumstances under which they were made. Except as disclosed in the Disclosure Documents, since December 31, 2005, there has been no change in the financial condition, operations, business, properties or prospects of the Company or any Subsidiary except changes that individually or in the aggregate could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. There is no fact known to the Company that could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect that has not been set forth herein or in the Disclosure Documents.

 

6


5.4.    Organization and Ownership of Shares of Subsidiaries; Affiliates.

 

(a)    Schedule 5.4 is (except as noted therein) a complete and correct list of (i) the Company’s Subsidiaries, showing, as to each Subsidiary, the correct name thereof, the jurisdiction of its organization, the percentage of shares of each class of its capital stock or similar equity interests outstanding owned by the Company and each other Subsidiary, whether such Subsidiary is a Domestic Subsidiary and whether such Subsidiary is a Subsidiary Guarantor, (ii) the Company’s Affiliates, other than Subsidiaries, and (iii) the Company’s directors and senior officers.

 

(b)    All of the outstanding shares of capital stock or similar equity interests of each Subsidiary shown in Schedule 5.4 as being owned by the Company and its Subsidiaries have been validly issued, are fully paid and nonassessable and are owned by the Company or another Subsidiary free and clear of any Lien (except as otherwise disclosed in Schedule 5.4).

 

(c)    Each Subsidiary identified in Schedule 5.4 is a corporation or other legal entity duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of its jurisdiction of organization, and is duly qualified as a foreign corporation or other legal entity and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which such qualification is required by law, other than those jurisdictions as to which the failure to be so qualified or in good standing could not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. Each such Subsidiary has the corporate or other power and authority to own or hold under lease the properties it purports to own or hold under lease and to transact the business it transacts and proposes to transact.

 

(d)    No Subsidiary is a party to, or otherwise subject to any legal, regulatory, contractual or other restriction (other than this Agreement, the agreements listed on Schedule 5.4 and customary limitations imposed by corporate law or similar statutes) restricting the ability of such Subsidiary to pay dividends out of profits or make any other similar distributions of profits to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries that owns outstanding shares of capital stock or similar equity interests of such Subsidiary.

 

5.5.    Financial Statements; Material Liabilities.

 

The Company has delivered to you and each Other Purchaser copies of the financial statements of the Company and its Subsidiaries listed on Schedule 5.5. All of said financial statements (including in each case the related schedules and notes) fairly present in all material respects the consolidated financial position of the Company and its Subsidiaries as of the respective dates specified in such Schedule and the consolidated results of their operations and cash flows for the respective periods so specified and have been prepared in accordance with GAAP consistently applied throughout the periods involved except as set forth in the notes thereto (subject, in the case of any interim financial statements, to normal year-end adjustments). The Company and its Subsidiaries do not have any Material liabilities that are not disclosed on such financial statements or otherwise disclosed in the Disclosure Documents.

 

7


5.6.    Compliance with Laws, Other Instruments, etc.

 

The execution, delivery and performance by the Company of this Agreement and the Notes will not (i) contravene, result in any breach of, or constitute a default under, or result in the creation of any Lien in respect of any property of the Company or any Subsidiary under, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan, purchase or credit agreement, lease, corporate charter or by-laws, or any other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any Subsidiary is bound or by which the Company or any Subsidiary or any of their respective properties may be bound or affected, (ii) conflict with or result in a breach of any of the terms, conditions or provisions of any order, judgment, decree, or ruling of any court, arbitrator or Governmental Authority applicable to the Company or any Subsidiary or (iii) violate any provision of any statute or other rule or regulation of any Governmental Authority applicable to the Company or any Subsidiary.

 

The execution, delivery and performance by each Subsidiary Guarantor of the Subsidiary Guaranty will not (i) contravene, result in any breach of, or constitute a default under, or result in the creation of any Lien in respect of any property of such Subsidiary Guarantor under, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan, purchase or credit agreement, lease, corporate charter or by-laws, or any other agreement or instrument to which such Subsidiary Guarantor is bound or by which such Subsidiary Guarantor or any of its properties may be bound or affected, (ii) conflict with or result in a breach of any of the terms, conditions or provisions of any order, judgment, decree, or ruling of any court, arbitrator or Governmental Authority applicable to such Subsidiary Guarantor or (iii) violate any provision of any statute or other rule or regulation of any Governmental Authority applicable to such Subsidiary Guarantor.

 

5.7.    Governmental Authorizations, etc.

 

No consent, approval or authorization of, or registration, filing or declaration with, any Governmental Authority is required in connection with the execution, delivery or performance by the Company of this Agreement or the Notes or the execution, delivery or performance by each Subsidiary Guarantor of the Subsidiary Guaranty.

 

5.8.    Litigation; Observance of Statutes and Orders.

 

(a)    There are no actions, suits, investigations or proceedings pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened against or affecting the Company or any Subsidiary or any property of the Company or any Subsidiary in any court or before any arbitrator of any kind or before or by any Governmental Authority that, individually or in the aggregate, could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(b)    Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is in default under any term of any agreement or instrument to which it is a party or by which it is bound, or any order, judgment, decree or ruling of any court, arbitrator or Governmental Authority or is in violation of any applicable law, ordinance, rule or regulation (including Environmental Laws and the USA Patriot Act) of any Governmental Authority, which default or violation, individually or in the aggregate, could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

8


5.9.    Taxes.

 

The Company and its Subsidiaries have filed, or extended the time for filing, all tax returns that are required to have been filed in any jurisdiction, and have paid all taxes shown to be due and payable on such returns and all other taxes and assessments levied upon them or their properties, assets, income or franchises, to the extent such taxes and assessments have become due and payable and before they have become delinquent, except for any taxes and assessments (i) the amount of which is not, individually or in the aggregate, Material or (ii) the amount, applicability or validity of which is currently being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings and with respect to which the Company or a Subsidiary, as the case may be, has established adequate reserves in accordance with GAAP. The Company knows of no basis for any other tax or assessment that could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. The charges, accruals and reserves on the books of the Company and its Subsidiaries in respect of Federal, state or other taxes for all fiscal periods are adequate. The Federal income tax liabilities of the Company and its Subsidiaries have been finally determined (whether by reason of completed audits or the statute of limitations having run) for all fiscal years up to and including the fiscal year ended December 31, 2002 (except for certain items that are the subject of a limited extension of the statute of limitations for which the Company has established adequate reserves in accordance with GAAP and that, individually or in the aggregate, could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

5.10.    Title to Property; Leases. 

 

The Company and its Subsidiaries have good and sufficient title to their respective properties that individually or in the aggregate are Material, including all such properties reflected in the most recent audited balance sheet referred to in Section 5.5 or purported to have been acquired by the Company or any Subsidiary after said date (except as sold or otherwise disposed of in the ordinary course of business), in each case free and clear of Liens prohibited by this Agreement. All leases that individually or in the aggregate are Material are valid and subsisting and are in full force and effect in all material respects.

 

5.11.    Licenses, Permits, etc.

 

(a)    The Company and its Subsidiaries own or possess all licenses, permits, franchises, authorizations, patents, copyrights, proprietary software, service marks, trademarks and trade names, or rights thereto, that individually or in the aggregate are Material, without known conflict with the rights of others.

 

(b)    To the best knowledge of the Company, no product of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries infringes any license, permit, franchise, authorization, patent, copyright, proprietary software, service mark, trademark, trade name or other right owned by any other Person, except for instances of actual or alleged infringement that, individually or in the aggregate, could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(c)    To the best knowledge of the Company, there is no Material violation by any Person of any right of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries with respect to any patent, copyright, proprietary software, service mark, trademark, trade name or other right owned or used by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries.

