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EXHIBIT 4.1
EXECUTION
VERSION
AMENDED AND RESTATED
REVOLVING CREDIT AGREEMENT
Dated as of December 3,
2007
Among
GREEN MOUNTAIN COFFEE
ROASTERS, INC.,
as Borrower,
THE SUBSIDIARIES OF THE
BORROWER,
as Guarantors,
and
BANK OF AMERICA,
N.A.,
as Administrative Agent,
Swing Line Lender and
L/C Issuer,
THE OTHER LENDERS PARTY
HERETO,
BANC OF AMERICA SECURITIES
LLC,
as Sole Lead Arranger and
Sole Book Manager,
SOVEREIGN
BANK,
as Syndication
Agent,
TD BANKNORTH,
N.A.,
as Documentation
Agent,
and
BMO CAPITAL MARKETS
FINANCING, INC. and
KEYBANK NATIONAL
ASSOCIATION,
as Co-Documentation
Agents
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
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Section
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Page |
| Article I. |
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DEFINITIONS AND ACCOUNTING TERMS |
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1 |
| 1.01 |
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Defined
Terms. |
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1 |
| 1.02 |
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Other
Interpretive Provisions |
|
14 |
| 1.03 |
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Accounting Terms |
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14 |
| 1.04 |
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Rounding |
|
15 |
| 1.05 |
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Times of
Day |
|
15 |
| 1.06 |
|
Letter of
Credit Amounts |
|
15 |
| Article II. |
|
THE
COMMITMENTS AND CREDIT EXTENSIONS |
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15 |
| 2.01 |
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Committed
Loans |
|
15 |
| 2.02 |
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Borrowings, Conversions and Continuations of Committed
Loans |
|
15 |
| 2.03 |
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Letters
of Credit |
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16 |
| 2.04 |
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Swing
Line Loans |
|
22 |
| 2.05 |
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Prepayments |
|
24 |
| 2.06 |
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Termination or Reduction of Commitments. |
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25 |
| 2.07 |
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Repayment
of Loans |
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25 |
| 2.08 |
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Interest |
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25 |
| 2.09 |
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Fees |
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26 |
| 2.10 |
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Computation of Interest and Fees |
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26 |
| 2.11 |
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Evidence
of Debt |
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27 |
| 2.12 |
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Payments
Generally; Agent’s Clawback |
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27 |
| 2.13 |
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Sharing
of Payments |
|
28 |
| 2.14 |
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Increase
in Facility |
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29 |
| Article III. |
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TAXES,
YIELD PROTECTION AND ILLEGALITY |
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30 |
| 3.01 |
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Taxes |
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30 |
| 3.02 |
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Illegality |
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30 |
| 3.03 |
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Inability
to Determine Rates |
|
31 |
| 3.04 |
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Increased
Costs |
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31 |
| 3.05 |
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Compensation for Losses |
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32 |
| 3.06 |
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Mitigation Obligations |
|
32 |
| 3.07 |
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Survival |
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33 |
| Article IV. |
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CONDITIONS PRECEDENT TO CREDIT EXTENSIONS |
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33 |
| 4.01 |
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Conditions of Initial Credit Extension |
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33 |
| 4.02 |
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Conditions to all Credit Extensions |
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34 |
| Article V. |
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REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES |
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35 |
| 5.01 |
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Existence, Qualification and Power |
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35 |
| 5.02 |
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Authorization; No Contravention |
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35 |
| 5.03 |
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Governmental Authorization; Other Consents |
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35 |
| 5.04 |
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Binding
Effect |
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35 |
| 5.05 |
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Financial
Statements; No Material Adverse Effect; No Internal Control Event;
Solvency |
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35 |
| 5.06 |
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Litigation |
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36 |
| 5.07 |
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No
Default |
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36 |
| 5.08 |
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Ownership
of Property; Liens |
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36 |
| 5.09 |
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Environmental Compliance |
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37 |
| 5.10 |
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Insurance |
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37 |
| 5.11 |
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Taxes |
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37 |
| 5.12 |
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ERISA
Compliance |
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37 |
| 5.13 |
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Subsidiaries |
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37 |
| 5.14 |
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Margin
Regulations; Investment Company Act |
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38 |
| 5.15 |
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Disclosure |
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38 |
| 5.16 |
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Compliance with Laws |
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38 |
| 5.17 |
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Taxpayer
Identification Number |
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38 |
-i-
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| 5.18 |
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Intellectual Property; Licenses, Etc. |
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38 |
| 5.19 |
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Rights in
Collateral; Priority of Liens |
|
38 |
| Article VI. |
|
AFFIRMATIVE COVENANTS |
|
39 |
| 6.01 |
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Financial
Statements |
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39 |
| 6.02 |
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Certificates; Other Information |
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39 |
| 6.03 |
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Notices |
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40 |
| 6.04 |
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Payment
of Obligations |
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41 |
| 6.05 |
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Preservation of Existence, Etc |
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41 |
| 6.06 |
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Maintenance of Properties |
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41 |
| 6.07 |
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Maintenance of Insurance |
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41 |
| 6.08 |
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Compliance with Laws |
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41 |
| 6.09 |
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Books and
Records |
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41 |
| 6.10 |
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Inspection Rights |
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42 |
| 6.11 |
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Use of
Proceeds |
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42 |
| 6.12 |
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Financial
Covenants |
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42 |
| 6.13 |
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Additional Guarantors |
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43 |
| 6.14 |
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Collateral Records |
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43 |
| 6.15 |
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Security
Interests |
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43 |
| 6.16 |
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Pledge of
Security Interests |
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43 |
| Article VII. |
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NEGATIVE COVENANTS |
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44 |
| 7.01 |
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Liens |
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44 |
| 7.02 |
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Investments |
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44 |
| 7.03 |
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Indebtedness |
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45 |
| 7.04 |
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Fundamental Changes |
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46 |
| 7.05 |
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Dispositions |
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46 |
| 7.06 |
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Restricted Payments |
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47 |
| 7.07 |
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Change in
Nature of Business |
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47 |
| 7.08 |
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Transactions with Affiliates |
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47 |
| 7.09 |
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Burdensome Agreements |
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47 |
| 7.10 |
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Use of
Proceeds |
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47 |
| Article VIII. |
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EVENTS
OF DEFAULT AND REMEDIES |
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48 |
| 8.01 |
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Events of
Default |
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48 |
| 8.02 |
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Remedies
Upon Event of Default |
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49 |
| 8.03 |
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Application of Funds |
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50 |
| Article IX. |
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ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT |
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50 |
| 9.01 |
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Appointment and Authorization of Administrative
Agent |
|
50 |
| 9.02 |
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Rights as
a Lender |
|
51 |
| 9.03 |
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Exculpatory Provisions |
|
51 |
| 9.04 |
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Reliance
by Administrative Agent |
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51 |
| 9.05 |
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Delegation of Duties |
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52 |
| 9.06 |
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Resignation of Agent |
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52 |
| 9.07 |
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Non-Reliance on Agent and Other Lenders |
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52 |
| 9.08 |
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No Other
Duties, Etc. |
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52 |
| 9.09 |
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Administrative Agent May File Proofs of Claim |
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53 |
| 9.10 |
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Guaranty
Matters |
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53 |
| 9.11 |
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Collateral Matters |
|
53 |
| Article X. |
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MISCELLANEOUS |
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54 |
| 10.01 |
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Amendments, Etc. |
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54 |
| 10.02 |
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Notices;
Effectiveness; Electronic Communications |
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55 |
| 10.03 |
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No
Waiver; Cumulative Remedies |
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57 |
| 10.04 |
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Expenses;
Indemnity; Damage Waiver |
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57 |
| 10.05 |
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Payments
Set Aside |
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58 |
| 10.06 |
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Successors and Assigns |
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58 |
| 10.07 |
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Treatment
of Certain Information; Confidentiality |
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61 |
| 10.08 |
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Right of
Setoff |
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62 |
| 10.09 |
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Interest
Rate Limitation |
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62 |
-ii-
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| 10.10 |
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Counterparts; Integration; Effectiveness |
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62 |
| 10.11 |
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Survival
of Representations and Warranties |
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63 |
| 10.12 |
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Severability |
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63 |
| 10.13 |
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Governing
Law; Jurisdiction; Etc |
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63 |
| 10.14 |
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Waiver of
Jury Trial |
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64 |
| 10.15 |
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No
Advisory or Fiduciary Responsibility |
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64 |
| 10.16 |
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USA
PATRIOT Act Notice |
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64 |
| 10.17 |
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Time of
the Essence |
|
64 |
| 10.18 |
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Existing
Credit Agreement Superseded. |
|
64 |
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| SCHEDULES |
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| 2.01 |
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Commitments and Applicable Percentages |
| 5.06 |
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Litigation |
| 5.09 |
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Environmental Matters |
| 5.13 |
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Subsidiaries and Other Equity Investments |
| 7.01 |
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Existing
Liens |
| 7.02 |
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Investments Existing on the Closing Date |
| 7.03 |
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Existing
Indebtedness |
| 10.02 |
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Administrative Agent’s Office, Certain Addresses for
Notices |
| 10.06 |
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Processing and Recordation Fees |
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| EXHIBITS |
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Form of |
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A |
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Committed
Loan Notice |
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B |
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Swing
Line Loan Notice |
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C |
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Amended
and Restated Note |
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D |
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Compliance Certificate |
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E |
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Assignment and Assumption |
-iii-
AMENDED AND RESTATED
REVOLVING CREDIT AGREEMENT
This AMENDED AND RESTATED
REVOLVING CREDIT AGREEMENT (this “ Agreement ”)
is entered into as of December 3, 2007, among Green Mountain
Coffee Roasters, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“
Borrower ”), the Subsidiaries of the Borrower as
Guarantors, each lender from time to time party hereto
(collectively, “ Lenders ” and individually, a
“ Lender ”), BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., as
Administrative Agent, Swing Line Lender and L/C Issuer, Banc of
America Securities LLC, as sole Lead Arranger and sole Book
Manager, Sovereign Bank as Syndication Agent, TD Banknorth, N.A. as
Documentation Agent, and BMO Capital Markets Financing, Inc. and
KeyBank National Association as Co-Documentation Agents.
Borrower has requested that
Lenders provide a revolving credit facility, and Lenders are
willing to do so on the terms and conditions set forth herein. In
consideration of the mutual covenants and agreements herein
contained, the parties hereto covenant and agree as
follows:
| ARTICLE I. |
DEFINITIONS AND ACCOUNTING TERMS |
As used in this Agreement,
the following terms shall have the meanings set forth
below:
“ Acquisition
Documents ” means the Merger Agreement and all other
agreements, instruments, documents and certificates entered into by
any of the parties to the Merger Agreement in connection with the
Merger or the transactions contemplated by the Merger
Agreement.
“ Adjusted
EBITDA ” means, for any period, EBITDA of the Borrower
Affiliated Group, including the EBITDA of any business acquired in
a Permitted Acquisition as if such acquisition had occurred on the
first day of such period, with such pro forma adjustments as are
based on the good faith judgment of the Borrower and as are
reasonably acceptable to the Agent.
“ Administrative
Agent ” or “ Agent ” means Bank of
America in its capacity as administrative agent under any of the
Loan Documents, or any successor administrative agent.
“ Administrative
Agent’s Office ” means Agent’s address and,
as appropriate, account as set forth on Schedule 10.02 , or
such other address or account as Agent may from time to time notify
Borrower and Lenders.
“ Administrative
Questionnaire ” means an administrative questionnaire in
a form supplied by Agent.
“ Affiliate
” means, with respect to any Person, another Person that
directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries,
Controls or is Controlled by or is under common Control with the
Person specified.
“ Aggregate
Commitments ” means the Commitments of all Lenders, which
amount as of the effective date of this Agreement is
$225,000,000.00, less any reductions pursuant to
Section 2.06 plus any increases pursuant to
Section 2.14 .
“ Agreement
” means this Amended and Restated Credit
Agreement.
“ Applicable
Percentage ” means with respect to any Lender at any
time, the percentage (carried out to the ninth decimal place) of
the Aggregate Commitments represented by such Lender’s
Commitment at such time. If the commitment of each Lender to make
Loans and the obligation of the L/C Issuer to make L/C Credit
Extensions have been terminated pursuant to
Section 8.02 or if the Aggregate Commitments have
expired, then the Applicable Percentage of each Lender shall be
determined based on the Applicable Percentage of such Lender most
recently in effect, giving effect to any subsequent assignments.
The initial Applicable Percentage of each Lender is set forth
opposite the name of such Lender on Schedule 2.01 or in the
Assignment and Assumption pursuant to which such Lender becomes a
party hereto, as applicable.
“ Applicable
Rate ” means, from time to time, the following
percentages per annum, based upon the Funded Debt to Adjusted
EBITDA ratio (the “ Financial Covenant ”) as set
forth in Section 6.12(b) of Schedule 2 to the most
recent Compliance Certificate received by Agent pursuant to
Section 6.02(b) :
-1-
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Applicable Rate
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Funded Debt to |
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Eurodollar Rate
+
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Pricing
Level
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Adjusted EBITDA
Ratio
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Commitment fee
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Letters of Credit
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Base Rate +
|
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1
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> 3.00:1 |
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0.300% |
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1.75% |
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0.75% |
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2
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> 2.25:1 but <3.00:1 |
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0.250% |
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1.50% |
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0.50% |
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3
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> 1.50:1 but <2.25:1 |
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0.200% |
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1.25% |
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0.25% |
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4
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> 1.00:1 but <1.50:1 |
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0.175% |
|
1.00% |
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0.00% |
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5
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<1.00:1 |
|
0.150% |
|
0.75% |
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0.00% |
Any increase or decrease in
the Applicable Rate resulting from a change in the Financial
Covenant shall become effective on the 5 th Business Day immediately following the
date a Compliance Certificate is delivered pursuant to
Section 6.02(b) ; provided , however ,
that if a Compliance Certificate is not delivered when due in
accordance with such Section, then Pricing Level 1 shall apply and
become effective on the 5 th Business Day immediately following the date such Compliance
Certificate was required to have been delivered until the date such
delinquent Compliance Certificate is actually delivered. The
Applicable Rate in effect from the Closing Date through
December 31, 2007 shall be determined based upon Pricing Level
3.
“ Approved Fund
” means any Fund that is administered or managed by
(a) a Lender, (b) an Affiliate of a Lender or (c) an
entity or an Affiliate of an entity that administers or manages a
Lender.
“ Arranger
” means Banc of America Securities LLC, in its capacity as
sole lead arranger and sole book manager.
“ Assignee Group
” means two or more Eligible Assignees that are Affiliates of
one another.
“ Assignment and
Assumption ” means an assignment and assumption entered
into by a Lender and an assignee (with the consent of any party
whose consent is required by Section 10.06(b) ), and
accepted by Agent, in substantially the form of
Exhibit E or any other form approved by
Agent.
