Exhibit 2.2
EARNOUT AGREEMENT
This Earnout Agreement (“
Agreement ”) is made and entered into as of June 10,
2005 by and among MICRONETICS, INC., a Delaware corporation
(“ Micronetics ”); STEALTH MICROWAVE, INC., a
New Jersey corporation (“ Stealth ”); the
undersigned former stockholders of Stealth (collectively, the
“ Sellers ”); and Stephen N. Barthelmes Sr.,
Stephen N. Barthelmes Jr., and Brian E. Eggleston as the
representatives of the Sellers (the “ Sellers’
Committee ”).
Recitals
A. Micronetics and the Sellers have
entered into a Stock Purchase Agreement dated as of June 10, 2005
(the “ Stock Purchase Agreement ”) setting forth
certain terms and conditions pursuant to which Micronetics has
acquired all of the issued and outstanding shares of the capital
stock of Stealth (the “ Shares ”) from the
Sellers.
B. Pursuant to Section 1.2(b) of the
Stock Purchase Agreement, Micronetics and the Sellers agreed that
the Sellers shall be entitled to earn additional contingent
Purchase Price consideration in respect of the Shares which shall
be payable to the Sellers upon and subject to the terms and
conditions of this Agreement.
C. To induce the Sellers to sell the
Shares to Micronetics and to induce the Principal Stockholders to
agree to the provisions of Section 4 hereof, which the parties
hereto acknowledge confers substantial benefits to Stealth, Stealth
has agreed to be jointly and severally obligated hereunder for the
payment of the Performance Earnouts (hereinafter
defined).
D. Unless otherwise indicated
herein, all terms used herein without definition shall have the
same meanings as set forth in the Stock Purchase
Agreement.
NOW THEREFORE, for and in
consideration of the foregoing and the covenants and provisions
contained herein, and intending to be legally bound hereby,
Micronetics, Stealth, the Sellers and the Sellers’ Committee
(collectively, the “ Parties ”), agree as
follows:
1. Performance Earnouts
.
1.1 With respect to the period
commencing April 1, 2005 and ending March 31, 2006 (the “
First Earnout Period ”) and with respect to the period
commencing April 1, 2006 and ending March 31, 2007 (the “
Second Earnout Period ”), Micronetics and Stealth
shall be jointly and severally obligated to pay to the Sellers
deferred payments of up to $1,800,000 for the First Earnout Period
and up to $1,500,000 for the Second Earnout Period, together with
all interest payable thereon as hereinafter provided (respectively,
the “ Performance Earnouts ”), in cash, by wire
transfer of immediately available funds to the Sellers’
Committee in accordance with their wire transfer instructions,
subject to and in accordance with the provisions of this
Agreement.
1.2 All amounts of the Performance
Earnouts payable to the Sellers pursuant to the provisions hereof
shall be allocated among the Sellers, and upon receipt by the
Sellers’ Committee shall be distributed by the Sellers’
Committee to the Sellers, pro rata based upon the
number of Shares being sold to the Buyer by each Seller as set
forth on Exhibit 1.1 to the Stock Purchase
Agreement.
1.3 (a) The Performance Earnouts
will be comprised of two payments which shall be made to the
Sellers Committee, for the ratable benefit of the Sellers, (i)
within fifteen (15) days after the date on which the Earnout
Statement for the First Earnout Period shall be deemed to be final
in accordance with the provisions of Section 2.5 hereof, and (ii)
within fifteen (15) days after the date on which the Earnout
Statement for the Second Earnout Period shall be deemed final in
accordance with the provisions of Section 2(e) hereof; provided,
however, that the maximum amount of the Performance Earnouts
($3,300,000 plus applicable interest) shall be due and payable
within fifteen (15) days following the occurrence of any
Acceleration Event that precedes the last day of the First Earnout
Period, and the maximum amount of the Performance Earnout for the
Second Earnout Period ($1,500,000 plus applicable interest), shall
be due and payable within fifteen (15) days following the
occurrence of any Acceleration Event that precedes the last day of
the Second Earnout Period (without prejudice to the Sellers’
rights to receive the Performance Earnout due for the First Earnout
Period in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement). The
First Earnout Period and the Second Earnout Period are hereinafter
referred to individually as an “ Earnout Period
”.
