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NOTE PURCHASE AGREEMENT

Note Purchase Agreement

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ELKCORP

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Title: NOTE PURCHASE AGREEMENT
Governing Law: Illinois     Date: 9/10/2004
Industry: Constr. - Supplies and Fixtures     Sector: Capital Goods

NOTE PURCHASE AGREEMENT, Parties: elkcorp
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EXHIBIT 4.20

EXECUTION COPY



ELKCORP

$50,000,000
6.28% Senior Notes
due November 15, 2014


NOTE PURCHASE AGREEMENT


Dated as of June 15, 2004



PPN: 287456 A@ 6

 


 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

 

 

 

 

Section


 

 

Page


 

1. AUTHORIZATION OF NOTES

 

 

1

 

2. SALE AND PURCHASE OF NOTES

 

 

1

 

3. CLOSING

 

 

2

 

4. CONDITIONS TO CLOSING

 

 

2

 

4.1. Representations and Warranties

 

 

2

 

4.2. Performance; No Default

 

 

2

 

4.3. Compliance Certificates

 

 

3

 

4.4. Opinions of Counsel

 

 

3

 

4.5. Purchase Permitted By Applicable Law, etc.

 

 

3

 

4.6. Sale of Other Notes

 

 

3

 

4.7. Payment of Special Counsel Fees

 

 

4

 

4.8. Private Placement Number

 

 

4

 

4.9. Changes in Corporate Structure

 

 

4

 

4.10. Subsidiary Guaranty

 

 

4

 

4.11. Proceedings and Documents

 

 

4

 

5. REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE COMPANY

 

 

4

 

5.1. Organization; Power and Authority

 

 

4

 

5.2. Authorization, etc.

 

 

5

 

5.3. Disclosure

 

 

5

 

5.4. Organization and Ownership of Shares of Subsidiaries; Affiliates

 

 

6

 

5.5. Financial Statements

 

 

6

 

5.6. Compliance with Laws, Other Instruments, etc.

 

 

7

 

5.7. Governmental Authorizations, etc.

 

 

7

 

5.8. Litigation; Observance of Agreements, Statutes and Orders

 

 

7

 

5.9. Taxes

 

 

8

 

5.10. Title to Property; Leases

 

 

8

 

5.11. Licenses, Permits, etc.

 

 

8

 

5.12. Compliance with ERISA

 

 

9

 

5.13. Private Offering by the Company

 

 

10

 

5.14. Use of Proceeds; Margin Regulations

 

 

10

 

5.15. Existing Debt; Future Liens

 

 

10

 

5.16. Foreign Assets Control Regulations, Anti-Terrorism Order, etc.

 

 

11

 

5.17. Status under Certain Statutes

 

 

11

 

5.18. Environmental Matters

 

 

11

 

5.19. Solvency of Subsidiary Guarantors

 

 

12

 

6. REPRESENTATIONS OF THE PURCHASERS

 

 

12

 

6.1. Purchase for Investment

 

 

12

 

i


 

 

 

 

 

 

Section


 

 

Page


 

6.2. Source of Funds

 

 

12

 

7. INFORMATION AS TO COMPANY

 

 

14

 

7.1. Financial and Business Information

 

 

14

 

7.2. Officer’s Certificate

 

 

16

 

7.3. Inspection

 

 

17

 

8. PREPAYMENT OF THE NOTES

 

 

18

 

8.1. No Scheduled Prepayments

 

 

18

 

8.2. Optional Prepayments with Make-Whole Amount

 

 

18

 

8.3. Allocation of Partial Prepayments

 

 

18

 

8.4. Maturity; Surrender, etc.

 

 

18

 

8.5. Purchase of Notes

 

 

19

 

8.6. Make-Whole Amount

 

 

19

 

9. AFFIRMATIVE COVENANTS

 

 

20

 

9.1. Compliance with Law

 

 

20

 

9.2. Insurance

 

 

20

 

9.3. Maintenance of Properties

 

 

21

 

9.4. Payment of Taxes and Claims

 

 

21

 

9.5. Corporate Existence, etc.

 

 

21

 

10. NEGATIVE COVENANTS

 

 

21

 