 

9


5.12.    Compliance with ERISA.  

 

(a)    The Company and each ERISA Affiliate have operated and administered each Plan in compliance with all applicable laws except for such instances of noncompliance as have not resulted in and could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. Neither the Company nor any ERISA Affiliate has incurred any liability pursuant to Title I or IV of ERISA or the penalty or excise tax provisions of the Code relating to employee benefit plans (as defined in section 3 of ERISA), and no event, transaction or condition has occurred or exists that could reasonably be expected to result in the incurrence of any such liability by the Company or any ERISA Affiliate, or in the imposition of any Lien on any of the rights, properties or assets of the Company or any ERISA Affiliate, in either case pursuant to Title I or IV of ERISA or to such penalty or excise tax provisions or to section 401(a)(29) or 412 of the Code or section 4068 of ERISA, other than such liabilities or Liens as would not be individually or in the aggregate Material.

 

(b)    The present value of the aggregate benefit liabilities under each of the Plans (other than Multiemployer Plans), determined as of the end of such Plan’s most recently ended plan year on the basis of the actuarial assumptions specified for funding purposes in such Plan’s most recent actuarial valuation report, did not exceed the aggregate current value of the assets of such Plan allocable to such benefit liabilities by an amount that, individually, or in the aggregate for all Plans, is Material. The term “benefit liabilities” has the meaning specified in section 4001 of ERISA and the terms “current value” and “present value” have the meaning specified in section 3 of ERISA.

 

(c)    The Company and its ERISA Affiliates have not incurred withdrawal liabilities (and are not subject to contingent withdrawal liabilities) under section 4201 or 4204 of ERISA in respect of Multiemployer Plans that individually or in the aggregate are Material.

 

(d)    The expected postretirement benefit obligation (determined as of the last day of the Company’s most recently ended fiscal year in accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board Statement No. 106, without regard to liabilities attributable to continuation coverage mandated by section 4980B of the Code) of the Company and its Subsidiaries is not Material.

 

(e)    The execution and delivery of this Agreement and the issuance and sale of the Notes hereunder will not involve any transaction that is subject to the prohibitions of section 406 of ERISA or in connection with which a tax could be imposed pursuant to section 4975(c)(1)(A)-(D) of the Code. The representation by the Company in the first sentence of this Section 5.12(e) is made in reliance upon and subject to the accuracy of your representation in Section 6.2 as to the sources of the funds used to pay the purchase price of the Notes to be purchased by you.

 

10


5.13.    Private Offering by the Company.  

 

Neither the Company nor anyone acting on its behalf has offered the Notes or any similar securities for sale to, or solicited any offer to buy any of the same from, or otherwise approached or negotiated in respect thereof with, any person other than you, the Other Purchasers and not more than 14 other Institutional Investors, each of which has been offered the Notes at a private sale for investment. Neither the Company nor anyone acting on its behalf has taken, or will take, any action that would subject the issuance or sale of the Notes to the registration requirements of Section 5 of the Securities Act or to the registration requirements of any securities or blue sky laws of any applicable jurisdiction.

 

5.14.    Use of Proceeds; Margin Regulations. 

 

The Company will apply the proceeds of the sale of the Notes to refinance Indebtedness of the Company as set forth in Schedule 5.14 and for general corporate purposes, which may include purchases of the Company’s common stock, payment of dividends and assets or business acquisitions. No part of the proceeds from the sale of the Notes will be used, directly or indirectly, for the purpose of buying or carrying any margin stock within the meaning of Regulation U of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (12 CFR 221) so as to involve the Company or any holder of Notes in a violation of such Regulation, or for the purpose of buying or carrying or trading in any securities under such circumstances as to involve the Company in a violation of Regulation X of said Board (12 CFR 224) or to involve any broker or dealer in a violation of Regulation T of said Board (12 CFR 220). Margin stock does not constitute more than 5% of the value of the consolidated assets of the Company and its Subsidiaries and the Company does not have any present intention that margin stock will constitute more than 5% of the value of such assets. As used in this Section, the terms “margin stock” and “purpose of buying or carrying” shall have the meanings assigned to them in said Regulation U.

 

5.15.    Existing Indebtedness; Future Liens. 

 

(a)    Except as described therein, Schedule 5.15 sets forth a complete and correct list of all outstanding Indebtedness of the Company and its Subsidiaries as of September 30, 2006 (including a description of the obligors and obligees, principal amount outstanding and collateral therefor, if any, and Guaranty thereof, if any), since which date there has been no Material change in the amounts, interest rates, sinking funds, installment payments or maturities of the Indebtedness of the Company or its Subsidiaries. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is in default and no waiver of default is currently in effect, in the payment of any principal or interest on any Indebtedness of the Company or any Subsidiary and no event or condition exists with respect to any Indebtedness of the Company or any Subsidiary that would permit (or that with notice or the lapse of time, or both, would permit) one or more Persons to cause such Indebtedness to become due and payable before its stated maturity or before its regularly scheduled dates of payment.

 

(b)    Except as disclosed in Schedule 5.15, neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has agreed or consented to cause or permit in the future (upon the happening of a contingency or otherwise) any of its property, whether now owned or hereafter acquired, to be subject to a Lien not permitted by Section 10.4.

 

(c)    Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is a party to, or otherwise subject to any provision contained in, any instrument evidencing Indebtedness of the Company or such Subsidiary, any agreement relating thereto or any other agreement (including its charter or other organizational document) that limits the amount of, or otherwise imposes restrictions on the incurring of, Indebtedness of the Company, except as specifically indicated in Schedule 5.15.

 

11


5.16.    Foreign Assets Control Regulations, etc. 

 

(a)    Neither the sale of the Notes by the Company hereunder nor its use of the proceeds thereof will violate the Trading with the Enemy Act, as amended, or any of the foreign assets control regulations of the United States Treasury Department (31 CFR, Subtitle B, Chapter V, as amended) or any enabling legislation or executive order relating thereto.

 

(b)    Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary (i) is a Person described or designated in the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List of the Office of Foreign Assets Control or in Section 1 of the Anti-Terrorism Order or (ii) engages in any dealings or transactions with any such Person. The Company and its Subsidiaries are in compliance, in all material respects, with the USA Patriot Act.

 

(c)    No part of the proceeds from the sale of the Notes hereunder will be used, directly or indirectly, in violation of the United States Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, assuming in all cases that such Act applies to the Company.

 

5.17.    Status under Certain Statutes. 

 

Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is subject to regulation under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, the ICC Termination Act, as amended, or the Federal Power Act, as amended.

 

5.18.    Environmental Matters. 

 

(a)    Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has knowledge of any claim or has received any notice of any claim, and no proceeding has been instituted raising any claim against the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or any of their respective real properties now or formerly owned, leased or operated by any of them or other assets, alleging any damage to the environment or violation of any Environmental Laws, except, in each case, such as could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(b)    Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has knowledge of any facts that would give rise to any claim, public or private, of violation of Environmental Laws or damage to the environment emanating from, occurring on or in any way related to real properties now or formerly owned, leased or operated by any of them or to other assets or their use, except, in each case, such as could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(c)    Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has stored any Hazardous Materials on real properties now or formerly owned, leased or operated by any of them and has not disposed of any Hazardous Materials in a manner contrary to any Environmental Laws in each case in any manner that could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(d)    All buildings on all real properties now owned, leased or operated by the Company or any Subsidiary are in compliance with applicable Environmental Laws, except where failure to comply could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

 

12


6.    REPRESENTATIONS OF THE PURCHASERS.

 

6.1.    Purchase for Investment. 

 

You represent that you are purchasing the Notes for your own account or for one or more separate accounts maintained by you or for the account of one or more pension or trust funds and not with a view to the distribution thereof, provided that the disposition of your or their property shall at all times be within your or their control. You understand that the Notes have not been registered under the Securities Act and may be resold only if registered pursuant to the provisions of the Securities Act or if an exemption from registration is available, except under circumstances where neither such registration nor such an exemption is required by law, and that the Company is not required to register the Notes. You represent that you are an “accredited investor” as defined in Rule 501(a)(1), (2), (3) or (7) of Regulation D under the Securities Act.

