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Loan and Security Agreement

Security Agreement

Loan and Security Agreement | Document Parties: SPARTAN STORES INC | Buckeye Real Estate Management Co | CONGRESS FINANCIAL CORPORATION | Custer Pharmacy, Inc | Family Fare, LLC | Gruber's Food Town, Inc | Gruber's Real Estate, LLC | JFW Distributing Company | LLJ Distributing Company | Market Development Corporation | Michigan, Inc | MSFC, LLC | Prevo's Family Markets, Inc | Seaway Food Town, Inc | SI Insurance Agency, Inc | Spartan Stores Associates, LLC | Spartan Stores Distribution, LLC | Spartan Stores Holding, Inc | Spartan Stores, Inc | United Wholesale Grocery Company | Valley Farm Distributing Co You are currently viewing:
This Security Agreement involves

SPARTAN STORES INC | Buckeye Real Estate Management Co | CONGRESS FINANCIAL CORPORATION | Custer Pharmacy, Inc | Family Fare, LLC | Gruber's Food Town, Inc | Gruber's Real Estate, LLC | JFW Distributing Company | LLJ Distributing Company | Market Development Corporation | Michigan, Inc | MSFC, LLC | Prevo's Family Markets, Inc | Seaway Food Town, Inc | SI Insurance Agency, Inc | Spartan Stores Associates, LLC | Spartan Stores Distribution, LLC | Spartan Stores Holding, Inc | Spartan Stores, Inc | United Wholesale Grocery Company | Valley Farm Distributing Co

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Title: Loan and Security Agreement
Governing Law: Illinois     Date: 6/8/2009
Industry: Retail (Grocery)     Law Firm: Seyfarth Shaw     Sector: Services

Loan and Security Agreement, Parties: spartan stores inc , buckeye real estate management co , congress financial corporation , custer pharmacy  inc , family fare  llc , gruber's food town  inc , gruber's real estate  llc , jfw distributing company , llj distributing company , market development corporation , michigan  inc , msfc  llc , prevo's family markets  inc , seaway food town  inc , si insurance agency  inc , spartan stores associates  llc , spartan stores distribution  llc , spartan stores holding  inc , spartan stores  inc , united wholesale grocery company , valley farm distributing co
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EXHIBIT 10.2

[Execution Copy]

Loan and Security Agreement

by and among

Spartan Stores, Inc.
Spartan Stores Distribution, LLC
United Wholesale Grocery Company
Market Development Corporation
Spartan Stores Associates, LLC
Family Fare, LLC
MSFC, LLC
Seaway Food Town, Inc.
The Pharm of Michigan, Inc.
Valley Farm Distributing Co.
Gruber's Food Town, Inc.
Gruber's Real Estate, LLC
Prevo's Family Markets, Inc.
Custer Pharmacy, Inc.
Buckeye Real Estate Management Co.
as Borrowers

and

JFW Distributing Company
LLJ Distributing Company
Spartan Stores Holding, Inc.
SI Insurance Agency, Inc.
as Guarantors

Congress Financial Corporation (Central)
as Agent

and

The Lenders from Time to Time Party Hereto
as Lenders







 


TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

 

Page

 

 

SECTION 1 DEFINITIONS

2

 

 

SECTION 2 CREDIT FACILITIES

35

 

 

 

2.1

Loans

35

 

2.2

Letter of Credit Accommodations

35

 

2.3

Commitments

40

 

2.4

Joint and Several Liability

40

 

 

SECTION 3 INTEREST AND FEES

41

 

 

 

3.1

Interest

41

 

3.2

Fees

42

 

3.3

Changes in Laws and Increased Costs of Loans

43

 

 

SECTION 4 CONDITIONS PRECEDENT

46

 

 

 

4.1

Conditions Precedent to Initial Loans and Letter of Credit Accommodations

46

 

4.2

Conditions Precedent to All Loans and Letter of Credit Accommodations

49

 

 

SECTION 5 GRANT AND PERFECTION OF SECURITY INTEREST

49

 

 

 

5.1

Grant of Security Interest

49

 

5.2

Perfection of Security Interests

51

 

 

SECTION 6 COLLECTION AND ADMINISTRATION

54

 

 

 

6.1

Borrowers' Loan Accounts

54

 

6.2

Statements

54

 

6.3

Collection of Accounts

55

 

6.4

Payments

57

 

6.5

Authorization to Make Loans

58

 

6.6

Use of Proceeds.

59

 

6.7

Appointment of Parent as Lead Borrower for Requesting Loans and Receipts of Loans and Statements

59

 

6.8

Pro Rata Treatment

60

 

6.9

Sharing of Payments, Etc

60

 

6.10

Settlement Procedures

61

 

6.11

Obligations Several; Independent Nature of Lenders' Rights

64

 

 

SECTION 7 COLLATERAL REPORTING AND COVENANTS

64

 

 

 

7.1

Collateral Reporting

64

 

7.2

Accounts Covenants

66

 

7.3

Inventory Covenants

67

 

7.4

Equipment and Real Property Covenants

68

 

(ii)



 

 

7.5

Prescription Files Covenants

69

 

7.6

Power of Attorney

69

 

7.7

Right to Cure

70

 

7.8

Access to Premises

71

 

 

SECTION 8 REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES

71

 

 

 

8.1

Corporate Existence, Power and Authority

71

 

8.2

Name; State of Organization; Chief Executive Office; Collateral Locations

72

 

8.3

Financial Statements; No Material Adverse Change

72

 

8.4

Priority of Liens; Title to Properties

72

 

8.5

Tax Returns

73

 

8.6

Litigation

73

 

8.7

Compliance with Other Agreements and Applicable Laws

73

 

8.8

Environmental Compliance

74

 

8.9

Employee Benefits

74

 

8.10

Bank Accounts

75

 

8.11

Intellectual Property

75

 

8.12

Subsidiaries; Affiliates; Capitalization; Solvency

76

 

8.13

Labor Disputes

76

 

8.14

Restrictions on Subsidiaries

77

 

8.15

Material Contracts

77

 

8.16

Credit Card Agreements

77

 

8.17

HIPPA Compliance

78

 

8.18

Compliance with Health Care Laws

78

 

8.19

Interrelated Businesses

79

 

8.20

Notices from Farm Products Sellers, etc

79

 

8.21

Accuracy and Completeness of Information

80

 

8.22

Survival of Warranties; Cumulative

80

 

 

SECTION 9 AFFIRMATIVE AND NEGATIVE COVENANTS

80

 

 

 

9.1

Maintenance of Existence

80

 

9.2

New Collateral Locations

81

 

9.3

Compliance with Laws, Regulations, Etc

81

 

9.4

Payment of Taxes and Claims

82

 

9.5

Insurance

82

 

9.6

Financial Statements and Other Information

83

 

9.7

Sale of Assets, Consolidation, Merger, Dissolution, Etc

85

 

9.8

Encumbrances

94

 

9.9

Indebtedness

96

 

9.10

Loans, Investments, Etc

101

 

9.11

Dividends and Redemptions

106

 

9.12

Transactions with Affiliates

107

 

9.13

Compliance with ERISA

108

 

9.14

End of Fiscal Years; Fiscal Quarters

108

 

9.15

Credit Card Agreements

108

 

9.16

Change in Business

109



(iii)



 

 

9.17

Limitation of Restrictions Affecting Subsidiaries

109

 

9.18

Minimum EBITDA

109

 

9.19

Capital Expenditures

109

 

9.20

Minimum Excess Availability

110

 

9.21

License Agreements

110

 

9.22

Agricultural Products

111

 

9.23

After Acquired Real Property

112

 

9.24

Costs and Expenses

112

 

9.25

Further Assurances

113

 

 

SECTION 10 EVENTS OF DEFAULT AND REMEDIES

113

 

 

 

10.1

Events of Default

113

 

10.2

Remedies

116

 

 

SECTION 11 JURY TRIAL WAIVER; OTHER WAIVERS AND CONSENTS; GOVERNING LAW

120

 

 

 

11.1

Governing Law; Choice of Forum; Service of Process; Jury Trial Waiver

120

 

11.2

Waiver of Notices

121

 

11.3

Amendments and Waivers

121

 

11.4

Waiver of Counterclaims

123

 

11.5

Indemnification

123

 

 

SECTION 12 THE AGENT

124

 

 

 

12.1

Appointment, Powers and Immunities

124

 

12.2

Reliance by Agent

124

 

12.3

Events of Default

125

 

12.4

Congress in its Individual Capacity

125

 

12.5

Indemnification

125

 

12.6

Non-Reliance on Agent and Other Lenders

126

 

12.7

Failure to Act

126

 

12.8

Additional Loans

126

 

12.9

Concerning the Collateral and the Related Financing Agreements

127

 

12.10

Field Audit, Examination Reports and other Information; Disclaimer by Lenders . By signing this Agreement, each Lender:

127

 

12.11

Collateral Matters

127

 

12.12

Agency for Perfection

129

 

12.13

Successor Agent

129

 

12.14

Co-Agent

130

 

 

SECTION 13 TERM OF AGREEMENT; MISCELLANEOUS

130

 

 

 

13.1

Term

130

 

13.2

Interpretative Provisions

132

 

13.3

Notices

133

 

13.4

Partial Invalidity

134

 

13.5

Confidentiality

134



(iv)



 

 

13.6

Successors

136

 

13.7

Assignments; Participations

136

 

13.8

Entire Agreement

138

 

13.9

Counterparts, Etc

138

 

LOAN AND SECURITY AGREEMENT

2




























(v)



 

INDEX TO
EXHIBITS AND SCHEDULES

 

Exhibit A

Form of Assignment and Acceptance

 

 

 

 

Exhibit B

Form of Borrowing Base Certificate

 

 

 

 

Exhibit C

Information Certificate

 

 

 

 

Exhibit D

Form of Financial Statements

 

 

 

 

Exhibit E

Form of Compliance Certificate

 

 

 

 

Schedule 1.52

Existing Lenders

 

 

 

 

Schedule 1.53

Existing Letters of Credit

 

 

 

 

Schedule 1.83

Marion Real Property

 

 

 

 

Schedule 1.92

Mortgages

 

 

 

 

Schedule 1.128

Supplemental Loan Guarantors

 

 

 

 

Schedule 1.131

Supplemental Loan Lender Agreements

 

 

 

 

Schedule 1.132

Supplemental Loan Priority Collateral

 

 

 

 

Schedule 1.136

United Wholesale Division Assets

 

 

 

 

Schedule 1.137

United Wholesale Sale Agreements

 

 

 

 

Schedule 8.9

ERISA Matters

 

 

 

 

Schedule 8.17

Business Associate Agreements

 

 

 

 

Schedule 8.18

Participation Agreements

 

 

 

 

Schedule 9.7

Existing Subleases of Real Property and Minimum
Proceeds Amount for Owned Real Property

 

 

 

 

Schedule 9.14

Fiscal Year and Quarter Ends

 

 

 

 

Schedule 9.18

Minimum EBITDA

 

 

 

 

Schedule 10.1

Minimum Quarterly Consolidated Revenues



(vi)



 

LOAN AND SECURITY AGREEMENT

          This Loan and Security Agreement dated December 23, 2003 is entered into by and among Spartan Stores, Inc., a Michigan corporation ("Parent"), Spartan Stores Distribution, LLC, a Michigan limited liability company ("Stores Distribution"), United Wholesale Grocery Company, a Michigan corporation ("United"), Market Development Corporation, a Michigan corporation ("MDC"), Spartan Stores Associates, LLC, a Michigan limited liability company ("Associates"), Family Fare, LLC, a Michigan limited liability company ("Family Fare"), MSFC, LLC, a Michigan limited liability company ("MSFC"), Seaway Food Town, Inc., a Michigan corporation ("Seaway"), The Pharm of Michigan, Inc. ("Pharm"), a Michigan corporation, Valley Farm Distributing Co., an Ohio corporation ("Valley Farm"), Gruber's Food Town, Inc., a Michigan corporation ("Gruber Food Town"), Gruber's Real Estate, LLC, a Michigan limited liability company ("Gruber RE"), Prevo's Family Markets, Inc., a Michigan corporation ("Prevo"), Custer Pharmacy, Inc., a Michigan corporation ("Custer"), Buckeye Real Estate Management Co., an Ohio corporation ("Buckeye" and together with Parent, Stores Distribution, United, MDC, Associates, Family Fare, MSFC, Seaway, Pharm, Valley Farm, Gruber Food Town, Gruber RE, Prevo and Custer, each individually a "Borrower" and collectively, "Borrowers"), Spartan Stores Holding, Inc., a Michigan corporation ("Holding"), SI Insurance Agency, Inc., a Michigan corporation ("SI"), , JFW Distributing Company, a Michigan corporation ("JFW"), LLJ Distributing Company, a Michigan corporation ("LLJ", and together with Holding, SI and JFW, each individually a "Guarantor" and collectively, "Guarantors"), the parties hereto from time to time as lenders, whether by execution of this Agreement or an Assignment and Acceptance (each individually, a "Lender" and collectively, "Lenders") and Congress Financial Corporation (Central), an Illinois corporation, in its capacity as agent for Lenders (in such capacity, "Agent").

W I T N E S S E T H :

          WHEREAS, Borrowers and Guarantors have requested that Agent and Lenders enter into financing arrangements with Borrowers pursuant to which Lenders may make loans and provide other financial accommodations to Borrowers; and

          WHEREAS, each Lender is willing to agree (severally and not jointly) to make such loans and provide such financial accommodations to Borrowers on a pro rata basis according to its Commitment (as defined below) on the terms and conditions set forth herein and Agent is willing to act as agent for Lenders on the terms and conditions set forth herein and the other Financing Agreements;

          NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual conditions and agreements set forth herein, and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto agree as follows:

 



 

SECTION 1 DEFINITIONS

          For purposes of this Agreement, the following terms shall have the respective meanings given to them below:

          1.1 "Account Debtor" shall mean a person obligated on an Account, and including, without limitation, an account debtor as such term is defined in the UCC, Credit Card Issuer, Credit Card Processor, Fiscal Intermediary or other Third Party Payor.

          1.2 "Accounts" shall mean, as to each Borrower and Guarantor, all present and future rights of such Borrower and Guarantor to payment of a monetary obligation, whether or not earned by performance, which is not evidenced by chattel paper or an instrument, (a) for property that has been or is to be sold, leased, licensed, assigned, or otherwise disposed of, (b) for services rendered or to be rendered, (c) for a secondary obligation incurred or to be incurred, or (d) arising out of the use of a credit or charge card or information contained on or for use with the card. The term "Accounts" as used herein shall include, without limitation, Credit Card Receivables.

          1.3 "Adjusted Eurodollar Rate" shall mean, with respect to each Interest Period for any Eurodollar Rate Loan, the rate per annum (rounded upwards, if necessary, to the next one-sixteenth (1/16) of one (1%) percent) determined by dividing (a) the Eurodollar Rate for such Interest Period by (b) a percentage equal to: (i) one (1) minus (ii) the Reserve Percentage. For purposes hereof, "Reserve Percentage" shall mean the reserve percentage, expressed as a decimal, prescribed by any United States or foreign banking authority for determining the reserve requirement which is or would be applicable to deposits of United States dollars in a non-United States or an international banking office of Reference Bank used to fund a Eurodollar Rate Loan or any Eurodollar Rate Loan made with the proceeds of such deposit, whether or not the Reference Bank actually holds or has made any such deposits or loans. The Adjusted Eurodollar Rate shall be adjusted on and as of the effective day of any change in the Reserve Percentage.

          1.4 "Affiliate" shall mean, with respect to a specified Person, any other Person which directly or indirectly, through one or more intermediaries, controls or is controlled by or is under common control with such Person, and without limiting the generality of the foregoing, includes (a) any Person which beneficially owns or holds ten (10%) percent or more of any class of Voting Stock of such Person or other equity interests in such Person, (b) any Person of which such Person beneficially owns or holds ten (10%) percent or more of any class of Voting Stock or in which such Person beneficially owns or holds ten (10%) percent or more of the equity interests and (c) any director or executive officer of such Person. For the purposes of this definition, the term "control" (including with correlative meanings, the terms "controlled by" and "under common control with"), as used with respect to any Person, means the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of such Person, whether through the ownership of Voting Stock, by agreement or otherwise.

 

2



 

          1.5 "Agent" shall mean Congress Financial Corporation (Central), in its capacity as agent on behalf of Lenders pursuant to the terms hereof and any replacement or successor agent hereunder.

          1.6 "Agent Payment Account" shall mean account no. 5000000030266 of Agent at Wachovia Bank, National Association, or such other account of Agent as Agent may from time to time designate to Lead Borrower as the Agent Payment Account for purposes of this Agreement and the other Financing Agreements.

          1.7 "Applicable Margin" means, at any time, as to the interest rate for Prime Rate Loans and the interest rate for Eurodollar Rate Loans the applicable percentage (on a per annum basis) set forth below if the Monthly Average Excess Availability for the immediately preceding calendar month is at or within the amounts indicated for such percentage:

 



Tier

 


Monthly Average
Excess Availability

 

Applicable
Prime
Rate Margin

Applicable
Eurodollar
Rate Margin

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1

 

$50,000,000 or more

 

1/2%

2 3/4 %

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2

 

Greater than or equal
to $25,000,000 and
less than $50,000,000

 

3/4%

3%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3

 

Less than $25,000,000

 

1%

3 1/4 %

 

provided, that, (a) the Applicable Margin shall be calculated and established once each calendar month and shall remain in effect until adjusted thereafter as of the first day of the next month and (b) notwithstanding the amount of the Monthly Average Excess Availability, for each month prior to the month commencing July 1, 2004, in no event shall the Applicable Margin be less than the percentages set forth in Tier 2 of the schedule above for the applicable category of Loans.

          1.8 "Assignment and Acceptance" shall mean an Assignment and Acceptance substantially in the form of Exhibit A attached hereto (with blanks appropriately completed) delivered to Agent in connection with an assignment of a Lender's interest hereunder in accordance with the provisions of Section 13.7 hereof.

          1.9 "Blocked Accounts" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 6.3 hereof.

          1.10 "Borrowing Base" shall mean, at any time, the amount equal to:

                    (a) the lesser of:

                              (i) the amount equal to:

                                        (A) eighty-five (85%) percent of Eligible Accounts, plus

 

3



 

                                        (B) eighty-five (85%) percent of Eligible Credit Card Receivables, plus

                                        (C) the lesser of: (1) sixty-five (65%) percent multiplied by the Value of the Eligible Inventory of the Retail Division or (2) eighty-five (85%) percent of the Net Recovery Percentage for the Inventory of the Retail Division multiplied by the Value of such Eligible Inventory; plus

                                        (D) the lesser of: (1) seventy-five (75%) percent multiplied by the Value of the Eligible Inventory of the Distribution Division or (2) eighty-five (85%) percent of the Net Recovery Percentage for the Inventory of the Distribution Division multiplied by the Value of such Eligible Inventory, plus

                                        (E) the lesser of: (1) seventy-five (75%) percent multiplied by the Value of the Eligible Inventory of the United Wholesale Division or (2) eighty-five (85%) percent of the Net Recovery Percentage for the Inventory of the United Wholesale Division multiplied by the Value of such Eligible Inventory, plus

                                        (F) the Prescription File Availability; plus

                                        (G) the Fixed Asset Availability; or

                              (ii) the Maximum Credit,

                                        minus

                    (b) Reserves.

The amounts of Eligible Inventory of any Borrower shall, at Agent's option, be determined based on the lesser of the amount of Inventory set forth in the general ledger of such Borrower, as reconciled, or the perpetual inventory record or stock ledger record, as applicable, maintained by such Borrower.

          1.11 "Borrowing Base Certificate" shall mean a certificate substantially in the form of Exhibit B hereto, as such form may from time to time be modified by Agent, which is duly completed (including all schedules thereto) and executed by the chief financial officer, vice president of finance, treasurer or controller of Parent and delivered to Agent.

          1.12 "Business Day" shall mean any day other than a Saturday, Sunday, or other day on which commercial banks are authorized or required to close under the laws of the State of Illinois, or the State of North Carolina, and a day on which Agent is open for the transaction of business, except that if a determination of a Business Day shall relate to any Eurodollar Rate Loans, the term Business Day shall also exclude any day on which banks are closed for dealings in dollar deposits in the London interbank market or other applicable Eurodollar Rate market.

          1.13 "Capital Expenditures" shall mean with respect to any Person for any period the aggregate of all expenditures by such Person and its Subsidiaries during such period that in accordance with GAAP are or should be included in "property, plant and equipment" or in a

4



similar fixed asset account on its balance sheet, whether such expenditures are paid in cash or financed and including all obligations under Capital Leases paid or payable during such period (but not including in the case of Borrowers and Guarantors payments made pursuant to Section 9.10(i) hereof).

          1.14 "Capital Leases" shall mean, as applied to any Person, any lease of (or any agreement conveying the right to use) any property (whether real, personal or mixed) by such Person as lessee which in accordance with GAAP, is required to be reflected as a liability on the balance sheet of such Person.

          1.15 "Capital Stock" shall mean, with respect to any Person, any and all shares, interests, participations or other equivalents (however designated) of such Person's capital stock or partnership, limited liability company or other equity interests at any time outstanding, and any and all rights, warrants or options exchangeable for or convertible into such capital stock or other interests (but excluding any debt security that is exchangeable for or convertible into such capital stock).

          1.16 "Cash Equivalents" shall mean, at any time, (a) any evidence of Indebtedness with a maturity date of ninety (90) days or less issued or directly and fully guaranteed or insured by the United States of America or any agency or instrumentality thereof; provided , that , the full faith and credit of the United States of America is pledged in support thereof; (b) certificates of deposit or bankers' acceptances with a maturity of ninety (90) days or less of any financial institution that is a member of the Federal Reserve System having combined capital and surplus and undivided profits of not less than $250,000,000; (c) commercial paper (including variable rate demand notes) with a maturity of ninety (90) days or less issued by a corporation (except an Affiliate of any Borrower or Guarantor) organized under the laws of any State of the United States of America or the District of Columbia and rated at least A-1 by Standard & Poor's Ratings Service, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. or at least P-1 by Moody's Investors Service, Inc.; (d) repurchase obligations with a term of not more than thirty (30) days for underlying securities of the types described in clause (a) above entered into with any financial institution having combined capital and surplus and undivided profits of not less than $250,000,000; (e) repurchase agreements and reverse repurchase agreements relating to marketable direct obligations issued or unconditionally guaranteed by the United States of America or issued by any governmental agency thereof and backed by the full faith and credit of the United States of America, in each case maturing within ninety (90) days or less from the date of acquisition; provided , that , the terms of such agreements comply with the guidelines set forth in the Federal Financial Agreements of Depository Institutions with Securities Dealers and Others, as adopted by the Comptroller of the Currency on October 31, 1985; and (f) investments in money market funds and mutual funds which invest substantially all of their assets in securities of the types described in clauses (a) through (e) above.

          1.17 "Change of Control" shall mean (a) the transfer (in one transaction or a series of transactions) of all or substantially all of the assets of any Borrower or Guarantor to any Person or group (as such term is used in Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act), other than as permitted in Section 9.7 hereof; (b) the liquidation or dissolution of any Borrower or Guarantor or the adoption of a plan by the stockholders of any Borrower or Guarantor relating to the dissolution or liquidation of such Borrower or Guarantor, other than as permitted in Section 9.7 hereof;

5



(c) the acquisition by any Person or group (as such term is used in Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act), of beneficial ownership, directly or indirectly, of more than thirty (30%) percent of the voting power of the total outstanding Voting Stock of Parent; (d) during any period of two (2) consecutive years, individuals who at the beginning of such period constituted the Board of Directors of Parent (together with any new directors whose nomination for election or election was approved by a vote of at least a majority of the directors then still in office who were either directors at the beginning of such period or whose election or nomination for election was previously so approved) cease for any reason to constitute a majority of the Board of Directors of Parent then still in office; or (e) the failure of Parent to own directly or indirectly one hundred (100%) percent of the voting power of the total outstanding Voting Stock of any other Borrower or Guarantor (except to the extent resulting from mergers, consolidations, liquidations or dissolutions permitted under Section 9.7 hereof).

          1.18 "Code" shall mean the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as the same now exists or may from time to time hereafter be amended, modified, recodified or supplemented, together with all rules, regulations and interpretations thereunder or related thereto.

          1.19 "Collateral" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 5 hereof.

          1.20 "Collateral Access Agreement" shall mean an agreement in writing, in form and substance satisfactory to Agent, by any lessor of premises to any Borrower or Guarantor, or any other person to whom any Collateral is consigned or who has custody, control or possession of any such Collateral or is otherwise the owner or operator of any premises on which any of such Collateral is located, in favor of Agent with respect to the collateral located at such premises or otherwise in the custody, control or possession of such person.

          1.21 "Commitment" shall mean, at any time, as to each Lender, the principal amount set forth below such Lender's signature on the signatures pages hereto designated as the Commitment or on Schedule 1 to the Assignment and Acceptance Agreement pursuant to which such Lender became a Lender hereunder in accordance with the provisions of Section 13.7 hereof, as the same may be adjusted from time to time in accordance with the terms hereof; sometimes being collectively referred to herein as "Commitments".

          1.22 "Congress" shall mean Congress Financial Corporation (Central), an Illinois corporation, in its individual capacity, and its successors and assigns.

