CREDIT AGREEMENT dated as of September 10, 2007 among DXP ENTERPRISES, INC. The Lenders From Time to Time Party Hereto and WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, as Lead Arranger and Administrative Agent
dated
as of September 10, 2007
among
DXP
ENTERPRISES, INC.
The
Lenders From Time to Time Party Hereto
and
XXXXX
FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION,
as
Lead Arranger and Administrative Agent
SCHEDULES
AND EXHIBITS:
Exhibit
A
-- Assignment and Assumption
Exhibit
B
-- Compliance Certificate
Exhibit
C-1 -- Revolving Note
Exhibit
C-2 -- Swingline Note
Schedule
2.01 -- Commitments
Schedule
3.12 -- Subsidiaries
Schedule
6.01 -- Existing Indebtedness
Schedule
6.02 -- Existing Liens
Schedule
6.04 -- Existing Investments
2
CREDIT
AGREEMENT (as amended, modified, restated, supplemented and in effect from
time
to time, herein called this “Agreement”) dated as of September 10, 2007
(the “Effective Date”), among DXP ENTERPRISES, INC., a Texas corporation,
the LENDERS party hereto, and XXXXX FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, as Lead
Arranger and Administrative Agent for the Lenders.
ARTICLE
I
Definitions
The
parties hereto agree as follows:
SECTION
1.01. Defined Terms. As used in this Agreement, the
following terms have the meanings specified below:
“ABR”,
when used in reference to any Loan or Borrowing, refers to whether such Loan,
or
the Loans comprising such Borrowing, are bearing interest at a rate determined
by reference to the Alternate Base Rate.
“Accounts”
shall have the meaning assigned to it in the Uniform Commercial Code enacted
in
the State of Texas in force on the Effective Date.
“Acquisition”
means any transaction, or any series of related transactions, consummated on
or
after the date of this Agreement, by which the Borrower or any of its
Subsidiaries (i) acquires any going business or all or substantially all of
the
assets of any firm, corporation or limited liability company, or division
thereof, whether through purchase of assets, merger or otherwise or (ii)
directly or indirectly acquires (in one transaction or as the most recent
transaction in a series of transactions) at least a majority (in number of
votes) of the securities of a corporation which have ordinary voting power
for
the election of directors (other than securities having such power only by
reason of the happening of a contingency) or a majority (by percentage or voting
power) of the outstanding ownership interests of a partnership or limited
liability company.
“Additional
Collateral” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section
5.03(b) hereof.
“Additional
Collateral Event” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section
5.03(b) hereof.
“Adjusted
LIBO Rate” means, with respect to any Eurodollar Borrowing for any Interest
Period, an interest rate per annum (rounded upwards, if necessary, to the next
1/100 of 1%) equal to (a) the LIBO Rate for such Interest Period multiplied
by
(b) the Statutory Reserve Rate.
“Administrative
Agent” means Xxxxx Fargo Bank, National Association, in its capacity as
administrative agent for the Lenders hereunder, and its permitted successors
in
that capacity.
3
“Administrative
Questionnaire” means an Administrative Questionnaire in a form supplied by
the Administrative Agent.
“Affiliate”
means, with respect to a specified Person, another Person that directly, or
indirectly through one or more intermediaries, Controls or is Controlled by
or
is under common Control with the Person specified.
“Alternate
Base Rate” means, for any day, a rate per annum equal to the greatest of (a)
the Prime Rate in effect on such day and (b) the Federal Funds Effective Rate
in
effect on such day plus 1/2 of 1%. Any change in the Alternate
Base Rate due to a change in the Prime Rate or the Federal Funds Effective
Rate
shall be effective from and including the effective date of such change in
the
Prime Rate or the Federal Funds Effective Rate, respectively.
“Applicable
Percentage” means, with respect to any Revolving Lender, the percentage of
the total Commitments represented by such Lender’s Commitment. If the
Commitments have terminated or expired, the Applicable Percentages shall be
determined based upon the Commitments most recently in effect, giving effect
to
any assignments.
“Applicable
Rate” means, for any day with respect to any ABR Loan or Eurodollar Loan or
with respect to the commitment fees payable hereunder, as the case may be,
the
applicable rate per annum set forth below under the caption “ABR Spread”,
“Eurodollar Spread” or “Commitment Fee Rate”, as the case may be, based upon the
Leverage Ratio as of the most recent determination date; but until December
31,
2007 the Eurodollar Spread shall be 1.25% and the ABR Spread shall be 0.25%
and
the Commitment Fee Rate shall be 0.25%:
Leverage
Ratio
|
ABR
Spread
|
Eurodollar
Spread
|
Commitment
Fee Rate
|
Category
1:
greater
than or equal to 3.00 to 1.00
|
0.25%
|
1.25%
|
0.25%
|
Category
2:
greater
than or equal to 2.75 to 1.00 but less than 3.00 to 1.00
|
0.125%
|
1.125%
|
0.20%
|
Category
3:
greater
than or equal to 2.50 to 1.00 but less than 2.75 to 1.00
|
0.00%
|
1.00%
|
0.175%
|
Category
4:
greater
than or equal to 2.25 to 1.00 but less than 2.50 to 1.00
|
0.00%
|
0.875%
|
0.15%
|
Category
5:
less
than 2.25 to 1.00
|
0.00%
|
0.75%
|
0.125%
|
For
purposes of the foregoing, (i) the Leverage Ratio shall be determined as of
the
end of each fiscal quarter of the Borrower’s fiscal year based upon the
Borrower’s consolidated financial statements delivered pursuant to Sections
5.01(a) or (b) and (ii) each change in the Applicable Rate resulting
from a change in the Leverage Ratio shall be effective during the period
commencing on and including the date of delivery to the Administrative Agent
of
such consolidated financial statements indicating such change and ending on
the
date immediately preceding the effective date of the next such change; but
the
Leverage Ratio shall be deemed to be in Category 1 at any time that an Event
of
Default has occurred which is continuing or at the request of the Required
Lenders if the Borrower fails to timely deliver the consolidated financial
statements required to be delivered by it pursuant to Sections 5.01(a) or
(b), during the period from the deadline for delivery thereof
until such
consolidated financial statements are received.