 

6.2.    Source of Funds. 

 

You represent that at least one of the following statements is an accurate representation as to each source of funds (a “Source”) to be used by you to pay the purchase price of the Notes to be purchased by you hereunder:

 

(a)    the Source is an “insurance company general account” (as the term is defined in the United States Department of Labor’s Prohibited Transaction Exemption (“PTE”) 95-60) in respect of which the reserves and liabilities (as defined by the annual statement for life insurance companies approved by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (the “NAIC Annual Statement”)) for the general account contract(s) held by or on behalf of any employee benefit plan together with the amount of the reserves and liabilities for the general account contract(s) held by or on behalf of any other employee benefit plans maintained by the same employer (or affiliate thereof as defined in PTE 95-60) or by the same employee organization in the general account do not exceed 10% of the total reserves and liabilities of the general account (exclusive of separate account liabilities) plus surplus as set forth in the NAIC Annual Statement filed with your state of domicile; or

 

(b)    the Source is a separate account that is maintained solely in connection with your fixed contractual obligations under which the amounts payable, or credited, to any employee benefit plan (or its related trust) that has any interest in such separate account (or to any participant or beneficiary of such plan (including any annuitant)) are not affected in any manner by the investment performance of the separate account; or

 

(c)    the Source is either (i) an insurance company pooled separate account, within the meaning of PTE 90-1 (issued January 29, 1990), or (ii) a bank collective investment fund, within the meaning of PTE 91-38 (issued July 12, 1991) and, except as you have disclosed to the Company in writing pursuant to this paragraph (c), no employee benefit plan or group of plans maintained by the same employer or employee organization beneficially owns more than 10% of all assets allocated to such pooled separate account or collective investment fund; or

 

13


(d)    the Source constitutes assets of an “investment fund” (within the meaning of Part V of PTE 84-14 (the “QPAM Exemption”)) managed by a “qualified professional asset manager” or “QPAM” (within the meaning of Part V of the QPAM Exemption), no employee benefit plan’s assets that are included in such investment fund, when combined with the assets of all other employee benefit plans established or maintained by the same employer or by an affiliate (within the meaning of Section V(c)(1) of the QPAM Exemption) of such employer or by the same employee organization and managed by such QPAM, exceed 20% of the total client assets managed by such QPAM, the conditions of Part I(c) and (g) of the QPAM Exemption are satisfied, neither the QPAM nor a person controlling or controlled by the QPAM (applying the definition of “control” in Section V(e) of the QPAM Exemption) owns a 5% or more interest in the Company and (i) the identity of such QPAM and (ii) the names of all employee benefit plans whose assets are included in such investment fund have been disclosed to the Company in writing pursuant to this clause (d); or

 

(e)    the Source constitutes assets of a “plan(s)” (within the meaning of Section IV of PTE 96-23 (the “INHAM Exemption”)) managed by an “in-house asset manager” or “INHAM” (within the meaning of Part IV of the INHAM exemption), the conditions of Part I(a), (g) and (h) of the INHAM Exemption are satisfied, neither the INHAM nor a person controlling or controlled by the INHAM (applying the definition of “control” in Section IV(h) of the INHAM Exemption) owns a 5% or more interest in the Company and (i) the identity of such INHAM and (ii) the name(s) of the employee benefit plan(s) whose assets constitute the Source have been disclosed to the Company in writing pursuant to this clause (e); or

 

(f)    the Source is a governmental plan; or

 

(g)    the Source is one or more employee benefit plans, or a separate account or trust fund comprised of one or more employee benefit plans, each of which has been identified to the Company in writing pursuant to this paragraph (g); or

 

(h)    the Source does not include assets of any employee benefit plan, other than a plan exempt from the coverage of ERISA.

 

As used in this Section 6.2, the terms “employee benefit plan”, “governmental plan” and “separate account” shall have the respective meanings assigned to such terms in Section 3 of ERISA.

 

 

14


7.    INFORMATION AS TO COMPANY.

 

7.1.    Financial and Business Information. 

 

The Company will deliver to each holder of Notes that is an Institutional Investor:

 

(a)    Quarterly Statements -- within 60 days after the end of each quarterly fiscal period in each fiscal year of the Company (other than the last quarterly fiscal period of each such fiscal year), duplicate copies of,

 

(i)    a consolidated balance sheet of the Company and its Subsidiaries as at the end of such quarter,

 

(ii)    consolidated statements of income of the Company and its Subsidiaries for such quarter and (in the case of the second and third quarters) for the portion of the fiscal year ending with such quarter, and

 

(iii)    consolidated statements of cash flows of the Company and its Subsidiaries for such quarter or (in the case of the second and third quarters) for the portion of the fiscal year ending with such quarter,

 

setting forth in each case in comparative form the figures for the corresponding periods in the previous fiscal year, all in reasonable detail, prepared in accordance with GAAP applicable to quarterly financial statements generally, and certified by a Senior Financial Officer as fairly presenting, in all material respects, the financial position of the companies being reported on and their results of operations and cash flows, subject to changes resulting from year-end adjustments and, provided that delivery within the time period specified above of copies of the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q prepared in compliance with the requirements therefor and filed with the SEC shall be deemed to satisfy the requirements of this Section 7.1(a);

 

(b)    Annual Statements -- within 120 days after the end of each fiscal year of the Company, duplicate copies of

 

(i)    a consolidated balance sheet of the Company and its Subsidiaries, as at the end of such year, and

 

(ii)    consolidated statements of income, changes in stockholders’ equity and cash flows of the Company and its Subsidiaries for such year,

 

setting forth in each case in comparative form the figures for the previous fiscal year, all in reasonable detail, prepared in accordance with GAAP, and accompanied by an opinion thereon of independent public accountants of recognized national standing, which opinion shall state that such financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the companies being reported upon and their results of operations and cash flows and have been prepared in conformity with GAAP, and that the examination of such accountants in connection with such financial statements has been made in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards, and that such audit provides a reasonable basis for such opinion in the circumstances, provided that the delivery within the time period specified above of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for such fiscal year (together with the Company’s annual report to stockholders, if any, prepared pursuant to Rule 14a-3 under the Exchange Act) prepared in accordance with the requirements therefor and filed with the SEC shall be deemed to satisfy the requirements of this Section 7.1(b);

 

15


(c)    SEC and Other Reports -- promptly upon their becoming available, one copy of (i) each financial statement, report, notice or proxy statement sent by the Company or any Subsidiary to its principal lending banks as a whole (excluding information sent to such banks in the ordinary course of administration of a bank facility, such as information relating to pricing and borrowing availability) or to its public securities holders generally, and (ii) each regular or periodic report, each registration statement (without exhibits except as expressly requested by such holder), and each prospectus and all amendments thereto filed by the Company or any Subsidiary with the SEC and of all press releases and other statements made available generally by the Company or any Subsidiary to the public concerning developments that are Material;

 