          1.23 "Consolidated Net Income" shall mean, with respect to any Person for any period, the aggregate of the net income (loss) of such Person and its Subsidiaries, on a consolidated basis, for such period (and as to Borrowers and Guarantors, excluding to the extent included therein (i) any extraordinary, one-time or non-recurring gains, (ii) extraordinary, one-time or non-recurring non-cash losses or charges, (iii) operations that have been discontinued on or before the date hereof, and (iv) the net income (loss) of United on and after the date that the United Wholesale Division Assets are sold in accordance with the terms hereof ) after deducting all charges which should be deducted before arriving at the net income (loss) for such period (but without regard to operations that have been discontinued on or before the date hereof) and after deducting the Provision for Taxes for such period, all as determined in accordance with GAAP; provided , that , (a) the net income of any Person that is not a wholly-owned Subsidiary or that is

6



accounted for by the equity method of accounting shall be included only to the extent of the amount of dividends or distributions paid or payable to such Person or a wholly-owned Subsidiary of such Person (except that up to $750,000 of the net income of MDP L.L.C. may be included in the calculation of the net income (loss) of Borrowers notwithstanding that no such dividends or distributions are paid or payable); (b) except to the extent included pursuant to the foregoing clause, the net income of any Person accrued prior to the date it becomes a wholly-owned Subsidiary of such Person or is merged into or consolidated with such Person or any of its wholly-owned Subsidiaries or that Person's assets are acquired by such Person or by any of its wholly-owned Subsidiaries shall be excluded; (c) the effect of any change in accounting principles adopted by such Person or its Subsidiaries after the date hereof shall be excluded; (d) net income shall exclude interest accruing, but not paid on indebtedness owing to a Subsidiary or parent corporation of such Person; and (e) the net income (if positive) of any wholly-owned Subsidiary to the extent that the declaration or payment of dividends or similar distributions by such wholly-owned Subsidiary to such Person or to any other wholly-owned Subsidiary of such Person is not at the time permitted by operation of the terms of its charter or any agreement, instrument, judgment, decree, order, statute, rule or governmental regulation applicable to such wholly-owned Subsidiary shall be excluded (except that up to $750,000 of the net income of MDP L.L.C. may be included in the calculation of the net income (loss) of Borrowers notwithstanding that no such dividends or distributions are paid or payable). For the purposes of this definition, net income excludes any gain and non-cash loss together with any related Provision for Taxes for such gain and non-cash loss realized upon the sale or other disposition of any assets that are not sold in the ordinary course of business (including, without limitation, dispositions pursuant to sale and leaseback transactions and for this purpose sales or other dispositions of retail store locations shall not be deemed to be in the ordinary course of the business of Borrowers and Guarantors) or of any Capital Stock of such Person or a Subsidiary of such Person and any net income or non-cash loss realized as a result of changes in accounting principles or the application thereof to such Person.

          1.24 "Credit Card Acknowledgments" shall mean, collectively, the agreements by Credit Card Issuers or Credit Card Processors who are parties to Credit Card Agreements in favor of Agent acknowledging Agent's first priority security interest, in the monies due and to become due to a Borrower or Guarantor (including, without limitation, credits and reserves) under the Credit Card Agreements, and agreeing to transfer all such amounts to the Blocked Accounts, as the same now exist or may hereafter be amended, modified, supplemented, extended, renewed, restated or replaced; sometimes being referred to herein individually as a "Credit Card Acknowledgment".

          1.25 "Credit Card Agreements" shall mean all agreements now or hereafter entered into by any Borrower or any Guarantor for the benefit of any Borrower, in each case with any Credit Card Issuer or any Credit Card Processor, as the same now exist or may hereafter be amended, modified, supplemented, extended, renewed, restated or replaced, including, but not limited to, the agreements set forth on Schedule 8.16 hereto.

          1.26 "Credit Card Issuer" shall mean any person (other than a Borrower or Guarantor) who issues or whose members issue credit cards, including, without limitation, MasterCard or VISA bank credit or debit cards or other bank credit or debit cards issued through MasterCard International, Inc., Visa, U.S.A., Inc. or Visa International and American Express, Discover,

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Diners Club, Carte Blanche and other non-bank credit or debit cards, including, without limitation, credit or debit cards issued by or through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc. or Discover Financial Services, Inc.

          1.27 "Credit Card Processor" shall mean any servicing or processing agent or any factor or financial intermediary who facilitates, services, processes or manages the credit authorization, billing transfer and/or payment procedures with respect to any Borrower's or Guarantor's sales transactions involving credit card or debit card purchases by customers using credit cards or debit cards issued by any Credit Card Issuer.

          1.28 "Credit Card Receivables" shall mean, collectively, (a) all present and future rights of any Borrower or Guarantor to payment from any Credit Card Issuer, Credit Card Processor or other third party arising from sales of goods or rendition of services to customers who have purchased such goods or services using a credit card or debit card and (b) all present and future rights of any Borrower or Guarantor to payment from any Credit Card Issuer, Credit Card Processor or other third party in connection with the sale or transfer of Accounts arising pursuant to the sale of goods or rendition of services to customers who have purchased such goods or services using a credit card or a debit card, including, but not limited to, all amounts at any time due or to become due from any Credit Card Issuer or Credit Card Processor under the Credit Card Agreements or otherwise.

          1.29 "Credit Facility" shall mean the Loans and Letter of Credit Accommodations provided to or for the benefit of any Borrower pursuant to Sections 2.1 and 2.2 hereof.

          1.30 "Default" shall mean an act, condition or event which with notice or passage of time or both would constitute an Event of Default.

          1.31 "Defaulting Lender" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 6.10 hereof.

          1.32 "Deposit Account Control Agreement" shall mean an agreement in writing, in form and substance satisfactory to Agent, by and among Agent, the Borrower or Guarantor with a deposit account at any bank and the bank at which such deposit account is at any time maintained which provides that such bank will comply with instructions originated by Agent directing disposition of the funds in the deposit account without further consent by such Borrower or Guarantor and has such other terms and conditions as Agent may require.

          1.33 "Distribution Division" shall mean, collectively, the following (together with their respective successors and assigns): Parent, Associates, Stores Distribution, Valley Farm and MDC.

          1.34 "EBITDA" shall mean, as to any Person, with respect to any period, an amount equal to: (a) the Consolidated Net Income of such Person and its Subsidiaries for such period, plus (b) depreciation and amortization and other non-cash charges including imputed interest, deferred compensation and in the case of Borrowers and Guarantors, non-cash costs associated with the closing of retail store locations, in each case for such period (to the extent deducted in the computation of Consolidated Net Income of such Person), all in accordance with GAAP, plus (c) Interest Expense for such period (to the extent deducted in the computation of Consolidated Net Income of such Person), plus (d) the Provision for Taxes for such period (to the extent

8



deducted in the computation of Consolidated Net Income of such Person), plus (e) all charges with respect to the Single Business Tax as levied by the Michigan Department of Treasury for such period (to the extent deducted in the computation of Consolidated Net Income for such Person).

          1.35 "Eligible Accounts" shall mean Accounts created by a Borrower which are and continue to be acceptable to Agent in good faith based on the criteria set forth below. In general, Accounts shall be Eligible Accounts if:

                    (a) such Accounts arise from the actual and bona fide sale and delivery of goods by such Borrower or rendition of services by such Borrower in the ordinary course of its business which transactions are completed in accordance with the terms and provisions contained in any documents related thereto;

                    (b) such Accounts are not unpaid (i) for Accounts with stated terms of fifteen (15) days or greater, more than sixty (60) days after the original due date thereof or more than ninety (90) days after the original invoice or statement date (as applicable) or (ii) for Accounts with stated terms of less than fifteen (15) days, more than thirty (30) days after the original due date thereof or more than ninety (90) days after the original invoice or statement date (as applicable) (it being understood that the statement date is applicable to Accounts of the Distribution Division);

                    (c) such Accounts comply with the terms and conditions contained in Section 7.2(b) of this Agreement;

                    (d) such Accounts do not arise from sales on consignment, guaranteed sale, sale and return, sale on approval, or other terms under which payment by the Account Debtor may be conditional or contingent;

                    (e) the chief executive office of the Account Debtor with respect to such Accounts is located in the United States of America or Canada ( provided , that , at any time promptly upon Agent's request, such Borrower shall execute and deliver, or cause to be executed and delivered, such other agreements, documents and instruments as may be required by Agent to perfect the security interests of Agent in those Accounts of an Account Debtor with its chief executive office or principal place of business in Canada in accordance with the applicable laws of the Province of Canada in which such chief executive office or principal place of business is located and take or cause to be taken such other and further actions as Agent may request to enable Agent as secured party with respect thereto to collect such Accounts under the applicable Federal or Provincial laws of Canada) or, at Agent's option, if the chief executive office and principal place of business of the Account Debtor with respect to such Accounts is located other than in the United States of America or Canada, then if either: (i) the Account Debtor has delivered to such Borrower an irrevocable letter of credit issued or confirmed by a bank satisfactory to Agent and payable only in the United States of America and in U.S. dollars, sufficient to cover such Account, in form and substance satisfactory to Agent and if required by Agent, the original of such letter of credit has been delivered to Agent or Agent's agent and the issuer thereof, and such Borrower has complied with the terms of Section 5.2(f) hereof with respect to the assignment of the proceeds of such letter of credit to Agent or naming Agent as

9



transferee beneficiary thereunder, as Agent may specify, or (ii) such Account is subject to credit insurance payable to Agent issued by an insurer and on terms and in an amount acceptable to Agent, or (iii) such Account is otherwise acceptable in all respects to Agent (subject to such lending formula with respect thereto as Agent may determine);

                    (f) such Accounts do not consist of progress billings (such that the obligation of the Account Debtors with respect to such Accounts is conditioned upon such Borrower's satisfactory completion of any further performance under the agreement giving rise thereto), bill and hold invoices or retainage invoices, except as to bill and hold invoices, if Agent shall have received an agreement in writing from the Account Debtor, in form and substance satisfactory to Agent, confirming the unconditional obligation of the Account Debtor to take the goods related thereto and pay such invoice;

                    (g) the Account Debtor with respect to such Accounts has not asserted a counterclaim, defense or dispute and is not owed any amounts that may give rise to any right of setoff or recoupment against such Accounts (but the portion of the Accounts of such Account Debtor in excess of the amount at any time and from time to time owed by such Borrower to such Account Debtor or claimed owed by such Account Debtor may be deemed Eligible Accounts),

                    (h) there are no facts, events or occurrences which would impair the validity, enforceability or collectability of such Accounts;

                    (i) such Accounts are subject to the first priority, valid and perfected security interest of Agent and any goods giving rise thereto are not, and were not at the time of the sale thereof, subject to any liens except those permitted in this Agreement that are subject to an intercreditor agreement in form and substance satisfactory to Agent between the holder of such security interest or lien and Agent;

                    (j) neither the Account Debtor nor any officer or employee of the Account Debtor with respect to such Accounts is an officer, employee, agent or other Affiliate of any Borrower or Guarantor;

                    (k) the Account Debtors with respect to such Accounts are not any foreign government, the United States of America, any State, political subdivision, department, agency or instrumentality thereof, unless, if the Account Debtor is the United States of America, any State, political subdivision, department, agency or instrumentality thereof, upon Agent's request, the Federal Assignment of Claims Act of 1940, as amended or any similar State or local law, if applicable, has been complied with in a manner satisfactory to Agent or except as to Medicaid Accounts, Medicare Accounts and Accounts arising from WIC or food stamp programs, such Accounts otherwise constitute Eligible Accounts hereunder;

                    (l) there are no proceedings or actions which are threatened or pending against the Account Debtors with respect to such Accounts which might result in any material adverse change in any such Account Debtor's financial condition (including, without limitation, any bankruptcy, dissolution, liquidation, reorganization or similar proceeding);

 

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                    (m) the aggregate amount of such Accounts owing by a single Account Debtor do not constitute more than fifteen (15%) percent of the aggregate amount of all otherwise Eligible Accounts of Borrowers (but the portion of the Accounts not in excess of the applicable percentages may be deemed Eligible Accounts);

                    (n) such Accounts are not owed by an Account Debtor who has Accounts unpaid (i) for Accounts with stated terms of fifteen (15) days or greater, more than sixty (60) days after the original due date thereof or more than ninety (90) days after the original invoice or statement date (as applicable) or (ii) for Accounts with stated terms of less than fifteen (15) days, more than thirty (30) days after the original due date thereof or more than ninety (90) days after the original invoice or statement date (as applicable), in any case which constitute more than fifty (50%) percent of the total Accounts of such Account Debtor (it being understood that the statement date is applicable to Accounts of the Distribution Division);

                    (o) the Account Debtor is not located in a state requiring the filing of a Notice of Business Activities Report or similar report in order to permit such Borrower to seek judicial enforcement in such State of payment of such Account, unless such Borrower has qualified to do business in such state or has filed a Notice of Business Activities Report or equivalent report for the then current year or such failure to file and inability to seek judicial enforcement is capable of being remedied without any material delay or material cost;

                    (p) such Accounts are owed by Account Debtors whose total indebtedness to such Borrower does not exceed the credit limit with respect to such Account Debtors as determined by such Borrower from time to time, to the extent such credit limit as to any Account Debtor is established consistent with the current practices of such Borrower as of the date hereof and such credit limit is acceptable to Agent (but the portion of the Accounts not in excess of such credit limit may be deemed Eligible Accounts);

                    (q) such Accounts are owed by Account Debtors deemed creditworthy at all times by Agent in good faith;

                    (r) as to Medicaid Accounts, (i) the claim for reimbursement related to such Account has been submitted to the appropriate Fiscal Intermediary in accordance with the applicable regulations under Medicaid within thirty (30) days from the date the claim arose, (ii) the person to whom the goods were sold is an eligible Medicaid beneficiary at the time such goods are sold and such eligibility has been verified by the Borrower making such sale, (iii) such Account is owed to a Borrower who is not under any investigation (other than the periodic audits conducted by a Fiscal Intermediary in the ordinary course of business) or subject to any action or proceeding concerning the status of such Borrower as a Certified Medicaid Provider and/or the payments under Medicaid to such Borrower have not been contested, suspended, delayed, deferred or otherwise postponed due to any investigation, action or proceeding by the U.S. Justice Department or any other Governmental Authority, (iv) the amount of such Account does not exceed the amounts to which the Borrower making such sale is entitled to reimbursement for such eligible Medicaid beneficiary under applicable Medicaid regulations (provided, that, to the extent that the amount of any such excess is de minimis, the portion of the Account not in excess of the reimbursable amount may be deemed an Eligible Account), (v) all authorization and billing procedures and documentation required in order for the Borrower making such sale to be

11



reimbursed and paid on such Account by the Fiscal Intermediary have been properly completed and satisfied to the extent required in order for such Borrower to be so reimbursed and paid and (vi) the terms of the sale giving rise to such Accounts and all practices of such Borrower and Guarantors with respect to such Accounts comply in all material respects with applicable Federal, State, and local laws and regulations; provided , that , in no event shall the aggregate amount of Medicaid Accounts, Medicare Accounts and Accounts arising from WIC or food stamp programs that are deemed to be Eligible Accounts (but without limitation as to the amount of such Accounts) exceed $2,500,000;

                    (s) as to Medicare Accounts, (i) the claim for reimbursement related to such Account has been submitted to the appropriate Fiscal Intermediary in accordance with the applicable regulations under Medicare within thirty (30) days from the date the claim arose, (ii) the person to whom the goods were sold is an eligible Medicare beneficiary at the time such goods are sold and such eligibility has been verified by the Borrower making such sale, (iii) such Account is owed to a Borrower who is not under any investigation (other than the periodic audits conducted by a Fiscal Intermediary in the ordinary course of business) or subject to any action or proceeding concerning the status of such Borrower as a Certified Medicare Provider and/or the payments under Medicare to such Borrower have not been contested, suspended, delayed, deferred or otherwise postponed due to any investigation, action or proceeding by the U.S. Justice Department or any other Governmental Authority, (iv) the amount of such Account does not exceed the amounts to which the Borrower making such sale is entitled to reimbursement for such eligible Medicare beneficiary under applicable Medicare regulations (provided, that, to the extent that the amount of any such excess is de minimis, the portion of the Account not in excess of the reimbursable amount may be deemed an Eligible Account); (v) all authorization and billing procedures and documentation required in order for the Borrower making such sale to be reimbursed and paid on such Account by the Fiscal Intermediary have been properly completed and satisfied to the extent required for such Borrower to be so reimbursed and paid, and (vi) the terms of the sale giving rise to such Accounts and all practices of such Borrower and Guarantors with respect to such Accounts comply in all material respects with applicable Federal, State, and local laws and regulations; provided , that , in no event shall the aggregate amount of Medicaid Accounts, Medicare Accounts and Accounts arising from WIC or food stamp programs that are deemed to be Eligible Accounts (but without limitation as to the amount of such Accounts) exceed $2,500,000;

                    (t) as to Accounts where the Account Debtor is a Third Party Payor (other than for Medicare Accounts and Medicaid Accounts), (i) the Borrower making the sale giving rise to such Account has a valid and enforceable agreement with the Third Party Payor providing for payment to such Borrower or such Borrower is otherwise entitled to payment under the terms of its arrangements with the insurance company that is the Third Party Payor, and such agreement and arrangements are in full force and effect and there is no default thereunder that would be a basis for such Third Party Payor to cease or suspend any payments to such Borrower (including any deductions, setoffs or defenses), (ii) the goods sold giving rise to such Account are of the type that are covered under the agreement or arrangements with the Third Party Payor and the party receiving such goods is entitled to coverage under such agreement or arrangement, (iii) the Borrower making the sale giving rise to such Account has contacted the Third Party Payor or otherwise received confirmation from such Third Party Payor that the party receiving the goods is entitled to coverage under the terms of the agreement with such Third Party Payor and the

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Borrower is entitled to reimbursement for such Account, (iv) the amount of such Account does not exceed the amounts to which the Borrower making such sale is entitled to reimbursement for the goods sold under the terms of such agreements or arrangements (provided, that, to the extent that the amount of any such excess is de minimis, the portion of the Account not in excess of the reimbursable amount may be deemed an Eligible Account), (v) there are no contractual or statutory limitations or restrictions on the rights of the Borrower making such sale to assign its rights to payment arising as a result thereof or to grant any security interest therein, (vi) all authorization and billing procedures and documentation required in order for the Borrower making such sale to be reimbursed and paid on such Account by the Third Party Payor have been properly completed and satisfied to the extent required for such Borrower to be so reimbursed and paid and (vii) the terms of the sale giving rise to such Accounts and all practices of such Borrower and Guarantors with respect to such Accounts comply in all material respects with applicable Federal, State, and local laws and regulations.

The criteria for Eligible Accounts set forth above may only be changed and any new criteria for Eligible Accounts may only be established by Agent in good faith based on either: (A) an event, condition or other circumstance arising after the date hereof, or (B) an event, condition or other circumstance existing on the date hereof to the extent Agent has no written notice thereof from a Borrower prior to the date hereof, in either case under clause (A) or (B) which adversely affects or could reasonably be expected to adversely affect the Accounts in the good faith determination of Agent. Any Accounts that are not Eligible Accounts shall nevertheless be part of the Collateral.

          1.36 "Eligible Credit Card Receivables" shall mean, as to each Borrower, Credit Card Receivables of such Borrower which are and continue to be acceptable to Agent in good faith based on the criteria set forth below. Credit Card Receivables shall be Eligible Credit Card Receivables if:

                    (a) such Credit Card Receivables arise from the actual and bona fide sale and delivery of goods or rendition of services by such Borrower in the ordinary course of the business of such Borrower which transactions are completed in accordance with the terms and provisions contained in any agreements binding on such Borrower or the other party or parties related thereto;

                    (b) such Credit Card Receivables are not past due (beyond any stated applicable grace period, if any, therefor) pursuant to the terms set forth in the Credit Card Agreements with the Credit Card Issuer or Credit Card Processor of the credit card or debit card used in the purchase which give rise to such Credit Card Receivables;

                    (c) such Credit Card Receivables are not unpaid more than seven (7) days after the date of the sale of Inventory giving rise to such Credit Card Receivables;

                    (d) all material procedures required by the Credit Card Issuer or the Credit Card Processor of the credit card or debit card used in the purchase which gave rise to such Credit Card Receivables shall have been followed by such Borrower (including, but not limited to, obtaining any required authorization and approval by such Credit Card Issuer or Credit Card Processor for the sale giving rise to such Credit Card Receivables and submitting all materials

13



required by the Credit Card Issuer or Credit Card Processor obligated in respect of such Credit Card Receivables in order for such Borrower to be entitled to payment in respect thereof) and all documents required for the authorization and approval by such Credit Card Issuer or Credit Card Processor shall have been obtained in connection with the sale giving rise to such Credit Card Receivables;

                    (e) the Credit Card Issuer or Credit Card Processor obligated in respect of such Credit Card Receivable has not failed to remit any monthly payment in respect of such Credit Card Receivable;

                    (f) such Credit Card Receivables comply with the applicable terms and conditions contained in Section 7.2 of this Agreement;

                    (g) the Credit Card Issuer or Credit Card Processor with respect to such Credit Card Receivables has not asserted a counterclaim, defense or dispute and does not have, and does not engage in transactions which may give rise to, any right of setoff against such Credit Card Receivables (other than setoffs to fees and chargebacks consistent with the practices of such Credit Card Issuer or Credit Card Processor with such Borrower as of the date hereof or as such practices may change as a result of changes to the policies of such Credit Card Issuer or Credit Card Processor applicable to its customers generally and unrelated to the circumstance of such Borrower), but the portion of the Credit Card Receivables owing by such Credit Card Issuer or Credit Card Processor in excess of the amount owing by such Borrower to such Credit Card Issuer or Credit Card Processor pursuant to such fees and chargebacks may be deemed Eligible Credit Card Receivables;

                    (h) the Credit Card Issuer or Credit Card Processor with respect to such Credit Card Receivables has not setoff against amounts otherwise payable by such Credit Card Issuer or Credit Card Processor to such Borrower for the purpose of establishing a reserve or collateral for obligations of such Borrower to such Credit Card Issuer or Credit Card Processor (notwithstanding that the Credit Card Issuer or Credit Card Processor may have setoffs for fees and chargebacks consistent with the practices of such Credit Card Issuer or Credit Card Processor with such Borrower as of the date hereof or as such practices may hereafter change as a result of changes to the policies of such Credit Card Issuer or Credit Card Processor applicable to its customers generally and unrelated to the circumstances of such Borrower);

                    (i) there are no facts, events or occurrences which would impair the validity, enforceability or collectability of such Credit Card Receivables;

                    (j) such Credit Card Receivables are subject to the first priority, valid and perfected security interest and lien of Agent, for and on behalf of itself and Lenders, as to such Credit Card Receivables of such Borrower and any goods giving rise thereto are not, and were not at the time of the sale thereof, subject to any security interest or lien in favor of any person other than Agent except as otherwise permitted in this Agreement, in each case subject to and in accordance with the terms and conditions applicable hereunder to any such permitted security interest or lien;



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                    (k) there are no proceedings or actions which are pending against the Credit Card Issuers or Credit Card Processors with respect to such Credit Card Receivables which would reasonably be expected to result in any material adverse change in the financial condition of any such Credit Card Issuer or Credit Card Processor;

                    (l) such Credit Card Receivables are owed by Credit Card Issuers or Credit Card Processors deemed creditworthy at all times by Agent in good faith;

                    (m) no event of default has occurred under the Credit Card Agreement of such Borrower with the Credit Card Issuer or Credit Card Processor who has issued the credit card or debit card or handles payments under the credit card or debit card used in the sale which gave rise to such Credit Card Receivables which event of default gives such Credit Card Issuer or Credit Card Processor the right to cease or suspend payments to such Borrower or any Guarantor and no event shall have occurred which gives such Credit Card Issuer or Credit Card Processor the right to setoff against amounts otherwise payable to such Borrower, including on behalf of a Guarantor (other than for then current fees and chargebacks consistent with the current practices of such Credit Card Issuer or Credit Card Processor as of the date hereof or as such practices may hereafter change as a result of changes to the policies of such Credit Card Issuer or Credit Card Processor applicable to its customers generally and unrelated to the circumstances of such Borrower or any Guarantor), except as may have been waived in writing on terms and conditions reasonably satisfactory to Agent pursuant to the Credit Card Acknowledgment by such Credit Card Issuer or Credit Card Processor) or the right to establish reserves or establish or demand collateral, and the Credit Card Issuer or Credit Card Processor has not sent any written notice of default and/or notice of its intention to cease or suspend payments to such Borrower in respect of such Credit Card Receivables or to establish reserves or cash collateral for obligations of such Borrower to such Credit Card Issuer or Credit Card Processor, and such Credit Card Agreements are otherwise in full force and effect and constitute the legal, valid, binding and enforceable obligations of the parties thereto;

                    (n) the terms of the sale giving rise to such Credit Card Receivables and all practices of such Borrower and Guarantors with respect to such Credit Card Receivables comply in all material respects with applicable Federal, State, and local laws and regulations; and

                    (o) the customer using the credit card or debit card giving rise to such Credit Card Receivable shall not have returned the merchandise purchased giving rise to such Credit Card Receivable.

