Absence of Changes or Events Since December 31, 1996:
(a) there has not been any direct or indirect redemption, purchase or other acquisition of any shares of capital stock of the Company, or any declaration, setting aside or payment of any dividend or other distribution by the Company in respect of its capital stock, other than the payment made by the Company with respect to 500,000 shares of Common Stock put to the Company by Valcheck Company on June 30, 1997;
(b) except in the ordinary course of business and consistent with past practice, the Company has not incurred any indebtedness for borrowed money, or assumed, guaranteed, endorsed or otherwise as an accommodation become responsible for the obligations of any other individual, firm or corporation, made any loans or advances to any other individual, firm or corporation or entered into any commitment or transaction material to the Company taken as a whole;
(c) there has not been any material change in the accounting methods, principles or practices of the Company;
(d) there has not been any damage, destruction or loss, whether or not covered by insurance, except for such as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect;
(e) there has been no change in the business, operations, assets or financial condition of the Company that has had or will have a Material Adverse Effect;
(f) there has not been any revaluation by the Company of any of its material assets, including but not limited to writing down the value of inventory or writing off notes or accounts receivable, in any case, other than in the ordinary course of business and in connection with the revaluation of certain fixed assets as set forth in the Disclosure Statement;
(g) there has not been any increase in or establishment of any bonus, insurance, severance, deferred compensation, pension, retirement, profit sharing, stock option (including without limitation the granting of stock options, stock appreciation rights, performance awards or restricted stock awards), stock purchase or other employee benefit plan or agreement or arrangement, or any other increase in the compensation payable or to become payable to any present or former directors, officers or key employees of the Company, except for increases in base compensation in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice, or any employment, consulting or severance agreement or arrangement entered into with any such present or former directors, officers or key employees; or
(h) there has not been any agreement by the Company to (i) do any of the things described in the preceding clauses (a) through (g) other than as expressly contemplated or provided for in this Agreement or (ii) take, whether in writing or otherwise, any action which, if taken prior to the date of this Agreement, would have made any representation or warranty in this Article III untrue or incorrect.
Absence of Certain Changes, Events and Conditions Since the Interim Balance Sheet Date, and other than in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice as contemplated herein, there has not been, with respect to the Companies, any:
(a) event, occurrence or development that has had, or could reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Business Material Adverse Effect;
(b) amendment of such entities’ chartering documents;
(c) split, combination or reclassification of any shares of its limited liability company/membership interests, capital stock or other equity interests;
(d) except any transaction that may occur pursuant to the WSDA Agreement, issuance, sale or other disposition of any of its limited liability company/membership interests, capital stock or other equity interests, or grant of any options, warrants or other rights to purchase or obtain (including upon conversion, exchange or exercise) any of its limited liability company/membership interests, capital stock or other equity interests;
(e) declaration or payment of any dividends or distributions on or in respect of any of its limited liability company/membership interests, capital stock or other equity interests, or redemption, purchase or acquisition of its limited liability company/membership interests, capital stock or other equity interests;
(f) material change in any method of accounting or accounting practice, except as required by GAAP or SAP or as disclosed in the notes to the Financial Statements;
(g) material change in its cash management practices and its policies, practices and procedures with respect to collection of accounts receivable, establishment of reserves for uncollectible accounts, accrual of accounts receivable, inventory control, prepayment of expenses, payment of trade accounts payable, accrual of other expenses, deferral of revenue and acceptance of customer deposits;
