Competitive Bid Loans The Company may obtain loans under Sections 1.1 and 1.2 pursuant to the competitive bid procedures set forth in the Section 1.10 ("Competitive Bid Loans"), subject to the terms and conditions of Section 1.1 or 1.1 (as the case may be), except as otherwise provided in this Section 1.10. Each Bank may make such Competitive Bid Loans to the Company, subject to the terms and conditions hereof, in such amounts as such Bank, in its sole discretion, desires to make to the Company. Notwithstanding any contrary provision of Section 1.1, the aggregate outstanding amount of Competitive Bid Loans made against the Aggregate Commitment shall reduce each Bank's Commitment pro rata in accordance with its respective Percentage Interest, regardless of which Bank makes such Competitive Bid Loans. Any Competitive Bid Loan made under the Demand Line shall be due and payable upon demand in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, notwithstanding any of the terms of such Competitive Bid Loan. The procedure for making Competitive Bid Loans shall be as follows:
(a) The Company may make requests for bids from the Banks to make Competitive Bid Loans ("Competitive Bids") not later than 9:00 a.m., Milwaukee time, on the proposed borrowing date for one or more Competitive Bid Loans. Each such request shall be given directly to each of the Banks, shall be given in writing (which may be a facsimile transmission) signed by the Company, and shall specify (I) the proposed borrowing date, which shall be a Business Day, (ii) the aggregate amount of the requested Competitive Bid Loans, which shall not be less than $1,000,000 or, for amounts in excess thereof, an integral multiple of $100,000, (iii) the interest period for each Competitive Bid Loan ("Loan Period"), which shall commence on the applicable borrowing date and end on a specified date thereafter not exceeding 180 days from such borrowing date (up to three (3) Loan Periods may be requested pursuant to each Competitive Bid), and the last day of each such Loan Period, and (iv) if more than one Loan Period is so specified, the principal amount allocable to each such Loan Period.
(b) Each Bank in its sole discretion may (but is not obligated to) submit one or more Competitive Bids to the Company not later than 11:00 a.m., Milwaukee time, on the proposed borrowing date specified in such request for Competitive Bids (such 11:00 a.m. time being herein called the "Submission Deadline") by facsimile or in writing, and thereby irrevocably offer to make all or any part (any such part referred to as a "Portion") of any Competitive Bid Loan described in the relevant request for Competitive Bids at a fixed rate of interest per annum (each a "Bid Rate") specified therein, without reference to the LIBOR Rate or other basis for interest rates, in an aggregate principal amount of not less than $1,000,000 and, for amounts in excess thereof, an integral multiple of $100,000. Multiple Competitive Bids may be delivered by any Bank.
(c) The Company shall, in its sole discretion but subject to paragraph (d) below, irrevocably accept or reject any such Competitive Bid (or any Portion thereof) not later than 12:00 noon on the proposed borrowing date by notice to the appropriate Bank by telephone (confirmed in writing promptly delivered to such Bank and the Agent the same day). If a Bank fails to receive notice from the Company of its acceptance or rejection of any Competitive Bids made by such Bank at or prior to 12:00 noon on such day, all such Competitive Bids shall be deemed to have been rejected by the Company. The Company's written acceptance of any Competitive Bid shall constitute a borrowing notice of the Company, and shall specify the amount, maturity date and Bid Rate for each Competitive Bid Loan. The Company will give written notice to the Agent in the form of Part 3 to Exhibit 2.1 hereto on each Business Day on which there is any change in the aggregate outstanding principal amount of Competitive Bid Loans, setting forth the aggregate principal amount of all Competitive Bid Loans then outstanding after giving effect to any Competitive Bid Loans made on such Business Day.
(d) If the Company accepts a Portion of a proposed Competitive Bid Loan for a single Loan Period at the Bid Rate provided therefor in a Bank's Competitive Bid, such Portion shall be in a principal amount of $1,000,000 or, for amounts in excess thereof, an integral multiple of $100,000. If the Company accepts any Competitive Bid Loan or Portion offered in any Competitive Bid, the Company must accept Competitive Bids (and Competitive Bid Loans and Portions thereby offered) based exclusively upon the successively lowest Bid Rates within each Loan Period an no other criteria. If two (2) or more Banks submit Competitive Bids with identical Bid Rates for the same Loan Period and the Company accepts any thereof, the Company shall accept all such Competitive Bids as nearly as possible in proportion to the amounts of such Banks' respective Competitive Bids with identical Bid Rates for such Loan Period, provided, that if the amount of Competitive Bid Loans to be so allocated is not sufficient to enable each such Bank to make such Competitive Bid Loan (or Portions thereof) in an aggregate principal amount of $1,000,000, or for amounts in excess thereof, an integral multiple of $100,000, the Company shall round the Competitive Bid Loans (or Portions thereof) allocated to such Bank or Banks as the Company shall select as necessary to a minimum of $1,000,000 and, if greater than $1,000,000 the nearest multiple of $100,000, or select the Competitive Bid of only one of such Banks.
