REGISTRATION RIGHTS
AGREEMENT
Graphic Packaging International,
Inc.
Graphic Packaging Corporation
Graphic Packaging Holding Company
Bluegrass Container Canada Holdings, LLC
Bluegrass Flexible Packaging Company, LLC
Bluegrass Label Company, LLC
Bluegrass Multiwall Bag Company, LLC
Field Container Queretaro (USA), L.L.C.
Handschy Holdings, LLC
Handschy Industries, LLC
Riverdale Industries, LLC
Banc of America Securities
LLC
J.P. Morgan Securities Inc.
Goldman, Sachs & Co.
Dated as of June 16,
2009
REGISTRATION RIGHTS
AGREEMENT
This Registration
Rights Agreement (this “ Agreement ”) is made
and entered into as of June 16, 2009, by and among Graphic
Packaging International, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “
Company ”), Graphic Packaging Corporation, Graphic
Packaging Holding Company Bluegrass Container Canada Holdings, LLC,
Bluegrass Flexible Packaging Company, LLC, Bluegrass Labels
Company, LLC, Bluegrass Multiwall Bag Company, LLC, Field Container
Queretaro (USA), LLC,Handschy Holdings, LLC, Handschy Industries,
LLC, Riverdale Industries, LLC (collectively, the “
Guarantors ”), and Banc of America Securities LLC, as
a representative of the several initial purchasers listed on
Schedule A to the Purchase Agreement (the “ Initial
Purchasers ”), each of whom has agreed to purchase the
Company’s 9.50% Senior Notes due 2017 (the “
Notes ”) fully and unconditionally guaranteed by the
Guarantor (the “ Guarantees ”) pursuant to the
Purchase Agreement (as defined below). The Notes and the Guarantees
are herein collectively referred to as the “
Securities .”
This Agreement is
made pursuant to the Purchase Agreement, dated June 2, 2009
(the “ Purchase Agreement ”), among the Company,
the Guarantors and the Initial Purchasers (i) for the benefit
of the Initial Purchasers and (ii) for the benefit of the
holders from time to time of Transfer Restricted Securities,
including the Initial Purchasers. In order to induce the Initial
Purchasers to purchase the Securities, the Company has agreed to
provide the registration rights set forth in this Agreement. The
execution and delivery of this Agreement is a condition to the
obligations of the Initial Purchasers set forth in Section 5(h) of
the Purchase Agreement.
The parties hereby
agree as follows:
SECTION
1. Definitions . As used in this Agreement, the following
capitalized terms shall have the following meanings:
Additional
Interest: As defined in Section 5 hereof.
Advice: As
defined in Section 6(c) hereof.
Agreement
: As defined in the preamble hereto.
Broker-Dealer: Any broker or dealer registered under the
Exchange Act.
Business
Day: Any day other than a Saturday, Sunday or U.S. federal
holiday or a day on which banking institutions or trust companies
located in New York, New York are authorized or obligated to be
closed.
Closing
Date: The date of this Agreement.
Commission: The Securities and Exchange
Commission.
Company :
As defined in the preamble hereto.
Consummate: A registered Exchange Offer shall be deemed
“Consummated” for purposes of this Agreement upon the
occurrence of (i) the filing and effectiveness under the
Securities Act of the Exchange Offer Registration Statement,
(ii) the maintenance of such Registration Statement
continuously effective and the keeping of the Exchange Offer open
for a period not less than the minimum period required pursuant to
Section 3(b) hereof, and (iii) the delivery by the Company to
the Note Registrar (as defined in the Indenture) under the
Indenture of Exchange Securities in the same aggregate principal
amount as the aggregate principal amount of Transfer Restricted
Securities that were tendered by Holders thereof pursuant to the
Exchange Offer.
Exchange
Act: The Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended.
Exchange
Date: As defined in Section 3(a) hereof.
Exchange
Offer: The registration by the Company under the Securities Act
of the Exchange Securities pursuant to the Exchange Offer
Registration Statement pursuant to which the Company offers the
Holders of all outstanding Transfer Restricted Securities the
opportunity to exchange all such outstanding Transfer Restricted
Securities held by such Holders for Exchange Securities in an
aggregate principal amount equal to the aggregate principal amount
of the Transfer Restricted Securities tendered in such exchange
offer by such Holders.