10.1. Consolidated Net Debt

 

 

22

 

10.2. Interest Coverage

 

 

22

 

10.3. Adjusted Consolidated Net Worth

 

 

22

 

10.4. Debt of Restricted Subsidiaries

 

 

22

 

10.5. Liens

 

 

23

 

10.6. Sale of Assets

 

 

24

 

10.7. Mergers, Consolidations, etc.

 

 

25

 

10.8. Disposition of Stock of Restricted Subsidiaries

 

 

26

 

10.9. Designation of Restricted and Unrestricted Subsidiaries

 

 

27

 

10.10. Subsidiary Guaranty

 

 

27

 

10.11. Nature of Business

 

 

27

 

10.12. Transactions with Affiliates

 

 

28

 

11. EVENTS OF DEFAULT

 

 

28

 

12. REMEDIES ON DEFAULT, ETC.

 

 

30

 

12.1. Acceleration

 

 

30

 

12.2. Other Remedies

 

 

31

 

12.3. Rescission

 

 

31

 

12.4. No Waivers or Election of Remedies, Expenses, etc.

 

 

31

 

13. REGISTRATION; EXCHANGE; SUBSTITUTION OF NOTES

 

 

32

 

13.1. Registration of Notes

 

 

32

 

13.2. Transfer and Exchange of Notes

 

 

32

 

ii


 

 

 

 

 

 

Section


 

 

Page


 

13.3. Replacement of Notes

 

 

32

 

14. PAYMENTS ON NOTES

 

 

33

 

14.1. Place of Payment

 

 

33

 

14.2. Home Office Payment

 

 

33

 

15. EXPENSES, ETC.

 

 

33

 

15.1. Transaction Expenses

 

 

33

 

15.2. Survival

 

 

34

 

16. SURVIVAL OF REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES; ENTIRE AGREEMENT

 

 

34

 

17. AMENDMENT AND WAIVER

 

 

34

 

17.1. Requirements

 

 

34

 

17.2. Solicitation of Holders of Notes

 

 

35

 

17.3. Binding Effect, etc.

 

 

35

 

17.4. Notes held by Company, etc.

 

 

35

 

18. NOTICES

 

 

36

 

19. REPRODUCTION OF DOCUMENTS

 

 

36

 

20. CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

 

 

36

 

21. SUBSTITUTION OF PURCHASER

 

 

37

 

22. RELEASE OF SUBSIDIARY GUARANTOR

 

 

38

 

23. MISCELLANEOUS

 

 

38

 

23.1. Successors and Assigns

 

 

38

 

23.2. Payments Due on Non-Business Days

 

 

38

 

23.3. Severability

 

 

38

 

23.4. Construction

 

 

38

 

23.5. Counterparts

 

 

39

 

23.6. Governing Law

 

 

39

 

iii


 

 

 

 

 

 

SCHEDULE A

 

 

Information Relating to Purchasers

SCHEDULE B

 

 

Defined Terms

SCHEDULE B-1

 

 

Existing Priority Debt

SCHEDULE B-2

 

 

Existing Investments

 

 

 

 

 

SCHEDULE 4.9

 

 

Changes in Corporate Structure

SCHEDULE 5.3

 

 

Disclosure Materials

SCHEDULE 5.4

 

 

Subsidiaries; Affiliates

SCHEDULE 5.5

 

 

Financial Statements

SCHEDULE 5.8

 

 

Litigation

SCHEDULE 5.11

 

 

Licenses, Permits, etc.

SCHEDULE 5.15

 

 

Existing Debt

SCHEDULE 5.18

 

 

Environmental Matters

SCHEDULE 10.5

 

 

Liens

 

 

 

 

 

EXHIBIT 1(a)

 

 

Form of Senior Note

EXHIBIT 1(b)

 

 

Form of Subsidiary Guaranty

EXHIBIT 4.4(a)

 

 

Form of Opinion of Counsel for the Company

EXHIBIT 4.4(b)

 

 

Form of Opinion of Special Counsel for the Purchasers

iv


 

ELKCORP
14911 Quorum Drive, Suite 600
Dallas, Texas 75254-1491
(972) 851-0500
Fax: (972) 851-0550