“ Audited Financial
Statements ” means, collectively, the audited
consolidated balance sheet of Borrower and its Subsidiaries for the
fiscal year ended September 30, 2006 and the related
consolidated statements of income or operations,
shareholders’ equity and cash flows for such fiscal year of
Borrower and its Subsidiaries, including the notes
thereto.
“ Availability
Period ” means the period from and including the Closing
Date to the earliest of (a) the Maturity Date, (b) the
date of termination of the Aggregate Commitments pursuant to
Section 2.06 , and (c) the date of termination of
the commitment of each Lender to make Loans and of the obligation
of the L/C Issuer to make L/C Credit Extensions pursuant to
Section 8.02 .
“ Bank of
America ” means Bank of America, N.A. and its
successors.
“ Base Rate
” means for any day a fluctuating rate per annum equal to the
higher of (a) the Federal Funds Rate plus 1/2 of 1% and
(b) the rate of interest in effect for such day as publicly
announced from time to time by Bank of America as its “prime
rate.” The “prime rate” is a rate set by Bank of
America based upon various factors including Bank of
America’s costs and desired return, general economic
conditions and other factors, and is used as a reference point for
pricing some loans, which may be priced at, above, or below such
announced rate. Any change in such rate announced by Bank of
America shall take effect at the opening of business on the day
specified in the public announcement of such change.
“ Base Rate
Committed Loan ” means a Committed Loan that is a Base
Rate Loan.
“ Base Rate Loan
” means a Loan that bears interest reference to the Base
Rate.
-2-
“ Borrower
” has the meaning specified in the introductory paragraph
hereto.
“ Borrower
Affiliated Group ” means, collectively, the Borrower and
all of its Subsidiaries, including without limitation
Keurig.
“ Borrower
Materials ” has the meaning specified in
Section 6.02 .
“ Borrowing
” means a Committed Borrowing or a Swing Line Borrowing, as
the context may require.
“ Build-up
Basket ” means an aggregate amount equal to
(i) fifty percent (50%) of the cumulative net income of
the Borrower from and after September 29, 2007 plus
(ii) proceeds from the sales of Equity Interests by the
Borrower and proceeds from asset sales of the Borrower from and
after September 29, 2007, in each case to the extent permitted
under this Agreement. The Build-up Basket may be used at the
Borrower’s option to supplement the amount otherwise
available hereunder for Permitted Acquisitions and Restricted
Payments. The Build-up Basket shall increase by such net income or
proceeds on a quarterly basis, based on the amounts set forth in a
Compliance Certificate. To the extent any portion of the Build-up
Basket is applied to any Permitted Acquisition or Restricted
Payment, the amount so applied shall thereafter be deducted from
the Build-up Basket so that such amount shall not be used
again.
“ Business Day
” means any day other than a Saturday, Sunday or other day on
which commercial banks are authorized to close under the Laws of,
or are in fact closed in, the state where Administrative
Agent’s Office is located and, if such day relates to any
Eurodollar Rate Loan, means any such day on which dealings in
Dollar deposits are conducted by and between banks in the London
interbank eurodollar market.
“ Cash
Collateralize ” has the meaning specified in
Section 2.03(g) .
“ Change in Law
” means the occurrence, after the date of this Agreement, of
any of the following: (a) the adoption or taking effect of any
law, rule, regulation or treaty, (b) any change in any law,
rule, regulation or treaty or in the administration, interpretation
or application thereof by any Governmental Authority or
(c) the making or issuance of any request, guideline or
directive (whether or not having the force of law) by any
Governmental Authority.
“ Change of
Control ” means, with respect to any Person, an event or
series of events by which any “person” or
“group” (as such terms are used in Sections 13(d) and
14(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, but excluding
(a) any employee benefit plan of such person or its
subsidiaries, and any person or entity acting in its capacity as
trustee, agent or other fiduciary or administrator of any such plan
and (b) Robert Stiller, members of his family and trusts for
their benefit) become(s) the “beneficial owner” (as
defined in Rules 13d-3 and 13d-5 under the Securities Exchange Act
of 1934, except that a person or group shall be deemed to have
“beneficial ownership” of all securities that such
person or group has the right to acquire, whether such right is
exercisable immediately or only after the passage of time (such
right, an “option right”)), directly or indirectly, of
35% or more of the equity securities of such Person entitled to
vote for members of the board of directors or equivalent governing
body of such Person on a fully-diluted basis (and taking into
account all such securities that such Person or group has the right
to acquire pursuant to any option right).
“ Closing Date
” means the first date all the conditions precedent in
Section 4.01 are satisfied or waived in accordance with
Section 10.01 .
“ Code ”
means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.
“ Collateral
” shall mean any and all assets and rights and interests in
or to property of Borrower and each of the other Loan Parties,
whether real or personal, tangible or intangible, in which a Lien
is granted or purported to be granted pursuant to the Collateral
Documents.
“ Collateral
Documents ” means all agreements, instruments and
documents now or hereafter executed and delivered by the Borrower
and each Guarantor (including without limitation any future
Subsidiary) in connection with this Agreement pursuant to which
Liens are granted or purported to be granted to Agent in Collateral
securing all or part of the Obligations each in form and substance
reasonably satisfactory to Agent.
-3-
“ Commitment
” means, as to each Lender, its obligation to (a) make
Committed Loans to Borrower pursuant to Section 2.01 ,
(b) purchase participations in L/C Obligations, and
(c) purchase participations in Swing Line Loans, in an
aggregate principal amount at any one time outstanding not to
exceed the amount set forth opposite such Lender’s name on
Schedule 2.01 or in the Assignment and Assumption pursuant
to which such Lender becomes a party hereto, as applicable, as such
amount may be adjusted from time to time in accordance with this
Agreement.
“ Committed
Borrowing ” means a borrowing consisting of simultaneous
Committed Loans of the same Type and, in the case of Eurodollar
Rate Loans, having the same Interest Period made by each of the
Lenders pursuant to Section 2.01 .
“ Committed Loan
” has the meaning specified in Section 2.01
.
“ Committed Loan
Notice ” means a notice of (a) a Committed
Borrowing, (b) a conversion of Committed Loans from one Type
to the other, or (c) a continuation of Eurodollar Rate Loans,
pursuant to Section 2.02(a) , which, if in writing,
shall be substantially in the form of Exhibit A .
“ Compliance
Certificate ” means a certificate substantially in the
form of Exhibit D .
“ Contractual
Obligation ” means, as to any Person, any provision of
any security issued by such Person or of any agreement, instrument
or other undertaking to which such Person is a party or by which it
or any of its property is bound.
“ Control
” means the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power
to direct or cause the direction of the management or policies of a
Person, whether through the ability to exercise voting power, by
contract or otherwise. “ Controlling ” and
“ Controlled ” have meanings correlative
thereto.
“ Credit
Extension ” means each of the following: (a) a
Borrowing and (b) an L/C Credit Extension.
“ Debtor Relief
Laws ” means the Bankruptcy Code of the United States,
and all other liquidation, conservatorship, bankruptcy, assignment
for the benefit of creditors, moratorium, rearrangement,
receivership, insolvency, reorganization, or similar debtor relief
Laws of the United States or other applicable jurisdictions from
time to time in effect and affecting the rights of creditors
generally.
“ Default
” means any event or condition that constitutes an Event of
Default or that, with the giving of any notice, the passage of
time, or both, would be an Event of Default.
“ Default Rate
” means (a) when used with respect to Obligations other
than L/C Fees an interest rate equal to (i) the Base Rate
plus (ii) the Applicable Rate, if any, applicable to
Base Rate Loans plus (iii) 2% per annum;
provided , however , that with respect to a
Eurodollar Rate Loan, the Default Rate shall be an interest rate
equal to the interest rate (including any Applicable Rate)
otherwise applicable to such Loan plus 2% per annum,
and (b) when used with respect to L/C Fees, a rate equal to
the Applicable Rate plus 2% per annum.
“ Defaulting
Lender ” means any Lender that (a) has failed to
fund any portion of the Committed Loans, participations in L/C
Obligations or participations in Swing Line Loans required to be
funded by it hereunder within one Business Day of the date required
to be funded by it hereunder unless such failure has been cured,
(b) has otherwise failed to pay over to Agent or any other
Lender any other amount required to be paid by it hereunder within
one Business Day of the date when due, unless the subject of a good
faith dispute or unless such failure has been cured, or
(c) has been deemed insolvent or become the subject of a
bankruptcy or insolvency proceeding.
“ Disposition
” or “ Dispose ” means the sale, transfer,
exclusive license, lease or other disposition (including any sale
and leaseback transaction) of any property by any Person, including
any sale, assignment, transfer or other disposal, with or without
recourse, of any notes or accounts receivable or any rights and
claims associated therewith.
“ Documentation
Agent ” means TD Banknorth, N.A., in its capacity as
documentation agent.
“ Dollar ”
and “ $ ” mean lawful money of the United
States.
-4-
“ Domestic
Subsidiary ” means any direct or indirect subsidiary of
the Borrower existing on the date hereof or acquired or formed
hereafter that is organized under the laws of any political
subdivision of the United States.
“ EBITDA ”
means net income, less the amount of any addition to net income as
a result of any non-cash gain to the extent included in the
calculation of net income, less income or plus loss from
discontinued operations, disposition of assets and extraordinary
items, plus income taxes, plus interest expense, plus depreciation
and amortization, plus the amount of any deduction to net income as
a result of any other non-cash charge to the extent deducted in the
calculation of net income, plus transaction costs in connection
with this credit facility and any acquisition or disposition
permitted hereby, plus the amount of any transaction-related
payments to employees, restructuring charges and expenses incurred
to achieve business optimization and synergies in connection with
any acquisition or disposition permitted hereby, such amount not to
exceed $2,000,000 in the aggregate during the term of this
Agreement.
“ Eligible
Assignee ” means any Person that meets the requirements
to be an assignee under Section 10.06(b)(iii) ,
(v) and (vi) (subject to such consents,
if any, as may be required under Section 10.06(b)(iii)
).
“ Environmental
Laws ” means any and all Federal, state, local, and
foreign statutes, laws, regulations, ordinances, rules, judgments,
orders, decrees, permits, concessions, grants, franchises,
licenses, agreements or governmental restrictions relating to
pollution and the protection of the environment or the release of
any materials into the environment, including those related to
hazardous substances or wastes, air emissions and discharges to
waste or public systems.
“ Environmental
Liability ” means any liability, contingent or otherwise
(including any liability for damages, costs of environmental
remediation, fines, penalties or indemnities), of Borrower, any
other Loan Party or any of their respective Subsidiaries directly
or indirectly resulting from or based upon (a) violation of
any Environmental Law, (b) the generation, use, handling,
transportation, storage, treatment or disposal of any Hazardous
Materials, (c) exposure to any Hazardous Materials,
(d) the release or threatened release of any Hazardous
Materials into the environment or (e) any contract, agreement
or other consensual arrangement pursuant to which liability is
assumed or imposed with respect to any of the foregoing.
“ Equity
Interests ” means, with respect to any Person, all of the
shares of capital stock of (or other ownership or profit interests
in) such Person, all of the warrants, options or other rights for
the purchase or acquisition from such Person of shares of capital
stock of (or other ownership or profit interests in) such Person,
all of the securities convertible into or exchangeable for shares
of capital stock of (or other ownership or profit interests in)
such Person or warrants, rights or options for the purchase or
acquisition from such Person of such shares (or such other
interests), and all of the other ownership or profit interests in
such Person (including partnership, member or trust interests
therein), whether voting or nonvoting, and whether or not such
shares, warrants, options, rights or other interests are
outstanding on any date of determination.
“ ERISA ”
means the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of
1974.
“ ERISA
Affiliate ” means any trade or business (whether or not
incorporated) under common control with Borrower within the meaning
of Section 414(b) or (c) of the Code (and Sections 414(m)
and (o) of the Code for purposes of provisions relating to
Section 412 of the Code).
“ ERISA Event
” means (a) a Reportable Event with respect to a Pension
Plan; (b) a withdrawal by Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate from
a Pension Plan subject to Section 4063 of ERISA during a plan
year in which it was a substantial employer (as defined in
Section 4001(a)(2) of ERISA) or a cessation of operations that
is treated as such a withdrawal under Section 4062(e) of
ERISA; (c) a complete or partial withdrawal by Borrower or any
ERISA Affiliate from a Multiemployer Plan or notification that a
Multiemployer Plan is in reorganization; (d) the filing of a
notice of intent to terminate, the treatment of a Plan amendment as
a termination under Section 4041 or 4041A of ERISA, or the
commencement of proceedings by the PBGC to terminate a Pension Plan
or Multiemployer Plan; (e) an event or condition which
constitutes grounds under Section 4042 of ERISA for the
termination of, or the appointment of a trustee to administer, any
Pension Plan or Multiemployer Plan; or (f) the imposition of
any liability under Title IV of ERISA, other than for PBGC premiums
due but not delinquent under Section 4007 of ERISA, upon
Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate.
“ Eurodollar Base
Rate ” has the meaning specified in the definition of
Eurodollar Rate.
“ Eurodollar
Rate ” means for any Interest Period with respect to a
Eurodollar Rate Loan, a rate per annum determined by Agent pursuant
to the following formula:
|
|
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|
|
|
|
|
|
Eurodollar Rate =
|
|
Eurodollar Base
Rate
|
|
|
| |
|
1.00 – Eurodollar Reserve Percentage |
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-5-
Where,
(a) “ Eurodollar
Base Rate ” means, for such Interest Period the rate per
annum equal to the British Bankers Association LIBOR Rate
(“BBA LIBOR”), as published by Reuters (or other
commercially available source providing quotations of BBA LIBOR as
designated by Agent from time to time) at approximately 11:00 a.m.,
London time, two Business Days prior to the commencement of such
Interest Period, for Dollar deposits (for delivery on the first day
of such Interest Period) with a term equivalent to such Interest
Period. If such rate is not available at such time for any reason,
then the “Eurodollar Base Rate” for such Interest
Period shall be the rate per annum determined by Agent to be the
rate at which deposits in Dollars for delivery on the first day of
such Interest Period in same day funds in the approximate amount of
the Eurodollar Rate Loan being made, continued or converted by Bank
of America and with a term equivalent to such Interest Period would
be offered to Bank of America’s London Branch by major banks
in the London interbank eurodollar market at their request at
approximately 11:00 a.m. (London time) two Business Days prior to
the commencement of such Interest Period.
(b) “ Eurodollar
Reserve Percentage ” means, for any day during any
Interest Period, the reserve percentage (expressed as a decimal,
carried out to five decimal places) in effect on such day, whether
or not applicable to any Lender, under regulations issued from time
to time by the FRB for determining the maximum reserve requirement
(including any emergency, supplemental or other marginal reserve
requirement) with respect to Eurocurrency funding (currently
referred to as “Eurocurrency liabilities”). The
Eurodollar Rate for each outstanding Eurodollar Rate Loan shall be
adjusted automatically as of the effective date of any change in
the Eurodollar Reserve Percentage.
“ Eurodollar Rate
Loan ” means a Committed Loan that bears interest by
reference to the Eurodollar Rate.