(d)    Notice of Default or Event of Default -- promptly, and in any event within five Business Days after a Responsible Officer becoming aware of the existence of any Default or Event of Default or that any Person has given any notice or taken any action with respect to a claimed default hereunder or that any Person has given any notice or taken any action with respect to a claimed default of the type referred to in Section 11(f), a written notice specifying the nature and period of existence thereof and what action the Company is taking or proposes to take with respect thereto;

 

(e)    ERISA Matters -- promptly, and in any event within five Business Days after a Responsible Officer becoming aware of any of the following, a written notice setting forth the nature thereof and the action, if any, that the Company or an ERISA Affiliate proposes to take with respect thereto:

 

(i)    with respect to any Plan, any reportable event, as defined in section 4043(c) of ERISA and the regulations thereunder, for which notice thereof has not been waived pursuant to such regulations as in effect on the date hereof, that is Material; or

 

(ii)    the taking by the PBGC of steps to institute, or the threatening by the PBGC of the institution of, proceedings under section 4042 of ERISA for the termination of, or the appointment of a trustee to administer, any Plan, or the receipt by the Company or any ERISA Affiliate of a notice from a Multiemployer Plan that such action has been taken by the PBGC with respect to such Multiemployer Plan; or

 

(iii)    any event, transaction or condition that could result in the incurrence of any liability by the Company or any ERISA Affiliate pursuant to Title I or IV of ERISA or the penalty or excise tax provisions of the Code relating to employee benefit plans, or in the imposition of any Lien on any of the rights, properties or assets of the Company or any ERISA Affiliate pursuant to Title I or IV of ERISA or such penalty or excise tax provisions, if such liability or Lien, taken together with any other such liabilities or Liens then existing, could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; and

 

(f)    Notices from Governmental Authority -- promptly, and in any event within 30 days of receipt thereof, copies of any notice to the Company or any Subsidiary from any Federal or state Governmental Authority relating to any order, ruling, statute or other law or regulation that could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; and

 

(g)    Requested Information -- with reasonable promptness, such other data and information relating to the business, operations, affairs, financial condition, assets or properties of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or relating to the ability of the Company to perform its obligations hereunder and under the Notes as from time to time may be reasonably requested by any such holder of Notes.

 

16


7.2.    Officer’s Certificate. 

 

Each set of financial statements delivered to a holder of Notes pursuant to Section 7.1(a) or Section 7.1(b) will be accompanied by a certificate of a Senior Financial Officer setting forth:

 

(a)    Covenant Compliance -- the information (including detailed calculations and reconciliations to GAAP if Agreement Accounting Principles differ from GAAP at the time such certificate is delivered) required in order to establish whether the Company was in compliance with the requirements of Section 10.1 through Section 10.3, inclusive, and Section 10.7 during the quarterly or annual period covered by the statements then being furnished (including with respect to each such Section, where applicable, the calculations of the maximum or minimum amount, ratio or percentage, as the case may be, permissible under the terms of such Sections, and the calculation of the amount, ratio or percentage then in existence); and

 

(b)    Event of Default -- a statement that such Senior Financial Officer has reviewed the relevant terms hereof and has made, or caused to be made, under his or her supervision, a review of the transactions and conditions of the Company and its Subsidiaries from the beginning of the quarterly or annual period covered by the statements then being furnished to the date of the certificate and that such review shall not have disclosed the existence during such period of any condition or event that constitutes a Default or an Event of Default or, if any such condition or event existed or exists (including any such event or condition resulting from the failure of the Company or any Subsidiary to comply with any Environmental Law), specifying the nature and period of existence thereof and what action the Company shall have taken or proposes to take with respect thereto.

 

17


7.3.    Electronic Delivery.

 

Financial statements and officers’ certificates required to be delivered by the Company pursuant to Sections 7.1(a), (b) or (c) and Section 7.2 shall be deemed to have been delivered if (i) the Company shall have timely filed such Form 10-Q or Form 10-K, satisfying the requirements of Section 7.1(a) or (b) as the case may be, with the SEC on “EDGAR” and shall have made such Form and the related certificate satisfying the requirements of Section 7.2 available on its home page on the worldwide web (at the date of this Agreement located at http://www.poolcorp.com) or (ii) such financial statements satisfying the requirements of Section 7.1(a) or (b) and related certificate satisfying the requirements of Section 7.2 are timely posted by or on behalf of the Company on IntraLinks or on any other similar website to which each holder of Notes has free access or (iii) the Company shall have filed any of the items referred to in Section 7.1(c) with the SEC on “EDGAR” and shall have made such items available on its home page on the worldwide web or if any of such items are timely posted by or on behalf of the Company on IntraLinks or on any other similar website to which each holder of Notes has free access; provided however, that in the case of any of clause (i), (ii) or (iii), the Company shall concurrently with such filing or posting give notice to each holder of Notes of such posting or filing and provided further, that upon request of any holder, the Company will thereafter deliver written copies of such forms, financial statements and certificates to such holder.

 

7.4.    Visitation. 

 

The Company shall permit the representatives of each holder of Notes that is an Institutional Investor:

 

(a)    No Default -- if no Default or Event of Default then exists, at the expense of such holder and upon reasonable prior notice to the Company, to visit the principal executive office of the Company, to discuss the affairs, finances and accounts of the Company and its Subsidiaries with the Company’s officers, and (with the consent of the Company, which consent will not be unreasonably withheld) to visit the other offices and properties of the Company and each Subsidiary, all at such reasonable times as may be reasonably requested in writing; and

 

(b)    Default -- if a Default or Event of Default then exists, at the expense of the Company, to visit and inspect any of the offices or properties of the Company or any Subsidiary, to examine all their respective books of account, records, reports and other papers, to make copies and extracts therefrom, and to discuss their respective affairs, finances and accounts with their respective officers and independent public accountants (and by this provision the Company authorizes said accountants to discuss the affairs, finances and accounts of the Company and its Subsidiaries), all at such reasonable times and as often as may be reasonably requested.

 

 

18


8.    PREPAYMENT OF THE NOTES.

 

8.1.    Required Prepayments. 

 

No regularly scheduled prepayments are due on the Notes prior to their stated maturity.

 

8.2.    Optional Prepayments. 

 

The Company may, at its option, upon notice as provided below, prepay at any time all, or from time to time any part of, the Notes, in an amount not less than $1,000,000 in the aggregate in the case of a partial prepayment, at 100% of the principal amount so prepaid, plus the Prepayment Premium, if any, determined for the prepayment date with respect to such principal amount and if such prepayment is to occur on any date other than an interest payment date, the LIBOR Breakage Amount, if any. The Company will give each holder of Notes to be prepaid written notice of each optional prepayment under this Section 8.2 not less than 30 days and not more than 60 days prior to the date fixed for such prepayment. Each such notice shall specify such date (which shall be a Business Day), the aggregate principal amount of Notes to be prepaid on such date, the principal amount of each Note held by such holder to be prepaid (determined in accordance with Section 8.4), the interest and Prepayment Premium, if any, to be paid on the prepayment date with respect to such principal amount being prepaid and the amount of any LIBOR Breakage Amount to be paid. “Prepayment Premium” means, if Notes are prepaid on or prior to February 12, 2008, 3.0% of the principal amount being prepaid; and, if prepaid at any time thereafter, 0.0%.

 

8.3.    Mandatory Offer to Prepay Upon Change of Control.

 

(a)    Notice of Change of Control or Control Event -- The Company will, within five Business Days after any Responsible Officer has knowledge of the occurrence of any Change of Control or Control Event, give notice of such Change of Control or Control Event to each holder of Notes unless notice in respect of such Change of Control (or the Change of Control contemplated by such Control Event) shall have been given pursuant to subparagraph (b) of this Section 8.3. If a Change of Control has occurred, such notice shall contain and constitute an offer to prepay Notes as described in paragraph (c) of this Section 8.3 and shall be accompanied by the certificate described in paragraph (g) of this Section 8.3.