(h) entry into any contract that would constitute a Material Contract;
(i) incurrence, assumption or guarantee of any Indebtedness for borrowed money except unsecured current obligations and Liabilities incurred in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice;
(j) transfer, assignment, sale or other disposition of any material assets shown or reflected in the Interim Balance Sheet or cancellation of any debts or entitlements;
(k) transfer, assignment or grant of any license or sublicense of any material rights under or with respect to any Company Intellectual Property or Company IP Agreements;
(l) material damage, destruction or loss (whether or not covered by insurance) to an asset material to it;
(m) capital investment in, or any loan to, any other Person;
(n) acceleration, termination, material modification to or cancellation of any Material Contract to which it is a party or by which it is bound;
(o) material capital expenditures;
(p) imposition of any Encumbrance upon its properties, capital stock or assets, tangible or intangible;
(i) grant of any bonuses, whether monetary or otherwise, or increase in any wages, salary, severance, pension or other compensation or benefits in respect of the Companies current or former employees, directors, officers, managers, independent contractors or consultants, other than
(A) in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practices, (B) as provided for in any written agreements or (C) as required by applicable Law, (ii) change in the terms of employment for any employee or any termination of any employees for which the aggregate costs and expenses exceed $10,000, or (iii) action to accelerate the vesting or payment of any compensation or benefit for any current or former employee, officer, director, manager, independent contractor or consultant;
(r) hiring or promoting any person as or to (as the case may be) an officer or hiring or promoting any employee below officer except to fill a vacancy in the ordinary course of business;
(s) adoption, modification or termination of any: (i) employment, severance, retention or other agreement with any current or former employee, officer, director, manager, independent contractor or consultant, (ii) Plan or (iii) collective bargaining or other agreement with a union, in each case whether written or oral;
(t) loan to (or forgiveness of any loan to), or entry into any other transaction with, any of its shareholders or members, or current or former directors, managers, officers and employees;
(u) entry into a new line of business or abandonment or discontinuance of existing lines of business;
(v) except for this Agreement, adoption of any plan of merger, consolidation, reorganization, liquidation or dissolution or filing of a petition in bankruptcy under any provisions of federal or state bankruptcy Law or consent to the filing of any bankruptcy petition against it under any similar Law;
(w) purchase, lease or other acquisition of the right to own, use or lease any property or assets for an amount in excess of $100,000 individually (in the case of a lease, per annum) or $100,000 in the aggregate (in the case of a lease, for the entire term of the lease, not including any option term), except for purchases of inventory or supplies in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice;
(x) acquisition by merger or consolidation with, or by purchase of a substantial portion of the assets or stock or limited liability company/membership interests of, or by any other manner, any business or any Person or any division thereof;
(y) action by it to make, change or revoke any material election in respect of Taxes (except as required by Law), change an annual accounting period, adopt or change any accounting method with respect to Taxes except as may be required as a result of a change in Law, make any material agreement or settlement with respect to Taxes, file any amended Tax return, surrender any right to claim a refund of Taxes, or consent to any extension or waiver of the limitation period applicable to any Tax claim or assessment;
(z) entry, issuance, or filing, with or without the request or consent or over the objection of it, or any order, consent order, of directive relating to any Company of or by any Applicable Regulator, or undertaking or agreement by such Company to or with any Applicable Regulator; or
(aa) Contract to do any of the foregoing, or any action or omission that would result in any of the foregoing.