“Approved
Fund” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section
9.04(b).
“Asset
Coverage Ratio” means, as of any day, the ratio of (a) the sum of (i)
eighty-five percent (85%) of Net Accounts Receivable of the Borrower and its
Subsidiaries as of the effective date of the most recent financial statement
delivered by Borrower pursuant to Sections 5.01(a) or
(b)plus sixty percent (60%) of Net Inventory of the Borrower
and
its Subsidiaries as of the effective date of the most recent financial statement
delivered by Borrower pursuant to Sections 5.01(a) or
(b)plus fifty percent (50%) of the Net Book Value of furniture,
fixtures and equipment of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries as of the effective
date of the most recent financial statement delivered by Borrower pursuant
to
Sections 5.01(a) or (b) to (b) the aggregate outstanding principal
balance of the Obligations as of the date of calculation of the Asset Coverage
Ratio.
“Assignment
and Assumption” means an assignment and assumption entered into by a Lender
and an assignee (with the consent of any party whose consent is required by
Section 9.04), and accepted by the Administrative Agent, in the form of
Exhibit A or any other substantially similar form approved by the
Administrative Agent.
“Board”
means the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System of the United States
of America and any successor entity performing similar functions.
“Borrower”
means DXP ENTERPRISES, INC., a Texas corporation.
“Borrowing”
means (a) Loans of the same Class and Type, made, converted or continued on
the
same date and, in the case of Eurodollar Loans, as to which a single
Interest Period is in effect and (b) a Swingline Loan.
4
“Borrowing
Request” means a request by the Borrower for a Borrowing in accordance with
Section 2.03.
“Business
Day” means any day that is not a Saturday, Sunday or other day on which
commercial banks in Houston, Texas are authorized or required by law to remain
closed; provided that, when used in connection with a Eurodollar Loan, the
term
“Business Day” shall also exclude any day on which banks are not open for
dealings in dollar deposits in the London interbank market.
“Capital
Expenditures” means, for any period, (a) the additions to property, plant
and equipment and other capital expenditures of the Borrower and its
consolidated Subsidiaries that are (or would be) set forth in a consolidated
statement of cash flows of Borrower for such period prepared in accordance
with
GAAP and (b) Capital Lease Obligations incurred by the Borrower and its
consolidated Subsidiaries during such period, but excluding expenditures for
the
restoration, repair or replacement of any fixed or capital asset which was
destroyed or damaged, in whole or in part, to the extent financed by the
proceeds of an insurance policy maintained by such Person.
“Capital
Lease Obligations” of any Person means the obligations of such Person to pay
rent or other amounts under any lease of (or other arrangement conveying the
right to use) real or personal property, or a combination thereof, which
obligations are required to be classified and accounted for as capital leases
on
a balance sheet of such Person under GAAP, and the amount of such obligations
shall be the capitalized amount thereof determined in accordance with
GAAP.
“Ceiling
Rate” means, on any day, the maximum nonusurious rate of interest permitted
for that day by whichever of applicable federal or Texas (or any jurisdiction
whose usury laws are deemed to apply to the Notes or any other Loan Documents
despite the intention and desire of the parties to apply the usury laws of
the
State of Texas) laws permits the higher interest rate, stated as a rate per
annum. On each day, if any, that the Texas Finance Code establishes
the Ceiling Rate, the Ceiling Rate shall be the “weekly ceiling” (as defined in
the Texas Finance Code) for that day. Administrative Agent may from
time to time, as to current and future balances, implement any other ceiling
under the Texas Finance Code by notice to the Borrower, if and to the extent
permitted by the Texas Finance Code. Without notice to the Borrower
or any other Person, the Ceiling Rate shall automatically fluctuate upward
and
downward as and in the amount by which such maximum nonusurious rate of interest
permitted by applicable law fluctuates.
“Change
in Law” means (a) the adoption of any law, rule or regulation after the date
of this Agreement, (b) any change in any law, rule or regulation or in the
interpretation or application thereof by any Governmental Authority after the
date of this Agreement or (c) compliance by any Lender or the Issuing Bank
(or,
for purposes of Section 2.14(b), by any lending office of such Lender or
by such Lender’s or the Issuing Bank’s holding company, if any) with any binding
request, guideline or directive (whether or not having the force of law) of
any
Governmental Authority made or issued after the date of this
Agreement.