Credit Card Receivables which would otherwise constitute Eligible Credit Card Receivables pursuant to this Section will not be deemed ineligible solely by virtue of the Credit Card Agreements with respect thereto having been entered into by any Guarantor, for the benefit of Borrowers. General criteria for Eligible Credit Card Receivables may only be changed and any new criteria for Eligible Credit Card Receivables may only be established by Agent in good faith, upon notice to Borrower Agent, based on either: (i) an event, condition or other circumstance arising after the date hereof, or (ii) existing on the date hereof to the extent Agent has no written notice thereof from a Borrower prior to the date hereof, in either case under clause (i) or (ii) which adversely affects or could reasonably be expected to adversely affect the Credit

15



Card Receivables in the good faith determination of Agent. Any Credit Card Receivables that are not Eligible Credit Card Receivables shall nevertheless be part of the Collateral.

          1.37 "Eligible Equipment" shall mean, as to each Borrower, Equipment owned by such Borrower and included in an appraisal of Equipment received by Agent in accordance with the requirements of Agent (including Equipment acquired by such Borrower after the date hereof), which Equipment is in good order, repair, running and marketable condition (ordinary wear and tear excepted) and in each case acceptable to Agent in good faith based on the criteria set forth below. In general, Eligible Equipment shall not include: (a) Equipment at premises other than those owned or leased and controlled by any Borrower; (b) Equipment subject to a security interest or lien in favor of any person other than Agent except those permitted hereunder that are subject to an intercreditor agreement in form and substance satisfactory to Agent between the holder of such security interest or lien and Agent); (c) Equipment located outside the United States of America; (d) Equipment that is not subject to the first priority, valid and perfected security interest of Agent; (e) damaged or defective Equipment or Equipment not used or usable in the ordinary course of such Borrower's business as presently conducted. Any Equipment that is not Eligible Equipment shall nevertheless be part of the Collateral.

          1.38 "Eligible Inventory" shall mean, as to each Borrower, Inventory of such Borrower consisting of finished goods held for resale in the ordinary course of the business of such Borrower, in each case which are acceptable to Agent in good faith based on the criteria set forth below. In general, Eligible Inventory shall not include (a) spare parts for equipment; (b) packaging and shipping materials; (c) supplies used or consumed in such Borrower's business; (d) Inventory at premises other than those owned or leased and controlled by any Borrower; (e) Inventory subject to a security interest or lien in favor of any Person other than Agent except those permitted in this Agreement that are subject to an intercreditor agreement in form and substance satisfactory to Agent between the holder of such security interest or lien and Agent; (f) bill and hold goods; (g) obsolete Inventory; (h) Inventory which is not subject to the first priority, valid and perfected security interest of Agent; (i) Inventory that is past the expiration date; (j) Inventory that is held for return to vendors (other than undamaged overstock allowed to be returned to a vendor under the return policy between a Borrower and the vendor that is on terms and conditions acceptable to Agent in good faith); (k) damaged and/or defective Inventory; (l) Inventory purchased or sold on consignment and (m) Inventory located outside the United States of America. The criteria for Eligible Inventory set forth above may only be changed and any new criteria for Eligible Inventory may only be established by Agent in good faith based on either: (i) an event, condition or other circumstance arising after the date hereof, or (ii) an event, condition or other circumstance existing on the date hereof to the extent Agent has no written notice thereof from a Borrower prior to the date hereof, in either case under clause (i) or (ii) which adversely affects or could reasonably be expected to adversely affect the Inventory in the good faith determination of Agent. Any Inventory that is not Eligible Inventory shall nevertheless be part of the Collateral.

          1.39 "Eligible Prescription Files" shall mean, as to each Borrower, Prescription Files of such Borrower arising and maintained in the ordinary course of the business of such Borrower and included in an appraisal of Prescription Files received by Agent in accordance with the requirements of Agent (including Prescription Files acquired by such Borrower after the date hereof), in each case which are acceptable to Agent in good faith based on the criteria set forth

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below. In general, Eligible Prescription Files shall not include (a) Prescription Files at premises other than those owned or leased and controlled by any Borrower; (b) Prescription Files subject to a security interest or lien in favor of any Person other than Agent except those permitted in this Agreement that are subject to an intercreditor agreement in form and substance satisfactory to Agent between the holder of such security interest or lien and Agent; (c) Prescription Files that are not in a form that may be sold or otherwise transferred or are subject to regulatory restrictions on the transfer thereof that are not acceptable to Agent in good faith, provided that , the existing limitations as of the date hereof applicable in the States of Ohio and Michigan that the transferee have the licenses required under applicable State law to operate a pharmacy and sell products subject to a prescription shall be deemed acceptable to Agent. The criteria for Eligible Prescription Files set forth above may only be changed and any new criteria for Eligible Prescription Files may only be established by Agent in good faith based on either: (i) an event, condition or other circumstance arising after the date hereof, or (ii) an event, condition or other circumstance existing on the date hereof to the extent Agent has no written notice thereof from a Borrower prior to the date hereof, in either case under clause (i) or (ii) which adversely affects or could reasonably be expected to adversely affect the value of the Prescription Files or ability of Agent to sell or otherwise dispose of them in the good faith determination of Agent. Any Prescription Files that are not Eligible Prescription Files shall nevertheless be part of the Collateral.

          1.40 "Eligible Real Property" shall mean, as to each Borrower, Real Property owned by such Borrower in fee simple and included in an appraisal of such Real Property received by Agent in accordance with the requirements of Agent (including Real Property acquired by such Borrower after the date hereof) and in each case acceptable to Agent in good faith based on the criteria set forth below. In general, Eligible Real Property shall not include: (a) Real Property which is not owned and operated by a Borrower (and for this purpose vacant land or Real Property, including any closed retail store location, that is actively managed by a Borrower shall be deemed to be "operated" by such Borrower); (b) Real Property subject to a security interest, lien or mortgage or other encumbrance in favor of any person other than Agent, except those permitted hereunder that are subject to an intercreditor agreement in form and substance satisfactory to Agent between the holder of such lien and Agent or are otherwise acceptable to Agent); (c) Real Property that is not located in the United States of America; (d) Real Property that is not subject to the valid and enforceable, first priority, perfected security interest, lien and mortgage of Agent; (e) Real Property where Agent determines that issues relating to compliance with Environmental Laws adversely affect in any material respect the value thereof or the ability of Agent to sell or otherwise dispose thereof (but subject to the right of Agent to establish Reserves after the date hereof to reflect such adverse affect); and (f) Real Property improved with residential housing. Any Real Property that is not Eligible Real Property shall nevertheless be part of the Collateral.

          1.41 "Eligible Transferee" shall mean (a) any Lender; (b) the parent company of any Lender and/or any Affiliate of such Lender which is at least fifty (50%) percent owned by such Lender or its parent company; (c) any person (whether a corporation, partnership, trust or otherwise) that is engaged in the business of making, purchasing, holding or otherwise investing in bank loans and similar extensions of credit in the ordinary course of its business and is administered or managed by a Lender or with respect to any Lender that is a fund which invests in bank loans and similar extensions of credit, any other fund that invests in bank loans and

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similar extensions of credit and is managed by the same investment advisor as such Lender or by an Affiliate of such investment advisor, and in each case is approved by Agent; and (A) any other commercial bank having a combined capital and surplus of at least $250,000,000 or financial institution having a net worth (or the equivalent thereof in the case of an investment partnership, managed account, limited liability company or similar entity) calculated in accordance with applicable generally accepted accounting principles of not less than $100,000,000, or "accredited investor" (as defined in Regulation D under the Securities Act) that is engaged in the business of making, purchasing, holding or otherwise investing in bank loans and similar extensions of credit in the ordinary course of its business having a net worth (or the equivalent thereof in the case of an investment partnership, managed account, limited liability company or similar entity) calculated in accordance with applicable generally accepted accounting principles of not less than $100,000,000, and in each case, approved by Agent, provided, that, (ii) neither any Borrower nor any Guarantor or any Affiliate of any Borrower or Guarantor shall qualify as an Eligible Transferee and (iii) no Person to whom any Indebtedness which is in any way subordinated in right of payment to any other Indebtedness of any Borrower or Guarantor shall qualify as an Eligible Transferee, except as Agent may otherwise specifically agree.

          1.42 "Environmental Laws" shall mean all foreign, Federal, State and local laws (including common law), legislation, rules, codes, licenses, permits (including any conditions imposed therein), authorizations, judicial or administrative decisions, injunctions or agreements between any Borrower or Guarantor and any Governmental Authority, (a) relating to pollution and the protection, preservation or restoration of the environment (including air, water vapor, surface water, ground water, drinking water, drinking water supply, surface land, subsurface land, plant and animal life or any other natural resource), or to human health or safety, (b) relating to the exposure to, or the use, storage, recycling, treatment, generation, manufacture, processing, distribution, transportation, handling, labeling, production, release or disposal, or threatened release, of Hazardous Materials, or (c) relating to all laws with regard to recordkeeping, notification, disclosure and reporting requirements respecting Hazardous Materials. The term "Environmental Laws" includes (i) the Federal Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980, the Federal Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act, the Federal Water Pollution Control Act of 1972, the Federal Clean Water Act, the Federal Clean Air Act, the Federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976 (including the Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments thereto), the Federal Solid Waste Disposal and the Federal Toxic Substances Control Act, the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act, and the Federal Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974, (ii) applicable state counterparts to such laws and (iii) any common law or equitable doctrine that may impose liability or obligations for injuries or damages due to, or threatened as a result of, the presence of or exposure to any Hazardous Materials.

          1.43 "Equipment" shall mean, as to each Borrower and Guarantor, all of such Borrower's and Guarantor's now owned and hereafter acquired equipment, wherever located, including machinery, data processing and computer equipment (whether owned or licensed and including embedded software), vehicles, tools, furniture, fixtures, all attachments, accessions and property now or hereafter affixed thereto or used in connection therewith, and substitutions and replacements thereof, wherever located.

 

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          1.44 "ERISA" shall mean the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, together with all rules, regulations and interpretations thereunder or related thereto.

          1.45 "ERISA Affiliate" shall mean any person required to be aggregated with any Borrower, any Guarantor or any of its or their respective Subsidiaries under Sections 414(b), 414(c), 414(m) or 414(o) of the Code.

          1.46 "ERISA Event" shall mean (a) any "reportable event", as defined in Section 4043(c) of ERISA or the regulations issued thereunder, with respect to a Plan; (b) the adoption of any amendment to a Plan that would require the provision of security pursuant to Section 401(a)(29) of the Code or Section 307 of ERISA; (c) the existence with respect to any Plan of an "accumulated funding deficiency" (as defined in Section 412 of the Code or Section 302 of ERISA), whether or not waived; (d) the filing pursuant to Section 412 of the Code or Section 303(d) of ERISA of an application for a waiver of the minimum funding standard with respect to any Plan; (e) the occurrence of a non-exempt "prohibited transaction" with respect to which any Borrower, Guarantor or any of its or their respective Subsidiaries is a "disqualified person" (within the meaning of Section 4975 of the Code) or with respect to which any Borrower, Guarantor or any of its or their respective Subsidiaries could otherwise be liable; (f) a complete or partial withdrawal by any Borrower, Guarantor or any ERISA Affiliate from a Multiemployer Plan or a cessation of operations which is treated as such a withdrawal or notification that a Multiemployer Plan is in reorganization; (g) the filing of a notice of intent to terminate a Plan subject to Title IV of ERISA, the treatment of a Plan amendment as a termination under Section 4041 or 4041A of ERISA, or the commencement of proceedings by the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation to terminate a Plan; (h) an event or condition which might reasonably be expected to constitute grounds under Section 4042 of ERISA for the termination of, or the appointment of a trustee to administer, any Plan; (i) the imposition of any liability under Title IV of ERISA, other than the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation premiums due but not delinquent under Section 4007 of ERISA, upon any Borrower, Guarantor or any ERISA Affiliate in excess of $5,000,000 and (j) any other event or condition with respect to a Plan including any Plan subject to Title IV of ERISA maintained, or contributed to, by any ERISA Affiliate that could reasonably be expected to result in an increase of $5,000,000 or more in the amount required to be paid by any Borrower in any year in excess of the amount such Borrower would have been required but for such event or condition.

          1.47 "Eurodollar Rate" shall mean with respect to the Interest Period for a Eurodollar Rate Loan, the interest rate per annum equal to the arithmetic average of the rates of interest per annum (rounded upwards, if necessary, to the next one-sixteenth (1/16) of one (1%) percent) at which Reference Bank is offered deposits of United States dollars in the London interbank market (or other Eurodollar Rate market selected by a Borrower and approved by Agent) on or about 9:00 a.m. (New York time) two (2) Business Days prior to the commencement of such Interest Period in amounts substantially equal to the principal amount of the Eurodollar Rate Loans requested by and available to such Borrower in accordance with this Agreement, with a maturity of comparable duration to the Interest Period selected by or on behalf of a Borrower.

          1.48 "Eurodollar Rate Loans" shall mean any Loans or portion thereof on which interest is payable based on the Adjusted Eurodollar Rate in accordance with the terms hereof.

 

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          1.49 "Event of Default" shall mean the occurrence or existence of any event or condition described in Section 10.1 hereof.

          1.50 "Excess Availability" shall mean the amount, as determined by Agent, calculated at any date, equal to:

                    (a) the lesser of: (i) the Borrowing Base and (ii) the Maximum Credit (in each case under (i) or (ii) after giving effect to any Reserves other than any Reserves in respect of Letter of Credit Accommodations), minus

                    (b) the sum of: (i) the amount of all then outstanding and unpaid Obligations of such Borrower (but not including for this purpose Obligations of such Borrower arising pursuant to any guarantees in favor of Agent and Lenders of the Obligations of the other Borrowers or any outstanding Letter of Credit Accommodations), plus (ii) the amount of all Reserves then established in respect of Letter of Credit Accommodations, plus (iii) the aggregate amount of all then outstanding and unpaid trade payables and other obligations of such Borrower which are outstanding more than thirty (30) days past due as of such time (other than trade payables or other obligations being contested or disputed by such Borrower in good faith), plus (iv) without duplication, the amount of checks issued by such Borrower to pay trade payables and other obligations which are more than thirty (30) days past due as of such time (other than trade payables or other obligations being contested or disputed by such Borrower in good faith), but not yet sent.

          1.51 "Exchange Act" shall mean the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, together with all rules, regulations and interpretations thereunder or related thereto.

          1.52 "Existing Lenders" shall mean the lenders to Borrowers listed on Schedule 1.52 hereto (and including Standard Federal Bank, formerly known as Michigan National Bank in its capacity as agent acting for such lenders) and their respective predecessors, successors and assigns.

          1.53 "Existing Letters of Credit" shall mean, collectively, the letters of credit issued for the account of a Borrower or Guarantor or for which such Borrower or Guarantor is otherwise liable listed on Schedule 1.53 hereto, as the same now exist or may hereafter be amended, modified, supplemented, extended, renewed, restated or replaced.

          1.54 "Farm Products" shall mean crops, livestock, supplies used or produced in a farming operation and products of crops or livestock and including farm products as such term is defined in the Food Security Act and the UCC.

          1.55 "Farm Products Sellers" shall mean, collectively, sellers or suppliers to any Borrower of any farm product (as such term is defined in the Food Security Act and the UCC) and including any perishable agricultural commodity (as defined in PACA) or livestock (as defined in the PSA), meat, meat food products or livestock products derived therefrom or any poultry or poultry products derived therefrom; sometimes being referred to herein individually as a "Farm Product Seller".

 

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          1.56 "Fee Letter" shall mean the amended and restated letter agreement, dated of even date herewith, by and among Borrowers, Guarantors and Agent, setting forth certain fees payable by Borrowers to Agent for the benefit of itself and Lenders, as the same now exists or may hereafter be amended, modified, supplemented, extended, renewed, restated or replaced.

          1.57 "Financing Agreements" shall mean, collectively, this Agreement and all notes, guarantees, security agreements, deposit account control agreements, investment property control agreements, intercreditor agreements and all other agreements, documents and instruments now or at any time hereafter executed and/or delivered by any Borrower or Obligor in connection with this Agreement.

          1.58 "Fiscal Intermediary" shall mean any qualified insurance company or other financial institution that has entered into an ongoing relationship with any Governmental Authority to make payments to payees under Medicare, Medicaid or any other Federal, State or local public health care or medical assistance program pursuant to any of the Health Care Laws.

          1.59 "Fixed Asset Availability" shall mean the amount equal to the lesser of:

                    (a) the Fixed Asset Availability Limit; or

                    (b) the sum of:

                              (i) sixty (60%) percent of the fair market value of Eligible Real Property as set forth in the most recent acceptable appraisal (or acceptable updates of existing appraisals) of such Real Property received by Agent in accordance with Section 7.4 hereof, plus

                              (ii) eighty-five (85%) percent of the forced liquidation value of the Eligible Equipment as set forth in the most recent acceptable appraisal (or acceptable updates of existing appraisals) of such Equipment received by Agent in accordance with Section 7.4 hereof, net of estimated liquidation expenses, costs and commissions;

Provided, that, the Fixed Asset Availability shall be reduced as of the first day of each month, commencing on the first day of the month after the date hereof, by an amount equal to the initial Fixed Asset Availability divided by eighty-four (84).

          1.60 "Fixed Asset Availability Limit" shall mean $40,000,000.

          1.61 "Food Security Act" shall mean the Food Security Act of 1984, 7 U.S.C. Section 1631 et. seq., as the same now exists or may hereafter from time to time be amended, modified, recodified or supplemented, together with all rules and regulations thereunder.

          1.62 "Food Security Act Notices" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 8.21 hereof.

          1.63 "GAAP" shall mean generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America as in effect from time to time as set forth in the opinions and pronouncements of the Accounting Principles Board and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the statements and pronouncements of the Financial Accounting Standards Board which are

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applicable to the circumstances as of the date of determination consistently applied, except that, for purposes of Section 9.18 hereof, GAAP shall be determined on the basis of such principles in effect on the date hereof and consistent with those used in the preparation of the most recent audited financial statements delivered to Agent prior to the date hereof.

          1.64 "Governmental Authority" shall mean any nation or government, any state, province, or other political subdivision thereof, any central bank (or similar monetary or regulatory authority) thereof, and any entity exercising executive, legislative, judicial, regulatory or administrative functions of or pertaining to government.

          1.65 "Guarantors" shall have the meaning assigned thereto in the preamble to this Agreement.

          1.66 "Hazardous Materials" shall mean any hazardous, toxic or dangerous substances, materials and wastes, including hydrocarbons (including naturally occurring or man-made petroleum and hydrocarbons), flammable explosives, asbestos, urea formaldehyde insulation, radioactive materials, polychlorinated biphenyls, pesticides, herbicides, sewage, sludge, industrial slag, solvents and/or any other similar substances, materials, or wastes and including any other substances, materials or wastes that are or become regulated under any Environmental Law (including any that are or become classified as hazardous or toxic under any Environmental Law).

          1.67 "Health Care Laws" shall mean all Federal, State and local laws, rules, regulations, interpretations, guidelines, ordinances and decrees primarily relating to patient healthcare, any health care provider, medical assistance and cost reimbursement program, as now or at any time hereafter in effect, applicable any Borrower or Guarantor, including, but not limited to, the Social Security Act, the Social Security Amendments of 1972, the Medicare-Medicaid Anti-Fraud and Abuse Amendments of 1977, the Medicare and Medicaid Patient and Program Protection Act of 1987 and HIPAA.

          1.68 "HIPAA" shall mean the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, as the same now exists or may hereafter from time to time be amended, modified, recodified or supplemented, together with all rules and regulations thereunder.

          1.69 "Indebtedness" shall mean, with respect to any Person, any liability, whether or not contingent, (a) in respect of borrowed money (whether or not the recourse of the lender is to the whole of the assets of such Person or only to a portion thereof) or evidenced by bonds, notes, debentures or similar instruments; (b) representing the balance deferred and unpaid of the purchase price of any property or services (except any such balance that constitutes an account payable to a trade creditor (whether or not an Affiliate) created, incurred, assumed or guaranteed by such Person in the ordinary course of business of such Person in connection with obtaining goods, materials or services that is not overdue by more than ninety (90) days, unless the trade payable is being contested in good faith); (c) all obligations as lessee under leases which have been, or should be, in accordance with GAAP recorded as Capital Leases; (d) any contractual obligation, contingent or otherwise, of such Person to pay or be liable for the payment of any indebtedness described in this definition of another Person, including, without limitation, any such indebtedness, directly or indirectly guaranteed, or any agreement to purchase, repurchase,

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or otherwise acquire such indebtedness, obligation or liability or any security therefor, or to provide funds for the payment or discharge thereof, or to maintain solvency, assets, level of income, or other financial condition; (e) all obligations with respect to redeemable stock and redemption or repurchase obligations under any Capital Stock or other equity securities issued by such Person; (f) all reimbursement obligations and other liabilities of such Person with respect to surety bonds (whether bid, performance or otherwise), letters of credit, banker's acceptances, drafts or similar documents or instruments issued for such Person's account; (g) all indebtedness of such Person in respect of indebtedness of another Person for borrowed money or indebtedness of another Person otherwise described in this definition which is secured by any consensual lien, security interest, collateral assignment, conditional sale, mortgage, deed of trust, or other encumbrance on any asset of such Person, whether or not such obligations, liabilities or indebtedness are assumed by or are a personal liability of such Person, all as of such time; (h) all obligations, liabilities and indebtedness of such Person (marked to market) arising under swap agreements, cap agreements and collar agreements and other agreements or arrangements designed to protect such person against fluctuations in interest rates or currency or commodity values; (i) all obligations owed by such Person under License Agreements with respect to non-refundable, advance or minimum guarantee royalty payments; and (j) the principal and interest portions of all rental obligations of such Person under any synthetic lease or similar off-balance sheet financing where such transaction is considered to be borrowed money for tax purposes but is classified as an operating lease in accordance with GAAP.

          1.70 "Information Certificate" shall mean, collectively, the Information Certificates of Borrowers and Guarantors constituting Exhibit C hereto containing material information with respect to Borrowers and Guarantors, their respective businesses and assets provided by or on behalf of Borrowers and Guarantors to Agent in connection with the preparation of this Agreement and the other Financing Agreements and the financing arrangements provided for herein.

          1.71 "Intellectual Property" shall mean, as to each Borrower and Guarantor, such Borrower's and Guarantor's now owned and hereafter arising or acquired: patents, patent rights, patent applications, copyrights, works which are the subject matter of copyrights, copyright registrations, trademarks, trade names, trade styles, trademark and service mark applications, and licenses and rights to use any of the foregoing; all extensions, renewals, reissues, divisions, continuations, and continuations-in-part of any of the foregoing; all rights to sue for past, present and future infringement of any of the foregoing; inventions, trade secrets, formulae, processes, compounds, drawings, designs, blueprints, surveys, reports, manuals, and operating standards; goodwill (including any goodwill associated with any trademark or the license of any trademark); customer and other lists in whatever form maintained; trade secret rights, copyright rights, rights in works of authorship, domain names and domain name registration; software and contract rights relating to computer software programs, in whatever form created or maintained.

          1.72 "Interest Expense" shall mean, for any period, as to any Person, as determined in accordance with GAAP, the total interest expense of such Person, whether paid or accrued during such period (including the interest component of Capital Leases for such period), including, without limitation, discounts in connection with the sale of any Accounts, but excluding interest paid in property other than cash and any other interest expense not payable in cash.

 

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          1.73 "Interest Period" shall mean for any Eurodollar Rate Loan, a period of approximately one (1), two (2), three (3) or six (6) months duration as any Borrower may elect, the exact duration to be determined in accordance with the customary practice in the applicable Eurodollar Rate market; provided , that , such Borrower may not elect an Interest Period which will end after the last day of the then-current term of this Agreement.

          1.74 "Interest Rate" shall mean,

                    (a) Subject to clauses (b) and (c) of this definition below:

                              (i) as to Prime Rate Loans, a rate equal to three-quarters (3/4%) percent per annum in excess of the Prime Rate;

                              (ii) as to Eurodollar Rate Loans, a rate equal to three (3%) percent per annum in excess of the Adjusted Eurodollar Rate (in each case, based on the Eurodollar Rate applicable for the relevant Interest Period, whether such rate is higher or lower than any rate previously quoted to a Borrower);

                    (b) Subject to clause (c) of this definition below, effective as of the first (1st) day of the second calendar month after the date hereof, the Interest Rate payable by each Borrower shall be increased or decreased, as the case may be, (i) as to Prime Rate Loans, to the rate equal to the Applicable Margin for Prime Rate Loans on a per annum basis in excess of the Prime Rate, and (ii) as to Eurodollar Rate Loans, to the rate equal to the Applicable Margin for Eurodollar Rate Loans on a per annum basis in excess of the Adjusted Eurodollar Rate.