“ Event of
Default ” has the meaning specified in
Section 8.01 .
“ Excluded Taxes
” means, with respect to Agent, Arranger, any Lender, the L/C
Issuer or any other recipient of any payment to be made by or on
account of any obligation of Borrower hereunder, (a) taxes
imposed on or measured by its overall net income (however
denominated), and franchise taxes imposed on it (in lieu of net
income taxes), by the jurisdiction (or any political subdivision
thereof) under the laws of which such recipient is organized or in
which its principal office is located or, in the case of any
Lender, in which its applicable Lending Office is located, and
(b) any branch profits taxes imposed by the United States or
any similar tax imposed by any other jurisdiction in which Borrower
is located.
“ Existing Credit
Agreement ” means that certain Revolving Credit Agreement
dated as of June 15, 2006, as amended prior to the Closing
Date, among the Borrower, the Agent, and the lenders party
thereto.
“ Existing Letters
of Credit ” means those letters of credit issued under
the Existing Credit Agreement and listed on Schedule 7.03
hereto.
“ Federal Funds
Rate ” means, for any day, the rate per annum equal to
the weighted average of the rates on overnight Federal funds
transactions with members of the Federal Reserve System arranged by
Federal funds brokers on such day, as published by the Federal
Reserve Bank of New York on the Business Day next succeeding such
day; provided that (a) if such day is not a Business
Day, the Federal Funds Rate for such day shall be such rate on such
transactions on the next preceding Business Day as so published on
the next succeeding Business Day, and (b) if no such rate is
so published on such next succeeding Business Day, the Federal
Funds Rate for such day shall be the average rate (rounded upward,
if necessary, to a whole multiple of 1/100 of 1%) charged to Bank
of America on such day on such transactions as determined by
Agent.
“ Fee Letter
” has the meaning specified in Section 2.09(b)
.
“ Fixed Charge
Coverage Ratio ” means the ratio of (a) the sum of
Adjusted EBITDA, minus the lesser of Twelve Million Dollars
($12,000,000) or the amount of Unfinanced Capital Expenditures,
minus cash income taxes, to (b) the sum of cash
interest expense plus scheduled principal payments
(including without limitation the principal portion of any capital
lease payments). The Twelve Million Dollar ($12,000,000) amount
referenced above shall increase by $1,000,000 increments in each
succeeding fiscal year, beginning October 1, 2008, up to a
maximum of $15,000,000.
-6-
“ Foreign
Subsidiary ” means any direct subsidiary of the Borrower
existing on the date hereof or acquired or formed hereafter that is
not organized under the laws of any political subdivision of the
United States.
“ FRB ”
means the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System of the
United States.
“ Fund ”
means any Person (other than a natural person) that is (or will be)
engaged in making, purchasing, holding or otherwise investing in
commercial loans and similar extensions of credit in the ordinary
course of its business.
“ Funded Debt
” means all outstanding liabilities for borrowed money,
Letters of Credit, and other interest-bearing liabilities,
including current and long term liabilities.
“ GAAP ”
means generally accepted accounting principles in the United States
set forth in the opinions and pronouncements of the Accounting
Principles Board and the American Institute of Certified Public
Accountants and statements and pronouncements of the Financial
Accounting Standards Board that are applicable to the circumstances
as of the date of determination, consistently applied.
“ Governmental
Authority ” means the government of the United States or
any other nation, or of any political subdivision thereof, whether
state or local, and any agency, authority, instrumentality,
regulatory body, court, central bank or other entity exercising
executive, legislative, judicial, taxing, regulatory or
administrative powers or functions of or pertaining to government
(including any supra-national bodies such as the European Union or
the European Central Bank).
“ Guarantee
” means, as to any Person, (a) any obligation,
contingent or otherwise, of such Person guaranteeing or having the
economic effect of guaranteeing any Indebtedness or other similar
monetary obligation payable by another Person (the “primary
obligor”) in any manner, whether directly or indirectly, and
including any obligation of such Person, direct or indirect,
(i) to purchase or pay (or advance or supply funds for the
purchase or payment of) such Indebtedness or other obligation,
(ii) to purchase or lease property, securities or services for
the purpose of assuring the obligee in respect of such Indebtedness
or other obligation of the payment of such Indebtedness or other
obligation, (iii) to maintain working capital, equity capital
or any other financial statement condition or liquidity or level of
income or cash flow of the primary obligor so as to enable the
primary obligor to pay such Indebtedness or other obligation, or
(iv) entered into for the purpose of assuring in any other
manner the obligee in respect of such Indebtedness or other
obligation of the payment thereof or to protect such obligee
against loss in respect thereof (in whole or in part), or
(b) any Lien on any assets of such Person securing any
Indebtedness or other obligation of any other Person, whether or
not such Indebtedness or other obligation is assumed by such Person
(or any right, contingent or otherwise, of any holder of such
Indebtedness to obtain any such Lien). The amount of any Guarantee
shall be deemed to be an amount equal to the stated or determinable
amount of the related primary obligation, or portion thereof, in
respect of which such Guarantee is made or, if not stated or
determinable, the maximum reasonably anticipated liability in
respect thereof as determined by the guaranteeing Person in good
faith. The term “Guarantee” as a verb has a
corresponding meaning.
“ Guarantor
” means, collectively, Keurig and any future domestic
Subsidiary executing a Guarantee of the Obligations.
“ Guaranty
” means the Guarantee made by the Guarantor in favor of Agent
and for the benefit of the Lenders, in form and substance
reasonably satisfactory to Agent.
“ Hazardous
Materials ” means all explosive or radioactive substances
or wastes and all hazardous or toxic substances, wastes or other
pollutants, including petroleum or petroleum distillates, asbestos
or asbestos-containing materials, polychlorinated biphenyls, radon
gas, infectious or medical wastes and all other substances or
wastes of any nature regulated pursuant to any Environmental
Law.
“ Indebtedness
” means, as to any Person at a particular time, without
duplication, all of the following, whether or not included as
indebtedness or liabilities in accordance with GAAP:
(a) all obligations of such
Person for borrowed money and all obligations of such Person
evidenced by bonds, debentures, notes, loan agreements or other
similar instruments;
-7-
(b) all direct or contingent
obligations of such Person arising under letters of credit
(including standby and commercial), bankers’ acceptances,
bank guaranties, surety bonds and similar instruments;
(c) net obligations of such
Person under any Swap Contract, including without limitation any
foreign exchange obligations;
(d) all obligations of such
Person to pay the deferred purchase price of property or services
(other than trade accounts payable in the ordinary course of
business);
(e) indebtedness (excluding
prepaid interest thereon) secured by a Lien on property owned or
being purchased by such Person (including indebtedness arising
under conditional sales or other title retention agreements),
whether or not such indebtedness shall have been assumed by such
Person or is limited in recourse;
(f) capital
leases;
(g) all obligations of such
Person to purchase, redeem, retire, defease or otherwise make any
payment in respect of any Equity Interest in such Person or any
other Person, valued, in the case of a redeemable preferred
interest, at the greater of its voluntary or involuntary
liquidation preference plus accrued and unpaid dividends;
and
(h) all Guarantees of such
Person in respect of any of the foregoing.
For all purposes hereof, the
Indebtedness of any Person shall include the Indebtedness of any
partnership or joint venture (other than a joint venture that is
itself a corporation or limited liability company) in which such
Person is a general partner or a joint venturer, unless such
Indebtedness is expressly made non-recourse to such Person. The
amount of any net obligation under any Swap Contract on any date
shall be deemed to be the Swap Termination Value thereof as of such
date.
“ Indemnified
Taxes ” means Taxes other than Excluded Taxes.
“ Indemnitees
” has the meaning specified in Section 10.04(b)
.
“ Information
” has the meaning specified in Section 10.07
.
“ Interest Payment
Date ” means, (a) as to any Loan other than a Base
Rate Loan, the last day of each Interest Period applicable to such
Loan and the Maturity Date; provided , however , that
if any Interest Period for a Eurodollar Rate Loan exceeds three
months, the respective dates that fall every three months after the
beginning of such Interest Period shall also be Interest Payment
Dates; and (b) as to any Base Rate Loan (including a Swing
Line Loan), the last Business Day of each March, June, September
and December and the Maturity Date.
“ Interest
Period ” means, as to each Eurodollar Rate Loan, the
period commencing on the date such Eurodollar Rate Loan is
disbursed or converted to or continued as a Eurodollar Rate Loan
and ending on the date one, two, three or six months thereafter, as
selected by Borrower in its Committed Loan Notice; provided
that:
(a) any Interest Period that
would otherwise end on a day that is not a Business Day shall be
extended to the next succeeding Business Day unless such Business
Day falls in another calendar month, in which case such Interest
Period shall end on the next preceding Business Day;
(b) any Interest Period that
begins on the last Business Day of a calendar month (or on a day
for which there is no numerically corresponding day in the calendar
month at the end of such Interest Period) shall end on the last
Business Day of the calendar month at the end of such Interest
Period;
(c) no Interest Period shall
extend beyond the Maturity Date; and
(d) any such selection shall
be subject to availability.
-8-
“ Internal Control
Event ” means a material weakness in, or fraud that
involves management or other employees who have a significant role
in, Borrower’s internal controls over financial reporting, in
each case as described in the Securities Laws.
“ Investment
” means, as to any Person, any direct or indirect acquisition
or investment by such Person, whether by means of (a) the
purchase or other acquisition of capital stock or other securities
of another Person, (b) a loan, advance or capital contribution
to, Guarantee or assumption of debt of, or purchase or other
acquisition of any other debt or equity participation or interest
in, another Person, including any partnership or joint venture
interest in such other Person and any arrangement pursuant to which
the investor Guarantees Indebtedness of such other Person, or
(c) the purchase or other acquisition (in one transaction or a
series of transactions) of assets of another Person that constitute
a business unit. For purposes of covenant compliance, the amount of
any Investment shall be the amount actually invested, without
adjustment for subsequent increases or decreases in the value of
such Investment.
“ IRS ”
means the United States Internal Revenue Service.
“ ISP ”
means, with respect to any Letter of Credit, the
“International Standby Practices 1998” published by the
Institute of International Banking Law & Practice (or such
later version thereof as may be in effect at the time of
issuance).
“ Issuer
Documents ” means with respect to any Letter of Credit,
the L/C Application, and any other document, agreement and
instrument entered into by the L/C Issuer and Borrower (or any
Subsidiary) or in favor of the L/C Issuer and relating to such
Letter of Credit.
“ Keurig ”
means Keurig, Incorporated, a Delaware corporation.
“ Laws ”
means, collectively, all international, foreign, Federal, state and
local statutes, treaties, rules, guidelines, regulations,
ordinances, codes and administrative or judicial precedents or
authorities, including the interpretation or administration thereof
by any Governmental Authority charged with the enforcement,
interpretation or administration thereof, and all applicable
administrative orders, directed duties, requests, licenses,
authorizations and permits of, and agreements with, any
Governmental Authority, in each case whether or not having the
force of law.
“ L/C Advance
” means, with respect to each Lender, such Lender’s
funding of its participation in any L/C Borrowing in accordance
with its Applicable Percentage.
“ L/C
Application ” means an application and agreement for the
issuance or amendment of a Letter of Credit in the form from time
to time in use by the L/C Issuer.
“ L/C Borrowing
” means an extension of credit resulting from a drawing under
any Letter of Credit which has not been reimbursed on the date when
made or refinanced as a Committed Borrowing.
“ L/C Credit
Extension ” means, with respect to any Letter of Credit,
the issuance thereof or extension of the expiry date thereof, or
the increase of the amount thereof.
“ L/C Expiration
Date ” means the day that is five days prior to the
Maturity Date then in effect (or, if such day is not a Business
Day, the next preceding Business Day).
“ L/C Fee
” has the meaning specified in Section 2.03(i)
.
“ L/C Issuer
” means Bank of America in its capacity as issuer of Letters
of Credit hereunder, or any successor issuer of Letters of Credit
selected by the Borrower hereunder.
“ L/C
Obligations ” means, as at any date of determination, the
aggregate amount available to be drawn under all outstanding
Letters of Credit plus the aggregate of all Unreimbursed
Amounts, including all L/C Borrowings. For purposes of computing
the amount available to be drawn under any Letter of Credit, the
amount of such Letter of Credit shall be determined in accordance
with Section 1.06 . For all purposes of this Agreement,
if on any date of determination a Letter of Credit has expired by
its terms but any amount may still be drawn thereunder by reason of
the operation of Rule 3.14 of the ISP, such Letter of Credit shall
be deemed to be “outstanding” in the amount so
remaining available to be drawn.
-9-
“ L/C Sublimit
” means an amount equal to $10,000,000. The L/C Sublimit is
part of, and not in addition to, the Aggregate
Commitments.
“ Lender ”
has the meaning specified in the introductory paragraph hereto and,
as the context requires, includes Swing Line Lender.
“ Lending Office
” means, as to any Lender, the office or offices of such
Lender described as such in such Lender’s Administrative
Questionnaire, or such other office or offices as a Lender may from
time to time notify Borrower and Agent.
“ Letter of
Credit ” means any standby letter of credit issued
hereunder.
“ Lien ”
means any mortgage, pledge, hypothecation, assignment, deposit
arrangement, encumbrance, lien (statutory or other), charge, or
preference, priority or other security interest or preferential
arrangement in the nature of a security interest of any kind or
nature whatsoever (including any conditional sale or other title
retention agreement, any easement, right of way or other
encumbrance on title to real property, and any financing lease
having substantially the same economic effect as any of the
foregoing).
“ Loan ”
means an extension of credit by a Lender to Borrower under
Article II in the form of a Committed Loan or a Swing Line
Loan.
“ Loan Documents
” means this Agreement, each Note, each Issuer Document, the
Fee Letter, each Collateral Document, the Guaranty and the Omnibus
Amendment.
“ Loan Parties
” means, collectively, Borrower and each Person (other than
Agent, the L/C Issuer, Swing Line Lender, the Arranger or any
Lender) executing a Loan Document including, without limitation,
each Guarantor and each Person executing a Collateral
Document.
“ Material Adverse
Effect ” means (a) a material adverse change in, or
a material adverse effect upon, the business, operations, assets,
financial condition or results of operations of Borrower or
Borrower and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole; (b) a material
impairment of the ability of the Loan Parties to perform their
obligations under the Loan Documents; or (c) a material
adverse effect upon the legality, validity, binding effect or
enforceability against the Loan Parties of the Loan
Documents.
“ Maturity Date
” means December 3, 2012; provided ,
however , that if such date is not a Business Day, the
Maturity Date shall be the next preceding Business Day.
“ Merger ”
means the acquisition of Keurig by the Borrower pursuant to the
Merger Agreement.
“ Merger
Agreement ” means that certain merger agreement by and
among the Borrower, Keurig, Karma Merger Sub, Inc. and the
Securityholder Representative (as defined therein), dated as of
May 2, 2006.