“Change
of Control” means a change resulting when any Unrelated Person or any
Unrelated Persons acting together which would constitute a Group together with
any Affiliates or
5
Related
Persons thereof (in each case also constituting Unrelated Persons) shall at
any
time either (i) Beneficially Own more than 50% of the aggregate voting power
of
all classes of Voting Stock of Borrower or (ii) succeed in having sufficient
of
its or their nominees elected to the Board of Directors of Borrower such that
such nominees, when added to any existing directors remaining on the Board
of
Directors of Borrower after such election who is an Affiliate or Related Person
of such Person or Group, shall constitute a majority of the Board of Directors
of Borrower. As used herein (a) “Beneficially Own” means
“beneficially own” as defined in Rule 13d-3 of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934, as amended, or any successor provision thereto; provided, however, that,
for purposes of this definition, a Person shall not be deemed to Beneficially
Own securities tendered pursuant to a tender or exchange offer made by or on
behalf of such Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates until such tendered
securities are accepted for purchase or exchange; (b) “Xxxxx Xxxxxx
Group” means Xxxxx Xxxxxx or his estate, any family member, relative
(including spouses and former spouses of relatives, descendants and their
spouses and former spouses) or heir of Xxxxx Xxxxxx, any entity controlled
by
any of such persons or any trust for the benefit of any of such Persons; (c)
“Group” means a “group” for purposes of Section 13(d) of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended; (d) “Unrelated Person” means at any
time any Person other than Borrower or any Subsidiary of Borrower and other
than
any trust for any employee benefit plan of Borrower or any Subsidiary of
Borrower and other than any one or more Person(s) in the Xxxxx Xxxxxx Group;
(e)
“Related Person” of any Person shall mean any other Person owning (1) 5%
or more of the outstanding common stock of such Person or (2) 5% or more of
the
Voting Stock of such Person; and (f) “Voting Stock” of any Person shall
mean capital stock of such Person which ordinarily has voting power for the
election of directors (or persons performing similar functions) of such Person,
whether at all times or only so long as no senior class of securities has such
voting power by reason of any contingency.
“Class”,
when used in reference to any Loan or Borrowing, refers to whether such Loan,
or
the Loans comprising such Borrowing, are Revolving Loans or Swingline
Loans.
“Code”
means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to
time.
“Collateral”
means any and all “Collateral”, as defined in any applicable Security
Document.
“Commitment”
means, with respect to each Lender, the commitment, if any, of such Lender
to
make Revolving Loans and to acquire participations in Letters of Credit and
Swingline Loans hereunder, expressed as an amount representing the maximum
aggregate amount of such Lender’s Revolving Exposure hereunder, as such
commitment may be (a) reduced from time to time pursuant to Section 2.07
and (b) reduced or increased from time to time pursuant to assignments by or
to
such Lender pursuant to Section 9.04. The initial amount of
each Lender’s Commitment is set forth on Schedule 2.01, or in the
Assignment and Assumption pursuant to which such Lender shall have assumed
its
Commitment, as applicable. The initial aggregate amount of the
Lenders’ Commitments is $130,000,000.
“Communication”
shall have the meaning assigned to such term in Section 9.01(b)
hereof.
6
“Contribution
Agreement” means that certain Contribution Agreement dated concurrently
herewith by and among Borrower and the current Subsidiaries of Borrower (other
than Foreign Subsidiaries), as the same may be amended, modified, supplemented
and restated--and joined in pursuant to a joinder agreement--from time to
time.
“Control”
means the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause
the direction of the management or policies of a Person, whether through the
ability to exercise voting power, by contract or
otherwise. “Controlling” and “Controlled” have meanings correlative
thereto.
“Default”
means any event or condition which constitutes an Event of Default or which
upon
notice, lapse of time or both would, unless cured or waived, become an Event
of
Default.
“dollars”
or “$” refers to lawful money of the United States of
America.
“EBITDA”
means, without duplication, for any period the consolidated net income
(excluding any extraordinary gains or losses) of the Borrower and its
Subsidiaries plus, to the extent deducted in calculating consolidated net
income, depreciation, amortization, other non-cash items and non-recurring
items, Interest Expense, and tax expense for taxes based on income and
minus, to the extent added in calculating consolidated net income, any
non-cash items and non-recurring items; provided that, if the Borrower or
any of its Subsidiaries acquires the Equity Interests or assets of any Person
during such period under circumstances permitted under Section 6.15
hereof, EBITDA shall be adjusted to give pro forma effect to such acquisition
assuming that such transaction had occurred on the first day of such period
and
provided further that, if the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries divests
the Equity Interests or assets of any Person during such period under
circumstances permitted under this Agreement, EBITDA shall be adjusted to give
pro forma effect to such divestiture assuming that such transaction had occurred
on the first day of such period. Add-backs allowed pursuant to
Article 11, Regulation S-X, of the Securities Act of 1933 will also be included
in the calculation of EBITDA.
“Environmental
Laws” means all laws, rules, regulations, codes, ordinances, orders,
decrees, judgments, injunctions, notices or binding agreements issued,
promulgated or entered into by any Governmental Authority, relating in any
way
to the environment, preservation or reclamation of natural resources, the
management, release or threatened release of any Hazardous Material or to health
and safety matters.
“Environmental
Liability” means any liability, contingent or otherwise (including any
liability for damages, costs of environmental remediation, fines, penalties
or
indemnities), of the Borrower or any other Loan Party directly or indirectly
resulting from or based upon (a) violation of any Environmental Law, (b) the
generation, use, handling, transportation, storage, treatment or disposal of
any
Hazardous Materials, (c) exposure to any Hazardous Materials, (d) the release
or
threatened release of any Hazardous Materials into the environment or (e) any
contract, agreement or other consensual arrangement pursuant to which liability
is assumed or imposed with respect to any of the foregoing.
“Equity
Interests” means shares of capital stock, partnership interests, membership
interests in a limited liability company, beneficial interests in a trust or
other equity ownership interests in a Person, or any warrants, options or other
rights to acquire such interests.
7
“ERISA”
means the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended from
time
to time and the regulations and rulings issued thereunder.
“ERISA
Affiliate” means any Person that, together with the Borrower or any other
Loan Party, is treated as a single employer under Section 414(b) or (c) of
the
Code or, solely for purposes of Section 302 of ERISA and Section 412 of the
Code, Section 414(m) of the Code.