 

(b)    Condition to Company Action -- The Company will not take any action that consummates or finalizes a Change of Control unless (i) at least 15 Business Days prior to such action it shall have given to each holder of Notes written notice containing and constituting an offer to prepay the Notes accompanied by the certificate described in paragraph (g) of this Section 8.3, and (ii) subject to the provisions of paragraph (d) below, contemporaneously with such action, it prepays all Notes required to be prepaid in accordance with this Section 8.3.

 

(c)    Offer to Prepay Notes -- The offer to prepay Notes contemplated by paragraphs (a) and (b) of this Section 8.3 shall be an offer to prepay, in accordance with and subject to this Section 8.3, all, but not less than all, of the Notes held by each holder (in this case only, “holder” in respect of any Note registered in the name of a nominee for a disclosed beneficial owner shall mean such beneficial owner) on a date specified in such offer (the “Proposed Prepayment Date”). If such Proposed Prepayment Date is in connection with an offer contemplated by paragraph (a) of this Section 8.3, such date shall be not less than 30 days and not more than 60 days after the date of such offer.

 

19


(d)    Acceptance; Rejection -- A holder of Notes may accept or reject the offer to prepay made pursuant to this Section 8.3 by causing a notice of such acceptance or rejection to be delivered to the Company on or before the date specified in the certificate described in paragraph (g) of this Section 8.3. A failure by a holder of Notes to respond to an offer to prepay made pursuant to this Section 8.3, or to reject an offer as to all of the Notes held by the holder, within such time period shall be deemed to constitute acceptance of such offer by such holder.

 

(e)    Prepayment -- Prepayment of the Notes to be prepaid pursuant to this Section 8.3 shall be at 100% of the principal amount of such Notes, together with interest on such Notes accrued to the date of prepayment and shall not require the payment of any Prepayment Premium or LIBOR Breakage Amount. The prepayment shall be made on the Proposed Prepayment Date except as provided in paragraph (f) of this Section 8.3.

 

(f)    Deferral Pending Change of Control -- The obligation of the Company to prepay Notes pursuant to the offers required by paragraphs (a) and (b) and accepted in accordance with paragraph (d) of this Section 8.3 is subject to the occurrence of the Change of Control in respect of which such offers and acceptances shall have been made. In the event that such Change of Control does not occur on or prior to the Proposed Prepayment Date in respect thereof, the prepayment shall be deferred until and shall be made on the date on which such Change of Control occurs. The Company shall keep each holder of Notes reasonably and timely informed of (i) any such deferral of the date of prepayment, (ii) the date on which such Change of Control and the prepayment are expected to occur, and (iii) any determination by the Company that efforts to effect such Change of Control have ceased or been abandoned (in which case the offers and acceptances made pursuant to this Section 8.3 in respect of such Change of Control shall be deemed rescinded). Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event that the prepayment has not been made within 90 days after such Proposed Prepayment Date by virtue of the deferral provided for in this Section 8.3(f), the Company shall make a new offer to prepay in accordance with paragraph (c) of this Section 8.3.

 

(g)    Officer’s Certificate -- Each offer to prepay the Notes pursuant to this Section 8.3 shall be accompanied by a certificate, executed by a Senior Financial Officer of the Company and dated the date of such offer, specifying: (i) the Proposed Prepayment Date, (ii) that such offer is made pursuant to this Section 8.3, (iii) the principal amount of each Note offered to be prepaid, (iv) the interest that would be due on each Note offered to be prepaid, accrued to the Proposed Prepayment Date, (v) that the conditions of this Section 8.3 have been fulfilled, (vi) in reasonable detail, the nature and date or proposed date of the Change of Control and (vii) the date by which any holder of a Note that wishes to reject such offer must deliver notice thereof to the Company, which date shall not be earlier than three Business Days prior to the Proposed Prepayment Date or, in the case of a prepayment pursuant to Section 8.3(b), the date of the action referred to in Section 8.3(b)(i).

 

20


8.4.    Allocation of Partial Prepayments. 

 

In the case of each partial prepayment of the Notes pursuant to Section 8.2, the principal amount of the Notes to be prepaid shall be allocated among all of the Notes at the time outstanding in proportion, as nearly as practicable, to the respective unpaid principal amounts thereof not theretofore called for prepayment.

 

8.5.    Maturity; Surrender, etc. 

 

In the case of each prepayment of Notes pursuant to this Section 8, the principal amount of each Note to be prepaid shall mature and become due and payable on the date fixed for such prepayment (which shall be a Business Day), together with interest on such principal amount accrued to such date and, in the case of prepayment pursuant to Section 8.2, the applicable Prepayment Premium, if any, and LIBOR Breakage Amount, if any. From and after such date, unless the Company shall fail to pay such principal amount when so due and payable, together with the interest and Prepayment Premium, if any, and LIBOR Breakage Amount, if any, as aforesaid, interest on such principal amount shall cease to accrue. Any Note paid or prepaid in full shall be surrendered to the Company and canceled and shall not be reissued, and no Note shall be issued in lieu of any prepaid principal amount of any Note.

 

8.6.    Purchase of Notes. 

 

The Company will not and will not permit any Affiliate to purchase, redeem, prepay or otherwise acquire, directly or indirectly, any of the outstanding Notes except upon the payment or prepayment of the Notes in accordance with the terms of this Agreement and the Notes. The Company will promptly cancel all Notes acquired by it or any Affiliate pursuant to any payment or prepayment of Notes pursuant to any provision of this Agreement and no Notes may be issued in substitution or exchange for any such Notes.

 

8.7.    LIBOR Breakage Amount.

 

The term “LIBOR Breakage Amount” means any loss, cost or expense (other than lost profits) reasonably and actually incurred by any holder of a Note as a result of any payment or prepayment of such Note (whether voluntary, automatic, by reason of acceleration or otherwise, but excluding mandatory prepayments pursuant to Section 8.3) on a day other than an interest payment date or at scheduled maturity thereof, arising from the liquidation or reemployment of funds obtained by such holder or from fees payable to terminate the deposits from which such funds were obtained. Any such loss, cost or expense shall be limited to the time period from the date of such prepayment through the earlier of the next interest payment date or the maturity of such Note. Each holder of a Note shall determine the LIBOR Breakage Amount with respect to the principal amount of its Notes then being paid or prepaid (or required to be paid) by written notice to the Company setting forth such determination in reasonable detail not less than two Business Days prior to the date of prepayment. Each such determination shall be conclusive absent manifest error.

 

 

21


9.    AFFIRMATIVE COVENANTS. 

 

The Company covenants that so long as any of the Notes are outstanding:

 

9.1.    Compliance with Law. 

 

Without limiting Section 10.10, the Company will, and will cause each Subsidiary to, comply with all laws, ordinances or governmental rules or regulations to which each of them is subject, including ERISA, the USA Patriot Act and Environmental Laws, and will obtain and maintain in effect all licenses, certificates, permits, franchises and other governmental authorizations necessary to the ownership of their respective properties or to the conduct of their respective businesses, in each case to the extent necessary to ensure that non-compliance with such laws, ordinances or governmental rules or regulations or failures to obtain or maintain in effect such licenses, certificates, permits, franchises and other governmental authorizations could not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

9.2.    Insurance. 

 

The Company will, and will cause each Subsidiary to, maintain, with financially sound and reputable insurers, insurance with respect to their respective properties and businesses against such casualties and contingencies, of such types, on such terms and in such amounts (including deductibles, co-insurance and self-insurance, if adequate reserves are maintained with respect thereto) as is customary in the case of entities of established reputations engaged in the same or a similar business and similarly situated.