(b) Subject to the provisions of
Section 1.3(a) hereof, the Performance Earnout for the First
Earnout Period shall only be payable to the Sellers if the Actual
Pre-Tax Income (hereinafter defined) for the First Earnout Period
equals or exceeds $1,365,000 (65% of the $2,100,000
“Target” for the First Earnout Period) and the
Performance Earnout for the Second Earnout Period shall only be
payable to the Sellers if the Actual Pre-Tax Income for the Second
Earnout Period equals or exceeds $1,527,500 (65% of the $2,350,000
“Target” for the Second Earnout Period). Subject to the
foregoing, the Sellers shall be entitled to receive Performance
Earnouts equal to the applicable Earnout Amount (as set forth in
the Earnout Table) for the First Earnout Period and the applicable
Earnout Amount (as set forth in the Earnout Table) for the Second
Earnout Period, respectively, that corresponds to the amount of
Actual Pre-Tax Income set forth in the Earnout Table attached
hereto as E XHIBIT A (the
“ Earnout Table ”) that is achieved for such
Earnout Period. For the purpose of determining the applicable
Earnout Amount, Actual Pre-Tax Income shall be rounded down to next
5% increment if Actual Pre-Tax Income either exceeds 100% of the
Target for such Earnout Period or is a lower Percentage of Target
that falls between any two of the Percentages of Target set forth
on the Earnout Table.
(c) If any Performance Earnout
amount or any portion thereof is not paid when due (whether when
originally scheduled to be due or upon acceleration in accordance
with the provisions of Section 3 hereof), interest thereon shall
accrue at the rate of fifteen percent (15%) per annum from the due
date to the date of payment. Payment of such interest shall be made
together with the payment of the corresponding Performance Earnout
amount (or any such portion thereof).
(d) “ Actual Pre-Tax
Income ” means the net income of Stealth before interest
and federal and state income taxes, excluding, however, the
following items:
(i) the gain or loss from any sale,
exchange or other disposition of assets other than in the ordinary
course of business consistent with past practice;
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(ii) any gain, loss or expense
incurred outside of the ordinary course of business;
(iii) any additional depreciation,
amortization or other expense resulting from the write-up of any
asset and any amortization of goodwill or other intangibles
relating to the acquisition of the Shares by Buyer;
(iv) any expenses directly or
indirectly incurred in connection with the financing of the
acquisition of the Shares or any refinancing of such indebtedness
or any other financing not existing prior to the
Closing;
(v) any loss or expense resulting
from a change in Stealth’s accounting methods, principles or
practices or a change in GAAP;
(vi) any intercompany charges
between the Stealth and the Buyer that have not been approved in
writing by the Sellers’ Committee;
(vii) all costs associated with
personnel required by Buyer to be employed by Stealth without the
prior written consent of the Sellers’ Committee;
(viii) any expenses directly or
indirectly incurred in connection with the acquisition of the
Shares by Buyer; and
(ix) any reserves or adjustments to
reserves that are not consistent with past practices of Stealth
prior to the Closing.
(e) The termination of the
employment of any employee or employees of Stealth shall not have
any adverse effect whatsoever with respect to the Sellers’
rights under this Agreement, regardless of the time of any such
termination(s) or the cause or reason (or absence of any cause or
reason) for such termination(s).
2. Earnout Statement
.