“ERISA
Event” means (a) the occurrence of a “reportable event”, as defined in
Section 4043 of ERISA or the regulations issued thereunder with respect to
a
Plan unless the 30 day notice period requirement with respect to such event
has
been waived or the requirements of subsection (1) of Section 4043(b) of ERISA
(without regard to subsection (2) of such Section) are met with respect to
a
contributing sponsor, as defined in Section 4001(a)(13) of ERISA, of a Plan,
and
an event described in paragraph (9), (10), (11), (12) or (13) of Section 4043(c)
of ERISA is reasonably expected to occur with respect to such Plan within the
following 30 days; (b) for plan years beginning prior to 2008, 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; (c)
the
filing of an application for a waiver of the minimum funding standard with
respect to any Plan; (d) the incurrence by the Borrower or any other Loan Party
or any of their ERISA Affiliates of any liability under Title IV of ERISA with
respect to the termination of any Plan; (e) the receipt by the Borrower or
any
other Loan Party or any of their ERISA Affiliates from the PBGC or a plan
administrator of any notice relating to an intention to terminate any Plan
or
Plans or to appoint a trustee to administer any Plan; (f) the incurrence by
the
Borrower or any other Loan Party or any of their ERISA Affiliates of any
liability with respect to the withdrawal or partial withdrawal from any Plan
or
Multiemployer Plan; or (g) the receipt by the Borrower or any other Loan Party
or any of their ERISA Affiliates of any notice, or the receipt by any
Multiemployer Plan from the Borrower or any other Loan Party or any of their
ERISA Affiliates of any notice, concerning the imposition of Withdrawal
Liability or a determination that a Multiemployer Plan is, or is expected to
be,
insolvent or in reorganization, within the meaning of Title IV of
ERISA.
“Eurodollar”,
when used in reference to any Loan or Borrowing, refers to whether such Loan,
or
the Loans comprising such Borrowing, are bearing interest at a rate determined
by reference to the Adjusted LIBO Rate.
“Event
of Default” has the meaning assigned to such term in Article
VII.
“Excluded
Assets” means (i) leasehold estates, (ii) motor vehicles and (iii) real
property owned by Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries as of the date
hereof.
“Excluded
Taxes” means, with respect to the Administrative Agent, any Lender, the
Issuing Bank or any other recipient of any payment to be made by or on account
of any obligation of the Borrower hereunder, (a) income or franchise taxes
(however denominated) imposed on (or measured by) its net income by the United
States of America, or by the jurisdiction under the laws of which such recipient
is organized or in which its principal office is located or, in the case of
any
Lender, in which its applicable lending office is located or as a result of
any
connection between the recipient and the jurisdiction imposing such tax (other
than any such connection arising solely from such recipient’s having executed,
delivered or performed its obligations or received a payment under this
Agreement or any other Loan
8
Document),
(b) any branch profits taxes imposed by the United States of America or any
similar tax imposed by any other jurisdiction in which the Borrower is located
and (c) in the case of a Foreign Lender (other than an assignee pursuant to
a
request by the Borrower under Section 2.18(b)), any withholding tax that
is imposed on amounts payable to such Foreign Lender at the time such Foreign
Lender becomes a party to this Agreement (or designates a new lending office)
or
is attributable to such Foreign Lender’s failure to comply with Section
2.16(e), except to the extent that such Foreign Lender (or its assignor, if
any) was entitled, at the time of designation of a new lending office (or
assignment), to receive additional amounts from the Borrower with respect to
such withholding tax pursuant to Section 2.16(a); provided that with
respect to an additional interest in a Loan acquired by a Foreign Lender as
an
assignee, such Foreign Lender shall be entitled to receive additional amounts
from the Borrower pursuant to Section 2.16(a) with respect to such
additional interest only to the extent that the assignor was entitled, at the
time of such assignment, to receive additional amounts from the Borrower
pursuant to Section 2.16(a).
“Federal
Funds Effective Rate” means, for any day, the weighted average (rounded
upwards, if necessary, to the next 1/100 of 1%) of the rates on overnight
Federal funds transactions with members of the Federal Reserve System arranged
by Federal funds brokers, as published on the next succeeding Business Day
by
the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, or, if such rate is not so published
for
any day that is a Business Day, the average (rounded upwards, if necessary,
to
the next 1/100 of 1%) of the quotations for such day for such transactions
received by the Administrative Agent from three Federal funds brokers of
recognized standing selected by the Administrative Agent.
“Financial
Officer” means the chief financial officer, principal accounting officer,
treasurer or controller of the Borrower.
“Fixed
Charge Coverage Ratio” means, as of any day, the ratio of (a) EBITDA for the
12 months ending on such date minus Capital Expenditures for such period
(excluding Acquisitions) to (b) Fixed Charges for such 12-month
period, determined in each case on a consolidated basis for Borrower and its
Subsidiaries.
“Fixed
Charges” means (without duplication), for any period, the aggregate of
Interest Expense, scheduled principal payments in respect of long term debt,
current portion of Capital Lease Obligations, and cash federal and state income
taxes for such period.
“Foreign
Lender” means any Lender that is organized under the laws of a jurisdiction
other than that in which the Borrower is located. For purposes of
this definition, the United States of America, each State thereof and the
District of Columbia shall be deemed to constitute a single
jurisdiction.
“Foreign
Subsidiaries” means Subsidiaries of the Borrower which are organized under
the laws of a jurisdiction other than the United States of America, any State
of
the United States or any political subdivision thereof.
“GAAP”
means generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of
America.
9
“Governmental
Authority” means the government of the United States of America, any other
nation or any political subdivision thereof, whether state or local, and any
agency, authority, instrumentality, regulatory body, court, central bank or
other entity exercising executive, legislative, judicial, taxing, regulatory
or
administrative powers or functions of or pertaining to government.