 

9.3.    Maintenance of Properties. 

 

The Company will, and will cause each Subsidiary to, maintain and keep, or cause to be maintained and kept, their respective properties in good repair, working order and condition (other than ordinary wear and tear), so that the business carried on in connection therewith may be properly conducted at all times, provided that this Section shall not prevent the Company or any Subsidiary from discontinuing the operation and the maintenance of any of its properties if such discontinuance is desirable in the conduct of its business and the Company has concluded that such discontinuance could not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

9.4.    Payment of Taxes and Claims. 

 

The Company will, and will cause each Subsidiary to, file all tax returns required to be filed in any jurisdiction and to pay and discharge all taxes shown to be due and payable on such returns and all other taxes, assessments, governmental charges, or levies imposed on them or any of their properties, assets, income or franchises, to the extent such taxes and assessments have become due and payable and before they have become delinquent and all claims for which sums have become due and payable that have or might become a Lien on properties or assets of the Company or any Subsidiary, provided that neither the Company nor any Subsidiary need pay any such tax or assessment or claims if (i) the amount, applicability or validity thereof is contested by the Company or such Subsidiary on a timely basis in good faith and in appropriate proceedings, and the Company or such Subsidiary has established adequate reserves therefor in accordance with GAAP on the books of the Company or such Subsidiary or (ii) the nonpayment of all such taxes, assessments and claims in the aggregate could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

22


9.5.    Corporate Existence, etc. 

 

Subject to Section 10.6, the Company will at all times preserve and keep in full force and effect its corporate existence. Subject to Sections 10.6 and 10.7, the Company will at all times preserve and keep in full force and effect the corporate (existence of each Subsidiary (unless merged into the Company or a Wholly-Owned Subsidiary) and all rights and franchises of the Company and its Subsidiaries unless, in the good faith judgment of the Company, the termination of or failure to preserve and keep in full force and effect such corporate existence, right or franchise could not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

9.6.    Books and Records. 

 

The Company will, and will cause each Subsidiary to, maintain proper books of record and account in conformity with GAAP and all applicable requirements of any Governmental Authority having legal or regulatory jurisdiction over the Company or such Subsidiary, as the case may be.

 

9.7.    Subsidiary Guaranty; Release.

 

(a)    Subsidiary Guarantors . The Company will cause each Domestic Subsidiary that becomes a borrower or guarantor of Indebtedness in respect of the Credit Agreement, within 10 Business Days of its becoming a borrower or a guarantor of Indebtedness in respect of the Credit Agreement, to become a party to the Subsidiary Guaranty, and shall deliver to each holder:

 

(i)    an executed counterpart of a Joinder to the Subsidiary Guaranty;

 

(ii)    copies of such directors’ or other authorizing resolutions, charter, bylaws and other constitutive documents of such Subsidiary as the Required Holders may reasonably request; and

 

(iii)    an opinion of counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Required Holders covering the authorization, execution, delivery, compliance with law, no conflict with other documents, no consents and enforceability of the Subsidiary Guaranty against such Subsidiary in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Required Holders.

 

(b)    Release of Subsidiary Guarantor . Each holder of a Note fully releases and discharges from the Subsidiary Guaranty a Subsidiary Guarantor, immediately and without any further act, upon such Subsidiary Guarantor being released and discharged as a borrower or guarantor under and in respect of the Credit Agreement; provided that (i) no Default or Event of Default exists or will exist immediately following such release and discharge; and (ii) at the time of such release and discharge, the Company delivers to each holder of Notes a certificate of a Responsible Officer certifying (x) that such Subsidiary Guarantor has been or is being released and discharged as a borrower or guarantor under and in respect of each of the Credit Agreement and (y) as to the matters set forth in clause (i). Any outstanding Indebtedness of a Subsidiary Guarantor shall be deemed to have been incurred by such Subsidiary Guarantor as of the date it is released and discharged from the Subsidiary Guaranty.

 

23


9.8.    Pari Passu Ranking.

 

The Indebtedness evidenced by the Notes will at all times rank at least pari passu with all senior unsecured Indebtedness of the Company.

 

 

10.    NEGATIVE COVENANTS. 

 

The Company covenants that so long as any of the Notes are outstanding:

 

10.1.    Funded Indebtedness.

 

The Company will not, as of the end of any fiscal quarter, permit the ratio of (a) the sum of (i) Average Total Funded Indebtedness for the period of 12 consecutive months ending on or immediately prior to such date plus (ii) Average Accounts Securitization Proceeds for the period of 12 consecutive months ending on or immediately prior to such date to (b) EBITDA for the period of 12 consecutive months ending on or immediately prior to such date to be greater than or equal to 3.5 to 1.0.

 

10.2.    Fixed Charge Coverage.

 

The Company will not, as of the end of any fiscal quarter, permit the ratio of EBITDAR to Fixed Charges for the four consecutive fiscal quarters of the Company ending on or immediately prior to such date to be less than 2.00 to 1.00.

 

10.3.    Priority Debt.

 

The Company will not at any time permit Priority Debt to exceed 20% of Net Worth as of the end of the most recently completed fiscal quarter of the Company.

 

10.4.    Liens.

 

The Company will not, and will not permit any Subsidiary to, permit to exist, create, assume or incur, directly or indirectly, any Lien on its properties or assets, whether now owned or hereafter acquired, except:

 

(a)    Liens for taxes, assessments or governmental charges or levies not then due and delinquent or the nonpayment of which is permitted by Section 9.4;

 

(b)    any attachment or judgment Lien, unless the judgment it secures has not, within 60 days after the entry thereof, been discharged or execution thereof stayed pending appeal, or has not been discharged within 60 days after the expiration of any such stay;

 

(c)    Liens incidental to the conduct of business or the ownership of properties and assets (including landlords’, lessors’, carriers’, operators’, warehousemen’s, mechanics’, materialmen’s and other similar Liens) and Liens to secure the performance of bids, tenders, leases or trade contracts, or to secure statutory obligations (including obligations under workers compensation, unemployment insurance and other social security legislation), surety or appeal bonds or other Liens of like general nature incurred in the ordinary course of business and not in connection with the borrowing of money;

 

(d)    encumbrances in the nature of leases, subleases, zoning restrictions, easements, rights of way, minor survey exceptions and other rights and restrictions of record on the use of real property and defects in title arising or incurred in the ordinary course of business, which, individually and in the aggregate, do not materially detract from the value of such property or assets subject thereto or materially impair the use of the property or assets subject thereto by the Company or such Subsidiary;

 

(e)    Liens existing on property or assets of the Company or any Subsidiary as of the date of this Agreement that are described in Schedule 10.4;

 

24


(f)    Liens,

 

(i)    existing on property at the time of its acquisition by the Company or a Subsidiary and not created in contemplation thereof, whether or not the Indebtedness secured by such Lien is assumed by the Company or a Subsidiary; or

 

(ii)    on property or in rights related thereto created contemporaneously with its acquisition or within 180 days of the acquisition or completion of construction or development thereof to secure or provide for all or a portion of the purchase price or cost of the acquisition, construction or development of such property after the date of the Closing; or

 

(iii)    existing on property of a Person at the time such Person is merged or consolidated with, or becomes a Subsidiary of, or substantially all of its assets are acquired by, the Company or a Subsidiary and not created in contemplation thereof;

 

provided that in the case of each of clauses (i), (ii) and (iii) such Liens do not extend to additional property of the Company or any Subsidiary (other than property that is an improvement to or is acquired for specific use in connection with the subject property) and that the aggregate principal amount of Indebtedness secured by each such Lien does not exceed fair market value of the property subject thereto (as determined in good faith by one or more officers of the Company to whom authority to enter into the transaction has been delegated by the board of directors);

 

(g)    Liens resulting from extensions, renewals or replacements of Liens permitted by paragraphs (e) or (f), provided that (i) there is no increase in the principal amount or decrease in maturity of the Indebtedness secured thereby at the time of such extension, renewal or replacement, (ii) any new Lien attaches only to the same property theretofore subject to such earlier Lien and (iii) immediately after such extension, renewal or replacement no Default or Event of Default would exist;

 

(h)    Liens securing Indebtedness of a Subsidiary owed to the Company or to a Wholly Owned Subsidiary or of the Company owed to a Wholly Owned Subsidiary;

 

(i)    Liens incurred in connection with any Accounts Securitization; and

 

(j)    Liens securing Indebtedness not otherwise permitted by paragraphs (a) through (i) of this Section 10.4, provided Priority Debt does not at any time exceed 20% of Net Worth as of the end of the most recently completed fiscal quarter of the Company.