Absence of Certain Changes and Events Except as set forth on Schedule 3.14, since the date of the Interim Financial Statements, and, to the extent not fully reflected in the Interim Financial Statements, since the date of the Year End Financial Statements, the Company has conducted its business only in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practices, and there has not been any:
(a) change in the Company’s authorized or issued capital stock or the ownership thereof; grant of any stock option or right to purchase shares of capital stock of the Company; issuance of any security convertible into such capital stock; grant of any registration rights; purchase, redemption, retirement, or other acquisition by the Company of any shares of any such capital stock;
(b) amendment to the Organizational Documents of the Company;
(c) acquisition of any stock or business of, or merger or consolidation with, another Person, or any action with respect to liquidating, dissolving, recapitalizing, reorganizing or otherwise winding up the Company’s business;
(d) payment or increase by the Company of any bonuses, salaries, or other compensation to any stockholder, director, officer, or employee (except, with respect to non-executive employees, in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice) or entry into any new, or material amendment of any existing, employment, consulting, independent contractor, severance, change of control or similar Contract;
(e) adoption of any profit sharing, bonus, deferred compensation, savings, insurance, pension, retirement, or other employee benefit plan;
(f) damage to or destruction or loss of any asset or property of the Company, whether or not covered by insurance, which has had, or would reasonably be expected to have, a Material Adverse Effect on the Company;
(g) sale (other than sales of Inventory in the ordinary course of business), lease, license, distribution or other disposition of any material asset(s) or property of the Company, or any waiver, release, transfer or assignment of any right of material value, or any mortgage, pledge, or imposition of any lien or other Encumbrance on any material asset(s) or property of the Company except as noted on Schedule 3.6 or except as explicitly permitted under Section 6.2 or required under any other provision of this Agreement;
(h) entry into any Contract or other agreement providing for payments by the Company in an aggregate amount exceeding $25,000 that is not terminable by the Company, without penalty, upon sixty (60) days notice, with the exception of agreements for the purchase of fuel entered into by the Company in the ordinary course of its business and consistent with past practice;
(i) any capital expenditure in excess of $25,000;
(j) change in any annual accounting period or accounting methods used by the Company;
(k) any modification, termination or amendment to a Material Contract or waiver of any right or claim thereunder;
(l) loss of use of any Company Intellectual Property Assets;
(m) change in methods, practices, principles or timing regarding the purchase of inventory or the payment or accrual of operating expenses, including accounts payable; or
(n) entry into any Contract, whether oral or written, by the Company to do any of the foregoing.
Absence of Changes Except as set forth in Schedule 3.10, since August 28, 1999 (except as otherwise expressly noted below), (a) the Business has been operated in the ordinary course consistent with past practices, (b) there has not been any Material Adverse Change with respect to the Business, or any material deterioration of relations between the Companies and their suppliers (including without limitation parties to grower contracts of the Companies), customers or Personnel and (c) to the knowledge of Shareholders, there has been and is no threatened Material Adverse Change with respect to the Companies. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, except as contemplated by Section 5.18 hereof and except as set forth in Schedule 3.10, the Companies have not:
(i) sold, assigned, leased or transferred any of the Assets that exceed $100,000 individually or $250,000 in the aggregate in book value or fair market value, other than (A) Inventory sold or disposed of in the ordinary course of business, consistent with past practice, to Buyer or persons who are not Affiliates of the Companies for fair consideration and (B) the assets comprising the feedmill operations as contemplated by Section 6.20 hereof;
(ii) canceled or terminated, or amended, modified or waived any material term of, any Material Contract, except in the ordinary course of business;
(A) increased the compensation payable or to become payable to any of its directors or officers, (B) increased the base compensation payable or to become payable to any of its Personnel who are not directors or officers, except for normal periodic increases in such base compensation (not exceeding, in each case, 5%) in the ordinary course of business, consistent with past practice, (C) increased the sales commission rate payable or to become payable to any of its Personnel who are not directors or officers, (D) granted, made or accrued any loan, bonus, severance, termination or continuation fee, incentive compensation (excluding sales commissions), service award or other like benefit, contingently or otherwise, to or for the benefit of any of its Personnel, except pursuant to the Employee Plans set forth in Schedule 3.22, (E) adopted, amended or caused or suffered any addition to or modification of any Employee Plan, other than (1) contributions made in the ordinary course of business, consistent with past practice or (2) the extension of coverage to any of its Personnel who become eligible after the date of this Agreement, (F) granted any stock options or performance unit grants or other interest under any Employee Plan, (G) entered into any new employment or consulting agreement or caused or suffered any written or oral termination, cancellation or amendment of any such employment or consulting agreement to which it is a party (except with respect to any employee at will without a written agreement), (H) entered into any collective bargaining agreement or caused or suffered any termination or amendment of any collective bargaining agreement to which it is a party or (I) with respect to any Shareholders, or any Affiliate of any Shareholders, granted, made or accrued any payment or distribution or other like benefit, contingently or otherwise, or otherwise transferred Assets, including any payment of principal of or interest on any debt owed to any such Shareholders or Affiliate, other than (1) any payments to such person in the ordinary course of business in his capacity as an employee of the Companies and (2) any transactions between the Companies, in the ordinary course of business and on an arms' length basis;
(iv) made any capital expenditure or commitment to make any capital expenditure in excess of $100,000;
(v) executed (A) any Lease for real property or (B) any Lease for personal property involving annual payments in excess of $50,000, or, with respect to clauses (A) and (B) of this clause (v), offered to execute any Lease or incurred any liability therefor;
(vi) made any payments or given any other consideration to customers or suppliers, other than payments under, and in accordance with the terms of, Contracts in effect at the time of such payment;
(vii) changed its accounting methods, principles or practices, including any change in the application or interpretation of GAAP;
(viii) suffered any damage, destruction or casualty loss (whether or not covered by insurance) affecting its physical properties that exceeded $100,000 in any one instance or $250,000 in the aggregate;
(A) issued or sold, or entered into any agreement obligating it to issue or sell (B) directly or indirectly redeemed, purchased or otherwise acquired, or split, combined, reclassified or otherwise adjusted, any class or series of capital stock, or any securities convertible into or exchangeable for capital stock or (C) declared or paid any dividend or other distribution in respect of any class or series of capital stock;
(A) incurred any indebtedness for borrowed money or entered into any commitment to borrow money except for drawings under the Companies' revolving line of credit in the ordinary course of business or (B) incurred any obligations for any performance bonds, payment bonds, bid bonds, surety bonds, letters of credit, guarantees or similar instruments;
(xi) taken any action in anticipation of the execution of this Agreement or for any other reason to delay or defer expenses (including delay or postponement of capital expenditures or the payment of accounts payable), liabilities or obligations of any kind whatsoever or to accelerate any income, revenue, payment or similar item, other than in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice;
(xii) paid, discharged or satisfied any liability, other than any such payment, discharge or satisfaction in the ordinary course of business, consistent with past practice of (A) liabilities reflected or reserved against on the balance sheets in the Audited Financial Statements, the Unaudited Financial Statements or in the Interim Financial Statements or incurred subsequent thereto in the ordinary course of business, consistent with past practice, or (B) liabilities under, and in accordance with the terms of, any Material Contracts, Licenses and Permits and other commitments set forth in the Schedules;
(xiii) changed or amended any of their articles of incorporation or bylaws or similar organizational documents;
(A) acquired (by merger, consolidation, acquisition of stock, other securities or assets or otherwise), (B) made a capital investment (whether through the acquisition of an equity interest, the making of a loan or advance or otherwise) in or (C) guaranteed indebtedness for borrowed money of, (1) any Person or (2) any portion of the assets of any Person that constitutes a division or operating unit of such Person;
(xv) mortgaged or pledged, or otherwise made or suffered any Encumbrance (other than any Permitted Encumbrance) on, any of their material Assets or group of their Assets that is material in the aggregate;
(xvi) revalued any of their Assets, including any write-off of notes or accounts receivable or any increase in any reserve (other than in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice), involving in excess of $10,000 individually or $50,000 in the aggregate (such amounts to be calculated without netting any decrease);
(xvii) amended, cancelled or suffered termination of any License or Permit that is material to any of the Companies;
(xviii) canceled, waived or released any right or claim (or series of related rights or claims) involving in excess of $10,000 individually or $50,000 in the aggregate; or
(xix) made any material change in the policies or practices relating to purchasing practices, selling practices, returns, discounts or other terms of purchase or sale or accounting therefor or in policies of employment; or entered into any Contract to do any of the foregoing.
