WAIVER AND AMENDMENT AGREEMENT
TO
FOURTH AMENDED AND RESTATED CREDIT AGREEMENT
THIS WAIVER AND
AMENDMENT AGREEMENT TO FOURTH AMENDED AND RESTATED CREDIT AGREEMENT
(this “ Agreement ”), dated as of July 30,
2008, is entered into among SPARTECH CORPORATION, a Delaware
corporation (the “ Borrower ”), the lenders
listed on the signature pages hereof (collectively, the “
Lenders ”), and BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., as
Administrative Agent and L/C Issuer.
A. The
Borrower, the Lenders, the Administrative Agent, and the L/C Issuer
heretofore entered into that certain Fourth Amended and Restated
Credit Agreement, dated as of June 2, 2006, as amended by that
certain First Amendment to Fourth Amended and Restated Credit
Agreement, dated as of March 7, 2008 (said Credit Agreement,
as so amended, the “ Credit Agreement ”; the
terms defined in the Credit Agreement and not otherwise defined
herein shall be used herein as defined in the Credit
Agreement).
B. The
Borrower has informed the Lenders that the Borrower will fail to
comply with Section 7.21 of the Credit Agreement and
may fail to comply with Section 7.08 of the Credit
Agreement, in each case, for the fiscal quarter ending
August 2, 2008. The foregoing will constitute Events of
Default (such Events of Default are hereby referred to herein
collectively as the “ Financial Covenant Defaults
”).
C. As a
result of the Financial Covenant Defaults, the Administrative
Agent, the Lenders and the L/C Issuer, will be entitled to, among
other things, enforce their rights and remedies under the Credit
Agreement and the other Loan Documents, and otherwise at law or
equity, including, without limitation, the right to terminate the
Commitments and accelerate the Obligations.
D. The
Borrower and the other Loan Parties have requested that the
Administrative Agent and Lenders waive the Financial Covenant
Defaults for a period of time, and the Administrative Agent, the
Lenders and the L/C Issuer are willing to provide a limited waiver
as provided herein, and subject to the terms and conditions
herein.
NOW, THEREFORE, in
consideration of the covenants, conditions and agreements hereafter
set forth, and for other good and valuable consideration, the
receipt and adequacy of which are all hereby acknowledged, the
Borrower, the Lenders, the Administrative Agent, and the L/C Issuer
covenant and agree as follows:
1.
DEFINITIONS . The following terms shall have the following
meanings as provided herein:
“ Waiver
Default ” means (a) the occurrence of any Default or
Event of Default under the Credit Agreement that is not a Financial
Covenant Default (but which may, for
1
avoidance of
doubt, include a default under Section 7.21 of the
Credit Agreement, as amended by this Agreement), or (b) any
breach by the Borrower or any other Loan Party of any
representation, warranty or covenant provided in this
Agreement.
“ Waiver
Expiration Date ” means the earlier of
(a) September 15, 2008 and (b) the date of
occurrence of any Waiver Default.
“ Waiver
Period ” means the period of time commencing on the date
hereof and ending on the Waiver Expiration Date.
2.
AMENDMENTS TO THE CREDIT AGREEMENT .
(a)
Section 1.01 of the Credit Agreement is hereby amended
by adding the following defined terms thereto in proper
alphabetical order to read as follows:
“ Calyon
Credit Agreement ” means that certain Term Loan
Agreement, dated as of February 16, 2005, between the Borrower
and Calyon New York Branch, as heretofore and hereafter amended,
modified or supplemented from time to time.
“ Calyon
Credit Documents ” means the Calyon Credit Agreement and
any and all promissory notes and other documents and agreements
executed and delivered in connection therewith.
“
Canadian Facility Documents ” means the Canadian
Facility and any and all promissory notes and other documents and
agreements executed and delivered in connection
therewith
“ Note
Purchase Agreements ” means, collectively, that certain
(a) Note Purchase Agreement, dated as of September 15,
2004, among the Borrower and the purchasers named therein in
respect of the Borrower’s 5.54% Senior Notes due 2016 and
(b) Note Purchase Agreement, dated as of June 5, 2006,
among the Borrower and the purchasers named therein in respect of
the Borrower’s 5.78% Senior Notes, due 2011, as amended,
modified or supplemented from time to time, except as otherwise
noted herein.
“ Senior
Note Documents ” mean the Note Purchase Agreements, the
Borrower’s 5.54% Senior Notes due 2016, the Borrower’s
5.78’% Senior Notes due 2011 and all other documents and
instruments executed and delivered pursuant thereto.