                    (c) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in clauses (a) and (b) of this definition, the Applicable Margin otherwise used to calculate the Interest Rate for Prime Rate Loans and Eurodollar Rate Loans shall be the highest percentage set forth in the definition of the term Applicable Margin for each category of Loans (without regard to the amount of Monthly Average Excess Availability) plus two (2%) percent per annum, at Agent's option, (i) for the period (A) from and after the effective date of termination or non-renewal hereof until Agent and Lenders have received full and final payment of all outstanding and unpaid Obligations which are not contingent and cash collateral or letter of credit, as Agent may specify, in the amounts and on the terms required under Section 13.1 hereof for contingent Obligations (notwithstanding entry of a judgment against any Borrower or Guarantor) and (B) from and after the date of the occurrence of an Event of Default and for so long as such Event of Default is continuing and (ii) on Loans to a Borrower at any time outstanding in excess of the Borrowing Base of such Borrower (whether or not such excess(es) arise or are made with or without the knowledge or consent of Agent or any Lender and whether made before or after an Event of Default).

          1.75 "Interest Rate Protection Agreements" shall mean, collectively, any interest rate protection agreements and other types of interest rate hedging agreements (including, without limitation, interest rate swaps, caps, floors, collars and similar agreements) between an Obligor and an Affiliate of Agent, or another financial institution acceptable to Agent, designed to protect against or manage exposure to fluctuations in interest rates; sometimes being referred to herein individually as an "Interest Rate Protection Agreement".

 

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          1.76 "Inventory" shall mean, as to each Borrower and Guarantor, all of such Borrower's and Guarantor's now owned and hereafter existing or acquired goods, wherever located, which (a) are leased by such Borrower or Guarantor as lessor; (b) are held by such Borrower for sale or lease or to be furnished under a contract of service; (c) are furnished by such Borrower or Guarantor under a contract of service; or (d) consist of raw materials, work in process, finished goods or materials used or consumed in its business

          1.77 "Investment Property Control Agreement" shall mean an agreement in writing, in form and substance satisfactory to Agent, by and among Agent, any Borrower or Guarantor (as the case may be) and any securities intermediary, commodity intermediary or other person who has custody, control or possession of any investment property of such Borrower or Guarantor agreeing that such securities intermediary, commodity intermediary or other person will comply with entitlement orders originated by Agent with respect to such investment property, or other instructions of Agent and including such other terms and conditions as Agent may require.

          1.78 "Lead Borrower" shall mean Spartan Stores, Inc., a Michigan corporation in its capacity as Lead Borrower on behalf of itself and the other Borrowers pursuant to Section 6.7 hereof and it successors and assigns in such capacity.

          1.79 "Lenders" shall mean the financial institutions who are signatories hereto as Lenders and other persons made a party to this Agreement as a Lender in accordance with Section 13.7 hereof, and their respective successors and assigns; each sometimes being referred to herein individually as a "Lender".

          1.80 "Letter of Credit Accommodations" shall mean, collectively, the letters of credit, merchandise purchase or other guaranties which are from time to time either (a) issued or opened by Agent or any Lender for the account of any Borrower or Obligor or (b) with respect to which Agent or Lenders have agreed to indemnify the issuer or guaranteed to the issuer the performance by any Borrower or Obligor of its obligations to such issuer; sometimes being referred to herein individually as "Letter of Credit Accommodation".

          1.81 "License Agreements" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 8.11 hereof.

          1.82 "Loans" shall mean the loans now or hereafter made by or on behalf of any Lender or by Agent for the account of any Lender on a revolving basis pursuant to the Credit Facility (involving advances, repayments and readvances) as set forth in Section 2.1 hereof.

          1.83 "Marion Real Property" shall mean the Real Property owned by Buckeye as of the date hereof located in Marion, Ohio and the assets related thereto described on Schedule 1.83 hereto.

          1.84 "Material Adverse Effect" shall mean a material adverse effect on (a) the financial condition, business, performance or operations of Borrowers and Guarantors (taken as a whole) or the legality, validity or enforceability of this Agreement or any of the other Financing Agreements; (b) the legality, validity, enforceability, perfection or priority of the security interests and liens of Agent upon the Collateral (taken as a whole); (c) the Collateral (taken as a whole) or its value (taken as a whole), (d) the ability of Borrowers (taken as a whole) to repay the Obligations or of Borrowers (taken as a whole) to perform their obligations under this

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Agreement or any of the other Financing Agreements as and when to be performed; or (e) the ability of Agent or any Lender to enforce the Obligations or realize upon the Collateral or otherwise with respect to the rights and remedies of Agent and Lenders under this Agreement or any of the other Financing Agreements (taken as a whole).

          1.85 "Material Contract" shall mean (a) any contract or other agreement (other than the Financing Agreements or contracts relating to the purchase or sale of Inventory in the ordinary course of business)), written or oral, of any Borrower or Guarantor involving monetary liability of or to any Person in an amount in excess of $5,000,000 in any fiscal year and (b) any other contract or other agreement (other than the Financing Agreements or contracts relating to the purchase or sale of Inventory in the ordinary course of business), whether written or oral, to which any Borrower or Guarantor is a party as to which the breach, nonperformance, cancellation or failure to renew by any party thereto would have a Material Adverse Effect.

          1.86 "Maximum Credit" shall mean the amount of $170,000,000.

          1.87 "Medicaid" shall mean the health care financial assistance program jointly financed and administered by the Federal and State governments under Title XIX of the Social Security Act.

          1.88 "Medicaid Account" shall mean any Accounts of Borrowers or Guarantors arising pursuant to services rendered by Borrowers or Guarantors to eligible Medicaid beneficiaries to be paid by a Fiscal Intermediary or by the United States of America acting under the Medicaid program, any State or the District of Columbia acting pursuant to a health plan adopted pursuant to Title XIX of the Social Security Act or any other Governmental Authority under Medicaid.

          1.89 "Medicare" shall mean the health care financial assistance program under Title XVIII of the Social Security Act.

          1.90 "Medicare Account" shall mean any Accounts of Borrowers or Guarantors arising pursuant to goods sold or services rendered by Borrowers or Guarantors to eligible Medicare beneficiaries to be paid by a Fiscal Intermediary or by the United States of America acting under the Medicare program or any other Governmental Authority under Medicare.

          1.91 "Monthly Average Excess Availability" shall mean, at any time, the average of the aggregate amount of the Excess Availability of Borrowers during the immediately preceding calendar month as calculated by Agent in good faith based on the date of the information received by Agent with respect to the components of the Borrowing Base during such month.

          1.92 "Mortgages" shall mean, collectively, the mortgages, deeds of trust and deeds to secure debt with respect to Real Property of any Borrower or Guarantor in favor of, or for the benefit of Agent, as set forth on Schedule 1.92 hereto, as the same now exist or may hereafter be amended, modified, supplemented, extended, renewed, restated or replaced.

          1.93 "Multiemployer Plan" shall mean a "multi-employer plan" as defined in Section 4001(a)(3) of ERISA which is or was at any time during the current year or the immediately preceding six (6) years contributed to by any Borrower, Guarantor or any ERISA Affiliate.

 

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          1.94 "Net Proceeds" shall mean the aggregate cash proceeds payable to any Borrower or Guarantor in respect of any sale, lease, transfer or other disposition of any assets or properties, or interest in assets and properties or as proceeds of any loans or other financial accommodations provided to any Borrower or Guarantor or as proceeds from the issuance and/or sale of any Capital Stock, in each case net of the reasonable and customary direct costs relating to such sale, lease, transfer or other disposition or loans or other financial accommodation or issuance and/or sale (including, without limitation, legal, accounting and investment banking fees, and sales commissions) and taxes paid or payable as a result thereof (after taking into account any available tax credits or deductions and any tax sharing arrangements), and amounts applied to the repayment of indebtedness secured by a valid and enforceable lien on the asset or assets that are the subject of such sale or other disposition required to be repaid in connection with such transaction. Net Proceeds shall exclude any non-cash proceeds received from any sale or other disposition or other transaction, but shall include such proceeds when and as converted by any Borrower or Guarantor to cash or other immediately available funds.

          1.95 "Net Recovery Percentage" shall mean the fraction, expressed as a percentage, as to Inventory, (a) the numerator of which is the amount equal to the amount of the recovery in respect of the Inventory at such time, as to Inventory of the Retail Division, on a "going-out-of-business sale" basis, and as to Inventory of the Distribution Division and the United Wholesale Division, on a "net orderly liquidation value" basis as set forth in the most recent acceptable appraisal of Inventory received by Agent in accordance with Section 7.3, in each case, net of operating expenses, liquidation expenses and commissions, and (b) the denominator of which is the applicable original cost of the aggregate amount of the Inventory subject to such appraisal.

          1.96 "Obligations" shall mean (a) any and all Loans, Letter of Credit Accommodations and all other obligations, liabilities and indebtedness of every kind, nature and description owing by any or all of Borrowers to Agent or any Lender and/or any of their Affiliates, including principal, interest, charges, fees, costs and expenses, however evidenced, whether as principal, surety, endorser, guarantor or otherwise, arising under this Agreement or any of the other Financing Agreements, whether now existing or hereafter arising, whether arising before, during or after the initial or any renewal term of this Agreement or after the commencement of any case with respect to such Borrower under the United States Bankruptcy Code or any similar statute (including the payment of interest and other amounts which would accrue and become due but for the commencement of such case, whether or not such amounts are allowed or allowable in whole or in part in such case), whether direct or indirect, absolute or contingent, joint or several, due or not due, primary or secondary, liquidated or unliquidated, or secured or unsecured and (b) for purposes only of Section 5.1 hereof and subject to the priority in right of payment set forth in Section 6.4 hereof, all obligations of Borrowers or Guarantors to a Lender or an Affiliate of Lender, or another financial institution acceptable to Agent, arising under or pursuant to an Interest Rate Protection Agreement in each case acceptable to Agent, provided, that, upon Agent's request, Agent shall have entered into an agreement, in form and substance satisfactory to Agent, with such Lender, Affiliate or other Person that is a counterparty to such Interest Rate Protection Agreement, as acknowledged and agreed to by Borrowers and Guarantors, providing for the delivery to Agent by such counterparty of information with respect to the amount of such obligations and providing for the other rights of Agent and such Lender, Affiliate or other Person, as the case may be, in connection with such arrangements. In no event shall the party to such Interest Rate Protection Agreement to whom such obligations are owed be deemed a Lender

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for purposes hereof to the extent of and as to such obligations other than for purposes of Section 5.1 hereof and other than for purposes of Sections 12.1, 12.2, 12.5, 12.6, 12.7 and 12.12 hereof.

          1.97 "Obligor" shall mean any guarantor, endorser, acceptor, surety or other person liable on or with respect to the Obligations or who is the owner of any property which is security for the Obligations (including, without limitation, Guarantors), other than Borrowers.

          1.98 "PACA" shall mean the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act, 1930, as amended, 7 U.S.C. Section 499a et. seq., as the same now exists or may hereafter from time to time be amended, modified, recodified or supplemented, together with all rules and regulations thereunder.

          1.99 "PSA" shall mean the Packers and Stockyard Act of 1921, 7 U.S.C. Section 181 et. seq., as the same now exists or may from time to time hereafter be amended, modified, recodified or supplemented, together with all rules, regulations and interpretations thereunder or related thereto.

          1.100 "Parent" shall mean Spartan Stores, Inc., a Michigan corporation, and its successors and assigns.

          1.101 "Participant" shall mean any financial institution that acquires and holds a participation in the interest of any Lender in any of the Loans and Letter of Credit Accommodations in conformity with the provisions of Section 13.7 of this Agreement governing participations.

          1.102 "Person" or "person" shall mean any individual, sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation (including any corporation which elects subchapter S status under the Code), limited liability company, limited liability partnership, business trust, unincorporated association, joint stock corporation, trust, joint venture or other entity or any government or any agency or instrumentality or political subdivision thereof.

          1.103 "Plan" means an employee benefit plan (as defined in Section 3(3) of ERISA) which any Borrower or Guarantor sponsors, maintains, or to which it makes, is making, or is obligated to make contributions, or in the case of a Multiemployer Plan has made contributions at any time during the immediately preceding six (6) plan years.

          1.104 "Prescription Files" shall mean, as to each Borrower and Guarantor, all of such Borrower's or Guarantor's now owned or hereafter existing or acquired retail customer files, including prescriptions for retail customers and other medical information related thereto, maintained by the retail pharmacies of Borrowers and Guarantors, wherever located.

          1.105 "Prescription File Availability" shall mean the lesser of: (a) seventy-five (75%) percent of the "net orderly liquidation value" of the Eligible Prescription Files based on the most recent acceptable appraisal thereof received by Agent using the average of the average recovery under each of the percent of script sales method, the dollars per average number of scripts filled per week method and the percent of past year script margin method (or such other methodology or methodologies as may be acceptable to Agent), net of estimated liquidation expenses, costs and commissions, or (b) $10,000,000.

 

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          1.106 "Prime Rate" shall mean the rate from time to time publicly announced by Wachovia Bank, National Association, or its successors, as its prime rate, whether or not such announced rate is the best rate available at such bank.

          1.107 "Prime Rate Loans" shall mean any Loans or portion thereof on which interest is payable based on the Prime Rate in accordance with the terms thereof.

          1.108 "Pro Rata Share" shall mean as to any Lender, the fraction (expressed as a percentage) the numerator of which is such Lender's Commitment and the denominator of which is the aggregate amount of all of the Commitments of Lenders, as adjusted from time to time in accordance with the provisions of Section 13.7 hereof; provided , that , if the Commitments have been terminated, the numerator shall be the unpaid amount of such Lender's Loans and its interest in the Letter of Credit Accommodations and the denominator shall be the aggregate amount of all unpaid Loans and Letter of Credit Accommodations.

          1.109 "Provision for Taxes" shall mean an amount equal to all taxes imposed on or measured by net income, whether Federal, State, Provincial, county or local, and whether foreign or domestic, that are paid or payable by any Person in respect of any period in accordance with GAAP.

          1.110 "Real Property" shall mean all now owned and hereafter acquired real property of each Borrower and Guarantor, including leasehold interests, together with all buildings, structures, and other improvements located thereon and all licenses, easements and appurtenances relating thereto, wherever located, including the real property and related assets more particularly described in the Mortgages.

          1.111 "Receivables" shall mean all of the following now owned or hereafter arising or acquired property of each Borrower and Guarantor: (a) all Accounts; (b) all interest, fees, late charges, penalties, collection fees and other amounts due or to become due or otherwise payable in connection with any Account; (c) all payment intangibles of such Borrower or Guarantor; (d) letters of credit, indemnities, guarantees, security or other deposits and proceeds thereof issued payable to any Borrower or Guarantor or otherwise in favor of or delivered to any Borrower or Guarantor in connection with any Account; or (e) all other accounts, contract rights, chattel paper, instruments, notes, general intangibles and other forms of obligations owing to any Borrower or Guarantor, whether from the sale and lease of goods or other property, licensing of any property (including Intellectual Property or other general intangibles), rendition of services or from loans or advances by any Borrower or Guarantor or to or for the benefit of any third person (including loans or advances to any Affiliates or Subsidiaries of any Borrower or Guarantor) or otherwise associated with any Accounts, Inventory or general intangibles of any Borrower or Guarantor (including, without limitation, choses in action, causes of action, tax refunds, tax refund claims, any funds which may become payable to any Borrower or Guarantor in connection with the termination of any Plan or other employee benefit plan and any other amounts payable to any Borrower or Guarantor from any Plan or other employee benefit plan, rights and claims against carriers and shippers, rights to indemnification, business interruption insurance and proceeds thereof, casualty or any similar types of insurance and any proceeds thereof and proceeds of insurance covering the lives of employees on which any Borrower or Guarantor is a beneficiary).

 

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          1.112 "Records" shall mean, as to each Borrower and Guarantor, all of such Borrower's and Guarantor's present and future books of account of every kind or nature, purchase and sale agreements, invoices, ledger cards, bills of lading and other shipping evidence, statements, correspondence, memoranda, credit files and other data relating to the Collateral or any Account Debtor, together with the tapes, disks, diskettes and other data and software storage media and devices, file cabinets or containers in or on which the foregoing are stored (including any rights of any Borrower or Guarantor with respect to the foregoing maintained with or by any other person).

          1.113 "Reference Bank" shall mean Wachovia Bank, National Association, or such other bank as Agent may from time to time designate.

          1.114 "Refinancing Indebtedness" shall have meaning set forth in Section 9.9 hereof.

          1.115 "Renewal Date" shall the meaning set forth in Section 13.1 hereof.

          1.116 "Register" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 13.7 hereof.

          1.117 "Required Lenders" shall mean, at any time, those Lenders whose Pro Rata Shares aggregate fifty-one (51%) percent or more of the aggregate of the Commitments of all Lenders, or if the Commitments shall have been terminated, Lenders to whom at least fifty-one (51%) percent of the then outstanding Obligations are owing.

          1.118 "Reserves" shall mean as of any date of determination, such amounts as Agent may from time to time establish and revise in good faith reducing the amount of Loans and Letter of Credit Accommodations which would otherwise be available to any Borrower under the lending formula(s) provided for herein: (a) to reflect events, conditions, contingencies or risks which adversely affect, or have a reasonable likelihood of adversely affecting (i) the assets or business of Borrowers, including the Collateral or its value or the amount that might be obtained upon the sale or other disposition or realization on such Collateral or (ii) the security interests and other rights of Agent or any Lender in the Collateral (including the enforceability, perfection and priority thereof) or (b) to reflect Agent's good faith belief that any collateral report or financial information furnished by or on behalf of any Borrower or Obligor to Agent is or was incomplete, inaccurate or misleading in any material respect or (c) to reflect outstanding Letter of Credit Accommodations as provided in Section 2.2 hereof or (d) in respect of any state of facts which Agent determines in good faith constitutes a Default or an Event of Default. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, Reserves may, at Agent's option in good faith, be established to reflect: (i) chargebacks with respect to Accounts, (ii) returns, discounts, claims, credits and allowances of any nature that are not paid pursuant to the reduction of Accounts, (iii) the sales, excise or similar taxes included in the amount of any Accounts reported to Agent, (iv) a change in the turnover, age or mix of the categories of Inventory that adversely affects the aggregate value of all Inventory, (v) variances between the perpetual inventory records of Borrowers (to the extent such perpetual inventory records are maintained) and the results of the test counts of the Inventory that is subject to such perpetual inventory records conducted by Agent with respect thereto in excess of the percentage acceptable to Agent, (vi) variances between the inventory records of Borrowers and Guarantors and the results of test counts or physical counts of inventory with respect thereto, (vii) upon the establishment of reliable,

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consistent and accurate stock ledger inventory system at the Retail Division, variances between the stock ledger inventory report for non-perishable items in the Retail Division and the general ledger with respect thereto; (viii) the failure of Borrowers and Guarantors to establish a reliable, consistent and accurate stock ledger inventory system at the Retail Division on or before March 31, 2004, and failure of Agent to receive evidence, in form and substance satisfactory to it of the establishment of such a system by such date, (ix) in the event that the United Wholesale Division Assets are not sold pursuant to the terms of the United Wholesale Sale Agreements on or before March 31, 2004, the variances, lack of detail and information and other deficiencies in the inventory reporting systems of the United Wholesale Division, (x) amounts owing by Borrowers to Credit Card Issuers or Credit Card Processors in connection with the Credit Card Agreements, (xi) amounts due or to become due in respect of sales, excise, use and/or withholding taxes, (xii) liabilities of any Borrower or Guarantor that are entitled to receive the benefit of a security interest or trust pursuant to the PACA, the PSA or any other similar state law ( provided , that , as of the date hereof, Borrowers represent that there are no such liabilities under the PSA since Borrowers have written agreements providing for the extension of credit to them for all purchases of meat, meat products and livestock products by Borrowers), (xiii) inventory shrinkage, (xiv) the aggregate amount of merchandise gift certificates and coupons, (xv) any rental payments, service charges or other amounts to become due to lessors of real property to the extent Inventory, Equipment or Records are located in or on such property or such Records are needed to monitor or otherwise deal with the Collateral (except for rents and amounts due for the lease of Real Property by Borrowers where Agent has received a Collateral Access Agreement in a form acceptable to Agent, provided, that, in the event that Agent has not received a Collateral Access Agreement or has received a Collateral Access Agreement that does not have terms that are acceptable to Agent for any retail store location that is leased by a Borrower, the Reserves established in respect of such location pursuant to this clause (xvi) shall not exceed at any time the lesser of (A) the aggregate of amounts payable to the owners and lessors of such location for the next two (2) months from any such time and including amounts if any, then outstanding and unpaid owed by a Borrower to such owners and lessors or (B) the value of the Eligible Equipment and Eligible Inventory at such location to the extent included in the Borrowing Base, except that such limitation on the amount of the Reserves shall not apply at any time that a Default or Event of Default shall exist or have occurred and be continuing, or a notice of any default or event of default under the lease with respect to such location has been received by or on behalf of any Borrower or Guarantor (except where the existence of the default specified in such notice is being disputed in good faith by such Borrower or Guarantor provided that such Borrower or Guarantor is continuing to pay rent and all other amounts payable under the lease with respect to such premises or if not, then is paying such rent and other amounts into escrow so that such funds will be available to the lessor in the event that such Borrower or Guarantor does not succeed in such dispute) or a Borrower has granted to the owner and lessor a security interest or lien upon any assets of such Borrower, (xvii) reductions in the number of repeat prescriptions, the average volume of prescriptions being filled, or the change in the mix of the types of payors with respect to sales of prescriptions, or any other changes to the factors identified in any appraisal that adversely affect the amount that may be recovered by Agent from the sale or other disposition of the Prescription Files ( provided , that , Borrowers may at any time and from time to time obtain appraisals that satisfy the requirements of Agent provided for herein with respect to the Prescription Files, and to the extent that the Borrowing Base has been adjusted to reflect the then current value of the Eligible Prescription Files based on the results of


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such appraisal, such Reserves shall not be established), (xviii) any statutory or regulatory changes after the date hereof, or as to Ohio and Michigan laws are not disclosed in the opinions of counsel to Borrowers addressed and delivered to Agent on the date hereof, that adversely affect the transferability of the Prescription Files, (xix) obligations (contingent or otherwise) of Borrowers or Guarantors to any Affiliate of Agent or a Lender or any other Person arising under or in connection with any Interest Rate Protection Agreement of any Borrower or Guarantor with such Affiliate or Person or as such Affiliate or Person may otherwise require in connection therewith to the extent that such obligations constitute Obligations as such term is defined herein or otherwise receive the benefit of the security interest of Agent in any Collateral, provided, that, the amount of the Reserves in respect of such obligations shall be based on the amount of the liability of Borrowers or Guarantors as agreed by the other party or parties to the Interest Rate Protection Agreements and reported by such other party or parties to Agent in a form and substance satisfactory to Agent. To the extent Agent may revise the lending formulas used to determine the Borrowing Base or establish new criteria or revise existing criteria for Eligible Accounts or Eligible Inventory so as to address any circumstances, condition, event or contingency in a manner satisfactory to Agent, Agent shall not establish a Reserve for the same purpose. The amount of any Reserve established by Agent shall have a reasonable relationship to the event, condition or other matter which is the basis for such reserve as determined by Agent in good faith.

          1.119 "Retail Division" shall mean, collectively (together with their respective successors and assigns): Family Fare, Prevo, MSFC, Seaway, Custer, Pharm, Gruber Food Town and Gruber RE.

          1.120 "Social Security Act" shall mean the Social Security Act, 92 U.S.C. $$1396, et seq, as the same now exists or may from time to time hereafter be amended, modified, recodified or supplemented, together with all rules, regulations and interpretations thereunder or related thereto.

          1.121 "Solvent" shall mean, at any time with respect to any Person, that at such time such Person (a) is able to pay its debts as they mature and has (and has a reasonable basis to believe it will continue to have) sufficient capital (and not unreasonably small capital) to carry on its business consistent with its practices as of the date hereof, and (b) the assets and properties of such Person at a fair valuation (and including as assets for this purpose at a fair valuation all rights of subrogation, contribution or indemnification arising pursuant to any guarantees given by such Person) are greater than the Indebtedness of such Person, and including subordinated and contingent liabilities computed at the amount which, such person has a reasonable basis to believe, represents an amount which can reasonably be expected to become an actual or matured liability (and including as to contingent liabilities arising pursuant to any guarantee the face amount of such liability as reduced to reflect the probability of it becoming a matured liability).

          1.122 "Special Agent Advances" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 12.11 hereof.

          1.123 "Store Accounts" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 6.3 hereof.

 

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          1.124 "Subsidiary" or "subsidiary" shall mean, with respect to any Person, any corporation, limited liability company, limited liability partnership or other limited or general partnership, trust, association or other business entity of which an aggregate of at least a majority of the outstanding Capital Stock or other interests entitled to vote in the election of the board of directors of such corporation (irrespective of whether, at the time, Capital Stock of any other class or classes of such corporation shall have or might have voting power by reason of the happening of any contingency), managers, trustees or other controlling persons, or an equivalent controlling interest therein, of such Person is, at the time, directly or indirectly, owned by such Person and/or one or more subsidiaries of such Person.

          1.125 "Supplemental Loan Agent" shall mean Kimco Capital Spartan, L.L.C., in its capacity as agent acting for and on behalf of the Supplemental Loan Lenders pursuant to the Supplemental Loan Lender Agreements, and any replacement or successor agent in such capacity, and their respective successors and assigns.