(e) Not later than 1:30 p.m., Milwaukee time, on the relevant borrowing date, each Bank whose Competitive Bid was accepted by the Company shall make available to the Agent, in immediately available funds, the proceeds of such Bank's Competitive Bid Loan(s). Upon fulfillment of the applicable borrowing conditions, the Agent shall deposit in the Company's account maintained with the Agent or as the Company may otherwise direct in writing on the relevant borrowing date the proceeds of such Competitive Bid Loans, in immediately available funds.
(h) Section 2.2(b) of the Credit Agreement is amended by adding an additional subparagraph (3) thereto, reading in its entirety as follows:
The Competitive Bid Advances (a) Each Lender severally agrees that the Borrower may make Competitive Bid Borrowings under this Section 2.03 from time to time on any Business Day during the period from the date hereof until the date occurring prior to the Termination Date in the manner set forth below; provided that, following the making of each Competitive Bid Advance, the aggregate amount of the Advances then outstanding (based, in respect of any Advance denominated in a Foreign Currency, on the Equivalent in Dollars at the time such Competitive Bid Borrowing is requested) shall not exceed the aggregate amount of the Commitments of the Lenders (computed without regard to any Competitive Bid Reduction).
(i) The Borrower may request a Competitive Bid Borrowing under this Section 2.03 by delivering to the Agent (and, in the case of a Competitive Bid Borrowing not consisting of Fixed Rate Advances or LIBO Rate Advances to be denominated in Dollars, simultaneously to the Sub-Agent), by telephone, promptly confirmed in writing, or by telecopier, a notice of a Competitive Bid Borrowing (a “Notice of Competitive Bid Borrowing”), in substantially the form of Exhibit B-2 hereto, specifying therein the requested (A) date of such proposed Competitive Bid Borrowing, (B) aggregate amount of such proposed Competitive Bid Borrowing, (C) interest rate basis and day count convention to be offered by the Lenders, (D) currency of such proposed Competitive Bid Borrowing, (E) maturity date for repayment of each Competitive Bid Advance to be made as part of such Competitive Bid Borrowing (which maturity date may not be earlier than the date occurring seven days after the date of such Competitive Bid Borrowing or later than the Termination Date and, in the case of any LIBO Rate Advance to be made as part of such Competitive Bid Borrowing, shall be the last day of the interest period for such LIBO Rate Advance), (F) interest payment date or dates relating thereto, (G) location of the Borrower’s Account to which funds are to be advanced and (H) any other terms to be applicable to such Competitive Bid Borrowing, not later than (w) 10:00 A.M. (New York City time) at least one Business Day prior to the date of the proposed Competitive Bid Borrowing, if the Borrower shall specify in the Notice of Competitive Bid Borrowing that the rates of interest to be offered by the Lenders shall be fixed rates per annum (the Advances comprising any such Competitive Bid Borrowing being referred to herein as “Fixed Rate Advances”) and that the Advances comprising such proposed Competitive Bid Borrowing shall be denominated in Dollars, (x) 10:00 A.M. (New York City time) at least four Business Days prior to the date of the proposed Competitive Bid Borrowing, if the Borrower shall specify in the Notice of Competitive Bid Borrowing that the Advances comprising such Competitive Bid Borrowing shall be LIBO Rate Advances denominated in Dollars, (y) 10:00 A.M. (London time) at least two Business Days prior to the date of the proposed Competitive Bid Borrowing, if the Borrower shall specify in the Notice of Competitive Bid Borrowing that the Advances comprising such proposed Competitive Bid Borrowing shall be either Fixed Rate Advances denominated in any Foreign Currency or Local Rate Advances denominated in any Foreign Currency and (z) 10:00 A.M. (London time) at least four Business Days prior to the date of the proposed Competitive Bid Borrowing, if the Borrower shall instead specify in the Notice of Competitive Bid Borrowing that the Advances comprising such Competitive Bid Borrowing shall be LIBO Rate Advances denominated in any Foreign Currency. The Agent or the Sub-Agent, as the case may be, shall in turn promptly notify each Lender of each request for a Competitive Bid Borrowing received by it from the Borrower by sending such Lender a copy of the related Notice of Competitive Bid Borrowing.