Exchange Offer
Registration Statement: The Registration Statement relating to
the Exchange Offer, including the related Prospectus.
Exchange
Securities: The 9.50% Senior Notes due 2017, of the same series
under the Indenture as the Transfer Restricted Securities, to be
issued to Holders in exchange for Transfer Restricted Securities
pursuant to this Agreement.
FINRA:
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc.
Freely
Tradable: Means, with respect to a Security, a Security that at
any time of determination (i) may be sold to the public in
accordance with Rule 144 under the Securities Act
(“Rule 144”) by a person that is not an
“affiliate” (as defined in Rule 144 under the
Securities Act) of the Company where no conditions of Rule 144
are then applicable (other than the holding period requirement in
paragraph (d) of Rule 144 so long as such holding period
requirement is satisfied at such time of determination),
(ii) does not bear any restrictive legends relating to the
Securities Act and (iii) bears an unrestricted CUSIP
number.
Guarantors
: As defined in the preamble hereto.
Holders:
As defined in Section 2(b) hereof.
Indemnified
Holder: As defined in Section 8(a) hereof.
Indenture:
The Indenture, dated as of June 16, 2009, by and among the
Company, the Guarantors and U.S. Bank National Association, as
trustee (the “Trustee”), pursuant to which the
Securities are to be issued, as such Indenture is amended or
supplemented from time to time in accordance with the terms
thereof.
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Initial
Purchasers: As defined in the preamble hereto.
Initial
Placement: The issuance and sale by the Company of the
Securities to the Initial Purchasers pursuant to the Purchase
Agreement.
Interest
Payment Date: As defined in the Indenture and the
Securities.
Initial
Securities : The Securities issued and sold by the Company to
the Initial Purchasers pursuant to the Purchase Agreement on the
Closing Date.
Notes : As
defined in the preamble hereto.
Person: An
individual, partnership, corporation, trust or unincorporated
organization, or a government or agency or political subdivision
thereof.
Prospectus: The prospectus included in a Registration
Statement, as amended or supplemented by any prospectus supplement
and by all other amendments thereto, including post-effective
amendments, and all material incorporated by reference into such
Prospectus.
Purchase
Agreement : As defined in the preamble hereto.
Registration
Default: As defined in Section 5 hereof.
Registration
Statement: Any registration statement of the Company relating
to (a) an offering of Exchange Securities pursuant to an
Exchange Offer or (b) the registration for resale of Transfer
Restricted Securities pursuant to the Shelf Registration Statement,
which is filed pursuant to the provisions of this Agreement, in
each case, including the Prospectus included therein, all
amendments and supplements thereto (including post-effective
amendments) and all exhibits and material incorporated by reference
therein.
Securities: As defined in the preamble hereto.
Securities
Act: The Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
Shelf Filing
Deadline: As defined in Section 4(a) hereof.
Shelf
Registration Statement: As defined in Section 4(a)
hereof.
Transfer
Restricted Securities: The Securities; provided that the
Securities shall cease to be Transfer Restricted Securities on the
earliest to occur of (i) the date on which a Registration
Statement with respect to such Securities has become effective
under the Securities Act and such Securities have been exchanged or
disposed of pursuant to such Registration Statement, (ii) the
date on which such Securities cease to be outstanding or
(iii) the date on which such Securities are Freely
Tradable.
Trust
Indenture Act: The Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as
amended.
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Underwritten
Registration or Underwritten Offering: A registration in which
securities of the Company are sold to an underwriter for reoffering
to the public.
SECTION
2. Securities Subject to this Agreement .
(a)
Transfer Restricted Securities. The securities entitled to
the benefits of this Agreement are the Transfer Restricted
Securities.
(b)
Holders of Transfer Restricted Securities. A Person is
deemed to be a holder of Transfer Restricted Securities (each, a
“ Holder ”) whenever such Person owns Transfer
Restricted Securities.