2.1 Unless an Acceleration Event (as
defined in Section 3 hereof) shall have occurred, as promptly as
practicable after the end of each Earnout Period, the
Sellers’ Committee will cause an income statement of Stealth
for such Earnout Period and a statement setting forth the
Sellers’ Committee’s calculation of the Actual Pre-Tax
Income of Stealth for such Earnout Period (collectively, as may be
revised by the Sellers’ Committee’s accountants, the
“ Preliminary Earnout Statement ”) to be
prepared, and will cause its accountants to review (and revise if
necessary) the Preliminary Earnout Statement and to prepare a
report based on such Preliminary Earnout Statement and the
provisions of this Agreement pertaining to the determination of
Actual Pre-Tax Income, as so reviewed (and revised in necessary),
setting forth its calculation of the Actual Pre-Tax Income of
Stealth for such Earnout Period. As promptly as practicable, but no
later than sixty (60) days after the end of such Earnout Period,
the Sellers’ Committee will cause the Preliminary Earnout
Statement together with the report of Stealth’s accountants
as to the Actual Pre-Tax Income for such Earnout Period to be
delivered to the Buyer. The income
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statement to be prepared as part of each
Preliminary Earnout Statement (each “ Preliminary Income
Statement ”) shall (x) fairly present in all material
respects the pre-tax income of Stealth for such Earnout Period in
accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (“
GAAP ”) applied on a basis consistent with those used
in the preparation of the income statement of Stealth for the
one-year period ended December 31, 2004 as prepared by
Micronetics’ auditors and previously delivered to the
Sellers’ Committee (the “ December 31, 2004 Income
Statement ”), (y) include line items substantially
consistent with those in the December 31, 2004 Income Statement,
and (z) be prepared in accordance with accounting practices
consistent with those used in the preparation of the December 31,
2004 Income Statement; provided, however, that the Preliminary
Income Statement shall exclude the effect of any application of
so-called “push down” and purchase accounting to the
transactions contemplated by the Stock Purchase Agreement. Whenever
used in this Agreement, the term accounting practices includes
accounting methods and policies. The cost of the preparation of
each Preliminary Earnout Statement shall be borne equally by the
Sellers.
2.2 The parties hereto agree that
they will cooperate and assist in the preparation of the
Preliminary Income Statement for each Earnout Period and the
calculation of Actual Pre-Tax Income for each Earnout Period and in
the conduct of the review referred to in this Section 2, including
without limitation the making available to the extent necessary of
books, records, work papers and personnel.
2.3 Buyer may dispute any amounts
relating to Actual Pre-Tax Income reflected on (including any
amounts omitted from) a Preliminary Earnout Statement;
provided , however , that Buyer shall have notified
the Sellers’ Committee in writing (the “ Dispute
Notice ”) of the disputed items not later than the later
to occur of (a) the expiration of 30 calendar days of the delivery
to Buyer of the Preliminary Earnout Statement, and (b) the
expiration of 100 days after March 31, 2006 or March 31, 2007, as
the case may be. Each Dispute Notice shall have set forth, in such
written notice, (i) the amount in dispute for each such item and
(ii) the basis, in reasonable detail, for each such dispute.
Whenever used in this Agreement, the term “accounting
practices” includes accounting methods and
policies.
2.4 Buyer’s accountants and
the Sellers’ Committee’s accountants shall attempt to
reconcile any items timely raised in the Dispute Notice. Any
written resolution by such accountants of any such disputed amounts
shall be final, binding and conclusive on the parties. If any such
written resolution by such accountants does not resolve all such
disputed items raised by Buyer in the Dispute Notice permitted to
be raised by Section 2.3 within 10 calendar days after receipt by
the Sellers’ Committee of Buyer’s Dispute Notice, the
items timely raised in the Dispute Notice by Buyer permitted to be
raised by Section 2.3 that remain in dispute (the “
Remaining Disputed Items ”) shall be submitted for
resolution to an Independent Accounting Firm. “
Independent Accounting Firm ” means an accounting firm
mutually appointed by the Sellers’ Committee and Buyer,
preferably one of national reputation. Prior to its engagement, the
Independent Accounting Firm shall agree to (i) resolve any
Remaining Disputed Items and no others; and (ii) state in its
written report referred to below that, in its good faith judgment,
it has resolved all Remaining Disputed Items in accordance with the
provisions of this Section 2. The written report of the Independent
Accounting Firm shall be final, binding and conclusive on Buyer and
Sellers. The Independent Accounting Firm shall have the privileges
and immunities of arbitrators and shall act in the capacity as
arbitrators in connection with the undertakings
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described above in this Section 2.4. The fees
and disbursements of the Independent Account Firm shall be
allocated between Buyer and the Sellers in the proportion that the
amounts submitted to the Independent Account Firm that are
unsuccessfully disputed (as finally determined by the Independent
Account Firm) by each such party bears to the total disputed items
so submitted.
2.5 Each of the respective
Preliminary Earnout Statements, subject to any modifications
thereto made pursuant to Section 2.4 in the event a Dispute Notice
is delivered to the Sellers’ Committee within that 30-day
period set forth in Section 2.4, is referred to herein
as