          1.126 "Supplemental Loan Agreement" shall mean the Loan Agreement, dated of even date herewith, by and among Supplemental Loan Agent, Supplemental Loan Lenders, Parent as the borrower thereunder and the other Borrowers and Guarantors as the guarantors thereunder, as the same now exists or may hereafter be amended, modified, supplemented, extended, renewed, restated or replaced.

          1.127 "Supplemental Loan Debt" shall mean all obligations, liabilities and indebtedness of every kind, nature and description owing by any Borrower or Guarantor to Supplemental Loan Lenders, including principal, interest, charges, fees, premiums, indemnities, costs and expenses, however evidenced, whether as principal, surety, endorser, guarantor or otherwise, arising under the Supplemental Loan Lender Agreements.

          1.128 "Supplemental Loan Guarantors" shall mean, collectively, the Borrowers and Guarantors listed on Schedule 1.128 hereto that have guaranteed the Indebtedness of Parent to Supplemental Loan Lenders arising under the Supplemental Loan Agreement.

          1.129 "Supplemental Loan Intercreditor Agreement" shall mean the Intercreditor and Subordination Agreement, dated of even date herewith, by and between Agent and Supplemental Loan Agent , as the same now exists or may hereafter be amended, modified, supplemented, extended, renewed, restated or replaced.

          1.130 "Supplemental Loan Lenders" shall mean, collectively, (together with their respective successors and assigns): (a) Kimco Capital Spartan L.L.C. and (b) the other parties to the Supplemental Loan Agreement from time to time as a lender; sometimes being referred to herein individually as a "Supplemental Loan Lender".

          1.131 "Supplemental Loan Lender Agreements" shall mean, collectively, the following (as the same now exist or may hereafter be amended, modified, supplemented, extended, renewed, restated or replaced): (a) the Supplemental Loan Agreement; (b) the agreements, documents and instruments set forth on Schedule 1.131 hereto; and (d) all other agreements, documents and instruments at any time executed and/or delivered by any Borrower or Guarantor with, to or in favor of Supplemental Loan Agent or any Supplemental Loan Lender in connection

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therewith or related thereto; sometimes being referred to herein individually as a "Supplemental Loan Lender Agreement".

          1.132 "Supplemental Loan Priority Collateral" shall mean the leasehold interests of Borrowers and Guarantors in Real Property that are subject to the valid and enforceable first priority security interests and mortgages and liens of Supplemental Loan Agent and described on Schedule 1.132 hereto.

          1.133 "Third Party Payor" shall mean any Person, such as, a Fiscal Intermediary, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, or private health insurance company, which is obligated to reimburse or otherwise make payments to health care providers who provide medical care or medical assistance or other goods or services for eligible patients under Medicare, Medicaid or any private insurance contract.

          1.134 "UCC" shall mean the Uniform Commercial Code as in effect in the State of Illinois, and any successor statute, as in effect from time to time (except that terms used herein which are defined in the Uniform Commercial Code as in effect in the State of Illinois on the date hereof shall continue to have the same meaning notwithstanding any replacement or amendment of such statute except as Agent may otherwise determine).

          1.135 "United Wholesale Division" shall mean United.

          1.136 "United Wholesale Division Assets" shall mean the assets and properties of the United Wholesale Division as described on Schedule 1.136 hereto.

          1.137 "United Wholesale Sale Agreements" shall mean, collectively, the agreements, documents and instruments listed on Schedule 1.137 hereto, as the same now exist or may hereafter be amended, modified, supplemented, extended, renewed, restated or replaced.

          1.138 "Value" shall mean, as determined by Agent in good faith, with respect to Inventory, the lower of (A) cost computed on a first-in first-out basis in accordance with GAAP or (b) market value, provided , that , for purposes of the calculation of the Borrowing Base, (i) the Value of the Inventory shall not include: (A) the portion of the value of Inventory equal to the profit earned by any Affiliate on the sale thereof to any Borrower (other than the profit of the Distribution Division for sales of Inventory to the Retail Division in the ordinary course of business consistent with current practices and for sales at prices no more than the Retail Division could purchase such Inventory from a person that is not an Affiliate), (B) the amount of cigarette taxes that are capitalized in inventory, or (C) write-ups or write-downs in value with respect to currency exchange rates and (ii) notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, the cost of the Inventory shall be computed in the same manner and consistent with the most recent appraisal of the Inventory received and accepted by Agent prior to the date hereof, if any (except to the extent that the method of calculation of the cost may be affected by the establishment of a reliable, consistent and accurate stock ledger inventory system at the Retail Division in accordance with the terms hereof).

          1.139 "Voting Stock" shall mean with respect to any Person, (a) one (1) or more classes of Capital Stock of such Person having general voting powers to elect at least a majority of the board of directors, managers or trustees of such Person, irrespective of whether at the time

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Capital Stock of any other class or classes have or might have voting power by reason of the happening of any contingency, and (b) any Capital Stock of such Person convertible or exchangeable without restriction at the option of the holder thereof into Capital Stock of such Person described in clause (a) of this definition.

          1.140 "Weighted Average Life to Maturity" shall mean, when applied to any Indebtedness at any date, the number of years obtained by dividing (a) the then outstanding principal amount of such Indebtedness into (b) the total of the product obtained by multiplying (A) the amount of each then remaining installment, sinking fund, serial maturity or other required payments of principal, including payment at final maturity, in respect thereof, by (B) the number of years (calculated to the nearest one-twelfth) that will elapse between such date and the making of such payment.

SECTION 2 CREDIT FACILITIES

          2.1 Loans .

                    (a) Subject to and upon the terms and conditions contained herein, each Lender severally (and not jointly) agrees to make its Pro Rata Share of Loans to Borrowers from time to time in amounts requested by a Borrower up to the amount outstanding at any time equal to the lesser of: (i) the Borrowing Base at such time or (ii) the Maximum Credit.

                    (b) Except in Agent's discretion, with the consent of all Lenders, or as otherwise provided herein, (i) the aggregate amount of the Loans and the Letter of Credit Accommodations outstanding at any time shall not exceed the Maximum Credit and (ii) the aggregate principal amount of the Loans and Letter of Credit Accommodations outstanding at any time shall not exceed the Borrowing Base.

                    (c) In the event that the aggregate principal amount of the Loans and Letter of Credit Accommodations outstanding exceed the Borrowing Base, or the aggregate amount of the outstanding Letter of Credit Accommodations exceed the sublimit for Letter of Credit Accommodations set forth in Section 2.2(e), or the aggregate amount of the Loans and Letter of Credit Accommodations exceed the Maximum Credit, such event shall not limit, waive or otherwise affect any rights of Agent or Lenders in such circumstances or on any future occasions and Borrowers shall, upon demand by Agent, which may be made at any time or from time to time, immediately repay to Agent the entire amount of any such excess(es) for which payment is demanded.

          2.2 Letter of Credit Accommodations .

                    (a) Subject to and upon the terms and conditions contained herein, at the request of a Borrower, Agent agrees, for the ratable risk of each Lender according to its Pro Rata Share, to provide or arrange for Letter of Credit Accommodations for the account of such Borrower containing terms and conditions acceptable to Agent and the issuer thereof (which issuer shall be Wachovia Bank, National Association, a Lender or such other institution reasonably acceptable to Agent and Parent). Any payments made by or on behalf of Agent or any Lender to any issuer thereof and/or related parties in connection with the Letter of Credit Accommodations provided

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to or for the benefit of a Borrower shall constitute additional Loans to such Borrower pursuant to this Section 2 (or Special Agent Advances as the case may be).

                    (b) In addition to any charges, fees or expenses charged by any bank or issuer in connection with the Letter of Credit Accommodations, Borrowers shall pay to Agent, for the benefit of Lenders, monthly a letter of credit fee at a rate equal to two and one-quarter (2 1/4%) percent per annum on the daily outstanding balance of the Letter of Credit Accommodations during the immediately preceding month (or part thereof), payable in arrears as of the first day of each succeeding month, provided, that, effective as of the first (1st) day of the second calendar month after the date hereof, such percentage shall be increased or decreased, as the case may be, to the percentage (on a per annum basis) set forth below if the Monthly Average Excess Availability for the immediately preceding calendar month is at or within the amounts indicated for such percentages:

 


Tier

 

Monthly Average
Excess Availability

 

Applicable Letter of
Credit Fee Margin

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1

 

$50,000,000 or more

 

2%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2

 

Greater than or equal to
$25,000,000 and less than
$50,000,000

 

2 1/4%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3

 

Less than $25,000,000

 

2 1/2%

 

Provided , that , (i) the applicable percentage shall be calculated and established once each calendar month and shall remain in effect until adjusted thereafter after the end of the next calendar month, (ii) notwithstanding the amount of the Monthly Average Excess Availability, for each month prior to the month commencing July 1, 2004, in no event shall the Applicable Letter of Credit Fee Margin be less than the percentage set forth in Tier 2 of the schedule above and (iii) notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, Agent may, and upon the written direction of Required Lenders shall, require Borrowers to pay to Agent for the benefit of Lenders, such letter of credit fee at a rate equal to four and one-half (4 1/2%) percent per annum on such daily outstanding balance (A) for the period (1) from and after the effective date of termination or non-renewal hereof until Agent and Lenders have received full and final payment of all outstanding and unpaid Obligations which are not contingent and cash collateral or letter of credit, as Agent may specify, in the amounts and on the terms required under Section 13.1 hereof for contingent Obligations (notwithstanding entry of a judgment against any Borrower or Guarantor) and (2) from and after the date of the occurrence of an Event of Default and for so long as such Event of Default is continuing. Such letter of credit fee shall be calculated on the basis of a three hundred sixty (360) day year and actual days elapsed and the obligation of Borrowers to pay such fee shall survive the termination of this Agreement.

                    (c) The Borrower requesting such Letter of Credit Accommodation shall give Agent two (2) Business Days' prior written notice of such Borrower's request for the issuance of a Letter of Credit Accommodation. Such notice shall be irrevocable and shall specify the original face amount of the Letter of Credit Accommodation requested, the effective date (which

36



date shall be a Business Day and in no event shall be a date less than ten (10) days prior to the end of the then current term of this Agreement) of issuance of such requested Letter of Credit Accommodation, whether such Letter of Credit Accommodations may be drawn in a single or in partial draws, the date on which such requested Letter of Credit Accommodation is to expire (which date shall be a Business Day), the purpose for which such Letter of Credit Accommodation is to be issued, and the beneficiary of the requested Letter of Credit Accommodation. The Borrower requesting the Letter of Credit Accommodation shall attach to such notice the proposed terms of the Letter of Credit Accommodation.

                    (d) In addition to being subject to the satisfaction of the applicable conditions precedent contained in Section 4 hereof and the other terms and conditions contained herein, no Letter of Credit Accommodations shall be available unless each of the following conditions precedent have been satisfied in a manner satisfactory to Agent: (i) the Borrower requesting such Letter of Credit Accommodation shall have delivered to the proposed issuer of such Letter of Credit Accommodation at such times and in such manner as such proposed issuer may require, an application, in form and substance satisfactory to such proposed issuer and Agent, for the issuance of the Letter of Credit Accommodation and such other documents as may be required pursuant to the terms thereof, and the form and terms of the proposed Letter of Credit Accommodation shall be satisfactory to Agent and such proposed issuer, (ii) as of the date of issuance, no order of any court, arbitrator or other Governmental Authority shall purport by its terms to enjoin or restrain money center banks generally from issuing letters of credit of the type and in the amount of the proposed Letter of Credit Accommodation, and no law, rule or regulation applicable to money center banks generally and no request or directive (whether or not having the force of law) from any Governmental Authority with jurisdiction over money center banks generally shall prohibit, or request that the proposed issuer of such Letter of Credit Accommodation refrain from, the issuance of letters of credit generally or the issuance of such Letters of Credit Accommodation; and (iii) the Excess Availability of the Borrower requesting such Letter of Credit Accommodation, prior to giving effect to any Reserves with respect to such Letter of Credit Accommodations, on the date of the proposed issuance of any Letter of Credit Accommodations, shall be equal to or greater than: (A) if the proposed Letter of Credit Accommodation is for the purpose of purchasing Eligible Inventory and the documents of title with respect thereto are consigned to the issuer, the sum of (1) the percentage equal to one hundred (100%) percent minus the then applicable percentage with respect to Eligible Inventory set forth in the definition of the term Borrowing Base multiplied by the Value of such Eligible Inventory, plus (2) freight, taxes, duty and other amounts which Agent estimates must be paid in connection with such Inventory upon arrival and for delivery to one of such Borrower's locations for Eligible Inventory within the United States of America and (B) if the proposed Letter of Credit Accommodation is for any other purpose or the documents of title are not consigned to the issuer in connection with a Letter of Credit Accommodation for the purpose of purchasing Inventory, an amount equal to one hundred (100%) percent of the face amount thereof and all other commitments and obligations made or incurred by Agent with respect thereto. Effective on the issuance of each Letter of Credit Accommodation, a Reserve shall be established in the applicable amount set forth in Section 2.2(d)(iii)(A) or Section 2.2(d)(iii)(B).

                    (e) Except in Agent's discretion, with the consent of all Lenders, the amount of all outstanding Letter of Credit Accommodations and all other commitments and obligations

37



made or incurred by Agent or any Lender in connection therewith shall not at any time exceed $30,000,000.

                    (f) Borrowers and Guarantors shall indemnify and hold Agent and Lenders harmless from and against any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities, costs and expenses which Agent or any Lender may suffer or incur in connection with any Letter of Credit Accommodations and any documents, drafts or acceptances relating thereto, including any losses, claims, damages, liabilities, costs and expenses due to any action taken by any issuer or correspondent with respect to any Letter of Credit Accommodation, except to the extent of losses, claims, damages, liabilities, costs or expenses resulting from the gross negligence or wilful misconduct of Agent or any Lender as determined pursuant to a final non-appealable order of a court of competent jurisdiction. As between Agent and Lenders, on the one hand, and Borrowers and Guarantors, on the other hand, and without limitation of any rights of any Borrower or Guarantor as against any issuer of a Letter of Credit Accommodation, each Borrower and Guarantor assumes all risks with respect to the acts or omissions of the drawer under or beneficiary of any Letter of Credit Accommodation and for such purposes the drawer or beneficiary shall be deemed such Borrower's agent. Each Borrower and Guarantor assumes all risks for, and agrees to pay, all foreign, Federal, State and local taxes, duties and levies relating to any goods subject to any Letter of Credit Accommodations or any documents, drafts or acceptances thereunder. Each Borrower and Guarantor hereby releases and holds Agent and Lenders harmless from and against any acts, waivers, errors, delays or omissions, whether caused by any Borrower, Guarantor, by any issuer or correspondent or otherwise with respect to or relating to any Letter of Credit Accommodation, except to the extent resulting from the gross negligence or wilful misconduct of Agent or any Lender as determined pursuant to a final, non-appealable order of a court of competent jurisdiction. The provisions of this Section 2.2(f) shall survive the payment of Obligations and the termination of this Agreement.

                    (g) In connection with Inventory purchased pursuant to Letter of Credit Accommodations, Borrowers and Guarantors shall, at Agent's request, instruct all suppliers, carriers, forwarders, customs brokers, warehouses or others receiving or holding cash, checks, Inventory, documents or instruments in which Agent holds a security interest to, at such time as Agent may request, deliver them to Agent and/or subject to Agent's order, and if they shall come into such Borrower's or Guarantor's possession, to deliver them, upon Agent's request, to Agent in their original form, provided , that , Agent shall not exercise its rights under this clause (g) to have such persons deliver any cash, checks or Inventory to Agent unless a Default or Event of Default shall exist or have occurred and be continuing.. Borrowers and Guarantors shall also, at Agent's request, designate Agent as the consignee on all bills of lading and other negotiable and non-negotiable documents.

                    (h) Each Borrower and Guarantor hereby irrevocably authorizes and directs any issuer of a Letter of Credit Accommodation to name such Borrower or Guarantor as the account party therein and to deliver to Agent all instruments, documents and other writings and property received by issuer pursuant to the Letter of Credit Accommodations and to accept and rely upon Agent's instructions and agreements with respect to all matters arising in connection with the Letter of Credit Accommodations or the applications therefor. Nothing contained herein shall be deemed or construed to grant any Borrower or Guarantor any right or authority to pledge the credit of Agent or any Lender in any manner. Agent and Lenders shall have no liability of any

38



kind with respect to any Letter of Credit Accommodation provided by an issuer other than Agent or any Lender unless Agent has duly executed and delivered to such issuer the application or a guarantee or indemnification in writing with respect to such Letter of Credit Accommodation. Borrowers and Guarantors shall be bound by any reasonable interpretation made in good faith by Agent, or any other issuer or correspondent under or in connection with any Letter of Credit Accommodation or any documents, drafts or acceptances thereunder, notwithstanding that such interpretation may be inconsistent with any instructions of any Borrower or Guarantor, except as to any issuer without limiting the rights of any Borrower or Guarantor as against any issuer to the extent provided in clause (m) below.

                    (i) So long as no Event of Default exists or has occurred and is continuing, a Borrower may (i) approve or resolve any questions of non-compliance of documents, (ii) give any instructions as to acceptance or rejection of any documents or goods, (iii) execute any and all applications for steamship or airway guaranties, indemnities or delivery orders, and (iv) with Agent's consent, grant any extensions of the maturity of, time of payment for, or time of presentation of, any drafts, acceptances, or documents, and agree to any amendments, renewals, extensions, modifications, changes or cancellations of any of the terms or conditions of any of the applications, Letter of Credit Accommodations, or documents, drafts or acceptances thereunder or any letters of credit included in the Collateral.

                    (j) At any time an Event of Default exists or has occurred and is continuing, Agent shall have the right and authority to, and Borrowers shall not, without the prior written consent of Agent, (i) approve or resolve any questions of non-compliance of documents, (ii) give any instructions as to acceptance or rejection of any documents or goods, (iii) execute any and all applications for steamship or airway guaranties, indemnities or delivery orders, (iv) grant any extensions of the maturity of, time of payments for, or time of presentation of, any drafts, acceptances, or documents, and (v) agree to any amendments, renewals, extensions, modifications, changes or cancellations of any of the terms or conditions of any of the applications, Letter of Credit Accommodations, or documents, drafts or acceptances thereunder or any letters of credit included in the Collateral. Agent may take such actions either in its own name or in any Borrower's name.

                    (k) Any rights, remedies, duties or obligations granted or undertaken by any Borrower or Guarantor to any issuer or correspondent in any application for any Letter of Credit Accommodation, or any other agreement in favor of any issuer or correspondent relating to any Letter of Credit Accommodation, shall be deemed to have been granted or undertaken by such Borrower or Guarantor to Agent for the ratable benefit of Lenders. Any duties or obligations undertaken by Agent to any issuer or correspondent in any application for any Letter of Credit Accommodation, or any other agreement by Agent in favor of any issuer or correspondent to the extent relating to any Letter of Credit Accommodation, shall be deemed to have been undertaken by Borrowers and Guarantors to Agent for the ratable benefit of Lenders and to apply in all respects to Borrowers and Guarantors.

                    (l) Immediately upon the issuance or amendment of any Letter of Credit Accommodation, each Lender shall be deemed to have irrevocably and unconditionally purchased and received, without recourse or warranty, an undivided interest and participation to

39



the extent of such Lender's Pro Rata Share of the liability with respect to such Letter of Credit Accommodation (including, without limitation, all Obligations with respect thereto).

                    (m) Each Borrower is irrevocably and unconditionally obligated, without presentment, demand or protest, to pay to Agent any amounts paid by an issuer of a Letter of Credit Accommodation with respect to such Letter of Credit Accommodation (whether through the borrowing of Loans in accordance with Section 2.2(a) or otherwise); provided, that, nothing contained herein shall be construed to limit or waive any right of any Borrower to assert against an issuer of a Letter of Credit Accommodation any claim for direct damages suffered by such Borrower to the extent caused by the gross negligence or wilful misconduct of the issuer in determining whether a request presented under any Letter of Credit Accommodation issued by it complied with the terms of such Letter of Credit Accommodation. In the event that any Borrower fails to pay Agent on the date of any payment under a Letter of Credit Accommodation in an amount equal to the amount of such payment, Agent (to the extent it has actual notice thereof) shall promptly notify each Lender of the unreimbursed amount of such payment and each Lender agrees, upon one (1) Business Day's notice, to fund to Agent the purchase of its participation in such Letter of Credit Accommodation in an amount equal to its Pro Rata Share of the unpaid amount. The obligation of each Lender to deliver to Agent an amount equal to its respective participation pursuant to the foregoing sentence is absolute and unconditional and such remittance shall be made notwithstanding the occurrence or continuance of any Event of Default, the failure to satisfy any other condition set forth in Section 4 or any other event or circumstance. If such amount is not made available by a Lender when due, Agent shall be entitled to recover such amount on demand from such Lender with interest thereon, for each day from the date such amount was due until the date such amount is paid to Agent at the interest rate then payable by any Borrower in respect of Loans that are Prime Rate Loans as set forth in Section 3.1(a) hereof.

          2.3 Commitments . The aggregate amount of each Lender's Pro Rata Share of the Loans and Letter of Credit Accommodations shall not exceed the amount of such Lender's Commitment, as the same may from time to time be amended in accordance with the provisions hereof.

          2.4 Joint and Several Liability . All Borrowers shall be jointly and severally liable for all amounts due to Agent and Lenders under this Agreement and the other Financing Agreements, regardless of which Borrower actually receives the Loans or Letter of Credit Accommodations hereunder or the amount of such Loans received or the manner in which Agent or any Lender accounts for such Loans, Letter of Credit Accommodations or other extensions of credit on its books and records. All references herein or in any of the other Financing Agreements to any of the obligation of Borrowers to make any payment hereunder or thereunder shall constitute joint and several obligations of Borrowers. The Obligations with respect to Loans made to a Borrower, and the Obligations arising as a result of the joint and several liability of a Borrower hereunder, with respect to Loans made to the other Borrowers, shall be separate and distinct obligations, but all such other Obligations shall be primary obligations of all Borrowers. The Obligations arising as a result of the joint and several liability of a Borrower hereunder with respect to Loans, Letter of Credit Accommodations or other extensions of credit made to the other Borrowers shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, be unconditional irrespective of (a) the validity or enforceability, avoidance or subordination of the Obligations of the other

40



Borrowers or of any promissory note or other document evidencing all or any part of the Obligations of the other Borrowers, (b) the absence of any attempt to collect the Obligations from the other Borrowers, any Guarantor or any other security therefor, or the absence of any other action to enforce the same, (c) the waiver, consent, extension, forbearance or granting of any indulgence by Agent or any Lender with respect to any provisions of any instrument evidencing the Obligations of the other Borrowers, or any part thereof, or any other agreement now or hereafter executed by the other Borrowers and delivered to Agent or any Lender, (d) the failure by Agent or any Lender to take any steps to perfect and maintain its security interest in, or to preserve its rights and maintain its security or collateral for the Obligations of the other Borrowers, (e) the election of Agent and Lenders in any proceeding instituted under the Bankruptcy Code, of the application of Section 1111(b)(2) of the Bankruptcy Code, (f) the disallowance of all or any portion of the claim(s) of Agent or any Lender for the repayment of the Obligations of the other Borrowers under Section 502 of the Bankruptcy Code, or (g) any other circumstances which might constitute a legal or equitable discharge or defense of a Guarantor or of the other Borrowers other than to the extent of the gross negligence or wilful misconduct of Agent or a Lender as determined pursuant to a final non-appealable order of a court of competent jurisdiction. With respect to the Obligations arising as a result of the joint and several liability of a Borrower hereunder with respect to Loans, Letter of Credit Accommodations or other extensions of credit made to the other Borrowers hereunder, each Borrower waives, until the Obligations shall have been paid in full and this Agreement shall have been terminated, any right to enforce any right of subrogation or any remedy which Agent or any Lender now has or may hereafter have against any Borrower or Guarantor and any benefit of, and any right to participate in, any security or collateral given to Agent or any Lender. Upon any Event of Default, and for so long as such Event of Default is continuing, Agent may proceed directly and at once, without notice, against any Borrower to collect and recover the full amount, or any portion of the Obligations, without first proceeding against the other Borrowers or any other Person, or against any security or collateral for the Obligations. Each Borrower consents and agrees that Agent and Lenders shall be under no obligation to marshall any assets in favor of Borrower(s) or against or in payment of any or all of the Obligations.

SECTION 3 INTEREST AND FEES

          3.1 Interest .

                    (a) Borrowers shall pay to Agent, for the benefit of Lenders, interest on the outstanding principal amount of the Loans at the Interest Rate. All interest accruing hereunder on and after the date of any Event of Default or termination hereof shall be payable on demand.