(b) The
definition of “ Permitted Acquisitions ” set
forth in Section 1.01 of the Credit Agreement is hereby
amended to read as follows:
“
Permitted Acquisition ” means an Acquisition
(a) which is non-hostile, (b) which occurs when no
Default or Event of Default exists or will result therefrom, and
(c) which after giving effect to which, on a pro forma basis
(assuming that such Acquisition had occurred on the last day of the
fiscal quarter most recently ended from the date which is one year
prior to the date of such Acquisition) no Default or Event of
Default will exist, and (d) with respect to which (other than,
with the Administrative Agent’s prior review and approval,
which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed,
provided
2
that the terms
thereof are substantially similar to those previously disclosed to
the Administrative Agent, the Acquisition of assets of a division
of Arkema Inc. for an aggregate consideration (excluding assets
exchanged for assets of at least equal value) not to exceed
$5,000,000, plus or minus net working capital adjustments) the
Required Lenders have given their prior written consent.
(c)
Article VII of the Credit Agreement is hereby amended
to read as follows:
ARTICLE VII.
NEGATIVE COVENANTS
So long as any
Lender shall have any Commitment hereunder, any Loan or other
Obligation hereunder shall remain unpaid or unsatisfied, or any
Letter of Credit shall remain outstanding, the Borrower shall not,
nor shall it permit any Subsidiary to, directly or
indirectly:
7.01 Liens.
Create, incur, assume or suffer to exist any Lien upon any of its
property, assets or revenues, whether now owned or hereafter
acquired, other than the following (collectively, “
Permitted Liens ”):
(a) Liens in
respect of property of the Borrower or a Subsidiary existing on the
Closing Date and described in Schedule 7.01 and Liens
existing on July 3, 2008, and any renewals or extensions
thereof, provided (i) the property covered thereby is not
changed and (ii) the amount of Indebtedness secured thereby is
not increased;
(b) Liens in
respect of property acquired or constructed by the Borrower or a
Subsidiary after the Closing Date, which are created at the time of
or within 180 days after acquisitions or completion of construction
of such property to secure Indebtedness assumed or incurred to
finance all or any part of the purchase price or cost of
construction of such property, provided that in any such
case;
(i) no such Lien
shall extend to or cover any other property of the Borrower or such
Subsidiary, as the case may be, and
(ii) the aggregate
principal amount of Indebtedness secured by all such Liens in
respect of any such property shall not exceed the cost of such
property and any improvements then being financed;
(c) Liens in
respect to property acquired by the Borrower or a Subsidiary after
the Closing Date, existing on such property at the time of
acquisition thereof (and not created in anticipation thereof), or
in the case of any Person that after the Closing Date becomes a
Subsidiary or is consolidated with or merged with or into the
Borrower or a Subsidiary or sells, leases or otherwise disposes of
all or substantially all of its property to the Borrower or a
Subsidiary, Liens existing at the time such Person becomes a
Subsidiary or is so consolidated or merged or effects such sale,
lease or other disposition of property (and not
3
created in
anticipation thereof), provided that in any such case no such Lien
shall extend to or cover any other property of the Borrower or such
Subsidiary, as the case may be;
(d) Liens securing
Indebtedness owed by a Subsidiary to the Borrower or to a
Wholly-Owned Subsidiary which is a Guarantor;
(e) Liens for
taxes not yet due or which are being contested in good faith and by
appropriate proceedings diligently conducted, if adequate reserves
with respect thereto are maintained on the books of the applicable
Person in accordance with GAAP;
(f)
carriers’, warehousemen’s, mechanics’,
materialmen’s, repairmen’s or other like Liens arising
in the ordinary course of business which are not overdue for a
period of more than 30 days or which are being contested in
good faith and by appropriate proceedings diligently conducted, if
adequate reserves with respect thereto are maintained on the books
of the applicable Person;
(g) pledges or
deposits in the ordinary course of business in connection with
workers’ compensation, unemployment insurance and other
social security legislation, other than any Lien imposed by
ERISA;
(h) deposits to
secure the performance of bids, trade contracts and leases (other
than Indebtedness), statutory obligations, surety bonds (other than
bonds related to judgments or litigation), performance bonds and
other obligations of a like nature incurred in the ordinary course
of business; and
(i) easements,
rights-of-way, restrictions and other similar encumbrances
affecting real property which, in the aggregate, are not
substantial in amount, and which do not in any case materially
detract from the value of the property subject thereto or
materially interfere with the ordinary conduct of the business of
the applicable Person.
For purposes of
this Section 7.01 any Lien existing in respect of
property at the time such property is acquired or in respect of
property of a Person at the time such Person is acquired,
consolidated or merged with or into the Borrower or a Subsidiary
shall be deemed to have been created at that time.