Absence of Events of Default Except for matters described in the SEC Documents and/or this Agreement, no Event of Default, as defined in the respective agreement to which the Company is a party, and no event which, with the giving of notice or the passage of time or both, would become an Event of Default (as so defined), has occurred and is continuing, which would have a Material Adverse Effect on the Company's business, properties, prospects, financial condition or results of operations.
Absence of Certain Events No Event of Default or Potential Event of Default or, to its knowledge, Termination Event with respect to it has occurred and is continuing and no such event or circumstance would occur as a result of its entering into or performing its obligations under this Agreement or any Credit Support Document to which it is a party.
Absence of Litigation There is no action, suit, claim, proceeding, inquiry or investigation before or by any court, public board, government agency, self-regulatory organization or body pending or, to the knowledge of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, threatened against or affecting the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, or their officers or directors in their capacity as such, that could have a Material Adverse Effect. Schedule 3(i) contains a complete list and summary description of any pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened proceeding against or affecting the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, without regard to whether it would have a Material Adverse Effect. The Company and its Subsidiaries are unaware of any facts or circumstances which might give rise to any of the foregoing.
Absence of Certain Changes or Events Since the date of the most recent IMGL balance sheet included in the IMGL SEC Reports:
(a) there has not been: (i) any material adverse change in the business, operations, properties, assets or condition of IMGL or (ii) any damage, destruction or loss to IMGL (whether or not covered by insurance) materially and adversely affecting the business, operations, properties, assets or condition of IMGL;
(b) IMGL has not: (i) amended its certificate of incorporation or bylaws except as required by this Agreement; (ii) declared or made, or agreed to declare or make any payment of dividends or distributions of any assets of any kind whatsoever to stockholders or purchased or redeemed, or agreed to purchase or redeem, any of its capital stock; (iii) waived any rights of value which in the aggregate are outside of the ordinary course of business or material considering the business of IMGL; (iv) made any material change in its method of management, operation, or accounting; (v) entered into any transactions or agreements of any kind or nature; (vi) made any accrual or arrangement for or payment of bonuses or special compensation of any kind or any severance or termination pay to any present or former officer or employee; (vii) increased the rate of compensation payable or to become payable by it to any of its officers or directors or any of its salaried employees whose monthly compensation exceed $1,000; or (viii) made any increase in any profit sharing, bonus, deferred compensation, insurance, pension, retirement, or other employee benefit plan, payment, or arrangement, made to, for or with its officers, directors, or employees;
(c) IMGL has not: (i) granted or agreed to grant any options, warrants, or other rights for its stock, bonds, or other corporate securities calling for the issuance thereof; (ii) borrowed or agreed to borrow any funds or incurred, or become subject to, any material obligation or liability (absolute or contingent); (iii) paid or agreed to pay any material obligations or liabilities (absolute or contingent) other than current liabilities reflected in or shown on the most recent IMGL balance sheet and current liabilities incurred since that date in the ordinary course of business and professional and other fees and expenses in connection with the preparation of this Agreement and the consummation of the transaction contemplated hereby; (iv) sold or transferred, or agreed to sell or transfer, any of its assets, properties, or rights, or canceled, or agreed to cancel, any debts or claims; (v) made or permitted any amendment or termination of any contract, agreement, or license to which it is a party if such amendment or termination is material, considering the business of IMGL; or (vi) issued, delivered or agreed to issue or deliver, any stock, bonds or other corporate securities including debentures (whether authorized and unissued or held as treasury stock), except in connection with this Agreement; and
(d) to its knowledge, IMGL has not become subject to any law or regulation which materially and adversely affects, or in the future, may adversely affect, the business, operations, properties, assets or condition of the Group.