“Guarantee”
of or by any Person (the “guarantor”) means any obligation, contingent or
otherwise, of the guarantor guaranteeing or having the economic effect of
guaranteeing any Indebtedness or other obligation of any other Person (the
“primary obligor”) in any manner, whether directly or indirectly, and including
any obligation of the guarantor, direct or indirect, (a) to purchase or pay
(or
advance or supply funds for the purchase or payment of) such Indebtedness or
other obligation or to purchase (or to advance or supply funds for the purchase
of) any security for the payment thereof, (b) to purchase or lease property,
securities or services for the purpose of assuring the owner of such
Indebtedness or other obligation of the payment thereof, (c) to maintain working
capital, equity capital or any other financial statement condition or liquidity
of the primary obligor so as to enable the primary obligor to pay such
Indebtedness or other obligation or (d) as an account party in respect of any
letter of credit or letter of guaranty issued to support such Indebtedness
or
obligation; provided, that the term Guarantee shall not include endorsements
for
collection or deposit in the ordinary course of business.
“Guaranty”
means that certain Guaranty dated concurrently herewith executed by each
Subsidiary of Borrower (other than Foreign Subsidiaries) as of the date hereof
in favor of the Administrative Agent and any and all other guaranties now or
hereafter executed in favor of the Administrative Agent relating to the
Obligations hereunder and the other Loan Documents, as any of them may from
time
to time be amended, modified, restated or supplemented.
“Hazardous
Materials” means all explosive or radioactive substances or
wastes and all hazardous or toxic substances, wastes or other pollutants,
including petroleum or petroleum distillates, asbestos or asbestos containing
materials, polychlorinated biphenyls, radon gas, infectious or medical wastes
and all other substances or wastes of any nature regulated pursuant to any
Environmental Law.
“Indebtedness”
of any Person means, without duplication, (a) all obligations of such Person
for
borrowed money, (b) all obligations of such Person evidenced by bonds,
debentures, notes or similar instruments, (c) all obligations of such Person
under conditional sale or other title retention agreements relating to property
acquired by such Person, (d) all obligations of such Person in respect of the
deferred purchase price of property or services (excluding current Accounts
payable incurred in the ordinary course of business), (e) all Indebtedness
of
others secured by (or for which the holder of such Indebtedness has an existing
right, contingent or otherwise, to be secured by) any Lien on property owned
or
acquired by such Person, whether or not the Indebtedness secured thereby has
been assumed, (f) all Guarantees by such Person of Indebtedness of others,
(g)
all Capital Lease Obligations of such Person, (h) all obligations, contingent
or
otherwise, of such Person as an account party in respect of letters of credit
and letters of guaranty and (i) all obligations, contingent or otherwise, of
such Person in respect of bankers’ acceptances. The Indebtedness of
any Person shall include the Indebtedness of any other entity (including any
partnership in which such Person is a general partner) to the extent such Person
is liable therefor as a result of such Person’s ownership interest in or
other
10
relationship
with such entity, except to the extent the terms of such Indebtedness provide
that such Person is not liable therefor.
“Indemnified
Taxes” means Taxes other than Excluded Taxes.
“Interest
Election Request” means a request by the Borrower to convert or continue a
Revolving Borrowing in accordance with Section 2.06.
“Interest
Expense” means, for any period, total interest expense accruing on
Indebtedness of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries, on a consolidated basis,
during such period (including interest expense attributable to Capitalized
Lease
Obligations and amounts attributable to interest incurred under Swap
Agreements), determined in accordance with GAAP. For purposes of the
foregoing, interest expense shall be determined after giving effect to any
net
payments made or received by the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries with
respect to interest rate Swap Agreements.
“Interest
Payment Date” means (a) with respect to any ABR Loan (other than a Swingline
Loan), the last day of each calendar month, (b) with respect to any Eurodollar
Loan, the last day of the Interest Period applicable to the Borrowing of which
such Loan is a part and, in the case of a Eurodollar Borrowing with an Interest
Period of more than three months’ duration, each day prior to the last day of
such Interest Period that occurs at intervals of three months’ duration after
the first day of such Interest Period, and (c) with respect to any Swingline
Loan, the day that such Loan is required to be repaid.
“Interest
Period” means with respect to any Eurodollar Borrowing, the period
commencing on the date of such Borrowing and ending on the numerically
corresponding day in the calendar month that is one, two, three or six months
thereafter, as the Borrower may elect; provided, that (i) if any Interest Period
would end on a day other than a Business Day, such Interest Period shall be
extended to the next succeeding Business Day unless such next succeeding
Business Day would fall in the next calendar month, in which case such Interest
Period shall end on the immediately preceding Business Day, and (ii) any
Interest Period that commences on the last Business Day of a calendar month
(or
on a day for which there is no numerically corresponding day in the last
calendar month of such Interest Period) shall end on the last Business Day
of
the last calendar month of such Interest Period. For purposes hereof,
the date of a Borrowing initially shall be the date on which such Borrowing
is
made and thereafter shall be the effective date of the most recent conversion
or
continuation of such Borrowing.
“Inventory”
shall have the meaning assigned to it in the Uniform Commercial Code enacted
in
the State of Texas in force on the Effective Date.
“Issuing
Bank” means Xxxxx Fargo Bank, National Association, in its capacity as the
issuer of Letters of Credit hereunder, and its successors in such capacity
as
provided in Section 2.04(i). The Issuing Bank may, in its
discretion, arrange for one or more Letters of Credit to be issued by Affiliates
of the Issuing Bank, in which case the term “Issuing Bank” shall include any
such Affiliate with respect to Letters of Credit issued by such
Affiliate.
“LC
Disbursement” means a payment made by the Issuing Bank pursuant to a Letter
of Credit.
11
“LC
Exposure” means, at any time, the sum of (a) the aggregate undrawn amount of
all outstanding Letters of Credit at such time plus (b) the aggregate
amount of all LC Disbursements that have not yet been reimbursed by or on behalf
of the Borrower at such time. The LC Exposure of any Revolving Lender
at any time shall be its Applicable Percentage of the total LC Exposure at
such
time.