7.02
Disposition of Assets. Make any sale, transfer, lease (as
lessor), loan or other disposition of any property or assets (an
“ Asset Sale ”), other than the
following:
(a) Asset Sales in
the ordinary course of business;
(b) Asset Sales of
property or assets by a Subsidiary to the Borrower or a
Wholly-Owned Subsidiary; or
(c) other Asset
Sales, provided that in each case
4
(i) immediately
before and after giving effect thereto, no Default shall have
occurred and be continuing, and
(ii) the aggregate
net book value of the property or assets disposed of in such Asset
Sale and all other Asset Sales by the Borrower and its Subsidiaries
during the immediately preceding twelve months does not exceed 15%
of Consolidated Net Worth (as of the last day of the quarterly
accounting period ending on or most recently prior to the last day
of such twelve month period).
For purposes of
this Section 7.02 , any Voting Equity Interests of a
Subsidiary that are the subject of an Asset Sale shall be valued at
the greater of (x) the fair market value of such shares as
determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Borrower
and (y) the aggregate net book value of the assets of such
Subsidiary multiplied by a fraction of which the numerator is the
aggregate number of Voting Equity Interests of such Subsidiary
disposed of in such Asset Sale and the denominator is the aggregate
number of Voting Equity Interests of such Subsidiary outstanding
immediately prior to such Asset Sale.
7.03
Consolidations and Mergers. Consolidate with or merge with
any other corporation or convey, transfer or lease all or
substantially all of its assets in a single transaction or series
of transactions to any Person except a Subsidiary may consolidate
with or merge with any other corporation or convey or transfer all
or substantially all of its assets to (a) the Borrower
(provided that the Borrower shall be the continuing or surviving
corporation) or a then-existing Wholly-Owned Subsidiary and
(b) any Person in an Asset Sale involving all of the
outstanding stock or all or substantially all of the assets of such
Subsidiary, in either case subject to the limitation of
Section 7.02 .
7.04 Loans and
Investments. Purchase or acquire, or make any commitment
therefor, any capital stock, equity interest, or any obligations or
other securities of, or any interest in, any Person, or make or
commit to make any Acquisitions, or make or commit to make any
advance, loan, extension of credit or capital contribution to or
any other investment in, any Person including any Affiliate of the
Borrower (collectively, “ Investments ”), except
for:
(a) Investments
held by the Borrower or any Subsidiary in the form of cash
equivalents or short term marketable securities;
(b) extensions of
credit in the nature of accounts receivable or notes receivable
arising from the sale or lease of goods or services in the ordinary
course of business;
(c) extensions of
credit by the Borrower to any of its Wholly-Owned Subsidiaries or
by any of its Wholly-Owned Subsidiaries to another of its
Wholly-Owned Subsidiaries;
5
(d) pledges or
deposits as required in the ordinary course of business in
connection with workmen’s compensation, unemployment
insurance and other social security legislation;
(e) advances,
loans, extensions of credit or investments in the ordinary course
of business; provided that the aggregate amount thereof
shall not exceed $15,000,000;
(f) Investments
incurred in order to consummate Permitted Acquisitions;
and
(g) purchases and
other acquisitions by the Borrower of stock of the Borrower to the
extent permitted by Section 7.13 .
7.05 Limitation
on Indebtedness. Create, assume, incur, guarantee, permit to
exist or otherwise become liable in respect of any Indebtedness
unless immediately before and after giving effect thereto no
Default exists or would result therefrom; provided ,
however , notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary,
in no event shall the aggregate amount of Indebtedness outstanding
at any time of all Subsidiaries (excluding (i) Guarantees
permitted pursuant to clauses (a), (b), (c) and
(d) of `Section 7.12 , (ii) Indebtedness of a
Subsidiary existing on July 30, 2008 and described in
Schedule 7.05 but no increase of any such Indebtedness,
(iii) Indebtedness of a Subsidiary that is a Guarantor owed to
the Borrower or any Guarantor or Indebtedness of a Subsidiary that
is not a Guarantor owed to the Borrower or any other Subsidiary,
(iv) Indebtedness under the Loan Documents, and
(v) Indebtedness of a Subsidiary secured by Liens permitted
pursuant to clause (h) of Section 7.01 ), exceed
in aggregate amount the sum of (x) 3,000,000 Canadian Dollars
under the Canadian Facility, and (y) $2,000,000.
7.06
Consolidated Net Worth. Permit Consolidated Net Worth at any
time to be less than the sum of (i) $350,000,000 plus
(ii) 50% of Consolidated Net Income for each fiscal quarter
beginning with the fiscal quarter ending on April 30, 2006
(excluding any fiscal quarter in which Consolidated Net Income is
not positive) plus (iii) 85% of the net proceeds of any equity
issued by the Borrower after January 31, 2006.
7.07 Interest
Coverage Ratio. Permit the Interest Coverage Ratio to be less
than 2.50 to 1.00.