(ii) Each Lender may, if, in its sole discretion, it elects to do so, irrevocably offer to make one or more Competitive Bid Advances to the Borrower as part of such proposed Competitive Bid Borrowing at a rate or rates of interest (including default rates not to exceed 1% per annum above the rate per annum required to be paid on such Competitive Bid Advance) specified by such Lender in its sole discretion, by notifying the Agent or the Sub-Agent, as the case may be (which shall give prompt notice thereof to the Borrower), (A) before 10:00 A.M. (New York City time) on the date of such proposed Competitive Bid Borrowing, in the case of a Competitive Bid Borrowing consisting of Fixed Rate Advances denominated in Dollars, (B) before 10:00 A.M. (New York City time) three Business Days before the date of such proposed Competitive Bid Borrowing, in the case of a Competitive Bid Borrowing consisting of LIBO Rate Advances, denominated in Dollars, (C) before 12:00 noon (London time) on the Business Day prior to the date of such proposed Competitive Bid Borrowing, in the case of a Competitive Bid Borrowing consisting of either Fixed Rate Advances denominated in any Foreign Currency or Local Rate Advances denominated in any Foreign Currency and (D) before 12:00 noon (London time) on the third Business Day prior to the date of such proposed Competitive Bid Borrowing, in the case of a Competitive Bid Borrowing consisting of LIBO Rate Advances denominated in any Foreign Currency, of the minimum amount and maximum amount of each Competitive Bid Advance which such Lender would be willing to make as part of such proposed Competitive Bid Borrowing (which amounts or the Equivalent thereof in Dollars, as the case may be, of such proposed Competitive Bid may, subject to the proviso to the first sentence of this Section 2.03(a), exceed such Lender’s Commitment, if any), the rate or rates of interest therefor and such Lender’s Applicable Lending Office with respect to such Competitive Bid Advance; provided that if the Agent in its capacity as a Lender shall, in its sole discretion, elect to make any such offer, it shall notify the Borrower of such offer at least 30 minutes before the time and on the date on which notice of such election is to be given to the Agent or to the Sub-Agent, as the case may be, by the other Lenders. If any Lender shall elect not to make such an offer, such Lender shall so notify the Agent before 10:00 A.M. (New York City time) or the Sub-Agent before 12:00 noon (London time) on the date on which notice of such election is to be given to the Agent or to the Sub-Agent, as the case may be, by the other Lenders, and such Lender shall not be obligated to, and shall not, make any Competitive Bid Advance as part of such Competitive Bid Borrowing; provided that the failure by any Lender to give such notice shall not cause such Lender to be obligated to make any Competitive Bid Advance as part of such proposed Competitive Bid Borrowing.
(iii) The Borrower shall, in turn, (A) before 11:00 A.M. (New York City time) on the date of such proposed Competitive Bid Borrowing, in the case of a Competitive Bid Borrowing consisting of Fixed Rate Advances denominated in Dollars, (B) before 11:00 A.M. (New York City time) three Business Days before the date of such proposed Competitive Bid Borrowing, in the case of a Competitive Bid Borrowing consisting of LIBO Rate Advances denominated in Dollars, (C) before 3:00 P.M. (London time) on the Business Day prior to the date of such proposed Competitive Bid Borrowing, in the case of a Competitive Bid Borrowing consisting of either Fixed Rate Advances denominated in any Foreign Currency or Local Rate Advances denominated in any Foreign Currency and (D) before 3:00 P.M. (London time) on the third Business Day prior to the date of such Competitive Bid Borrowing, in the case of a Competitive Bid Borrowing consisting of LIBO Rate Advances denominated in any Foreign Currency, either:
(x) cancel such Competitive Bid Borrowing by giving the Agent notice to that effect, or
(y) accept one or more of the offers made by any Lender or Lenders pursuant to subsection (a)(ii) of this Section 2.03, in its sole discretion, by giving notice to the Agent or to the Sub-Agent, as the case may be, of the amount of each Competitive Bid Advance (which amount shall be equal to or greater than the minimum amount, and equal to or less than the maximum amount, notified to the Borrower by the Agent or the Sub-Agent, as the case may be, on behalf of such Lender for such Competitive Bid Advance pursuant to subsection (a)(ii) of this Section 2.03) to be made by each Lender as part of such Competitive Bid Borrowing, and reject any remaining offers made by Lenders pursuant to subsection (a)(ii) of this Section 2.03, by giving the Agent or the Sub-Agent, as the case may be, notice to that effect. The Borrower shall accept the offers made by any Lender or Lenders to make Competitive Bid Advances in order of the lowest to the highest rates of interest offered by such Lenders; provided, however, that if the Borrower has a reasonable basis to believe that acceptance of the offer of any such Lender has a reasonable likelihood of subjecting the Borrower to additional costs pursuant to the provisions of Section 2.11, 2.12 or 2.14, the Borrower may reject the offer of such Lender and accept the offer of the Lender offering the next lowest rate of interest. Subject to the next preceding sentence, if two or more Lenders have offered the same interest rate, the amount to be borrowed at such interest rate will be allocated among such Lenders in proportion to the amount that each such Lender offered at such interest rate.