                    (b) Each Borrower may from time to time request Eurodollar Rate Loans or may request that Prime Rate Loans be converted to Eurodollar Rate Loans or that any existing Eurodollar Rate Loans continue for an additional Interest Period. Such request from a Borrower shall specify the amount of the Eurodollar Rate Loans or the amount of the Prime Rate Loans to be converted to Eurodollar Rate Loans or the amount of the Eurodollar Rate Loans to be continued (subject to the limits set forth below) and the Interest Period to be applicable to such Eurodollar Rate Loans. Subject to the terms and conditions contained herein, three (3) Business Days after receipt by Agent of such a request from a Borrower, such Eurodollar Rate Loans shall be made or Prime Rate Loans shall be converted to Eurodollar Rate Loans or such Eurodollar

41



Rate Loans shall continue, as the case may be, provided , that , (i) no Default or Event of Default shall exist or have occurred and be continuing, (ii) no party hereto shall have sent any notice of termination of this Agreement, such Borrower shall have complied with such customary procedures as are established by Agent and specified by Agent to Lead Borrower from time to time for requests by Borrowers for Eurodollar Rate Loans, (iii) no more than eight (8) Interest Periods may be in effect at any one time, (iv) the amount of any Eurodollar Rate Loan shall be not less than $1,000,000 and the aggregate amount of the Eurodollar Rate Loans outstanding at any time must be in an amount not less than $5,000,000, and (v) Agent and each Lender shall have determined that the Interest Period or Adjusted Eurodollar Rate is available to Agent and such Lender and can be readily determined as of the date of the request for such Eurodollar Rate Loan by such Borrower. Any request by or on behalf of a Borrower for Eurodollar Rate Loans or to convert Prime Rate Loans to Eurodollar Rate Loans or to continue any existing Eurodollar Rate Loans shall be irrevocable. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, Agent and Lenders shall not be required to purchase United States Dollar deposits in the London interbank market or other applicable Eurodollar Rate market to fund any Eurodollar Rate Loans, but the provisions hereof shall be deemed to apply as if Agent and Lenders had purchased such deposits to fund the Eurodollar Rate Loans.

                    (c) Any Eurodollar Rate Loans shall automatically convert to Prime Rate Loans upon the last day of the applicable Interest Period, unless Agent has received and approved a request to continue such Eurodollar Rate Loan at least three (3) Business Days prior to such last day in accordance with the terms hereof. Any Eurodollar Rate Loans shall, at Agent's option, upon notice by Agent to Parent, be subsequently converted to Prime Rate Loans in the event that this Agreement shall terminate or not be renewed. Borrowers shall pay to Agent, for the benefit of Lenders, upon demand by Agent (or Agent may, at its option, charge any loan account of any Borrower) any amounts required to compensate any Lender or Participant for any loss (including loss of anticipated profits), cost or expense incurred by such person, as a result of the conversion of Eurodollar Rate Loans to Prime Rate Loans pursuant to any of the foregoing.

                    (d) Interest shall be payable by Borrowers to Agent, for the account of Lenders, monthly in arrears not later than the first day of each calendar month and shall be calculated on the basis of a three hundred sixty (360) day year and actual days elapsed. The interest rate on non-contingent Obligations (other than Eurodollar Rate Loans) shall increase or decrease by an amount equal to each increase or decrease in the Prime Rate effective on the first day of the month after any change in such Prime Rate is announced based on the Prime Rate in effect on the last day of the month in which any such change occurs. In no event shall charges constituting interest payable by Borrowers to Agent and Lenders exceed the maximum amount or the rate permitted under any applicable law or regulation, and if any such part or provision of this Agreement is in contravention of any such law or regulation, such part or provision shall be deemed amended to conform thereto.

          3.2 Fees .

                    (a) Borrowers shall pay to Agent, for the account of Lenders, monthly an unused line fee at a rate equal to one-quarter (1/4%) percent per annum calculated upon the amount by which the Maximum Credit (less any reduction in the Fixed Asset Availability effected in accordance with the proviso to the definition thereof) exceeds the average daily principal balance

42



of the outstanding Loans and Letter of Credit Accommodations during the immediately preceding month (or part thereof) while this Agreement is in effect and for so long thereafter as any of the Obligations are outstanding, which fee shall be payable on the first day of each month in arrears.

                    (b) Borrowers agree to pay to Agent the other fees and amounts set forth in the Fee Letter in the amounts and at the times specified therein.

          3.3 Changes in Laws and Increased Costs of Loans .

                    (a) If after the date hereof, either (i) any change in, or in the interpretation of, any law or regulation is introduced, including, without limitation, with respect to reserve requirements, applicable to Lender or any banking or financial institution from whom any Lender borrows funds or obtains credit necessary to fund the Loans hereunder (a "Funding Bank"), or (ii) a Funding Bank or any Lender complies with any future guideline or request from any central bank or other Governmental Authority or (iii) a Funding Bank or any Lender determines that the adoption of any applicable law, rule or regulation regarding capital adequacy, or any change therein, or any change in the interpretation or administration thereof by any Governmental Authority, central bank or comparable agency charged with the interpretation or administration thereof has or would have the effect described below, or a Funding Bank or any Lender complies with any request or directive regarding capital adequacy (whether or not having the force of law) of any such authority, central bank or comparable agency, and in the case of any event set forth in this clause (iii), such adoption, change or compliance has or would have the direct or indirect effect of reducing the rate of return on any Lender's capital as a consequence of its obligations hereunder to a level below that which Lender could have achieved but for such adoption, change or compliance (taking into consideration the Funding Bank's or Lender's policies with respect to capital adequacy) by an amount deemed by such Lender to be material, and the result of any of the foregoing events described in clauses (i), (ii) or (iii) is or results in an increase in the cost to any Lender of funding or maintaining the Loans, the Letter of Credit Accommodations or its Commitment, then Borrowers and Guarantors shall from time to time upon demand by Agent pay to Agent additional amounts sufficient to indemnify Lenders against such increased cost on an after-tax basis (after taking into account applicable deductions and credits in respect of the amount indemnified). A certificate as to the amount of such increased cost shall be submitted to Lead Borrower by Agent and shall be conclusive, absent manifest error.

                    (b) If prior to the first day of any Interest Period, (i) Agent shall have determined in good faith (which determination shall be conclusive and binding upon Borrowers and Guarantors) that, by reason of circumstances affecting the relevant market, adequate and reasonable means do not exist for ascertaining the Eurodollar Rate for such Interest Period, (ii) Agent has received notice from the Required Lenders that the Eurodollar Rate determined or to be determined for such Interest Period will not adequately and fairly reflect the cost to Lenders of making or maintaining Eurodollar Rate Loans during such Interest Period, or (iii) Dollar deposits in the principal amounts of the Eurodollar Rate Loans to which such Interest Period is to be applicable are not generally available in the London interbank market, Agent shall give telecopy or telephonic notice thereof to Lead Borrower as soon as practicable thereafter, and will also give prompt written notice to Lead Borrower when such conditions no longer exist. If such

43



notice is given (A) any Eurodollar Rate Loans requested to be made on the first day of such Interest Period shall be made as Prime Rate Loans, (B) any Loans that were to have been converted on the first day of such Interest Period to or continued as Eurodollar Rate Loans shall be converted to or continued as Prime Rate Loans and (C) each outstanding Eurodollar Rate Loan shall be converted, on the last day of the then-current Interest Period thereof, to Prime Rate Loans. Until such notice has been withdrawn by Agent, no further Eurodollar Rate Loans shall be made or continued as such, nor shall any Borrower have the right to convert Prime Rate Loans to Eurodollar Rate Loans.

                    (c) Notwithstanding any other provision herein, if the adoption of or any change in any law, treaty, rule or regulation or final, non-appealable determination of an arbitrator or a court or other Governmental Authority or in the interpretation or application thereof occurring after the date hereof shall make it unlawful for Agent or any Lender to make or maintain Eurodollar Rate Loans as contemplated by this Agreement, (i) Agent or such Lender shall promptly give written notice of such circumstances to Lead Borrower (which notice shall be withdrawn whenever such circumstances no longer exist), (ii) the commitment of such Lender hereunder to make Eurodollar Rate Loans, continue Eurodollar Rate Loans as such and convert Prime Rate Loans to Eurodollar Rate Loans shall forthwith be canceled and, until such time as it shall no longer be unlawful for such Lender to make or maintain Eurodollar Rate Loans, such Lender shall then have a commitment only to make a Prime Rate Loan when a Eurodollar Rate Loan is requested and (iii) such Lender's Loans then outstanding as Eurodollar Rate Loans, if any, shall be converted automatically to Prime Rate Loans on the respective last days of the then current Interest Periods with respect to such Loans or within such earlier period as required by law. If any such conversion of a Eurodollar Rate Loan occurs on a day which is not the last day of the then current Interest Period with respect thereto, Borrowers and Guarantors shall pay to such Lender such amounts, if any, as may be required pursuant to Section 3.3(d) below.

                    (d) Borrowers and Guarantors shall indemnify Agent and each Lender and to hold Agent and each Lender harmless from any loss or expense which Agent or such Lender may sustain or incur as a consequence of (i) default by a Borrower in making a borrowing of, conversion into or extension of Eurodollar Rate Loans after such Borrower has given a notice requesting the same in accordance with the provisions of this Loan Agreement, (ii) default by any Borrower in making any prepayment of a Eurodollar Rate Loan after such Borrower has given a notice thereof in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement, and (iii) the making of a prepayment of Eurodollar Rate Loans on a day which is not the last day of an Interest Period with respect thereto. With respect to Eurodollar Rate Loans, such indemnification may include an amount equal to the excess, if any, of (A) the amount of interest which would have accrued on the amount so prepaid, or not so borrowed, converted or extended, for the period from the date of such prepayment or of such failure to borrow, convert or extend to the last day of the applicable Interest Period (or, in the case of a failure to borrow, convert or extend, the Interest Period that would have commenced on the date of such failure) in each case at the applicable rate of interest for such Eurodollar Rate Loans provided for herein over (B) the amount of interest (as determined by such Agent or such Lender) which would have accrued to Agent or such Lender on such amount by placing such amount on deposit for a comparable period with leading banks in the interbank Eurodollar market. This covenant shall survive the termination or non-renewal of this Loan Agreement and the payment of the Obligations.

 

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                    (e) Borrowers and Guarantors shall be liable for any tax or penalties imposed on Agent or any Lender as a result of the financing arrangements provided for herein and each Borrower and Guarantor agrees to indemnify and hold Agent harmless with respect to the foregoing, and to repay to Agent, for the benefit of Lenders, on demand the amount thereof, and until paid by such Borrower or Guarantor such amount shall be added and deemed part of the Loans, provided , that , nothing contained herein shall be construed to require any Borrower or Guarantor to pay any income, franchise or similar taxes imposed upon Lenders and attributable to any amounts charged or paid hereunder to Lenders. The foregoing indemnity shall survive the payment of the Obligations and the termination of this Agreement.

                    (f) Each Lender requiring compensation pursuant to Section 3.3(a), 3.3(d) or 3.3(e) shall notify Borrowers and Agent in writing of any event or circumstance giving rise to such demand for compensation no later than ninety (90) days following the date upon which the Lender has actual knowledge of such event or circumstance. Any demand for compensation pursuant to this Section 3.3 shall be in writing and shall state the amount due, if any, under Section 3.3(d) or 3.3(e) and shall set forth in reasonable detail the calculations upon which such Lender determined such amount. Such written demand shall be conclusive, absent manifest error.

                    (g) If a Borrower is required to pay additional amounts to any Lender pursuant to Section 3.3(a) or Section 3.3(e) that increase the effective lending rate of such Lender with respect to its share of the Loans to greater than one-eighth (1/8%) percent in excess of the percentage of the effective lending rate of the other Lenders, then such Lender shall use reasonable efforts (consistent with legal and regulatory restrictions) to change the jurisdiction of its lending office with respect to making Eurodollar Rate Loans so as to eliminate any such additional payment by Borrowers which may thereafter accrue, if such change in the judgment of such Lender is not otherwise disadvantageous to such Lender. In the event that any one or more Lenders, pursuant to Section 3.3(a) or Section 3.3(e) hereof, incur any increased costs or taxes (other than increased costs to the extent such increased costs are not a recurring cost) for which any such Lender demands compensation pursuant to Section 3.3(a) or Section 3.3(e) hereof which increases the effective lending rate of such Lender with respect to its share of the Loans to greater than one-eighth (1/8%) percent in excess of the percentage of the effective lending rate of the other US Lenders and such Lender has not mitigated such costs within sixty (60) days after receipt by such Lender from Lead Borrower of a written notice that such Lender's effective lending rate has so exceeded the effective lending rate of the other Lenders, then and in any such event, Lead Borrower may substitute another financial institution which is an Eligible Transferee acceptable to Agent for such Lender to assume the Commitment of such Lender and to purchase the Loans of such Lender hereunder, without recourse to or warranty by, or expense to, such Lender for a purchase price equal to the outstanding principal amount of the Loans owing to such Lender plus any accrued but unpaid interest on such Loans and accrued but unpaid fees and other amounts in respect of such Lender's Commitment and share of the Loans (other than any early termination fee). Upon such purchase such Lender shall no longer be a party hereto or have any rights or benefits hereunder (except for rights or benefits that such Lender would retain hereunder and under the other Financing Agreements upon payment in full of all of the Obligations other than as to any early termination fee) and the replacement Lender shall succeed to the rights and benefits, and shall assume the obligations, of such Lender hereunder and

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thereunder. In no event may Lead Borrower replace a Lender that is also Agent or an issuer of a Letter of Credit Accommodation.

SECTION 4 CONDITIONS PRECEDENT

          4.1 Conditions Precedent to Initial Loans and Letter of Credit Accommodations . Each of the following is a condition precedent to Agent and Lenders making the initial Loans and providing the initial Letter of Credit Accommodations hereunder:

                    (a) Agent shall have received, in form and substance satisfactory to Agent in good faith, all releases, terminations and such other documents as Agent may request to evidence and effectuate the termination by the Existing Lenders of their respective financing arrangements with Borrowers and Guarantors and the termination and release by it or them, as the case may be, of any interest in and to any assets and properties of each Borrower and Guarantor, duly authorized, executed and delivered by it or each of them, including, but not limited to, (i) UCC termination statements for all UCC financing statements previously filed by it or any of them or their predecessors, as secured party and any Borrower or Guarantor, as debtor; and (ii) satisfactions and discharges of any mortgages, deeds of trust or deeds to secure debt by any Borrower or Guarantor in favor of it or any of them, in form acceptable for recording with the appropriate Governmental Authority;

                    (b) all requisite corporate or limited liability company action and proceedings in connection with this Agreement and the other Financing Agreements shall be satisfactory in form and substance to Agent in good faith, and Agent shall have received all information and copies of all documents, including records of requisite corporate or limited liability company action and proceedings which Agent may have requested in connection therewith, such documents where requested by Agent or its counsel to be certified by appropriate officers or Governmental Authority (and including a copy of the articles or certificate of incorporation or comparable organizational documents of each Borrower and Guarantor certified by the Secretary of State (or equivalent Governmental Authority) which shall set forth the same complete corporate or limited liability company name of such Borrower or Guarantor as is set forth herein and such document as shall set forth the organizational identification number of each Borrower or Guarantor, if one is issued in its jurisdiction of organization);

                    (c) no material adverse change shall have occurred in the assets, business or prospects of Borrowers and Guarantors (taken as a whole) since the date of Agent's latest field examination (not including for this purpose the field review referred to in clause (d) below, it being understood that macroeconomic adverse changes within the same industry of Borrowers and Guarantors that do not affect Borrowers and Guarantors shall not be deemed a material adverse change for purposes of this clause (c);

                    (d) Agent shall have completed a field review of the Records and such other information with respect to the Collateral as Agent may require to determine the amount of Loans available to Borrowers (including, without limitation, current perpetual inventory records and/or roll-forwards of Accounts and Inventory through the Borrowers' fiscal period ended December 6, 2003 and test counts of the Inventory of the Distribution Division in a manner satisfactory to Agent, together with such supporting documentation as may be necessary or

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appropriate, and other documents and information that will enable Agent to accurately identify and verify the Collateral), the results of which in each case shall be satisfactory to Agent, not more than seven (7) Business Days prior to the date hereof or such longer period not more than thirty (30) days prior to the date hereof if Agent shall have been receiving such reports with respect to the Collateral as are provided for herein and are otherwise acceptable to Agent at all times during such period;

                    (e) Agent shall have received, in form and substance satisfactory to Agent in good faith, all consents, waivers, acknowledgments and other agreements from third persons which Agent may deem necessary or desirable in order to permit, protect and perfect its security interests in and liens upon the Collateral or to effectuate the provisions or purposes of this Agreement and the other Financing Agreements, including, without limitation, Credit Card Acknowledgments (except as to American Express, Agent shall only require a letter from Borrowers and Guarantors to American Express in form and substance satisfactory to Agent) and Collateral Access Agreements by owners and lessors of leased premises of each Borrower and by processors and warehouses at which Collateral is located; provided, that, so long as Borrowers have delivered up to sixty (60) Collateral Access Agreements for the leased locations of Borrowers such condition as to such Collateral Access Agreements shall be deemed satisfied, so long as all other conditions are met after giving effect to any Reserves established by Agent in respect of amounts due or to become due to the owners or lessors of leased locations for which such Collateral Access Agreements have not been delivered;

                    (f) Agent shall have received the Supplemental Loan Intercreditor Agreement, in form and substance satisfactory to Agent, as duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Supplemental Loan Agent , Borrowers and Guarantors;

                    (g) Agent shall have received true, correct and complete copies of the Supplemental Loan Lender Agreements and all related agreements, documents and instruments, which shall each be in form and substance satisfactory to Agent, as duly authorized, executed and delivered by the parties thereto;

                    (h) Agent shall have received evidence, in form and substance satisfactory to Agent, that Borrowers and Guarantors have received not less than $15,000,000 (less fees and expenses of Supplemental Loan Agent in amounts reasonably acceptable to Agent) in cash or other immediately available funds constituting proceeds of the initial loans from the Supplemental Loan Lenders;

                    (i) the Excess Availability as determined by Agent, as of the date hereof, shall be not less than $20,000,000 after giving effect to the initial Loans made or to be made and Letter of Credit Accommodations issued or to be issued in connection with the initial transactions hereunder;

                    (j) Agent shall have received, in form and substance satisfactory to Agent, Deposit Account Control Agreements by and among Agent, each Borrower and Guarantor, as the case may be and each bank where such Borrower (or Guarantor) has a deposit account other than banks where such Borrower (or Guarantor) maintains a Store Account for which no Deposit

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Account Control Agreement is required pursuant to Section 6.3 hereof, in each case, duly authorized, executed and delivered by such bank and Borrower or Guarantor, as the case may be;

                    (k) Agent shall have received evidence, in form and substance satisfactory to Agent, that (i) Agent has a valid perfected first priority security interest in all of the Collateral (other than the Supplemental Loan Priority Collateral) and (ii) Agent has a valid and enforceable second priority security interest in the Supplemental Loan Priority Collateral subordinate only to the first priority security interest of Supplemental Loan Agent pursuant to the terms of the Supplemental Loan Intercreditor Agreement;

                    (l) Agent shall have received a Borrowing Base Certificate setting forth the Loans available to Borrowers as completed in a manner satisfactory to Agent and duly authorized, executed and delivered on behalf of Parent;

                    (m) Agent shall have received and reviewed lien and judgement search results for the jurisdiction of organization of each Borrower and Guarantor, the jurisdiction of the chief executive office of each Borrower and Guarantor and all jurisdictions in which assets of Borrowers and Guarantors are located, which search results shall be in form and substance satisfactory to Agent;

                    (n) Agent shall have received environmental audits of the Real Property to be subject to the Mortgages conducted by an independent environmental engineering firm acceptable to Agent, and in form, scope and methodology satisfactory to Agent in good faith, confirming that (i) each Borrower and Guarantor is in compliance with all material applicable Environmental Laws in all material respects and (ii) the absence of any material environmental problems;

                    (o) Agent shall have received, in form and substance satisfactory to Agent, a valid and effective title insurance policy issued by a company and agent acceptable to Agent: (i) insuring the priority, amount and sufficiency of the Mortgages, (ii) insuring against matters that would be disclosed by surveys and (iii) containing any legally available endorsements, assurances or affirmative coverage reasonably requested by Agent in accordance with its customary practices for protection of its interests;

                    (p) Agent shall have received originals of the shares of the stock certificates representing all of the issued and outstanding shares of the Capital Stock of each Borrower and Guarantor (other than Parent) and owned by any Borrower or Guarantor (other than the shares of Capital Stock of MDP L.L.C., Port Clinton Realty Co. and Spartan Insurance Company Ltd.), in each case together with stock powers duly executed in blank with respect thereto;

                    (q) Agent shall have received evidence of insurance and loss payee endorsements required hereunder and under the other Financing Agreements, in form and substance satisfactory to Agent, and certificates of insurance policies and/or endorsements naming Agent as loss payee;

                    (r) Agent shall have received, in form and substance satisfactory to Agent, such opinion letters of counsel to Borrowers and Guarantors with respect to the Financing Agreements and such other matters as Agent may reasonably request; and

 

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                    (s) the other Financing Agreements and all instruments and documents hereunder and thereunder shall have been duly executed and delivered to Agent, in form and substance satisfactory to Agent.

          4.2 Conditions Precedent to All Loans and Letter of Credit Accommodations . Each of the following is an additional condition precedent to the Loans and/or providing Letter of Credit Accommodations to Borrowers, including the initial Loans and Letter of Credit Accommodations and any future Loans and Letter of Credit Accommodations:

                    (a) all representations and warranties contained herein and in the other Financing Agreements shall be true and correct with the same effect as though such representations and warranties had been made on and as of the date of the making of each such Loan or providing each such Letter of Credit Accommodation and after giving effect thereto, except to the extent that such representations and warranties expressly relate solely to an earlier date (in which case such representations and warranties shall have been true and accurate on and as of such earlier date);

                    (b) no law, regulation, order, judgment or decree of any Governmental Authority shall exist, and no action, suit, investigation, litigation or proceeding shall be pending or threatened in any court or before any arbitrator or Governmental Authority, which purports to enjoin, prohibit, restrain or otherwise affect (i) the making of the Loans or providing the Letter of Credit Accommodations, or (ii) the consummation of the transactions contemplated pursuant to the terms hereof or the other Financing Agreements; and

                    (c) no Default or Event of Default shall exist or have occurred and be continuing on and as of the date of the making of such Loan or providing each such Letter of Credit Accommodation and after giving effect thereto.

SECTION 5 GRANT AND PERFECTION OF SECURITY INTEREST

          5.1 Grant of Security Interest .

                    (a) To secure payment and performance of all Obligations, each Borrower and Guarantor hereby grants to Agent, for itself and the benefit of Lenders, a continuing security interest in, a lien upon, and a right of set off against, and hereby assigns to Agent, for itself and the benefit of Lenders, as security, all personal and real property and fixtures, and interests in property and fixtures, of each Borrower and Guarantor, whether now owned or hereafter acquired or existing, and wherever located (together with all other collateral security for the Obligations at any time granted to or held or acquired by Agent or any Lender, collectively, the "Collateral"), including:

                              (i) all Accounts;

                              (ii) all general intangibles, including, without limitation, all Intellectual Property;

                              (iii) all goods, including, without limitation, Inventory and Equipment;

 

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                              (iv) all Real Property and fixtures;

                              (v) all chattel paper, including, without limitation, all tangible and electronic chattel paper;

                              (vi) all instruments, including, without limitation, all promissory notes;

                              (vii) all documents;

                              (viii) all deposit accounts;

                              (ix) all letters of credit, banker's acceptances and similar instruments and including all letter-of-credit rights;

                              (x) all supporting obligations and all present and future liens, security interests, rights, remedies, title and interest in, to and in respect of Receivables and other Collateral, including (A) rights and remedies under or relating to guaranties, contracts of suretyship, letters of credit and credit and other insurance related to the Collateral, (B) rights of stoppage in transit, replevin, repossession, reclamation and other rights and remedies of an unpaid vendor, lienor or secured party, (C) goods described in invoices, documents, contracts or instruments with respect to, or otherwise representing or evidencing, Receivables or other Collateral, including returned, repossessed and reclaimed goods, and (D) deposits by and property of Account Debtors or other persons securing the obligations of Account Debtors;

                              (xi) all (A) investment property (including securities, whether certificated or uncertificated, securities accounts, security entitlements, commodity contracts or commodity accounts) and (B) monies, credit balances, deposits and other property of any Borrower or Guarantor now or hereafter held or received by or in transit to Agent, any Lender or its Affiliates or at any other depository or other institution from or for the account of any Borrower or Guarantor, whether for safekeeping, pledge, custody, transmission, collection or otherwise;

                              (xii) all commercial tort claims, including, without limitation, those identified in the Information Certificate;

                              (xiii) to the extent not otherwise described above, all Receivables;

                              (xiv) all Prescription Files and other Records; and

                              (xv) all products and proceeds of the foregoing, in any form, including insurance proceeds and all claims against third parties for loss or damage to or destruction of or other involuntary conversion of any kind or nature of any or all of the other Collateral.

                    (b) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary set forth in Section 5.1(a) above, the types or items of Collateral described in such Section shall not include the Capital Stock of MDP L.L.C., Port Clinton Realty Co. and Spartan Insurance Company Ltd.

 

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          5.2 Perfection of Security Interests .