7.08
[INTENTIONALLY OMITTED.]
7.09
Sale/Leasebacks. Sell, lease, transfer or otherwise dispose
of (collectively, a “transfer”) any asset on terms
whereby the asset or a substantially similar asset is or may be
leased or reacquired by the Borrower or any Subsidiary over a
period in excess of three years.
7.10
Transactions with Affiliates. Enter into any transaction
with any Affiliate of the Borrower (other than a Subsidiary),
except upon fair and reasonable terms
6
no less
favorable to the Borrower or such Subsidiary than would obtain in
an comparable arm’s-length transaction with a Person not an
Affiliate of the Borrower.
7.11 Use of
Proceeds. Use any portion of any Loan proceeds or any Letter of
Credit, directly or indirectly, (i) to purchase or carry
Margin Stock, (ii) to repay or otherwise refinance
indebtedness of the Borrower or others incurred to purchase or
carry Margin Stock or (iii) to extend credit for the purpose
of purchasing or carrying any Margin Stock.
7.12
Guarantees. Create, incur, assume or suffer to exist any
Guarantees except:
(a) endorsements
for collection or deposit in the ordinary course of
business;
(b) Guarantees of
Indebtedness of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries to the extent
such Indebtedness is permitted hereunder, provided that all
Guarantees in respect of Swap Contracts shall arise under contracts
entered into in the ordinary course of business as bona fide
hedging transactions;
(c) Guarantees of
the Borrower and its Subsidiaries existing as of the Closing Date
and listed in Schedule 7.12 ; and
(d) Guarantees of
the Borrower or any Subsidiary in respect of the obligations (which
do not constitute Indebtedness) of (i) in the case of the
Borrower, any Subsidiary, and (ii) in the case of any
Subsidiary, the Borrower or any Subsidiary of such Subsidiary or
any other Subsidiary.
7.13 Restricted
Payments. Declare or make any Restricted Payment except that
(i) any Subsidiary may declare and pay Dividends to
(x) the Borrower, (y) a Guarantor, and (z) the
parent of such Subsidiary; and (ii) provided no Default exists
or would result therefrom, the Borrower may pay Dividends not to
exceed $1,650,000 in aggregate amount during any fiscal
quarter.
7.14 ERISA.
(a) Engage in a prohibited transaction or violation of the
fiduciary responsibility rules with respect to any Plan which has
resulted or could reasonably be expected to result in liability of
the Borrower in an aggregate amount in excess of $2,000,000; or
(b) engage in a transaction that could be subject to
Section 4069 or 4212(c) of ERISA.
7.15 Change in
Business. Engage in any material line of business substantially
different from those lines of business carried on by the Borrower
and its Subsidiaries on the date hereof.
7.16 Accounting
Changes. Make any significant change in accounting treatment or
reporting practices, except as required by GAAP, or change the
fiscal year of the Borrower or of any Subsidiary.
7
7.17
[INTENTIONALLY OMITTED.]
7.18
[INTENTIONALLY OMITTED.]
7.19 Amendment
and Waivers of Subordinated Debt. Change or permit any
Subsidiary to change or amend (or take any action or fail to take
any action the result of which is an effective amendment or change)
or accept any waiver or consent with respect to, any document,
instrument or agreement relating to any Subordinated Debt that
would result in (a) an increase in the principal, interest,
overdue interest, fees or other amounts payable under any
Subordinated Debt, (b) an acceleration of any date fixed for
payment or prepayment of principal, interest, fees or other amounts
payable under any Subordinated Debt (including, without limitation,
as a result of any redemption), (c) a change in any of the
subordination provisions of any Subordinated Debt, or (d) any
other change in any term or provision of any Subordinated Debt that
could reasonably be expected to have an adverse effect on the
interest of the Lenders.
7.20 Capital
Expenditures. Permit Capital Expenditures of the Borrower and
its Subsidiaries during the (a) fiscal quarter ending
May 3, 2008 to exceed $8,000,000 in aggregate amount,
(b) the fiscal quarter ending August 2, 2008 to exceed
$6,000,000 in aggregate amount; provided , however ,
so long as no Default has occurred and is continuing, 50% of the
amount of Capital Expenditures permitted but not expended during
the fiscal quarter ending May 3, 2008 may be carried over to
the fiscal quarter ending August 2, 2008; or (c) the
fiscal quarter commencing August 3, 2008 to not be consistent
with projections previously delivered to the Lenders for such
fiscal quarter.
7.21 Minimum
EBITDA. Permit EBITDA for the fiscal quarter ending
August 2, 2008 to be less than $17,000,000.
7.22 Senior
Note Documents. Change or permit any Subsidiary to change or
amend (or take any action or fail to take any action the result of
which is an effective amendment or change)
|