“ Multiemployer
Plan ” means any employee benefit plan of the type
described in Section 4001(a)(3) of ERISA, to which Borrower or
any ERISA Affiliate makes or is obligated to make contributions, or
during the preceding five plan years, has made or been obligated to
make contributions.
“ Note ”
means an amended and restated promissory note made by Borrower in
favor of a Lender evidencing Loans made by such Lender,
substantially in the form of Exhibit C .
“ Obligations
” means all advances to, and debts, liabilities, obligations,
covenants and duties of, any Loan Party arising under any Loan
Document or otherwise with respect to any Loan or Letter of Credit,
whether direct or indirect (including those acquired by
assumption), absolute or contingent, due or to become due, now
existing or hereafter arising and including interest and fees that
accrue after the commencement by or against any Loan Party or any
Affiliate thereof of any proceeding under any Debtor Relief Laws
naming such Person as the debtor in such proceeding, regardless of
whether such interest and fees are allowed claims in such
proceeding. This term includes but is not limited to all principal,
interest, fees, obligations under or in respect of Swap Contracts,
foreign exchange obligations and treasury management
obligations.
-10-
“ Omnibus
Amendment ” means the Omnibus Amendment, dated the date
hereof, to each of the Collateral Documents and the
Guaranty.
“ Organization
Documents ” means, (a) with respect to any
corporation, the certificate or articles of incorporation and the
bylaws (or equivalent or comparable constitutive documents with
respect to any non-U.S. jurisdiction); (b) with respect to any
limited liability company, the certificate or articles of formation
or organization and operating agreement; and (c) with respect
to any partnership, joint venture, trust or other form of business
entity, the partnership, joint venture or other applicable
agreement of formation or organization and any agreement,
instrument, filing or notice with respect thereto filed in
connection with its formation or organization with the applicable
Governmental Authority in the jurisdiction of its formation or
organization and, if applicable, any certificate or articles of
formation or organization of such entity.
“ Original Credit
Agreement ” means the Revolving Credit Agreement, dated
as of June 15, 2006, among Green Mountain Coffee Roasters,
Inc., the Subsidiaries of the Borrower as Guarantors, each lender
from time to time party thereto, Bank of America, N.A., as
Administrative Agent, Swing Line Lender and L/C Issuer, Banc of
America Securities LLC, as sole Lead Arranger and sole book
manager, Sovereign Bank, as Syndication Agent, and TD Banknorth,
N.A., as Documentation Agent.
“ Other Taxes
” means all present or future stamp, intangible or
documentary taxes or any other excise or property taxes, charges or
similar levies arising from any payment made hereunder or under any
other Loan Document or from the execution, delivery or enforcement
of, or otherwise with respect to, this Agreement or any other Loan
Document.
“ Outstanding
Amount ” means (i) with respect to Committed Loans
and Swing Line Loans on any date, the aggregate outstanding
principal amount thereof after giving effect to any borrowings and
prepayments or repayments of Committed Loans and Swing Line Loans,
as the case may be, occurring on such date; and (ii) with
respect to any L/C Obligations on any date, the amount of such L/C
Obligations on such date after giving effect to any L/C Credit
Extension occurring on such date and any other changes in the
aggregate amount of the L/C Obligations as of such date, including
as a result of any reimbursements by Borrower of Unreimbursed
Amounts.
“ Participant
” has the meaning specified in Section 10.06(d)
.
“ PBGC ”
means the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation.
“ PCAOB ”
means the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board.
“ Pension Plan
” means any “employee pension benefit plan” (as
such term is defined in Section 3(2) of ERISA), other than a
Multiemployer Plan, that is subject to Title IV of ERISA and is
sponsored or maintained by Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate or to
which Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate contributes or has an
obligation to contribute, or in the case of a multiple employer or
other plan described in Section 4064(a) of ERISA, has made
contributions at any time during the immediately preceding five
plan years.
“ Permitted
Acquisition ” means any acquisition by the Borrower that
or in which: (i) the stock or assets of a Person engaged in a
business permitted by Section 7.07 is acquired by the
Borrower; (ii) the properties and assets so acquired by the
Borrower are free from all Liens, other than Liens permitted by
Section 7.01 ; (iii) the Agent, on behalf of and
for the benefit of the Lenders, shall have a valid, perfected,
first-priority security interest in substantially all of the
properties and assets being so acquired; (iv) immediately
prior to, and after giving effect to such acquisition, no Default
or Event of Default shall exist; (v) immediately prior to such
acquisition, the Agent shall have received computations from the
Borrower (based upon a Compliance Certificate) showing pro
forma compliance as of the date of, and after giving effect
to, such acquisition with the financial covenants set forth in
Section 6.12 ; (vi) the acquisition is
“friendly” or non-hostile in nature; and (vii) the
total purchase price for such acquisition, taken together with the
purchase price for other acquisitions completed in such fiscal
year, shall not exceed $25,000,000 plus the then available Build-up
Basket, unless otherwise approved by the Required Lenders.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, clause (vii) above shall not be
a requirement for any acquisition if the pro forma Funded Debt to
Adjusted EBITDA Ratio as of the date of, and after giving effect
to, such acquisition is less than 2:00:1.00 (based upon a
Compliance Certificate).
“ Person ”
means any natural person, corporation, limited liability company,
trust, joint venture, association, company, partnership,
Governmental Authority or other entity.
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“ Plan ”
means any “employee benefit plan” (as such term is
defined in Section 3(3) of ERISA) established by Borrower or,
with respect to any such plan that is subject to Section 412
of the Code or Title IV of ERISA, any ERISA Affiliate.
“ Platform
” has the meaning specified in Section 6.02
.
“ Pledge
Agreement ” means the Pledge Agreement, dated as of the
date hereof, among the Borrower, the Guarantors and the
Administrative Agent pursuant to which the Borrower and the
Guarantors pledge (and any future Subsidiaries shall pledge) all of
the stock of the Guarantors to the Administrative Agent for the
benefit of the Lenders, as such agreement may be further amended,
modified, or supplemented from time to time.
“ Register
” has the meaning specified in Section 10.06(c)
.
“ Registered Public
Accounting Firm ” has the meaning specified in the
Securities Laws and shall be independent of Borrower as prescribed
by the Securities Laws.
“ Related
Parties ” means, with respect to any Person, such
Person’s Affiliates and the partners, directors, officers,
employees, agents and advisors of such Person and of such
Person’s Affiliates.
“ Reportable
Event ” means any of the events set forth in
Section 4043(c) of ERISA, other than events for which the 30
day notice period has been waived.
“ Request for Credit
Extension ” means (a) with respect to a Borrowing,
conversion or continuation of Committed Loans, a Committed Loan
Notice, (b) with respect to an L/C Credit Extension, a L/C
Application, and (c) with respect to a Swing Line Loan, a
Swing Line Loan Notice.
“ Required
Lenders ” means, as of any date of determination, Lenders
having more than 50% of the Aggregate Commitments or, if the
commitment of each Lender to make Loans and the obligation of the
L/C Issuer to make L/C Credit Extensions have been terminated
pursuant to Section 8.02 , Lenders holding in the
aggregate more than 50% of the Total Outstandings (with the
aggregate amount of each Lender’s risk participation and
funded participation in L/C Obligations and Swing Line Loans being
deemed “held” by such Lender for purposes of this
definition); provided that the Commitment of, and the
portion of the Total Outstandings held or deemed held by, any
Defaulting Lender shall be excluded for purposes of making a
determination of Required Lenders.
“ Responsible
Officer ” means the chief executive officer, president,
chief financial officer, treasurer and, solely for purposes of
notices given pursuant to Article II , any other officer or
employee of the applicable Loan Party so designated by any of the
foregoing officers in a notice to Agent. Any document delivered
hereunder that is signed by a Responsible Officer of a Loan Party
shall be conclusively presumed to have been authorized by all
necessary corporate, partnership and/or other action on the part of
such Loan Party and such Responsible Officer shall be conclusively
presumed to have acted on behalf of such Loan Party.
“ Restricted
Payment ” means any dividend or other distribution
(whether in cash, securities or other property) with respect to any
capital stock or other Equity Interest of Borrower or any
Subsidiary, or any payment (whether in cash, securities or other
property), including any sinking fund or similar deposit, on
account of the purchase, redemption, retirement, acquisition,
cancellation or termination of any such capital stock or other
Equity Interest or on account of any return of capital to
Borrower’s stockholders, partners or members (or the
equivalent Person thereof).
“ Sarbanes-Oxley
” means the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
“ SEC ”
means the Securities and Exchange Commission, or any Governmental
Authority succeeding to any of its principal functions.
“ Securities
Laws ” means the Securities Act of 1933, the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, Sarbanes-Oxley and the applicable accounting
and auditing principles, rules, standards and practices
promulgated, approved or incorporated by the SEC or the
PCAOB.
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“ Subsidiary
” of a Person means a corporation, partnership, joint
venture, limited liability company or other business entity of
which a majority of the shares of securities or other interests
having ordinary voting power for the election of directors or other
governing body (other than securities or interests having such
power only by reason of the happening of a contingency) are at the
time beneficially owned, or the management of which is otherwise
controlled, directly, or indirectly through one or more
intermediaries, or both, by such Person. Unless otherwise
specified, all references herein to a “Subsidiary” or
to “Subsidiaries” shall refer to a Subsidiary or
Subsidiaries of Borrower.
“ Swap Contract
” means (a) any and all rate swap transactions, basis
swaps, credit derivative transactions, forward rate transactions,
commodity swaps, commodity options, forward commodity contracts,
equity or equity index swaps or options, bond or bond price or bond
index swaps or options or forward bond or forward bond price or
forward bond index transactions, interest rate options, forward
foreign exchange transactions, cap transactions, floor
transactions, collar transactions, currency swap transactions,
cross-currency rate swap transactions, currency options, spot
contracts, or any other similar transactions or any combination of
any of the foregoing (including any options to enter into any of
the foregoing), whether or not any such transaction is governed by
or subject to any master agreement, and (b) any and all
transactions of any kind, and the related confirmations, which are
subject to the terms and conditions of, or governed by, any form of
master agreement published by the International Swaps and
Derivatives Association, Inc., any International Foreign Exchange
Master Agreement, or any other master agreement (any such master
agreement, together with any related schedules, a “ Master
Agreement ”), including any such obligations or
liabilities under any Master Agreement.
“ Swap Termination
Value ” means, in respect of any one or more Swap
Contracts, after taking into account the effect of any legally
enforceable netting agreement relating to such Swap Contracts,
(a) for any date on or after the date such Swap Contracts have
been closed out and termination value(s) determined in accordance
therewith, such termination value(s), and (b) for any date
prior to the date referenced in clause (a), the amount(s)
determined as the mark-to-market value(s) for such Swap Contracts,
as determined based upon one or more mid-market or other readily
available quotations provided by any recognized dealer in such Swap
Contracts (which may include a Lender or any Affiliate of a
Lender).
“ Swing Line
” means the revolving credit facility made available by Swing
Line Lender pursuant to Section 2.04 .
“ Swing Line
Borrowing ” means a borrowing of a Swing Line Loan
pursuant to Section 2.04 .
“ Swing Line
Lender ” means Bank of America in its capacity as
provider of Swing Line Loans, or any successor swing line lender
hereunder.
“ Swing Line
Loan ” has the meaning specified in
Section 2.04(a) .
“ Swing Line Loan
Notice ” means a notice of a Swing Line Borrowing
pursuant to Section 2.04(b) , which, if in writing,
shall be substantially in the form of Exhibit B .
“ Swing Line
Sublimit ” means an amount equal to the lesser of
(a) $10,000,000 and (b) the Aggregate Commitments. The
Swing Line Sublimit is part of, and not in addition to, the
Aggregate Commitments.
“ Syndication
Agent ” means Sovereign Bank, in its capacity as
syndication agent.
“ Taxes ”
means all present or future taxes, levies, imposts, duties,
deductions, withholdings, assessments, fees or other charges
imposed by any Governmental Authority, including any interest,
additions to tax or penalties applicable thereto.
“ Threshold
Amount ” means Three Million Dollars
($3,000,000).
“ Total
Liabilities ” means the sum of current liabilities plus
long term liabilities.
“ Total
Outstandings ” means the aggregate Outstanding Amount of
all Loans and all L/C Obligations.
“ Transaction
Documents ” means the Loan Documents and the Acquisition
Documents.
“ Type ”
means, with respect to a Committed Loan, its character as a Base
Rate Loan or a Eurodollar Rate Loan.
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“ Unfinanced Capital
Expenditures ” means all capital expenditures except:
(1) capital expenditures financed using capital leases or
purchase money obligations; (2) capital expenditures financed
using proceeds from dispositions permitted under Sections
7.05(a) or 7.05(c) (to the extent such proceeds were not
included in the calculation of Adjusted EBITDA); or
(3) capital expenditures financed using insurance and/or
condemnation proceeds of replaced assets (to the extent such
proceeds were not included in the calculation of Adjusted
EBITDA).
“ Unfunded Pension
Liability ” means the excess of a Pension Plan’s
benefit liabilities under Section 4001(a)(16) of ERISA, over
the current value of that Pension Plan’s assets, determined
in accordance with the assumptions used for funding the Pension
Plan pursuant to Section 412 of the Code for the applicable
plan year.
“ United States
” and “ U.S. ” mean the United States of
America.
“ Unreimbursed
Amount ” has the meaning specified in
Section 2.03(c)(i) .
| |
1.02 |
Other Interpretive Provisions |
With reference to this
Agreement and each other Loan Document, unless otherwise specified
herein or in such other Loan Document:
(a) The definitions of terms
herein shall apply equally to the singular and plural forms of the
terms defined. Whenever the context may require, any pronoun shall
include the corresponding masculine, feminine and neuter forms. The
words “ include ,” “ includes
” and “ including ” shall be deemed to be
followed by the phrase “without limitation.” The word
“ will ” shall be construed to have the same
meaning and effect as the word “ shall .” Unless
the context requires otherwise, (i) any definition of or
reference to any agreement, instrument or other document (including
any Organization Document) shall be construed as referring to such
agreement, instrument or other document as from time to time
amended, supplemented or otherwise modified (subject to any
restrictions on such amendments, supplements or modifications set
forth herein or in any other Loan Document), (ii) any
reference herein to any Person shall be construed to include such
Person’s successors and assigns, (iii) the words “
herein ,” “ hereof ” and “
hereunder ,” and words of similar import when used in
any Loan Document, shall be construed to refer to such Loan
Document in its entirety and not to any particular provision
thereof, (iv) all references in a Loan Document to Articles,
Sections, Exhibits and Schedules shall be construed to refer to
Articles and Sections of, and Exhibits and Schedules to, the Loan
Document in which such references appear, (v) any reference to
any law shall include all statutory and regulatory provisions
consolidating, amending, replacing or interpreting such law and any
reference to any law or regulation shall, unless otherwise
specified, refer to such law or regulation as amended, modified or
supplemented from time to time, and (vi) the words “
asset ” and “ property ” shall be
construed to have the same meaning and effect and to refer to any
and all tangible and intangible assets and properties, including
cash, securities, accounts and contract rights.