 

25


10.5.    Subsidiary Indebtedness.

 

The Company will not permit any Subsidiary, directly or indirectly, to at any time create, incur, assume, guarantee, have outstanding, or otherwise become or remain directly or indirectly liable for, any Indebtedness other than:

 

(a)    Indebtedness of a Subsidiary Guarantor;

 

(b)    Indebtedness outstanding on the date of this Agreement that is described on Schedule 10.5 and any extension, renewal, refinancing or refunding thereof, provided that the principal amount thereof is not increased;

 

(c)    Indebtedness owed to the Company or a Wholly Owned Subsidiary;

 

(d)    Indebtedness of a Person outstanding at the time it becomes a Subsidiary and any extension, renewal, refinancing or refunding thereof, provided that the principal amount thereof is not increased; provided further that (i) such Indebtedness was not incurred in contemplation of such Person’s becoming a Subsidiary and (ii) immediately after such Person becomes a Subsidiary no Default or Event of Default exists;

 

(e)    Indebtedness under Hedging Agreements entered into in the ordinary course of business;

 

(f)    Indebtedness not otherwise permitted by the preceding clauses (a) through (e), provided that immediately before and after giving effect thereto and to the application of the proceeds thereof,

 

(i)    no Default or Event of Default exists, and

 

(ii)    Priority Debt does not exceed 20% of Net Worth as of the end of the most recently completed fiscal quarter of the Company.

 

26


10.6.    Mergers, Consolidations, etc.

 

The Company will not consolidate with or merge with any other Person or convey, transfer, sell or lease all or substantially all of its assets in a single transaction or series of transactions to any Person unless:

 

(a)    the successor formed by such consolidation or the survivor of such merger or the Person that acquires by conveyance, transfer, sale or lease all or substantially all of the assets of the Company as an entirety, as the case may be, is a solvent corporation or limited liability company organized and existing under the laws of the United States or any state thereof (including the District of Columbia), and, if the Company is not such successor or survivor, such corporation or limited liability company (i) shall have executed and delivered to each holder of any Notes its assumption of the due and punctual performance and observance of each covenant and condition of this Agreement and the Notes and (ii) shall have caused to be delivered to each holder of any Notes an opinion of nationally recognized independent counsel or other independent counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Required Holders, to the effect that all agreements or instruments effecting such assumption are enforceable in accordance with their terms and comply with the terms hereof; and

 

(b)    immediately after giving effect to such transaction, no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing.

 

10.7.    Sale of Assets.

 

Except as permitted by Section 10.6, the Company will not, and will not permit any Subsidiary to, sell, lease, transfer or otherwise dispose of, including by way of merger (collectively a “Disposition”), any assets, including capital stock of Subsidiaries, in one or a series of transactions, to any Person, other than:

 

(a)    Dispositions in the ordinary course of business;

 

(b)    Dispositions by a Subsidiary to the Company or another Wholly Owned Subsidiary or by the Company to a Wholly Owned Subsidiary;

 

(c)    Dispositions pursuant to the Receivables Sale Agreement in connection with an Accounts Securitization; or

 

(d)    Dispositions not otherwise permitted by Sections 10.7(a) through 10.7(c), inclusive, provided that:

 

(i)    in the good faith opinion of the Company, the Disposition is in exchange for consideration having a fair market value at least equal to that of the property exchanged and is in the best interest of the Company or such Subsidiary;

 

(ii)    immediately after giving effect to the Disposition, no Default or Event of Default shall exist; and

 

(iii)    immediately after giving effect to the Disposition, the aggregate net book value of all assets that were the subject of any Disposition occurring in the then current fiscal year would not exceed 15% of Total Assets as of the last day of the most recently ended fiscal year of the Company.

 

Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company may, or may permit a Subsidiary to, make a Disposition and the assets subject to such Disposition shall not be subject to or included in the foregoing limitation and computation contained in clause (iii) of the preceding sentence if, within 365 days of such Disposition:

 

A.    the net proceeds from such Disposition are reinvested in productive assets to be used in the existing business of the Company or a Subsidiary; or

 

B.    the net proceeds from such Disposition are applied to the payment or prepayment of the Notes or any other outstanding Indebtedness of the Company or any Subsidiary ranking pari passu with or senior to the Notes (other than Indebtedness in respect of any revolving credit or similar credit facility providing the Company or any Subsidiary with the right to obtain loans or other extensions of credit from time to time, except to the extent that in connection with such payment of Indebtedness the availability of credit under such credit facility is reduced by an amount not less than the amount of such proceeds applied to the payment of such Indebtedness).

 

For purposes of foregoing clause B, if the Company elects to prepay the Notes, the Company shall offer to prepay (not less than 30 or more than 60 days following such offer) the Notes on a pro rata basis at a price of 100% of the principal amount of the Notes to be prepaid (without any Prepayment Premium) together with interest accrued to the date of prepayment; provided that if any holder of the Notes declines or rejects such offer, the proceeds that would have been paid to such holder shall be offered pro rata to the other holders of the Notes that have accepted the offer. A failure by a holder of Notes to respond in writing not later than 10 Business Days prior to the proposed prepayment date to an offer to prepay made pursuant to this Section 10.7 shall be deemed to constitute a rejection of such offer by such holder. Whether or not such offers are accepted by the holders, the entire principal amount of the Notes subject thereto shall be deemed to have been prepaid for purposes of foregoing clause B.

 

No such conveyance, transfer or lease of substantially all of the assets of the Company shall have the effect of releasing the Company or any successor corporation or limited liability company that shall theretofore have become such in the manner prescribed in this Section 10.7 from its liability under this Agreement or the Notes.

 

27


10.8.    Nature of Business.

 

The Company will not, and will not permit any Subsidiary to, engage in any business if, as a result, the general nature of the business in which the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, would then be engaged would be substantially changed from the general nature of the business in which the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, are engaged on the date of this Agreement as described in the Memorandum.

 

28


10.9.    Transactions with Affiliates.

 

The Company will not, and will not permit any Subsidiary to, enter into directly or indirectly any Material transaction or Material group of related transactions (including the purchase, lease, sale or exchange of properties of any kind or the rendering of any service) with any Affiliate (other than the Company or another Subsidiary), except in the ordinary course and pursuant to the reasonable requirements of the Company’s or such Subsidiary’s business and upon fair and reasonable terms no less favorable to the Company or such Subsidiary than would be obtainable in a comparable arm’s-length transaction with a Person not an Affiliate.