“Lenders”
means the Persons listed on Schedule 2.01 and any other Person that shall
have become a party hereto pursuant to an Assignment and Assumption, other
than
any such Person that ceases to be a party hereto pursuant to an Assignment
and
Assumption. Unless the context otherwise requires, the term “Lenders” includes
the Swingline Lender.
“Letter
of Credit” means any letter of credit issued pursuant to this
Agreement.
“Leverage
Ratio” means, as of any day, the ratio of (a) Indebtedness as of such date
to (b) EBITDA for the 12 months then ended, determined in each case on a
consolidated basis for Borrower and its Subsidiaries.
“LIBO
Rate” means, with respect to any Eurodollar Borrowing for any Interest
Period, the rate appearing on Page 3750 of the Dow Xxxxx Market Service (or
on
any successor or substitute page of such Service, or any successor to or
substitute for such Service, providing rate quotations comparable to those
currently provided on such page of such Service, as determined by the
Administrative Agent from time to time for purposes of providing quotations
of
interest rates applicable to dollar deposits in the London interbank market)
at
approximately 11:00 a.m., London time, two Business Days prior to the
commencement of such Interest Period, as the rate for dollar deposits with
a
maturity comparable to such Interest Period. In the event that such
rate is not available at such time for any reason, then the “LIBO Rate” with
respect to such Eurodollar Borrowing for such Interest Period shall be the
rate
(rounded upwards, if necessary, to the next 1/100 of 1%) at which dollar
deposits of $5,000,000 and for a maturity comparable to such Interest Period
are
offered by the principal London office of the Administrative Agent in
immediately available funds in the London interbank market at approximately
11:00 a.m., London time, two Business Days prior to the commencement of such
Interest Period.
“Lien”
means, with respect to any asset, (a) any mortgage, deed of trust, lien, pledge,
hypothecation, encumbrance, charge or security interest in, on or of such asset,
(b) the interest of a vendor or a lessor under any conditional sale agreement,
capital lease or title retention agreement (or any financing lease having
substantially the same economic effect as any of the foregoing) relating to
such
asset and (c) in the case of securities, any purchase option, call or similar
right of a third party with respect to such securities.
“Loan
Documents” means, collectively, this Agreement, the Notes, the Guaranty, the
Security Documents, the Notice of Entire Agreement, the Contribution Agreement,
any subordination agreement relating to Subordinated Debt, all instruments,
certificates and agreements now or hereafter executed or delivered to the
Administrative Agent or any Lender pursuant to any of the foregoing or in
connection with the obligations under this Agreement and the other Loan
Documents or any commitment regarding such obligations, and all amendments,
modifications, renewals, extensions, increases and rearrangements of, and
substitutions for, any of the foregoing.
12
“Loan
Parties” means the Borrower and each of its Subsidiaries (other than Foreign
Subsidiaries).
“Loans”
means the loans made by the Lenders to the Borrower pursuant to this
Agreement.
“Material
Adverse Effect” means a material adverse effect on (a) the business, assets,
operations or condition, financial or otherwise, of the Borrower and its
Subsidiaries taken as a whole, (b) the ability of any Loan Party to perform
any
of its obligations under any Loan Document or (c) the rights of or benefits
available to the Lenders under any Loan Document.
“Material
Indebtedness” means Indebtedness (other than the Loans and Letters of
Credit), or obligations in respect of one or more Swap Agreements, of any one
or
more of the Borrower and any other Loan Party in an aggregate principal amount
exceeding $1,000,000. For purposes of determining Material
Indebtedness, the “principal amount” of the obligations in respect of any Swap
Agreement at any time shall be the maximum aggregate amount (giving effect
to
any netting agreements) that would be required to be paid if such Swap Agreement
were terminated at such time.
“Maturity
Date” means September 10, 2012.
“Moody’s”
means Xxxxx’x Investors Service, Inc.
“Mortgage”
means a mortgage, deed of trust, assignment of leases and rents, leasehold
mortgage or other security document granting a Lien on any Mortgaged
Property to secure the Obligations. Each Mortgage shall be
satisfactory in form and substance to the Administrative Agent.
“Mortgaged
Property” means each parcel of real property and improvements thereto with
respect to which a Mortgage is granted pursuant hereto. The Mortgaged
Property shall not include any Excluded Assets.
“Multiemployer
Plan” means a multiemployer plan as defined in Section 4001(a)(3) of
ERISA.
“Net
Accounts Receivable” means the book value of Accounts minus
allowances for doubtful Accounts, determined in accordance with
GAAP.
“Net
Inventory” means the book value of Inventory minus the LIFO
allowance, determined in accordance with GAAP.
“Net
Book Value” means cost minus accumulated depreciation.
“Non-Consenting
Lender” shall have the meaning assigned to such term in Section
2.18(c) hereof.
“Notes”
shall have the meaning assigned to such term in Section 2.02(a)
hereof.
“Notice”
shall have the meaning assigned to such term in Section 9.01(b)
hereof.
13
“Notice
of Entire Agreement” means a notice of entire agreement executed by
Borrower, each other Loan Party and the Administrative Agent, as the same may
from time to time be amended, modified, supplemented or restated.
“Obligations”
means, as at any date of determination thereof, the sum of the
following: (i) the aggregate principal amount of Loans outstanding
hereunder, plus (ii) the aggregate amount of the LC Exposure, plus
(iii) all other liabilities, obligations and indebtedness under any Loan
Document of Borrower or any other Loan Party.
“Other
Taxes” means any and all present or future stamp or documentary taxes or any
other excise or property taxes, charges or similar levies arising from any
payment made under any Loan Document or from the execution, delivery or
enforcement of, or otherwise with respect to, any Loan Document.