(b) In the computation of
periods of time from a specified date to a later specified date,
the word “ from ” means “ from and
including ;” the words “ to ” and
“ until ” each mean “ to but
excluding ;” and the word “ through ”
means “ to and including .”
(c) Section headings herein
and in the other Loan Documents are included for convenience of
reference only and shall not affect the interpretation of this
Agreement or any other Loan Document.
(a) Generally . All
accounting terms not specifically or completely defined herein
shall be construed in conformity with, and all financial data
(including financial ratios and other financial calculations)
required to be submitted pursuant to this Agreement shall be
prepared in conformity with, GAAP applied on a consistent basis, as
in effect from time to time, applied in a manner consistent with
that used in preparing the Audited Financial Statements, except as
otherwise specifically prescribed herein.
(b) Changes in GAAP .
If at any time any change in GAAP would affect the computation of
any financial ratio or requirement set forth in any Loan Document,
and either Borrower or the Required Lenders shall so request,
Agent, Lenders and Borrower shall negotiate in good faith to amend
such ratio or requirement to preserve the
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original intent thereof in
light of such change in GAAP (subject to the approval of the
Required Lenders); provided that , until so amended,
(i) such ratio or requirement shall continue to be computed in
accordance with GAAP prior to such change therein and
(ii) Borrower shall provide to Agent and Lenders financial
statements and other documents required under this Agreement or as
reasonably requested hereunder setting forth a reconciliation
between calculations of such ratio or requirement made before and
after giving effect to such change in GAAP.
(c) Consolidation of
Variable Interest Entities . All references herein to
consolidated financial statements of Borrower and its Subsidiaries
or to the determination of any amount for Borrower and its
Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis or any similar reference
shall, in each case, be deemed to include each variable interest
entity that Borrower is required to consolidate pursuant to FASB
Interpretation No. 46 – Consolidation of Variable
Interest Entities: an interpretation of ARB No. 51 (January
2003) as if such variable interest entity were a Subsidiary as
defined herein.
Any financial ratios required
to be maintained by Borrower pursuant to this Agreement shall be
calculated by dividing the appropriate component by the other
component, carrying the result to one place more than the number of
places by which such ratio is expressed herein and rounding the
result up or down to the nearest number (with a rounding-up if
there is no nearest number).
Unless otherwise specified,
all references herein to times of day shall be references to
Eastern time (daylight or standard, as applicable).
| |
1.06 |
Letter of Credit Amounts |
Unless otherwise specified
herein the amount of a Letter of Credit at any time shall be deemed
to be the stated amount of such Letter of Credit in effect at such
time; provided , however , that with respect to any
Letter of Credit that, by its terms or the terms of any Issuer
Document related thereto, provides for one or more automatic
increases in the stated amount thereof, the amount of such Letter
of Credit shall be deemed to be the maximum stated amount of such
Letter of Credit after giving effect to all such increases, whether
or not such maximum stated amount is in effect at such
time.
| ARTICLE II. |
THE COMMITMENTS AND CREDIT EXTENSIONS |
Subject to the terms and
conditions set forth herein, each Lender severally agrees to make
loans (each such loan, a “ Committed Loan ”) to
Borrower from time to time, on any Business Day during the
Availability Period, in an aggregate amount not to exceed at any
time outstanding the amount of such Lender’s Commitment;
provided , however , that after giving effect to any
Committed Borrowing, (i) the Total Outstandings shall not
exceed the Aggregate Commitments, and (ii) the aggregate
Outstanding Amount of the Committed Loans of any Lender,
plus such Lender’s Applicable Percentage of the
Outstanding Amount of all L/C Obligations, plus such
Lender’s Applicable Percentage of the Outstanding Amount of
all Swing Line Loans shall not exceed such Lender’s
Commitment. Within the limits of each Lender’s Commitment,
and subject to the other terms and conditions hereof, Borrower may
borrow under this Section 2.01 , prepay under
Section 2.05 , and reborrow under this
Section 2.01 . Committed Loans may be Base Rate Loans
or Eurodollar Rate Loans, as further provided herein.
| |
2.02 |
Borrowings, Conversions and Continuations of Committed
Loans |
(a) Each Committed Borrowing,
each conversion of Committed Loans from one Type to the other, and
each continuation of Eurodollar Rate Loans shall be made upon
Borrower’s irrevocable notice to Agent, which may be given by
telephone. Each such notice must be received by Agent not later
than 12:00 noon (i) three Business Days prior to the requested
date of any Borrowing of, conversion to or continuation of
Eurodollar Rate Loans or of any conversion of Eurodollar Rate Loans
to Base Rate Committed Loans, and (ii) on the requested date
of any Borrowing of Base Rate Committed Loans. Each telephonic
notice by Borrower pursuant to this Section 2.02(a)
must be
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confirmed promptly by
delivery to Agent of a written Committed Loan Notice, appropriately
completed and signed by a Responsible Officer of Borrower. Each
Borrowing of, conversion to or continuation of Eurodollar Rate
Loans shall be in a principal amount of $1,000,000 or a whole
multiple of $100,000 in excess thereof. Except as provided in
Sections 2.03(c) and 2.04(c) , each Borrowing of or
conversion to Base Rate Committed Loans shall be in a principal
amount of $250,000 or a whole multiple of $50,000 in excess
thereof. Each Committed Loan Notice (whether telephonic or written)
shall specify (i) whether Borrower is requesting a Committed
Borrowing, a conversion of Committed Loans from one Type to the
other, or a continuation of Eurodollar Rate Loans, (ii) the
requested date of the Borrowing, conversion or continuation, as the
case may be (which shall be a Business Day), (iii) the
principal amount of Committed Loans to be borrowed, converted or
continued, (iv) the Type of Committed Loans to be borrowed or
to which existing Committed Loans are to be converted, and
(v) if applicable, the duration of the Interest Period with
respect thereto. If Borrower fails to specify a Type of Committed
Loan in a Committed Loan Notice or if Borrower fails to give a
timely notice requesting a conversion or continuation, then the
applicable Committed Loans shall be made as, or converted to, Base
Rate Loans. Any such automatic conversion to Base Rate Loans shall
be effective as of the last day of the Interest Period then in
effect with respect to the applicable Eurodollar Rate Loans. If
Borrower requests a Borrowing of, conversion to, or continuation of
Eurodollar Rate Loans in any such Committed Loan Notice, but fails
to specify an Interest Period, it will be deemed to have specified
an Interest Period of one month.
(b) Following receipt of a
Committed Loan Notice, Agent shall promptly notify each Lender of
the amount of its Applicable Percentage of the applicable Committed
Loans, and if no timely notice of a conversion or continuation is
provided by Borrower, Agent shall notify each Lender of the details
of any automatic conversion to Base Rate Loans described in the
preceding subsection. In the case of a Committed Borrowing, each
Lender shall make the amount of its Committed Loan available to
Agent in immediately available funds at Administrative
Agent’s Office not later than 1:00 p.m. on the Business Day
specified in the applicable Committed Loan Notice. Upon
satisfaction of the applicable conditions set forth in
Section 4.02 (and, if such Borrowing is the initial
Credit Extension, Section 4.01 ), Agent shall make all
funds so received available to Borrower in like funds as received
by Agent either by (i) crediting the account of Borrower on
the books of Bank of America with the amount of such funds or
(ii) wire transfer of such funds, in each case in accordance
with instructions provided to (and reasonably acceptable to) Agent
by Borrower; provided , however , that if, on the
date the Committed Loan Notice with respect to such Borrowing is
given by Borrower, there are L/C Borrowings outstanding, then the
proceeds of such Borrowing first , shall be applied, to the
payment in full of any such L/C Borrowings, and second ,
shall be made available to Borrower as provided above.
(c) Except as otherwise
provided herein, a Eurodollar Rate Loan may be continued or
converted only on the last day of an Interest Period for such
Eurodollar Rate Loan. During the existence of a Default, no Loans
may be requested as, converted to or continued as Eurodollar Rate
Loans without the consent of the Required Lenders, it being
understood that any such Eurodollar Rate Loan shall automatically
be converted to a Base Rate Loan upon the expiration of the then
applicable Interest Period.
(d) Agent shall promptly
notify Borrower and Lenders of the interest rate applicable to any
Interest Period for Eurodollar Rate Loans upon determination of
such interest rate.
(e) After giving effect to
all Committed Borrowings, all conversions of Committed Loans from
one Type to the other, and all continuations of Committed Loans as
the same Type, there shall not be more than ten (10) Interest
Periods in effect with respect to Committed Loans.
(a) The Letter of Credit
Commitment.
(i) Subject to the terms and
conditions set forth herein, (A) the L/C Issuer agrees, in
reliance upon the agreements of the other Lenders set forth in this
Section 2.03 , (1) from time to time on any
Business Day during the period from the Closing Date until the L/C
Expiration Date, to issue Letters of Credit for the account of
Borrower or its Subsidiaries, and to amend or extend Letters of
Credit previously issued by it, in accordance with subsection
(b) below, and (2) to honor drawings under the Letters of
Credit; and (B) the Lenders severally agree to participate in
Letters of Credit issued for the account of Borrower or its
Subsidiaries and any drawings thereunder; provided that
after giving effect to any L/C Credit Extension with respect to any
Letter of Credit, (x) the Total Outstandings shall not exceed
the Aggregate Commitments, (y)
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the aggregate Outstanding
Amount of the Committed Loans of any Lender, plus such
Lender’s Applicable Percentage of the Outstanding Amount of
all L/C Obligations, plus such Lender’s Applicable
Percentage of the Outstanding Amount of all Swing Line Loans shall
not exceed such Lender’s Commitment, or (z) the
Outstanding Amount of the L/C Obligations shall not exceed the L/C
Sublimit. Each request by Borrower for the issuance or amendment of
a Letter of Credit shall be deemed to be a representation by
Borrower that the L/C Credit Extension so requested complies with
the conditions set forth in the proviso to the preceding sentence.
Within the foregoing limits, and subject to the terms and
conditions hereof, Borrower’s ability to obtain Letters of
Credit shall be fully revolving, and accordingly Borrower may,
during the foregoing period, obtain Letters of Credit to replace
Letters of Credit that have expired or that have been drawn upon
and reimbursed.
(ii) The L/C Issuer shall not
issue any Letter of Credit, if:
(A) subject to
Section 2.03(b)(iv) , the expiration date of such
requested Letter of Credit would occur more than twelve months
after the date of issuance or last extension, unless the Required
Lenders have approved such expiry date; or
(B) the expiry date of such
requested Letter of Credit would occur after the L/C Expiration
Date, unless all the Lenders have approved such expiry
date.
(iii) The L/C Issuer shall be
under no obligation to issue any Letter of Credit if:
(A) any order, judgment or
decree of any Governmental Authority or arbitrator shall by its
terms purport to enjoin or restrain the L/C Issuer from issuing
such Letter of Credit, or any Law applicable to the L/C Issuer or
any request or directive (whether or not having the force of law)
from any Governmental Authority with jurisdiction over the L/C
Issuer shall prohibit, or request that the L/C Issuer refrain from,
the issuance of letters of credit generally or such Letter of
Credit in particular or shall impose upon the L/C Issuer with
respect to such Letter of Credit any restriction, reserve or
capital requirement (for which the L/C Issuer is not otherwise
compensated hereunder) not in effect on the Closing Date, or shall
impose upon the L/C Issuer any unreimbursed loss, cost or expense
which was not applicable on the Closing Date and which the L/C
Issuer in good faith deems material to it;
(B) the issuance of such
Letter of Credit would violate one or more policies of the L/C
Issuer applicable to letters of credit generally;
(C) except as otherwise
agreed by Agent and the L/C Issuer, such Letter of Credit is in an
initial stated amount less than $500,000, in the case of a standby
Letter of Credit;
(D) such Letter of Credit is
to be denominated in a currency other than Dollars;
(E) a default of any
Lender’s obligations to fund under
Section 2.03(c) exists or any Lender is at such time a
Defaulting Lender hereunder, unless the L/C Issuer has entered into
satisfactory arrangements with Borrower or such Lender to eliminate
the L/C Issuer’s risk with respect to such Lender;
or
(F) unless specifically
provided for in this Agreement, such Letter of Credit contains any
provisions for automatic reinstatement of the stated amount after
any drawing thereunder.
(iv) The L/C Issuer shall not
amend any Letter of Credit if the L/C Issuer would not be permitted
at such time to issue such Letter of Credit in its amended form
under the terms hereof.
(v) The L/C Issuer shall be
under no obligation to amend any Letter of Credit if (A) the
L/C Issuer would have no obligation at such time to issue such
Letter of Credit in its amended form under the terms hereof, or
(B) the beneficiary of such Letter of Credit does not accept
the proposed amendment to such Letter of Credit.
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(vi) The L/C Issuer shall act
on behalf of the Lenders with respect to any Letters of Credit
issued by it and the documents associated therewith, and the L/C
Issuer shall have all of the benefits and immunities
(A) provided to Agent in Article IX with respect
to any acts taken or omissions suffered by the L/C Issuer in
connection with Letters of Credit issued by it or proposed to be
issued by it and Issuer Documents pertaining to such Letters of
Credit as fully as if the term “ Administrative Agent
” or “ Agent ” as used in Article
IX included the L/C Issuer with respect to such acts or
omissions, and (B) as additionally provided herein with
respect to the L/C Issuer.
(b) Procedures for
Issuance and Amendment of Letters of Credit; Auto-Extension Letters
of Credit .
(i) Each Letter of Credit
shall be issued or amended, as the case may be, upon the request of
Borrower delivered to the L/C Issuer (with a copy to Agent) in the
form of a L/C Application, appropriately completed and signed by a
Responsible Officer of Borrower. Such L/C Application must be
received by the L/C Issuer and Agent not later than 12:00 noon at
least two Business Days (or such later date and time as Agent and
the L/C Issuer may agree in a particular instance in their sole
discretion) prior to the proposed issuance date or date of
amendment, as the case may be. In the case of a request for an
initial issuance of a Letter of Credit, such L/C Application shall
specify in form and detail reasonably satisfactory to the L/C
Issuer: (A) the proposed issuance date of the requested Letter
of Credit (which shall be a Business Day); (B) the amount
thereof; (C) the expiry date thereof; (D) the name and
address of the beneficiary thereof; (E) the documents to be
presented by such beneficiary in case of any drawing thereunder;
(F) the full text of any certificate to be presented by such
beneficiary in case of any drawing thereunder; and (G) such
other matters as the L/C Issuer may reasonably require. In the case
of a request for an amendment of any outstanding Letter of Credit,
such L/C Application shall specify in form and detail reasonably
satisfactory to the L/C Issuer (W) the Letter of Credit to be
amended; (X) the proposed date of amendment thereof (which
shall be a Business Day); (Y) the nature of the proposed
amendment; and (Z) such other matters as the L/C Issuer may
require. Additionally, Borrower shall furnish to the L/C Issuer and
Agent such other documents and information pertaining to such
requested Letter of Credit issuance or amendment, including any
Issuer Documents, as the L/C Issuer or Agent may reasonably
require.