SECTION
3. Registered Exchange Offer .
(a) Unless
the Exchange Offer shall not be permissible under applicable law or
Commission policy (after the procedures set forth in Section 6(a)
hereof have been complied with), or there are no Transfer
Restricted Securities outstanding, each of the Company and the
Guarantors shall (i) cause to be filed with the Commission, the
Exchange Offer Registration Statement, (ii) use its reasonable
best efforts to cause such Registration Statement to become
effective, (iii) in connection with the foregoing,
(A) file all pre-effective amendments to such Registration
Statement as may be necessary in order to cause such Registration
Statement to become effective, (B) if applicable, file a
post-effective amendment to such Registration Statement pursuant to
Rule 430A under the Securities Act and (C) cause all
necessary filings in connection with the registration and
qualification of the Exchange Securities to be made under the state
securities or blue sky laws of such jurisdictions as are necessary
to permit Consummation of the Exchange Offer, and (iv) upon
the effectiveness of such Registration Statement, commence the
Exchange Offer. Each of the Company and the Guarantors shall use
its reasonable best efforts to Consummate the Exchange Offer not
later than fifth Business Day following the first anniversary of
the Closing Date (or if such day is not a Business Day, the next
succeeding Business Day) (the “ Exchange Date
”); provided , however , that the Company shall
not be required to Consummate such Exchange Offer if all of the
Securities are Freely Tradable on or before the Exchange Date. The
Exchange Offer Registration Statement, if required to be filed
pursuant to this Section 3(a), shall be on the appropriate
form permitting registration of the Exchange Securities to be
offered in exchange for the Transfer Restricted Securities and to
permit resales of Transfer Restricted Securities held by
Broker-Dealers as contemplated by Section 3(c) hereof.
(b) If an
Exchange Offer Registration Statement is required to be filed and
declared effective pursuant to Section 3(a) above, the Company and
the Guarantors shall cause the Exchange Offer Registration
Statement to be effective continuously and shall keep the Exchange
Offer open for a period of not less than the minimum period
required under applicable federal and state securities laws to
Consummate the Exchange Offer; provided, however , that in
no event shall such period be less than 20 Business Days after the
date on which notice of the Exchange Offer is mailed to the
Holders. The Company shall cause the Exchange Offer to comply with
all applicable federal and state securities laws. No securities
other than the Exchange Securities shall be included in the
Exchange Offer Registration Statement.
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(c) The
Company shall indicate in a “Plan of Distribution”
section contained in the Prospectus forming a part of the Exchange
Offer Registration Statement that any Broker-Dealer who holds
Transfer Restricted Securities that were acquired for its own
account as a result of market-making activities or other trading
activities (other than Transfer Restricted Securities acquired
directly from the Company), may exchange such Transfer Restricted
Securities pursuant to the Exchange Offer; however, such
Broker-Dealer may be deemed to be an “underwriter”
within the meaning of the Securities Act and must, therefore,
deliver a prospectus meeting the requirements of the Securities Act
in connection with any resales of the Exchange Securities received
by such Broker-Dealer in the Exchange Offer, which prospectus
delivery requirement may be satisfied by the delivery by such
Broker-Dealer of the Prospectus contained in the Exchange Offer
Registration Statement. Such “Plan of Distribution”
section shall also contain all other information with respect to
such resales by Broker-Dealers that the Commission may require in
order to permit such resales pursuant thereto, but such “Plan
of Distribution” shall not name any such Broker-Dealer or
disclose the amount of Transfer Restricted Securities held by any
such Broker-Dealer except to the extent required by the
Commission.
Each of the
Company and the Guarantors shall use its best efforts to keep the
Exchange Offer Registration Statement continuously effective,
supplemented and amended as required by the provisions of Section
6(c) hereof to the extent necessary to ensure that it is available
for resales of Transfer Restricted Securities acquired by
Broker-Dealers for their own accounts as a result of market-making
activities or other trading activities, and to ensure that the
Exchange Offer Registration Statement conforms with the
requirements of this Agreement, the Securities Act and the
policies, rules and regulations of the Commission as announced from
time to time, for a period ending on the earlier of
(i) 180 days from the date on which the Exchange Offer
Registration Statement is declared effective and (ii) the date
on which a Broker-Dealer is no longer required to deliver a
prospectus in connection with market-making or other trading
activities.