$50,000,000 6.28% Senior Notes due November 15, 2014

Dated as of June 15, 2004

TO EACH OF THE PURCHASERS LISTED IN
THE ATTACHED SCHEDULE A:

Ladies and Gentlemen:

     ELKCORP, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), agrees with you as follows:

1. AUTHORIZATION OF NOTES.

     The Company has authorized the issue and sale of $50,000,000 aggregate principal amount of its 6.28% Senior Notes due November 15, 2014 (the “Notes”, such term to include any such Notes issued in substitution therefor pursuant to Section 13 of this Agreement). The Notes shall be substantially in the form set out in Exhibit 1(a) 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. Subject to Section 22, the Notes will be guaranteed by each Restricted Subsidiary that as of the Closing is or in the future becomes a signatory to the Bank Guaranty or a borrower under the Credit Agreement (individually, a “Subsidiary Guarantor” and collectively, the “Subsidiary Guarantors”) pursuant to a guaranty in substantially the form of Exhibit 1(b) (the “Subsidiary Guaranty”). The Notes shall be unsecured and shall rank pari passu with the Company’s Debt to Banks under the Credit Agreement and with all other senior unsecured Debt of the Company.

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 the Other Purchasers will purchase from the Company, at the Closing provided for

 


 

in Section 3, Notes in the principal amount specified opposite your 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 liability to any Person for the performance or non-performance by any Other Purchaser hereunder.

3. CLOSING.

     The sale and purchase of the Notes to be purchased by you and the Other Purchasers shall occur at the offices of Gardner Carton & Douglas LLP, Suite 3700, 191 North Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60606 at 9:00 a.m., Chicago time, at a closing (the “Closing”) on November 15, 2004 or on such other Business Day thereafter on or prior to November 30, 2004 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 the 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 1252603284 at Bank of America, 910 Main Street, Dallas, Texas 75202, ABA #111000012. If at the Closing the Company fails 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, except for changes between the date hereof and the date of Closing that (i) are contemplated herein or occur in the ordinary course of business, or (ii) would have been permitted by Sections 9 and 10 hereof had such Sections applied since such date and, in any or all of such instances (y) are disclosed in the Officer’s Certificate delivered pursuant to Section 4.3 and (z) have not, individually or in the aggregate, resulted in and could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

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

2


 

occurred and be continuing. Neither the Company nor any Restricted Subsidiary shall have entered into any transaction since the date of the Memorandum that would have been prohibited by Sections 10.1 through 10.12 hereof had such Sections applied since such date.

4.3. Compliance Certificates.

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

     (b) Secretary’s Certificate. Each of the Company and each Subsidiary Guarantor shall have delivered to you a certificate certifying as to the resolutions attached thereto and other corporate proceedings relating to the authorization, execution and delivery of the Notes and the Agreement or the Subsidiary Guaranty, as the case may be.

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 Baker & McKenzie, counsel to the Company, covering the matters set forth in Exhibit 4.4(a) and covering such other matters incident to the transactions contemplated hereby as you or your counsel may reasonably request (and the Company instructs its counsel to deliver such opinion to you) and (b) from Gardner Carton & Douglas LLP, your special counsel in connection with such transactions, substantially in the form set forth in Exhibit 4.4(b) 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 at the Closing as specified in Schedule A.

3


 

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.

4.8. Private Placement Number.

     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 Gardner Carton & Douglas LLP for the Notes.

4.9. Changes in Corporate Structure.

     Except as specified in Schedule 4.9, the Company shall not have changed its jurisdiction of incorporation or been a party to any merger or consolidation and shall not have 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. Subsidiary Guaranty.

     Each Subsidiary Guarantor shall have executed and delivered the Subsidiary Guaranty in favor of you and the Other Purchasers.

4.11. 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:

5.1. Organization; Power and Authority.

     The Company is a corporation duly organized, 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

4


 

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 at the time of Closing will have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate or partnership action on the part of each Subsidiary Guarantor and upon execution and delivery thereof will constitute the legal, valid and binding obligation of each Subsidiary Guarantor, enforceable against each Subsidiary Guarantor 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).