(ii) Promptly after receipt
of any L/C Application at the address set forth in
Section 10.02 for receiving L/C Applications and
related correspondence, the L/C Issuer will confirm with Agent (by
telephone or in writing) that Agent has received a copy of such L/C
Application from Borrower and, if not, the L/C Issuer will provide
Agent with a copy thereof. Unless the L/C Issuer has received
written notice from any Lender, Agent or any Loan Party, at least
one Business Day prior to the requested date of issuance or
amendment of the applicable Letter of Credit, that one or more
applicable conditions in Article IV shall not then be
satisfied, then, subject to the terms and conditions hereof, the
L/C Issuer shall, on the requested date, issue a Letter of Credit
for the account of Borrower (or the applicable Subsidiary) or enter
into the applicable amendment, as the case may be, in each case in
accordance with the L/C Issuer’s usual and customary business
practices. Immediately upon the issuance of each Letter of Credit,
each Lender shall be deemed to, and hereby irrevocably and
unconditionally agrees to, purchase from the L/C Issuer a risk
participation in such Letter of Credit in an amount equal to the
product of such Lender’s Applicable Percentage times
the amount of such Letter of Credit.
(iii) Promptly after its
delivery of any Letter of Credit or any amendment to a Letter of
Credit to an advising bank with respect thereto or to the
beneficiary thereof, the L/C Issuer will also deliver to Borrower
and Agent a true and complete copy of such Letter of Credit or
amendment.
(iv) If Borrower so requests
in any applicable L/C Application, the L/C Issuer may, in its sole
and absolute discretion, agree to issue a Letter of Credit that has
automatic extension provisions (each, an “ Auto-Extension
Letter of Credit ”); provided that any such
Auto-Extension Letter of Credit must permit the L/C Issuer to
prevent any such extension at least once in each twelve-month
period (commencing with the date of issuance of such Letter of
Credit) by giving prior notice to the beneficiary thereof not later
than a day (the “ Non-Extension Notice Date ”)
in each such twelve-month period to be agreed upon at the time such
Letter of
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Credit is issued. Unless
otherwise directed by the L/C Issuer, Borrower shall not be
required to make a specific request to the L/C Issuer for any such
extension. Once an Auto-Extension Letter of Credit has been issued,
the Lenders shall be deemed to have authorized (but may not
require) the L/C Issuer to permit the extension of such Letter of
Credit at any time to an expiry date not later than the L/C
Expiration Date; provided , however , that the L/C
Issuer shall not permit any such extension if (A) the L/C
Issuer has determined that it would not be permitted, or would have
no obligation, at such time to issue such Letter of Credit in its
revised form (as extended) under the terms hereof (by reason of the
provisions of clause (ii) or (iii) of
Section 2.03(a) or otherwise), or (B) it has
received notice (which may be by telephone or in writing) on or
before the day that is five Business Days before the Non-Extension
Notice Date (1) from Agent that the Required Lenders have
elected not to permit such extension or (2) from Agent, any
Lender or Borrower that one or more of the applicable conditions
specified in Section 4.02 is not then satisfied, and in
each such case directing the L/C Issuer not to permit such
extension.
(v) If Borrower so requests
in any applicable L/C Application, the L/C Issuer may, in its sole
and absolute discretion, agree to issue a Letter of Credit that
permits the automatic reinstatement of all or a portion of the
stated amount thereof after any drawing thereunder (each, an
“ Auto-Reinstatement Letter of Credit ”). Unless
otherwise directed by the L/C Issuer, Borrower shall not be
required to make a specific request to the L/C Issuer to permit
such reinstatement. Once an Auto-Reinstatement Letter of Credit has
been issued, except as provided in the following sentence, the
Lenders shall be deemed to have authorized (but may not require)
the L/C Issuer to reinstate all or a portion of the stated amount
thereof in accordance with the provisions of such Letter of Credit.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, if such Auto-Reinstatement Letter of
Credit permits the L/C Issuer to decline to reinstate all or any
portion of the stated amount thereof after a drawing thereunder by
giving notice of such non-reinstatement within a specified number
of days after such drawing (the “ Non-Reinstatement
Deadline ”), the L/C Issuer shall not permit such
reinstatement if it has received a notice (which may be by
telephone or in writing) on or before the day that is five Business
Days before the Non-Reinstatement Deadline (A) from Agent that
the Required Lenders have elected not to permit such reinstatement
or (B) from Agent, any Lender or Borrower that one or more of
the applicable conditions specified in Section 4.02 is
not then satisfied (treating such reinstatement as an L/C Credit
Extension for purposes of this clause) and, in each case, directing
the L/C Issuer not to permit such reinstatement.
(c) Drawings and
Reimbursements; Funding of Participations .
(i) Upon receipt from the
beneficiary of any Letter of Credit of any notice of a drawing
under such Letter of Credit, the L/C Issuer shall notify Borrower
and Agent thereof. Not later than 11:00 a.m. on the date of any
payment by the L/C Issuer under a Letter of Credit (each such date,
an “ Honor Date ”), Borrower shall reimburse the
L/C Issuer through Agent in an amount equal to the amount of such
drawing. If Borrower fails to so reimburse the L/C Issuer by such
time, Agent shall promptly notify each Lender of the Honor Date,
the amount of the unreimbursed drawing (the “ Unreimbursed
Amount ”), and the amount of such Lender’s
Applicable Percentage thereof. In such event, Borrower shall be
deemed to have requested a Committed Borrowing of Base Rate Loans
to be disbursed on the Honor Date in an amount equal to the
Unreimbursed Amount, without regard to the minimum and multiples
specified in Section 2.02 for the principal amount of
Base Rate Loans, but subject to the amount of the unutilized
portion of the Aggregate Commitments and the conditions set forth
in Section 4.02 (other than the delivery of a Committed
Loan Notice). Any notice given by the L/C Issuer or Agent pursuant
to this Section 2.03(c)(i) may be given by telephone if
immediately confirmed in writing; provided that the lack of
such an immediate confirmation shall not affect the conclusiveness
or binding effect of such notice.
(ii) Each Lender shall upon
any notice pursuant to Section 2.03(c)(i) make funds
available to Agent for the account of the L/C Issuer at the
Administrative Agent’s Office in an amount equal to its
Applicable Percentage of the Unreimbursed Amount not later than
1:00 p.m. on the Business Day specified in such notice by Agent,
whereupon, subject to the provisions of
Section 2.03(c)(iii) , each Lender that so makes funds
available shall be deemed to have made a Base Rate Committed Loan
to Borrower in such amount. Agent shall remit the funds so received
to the L/C Issuer.
(iii) With respect to any
Unreimbursed Amount that is not fully refinanced by a Committed
Borrowing of Base Rate Loans because the conditions set forth in
Section 4.02 cannot be satisfied or for any
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other reason, Borrower shall
be deemed to have incurred from the L/C Issuer an L/C Borrowing in
the amount of the Unreimbursed Amount that is not so refinanced,
which L/C Borrowing shall be due and payable on demand (together
with interest) and shall bear interest at the Default Rate. In such
event, each Lender’s payment to Agent for the account of the
L/C Issuer pursuant to Section 2.03(c)(ii) shall be
deemed payment in respect of its participation in such L/C
Borrowing and shall constitute an L/C Advance from such Lender in
satisfaction of its participation obligation under this
Section 2.03 .
(iv) Until each Lender funds
its Committed Loan or L/C Advance pursuant to this
Section 2.03(c) to reimburse the L/C Issuer for any
amount drawn under any Letter of Credit, interest in respect of
such Lender’s Applicable Percentage of such amount shall be
solely for the account of the L/C Issuer.
(v) Each Lender’s
obligation to make Committed Loans or L/C Advances to reimburse the
L/C Issuer for amounts drawn under Letters of Credit, as
contemplated by this Section 2.03(c) , shall be
absolute and unconditional and shall not be affected by any
circumstance, including (A) any setoff, counterclaim,
recoupment, defense or other right which such Lender may have
against the L/C Issuer, Borrower or any other Person for any reason
whatsoever; (B) the occurrence or continuance of a Default, or
(C) any other occurrence, event or condition, whether or not
similar to any of the foregoing; provided , however ,
that each Lender’s obligation to make Committed Loans
pursuant to this Section 2.03(c) is subject to the
conditions set forth in Section 4.02 (other than
delivery by Borrower of a Committed Loan Notice). No such making of
an L/C Advance shall relieve or otherwise impair the obligation of
Borrower to reimburse the L/C Issuer for the amount of any payment
made by the L/C Issuer under any Letter of Credit, together with
interest as provided herein.
(vi) If any Lender fails to
make available to Agent for the account of the L/C Issuer any
amount required to be paid by such Lender pursuant to the foregoing
provisions of this Section 2.03(c) by the time
specified in Section 2.03(c)(ii) , the L/C Issuer shall
be entitled to recover from such Lender (acting through Agent), on
demand, such amount with interest thereon for the period from the
date such payment is required to the date on which such payment is
immediately available to the L/C Issuer at a rate per annum equal
to the greater of the Federal Funds Rate and a rate determined by
the L/C issuer in accordance with banking industry rules on
interbank compensation, plus any administrative, processing
or similar fees customarily charged by the L/C Issuer in connection
with the foregoing. If such Lender pays such amount (with interest
and fees as aforesaid), the amount so paid shall constitute such
Lender’s Committed Loan included in the relevant Committed
Borrowing or L/C Advance in respect of the relevant L/C Borrowing,
as the case may be. A certificate of the L/C Issuer submitted to
any Lender (through Agent) with respect to any amounts owing under
this clause (vi) shall be conclusive absent manifest
error.
(d) Repayment of
Participations .
(i) At any time after the L/C
Issuer has made a payment under any Letter of Credit and has
received from any Lender such Lender’s L/C Advance in respect
of such payment in accordance with Section 2.03(c) , if
Agent receives for the account of the L/C Issuer any payment in
respect of the related Unreimbursed Amount or interest thereon
(whether directly from Borrower or otherwise, including proceeds of
Cash Collateral applied thereto by Agent), Agent will distribute to
such Lender its Applicable Percentage thereof in the same funds as
those received by Agent.
(ii) If any payment received
by Agent for the account of the L/C Issuer pursuant to
Section 2.03(c)(i) is required to be returned under any
of the circumstances described in Section 10.05
(including pursuant to any settlement entered into by the L/C
Issuer in its discretion), each Lender shall pay to Agent for the
account of the L/C Issuer its Applicable Percentage thereof on
demand of Agent, plus interest thereon from the date of such demand
to the date such amount is returned by such Lender, at a rate per
annum equal to the Federal Funds Rate from time to time in effect.
The obligations of Lenders under this clause shall survive the
payment in full of the Obligations and the termination of this
Agreement.
(e) Obligations
Absolute . The obligation of Borrower to reimburse the L/C
Issuer for each drawing under each Letter of Credit and to repay
each L/C Borrowing shall be absolute, unconditional and
irrevocable, and shall be paid strictly in accordance with the
terms of this Agreement under all circumstances, including the
following:
(i) any lack of validity or
enforceability of such Letter of Credit, this Agreement, or any
other Loan Document;
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(ii) the existence of any
claim, counterclaim, setoff, defense or other right that Borrower
or any Subsidiary may have at any time against any beneficiary or
any transferee of such Letter of Credit (or any Person for whom any
such beneficiary or any such transferee may be acting), the L/C
Issuer or any other Person, whether in connection with this
Agreement, the transactions contemplated hereby or by such Letter
of Credit or any agreement or instrument relating thereto, or any
unrelated transaction;
(iii) any draft, demand,
certificate or other document presented under such Letter of Credit
proving to be forged, fraudulent, invalid or insufficient in any
respect or any statement therein being untrue or inaccurate in any
respect; or any loss or delay in the transmission or otherwise of
any document required in order to make a drawing under such Letter
of Credit;
(iv) any payment by the L/C
Issuer under such Letter of Credit against presentation of a draft
or certificate that does not strictly comply with the terms of such
Letter of Credit; or any payment made by the L/C Issuer under such
Letter of Credit to any Person purporting to be a trustee in
bankruptcy, debtor-in-possession, assignee for the benefit of
creditors, liquidator, receiver or other representative of or
successor to any beneficiary or any transferee of such Letter of
Credit, including any arising in connection with any proceeding
under any Debtor Relief Law; or
(v) any other circumstance or
happening whatsoever, whether or not similar to any of the
foregoing, including any other circumstance that might otherwise
constitute a defense available to, or a discharge of, Borrower or
any Subsidiary.
Borrower shall promptly
examine a copy of each Letter of Credit and each amendment thereto
that is delivered to it and, in the event of any claim of
noncompliance with Borrower’s instructions or other
irregularity, Borrower will immediately notify the L/C Issuer.
Borrower shall be conclusively deemed to have waived any such claim
against the L/C Issuer and its correspondents unless such notice is
given as aforesaid.
(f) Role of L/C Issuer
. Each Lender and Borrower agree that, in paying any drawing under
a Letter of Credit, the L/C Issuer shall not have any
responsibility to obtain any document (other than any sight draft,
certificates and documents expressly required by the Letter of
Credit) or to ascertain or inquire as to the validity or accuracy
of any such document or the authority of the Person executing or
delivering any such document. None of the L/C Issuer, Agent, any of
their respective Related Parties nor any correspondent, participant
or assignee of the L/C Issuer shall be liable to any Lender for
(i) any action taken or omitted in connection herewith at the
request or with the approval of Lenders or the Required Lenders, as
applicable; (ii) any action taken or omitted in the absence of
gross negligence or willful misconduct; or (iii) the due
execution, effectiveness, validity or enforceability of any
document or instrument related to any Letter of Credit or Issuer
Document. Borrower hereby assumes all risks of the acts or
omissions of any beneficiary or transferee with respect to its use
of any Letter of Credit; provided , however , that
this assumption is not intended to, and shall not, preclude
Borrower’s pursuing such rights and remedies as it may have
against the beneficiary or transferee at law or under any other
agreement. None of the L/C Issuer, Agent, any of their respective
Related Parties nor any correspondent, participant or assignee of
the L/C Issuer, shall be liable or responsible for any of the
matters described in clauses (i) through (v) of
Section 2.03(e) ; provided , however ,
that anything in such clauses to the contrary notwithstanding,
Borrower may have a claim against the L/C Issuer, and the L/C
Issuer may be liable to Borrower, to the extent, but only to the
extent, of any direct, as opposed to consequential or exemplary,
damages suffered by Borrower which Borrower proves were caused by
the L/C Issuer’s willful misconduct or gross negligence or
the L/C Issuer’s willful failure to pay under any Letter of
Credit after the presentation to it by the beneficiary of a sight
draft and certificate(s) strictly complying with the terms and
conditions of a Letter of Credit. In furtherance and not in
limitation of the foregoing, the L/C Issuer may accept documents
that appear on their face to be in order, without responsibility
for further investigation, regardless of any notice or information
to the contrary, and the L/C Issuer shall not be responsible for
the validity or sufficiency of any instrument transferring or
assigning or purporting to transfer or assign a Letter of Credit or
the rights or benefits thereunder or proceeds thereof, in whole or
in part, which may prove to be invalid or ineffective for any
reason.