“Participant”
has the meaning set forth in Section 9.04(c).
“PBGC”
means the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation referred to and defined in ERISA
and any successor entity performing similar functions.
“Permitted
Encumbrances” means:
(a) Liens
imposed by law for taxes that are not yet due or are being contested in
compliance with Section 5.05;
(b) landlord’s,
carriers’, warehousemen’s, mechanics’, materialmen’s, repairmen’s and other like
Liens imposed by law, arising in the ordinary course of business and securing
obligations that are not overdue by more than 30 days or are being contested
in
compliance with Section 5.05;
(c) pledges
and deposits made in the ordinary course of business in compliance with workers’
compensation, unemployment insurance and other social security laws or
regulations;
(d) deposits
to secure the performance of bids, trade contracts, leases, statutory
obligations, surety and appeal bonds, performance bonds and other obligations
of
a like nature, in each case in the ordinary course of business;
(e) judgment
liens in respect of judgments that do not constitute an Event of Default under
clause (k) of Article VII; and
(f) easements,
zoning restrictions, rights-of-way and similar encumbrances on real property
imposed by law or arising in the ordinary course of business that do not secure
any monetary obligations and do not materially detract from the value of the
affected property or interfere with the ordinary conduct of business of the
Borrower or other Loan Party;
provided
that the term “Permitted Encumbrances” shall not include any Lien securing
Indebtedness.
“Permitted
Investments” means:
14
(g) direct
obligations of, or obligations the principal of and interest on which are
unconditionally guaranteed by, the United States of America (or by any agency
thereof to the extent such obligations are backed by the full faith and credit
of the United States of America), in each case maturing within one year from
the
date of acquisition thereof;
(h) investments
in commercial paper maturing within 270 days from the date of acquisition
thereof and having, at such date of acquisition, the highest credit rating
obtainable from S&P or from Moody’s;
(i) investments
in certificates of deposit, banker’s acceptances and time deposits maturing
within 180 days from the date of acquisition thereof issued or guaranteed by
or
placed with, and money market deposit accounts issued or offered by, any
domestic office of any commercial bank organized under the laws of the United
States of America or any State thereof which has a combined capital and surplus
and undivided profits of not less than $500,000,000;
(j) fully
collateralized repurchase agreements with a term of not more than 30 days for
securities described in clause (a) above and entered into with a
financial institution satisfying the criteria described in clause (c)
above; and
(k) money
market funds that (i) comply with the criteria set forth in Securities and
Exchange Commission Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, (ii)
are
rated AAA by S&P and Aaa by Moody’s and (iii) have portfolio assets of at
least $5,000,000,000.
“Person”
means any natural person, corporation, limited liability company, trust, joint
venture, association, company, partnership, Governmental Authority or other
entity.
“Plan”
means any employee pension benefit plan (other than a Multiemployer Plan)
subject to the provisions of Title IV of ERISA or Section 412 of the Code or
Section 302 of ERISA, and in respect of which the Borrower or other Loan Party
or any of their ERISA Affiliates is (or, if such plan were terminated, would
under Section 4069 of ERISA be deemed to be) an “employer” as defined in Section
3(5) of ERISA.
“Platform”
shall have the meaning assigned to such term in Section 9.01(b)
hereof.
“Prime
Rate” means, on any day, the prime rate of Xxxxx Fargo Bank, National
Association in effect for that day at the principal offices of Xxxxx Fargo
Bank,
National Association in San Francisco, California. The Prime Rate is
a reference rate and does not necessarily represent the lowest or best rate
or a
favored rate, and Administrative Agent and each Lender disclaims any statement,
representation or warranty to the contrary. Administrative Agent, any
Lender or Xxxxx Fargo Bank, National Association may make commercial loans
or
other loans at rates of interest at, above or below the Prime Rate.
“Purchase
Agreement” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section
4.01(j) hereof.
“Register”
has the meaning set forth in Section 9.04(b).
15
“Related
Parties” means, with respect to any specified Person, such Person’s
Affiliates and the respective directors, officers, employees, agents and
advisors of such Person and such Person’s Affiliates.
“Required
Lenders” means two or more Lenders having Revolving Exposures and unused
Commitments representing greater than 50% of the sum of the total Revolving
Exposures and unused Commitments at such time.
“Restricted
Payment” means (i) any payment or prepayment of any Subordinated Debt or
(ii) any dividend or other distribution (whether in cash, securities or other
property) with respect to any Equity Interests in the Borrower or other Loan
Party, or any payment (whether in cash, securities or other property), including
any sinking fund or similar deposit, on account of the purchase, redemption,
retirement, acquisition, cancellation or termination of any Equity Interests
in
the Borrower or other Loan Party or any option, warrant or other right to
acquire any such Equity Interests in the Borrower or other Loan
Party.
“Revolving
Availability Period” means the period from and including the Effective Date
to but excluding the earlier of the Maturity Date and the date of termination
of
the Commitments.
“Revolving
Exposure” means, with respect to any Lender at any time, the sum of the
outstanding principal amount of such Lender’s Revolving Loans and its LC
Exposure and Swingline Exposure at such time.
“Revolving
Lender” means a Lender with a Commitment or, if the Commitments have
terminated or expired, a Lender with Revolving Exposure.
“Revolving
Loan” means a Loan made pursuant to Section 2.01.
“S&P”
means Standard & Poor’s Ratings Group.
“Security
Agreements” means, collectively, (i) the Security Agreements dated as of the
Effective Date executed between Borrower and each of its Subsidiaries (other
than Foreign Subsidiaries), respectively, and Administrative Agent and (ii)
any
and all security agreements hereafter executed in favor of Administrative Agent
and securing all or any part of the Obligations, as any of them may from time
to
time be amended, modified, restated or supplemented.