5.3. Disclosure.

     The Company, through its agent, Banc of America Securities LLC, has delivered to you and each Other Purchaser a copy of a Private Placement Memorandum dated May 2004 relating to the transactions contemplated hereby and the Company has delivered to you the SEC Reports (together with the aforementioned Private Placement Memorandum, the “Memorandum”). The Memorandum fairly describes, in all material respects, the general nature of the business and principal properties of the Company and its Subsidiaries. Except as disclosed in Schedule 5.3, this Agreement, the Memorandum, the documents, certificates or other writings delivered to you by or on behalf of the Company in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby and the financial statements listed in Schedule 5.5, 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 Memorandum or as expressly described in Schedule 5.3, or in one of the documents, certificates or other writings identified therein, or in the financial statements listed in Schedule 5.5, since June 30, 2003, there has been no change in the financial condition, operations, business or properties 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 Memorandum or in the other documents, certificates and other writings delivered to you by or on behalf of the Company specifically for use in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby.

5


 

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

     (a) Schedule 5.4 contains (except as noted therein) complete and correct lists of: (i) the Company’s Subsidiaries, showing, as to each Subsidiary, the correct name thereof, the jurisdiction of its organization, and the percentage of shares of each class of its capital stock or similar equity interests outstanding owned by the Company and each other Subsidiary, (ii) the Company’s Affiliates, other than Subsidiaries, and (iii) the Company’s directors and senior officers. Except as noted therein, each Subsidiary listed in Schedule 5.4 is designated a Restricted Subsidiary by the Company.

     (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 restriction or any agreement (other than this Agreement, the agreements listed on Schedule 5.4 and customary limitations imposed by corporate or limited partnership law 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.

     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).

6


 

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, including the USA Patriot Act, 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, including the USA Patriot Act, 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 Agreements, Statutes and Orders.

     (a) Except as disclosed in Schedule 5.8, there are no actions, suits 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

7


 

     violation, individually or in the aggregate, could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

5.9. Taxes.

     The Company and its Subsidiaries have filed 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 determined by the Internal Revenue Service and paid for all fiscal years up to and including the fiscal year ended June 30, 1995.

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 or in transactions contemplated by the Memorandum that would be permitted by Section 10 if such Section applied at the time of any such sale or other disposition), 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.

     Except as disclosed in Schedule 5.11,

     (a) the Company and its Subsidiaries own or possess all licenses, permits, franchises, authorizations, patents, copyrights, 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 infringes in any material respect any license, permit, franchise, authorization, patent, copyright, service mark, trademark, trade name or other right owned by any other Person; and

8


 

     (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, service mark, trademark, trade name or other right owned or used by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries.

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, 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. 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.

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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 four 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.

5.14. Use of Proceeds; Margin Regulations.

     The Company will apply the proceeds of the sale of the Notes for general corporate purposes and to fund growth opportunities. 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), 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 1% 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 1% 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 Debt; Future Liens.

     (a) Except as described therein, Schedule 5.15 sets forth a complete and correct list of all outstanding Debt of the Company and its Subsidiaries as of March 31, 2004, since which date there has been no Material change in the amounts, interest rates, sinking funds, installment payments or maturities of the Debt 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 Debt of the Company or such Subsidiary and no event or condition exists with respect to any Debt 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 Debt 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 10.5.

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5.16. Foreign Assets Control Regulations, Anti-Terrorism Order, etc.

     Neither the sale of the Notes by the Company hereunder nor its use of the proceeds thereof will violate (a) the Trading with the Enemy Act, as amended, (b) 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 or (c) to the knowledge of the Company, the Anti-Terrorism Order. Without limiting the foregoing, neither the Company nor any Subsidiary (i) is a blocked person described in Section 1 of the Anti-Terrorism Order or (ii) engages in any dealings or transactions, or is otherwise associated, with any such person.

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 Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935, as amended, the Interstate Commerce Act, as amended by the ICC Termination Act, as amended, or the Federal Power Act, as amended.

5.18. Environmental Matters.

     Except as disclosed in Schedule 5.18, 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. Except as disclosed in Schedule 5.18,

     (a) neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has knowledge of any facts which 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;

     (b) neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries 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; and

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

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5.19. Solvency of Subsidiary Guarantors.