                    (a) Each Borrower and Guarantor irrevocably and unconditionally authorizes Agent (or its agent) to file at any time and from time to time such financing statements with respect to the Collateral naming Agent or its designee as the secured party and such Borrower or Guarantor as debtor, as Agent may require, and including any other information with respect to such Borrower or Guarantor or otherwise required by part 5 of Article 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code of such jurisdiction as Agent may determine, together with any amendment and continuations with respect thereto, which authorization shall apply to all financing statements filed on, prior to or after the date hereof. Each Borrower and Guarantor hereby ratifies and approves all financing statements naming Agent or its designee as secured party and such Borrower or Guarantor, as the case may be, as debtor with respect to the Collateral (and any amendments with respect to such financing statements) filed by or on behalf of Agent prior to the date hereof and ratifies and confirms the authorization of Agent to file such financing statements (and amendments, if any). Each Borrower and Guarantor hereby authorizes Agent to adopt on behalf of such Borrower and Guarantor any symbol required for authenticating any electronic filing. In the event that the description of the collateral in any financing statement naming Agent or its designee as the secured party and any Borrower or Guarantor as debtor includes assets and properties of such Borrower or Guarantor that do not at any time constitute Collateral, whether hereunder, under any of the other Financing Agreements or otherwise, the filing of such financing statement shall nonetheless be deemed authorized by such Borrower or Guarantor to the extent of the Collateral included in such description and it shall not render the financing statement ineffective as to any of the Collateral or otherwise affect the financing statement as it applies to any of the Collateral. In no event shall any Borrower or Guarantor at any time file, or permit or cause to be filed, any correction statement or termination statement with respect to any financing statement (or amendment or continuation with respect thereto) naming Agent or its designee as secured party and such Borrower or Guarantor as debtor.

                    (b) Each Borrower and Guarantor does not have any chattel paper (whether tangible or electronic) or instruments as of the date hereof, except as set forth in the Information Certificate. In the event that any Borrower or Guarantor shall be entitled to or shall receive any chattel paper or instrument after the date hereof, Borrowers and Guarantors shall promptly notify Agent thereof in writing. Promptly upon the receipt thereof by or on behalf of any Borrower or Guarantor (including by any agent or representative), such Borrower or Guarantor shall deliver, or cause to be delivered to Agent, all tangible chattel paper and instruments that such Borrower or Guarantor has or may at any time acquire, accompanied by such instruments of transfer or assignment duly executed in blank as Agent may from time to time specify, in each case except as Agent may otherwise agree. At Agent's option, each Borrower and Guarantor shall, or Agent may at any time on behalf of any Borrower or Guarantor, cause the original of any such instrument or chattel paper to be conspicuously marked in a form and manner acceptable to Agent with the following legend referring to chattel paper or instruments as applicable: "This [chattel paper][instrument] is subject to the security interest of Congress Financial Corporation and any sale, transfer, assignment or encumbrance of this [chattel paper][instrument] violates the rights of such secured party."

                    (c) In the event that any Borrower or Guarantor shall at any time hold or acquire an interest in any electronic chattel paper or any "transferable record" (as such term is defined in

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Section 201 of the Federal Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act or in Section 16 of the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act as in effect in any relevant jurisdiction), such Borrower or Guarantor shall promptly notify Agent thereof in writing. Promptly upon Agent's request, such Borrower or Guarantor shall take, or cause to be taken, such actions as Agent may request to give Agent control of such electronic chattel paper under Section 9-105 of the UCC and control of such transferable record under Section 201 of the Federal Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act or, as the case may be, Section 16 of the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act, as in effect in such jurisdiction.

                    (d) Each Borrower and Guarantor does not have any deposit accounts as of the date hereof, except as set forth in the Information Certificate. Borrowers and Guarantors shall not, directly or indirectly, after the date hereof open, establish or maintain any deposit account unless each of the following conditions is satisfied: (i) Agent shall have received not less than five (5) Business Days prior written notice of the intention of any Borrower or Guarantor to open or establish such account which notice shall specify in reasonable detail and specificity acceptable to Agent the name of the account, the owner of the account, the name and address of the bank at which such account is to be opened or established, the individual at such bank with whom such Borrower or Guarantor is dealing and the purpose of the account, (ii) the bank where such account is opened or maintained shall be acceptable to Agent, and (iii) on or before the opening of such deposit account, such Borrower or Guarantor shall as Agent may specify either (A) deliver to Agent a Deposit Account Control Agreement with respect to such deposit account duly authorized, executed and delivered by such Borrower or Guarantor and the bank at which such deposit account is opened and maintained The terms of this subsection (d) shall not apply to deposit accounts specifically and exclusively used for payroll, payroll taxes and other employee wage and benefit payments to or for the benefit of any Borrower's or Guarantor's salaried employees or deposit accounts for which a Deposit Account Control Agreement is not required pursuant to Section 6.3.

                    (e) No Borrower or Guarantor owns or holds, directly or indirectly, beneficially or as record owner or both, any investment property, as of the date hereof, or have any investment account, securities account, commodity account or other similar account with any bank or other financial institution or other securities intermediary or commodity intermediary as of the date hereof, in each case except as set forth in the Information Certificate.

                              (i) In the event that any Borrower or Guarantor shall be entitled to or shall at any time after the date hereof hold or acquire any certificated securities, such Borrower or Guarantor shall promptly endorse, assign and deliver the same to Agent, accompanied by such instruments of transfer or assignment duly executed in blank as Agent may from time to time specify. If any securities, now or hereafter acquired by any Borrower or Guarantor are uncertificated and are issued to such Borrower or Guarantor or its nominee directly by the issuer thereof, such Borrower or Guarantor shall immediately notify Agent thereof and cause the issuer to agree to comply with instructions from Agent as to such securities, without further consent of any Borrower or Guarantor or such nominee.

                              (ii) Borrowers and Guarantors shall not, directly or indirectly, after the date hereof open, establish or maintain any investment account, securities account, commodity account or any other similar account (other than a deposit account) with any securities

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intermediary or commodity intermediary unless each of the following conditions is satisfied: (A) Agent shall have received not less than five (5) Business Days prior written notice of the intention of such Borrower or Guarantor to open or establish such account which notice shall specify in reasonable detail and specificity acceptable to Agent the name of the account, the owner of the account, the name and address of the securities intermediary or commodity intermediary at which such account is to be opened or established, the individual at such intermediary with whom such Borrower or Guarantor is dealing and the purpose of the account, (B) the securities intermediary or commodity intermediary (as the case may be) where such account is opened or maintained shall be acceptable to Agent, and (C) on or before the opening of such investment account, securities account or other similar account with a securities intermediary or commodity intermediary, such Borrower or Guarantor shall execute and deliver, and cause to be executed and delivered to Agent, an Investment Property Control Agreement with respect thereto duly authorized, executed and delivered by such Borrower or Guarantor and such securities intermediary or commodity intermediary.

                    (f) Borrowers and Guarantors are not the beneficiary or otherwise entitled to any right to payment under any letter of credit, banker's acceptance or similar instrument as of the date hereof, except as set forth in the Information Certificate. In the event that any Borrower or Guarantor shall be entitled to or shall receive any right to payment under any letter of credit, banker's acceptance or any similar instrument, whether as beneficiary thereof or otherwise after the date hereof, such Borrower or Guarantor shall promptly notify Agent thereof in writing. Such Borrower or Guarantor shall immediately, as Agent may specify, either (i) deliver, or cause to be delivered to Agent, with respect to any such letter of credit, banker's acceptance or similar instrument, the written agreement of the issuer and any other nominated person obligated to make any payment in respect thereof (including any confirming or negotiating bank), in form and substance satisfactory to Agent, consenting to the assignment of the proceeds of the letter of credit to Agent by such Borrower or Guarantor and agreeing to make all payments thereon directly to Agent or as Agent may otherwise direct or (ii) cause Agent to become, at Borrowers' expense, the transferee beneficiary of the letter of credit, banker's acceptance or similar instrument (as the case may be).

                    (g) Borrowers and Guarantors do not have any commercial tort claims as of the date hereof, except as set forth in the Information Certificate. In the event that any Borrower or Guarantor shall at any time after the date hereof have any commercial tort claims, such Borrower or Guarantor shall promptly notify Agent thereof in writing, which notice shall (i) set forth in reasonable detail the basis for and nature of such commercial tort claim and (ii) include the express grant by such Borrower or Guarantor to Agent of a security interest in such commercial tort claim (and the proceeds thereof). In the event that such notice does not include such grant of a security interest, the sending thereof by such Borrower or Guarantor to Agent shall be deemed to constitute such grant to Agent. Upon the sending of such notice, any commercial tort claim described therein shall constitute part of the Collateral and shall be deemed included therein. Without limiting the authorization of Agent provided in Section 5.2(a) hereof or otherwise arising by the execution by such Borrower or Guarantor of this Agreement or any of the other Financing Agreements, Agent is hereby irrevocably authorized from time to time and at any time to file such financing statements naming Agent or its designee as secured party and such Borrower or Guarantor as debtor, or any amendments to any financing statements, covering any such commercial tort claim as Collateral. In addition, each Borrower and Guarantor shall

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promptly upon Agent's request, execute and deliver, or cause to be executed and delivered, to Agent such other agreements, documents and instruments as Agent may require in connection with such commercial tort claim.

                    (h) Borrowers and Guarantors do not have any goods, documents of title or other Collateral in the custody, control or possession of a third party as of the date hereof, except as set forth in the Information Certificate and except for goods located in the United States in transit to a location of a Borrower or Guarantor permitted herein in the ordinary course of business of such Borrower or Guarantor in the possession of the carrier transporting such goods. In the event that any goods, documents of title or other Collateral are at any time after the date hereof in the custody, control or possession of any other person not referred to in the Information Certificate or such carriers, Borrowers and Guarantors shall promptly notify Agent thereof in writing. Promptly upon Agent's request, Borrowers and Guarantors shall deliver to Agent a Collateral Access Agreement duly authorized, executed and delivered by such person and the Borrower or Guarantor that is the owner of such Collateral.

                    (i) Borrowers and Guarantors shall take any other actions reasonably requested by Agent from time to time to cause the attachment, perfection and first priority of, and the ability of Agent to enforce, the security interest of Agent in any and all of the Collateral, including, without limitation, (i) executing, delivering and, where appropriate, filing financing statements and amendments relating thereto under the UCC or other applicable law, to the extent, if any, that any Borrower's or Guarantor's signature thereon is required therefor, (ii) causing Agent's name to be noted as secured party on any certificate of title for a titled good if such notation is a condition to attachment, perfection or priority of, or ability of Agent to enforce, the security interest of Agent in such Collateral, (iii) complying with any provision of any statute, regulation or treaty of the United States as to any Collateral if compliance with such provision is a condition to attachment, perfection or priority of, or ability of Agent to enforce, the security interest of Agent in such Collateral, (iv) obtaining the consents and approvals of any Governmental Authority or third party, including, without limitation, any consent of any licensor, lessor or other person obligated on Collateral, and taking all actions required by any earlier versions of the UCC or by other law, as applicable in any relevant jurisdiction.

SECTION 6 COLLECTION AND ADMINISTRATION

          6.1 Borrowers' Loan Accounts . Agent shall maintain one or more loan account(s) on its books in which shall be recorded (a) all Loans, Letter of Credit Accommodations and other Obligations and the Collateral, (b) all payments made by or on behalf of any Borrower or Guarantor and (c) all other appropriate debits and credits as provided in this Agreement, including fees, charges, costs, expenses and interest. All entries in the loan account(s) shall be made in accordance with Agent's customary practices as in effect from time to time.

          6.2 Statements . Agent shall render to Lead Borrower each month a statement setting forth the balance in the Borrowers' loan account(s) maintained by Agent for Borrowers pursuant to the provisions of this Agreement, including principal, interest, fees, costs and expenses. Each such statement shall be subject to subsequent adjustment by Agent but shall, absent manifest errors or omissions, be considered correct and deemed accepted by Borrowers and Guarantors and conclusively binding upon Borrowers and Guarantors as an account stated except to the

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extent that Agent receives a written notice from Lead Borrower of any specific exceptions of Lead Borrower thereto within forty-five (45) days after the date such statement has been received by Parent. Until such time as Agent shall have rendered to Lead Borrower a written statement as provided above, the balance in any Borrower's loan account(s) shall be presumptive evidence of the amounts due and owing to Agent and Lenders by Borrowers and Guarantors.

          6.3 Collection of Accounts .

                    (a) Each Borrower and Guarantor shall establish and maintain, at its expense, deposit account arrangements and merchant payment arrangements with the banks set forth on Schedule 8.10 to the Information Certificate and subject to Section 5.2(d) hereof such other banks as such Borrower or Guarantor may hereafter select. The banks set forth on Schedule 8.10 to the Information Certificate constitute all of the banks with which Borrowers and Guarantors have deposit account arrangements and merchant payment arrangements as of the date hereof and identifies each of the deposit accounts at such banks that are used solely for receiving store receipts from a retail store location of a Borrower (together with any other deposit accounts at any time established or used by any Borrower for receiving such store receipts from any retail store location, collectively, the "Store Accounts" and each individually, a "Store Account") or otherwise describes the nature of the use of such deposit account by such Borrower.

                              (i) Each Borrower shall deposit all proceeds from sales of Inventory in every form, including, without limitation, cash, checks, credit card sales drafts, credit card sales or charge slips or receipts and other forms of daily store receipts, from each retail store location of such Borrower (other than Medicare Accounts and Medicaid Accounts) into the Store Account of such Borrower used solely for such purpose in accordance with the current practices of such Borrower as of the date hereof, but in any event no less frequently than once every three (3) Business Days; provided , that , each retail store of a Borrower may retain in such store funds of up to $15,000 immediately after each deposit of funds from such store into the applicable Store Account. All such funds deposited into the Store Accounts shall be sent by wire transfer or other electronic funds transfer on each Business Day to the Blocked Accounts as provided in Section 6.3(a)(ii) below, except nominal amounts which are required to be maintained in such Store Accounts under the terms of such Borrower's arrangements with the bank at which such Store Accounts are maintained (which amounts, together with all amounts held at the retail store locations and not yet deposited in the Store Accounts, shall not in the aggregate exceed $5,000,000 at any one time, except to the extent from time to time additional amounts may be held in the retail stores or the Store Accounts on Saturday, Sunday or other days where the applicable depository bank is closed, which additional amounts are to be, and shall be, transferred on the next Business Day to the Blocked Accounts) and except as Agent may otherwise agree.

                              (ii) Within thirty (30) days after the date hereof, each Borrower shall establish and maintain a separate lockbox and related deposit account into which such Borrower shall promptly deposit, and shall direct each Fiscal Intermediary or other Third Party Payor in accordance with the applicable Medicare and Medicaid regulations to directly remit, all payments in respect of any Medicare Accounts or Medicaid Accounts. Such separate lockboxes and related deposit accounts shall only be used for purposes of receiving payments in respect of Medicare Accounts and Medicaid Accounts and shall be under the sole control of the applicable

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Borrower; provided , that , (A) Borrowers shall authorize, direct and instruct the depository banks at which such separate lockboxes and deposit accounts are maintained to remit by federal funds wire transfer all funds received or deposited into such lockboxes and related deposit accounts amounts on deposit in such accounts on a daily basis to one of the Blocked Accounts or such bank account of Agent as Agent may from time to time designate for such purpose, which instructions by Borrowers to such banks may only be changed after not less than three (3) Business Days' prior written notice to such banks and Agent and (B) any change in such instructions without the prior written consent of Agent shall be an Event of Default hereunder.

                              (iii) Each Borrower shall establish and maintain, at its expense, deposit accounts with such banks as are reasonably acceptable to Agent (the "Blocked Accounts") into which each Borrower shall promptly either cause all amounts on deposit in the Store Accounts of such Borrower to be sent as provided in Section 6.3(a)(i) above or shall itself deposit or cause to be deposited all proceeds of Receivables or other Collateral, including all proceeds from sales of Inventory, all amounts payable to each Borrower from Credit Card Issuers and Credit Card Processors and all other proceeds of Collateral (but not including payments of Medicare Accounts or Medicaid Accounts that are sent to the separate lockbox and related deposit accounts established pursuant to clause (ii) above).

                              (iv) Borrowers and Guarantors shall deliver, or cause to be delivered to Agent a Deposit Account Control Agreement duly authorized, executed and delivered by each bank where a Blocked Account is maintained as provided in Section 5.2 hereof. At any time a Default or an Event of Default shall exist or have occurred and be continuing, promptly upon Agent's request, Borrowers and Guarantors shall deliver, or cause to be delivered, to Agent a Deposit Account Control Agreement duly authorized, executed and delivered by such banks where a Store Account is maintained as Agent shall specify. Without limiting any other rights or remedies of Agent or Lenders, Agent may, at its option, instruct the depository banks at which the Blocked Accounts are maintained to transfer all available funds received or deposited into the Blocked Accounts to the Agent Payment Account at any time that either: (A) an Event of Default shall exist or have occurred and be continuing, or (B) at any time prior to December 31, 2004, Excess Availability is less than $20,000,000 or at any time on and after December 31, 2004, Excess Availability is less than $30,000,000. Without limiting any other rights or remedies of Agent or Lenders, in the event that a Deposit Account Control Agreement is in effect for a Store Account, then Agent may, at its option, instruct the depository bank at which the Store Account is maintained to transfer all available funds received or deposited into the Store Account to the Agent Payment Account at any time that an Event of Default shall exist or have occurred and be continuing. As to the Blocked Accounts or the Store Accounts, as the case may be, Agent shall send to Lead Borrower a copy of any such written instruction sent by Agent to the depository bank promptly thereafter. In the event that at any time ninety (90) days after Agent has instructed such depository banks to transfer such funds to the Agent Payment Account, the Monthly Average Excess Availability for any calendar month commencing after the end of such ninety (90) day period is greater than $20,000,000 for any month ending on or before December 31, 2004 or $30,000,000 for any month ending thereafter and so long as no Event of Default exist or have occurred, upon Lead Borrower's written request received by Agent within five (5) Business Days after the satisfaction of such conditions, Agent shall rescind its prior instructions and give new instructions to such depository banks to transfer the funds on deposit in such accounts to such operating deposit account of Borrowers and Guarantors as Lead Borrower may

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specify in writing to Agent until such time as Agent is entitled to notify and shall notify the depository bank otherwise as provided above. At all times that Agent shall have notified any depository bank to transfer funds from a Blocked Account or Store Account to the Agent Payment Account, all payments made to such Blocked Accounts or Store Accounts, whether in respect of the Receivables, as proceeds of Inventory or other Collateral or otherwise shall be treated as payments to Agent in respect of the Obligations and therefore shall constitute the property of Agent and Lenders to the extent of the then outstanding Obligations.

                    (b) For purposes of calculating the amount of the Loans available to each Borrower, such payments will be applied (conditional upon final collection) to the Obligations on the Business Day of receipt by Agent of immediately available funds in the Agent Payment Account provided such payments and notice thereof are received in accordance with Agent's usual and customary practices as in effect from time to time and within sufficient time to credit the applicable loan account on such day, and if not, then on the next Business Day. For the purposes of calculating interest on the Obligations, such payments or other funds received will be applied (conditional upon final collection) to the Obligations one (1) Business Day following the date of receipt of immediately available funds by Agent in the Agent Payment Account provided such payments or other funds and notice thereof are received in accordance with Agent's usual and customary practices as in effect from time to time and within sufficient time to credit the applicable loan account on such day, and if not, then on the next Business Day. In the event that at any time or from time to time there are no Loans outstanding or the amounts on deposit in the Blocked Accounts are not being remitted to the Agent Payment Account, Agent shall be entitled to an administrative fee in an amount calculated based on the Interest Rate for Eurodollar Rate Loans (on a per annum basis) then in effect multiplied by the amount of the funds received in the Blocked Account for such day in accordance with the customary practice of Agent. The economic benefit of the timing in the application of payments (and the administrative fee with respect thereto, if applicable) shall be for the sole benefit of Agent.

                    (c) Each Borrower and Guarantor and their respective employees, agents and Subsidiaries shall, acting as trustee for Agent, receive, as the property of Agent, any monies, checks, notes, drafts or any other payment relating to and/or proceeds of Accounts or other Collateral which come into their possession or under their control and promptly upon receipt thereof, shall deposit or cause the same to be deposited in the Blocked Accounts, or remit the same or cause the same to be remitted, in kind, to Agent. In no event shall the same be commingled with any Borrower's or Guarantor's own funds. Borrowers agree to reimburse Agent on demand for any amounts owed or paid to any bank or other financial institution at which a Blocked Account or any other deposit account or investment account is established or any other bank, financial institution or other person involved in the transfer of funds to or from the Blocked Accounts arising out of Agent's payments to or indemnification of such bank, financial institution or other person. The obligations of Borrowers to reimburse Agent for such amounts pursuant to this Section 6.3 shall survive the termination of this Agreement.

          6.4 Payments .

                    (a) All Obligations shall be payable to the Agent Payment Account as provided in Section 6.3 or such other place as Agent may designate from time to time. Agent shall apply payments received or collected from any Borrower or Guarantor or for the account of any

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Borrower or Guarantor (including the monetary proceeds of collections or of realization upon any Collateral) as follows: first , to pay any fees, indemnities or expense reimbursements then due to Agent and Lenders from any Borrower or Guarantor; second , to pay interest due in respect of any Loans (and including any Special Agent Advances); third , to pay principal in respect of Special Agent Advances; fourth , to pay principal in respect of the Loans and to pay or prepay Obligations arising under or pursuant to any Interest Rate Protection Agreements of a Borrower or Guarantor with an Affiliate of Agent (up to the amount of any then effective Reserve established in respect of such Obligations), on a pro rata basis; fifth , to pay or prepay any other Obligations whether or not then due, in such order and manner as Agent determines or to be held as cash collateral in connection with any Letter of Credit Accommodations or other contingent Obligations (but not including for this purpose any Obligations arising under or pursuant to any Interest Rate Protection Agreements) and sixth , to pay or prepay any Obligations arising under or pursuant to Interest Rate Protection Agreements (other than to the extent provided for above) on a pro rata basis. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Agreement, (i) unless so directed by Lead Borrower, or unless a Default or an Event of Default shall exist or have occurred and be continuing, Agent shall not apply any payments which it receives to any Eurodollar Rate Loans, except (A) on the expiration date of the Interest Period applicable to any such Eurodollar Rate Loans or (B) in the event that there are no outstanding Prime Rate Loans and (ii) to the extent any Borrower uses any proceeds of the Loans or Letter of Credit Accommodations to acquire rights in or the use of any Collateral or to repay any Indebtedness used to acquire rights in or the use of any Collateral, payments in respect of the Obligations shall be deemed applied first to the Obligations arising from Loans and Letter of Credit Accommodations that were not used for such purposes and second to the Obligations arising from Loans and Letter of Credit Accommodations the proceeds of which were used to acquire rights in or the use of any Collateral in the chronological order in which such Borrower acquired such rights in or the use of such Collateral.

                    (b) At Agent's option, all principal, interest, fees, costs, expenses and other charges provided for in this Agreement or the other Financing Agreements may be charged directly to the loan account(s) of any Borrower maintained by Agent. Borrowers and Guarantors shall make all payments to Agent and Lenders on the Obligations free and clear of, and without deduction or withholding for or on account of, any setoff, counterclaim, defense, duties, taxes, levies, imposts, fees, deductions, withholding, restrictions or conditions of any kind. If after receipt of any payment of, or proceeds of Collateral applied to the payment of, any of the Obligations, Agent or any Lender is required to surrender or return such payment or proceeds to any Person for any reason, then the Obligations intended to be satisfied by such payment or proceeds shall be reinstated and continue and this Agreement shall continue in full force and effect as if such payment or proceeds had not been received by Agent or such Lender. Borrowers and Guarantors shall be liable to pay to Agent, and do hereby indemnify and hold Agent and Lenders harmless for the amount of any payments or proceeds surrendered or returned. This Section 6.4(b) shall remain effective notwithstanding any contrary action which may be taken by Agent or any Lender in reliance upon such payment or proceeds. This Section 6.4 shall survive the payment of the Obligations and the termination of this Agreement.

          6.5 Authorization to Make Loans . Agent and Lenders are authorized to make the Loans and provide the Letter of Credit Accommodations based upon telephonic or other instructions received from anyone purporting to be the chief financial officer, vice president of finance,

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treasurer, assistant treasurer, director of finance, controller of Parent or other authorized person designated by any of such persons from time to time to Agent or, at the discretion of Agent, if such Loans are necessary to satisfy any Obligations. All requests for Loans or Letter of Credit Accommodations hereunder shall specify the date on which the requested advance is to be made or Letter of Credit Accommodations established (which day shall be a Business Day) and the amount of the requested Loan. Requests received after 11:00 a.m. Chicago time on any day shall be deemed to have been made as of the opening of business on the immediately following Business Day. All Loans and Letter of Credit Accommodations under this Agreement shall be conclusively presumed to have been made to, and at the request of and for the benefit of, any Borrower or Guarantor when deposited to the credit of any Borrower or Guarantor or otherwise disbursed or established in accordance with the instructions of any Borrower or Guarantor or in accordance with the terms and conditions of this Agreement.

          6.6 Use of Proceeds . Borrowers shall use the initial proceeds of the Loans provided by Agent to Borrowers hereunder only for: (a) payments to each of the persons listed in the disbursement direction letter furnished by Borrowers to Agent on or about the date hereof and (b) costs, expenses and fees in connection with the preparation, negotiation, execution and delivery of this Agreement and the other Financing Agreements. All other Loans made or Letter of Credit Accommodations provided to or for the benefit of any Borrower pursuant to the provisions hereof shall be used by such Borrower only for general operating, working capital and other proper corporate purposes of such Borrower not otherwise prohibited by the terms hereof. None of the proceeds will be used, directly or indirectly, for the purpose of purchasing or carrying any margin security or for the purposes of reducing or retiring any indebtedness which was originally incurred to purchase or carry any margin security or for any other purpose which might cause any of the Loans to be considered a "purpose credit" within the meaning of Regulation U of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, as amended.