(iv) If the Borrower notifies the Agent or the Sub-Agent, as the case may be, that such Competitive Bid Borrowing is cancelled pursuant to subsection (a)(iii)(A)(x) of this Section 2.03, the Agent or the Sub-Agent, as the case may be, shall give prompt notice thereof to the Lenders and such Competitive Bid Borrowing shall not be made.
(v) If the Borrower accepts one or more of the offers made by any Lender or Lenders pursuant to subsection (a)(iii)(A)(y) of this Section 2.03, the Agent or the Sub-Agent, as the case may be, shall in turn promptly notify (A) each Lender that has made an offer as described in subsection (a)(ii) of this Section 2.03, of the date and aggregate amount of such Competitive Bid Borrowing and whether or not any offer or offers made by such Lender pursuant to subsection (a)(ii) of this Section 2.03 have been accepted by the Borrower, (B) each Lender that is to make a Competitive Bid Advance as part of such Competitive Bid Borrowing, of the amount of each Competitive Bid Advance to be made by such Lender as part of such Competitive Bid Borrowing, and (C) each Lender that is to make a Competitive Bid Advance as part of such Competitive Bid Borrowing, upon receipt, that the Agent or the Sub-Agent, as the case may be, has received forms of documents appearing to fulfill the applicable conditions set forth in Article III. Each Lender that is to make a Competitive Bid Advance as part of such Competitive Bid Borrowing shall, before 12:00 noon (New York City time), in the case of Competitive Bid Advances to be denominated in Dollars or 11:00 A.M. (London time), in the case of Competitive Bid Advances to be denominated in any Foreign Currency, on the date of such Competitive Bid Borrowing specified in the notice received from the Agent or the Sub-Agent, as the case may be, pursuant to clause (A) of the next preceding sentence or any later time when such Lender shall have received notice from the Agent or the Sub-Agent, as the case may be pursuant to clause (C) of the next preceding sentence, make available for the account of its Applicable Lending Office to the Agent (x) in the case of a Competitive Bid Borrowing denominated in Dollars, at its address referred to in Section 8.02, in same day funds, such Lender’s portion of such Competitive Bid Borrowing in Dollars and (y) in the case of a Competitive Bid Borrowing in a Foreign Currency, at the Payment Office for such Foreign Currency as shall have been notified by the Agent to the Lenders prior thereto, in same day funds, such Lender’s portion of such Competitive Bid Borrowing in such Foreign Currency. Upon fulfillment of the applicable conditions set forth in Article III and after receipt by the Agent of such funds, the Agent will make such funds available to the Borrower at the location specified by the Borrower in its Notice of Competitive Bid Borrowing. Promptly after each Competitive Bid Borrowing the Agent will notify each Lender of the amount of the Competitive Bid Borrowing, the consequent Competitive Bid Reduction and the dates upon which such Competitive Bid Reduction commenced and is then scheduled to terminate.
Acceptance of Competitive Bids Not later than 11:30 a.m. (i) on the requested date of any Bid Borrowing that is to consist of Absolute Rate Loans, and (ii) three Business Days prior to the requested date of any Bid Borrowing that is to consist of Eurodollar Margin Bid Loans, the Borrower shall notify the Administrative Agent of its acceptance or rejection of the offers notified to it pursuant to Section 2.03(d). The Borrower shall be under no obligation to accept any Competitive Bid and may choose to reject all Competitive Bids. In the case of acceptance, such notice shall specify the aggregate principal amount of Competitive Bids for each Interest Period that is accepted. The Borrower may accept any Competitive Bid in whole or in part; provided that:
(i) the aggregate principal amount of each Bid Borrowing may not exceed the applicable amount set forth in the related Bid Request;
(ii) the principal amount of each Bid Loan must be $5,000,000 or a whole multiple of $1,000,000 in excess thereof;
(iii) the acceptance of offers may be made only on the basis of ascending Absolute Rates or Eurodollar Bid Margins within each Interest Period; and
(iv) the Borrower may not accept any offer that is described in Section 2.03(c)(iii) or that otherwise fails to comply with the requirements hereof.