     After giving effect to the transactions contemplated herein and after giving due consideration to any rights of contribution (i) each Subsidiary Guarantor has received fair consideration and reasonably equivalent value for the incurrence of its obligations under the Subsidiary Guaranty, (ii) the fair value of the assets of each Subsidiary Guarantor (both at fair valuation and at present fair saleable value) exceeds its liabilities, (iii) each Subsidiary Guarantor is able to and expects to be able to pay its debts as they mature, and (iv) each Subsidiary Guarantor has capital sufficient to carry on its business as conducted and as proposed to be conducted.

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” within the meaning of subparagraph (a)(1), (2), (3) or (7) of Rule 501 of Regulation D under the Securities Act and you agree that any resale of Notes by you will comply with the preceding sentence.

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 such Purchaser’s state of domicile; or

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     (b) the Source is a separate account that is maintained solely in connection with such Purchaser’s 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, prior to the execution of this Agreement, 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

     (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 Section IV of the INHAM exemption), the conditions of Section 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(d) 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, prior to the execution of this Agreement, pursuant to this paragraph (g); or

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     (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.

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 50 days (or such other shorter period within which Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q are required to be timely filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including any extension permitted by Rule 12b-25 of the Exchange Act) 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) 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, 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 Securities and Exchange Commission shall be deemed to satisfy the requirements of this Section 7.1(a);

     (b) Annual Statements — within 105 days (or such other shorter period within which Annual Reports on Form 10-K are required to be timely filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including any extension permitted by Rule 12b-25 of the Exchange Act) after the end of each fiscal year of the Company, duplicate copies of,

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

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          (ii) consolidated statements of income, changes in shareholders’ 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 of independent certified 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 shareholders, if any, prepared pursuant to Rule 14a-3 under the Exchange Act) prepared in accordance with the requirements therefor and filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission shall be deemed to satisfy the requirements of this Section 7.1(b);

     (c) Unrestricted Subsidiaries — if, at the time of delivery of any financial statements pursuant to Section 7.1(a) or (b), Unrestricted Subsidiaries account for more than 10% of (i) the consolidated total assets of the Company and its Subsidiaries reflected in the balance sheet included in such financial statements or (ii) the consolidated revenues of the Company and its Subsidiaries reflected in the consolidated statement of income included in such financial statements, an unaudited balance sheet for all Unrestricted Subsidiaries taken as whole as at the end of the fiscal period included in such financial statements and the related unaudited statements of income, stockholders’ equity and cash flows for such Unrestricted Subsidiaries for such period, together with consolidating statements reflecting all eliminations or adjustments necessary to reconcile such group financial statements to the consolidated financial statements of the Company and its Subsidiaries shall be delivered together with the financial statements required pursuant to Sections 7.1(a) and (b);

     (d) 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 Restricted Subsidiary to public securities holders generally, and (ii) each regular or periodic report, each registration statement other than registration statements on Form S-8 (without exhibits except as expressly requested by such holder), and each prospectus and all amendments thereto filed by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary with the Securities and Exchange Commission and of all press releases and other statements made available generally by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary to the public concerning developments that are Material;

     (e) Notice of Default or Event of Default — promptly, and in any event within five 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 notice or taken any action with respect to a claimed default of the type referred to in Section 11(f), a written notice

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specifying the nature and period of existence thereof and what action the Company is taking or proposes to take with respect thereto;

     (f) 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; 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;

     (g) 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

     (h) 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.

7.2. Officer’s Certificate.

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

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     (a) Covenant Compliance — the information (including detailed calculations) required in order to establish whether the Company was in compliance with the requirements of Section 10.1 through Section 10.12, inclusive, 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 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.

7.3. Inspection.

     The Company will 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) its independent public accountants, 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 Restricted Subsidiary, all at such reasonable times and as often 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 times and as often as may be requested.

Each holder agrees to treat any information obtained in connection with any inspection pursuant to this Section 7 as Confidential Information subject to Section 20 so as to avoid any disclosure obligation on the Company under Regulation FD under the Exchange Act.