Absence of Change Since the Statement Date, none of the Group Companies has declared or paid any dividend on its shares or registered capital, and since the Statement Date, except as contemplated by the Principal Agreements and disclosed in the Disclosure Schedule:
(a) each of the Group Companies has (i) conducted its business in the ordinary course consistent with past practice, (ii) used its best efforts to preserve its business, (iii) collected accounts receivable and paid accounts payable and similar obligations in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice, and (iv) not engaged in any new line of business or entered into any agreement, transaction or activity or made any commitment except those in the ordinary course of business;
(b) none of the Group Companies has entered into any transaction in an amount in excess of RMB5,000,000 other than in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice;
(c) there has been no material adverse change in or affecting the business, financial condition, results, operations or prospects of any of the Group Companies;
(d) there has been no damage to, destruction or loss of physical property (whether or not covered by insurance) materially affecting the business, financial condition, results, operations or prospects of any Group Company;
(e) there has been no waiver of any material right or claim of any Group Company, or the cancellation of any material debt or claim held by any Group Company;
(f) there has been no sale, assignment, exclusive license, Encumbrance upon or transfer of any tangible or intangible assets (including without limitation, Intellectual Property) of any Group Companies other than in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice;
(g) there has been no satisfaction or discharge of any Encumbrance or payment of any obligation by any of the Group Companies, except such satisfaction, discharge or payment made in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice that is not material to the assets, properties, financial condition, operating results or business of any Group Company;
(h) there has been no waiver, material change, amendment to or termination of a Material Contract or arrangement by which any of the Group Companies (or any of its assets or properties) is bound or subject, except for changes or amendments which are expressly provided for by the Principal Agreements;
(i) there has not been any incurrence, commitment to incur, assumption or guarantee by any of the Group Companies of any indebtedness other than in the ordinary course of business (such as working capital loans) and in amounts in excess of RMB5,000,000 and on terms consistent with past practice;
(j) there has not been the creation or other incurrence of any material Encumbrance on any asset of any Group Company other than in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice;
(k) there has not been any loan or advance to, guarantee for the benefit of, or investment in, any Person (including but not limited to any of the employees, officers or directors, or any members of their immediate families, of any Group Company) by any Group Company except for loans, pledges or guarantees made by a Group Company to another Group Company in the ordinary course of business and in accordance with Applicable law;
(l) there has not been any resignation of or termination of the employment relationship of any Key Employee;
(m) there has not been any capital expenditures made by any Group Company that aggregate in excess of RMB75,000,000;
(n) there has not been any change in the nature or organization of, or any material change in the scope of, the business of any Group Company or disposal of the whole or its undertaking or property or substantial part thereof;
(o) there has not been any material acquisition or formation of any Subsidiary, any branch companies, any equity interest in any Person or the whole or any substantial part of the undertaking, assets or business of any other Person or entering into any joint venture or partnership with any other Person, by any Group Company;
(p) there has not been any sale, transfer, lease, or pledge of all or substantially all of the assets by any of the Group Companies, or entry into any consolidation, amalgamation, scheme of arrangement or merger of any Group Company with or into any other Person or other corporate reorganization;
(q) there has not been any sale, transfer, pledge or otherwise disposition of share capital or registered capital of any Group Company;
(r) there has not been any issuances of Common Shares or Preferred Shares and there were options exercisable for 21,060,606 Commons Shares outstanding; and
(s) there has not been any agreement or commitment by any Group Company to do any of the things described in this Section 3.9.
Absence of Undisclosed Liabilities Priveco does not have any material Liabilities or obligations either direct or indirect, matured or unmatured, absolute, contingent or otherwise that exceed $5,000, which:
(a) are not set forth in the Priveco Financial Statements or have not heretofore been paid or discharged;
(b) did not arise in the regular and ordinary course of business under any agreement, contract, commitment, lease or plan specifically disclosed in writing to Pubco; or
(c) have not been incurred in amounts and pursuant to practices consistent with past business practice, in or as a result of the regular and ordinary course of its business since the date of the last Priveco Financial Statements