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(g) Cash Collateral .
Upon the request of Agent, (i) if the L/C Issuer has honored
any full or partial drawing request under any Letter of Credit and
such drawing has resulted in an L/C Borrowing, or (ii) if, as
of the L/C Expiration Date, any L/C Obligation for any reason
remains outstanding, Borrower shall, in each case, immediately Cash
Collateralize the then Outstanding Amount of all L/C Obligations.
Sections 2.05 and 8.02(c) set forth certain
additional requirements to deliver Cash Collateral hereunder. For
purposes hereof, “ Cash Collateralize ” means to
pledge and deposit with or deliver to Agent, for the benefit of the
L/C Issuer and the Lenders, as collateral for the L/C Obligations,
cash or deposit account balances pursuant to documentation in form
and substance reasonably satisfactory to Agent and the L/C Issuer
(which documents are hereby consented to by the Lenders).
Derivatives of such term have corresponding meanings. Borrower
hereby grants to Agent, for the benefit of the L/C Issuer and
Lenders, a security interest in all such cash, deposit accounts and
all balances therein and all proceeds of the foregoing. Cash
Collateral shall be maintained in blocked, non-interest bearing
deposit accounts at Bank of America.
(h) Applicability of ISP
and UCP . Unless otherwise expressly agreed by the L/C Issuer
and Borrower when a Letter of Credit is issued (including any such
agreement applicable to an Existing Letter of Credit), the rules of
the ISP shall apply to each standby Letter of Credit.
(i) L/C Fees .
Borrower shall pay to Agent for the account of each Lender in
accordance with its Applicable Percentage a L/C fee (the “
L/C Fee ”) for each standby Letter of Credit equal to
the Applicable Rate times the daily amount available to be
drawn under such Letter of Credit. For purposes of computing the
daily amount available to be drawn under any Letter of Credit, the
amount of such Letter of Credit shall be determined in accordance
with Section 1.06 . L/C Fees shall be (i) due and
payable on the first Business Day after the end of each March,
June, September and December, commencing with the first such date
to occur after the issuance of such Letter of Credit, on the L/C
Expiration Date and thereafter on demand and (ii) computed on
a quarterly basis in arrears. If there is any change in the
Applicable Rate during any quarter, the daily amount available to
be drawn under each standby Letter of Credit shall be computed and
multiplied by the Applicable Rate separately for each period during
such quarter that such Applicable Rate was in effect.
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, upon the
request of the Required Lenders, while any Event of Default exists,
all L/C Fees shall accrue at the Default Rate.
(j) Documentary and
Processing Charges Payable to L/C Issuer . Borrower shall pay
directly to the L/C Issuer for its own account a fronting fee with
respect to each standby Letter of Credit, at the rate per annum of
0.125%, computed on the daily amount available to be drawn under
such Letter of Credit and on a quarterly basis in arrears. Such
fronting fee shall be due and payable on the tenth Business Day
after the end of each March, June, September and December, in
respect of the most recently-ended quarterly period (or portion
thereof, in the case of the first payment), commencing with the
first such date to occur after the issuance of such Letter of
Credit, on the L/C Expiration Date and thereafter on demand. For
purposes of computing the daily amount available to be drawn under
any Letter of Credit, the amount of such Letter of Credit shall be
determined in accordance with Section 1.06 . In
addition, Borrower shall pay directly to the L/C Issuer for its own
account the customary issuance, presentation, amendment and other
processing fees, and other standard costs and charges, of the L/C
Issuer relating to letters of credit as from time to time in
effect. Such individual customary fees and standard costs and
charges are due and payable on demand and are
nonrefundable.
(k) Conflict with Issuer
Documents . In the event of any conflict between the terms
hereof and the terms of any Issuer Documents, the terms hereof
shall control.
(l) Letters of Credit
Issued for Subsidiaries . Notwithstanding that a Letter of
Credit issued or outstanding hereunder is in support of any
obligations of, or is for the account of, a Subsidiary, Borrower
shall be obligated to reimburse the L/C Issuer hereunder for any
and all drawings under such Letter of Credit. Borrower hereby
acknowledges that the issuance of Letters of Credit for the account
of Subsidiaries inures to the benefit of Borrower, and that
Borrower’s business derives substantial benefits from the
businesses of such Subsidiaries.
(a) The Swing Line .
Subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, Swing Line
Lender agrees, in reliance upon the agreements of the other Lenders
set forth in this Section 2.04 , to make loans (each
such loan, a “ Swing Line Loan ”) to Borrower
from time to time on any Business Day during the Availability
Period in an aggregate amount not to exceed at any time outstanding
the amount of the Swing Line Sublimit, notwithstanding the fact
that
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such Swing Line Loans, when
aggregated with the Applicable Percentage of the Outstanding Amount
of Committed Loans and L/C Obligations of the Lender acting as
Swing Line Lender, may exceed the amount of such Lender’s
Commitment; provided, however, that after giving effect to any
Swing Line Loan, (i) the Total Outstandings shall not exceed
the Aggregate Commitments, and (ii) the aggregate Outstanding
Amount of the Committed Loans of any Lender, plus such
Lender’s Applicable Percentage of the Outstanding Amount of
all L/C Obligations, plus such Lender’s Applicable Percentage
of the Outstanding Amount of all Swing Line Loans shall not exceed
such Lender’s Commitment. Each Swing Line Loan shall be a
Base Rate Loan and shall bear interest in accordance with
Section 2.08(a) hereof. Immediately upon the making of
a Swing Line Loan, each Lender shall be deemed to, and hereby
irrevocably and unconditionally agrees to, purchase from Swing Line
Lender a risk participation in such Swing Line Loan in an amount
equal to the product of such Lender’s Applicable Percentage
times the amount of such Swing Line Loan.
(b) Borrowing
Procedures . Each Swing Line Borrowing shall be made upon
Borrower’s irrevocable notice to Swing Line Lender and Agent,
which may be given by telephone. Each such notice must be received
by Swing Line Lender and Agent not later than 1:00 p.m. on the
requested borrowing date, and shall specify (i) the amount to
be borrowed, which shall be a minimum of $50,000, and (ii) the
requested borrowing date, which shall be a Business Day. Each such
telephonic notice must be confirmed promptly by delivery to Swing
Line Lender and Agent of a written Swing Line Loan Notice,
appropriately completed and signed by a Responsible Officer of
Borrower. Promptly after receipt by Swing Line Lender of any
telephonic Swing Line Loan Notice, Swing Line Lender will confirm
with Agent (by telephone or in writing) that Agent has also
received such Swing Line Loan Notice and, if not, Swing Line Lender
will notify Agent (by telephone or in writing) of the contents
thereof. Unless the Swing Line Lender has received notice (by
telephone or in writing) from Agent (including at the request of
any Lender) prior to 2:00 p.m. on the date of the proposed Swing
Line Borrowing (A) directing Swing Line Lender not to make
such Swing Line Loan as a result of the limitations set forth in
the proviso to the first sentence of Section 2.04(a) ,
or (B) that one or more of the applicable conditions specified
in Article IV is not then satisfied, then, subject to the
terms and conditions hereof, Swing Line Lender will, not later than
3:00 p.m. on the borrowing date specified in such Swing Line Loan
Notice, make the amount of its Swing Line Loan available to
Borrower at its office by crediting the account of Borrower on the
books of Swing Line Lender in immediately available funds. Lenders
agree that Swing Line Lender may agree to modify the borrowing
procedures used in connection with the Swing Line in its discretion
and without affecting any of the obligations of Lenders hereunder
other than notifying Agent of a Swing Line Loan Notice.
(c) Refinancing of Swing
Line Loans .
(i) Swing Line Lender at any
time in its sole and absolute discretion may request, on behalf of
Borrower (which hereby irrevocably authorizes Swing Line Lender to
so request on its behalf), that each Lender make a Base Rate
Committed Loan in an amount equal to such Lender’s Applicable
Percentage of the amount of Swing Line Loans then outstanding. Such
request shall be made in writing (which written request shall be
deemed to be a Committed Loan Notice for purposes hereof) and in
accordance with the requirements of Section 2.02 ,
without regard to the minimum and multiples specified therein for
the principal amount of Base Rate Loans, but subject to the
unutilized portion of the Aggregate Commitments and the conditions
set forth in Section 4.02 . Swing Line Lender shall
furnish Borrower with a copy of the applicable Committed Loan
Notice promptly after delivering such notice to Agent. Each Lender
shall make an amount equal to its Applicable Percentage of the
amount specified in such Committed Loan Notice available to Agent
in immediately available funds for the account of Swing Line Lender
at the Administrative Agent’s Office not later than 1:00 p.m.
on the day specified in such Committed Loan Notice, whereupon,
subject to Section 2.04(c)(ii) , each Lender that so
makes funds available shall be deemed to have made a Base Rate
Committed Loan to Borrower in such amount. Agent shall remit the
funds so received to Swing Line Lender.
(ii) If for any reason any
Swing Line Loan cannot be refinanced by such a Committed Borrowing
in accordance with Section 2.04(c)(i) , the request for
Base Rate Committed Loans submitted by Swing Line Lender as set
forth herein shall be deemed to be a request by Swing Line Lender
that each of the Lenders fund its risk participation in the
relevant Swing Line Loan and each Lender’s payment to Agent
for the account of Swing Line Lender pursuant to
Section 2.04(c)(i) shall be deemed payment in respect
of such participation.
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(iii) If any Lender fails to
make available to Agent for the account of Swing Line Lender any
amount required to be paid by such Lender pursuant to the foregoing
provisions of this Section 2.04(c) by the time
specified in Section 2.04(c)(i) , Swing Line Lender
shall be entitled to recover from such Lender (acting through
Agent), on demand, such amount with interest thereon for the period
from the date such payment is required to the date on which such
payment is immediately available to Swing Line Lender at a rate per
annum equal to the greater of the Federal Funds Rate and a rate
determined by Swing Line Lender in accordance with banking industry
rules on interbank compensation, plus any administrative,
processing or similar fees customarily charged by Swing Line Lender
in connection with the foregoing. If such Lender pays such amount
(with interest and fees as aforesaid), the amount so paid shall
constitute such Lender’s Committed Loan included in the
relevant Committed Borrowing or funded participation in the
relevant Swing Line Loan, as the case may be. A certificate of
Swing Line Lender submitted to any Lender (through Agent) with
respect to any amounts owing under this clause (iii) shall be
conclusive absent manifest error.
(iv) Each Lender’s
obligation to make Committed Loans or to purchase and fund risk
participations in Swing Line Loans pursuant to this
Section 2.04(c) shall be absolute and unconditional and
shall not be affected by any circumstance, including (A) any
setoff, counterclaim, recoupment, defense or other right which such
Lender may have against Swing Line Lender, Borrower or any other
Person for any reason whatsoever, (B) the occurrence or
continuance of a Default, or (C) any other occurrence, event
or condition, whether or not similar to any of the foregoing;
provided , however , that each Lender’s
obligation to make Committed Loans pursuant to this
Section 2.04(c) is subject to the conditions set forth
in Section 4.02 . No such funding of risk
participations shall relieve or otherwise impair the obligation of
Borrower to repay Swing Line Loans, together with interest as
provided herein.
(d) Repayment of
Participations .
(i) At any time after any
Lender has purchased and funded a risk participation in a Swing
Line Loan, if Swing Line Lender receives any payment on account of
such Swing Line Loan, Swing Line Lender will distribute to such
Lender its Applicable Percentage thereof in the same funds as those
received by Swing Line Lender.
(ii) If any payment received
by Swing Line Lender in respect of principal or interest on any
Swing Line Loan is required to be returned by Swing Line Lender
under any of the circumstances described in
Section 10.05 (including pursuant to any settlement
entered into by Swing Line Lender in its discretion), each Lender
shall pay to Swing Line Lender its Applicable Percentage thereof on
demand of Agent, plus interest thereon from the date of such demand
to the date such amount is returned, at a rate per annum equal to
the Federal Funds Rate. Agent will make such demand upon the
request of Swing Line Lender. The obligations of Lenders under this
clause shall survive the payment in full of the Obligations and the
termination of this Agreement.
(e) Interest for Account
of Swing Line Lender . Swing Line Lender shall be responsible
for invoicing Borrower for interest on the Swing Line Loans. Until
each Lender funds its Base Rate Committed Loan or risk
participation pursuant to this Section 2.04 to
refinance such Lender’s Applicable Percentage of any Swing
Line Loan, interest in respect of such Applicable Percentage shall
be solely for the account of Swing Line Lender.
(f) Payments Directly to
Swing Line Lender . Borrower shall make all payments of
principal and interest in respect of the Swing Line Loans directly
to Swing Line Lender.
(a) Borrower may, upon notice
to Agent, at any time or from time to time voluntarily prepay
Committed Loans in whole or in part without premium or penalty;
provided that (i) such notice must be received by Agent not
later than 12:00 noon (A) three Business Days prior to any
date of prepayment of Eurodollar Rate Loans and (B) on the
date of prepayment of Base Rate Committed Loans; (ii) any
prepayment of Eurodollar Rate Loans shall be in a principal amount
of $1,000,000 or a whole multiple of $100,000 in excess thereof;
and (iii) any prepayment of Base Rate Committed Loans shall be
in a principal amount of $250,000 or a whole multiple of $50,000 in
excess thereof or, in each case, if less, the entire principal
amount thereof then outstanding. Each such notice shall specify the
date and
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amount of such prepayment and
the Type(s) of Committed Loans to be prepaid and, if Eurodollar
Rate Loans are to be prepaid, the Interest Period(s) of such Loans.
Agent will promptly notify each Lender of its receipt of each such
notice, and of the amount of such Lender’s Applicable
Percentage of such prepayment. If such notice is given by Borrower,
Borrower shall make such prepayment and the payment amount
specified in such notice shall be due and payable on the date
specified therein. Any prepayment of a Eurodollar Rate Loan shall
be accompanied by all accrued interest on the amount prepaid,
together with any additional amounts required pursuant to
Section 3.05. Each such prepayment shall be applied to the
Committed Loans of Lenders in accordance with their respective
Applicable Percentages.
(b) Borrower may, upon notice
to Swing Line Lender (with a copy to Agent), at any time or from
time to time, voluntarily prepay Swing Line Loans in whole or in
part without premium or penalty; provided that (i) such
notice must be received by Swing Line Lender and Agent not later
than 1:00 p.m. on the date of the prepayment, and (ii) any
such prepayment shall be in a minimum principal amount of $50,000.
Each such notice shall specify the date and amount of such
prepayment. If such notice is given by Borrower, Borrower shall
make such prepayment and the payment amount specified in such
notice shall be due and payable on the date specified
therein.