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8. PREPAYMENT OF THE NOTES.

8.1. No Scheduled Prepayments.

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

8.2. Optional Prepayments with Make-Whole Amount.

     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 Make-Whole Amount determined for the prepayment date with respect to such principal amount. The Company will give each holder of Notes 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, the aggregate principal amount of the 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 8.3), and the interest to be paid on the prepayment date with respect to such principal amount being prepaid, and shall be accompanied by a certificate of a Senior Financial Officer as to the estimated Make-Whole Amount due in connection with such prepayment (calculated as if the date of such notice were the date of the prepayment), setting forth the details of such computation. Two Business Days prior to such prepayment, the Company shall deliver to each holder of Notes a certificate of a Senior Financial Officer specifying the calculation of such Make-Whole Amount as of the specified prepayment date.

8.3. Allocation of Partial Prepayments.

     In the case of each partial prepayment of the Notes pursuant to this Section 8, 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.

8.4. 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, together with interest on such principal amount accrued to such date and the applicable Make-Whole 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 Make-Whole 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.

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8.5. 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, prepayment or purchase of Notes pursuant to any provision of this Agreement and no Notes may be issued in substitution or exchange for any such Notes.

8.6. Make-Whole Amount.

     The term “Make-Whole Amount” means, with respect to any Note, an amount equal to the excess, if any, of the Discounted Value of the Remaining Scheduled Payments with respect to the Called Principal of such Note over the amount of such Called Principal, provided that the Make-Whole Amount may in no event be less than zero. For the purposes of determining the Make-Whole Amount, the following terms have the following meanings:

      “Called Principal” means, with respect to any Note, the principal of such Note that is to be prepaid pursuant to Section 8.2 or has become or is declared to be immediately due and payable pursuant to Section 12.1, as the context requires.

      “Discounted Value” means, with respect to the Called Principal of any Note, the amount obtained by discounting all Remaining Scheduled Payments with respect to such Called Principal from their respective scheduled due dates to the Settlement Date with respect to such Called Principal, in accordance with accepted financial practice and at a discount factor (applied on the same periodic basis as that on which interest on the Notes is payable) equal to the Reinvestment Yield with respect to such Called Principal.

      “Reinvestment Yield” means, with respect to the Called Principal of any Note, .50% over the yield to maturity implied by (i) the yields reported, as of 10:00 A.M. (New York City time) on the second Business Day preceding the Settlement Date with respect to such Called Principal, on the display designated as the “PX1 Screen” on the Bloomberg Financial Market Service (or such other display as may replace the PX1 Screen on Bloomberg Financial Market Service) for actively traded U.S. Treasury securities having a maturity equal to the Remaining Average Life of such Called Principal as of such Settlement Date, or (ii) if such yields are not reported as of such time or the yields reported as of such time are not ascertainable, the Treasury Constant Maturity Series Yields reported, for the latest day for which such yields have been so reported as of the second Business Day preceding the Settlement Date with respect to such Called Principal, in Federal Reserve Statistical Release H.15 (519) (or any comparable successor publication) for actively traded U.S. Treasury securities having a constant maturity equal to the Remaining Average Life of such Called Principal as of such Settlement Date. Such implied yield will be determined, if necessary, by (a) converting U.S. Treasury bill quotations to bond-equivalent yields in accordance with accepted financial practice and (b) interpolating linearly between (1) the actively traded U.S. Treasury security with the maturity closest to and greater than the Remaining

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Average Life and (2) the actively traded U.S. Treasury security with the maturity closest to and less than the Remaining Average Life.

      “Remaining Average Life” means, with respect to any Called Principal, the number of years (calculated to the nearest one-twelfth year) obtained by dividing (i) such Called Principal into (ii) the sum of the products obtained by multiplying (a) the principal component of each Remaining Scheduled Payment with respect to such Called Principal by (b) the number of years (calculated to the nearest one-twelfth year) that will elapse between the Settlement Date with respect to such Called Principal and the scheduled due date of such Remaining Scheduled Payment.