          6.7 Appointment of Parent as Lead Borrower for Requesting Loans and Receipts of Loans and Statements .

                    (a) Each Borrower hereby irrevocably appoints and constitutes Lead Borrower to request and receive Loans and Letter of Credit Accommodations pursuant to this Agreement and the other Financing Agreements from Agent or any Lender in the name or on behalf of such Borrower, to select the applicable Interest Rate for any such Loans or to take other actions contemplated as being taken by any Borrower under this Agreement or any of the other Financing Agreements. Agent and Lenders may disburse the Loans to such bank account of Lead Borrower or a Borrower or otherwise make such Loans to a Borrower and provide such Letter of Credit Accommodations to a Borrower as Lead Borrower may designate or direct, without notice to any other Borrower or Obligor. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, Agent and Lead Borrower may at any time and from time to time require that Loans to or for the account of any Borrower be disbursed directly to an operating account of such Borrower.

                    (b) Lead Borrower hereby accepts the appointment by Borrowers to act for and on behalf of the other Borrowers pursuant to this Section 6.7. Lead Borrower shall ensure that the disbursement of any Loans to each Borrower requested by or paid to or for the account of Parent,

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or the issuance of any Letter of Credit Accommodations for a Borrower hereunder, shall be paid to or for the account of such Borrower.

                    (c) Each other Borrower and Guarantor hereby irrevocably appoints and constitutes Lead Borrower to receive statements on account and all other notices from Agent and Lenders with respect to the Obligations or otherwise under or in connection with this Agreement and the other Financing Agreements and any statements or notices sent to or received by Lead Borrower shall be deemed received by each of the other Borrowers and Guarantors.

                    (d) Any notice, election, representation, warranty, agreement or undertaking by or on behalf of any other Borrower or any Guarantor by Lead Borrower shall be deemed for all purposes to have been made by such Borrower or Guarantor, as the case may be, and shall be binding upon and enforceable against such Borrower or Guarantor to the same extent as if made directly by such Borrower of Guarantor.

                    (e) No purported termination of the appointment of Lead Borrower as agent as aforesaid shall be effective, except after ten (10) days' prior written notice to Agent.

          6.8 Pro Rata Treatment . Except to the extent otherwise provided in this Agreement: (a) the making and conversion of Loans shall be made among the Lenders based on their respective Pro Rata Shares as to the Loans and (b) each payment on account of any Obligations to or for the account of one or more of Lenders in respect of any Obligations due on a particular day shall be allocated among the Lenders entitled to such payments based on their respective Pro Rata Shares and shall be distributed accordingly.

          6.9 Sharing of Payments, Etc .

                    (a) Each Borrower and Guarantor agrees that, in addition to (and without limitation of) any right of setoff, banker's lien or counterclaim Agent or any Lender may otherwise have, each Lender shall be entitled, at its option (but subject, as among Agent and Lenders, to the provisions of Section 12.3(b) hereof), to offset balances held by it for the account of such Borrower or Guarantor at any of its offices, in dollars or in any other currency, against any principal of or interest on any Loans owed to such Lender or any other amount payable to such Lender hereunder, that is not paid when due (regardless of whether such balances are then due to such Borrower or Guarantor), in which case it shall promptly notify Lead Borrower and Agent thereof; provided , that , such Lender's failure to give such notice shall not affect the validity thereof.

                    (b) If any Lender (including Agent) shall obtain from any Borrower or Guarantor payment of any principal of or interest on any Loan owing to it or payment of any other amount under this Agreement or any of the other Financing Agreements through the exercise of any right of setoff, banker's lien or counterclaim or similar right or otherwise (other than from Agent as provided herein), and, as a result of such payment, such Lender shall have received more than its Pro Rata Share of the principal of the Loans or more than its share of such other amounts then due hereunder or thereunder by any Borrower or Guarantor to such Lender than the percentage thereof received by any other Lender, it shall promptly pay to Agent, for the benefit of Lenders, the amount of such excess and simultaneously purchase from such other Lenders a participation

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in the Loans or such other amounts, respectively, owing to such other Lenders (or such interest due thereon, as the case may be) in such amounts, and make such other adjustments from time to time as shall be equitable, to the end that all Lenders shall share the benefit of such excess payment (net of any expenses that may be incurred by such Lender in obtaining or preserving such excess payment) in accordance with their respective Pro Rata Shares or as otherwise agreed by Lenders. To such end all Lenders shall make appropriate adjustments among themselves (by the resale of participation sold or otherwise) if such payment is rescinded or must otherwise be restored.

                    (c) Each Borrower and Guarantor agrees that any Lender purchasing a participation (or direct interest) as provided in this Section may exercise, in a manner consistent with this Section, all rights of setoff, banker's lien, counterclaim or similar rights with respect to such participation as fully as if such Lender were a direct holder of Loans or other amounts (as the case may be) owing to such Lender in the amount of such participation.

                    (d) Nothing contained herein shall require any Lender to exercise any right of setoff, banker's lien, counterclaims or similar rights or shall affect the right of any Lender to exercise, and retain the benefits of exercising, any such right with respect to any other Indebtedness or obligation of any Borrower or Guarantor. If, under any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar law, any Lender receives a secured claim in lieu of a setoff to which this Section applies, such Lender shall, to the extent practicable, assign such rights to Agent for the benefit of Lenders and, in any event, exercise its rights in respect of such secured claim in a manner consistent with the rights of Lenders entitled under this Section to share in the benefits of any recovery on such secured claim.

          6.10 Settlement Procedures .

                    (a) In order to administer the Credit Facility in an efficient manner and to minimize the transfer of funds between Agent and Lenders, Agent may, at its option, subject to the terms of this Section, make available, on behalf of Lenders, the full amount of the Loans requested or charged to any Borrower's loan account(s) or otherwise to be advanced by Lenders pursuant to the terms hereof, without requirement of prior notice to Lenders of the proposed Loans.

                    (b) With respect to all Loans made by Agent on behalf of Lenders as provided in this Section, the amount of each Lender's Pro Rata Share of the outstanding Loans shall be computed weekly, and shall be adjusted upward or downward on the basis of the amount of the outstanding Loans as of 5:00 p.m. Chicago time on the Business Day immediately preceding the date of each settlement computation; provided , that , Agent retains the absolute right at any time or from time to time to make the above described adjustments at intervals more frequent than weekly, but in no event more than twice in any week. Agent shall deliver to each of the Lenders after the end of each week, or at such lesser period or periods as Agent shall determine, a summary statement of the amount of outstanding Loans for such period (such week or lesser period or periods being hereinafter referred to as a "Settlement Period"). If the summary statement is sent by Agent and received by a Lender prior to 12:00 p.m. Chicago time, then such Lender shall make the settlement transfer described in this Section by no later than 3:00 p.m. Chicago time on the same Business Day and if received by a Lender after 12:00 p.m. Chicago

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time, then such Lender shall make the settlement transfer by not later than 3:00 p.m. Chicago time on the next Business Day following the date of receipt. If, as of the end of any Settlement Period, the amount of a Lender's Pro Rata Share of the outstanding Loans is more than such Lender's Pro Rata Share of the outstanding Loans as of the end of the previous Settlement Period, then such Lender shall forthwith (but in no event later than the time set forth in the preceding sentence) transfer to Agent by wire transfer in immediately available funds the amount of the increase. Alternatively, if the amount of a Lender's Pro Rata Share of the outstanding Loans in any Settlement Period is less than the amount of such Lender's Pro Rata Share of the outstanding Loans for the previous Settlement Period, Agent shall forthwith transfer to such Lender by wire transfer in immediately available funds the amount of the decrease. The obligation of each of the Lenders to transfer such funds and effect such settlement shall be irrevocable and unconditional and without recourse to or warranty by Agent. Agent and each Lender agrees to mark its books and records at the end of each Settlement Period to show at all times the dollar amount of its Pro Rata Share of the outstanding Loans and Letter of Credit Accommodations. Each Lender shall only be entitled to receive interest on its Pro Rata Share of the Loans to the extent such Loans have been funded by such Lender. Because the Agent on behalf of Lenders may be advancing and/or may be repaid Loans prior to the time when Lenders will actually advance and/or be repaid such Loans, interest with respect to Loans shall be allocated by Agent in accordance with the amount of Loans actually advanced by and repaid to each Lender and the Agent and shall accrue from and including the date such Loans are so advanced to but excluding the date such Loans are either repaid by Borrowers or actually settled with the applicable Lender as described in this Section.

                    (c) To the extent that Agent has made any such amounts available and the settlement described above shall not yet have occurred, upon repayment of any Loans by a Borrower, Agent may apply such amounts repaid directly to any amounts made available by Agent pursuant to this Section. In lieu of weekly or more frequent settlements, Agent may, at its option, at any time require each Lender to provide Agent with immediately available funds representing its Pro Rata Share of each Loan, prior to Agent's disbursement of such Loan to Borrower. In such event, all Loans under this Agreement shall be made by the Lenders simultaneously and proportionately to their Pro Rata Shares. No Lender shall be responsible for any default by any other Lender in the other Lender's obligation to make a Loan requested hereunder nor shall the Commitment of any Lender be increased or decreased as a result of the default by any other Lender in the other Lender's obligation to make a Loan hereunder.

                    (d) If Agent is not funding a particular Loan to or for the benefit of a Borrower pursuant to Sections 6.10(a) and 6.10(b) on any day, but is requiring each Lender to provide Agent with immediately available funds on the date of such Loan, Agent may assume that each Lender will make available to Agent such Lender's Pro Rata Share of the Loan requested or otherwise made on such day and Agent may, in its discretion, but shall not be obligated to, cause a corresponding amount to be made available to or for the benefit of such Borrower on such day. If Agent makes such corresponding amount available to a Borrower and such corresponding amount is not in fact made available to Agent by such Lender, Agent shall be entitled to recover such corresponding amount on demand from such Lender together with interest thereon for each day from the date such payment was due until the date such amount is paid to Agent at the Federal Funds Rate for each day during such period (as published by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York or at Agent's option based on the arithmetic mean determined by Agent of the rates

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for the last transaction in overnight Federal funds arranged prior to 9:00 a.m. (New York City time) on that day by each of the three leading brokers of Federal funds transactions in New York City selected by Agent) and if such amounts are not paid within three (3) days of Agent's demand, at the highest Interest Rate provided for in Section 3.1 hereof applicable to Prime Rate Loans. During the period in which such Lender has not paid such corresponding amount to Agent, notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Agreement or any of the other Financing Agreements, the amount so advanced by Agent to or for the benefit of any Borrower shall, for all purposes hereof, be a Loan made by Agent for its own account. Upon any such failure by a Lender to pay Agent, Agent shall promptly thereafter notify Lead Borrower of such failure and Borrowers shall pay such corresponding amount to Agent for its own account within five (5) Business Days of Lead Borrower's receipt of such notice. A Lender who fails to pay Agent its Pro Rata Share of any Loans made available by the Agent on such Lender's behalf, or any Lender who fails to pay any other amount owing by it to Agent, is a "Defaulting Lender". Agent shall not be obligated to transfer to a Defaulting Lender any payments received by Agent for the Defaulting Lender's benefit, nor shall a Defaulting Lender be entitled to the sharing of any payments hereunder (including any principal, interest or fees). Amounts payable to a Defaulting Lender shall instead be paid to or retained by Agent. Agent may hold and, in its discretion, relend to a Borrower the amount of all such payments received or retained by it for the account of such Defaulting Lender. For purposes of voting or consenting to matters with respect to this Agreement and the other Financing Agreements and determining Pro Rata Shares, such Defaulting Lender shall be deemed not to be a "Lender" and such Lender's Commitment shall be deemed to be zero (0). This Section shall remain effective with respect to a Defaulting Lender until such default is cured. The operation of this Section shall not be construed to increase or otherwise affect the Commitment of any Lender, or relieve or excuse the performance by any Borrower or Obligor of their duties and obligations hereunder.

                    (e) Lead Borrower and Agent shall have the right, but not the obligation, at any time that there is a Defaulting Lender, and upon the exercise by either Lead Borrower or Agent of such right, such Defaulting Lender shall have the obligation, to sell, assign and transfer to an Eligible Transferee designated by Lead Borrower and approved by Agent or designated by Agent, the Commitment of such Defaulting Lender and all rights and interests of such Defaulting Lender pursuant thereto. Lead Borrower or Agent, as the case may be, shall provide the Defaulting Lender (and the Lead Borrower or the Agent as the case may be) with prior written notice of its intent to exercise its right under this Section, which notice shall specify the date on which such purchase and sale shall occur. Such purchase and sale shall be pursuant to the terms of an Assignment and Acceptance (whether or not executed by the Defaulting Lender), except that on the date of such purchase and sale, the Eligible Transferee specified by Lead Borrower and approved by Agent or Agent, shall pay to the Defaulting Lender (except as Agent and such Defaulting Lender may otherwise agree) the amount equal to: (i) the principal balance of the Loans held by the Defaulting Lender outstanding as of the close of business on the Business Day immediately preceding the effective date of such purchase and sale, plus (ii) amounts accrued and unpaid in respect of interest and fees payable to the Defaulting Lender to the effective date of the purchase (but in no event shall the Defaulting Lender be deemed entitled to any early termination fee), minus (iii) the amount of the closing fee received by the Defaulting Lender pursuant to the terms hereof or of any of the other Financing Agreements multiplied by the fraction, the numerator of which is the number of months remaining in the then current term of the Credit Facility and the denominator of which is the number of months in the then current

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term thereof. Such purchase and sale shall be effective on the date of the payment of such amount to the Defaulting Lender and the Commitment of the Defaulting Lender shall terminate on such date.

                    (f) Nothing in this Section or elsewhere in this Agreement or the other Financing Agreements shall be deemed to require Agent to advance funds on behalf of any Lender or to relieve any Lender from its obligation to fulfill its Commitment hereunder or to prejudice any rights that any Borrower may have against any Lender as a result of any default by any Lender hereunder in fulfilling its Commitment.

          6.11 Obligations Several; Independent Nature of Lenders' Rights . The obligation of each Lender hereunder is several, and no Lender shall be responsible for the obligation or commitment of any other Lender hereunder. Nothing contained in this Agreement or any of the other Financing Agreements and no action taken by the Lenders pursuant hereto or thereto shall be deemed to constitute the Lenders to be a partnership, an association, a joint venture or any other kind of entity. The amounts payable at any time hereunder to each Lender shall be a separate and independent debt, and subject to Section 12.3 hereof, each Lender shall be entitled to protect and enforce its rights arising out of this Agreement and it shall not be necessary for any other Lender to be joined as an additional party in any proceeding for such purpose.

SECTION 7 COLLATERAL REPORTING AND COVENANTS

          7.1 Collateral Reporting .

                    (a) Borrowers shall provide Agent with the following documents in a form reasonably satisfactory to Agent:

                              (i) as soon as possible after the end of each calendar week (but in any event within three (3) Business Days after the end thereof), or more frequently as Agent may request at any time Excess Availability is less than $30,000,000 or a Default or Event of Default shall exist or have occurred, (A) an aging of accounts receivable for each of the Retail Division, the Distribution Division and the United Wholesale Division and (B) an inventory summary report for each of the Retail Division, the Distribution Division and the United Wholesale Division (provided, that, the summary report for the United Wholesale Division shall be only at the level of the division using the beginning of month amounts, sales and purchases for the entire division as the basis for the calculation thereof and prior to March 31, 2004, the summary report for the Retail Division shall be only at the level of the division using the beginning of month amounts, sales and purchases for the entire division as the basis for the calculation thereof);

                              (ii) as soon as possible after the end of each fiscal four (4) week period of Borrowers and Guarantors determined in accordance with the current accounting practices of Borrowers and Guarantors as of the date hereof (but in any event within ten (10) Business Days after the end thereof), or more frequently as Agent may request at any time that Excess Availability is less than $30,000,000 or a Default or Event of Default shall exist or have occurred, (A) a Borrowing Base Certificate setting forth the calculation of the Borrowing Base as of the last Business Day of the immediately preceding period as to the Accounts and Inventory, duly completed and executed by the chief financial officer, vice president of finance, treasurer or

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controller of Parent, together with all schedules required pursuant to the terms of the Borrowing Base Certificate duly completed (including a recap of all Accounts created, collections received and credit memos issued for the immediately preceding period); (B) perpetual inventory reports for the Distribution Division, (C) agings of accounts receivable, (D) list of outstanding accounts payable, (E) reports on sales and use tax collections, deposits and payments, including a statement confirming the payment of monthly sales and use taxes, and (F) the number of prescriptions filled in the immediately preceding month, the average dollar amount of such prescriptions during such period, and the dollar amount of sales of prescriptions in the preceding period;

                              (iii) as soon as possible after the end of each fiscal four (4) week period of Borrowers and Guarantors determined in accordance with the current accounting practices of Borrowers and Guarantors as of the date hereof (but in any event ten (10) Business Days after the end thereof), in each case certified by the chief financial officer, vice president of finance, treasurer or controller of Borrowers or Lead Borrower as true and correct: (A) a statement confirming the payment of the aggregate amount of rent and other amounts due to owners and lessors of real property used by Borrowers (other than amounts being contested or disputed in good faith), subject to year-end or monthly percentage rent payment adjustments, (B) the addresses of all new retail store locations of Borrowers and Guarantors opened and existing retail store locations closed or sold, in each case since the date of the most recent certificate delivered to Agent containing the information required under this clause, and (C) a report of any new deposit account established or used by any Borrower or Guarantor with any bank or other financial institution, including the Borrower or Guarantor in whose name the account is maintained, the account number, the name and address of the financial institution at which such account is maintained, the purpose of such account and, if any, the amount held in such account on or about the date of such report;

                              (iv) upon Agent's request at any time Excess Availability is less than $30,000,000 or a Default or Event of Default shall exist or have occurred, (A) reports of sales for each category of Inventory, (B) reports of aggregate Inventory purchases and identifying items of Inventory in transit to any Borrower or Guarantor related to the applicable documentary letter of credit and/or bill of lading number, (C) copies of remittance advices and reports, and copies of deposit slips and bank statements, (D) copies of shipping and delivery documents, (E) electronic summaries of purchase orders or journals, invoices and delivery documents for Inventory and Equipment acquired by Borrowers and Guarantor, and (F) reports by retail store location of sales and four wall cash flows for each such retail store location;

                              (v) upon Agent's request at any time Excess Availability is less than $30,000,000 or a Default or Event of Default shall exist or have occurred, the monthly statements received by any Borrower or any of its Affiliates from any Credit Card Issuers or Credit Card Processors, together with such additional information with respect thereto as shall be sufficient to enable Agent to monitor the transactions pursuant to the Credit Card Agreements;

                              (vi) such other reports as to the Collateral as Agent shall reasonably request from time to time.



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                    (b) Nothing contained in any Borrowing Base Certificate shall be deemed to limit, impair or otherwise affect the rights of Agent contained herein and in the event of any conflict or inconsistency between the calculation of the Borrowing Base as set forth in any Borrowing Base Certificate and as determined by Agent in good faith, the determination of Agent shall govern and be conclusive and binding upon Borrowers and Guarantors. Without limiting the foregoing, Borrowers shall furnish to Agent any information which Agent may reasonably request regarding the determination and calculation of any of the amounts set forth in any Borrowing Base Certificate. The Borrowing Base may be adjusted based on the information set forth in the reports received by Agent under Section 7.1(a)(i) above. If any Borrower's or Guarantor's records or reports of the Collateral are prepared or maintained by an accounting service, contractor, shipper or other agent, such Borrower and Guarantor hereby irrevocably authorizes such service, contractor, shipper or agent to deliver such records, reports, and related documents to Agent and to follow Agent's instructions with respect to further services at any time that an Event of Default exists or has occurred and is continuing.

          7.2 Accounts Covenants .

                    (a) Borrowers shall notify Agent promptly of: (i) any material delay in any Borrower's or performance of any of its material obligations to any Account Debtor or the assertion of any material claims, offsets, defenses or counterclaims by any Account Debtor, or any material disputes with Account Debtors, or any settlement, adjustment or compromise thereof, (ii) all material adverse information known to any Borrower or Guarantor relating to the financial condition of any Account Debtor reasonably likely to adversely impact the collectability or enforceability of an Account, (iii) any event or circumstance which, to the best of any Borrower's or Guarantor's knowledge, would cause Agent to consider any then existing Accounts as no longer constituting Eligible Accounts, (iv) any notice of a material default by any Borrower under any of the Credit Card Agreements or of any default which might result in the Credit Card Issuer or Credit Card Processor ceasing to make payments or suspending payments to any Borrower, (v) any notice from any Credit Card Issuer or Credit Card Processor that such person is ceasing or suspending, or will cease or suspend, any present or future payments due or to become due to any Borrower from such person, or that such person is terminating or will terminate any of the Credit Card Agreements, and (vi) the failure of any Borrower to comply with any material terms of the Credit Card Agreements or any terms thereof which might result in the Credit Card Issuer or Credit Card Processor ceasing or suspending payments to any Borrower. No credit, discount, allowance or extension or agreement for any of the foregoing shall be granted to any Account Debtor without Agent's consent, except in the ordinary course of a Borrower's or Guarantor's business in accordance with its practices and policies previously disclosed in writing to Agent and except as set forth in the schedules delivered to Agent pursuant to Section 7.1(a) above. So long as no Event of Default exists or has occurred and is continuing, Borrowers and Guarantors shall settle, adjust or compromise any claim, offset, counterclaim or dispute with any Account Debtor. At any time that an Event of Default exists or has occurred and is continuing, Agent shall, at its option, have the exclusive right to settle, adjust or compromise any claim, offset, counterclaim or dispute with Account Debtors or grant any credits, discounts or allowances.

                    (b) With respect to each Account: (i) the amounts shown on any invoice delivered to Agent or schedule thereof delivered to Agent shall be true and complete, (ii) no payments

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shall be made thereon except payments immediately delivered to Blocked Accounts (or other deposit accounts in the case of Medicare Accounts and Medicaid Accounts identified to Agent that are used exclusively for handling payments or other remittances in respect of such Accounts), in each case, maintained in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, (iii) no credit, discount, allowance or extension or agreement for any of the foregoing shall be granted to any Account Debtor except as reported to Agent in accordance with this Agreement and except for credits, discounts, allowances or extensions made or given in the ordinary course of each Borrower's business in accordance with practices and policies previously disclosed to Agent, (iv) there shall be no setoffs, deductions, contras, defenses, counterclaims or disputes existing or asserted with respect thereto except as reported to Agent in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, (v) none of the transactions giving rise thereto will violate any applicable foreign, Federal, State or local laws or regulations, all documentation relating thereto will be legally sufficient under such laws and regulations and all such documentation will be legally enforceable in accordance with its terms.

                    (c) Agent shall have the right at any time or times, in Agent's name or in the name of a nominee of Agent, to verify the validity, amount or any other matter relating to any Receivables or other Collateral, by mail, telephone, facsimile transmission or otherwise.

          7.3 Inventory Covenants . With respect to the Inventory: (a) each Borrower and Guarantor shall at all times maintain correct and accurate inventory records in a manner consistent with its current practices as of the date hereof (except to the extent of changes in such practices as a result of the establishment of a reliable, consistent and accurate stock ledger inventory system at the Retail Division), (b) Borrowers and Guarantors shall, or a third party inventory counting service on behalf of Borrowers and Guarantors shall, conduct a physical count of the Inventory at least once each fiscal quarter as to non-perishable Inventory of the Retail Division (or on and after the establishment of a stock ledger inventory system at the Retail Division that is satisfactory to Borrowers and Agent, two (2) times each year) and once each fiscal four (4) week period of Borrowers and Guarantors (determined in accordance with the current accounting practices of Borrowers and Guarantors as of the date hereof) as to the perishable Inventory of the Retail Division, three (3) times each year as to Inventory of the United Wholesale Division (provided, that, in the event that the United Wholesale Division Assets are not sold pursuant to the United Wholesale Sale Agreements on or before March 31, 2004, Agent may require that such physical counts be conducted more frequently) and at least once each year, whether through periodic cycle counts or otherwise, as to the Inventory of the Distribution Division, but in each case at any time or times as Agent may request on or after an Event of Default, and promptly following any such physical inventory shall supply Agent with a report in the form and with such specificity as may be reasonably satisfactory to Agent concerning such physical count; (c) Borrowers and Guarantors shall not remove any Inventory from the locations set forth or permitted herein, without the prior written consent of Agent, except for sales, returns or transfers of Inventory in the ordinary course of its business that are reported to Agent in accordance with the terms hereof and except to move Inventory directly from one location set forth or permitted herein to another such location and except for Inventory shipped from the manufacturer thereof to such Borrower or Guarantor which is in transit to the locations set forth or permitted herein; (d) upon Agent's request, Borrowers shall, at their expense, no more than one (1) time in any twelve (12) month period, but at any time or times as Agent may request on or after an Event of Default, deliver or cause to be delivered to Agent

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