 

10.10.    Terrorism Sanctions Regulations.

 

The Company will not and will not permit any Subsidiary to (a) become a Person described or designated in the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List of the Office of Foreign Assets Control or in Section 1 of the Anti Terrorism Order or (b) knowingly engage in any dealings or transactions with any such Person.

 

 

11.    EVENTS OF DEFAULT.

 

An “Event of Default” shall exist if any of the following conditions or events shall occur and be continuing:

 

(a)    the Company defaults in the payment of any principal, Prepayment Premium, if any, or LIBOR Breakage amount, if any, on any Note when the same becomes due and payable, whether at maturity or at a date fixed for prepayment or by declaration or otherwise; or

 

(b)    the Company defaults in the payment of any interest on any Note for more than five Business Days after the same becomes due and payable; or

 

(c)    the Company defaults in the performance of or compliance with any term contained in Section 7.1(d) or Sections 10.1 through 10.10; or

 

(d)    the Company defaults in the performance of or compliance with any term contained herein (other than those referred to in paragraphs (a), (b) and (c) of this Section 11) and such default is not remedied within 30 days after the earlier of (i) a Responsible Officer obtaining actual knowledge of such default and (ii) the Company receiving written notice of such default from any holder of a Note (any such written notice to be identified as a “notice of default” and to refer specifically to this paragraph (d) of Section 11); or

 

(e)    any representation or warranty made in writing by or on behalf of the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor or by any officer of the Company or a Subsidiary Guarantor in this Agreement, the Subsidiary Guaranty or in any writing furnished in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby proves to have been false or incorrect in any material respect on the date as of which made; or

 

(f)    (i) the Company or any Subsidiary is in default (as principal or as guarantor or other surety) in the payment of any principal of or premium or make-whole amount or interest on any Indebtedness that is outstanding in an aggregate principal amount of at least the greater of $20,000,000 or 2.0% of Total Assets beyond any period of grace provided with respect thereto, or (ii) the Company or any Subsidiary is in default in the performance of or compliance with any term of any evidence of any Indebtedness that is outstanding in an aggregate principal amount of at least the greater of $20,000,000 or 2.0% of Total Assets or of any mortgage, indenture or other agreement relating thereto or any other condition exists, and as a consequence of such default or condition such Indebtedness has become, or has been declared (or one or more Persons are entitled to declare such Indebtedness to be), due and payable before its stated maturity or before its regularly scheduled dates of payment, or (iii) as a consequence of the occurrence or continuation of any event or condition (other than the passage of time or the right of the holder of Indebtedness to convert such Indebtedness into equity interests), (x) the Company or any Subsidiary has become obligated to purchase or repay Indebtedness before its regular maturity or before its regularly scheduled dates of payment in an aggregate outstanding principal amount of at least the greater of $20,000,000 or 2.0% of Total Assets, or (y) one or more Persons have the right to require the Company or any Subsidiary so to purchase or repay such Indebtedness; or

 

29


(g)    the Company or any Subsidiary (i) is generally not paying, or admits in writing its inability to pay, its debts as they become due, (ii) files, or consents by answer or otherwise to the filing against it of, a petition for relief or reorganization or arrangement or any other petition in bankruptcy, for liquidation or to take advantage of any bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other similar law of any jurisdiction, (iii) makes an assignment for the benefit of its creditors, (iv) consents to the appointment of a custodian, receiver, trustee or other officer with similar powers with respect to it or with respect to any substantial part of its property, (v) is adjudicated as insolvent or to be liquidated, or (vi) takes corporate action for the purpose of any of the foregoing; or

 

(h)    a court or Governmental Authority of competent jurisdiction enters an order appointing, without consent by the Company or any Subsidiary, a custodian, receiver, trustee or other officer with similar powers with respect to it or with respect to any substantial part of its property, or constituting an order for relief or approving a petition for relief or reorganization or any other petition in bankruptcy or for liquidation or to take advantage of any bankruptcy or insolvency law of any jurisdiction, or ordering the dissolution, winding-up or liquidation of the Company or any Subsidiary, or any such petition shall be filed against the Company or any Subsidiary and such petition shall not be dismissed within 90 days; or

 

(i)    a final judgment or judgments for the payment of money aggregating in excess of an amount at least equal to the greater of $20,000,000 or 2.0% of Total Assets are rendered against one or more of the Company and its Subsidiaries, which judgments are not, within 60 days after entry thereof, bonded, paid or otherwise discharged or stayed pending appeal, or are not paid or otherwise discharged within 90 days after the expiration of such stay; or

 

(j)    if (i) any Plan shall fail to satisfy the minimum funding standards of ERISA or the Code for any plan year or part thereof or a waiver of such standards or extension of any amortization period is sought or granted under section 412 of the Code, (ii) a notice of intent to terminate any Plan shall have been or is reasonably expected to be filed with the PBGC or the PBGC shall have instituted proceedings under ERISA section 4042 to terminate or appoint a trustee to administer any Plan or the PBGC shall have notified the Company or any ERISA Affiliate that a Plan may become a subject of any such proceedings, (iii) the aggregate “amount of unfunded benefit liabilities” (within the meaning of section 4001(a)(18) of ERISA) under all Plans determined in accordance with Title IV of ERISA, shall exceed an amount at least equal to the greater of $20,000,000 or 2.0% of Total Assets, (iv) the Company or any ERISA Affiliate shall have incurred or is reasonably expected to incur any liability pursuant to Title I or IV of ERISA or the penalty or excise tax provisions of the Code relating to employee benefit plans, (v) the Company or any ERISA Affiliate withdraws from any Multiemployer Plan, or (vi) the Company or any Subsidiary establishes or amends any employee welfare benefit plan that provides post-employment welfare benefits in a manner that would increase the liability of the Company or any Subsidiary thereunder; and any such event or events described in clauses (i) through (vi) above, either individually or together with any other such event or events, could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; or

 

(k)    the Subsidiary Guaranty ceases to be in full force and effect (except in accordance with and by reason of the provisions of Section 9.7(b)) or is declared to be null and void in whole or in material part by a court or other governmental or regulatory authority having jurisdiction or the validity or enforceability thereof shall be contested by the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor or any of them renounces any of the same or denies that it has any or further liability thereunder.

 

As used in Section 11(j), the terms “employee benefit plan” and “employee welfare benefit plan” shall have the respective meanings assigned to such terms in section 3 of ERISA.

 

 

30


12.    REMEDIES ON DEFAULT, ETC.

 

12.1.    Acceleration.

 

(a)    If an Event of Default with respect to the Company described in paragraph (g) or (h) of Section 11 (other than an Event of Default described in clause (i) of paragraph (g) or described in clause (vi) of paragraph (g) by virtue of the fact that such clause encompasses clause (i) of paragraph (g)) has occurred, all the Notes then outstanding shall automatically become immediately due and payable.

 

(b)    If any other Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, any holder or holders of at least 51% in principal amount of the Notes at the time outstanding may at any time at its or their option, by notice or notices to the Company, declare all the Notes then outstanding to be immediately due and payable.

 

(c)    If any Event of Default described in paragraph (a) or (b) of Section 11 has occurred and is continuing, any holder or holders of Notes at the time outstanding affected by such Event of Default may at any time, at its or their option, by notice or notices to the Company, declare all the Notes held by it o


 
SITE SEARCH

AGREEMENTS / CONTRACTS

Document Title:

Entire Document: (optional)

Governing Law:(optional)


Try our advanced search >>
 

CLAUSES

Search Contract Clauses >>

Browse Contract Clause Library>>

Get Email Updates
Email:
This is only a partial view of this document. We have millions of legal documents and clauses drafted by top law firms. learn more search for free browse for free learn more