(c) If for any reason the
Total Outstandings at any time exceed the Aggregate Commitments
then in effect, Borrower shall immediately prepay Loans and/or Cash
Collateralize the L/C Obligations in an aggregate amount equal to
such excess; provided , however , that Borrower shall
not be required to Cash Collateralize the L/C Obligations pursuant
to this Section 2.05(c) unless after the prepayment in
full of the Loans the Total Outstandings exceed the Aggregate
Commitments then in effect.
2.06 Termination or
Reduction of Commitments. Borrower may, upon notice to Agent,
terminate the Aggregate Commitments, or from time to time
permanently reduce the Aggregate Commitments; provided that
(i) any such notice shall be received by Agent not later than
11:00 a.m. five Business Days prior to the date of termination or
reduction, (ii) any such partial reduction shall be in an
aggregate amount of $5,000,000 or any whole multiple of $1,000,000
in excess thereof, (iii) Borrower shall not terminate or
reduce the Aggregate Commitments if, after giving effect thereto
and to any concurrent prepayments hereunder, the Total Outstandings
would exceed the Aggregate Commitments, and (iv) if, after
giving effect to any reduction of the Aggregate Commitments, the
L/C Sublimit or the Swing Line Sublimit exceeds the amount of the
Aggregate Commitments, such sublimit shall be automatically reduced
by the amount of such excess. Agent will promptly notify the
Lenders of any such notice of termination or reduction of the
Aggregate Commitments. Any reduction of the Aggregate Commitments
shall be applied to the Commitment of each Lender according to its
Applicable Percentage. All fees accrued until the effective date of
any termination of the Aggregate Commitments shall be paid on the
effective date of such termination.
(a) Borrower shall repay to
Lenders on the Maturity Date the aggregate principal amount of
Committed Loans outstanding on such date.
(b) Borrower shall repay to
Swing Line Lender each Swing Line Loan on the Maturity
Date.
(a) Subject to the provisions
of subsection (b) below, (i) each Eurodollar Rate Loan
shall bear interest on the outstanding principal amount thereof for
each Interest Period at a rate per annum equal to the Eurodollar
Rate for such Interest Period plus the Applicable Rate;
(ii) each Base Rate Committed Loan shall bear interest on the
outstanding principal amount thereof from the applicable borrowing
date at a rate per annum equal to the Base Rate plus the Applicable
Rate; and (iii) each Swing Line Loan shall bear interest on
the outstanding principal amount thereof from the applicable
borrowing date at a rate per annum equal to the Base Rate plus the
Applicable Rate; provided , however , that the
Applicable Rate for calculating the interest rate for Swing Line
Loans shall equal the Applicable Rate for Base Rate Loans minus the
Applicable Rate then in effect for calculating the Commitment
Fee.
(b) (i) If any amount of
principal of any Loan is not paid when due (without regard to any
applicable grace periods), whether at stated maturity, by
acceleration or otherwise, such amount shall thereafter bear
interest at a fluctuating interest rate per annum at all times
equal to the Default Rate to the fullest extent permitted by
applicable Laws.
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(ii) If any amount (other
than principal of any Loan) payable by Borrower under any Loan
Document is not paid when due (without regard to any applicable
grace periods), whether at stated maturity, by acceleration or
otherwise, then upon the request of the Required Lenders, such
amount shall thereafter bear interest at a fluctuating interest
rate per annum at all times equal to the Default Rate to the
fullest extent permitted by applicable Laws.
(iii) If there shall occur an
Event of Default other than any failure to pay principal or
interest as set forth in Sections 2.08(b)(i) or
(b)(ii) , upon written notice from the Required Lenders to
the Borrower, and for so long as any such Event of Default exists,
Borrower shall pay interest on the principal amount of all
outstanding Obligations hereunder at a fluctuating interest rate
per annum at all times equal to the Default Rate to the fullest
extent permitted by applicable Laws.
(iv) Accrued and unpaid
interest on past due amounts (including interest on past due
interest) shall be due and payable upon demand.
(c) Interest on each Loan
shall be due and payable in arrears on each Interest Payment Date
applicable thereto and at such other times as may be specified
herein. Interest hereunder shall be due and payable in accordance
with the terms hereof before and after judgment, and before and
after the commencement of any proceeding under any Debtor Relief
Law.
In addition to certain fees
described in subsections (i) and (j) of
Section 2.03 :
(a) Commitment Fee .
Borrower shall pay to Agent for the account of each Lender in
accordance with its Applicable Percentage, a commitment fee equal
to the Applicable Rate times the actual daily amount by which the
Aggregate Commitments exceed the sum of (i) the Outstanding
Amount of Committed Loans and (ii) the Outstanding Amount of
L/C Obligations. The commitment fee shall accrue at all times
during the Availability Period, including at any time during which
one or more of the conditions in Article IV is not met, and
shall be due and payable quarterly in arrears on the last Business
Day of each March, June, September and December, commencing with
the first such date to occur after the Closing Date, and on the
last day of the Availability Period. The commitment fee shall be
calculated quarterly in arrears, and if there is any change in the
Applicable Rate during any quarter, the actual daily amount shall
be computed and multiplied by the Applicable Rate separately for
each period during such quarter that such Applicable Rate was in
effect. For purposes of computing the commitment fee, Swing Line
Loans shall not be counted towards or considered usage of the
Aggregate Commitments.
(b) Agent’s Fees
. Borrower shall pay to Agent for its account, fees in the amounts
and at the times specified in the letter agreement, dated
October 17, 2007 (the “ Fee Letter ”), by
and among Borrower, Agent and Arranger. Such fees shall be fully
earned when paid and shall be nonrefundable for any reason
whatsoever.
(c) Arrangement and
Upfront Fees . Borrower shall pay to the Arranger for its
account or the accounts of the Lenders, fees in the amounts and at
the times specified in the Fee Letter. Such fees shall be fully
earned when paid and shall be nonrefundable for any reason
whatsoever. Any fees payable to the Lenders shall be paid by the
Arranger from the Upfront Fee (as defined in the Fee Letter) paid
to it by Borrower.
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2.10 |
Computation of Interest and Fees |
All computations of interest
for Base Rate Loans when the Base Rate is determined by Bank of
America’s “prime rate” shall be made on the basis
of a year of 365 or 366 days, as the case may be, and actual days
elapsed. All other computations of fees and interest shall be made
on the basis of a 360-day year and actual days elapsed (which
results in more fees or interest, as applicable, being paid than if
computed on the basis of a 365-day year). Interest shall accrue on
each Loan for the day on which the Loan is made, and shall not
accrue on a Loan, or any portion thereof, for the day on which the
Loan or such portion is paid, provided that any Loan that is
repaid on the same day on which it is made shall, subject to
Section 2.12(a) , bear interest for one day. Each
determination by Agent of an interest rate or fee hereunder shall
be conclusive and binding for all purposes, absent manifest
error.
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(a) The Credit Extensions
made by each Lender shall be evidenced by one or more accounts or
records maintained by such Lender and by Agent in the ordinary
course of business. The accounts or records maintained by Agent and
each Lender shall be conclusive absent manifest error of the amount
of the Credit Extensions made by Lenders to Borrower and the
interest and payments thereon. Any failure to so record or any
error in doing so shall not, however, limit or otherwise affect the
obligation of Borrower hereunder to pay any amount owing with
respect to the Obligations. In the event of any conflict between
the accounts and records maintained by any Lender and the accounts
and records of Agent in respect of such matters, the accounts and
records of Agent shall control in the absence of manifest error.
Upon the request of any Lender made through Agent, Borrower shall
execute and deliver to such Lender (through Agent) a Note, which
shall evidence such Lender’s Loans in addition to such
accounts or records. Each Lender may attach schedules to its Note
and endorse thereon the date, Type (if applicable), amount and
maturity of its Loans and payments with respect thereto.
(b) In addition to the
accounts and records referred to in subsection (a), each Lender and
Agent shall maintain in accordance with its usual practice accounts
or records evidencing the purchases and sales by such Lender of
participations in Letters of Credit and Swing Line Loans. In the
event of any conflict between the accounts and records maintained
by Agent and the accounts and records of any Lender in respect of
such matters, the accounts and records of Agent shall control in
the absence of manifest error.
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2.12 |
Payments Generally; Agent’s Clawback |
(a) General
.
(i) All payments to be made
by Borrower shall be made without condition or deduction for any
counterclaim, defense, recoupment or setoff. Except as otherwise
expressly provided herein, all payments by Borrower hereunder shall
be made to Agent, for the account of the respective Lenders to
which such payment is owed, at the Administrative Agent’s
Office in Dollars and in immediately available funds not later than
12:00 noon on the date specified herein. Agent will promptly
distribute to each Lender its Applicable Percentage (or other
applicable share as provided herein) of such payment in like funds
as received by wire transfer to such Lender’s Lending Office.
All payments received by Agent after 12:00 noon shall be deemed
received on the next succeeding Business Day and any applicable
interest or fee shall continue to accrue. If any payment to be made
by Borrower shall come due on a day other than a Business Day,
payment shall be made on the next following Business Day, and such
extension of time shall be reflected in computing interest or fees,
as the case may be.
(ii) On each date when the
payment of any principal, interest or fees are due hereunder or
under any Note, Borrower agrees to maintain on deposit in an
ordinary checking account maintained by Borrower with Agent (as
such account shall be designated by Borrower in a written notice to
Agent from time to time, the “ Borrower Account
”) an amount sufficient to pay such principal, interest or
fees in full on such date. Borrower hereby authorizes Agent
(A) to deduct automatically all principal, interest or fees
when due hereunder or under any Note from the Borrower Account, and
(B) if and to the extent any payment of principal, interest or
fees under this Agreement or any Note is not made when due to
deduct any such amount from any or all of the accounts of Borrower
maintained at Agent. Agent agrees to provide written notice to
Borrower of any automatic deduction made pursuant to this
Section 2.12(a)(ii) showing in reasonable detail the
amounts of such deduction. Lenders agree to reimburse Borrower
based on their Applicable Percentage for any amounts deducted from
such accounts in excess of amount due hereunder and under any other
Loan Documents.
(b) Funding by Lenders;
Presumption by Agent . Unless Agent shall have received notice
from a Lender prior to the proposed date of any Committed Borrowing
of Eurodollar Rate Loans (or, in the case of any Committed
Borrowing of Base Rate Loans, prior to 12:00 noon on the date of
such Committed Borrowing) that such Lender will not make available
to Agent such Lender’s share of such Committed Borrowing,
Agent may assume that such Lender has made such share available on
such date in accordance with Section 2.02 (or, in the
case of a Committed Borrowing of Base Rate Loans, that such Lender
has made such share available in accordance with and at the time
required by Section 2.02 ) and may, in reliance upon
such assumption, make available to Borrower a
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corresponding amount. In such
event, if a Lender has not in fact made its share of the applicable
Committed Borrowing available to Agent, then the applicable Lender
and Borrower severally agree to pay to Agent forthwith on demand
such corresponding amount in immediately available funds with
interest thereon, for each day from and including the date such
amount is made available to Borrower to but excluding the date of
payment to Agent, at (A) in the case of a payment to be made
by such Lender, the greater of the Federal Funds Rate and a rate
determined by Agent in accordance with banking industry rules on
interbank compensation, plus any administrative, processing or
similar fees customarily charged by Agent in connection with the
foregoing and (B) in the case of a payment to be made by
Borrower, the interest rate applicable to Base Rate Loans. If
Borrower and such Lender shall pay such interest to Agent for the
same or an overlapping period, Agent shall promptly remit to
Borrower the amount of such interest paid by Borrower for such
period. If such Lender pays its share of the applicable Committed
Borrowing to Agent, then the amount so paid shall constitute such
Lender’s Committed Loan included in such Committed Borrowing.
Any payment by Borrower shall be without prejudice to any claim
Borrower may have against a Lender that shall have failed to make
such payment to Agent.
(c) Payments by Borrower;
Presumptions by Agent . Unless Agent shall have received notice
from Borrower prior to the date on which any payment is due to
Agent for the account of the Lenders or the L/C Issuer hereunder
that Borrower will not make such payment, Agent may assume that
Borrower has made such payment on such date in accordance herewith
and may, in reliance upon such assumption, distribute to Lenders or
the L/C Issuer, as the case may be, the amount due. In such event,
if Borrower has not in fact made such payment, then each of Lenders
or the L/C Issuer, as the case may be, severally agrees to repay to
Agent forthwith on demand the amount so distributed to such Lender
or the L/C Issuer, in immediately available funds with interest
thereon, for each day from and including the date such amount is
distributed to it to but excluding the date of payment to Agent, at
the greater of the Federal Funds Rate and a rate determined by
Agent in accordance with banking industry rules on interbank
compensation. A notice of Agent to any Lender or Borrower with
respect to any amount owing under this subsection (c) shall be
conclusive, absent manifest error.
(d) Failure to Satisfy
Conditions Precedent . If any Lender makes available to Agent
funds for any Loan to be made by such Lender as provided in the
foregoing provisions of this Article II , and such funds are
not made available to Borrower by Agent because the conditions to
the applicable Credit Extension set forth in Article IV are
not satisfied or waived in accordance with the terms hereof, Agent
shall return such funds (in like funds as received from such
Lender) to such Lender, without interest.
(e) Obligations of Lenders
Several . The obligations of Lenders hereunder to make
Committed Loans, to fund participations in Letters of Credit and
Swing Line Loans and to make payments under
Section 10.04(c ) are several and not joint. The
failure of any Lender to make any Committed Loan, to fund any such
participation or to make any payment under
Section 10.04(c) on any date required hereunder shall
not relieve any other Lender of its corresponding obligation to do
so on such date, and no Lender shall be responsible for the failure
of any other Lender to so make its Committed Loan, purchase its
participation or to make its payment under
Section 10.04(c) .
(f) Funding Source .
Nothing herein shall be deemed to obligate any Lender to obtain the
funds for any Loan in any particular place or manner or to
constitute a representation by any Lender that it has obtained or
will obtain the funds for any Loan in any particular place or
manner.
If any Lender shall, by
exercising any right of setoff or counterclaim or otherwise, obtain
payment in respect of any principal of or interest on any of the
Committed Loans made by it, or the participations in L/C
Obligations or in Swing Line Loans held by it resulting in such
Lender’s receiving payment of a proportion of the aggregate
amount of such Committed Loans or participations and accrued
interest thereon greater than its pro rata share
thereof as provided herein, then the Lender receiving such greater
proportion shall (a) notify Agent of such fact, and
(b) purchase (for cash at face value) participations in the
Committed Loans and subparticipations in L/C Obligations and Swing
Line Loans of the other Lenders, or make such other adjustments as
shall be equitable, so that the benefit of all such payments shall
be shared by the Lenders ratably in accordance with the aggregate
amount of principal of and accrued interest on their respective
Committed Loans and other amounts owing them, provided
that:
(a) if any such
participations or subparticipations are purchased and all or any
portion of the payment giving rise thereto is recovered, such
participations or subparticipations shall be rescinded
and
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