The Company shall
provide sufficient copies of the latest version of such Prospectus
to Broker-Dealers promptly upon request at any time during such
180-day (or shorter as provided in the foregoing sentence) period
in order to facilitate such resales.
Notwithstanding
anything in this Section 3 to the contrary, the requirement to
file the Exchange Offer Registration Statement and the requirement
to Consummate the Exchange Offer shall terminate at such time as
all the Securities are Freely Tradable.
SECTION
4. Shelf Registration .
(a) Shelf
Registration. If (i) the Company is not required to file
an Exchange Offer Registration Statement or to consummate the
Exchange Offer solely because the Exchange Offer is not permitted
by applicable law or Commission policy (after the procedures set
forth in Section 6(a) hereof have been complied with),
(ii) for any reason the Exchange Offer is not Consummated
within 45 days after the Exchange Date and the Securities are
not all Freely Tradable prior to such time, or (iii) prior to
the Exchange Date: (A) the Initial Purchasers request from the
Company with respect to Transfer Restricted Securities not eligible
to be exchanged for Exchange Securities in the Exchange Offer,
(B) with respect to any Holder of Transfer Restricted
Securities, such Holder notifies the Company that (x) such
Holder is prohibited by applicable law or Commission policy from
participating in the Exchange Offer, (y) such Holder may
not
5
resell the
Exchange Securities acquired by it in the Exchange Offer to the
public without delivering a prospectus and that the Prospectus
contained in the Exchange Offer Registration Statement is not
appropriate or available for such resales by such Holder, or
(z) such Holder is a Broker-Dealer and holds Transfer
Restricted Securities acquired directly from the Company or one of
its affiliates or (C) in the case of any Initial Purchaser,
such Initial Purchaser notifies the Company it will not receive
Freely Tradable Exchange Securities in exchange for Transfer
Restricted Securities constituting any portion of such Initial
Purchaser’s unsold allotment, the Company and the Guarantors
shall
(x)
cause to be filed a shelf registration statement pursuant to
Rule 415 under the Securities Act, which may be an amendment
to the Exchange Offer Registration Statement (in either event, the
“Shelf Registration Statement”), which Shelf
Registration Statement shall provide for resales of all Transfer
Restricted Securities the Holders of which shall have provided the
information required pursuant to Section 4(b) hereof;
and
(y)
use their reasonable best efforts to cause such Shelf Registration
Statement to be declared effective by the Commission on or before
the 90th day after the date such obligation to file the Shelf
Registration Statement arises but no earlier than the fifth
Business Day following the first anniversary of the Closing Date
(or if such day is not a Business Day, the next succeeding Business
Day) (the “ Shelf Filing Deadline ”).
Each of the
Company and the Guarantors shall use its reasonable best efforts to
keep such Shelf Registration Statement continuously effective,
supplemented and amended as required by the provisions of Sections
6(b) and (c) hereof to the extent necessary to ensure that it
is available for resales of Transfer Restricted Securities by the
Holders of such Securities entitled to the benefit of this
Section 4(a), and to ensure that it conforms with the
requirements of this Agreement, the Securities Act and the
policies, rules and regulations of the Commission as announced from
time to time, from the date on which the Shelf Registration
Statement is declared effective by the Commission until the
expiration of the one-year period referred to in Rule 144
applicable to securities held by non-affiliates under the
Securities Act (or shorter period that will terminate when all the
Transfer Restricted Securities covered by such Shelf Registration
Statement have been sold pursuant to such Shelf Registration
Statement or are Freely Tradable; provided that the Company
may for a period of up to 60 days in any 12-month period
determine that the Shelf Registration Statement is not usable under
certain circumstances relating to corporate developments, public
filings with the Commission and similar events, and suspend the use
of the prospectus that is part of the Shelf Registration Statement.