      “Remaining Scheduled Payments” means, with respect to the Called Principal of any Note, all payments of such Called Principal and interest thereon that would be due after the Settlement Date with respect to such Called Principal if no payment of such Called Principal were made prior to its scheduled due date, provided that if such Settlement Date is not a date on which interest payments are due to be made under the terms of the Notes, then the amount of the next succeeding scheduled interest payment will be reduced by the amount of interest accrued to such Settlement Date and required to be paid on such Settlement Date pursuant to Section 8.2 or 12.1.

      “Settlement Date” means, with respect to the Called Principal of any Note, the date on which such Called Principal is to be prepaid pursuant to Section 8.2 or has become or is declared to be immediately due and payable pursuant to Section 12.1, as the context requires.

9. AFFIRMATIVE COVENANTS.

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

9.1. Compliance with Law.

     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, without limitation, 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 Restricted 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

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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 Restricted 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 Restricted 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 income tax or similar 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 a 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 and assessments in the aggregate could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

9.5. Corporate Existence, etc.

     The Company will at all times preserve and keep in full force and effect its corporate existence. Subject to Sections 10.6, 10.7 and 10.8, the Company will at all times preserve and keep in full force and effect the corporate existence of each of its Restricted Subsidiaries (unless merged into the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary) and all rights and franchises of the Company and its Restricted 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.

10. NEGATIVE COVENANTS.

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

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10.1. Consolidated Net Debt.

     The Company will not incur, and will not permit any Restricted Subsidiary to incur, any Debt if, after giving effect thereto and to the application of the proceeds therefrom, Consolidated Net Debt would exceed 55% of Consolidated Total Capitalization.

10.2. Interest Coverage.

     The Company will not permit the ratio of Consolidated EBITDA to Consolidated Interest Expense (in each case for the Company’s then most recently completed four fiscal quarters) to be less than 2.0 to 1.0 at any time.

10.3. Adjusted Consolidated Net Worth.

     The Company will not permit at any time its Adjusted Consolidated Net Worth as of the end of any fiscal year to be less than $130,000,000 plus the cumulative sum of 50% of Consolidated Net Income (but only if a positive number) for each fiscal year ending after June 30, 2001.

10.4. Debt of Restricted Subsidiaries.

     The Company will not permit any Restricted Subsidiary that is not a Subsidiary Guarantor to create, assume, incur or otherwise become liable for, directly or indirectly, any Debt, other than:

     (a) Debt owed to the Company or another Restricted Subsidiary;

     (b) Debt of a Restricted Subsidiary secured by Liens permitted under Sections 10.5(g) or (h);

     (c) Debt of a Subsidiary outstanding at the time of its acquisition by the Company and initial designation as a Restricted Subsidiary, provided that (i) such Debt was not incurred in contemplation of such Subsidiary becoming a Restricted Subsidiary and (ii) immediately after giving effect to the designation of such Subsidiary as a Restricted Subsidiary, no Default or Event of Default would exist; provided, however, that such Debt may not be extended, renewed or refunded unless such Debt could be incurred under clause (d) below; and

     (d) Additional Debt, provided that after giving effect to the incurrence thereof and the application of the proceeds thereof, Priority Debt does not exceed 15% of Adjusted Consolidated Net Worth, and any renewals or extension of such Debt, provided that (i) there is no increase in the principal amount or decrease in maturity of such Debt at the time of such extension or renewal and (ii) immediately after such extension or renewal no Default or Event of Default would exist.

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10.5. Liens.

     The Company will not, and will not permit any Restricted 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 not then due and delinquent or the nonpayment of which is permitted by Section 9.4;

     (b) Liens incidental to the conduct of business or the ownership of properties and assets (including landlords’, lessors’, carriers’, 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;

     (c) 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;

     (d) Liens securing Debt of a Restricted Subsidiary owed to the Company or to another Restricted Subsidiary;

     (e) Liens securing Debt existing on property or assets of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary as of the date of this Agreement that are described in Schedule 10.5;

     (f) 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 impair the use of the property or assets subject thereto by the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary in their business or which relate only to assets that in the aggregate are not Material;