Bid Loans The Company shall repay each Bid Loan on the last day of the Interest Period in respect thereof.
Competitive Bidding 3.5.2.1 Bidding Documents shall consist of bidding requirements and proposed Contract Documents.
National Competitive Bidding Goods estimated to cost less than $250,000 equivalent per contract and works estimated to cost less than $500,000 equivalent per contract, may be procured under contracts awarded on the basis of National Competitive Bidding.
Conditions Precedent to Each Competitive Bid Borrowing The obligation of each Lender that is to make a Competitive Bid Advance on the occasion of a Competitive Bid Borrowing to make such Competitive Bid Advance as part of such Competitive Bid Borrowing is subject to the conditions precedent that (a) the Agent shall have received the written confirmatory Notice of Competitive Bid Borrowing with respect thereto, (b) on or before the date of such Competitive Bid Borrowing, but prior to such Competitive Bid Borrowing, the Agent shall have received a Competitive Bid Note payable to the order of such Lender for each of the one or more Competitive Bid Advances to be made by such Lender as part of such Competitive Bid Borrowing, in a principal amount equal to the principal amount of the Competitive Bid Advance to be evidenced thereby and otherwise on such terms as were agreed to for such Competitive Bid Advance in accordance with Section 2.03, and (c) on the date of such Competitive Bid Borrowing the following statements shall be true (and each of the giving of the applicable Notice of Competitive Bid Borrowing and the acceptance by the Borrower of the proceeds of such Competitive Bid Borrowing shall constitute a representation and warranty by the Borrower that on the date of such Competitive Bid Borrowing such statements are true):
(i) the representations and warranties contained in Section 4.01 (except the representations set forth in subsection (f) or (g)(i) thereof) are correct in all material respects on and as of the date of such Competitive Bid Borrowing, before and after giving effect to such Competitive Bid Borrowing and to the application of the proceeds therefrom, as though made on and as of such date; and
(ii) no event has occurred and is continuing, or would result from such Competitive Bid Borrowing or from the application of the proceeds therefrom, that constitutes a Default.
Competitive Bid Quote Request When the Borrower wishes to request offers to make Competitive Bid Loans under this Section 2.16, it shall transmit to the Administrative Agent by telecopy a Competitive Bid Quote Request substantially in the form of Exhibit C-1 hereto so as to be received no later than (i) 10:00 a.m. (Chicago time) at least five Business Days prior to the Borrowing Date proposed therein, in the case of a request for a Competitive LIBOR Margin or (ii) 9:00 a.m. (Chicago time) at least one Business Day prior to the Borrowing Date proposed therein, in the case of a request for an Absolute Rate specifying:
(i) the proposed Borrowing Date for the proposed Competitive Bid Loan,
(ii) the requested aggregate principal amount of such Competitive Bid Loan,
(iii) whether the Competitive Bid Quotes requested are to set forth a Competitive LIBOR Margin or an Absolute Rate, or both, and
(iv) the LIBOR Interest Period, if a Competitive LIBOR Margin is requested, or the Absolute Interest Period, if an Absolute Rate is requested. The Borrower may request offers to make Competitive Bid Loans for more than one Interest Period (but not more than five Interest Periods) in a single Competitive Bid Quote Request. No Competitive Bid Quote Request shall be given within five Business Days (or such other number of days as the Borrower and the Administrative Agent may agree) of any other Competitive Bid Quote Request. A Competitive Bid Quote Request that does not conform substantially to the form of Exhibit C-1 hereto shall be rejected, and the Administrative Agent shall promptly notify the Borrower of such rejection by telecopy.
Bid Rate Loans The Borrower shall repay the entire outstanding principal amount of, and all accrued but unpaid interest on, each Bid Rate Loan on the last day of the Interest Period of such Bid Rate Loan.
Notice of Committed Borrowing The Borrower shall give the Agent notice (a "Notice of Committed Borrowing") not later than 10:30 A.M. (New York City time) on (x) the date of each Domestic Borrowing, and (y) the third Euro-Dollar Business Day before each Euro-Dollar Borrowing, specifying:
(i) the date of such Borrowing, which shall be a Domestic Business Day in the case of a Domestic Borrowing or a Euro-Dollar Business Day in the case of a Euro-Dollar Borrowing,
(ii) the aggregate amount of such Borrowing,
(iii) whether the Loans comprising such Borrowing bear interest initially at the Base Rate or at a Euro-Dollar Rate, and
(iv) in the case of a Euro-Dollar Borrowing, the duration of the initial Interest Period applicable thereto, subject to the provisions of the definition of Interest Period.