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Section 4(a),
the requirements to file a Shelf Registration Statement and to have
such Shelf Registration Statement become effective and remain
effective shall terminate at such time as all of the Securities are
Freely Tradable.
(b)
Provision by Holders of Certain Information in Connection with
the Shelf Registration Statement. No Holder of Transfer
Restricted Securities may include any of its Transfer Restricted
Securities in any Shelf Registration Statement pursuant to this
Agreement unless and until such Holder furnishes to the Company in
writing, within 20 Business Days after receipt of a request
therefor, such information as the Company may reasonably request
for use in connection with any Shelf Registration Statement or
Prospectus or preliminary Prospectus included therein.
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Each Holder on
behalf of which any Shelf Registration Statement is being effected
agrees to furnish promptly to the Company all information required
to be disclosed in order to make the information previously
furnished to the Company by such Holder not materially
misleading.
SECTION
5. Additional Interest. If any of the Securities are not
Freely Tradable Securities by the Exchange Date and either
(i) the Exchange Offer Registration Statement has not become
effective, (ii) the Exchange Offer has not been Consummated
within 45 days after the Exchange Offer Registration Statement
becomes effective, (iii) any Shelf Registration Statement, if
required hereby, has not been declared effective by the Commission
on or prior to the Shelf Filing Deadline or (iv) any
Registration Statement required by this Agreement has been declared
effective but ceases to be effective at any time at which it is
required to be effective under this Agreement (each such event
referred to in clauses (i) through (iv), a “
Registration Default ”), the Company hereby agrees
that the interest rate borne by the Transfer Restricted Securities
shall be increased by 0.25% per annum during the 90-day period
immediately following the occurrence of any Registration Default
and shall increase by 0.25% per annum at the end of each subsequent
90-day period (such increase, “ Additional Interest
”), but in no event shall such increase exceed 1.00% per
annum. At the earlier of (i) the cure of all Registration
Defaults relating to the particular Transfer Restricted Securities
or (ii) the particular Transfer Restricted Securities having
become Freely Tradable, the interest rate borne by the relevant
Transfer Restricted Securities will be reduced to the original
interest rate borne by such Transfer Restricted Securities;
provided, however, that, if after any such reduction in
interest rate, a different Registration Default occurs, the
interest rate borne by the relevant Transfer Restricted Securities
shall again be increased pursuant to the foregoing
provisions.
All obligations of
the Company and the Guarantors set forth in the preceding paragraph
that are outstanding with respect to any Transfer Restricted
Security at the time such Security ceases to be a Transfer
Restricted Security shall survive until such time as all such
obligations with respect to such Security shall have been satisfied
in full.
SECTION
6. Registration Procedures .
(a)
Exchange Offer Registration Statement. In connection with
the Exchange Offer, if required pursuant to Section 3(a) hereof,
the Company and the Guarantors shall comply with all of the
provisions of Section 6(c) hereof, shall use their reasonable best
efforts to effect such exchange to permit the sale of Transfer
Restricted Securities being sold in accordance with the intended
method or methods of distribution thereof, and shall comply with
all of the following provisions:
(i)
If in the reasonable opinion of counsel to the Company there is a
question as to whether the Exchange Offer is permitted by
applicable law, each of the Company and the Guarantors hereby
agrees to seek a no-action letter or other favorable decision from
the Commission allowing the Company and the Guarantors to
Consummate an Exchange Offer for such Transfer Restricted
Securities. Each of the Company and the Guarantors hereby agrees to
pursue the issuance of such a decision to the Commission staff
level but shall not be required to take commercially unreasonable
action to effect a change of Commission policy. Each of the Company
and the Guarantors hereby agrees, however, to (A) participate
in telephonic conferences with the Commission, (B) deliver
to
7
the Commission
staff an analysis prepared by counsel to the Company setting forth
the legal bases, if any, upon which such counsel has concluded that
such an Exchange Offer should be permitted and (C) diligently
pursue a favorable resolution by the Commission staff of such
submission.