     (g) Liens (i) existing on property at the time of its acquisition by the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary and not created in contemplation thereof, whether or not the Debt secured by such Lien is assumed by the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary; or (ii) on property created contemporaneously with its acquisition or within 180 days of the acquisition or completion of construction or improvements thereof to secure or provide for all or a portion of the purchase price or cost of construction or improvements of such property after the date of Closing; or (iii) existing on property of a Person at the time such Person is merged or consolidated with, or becomes a Restricted Subsidiary of, or substantially all of its assets are acquired by, the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary and not created in contemplation thereof; provided that in the case of clauses (i), (ii) and (iii)

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such Liens do not extend to additional property of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary (other than property that is an improvement to or is acquired for specific use in connection with the subject property) and, in the case of clause (ii) only, that the aggregate principal amount of Debt secured by each such Lien does not exceed the lesser of cost of acquisition or construction or the fair market value (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 of the Company) of the property subject thereto;

     (h) Liens resulting from extensions, renewals or replacements of Liens permitted by paragraphs (e) and (g), provided that (i) there is no increase in the principal amount or decrease in maturity of the Debt 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; and

     (i) Liens securing Debt not otherwise permitted by paragraphs (a) through (h) above, provided that, after giving effect to the incurrence of the Debt so secured, Priority Debt does not exceed 15% of Adjusted Consolidated Net Worth, and any renewals or extensions of Liens securing such Debt, provided that (i) there is no increase in the principal amount or decrease in maturity of the Debt secured thereby at the time of such renewal or extension, (ii) any new Lien attaches only to the same property theretofore subject to such earlier Lien and (iii) immediately after such renewal or extension no Default or Event of Default would exist.

10.6. Sale of Assets.

     Except as permitted by Section 10.7, the Company will not, and will not permit any Restricted Subsidiary to, sell, lease, transfer or otherwise dispose of, including by way of merger (collectively a “Disposition”), any assets, including capital stock of Restricted Subsidiaries, in one or a series of transactions, to any Person, other than:

     (a) Dispositions in the ordinary course of business;

     (b) Dispositions by the Company to a Restricted Subsidiary, by a Subsidiary Guarantor to the Company or to another Subsidiary Guarantor or by a Restricted Subsidiary that is not a Subsidiary Guarantor to the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary; or

     (c) Dispositions not otherwise permitted by Section 10.6(a) or (b), provided that:

          (i) each such Disposition is made in an arms length transaction for a consideration at least equal to the fair market value of the property subject thereto;

          (ii) the aggregate net book value of all assets disposed of in any period of 365 consecutive days pursuant to this Section 10.6(c) does not exceed 10% of

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Consolidated Total Assets as of the end of the immediately preceding fiscal quarter; and

     (iii) at the time of such Disposition and after giving effect thereto no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company may, or may permit any Restricted 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 Section 10.6(c)(ii) of the preceding sentence to the extent that (i) each such Disposition is for a consideration at least equal to the fair market value of the property subject thereto, and

     (A) such assets are leased back by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary, as lessee, within 365 days of the original acquisition or construction thereof by the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary; or

     (B) the net after tax proceeds from such disposition are within 365 days of such Disposition:

     (i) reinvested in productive assets used or useful in carrying on the business of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries; or

     (ii) applied to the payment or prepayment of any outstanding Debt of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary that is pari passu with or senior to the Notes, including the Notes.

If any prepayment of the Notes is to be made pursuant to foregoing clause (ii), the Company may offer to prepay (on a date not less than 30 or more than 60 days following such offer) at a price of 100% of the principal amount of the Notes to be prepaid (without any Make-Whole Amount), together with interest accrued to the date of prepayment; provided that if any holder of the Notes declines 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 at least 10 days prior to the proposed prepayment date shall be deemed to constitute a rejection of such offer by such holder. If at the time of making such offer to prepay and following such prepayment there is no Debt of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary outstanding other than the Notes, any net proceeds remaining unapplied shall not be subject to or included in the limitation and computation contained in Section 10.6(c)(ii).

10.7. Mergers, Consolidations, etc.

          The Company will not, and will not permit any Restricted Subsidiary to, 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 except that:

     (a) the Company may consolidate 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, provided that:

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     (i) 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 organized and existing under the laws of the United States or any state thereof (including the District of Columbia), and


 
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