(ii)
As a condition to its participation in the Exchange Offer pursuant
to the terms of this Agreement, each Holder of Transfer Restricted
Securities shall furnish, upon the request of the Company, prior to
the Consummation thereof, a written representation to the Company
(which may be contained in the letter of transmittal contemplated
by the Exchange Offer Registration Statement) to the effect that
(A) it is not an affiliate of the Company, (B) it is not
engaged in, and does not intend to engage in, and has no
arrangement or understanding with any Person to participate in, a
distribution of the Exchange Securities to be issued in the
Exchange Offer and (C) it is acquiring the Exchange Securities
in its ordinary course of business. In addition, all such Holders
of Transfer Restricted Securities shall otherwise cooperate in the
Company’s preparations for the Exchange Offer. Each Holder
hereby acknowledges and agrees that any Broker-Dealer and any such
Holder using the Exchange Offer to participate in a distribution of
the securities to be acquired in the Exchange Offer (1) could
not under Commission policy as in effect on the date of this
Agreement rely on the position of the Commission enunciated in
Morgan Stanley and Co., Inc. (available June 5, 1991)
and Exxon Capital Holdings Corporation (available
May 13, 1988), as interpreted in the Commission’s letter
to Shearman & Sterling dated July 2, 1993, and similar
no-action letters (which may include any no-action letter obtained
pursuant to clause (i) above), and (2) must comply with
the registration and prospectus delivery requirements of the
Securities Act in connection with a secondary resale transaction
and that such a secondary resale transaction should be covered by
an effective registration statement containing the selling security
holder information required by Item 507 or 508, as applicable, of
Regulation S-K if the resales are of Exchange Securities
obtained by such Holder in exchange for Transfer Restricted
Securities acquired by such Holder directly from the
Company.
(b) Shelf
Registration Statement. If required pursuant to Section 4
hereof, in connection with the Shelf Registration Statement, each
of the Company and the Guarantors shall comply with all the
provisions of Section 6(c) hereof and shall use its best efforts to
effect such registration to permit the sale of the Transfer
Restricted Securities being sold in accordance with the intended
method or methods of distribution thereof, and pursuant thereto
each of the Company and the Guarantors will as expeditiously as
possible prepare and file with the Commission a Registration
Statement relating to the registration on any appropriate form
under the Securities Act, which form shall be available for the
sale of the Transfer Restricted Securities in accordance with the
intended method or methods of distribution thereof.
(c)
General Provisions. In connection with any Registration
Statement and any Prospectus required by this Agreement to permit
the sale or resale of Transfer Restricted Securities (including,
without limitation, any Registration Statement and the related
Prospectus required to permit resales of Transfer Restricted
Securities by Broker-Dealers), each of the Company and the
Guarantors shall:
8
(i)
use its reasonable best efforts to keep such Registration Statement
continuously effective and provide all requisite financial
statements (including, if required by the Securities Act or any
regulation thereunder, financial statements of the Guarantors for
the period specified in Section 3 or 4 hereof, as applicable;
upon the occurrence of any event that would cause any such
Registration Statement or the Prospectus contained therein
(A) to contain a material misstatement or omission or
(B) not to be effective and usable for resale of Transfer
Restricted Securities during the period required by this Agreement,
the Company shall file promptly an appropriate amendment to such
Registration Statement, in the case of clause (A), correcting any
such misstatement or omission, and, in the case of either clause
(A) or (B), use its best efforts to cause such amendment to be
declared effective and such Registration Statement and the related
Prospectus to become usable for their intended purpose(s) as soon
as practicable thereafter;
(ii)
prepare and file with the Commission such amendments and
post-effective amendments to the applicable Registration Statement
as may be necessary to keep the Registration Statement effective
for the period set forth in Section 3 or 4 hereof, as
applicable, or such shorter period as will terminate when all
Transfer Restricted Securities covered by such Registration
Statement have been sold or are Freely Tradable; cause the
Prospectus to be supplemented by any required Prospectus
supplement, and cause such supplement to be filed pursuant to
Rule 424 under the Securities Act, and comply fully with the
applicable provisions of Rules 424 and 430A under the
Securities Act in a timely manner; and comply with the provisions
of the Securities Act with respect to the disposition of all
securities covered by such Registration Statement during the
applicable period in ac
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