“Security
Documents” means, collectively, the Mortgages, the Security Agreements and
any and all other agreements, deeds of trust, mortgages, chattel mortgages,
security agreements, pledges, guaranties, assignments of production or proceeds
of production, assignments of income, assignments of contract rights,
assignments of partnership interest, assignments of royalty interests,
assignments of performance, completion or surety bonds, standby agreements,
subordination agreements, undertakings and other instruments and financing
statements now or hereafter executed and delivered as security for the
Obligations, as any of them may from time to time be amended, modified, restated
or supplemented.
“Statutory
Reserve Rate” means a fraction (expressed as a decimal), the numerator of
which is the number one and the denominator of which is the number one
minus the aggregate of the maximum reserve percentages (including any
marginal, special, emergency or supplemental
16
reserves)
expressed as a decimal established by the Board to which the Administrative
Agent is subject for Eurocurrency funding (currently referred to as
“Eurocurrency Liabilities” in Regulation D of the Board). Such
reserve percentages shall include those imposed pursuant to such Regulation
D. Eurodollar Loans shall be deemed to constitute Eurocurrency
fundings and to be subject to such reserve requirements without benefit of
or
credit for proration, exemptions or offsets that may be available from time
to
time to any Lender under such Regulation D or any comparable
regulation. The Statutory Reserve Rate shall be adjusted
automatically on and as of the effective date of any change in any reserve
percentage.
“Subordinated
Debt” means all Indebtedness of a Person which has been subordinated on
terms and conditions satisfactory to the Required Lenders, in their sole
discretion, to all of the Obligations, whether now existing or hereafter
incurred. Indebtedness shall not be considered as “Subordinated Debt”
unless and until the Administrative Agent shall have received copies of the
documentation evidencing or relating to such Indebtedness together with a
subordination agreement, in form and substance satisfactory to the Required
Lenders, duly executed by the holder or holders of such Indebtedness and
evidencing the terms and conditions of the required subordination.
“Subordinated
Debt Documents” means any indenture or note under which any Subordinated
Debt is issued and all other instruments, agreements and other documents
evidencing or governing any Subordinated Debt or providing for any Guarantee
or
other right in respect thereof.
“Subsidiary”
means, with respect to any Person (the “parent”) at any date, any corporation,
limited liability company, partnership, association or other entity the accounts
of which would be consolidated with those of the parent in the parent’s
consolidated financial statements if such financial statements were prepared
in
accordance with GAAP as of such date, as well as any other corporation, limited
liability company, partnership, association or other entity (a) of which
securities or other ownership interests representing more than 50% of the equity
or more than 50% of the ordinary voting power or, in the case of a partnership,
more than 50% of the general partnership interests are, as of such date, owned,
Controlled or held, or (b) that is, as of such date, otherwise Controlled,
by
the parent or one or more Subsidiaries of the parent or by the parent and one
or
more Subsidiaries of the parent. Notwithstanding the foregoing,
Global Pump Service and Supply, LLC, a Texas limited liability company, shall
not be considered a Subsidiary of Borrower unless Borrower (or a Subsidiary
of
Borrower) becomes the owner of all of the Equity Interests in and to such
entity.
“Swap
Agreement” means any agreement with respect to any swap, forward, future or
derivative transaction or option or similar agreement involving, or settled
by
reference to, one or more rates, currencies, commodities, equity or debt
instruments or securities, or economic, financial or pricing indices or measures
of economic, financial or pricing risk or value or any similar transaction
or
any combination of these transactions; provided that no phantom stock or similar
plan providing for payments only on account of services provided by current
or
former directors, officers, employees or consultants of the Borrower or its
Subsidiaries shall be a Swap Agreement.
“Swingline
Exposure” means, at any time, the aggregate principal amount of all
Swingline Loans outstanding at such time. The Swingline Exposure of
any Lender at any time
17
shall
be
its Applicable Percentage of the total Swingline Exposure at such
time. The initial maximum amount of Swingline Exposure is
$10,000,000.
“Swingline
Lender” means Xxxxx Fargo Bank, National Association, in its capacity as
lender of Swingline Loans hereunder.
“Swingline
Loan” means a Loan made pursuant to Section 2.19.
“Taxes”
means any and all present or future taxes, levies, imposts, duties, deductions,
charges or withholdings imposed by any Governmental Authority.
“Transactions”
means (a) the execution, delivery and performance by each Loan Party of the
Loan
Documents to which it is to be a party, the borrowing of Loans, the use of
the
proceeds thereof and the issuance of Letters of Credit hereunder and (b) the
execution, delivery and performance by each Loan Party of each other document
and instrument required to satisfy the conditions precedent to the initial
Loan
hereunder.
“Type”,
when used in reference to any Loan or Borrowing, refers to whether the rate
of
interest on such Loan, or on the Loans comprising such Borrowing, is determined
by reference to the Adjusted LIBO Rate or the Alternate Base Rate.
“Withdrawal
Liability” means liability to a Multiemployer Plan as a result of a complete
or partial withdrawal from such Multiemployer Plan, as such terms are defined
in
Part I of Subtitle E of Title IV of ERISA.
SECTION
1.02. Classification of Loans and Borrowings. For
purposes of this Agreement, Loans may be classified and referred to by Class
(e.g., a “Revolving Loan”) or by Type (e.g., a “Eurodollar Loan”) or by Class
and Type (e.g., a “Eurodollar Revolving Loan”). Borrowings also may
be classified and referred to by Class (e.g., a “Revolving Borrowing”) or by
Type (e.g., a “Eurodollar Borrowing”) or by Class and Type (e.g., a “Eurodollar
Revolving Borrowing”).
SECTION
1.03. Terms Generally. The definitions of terms
herein shall apply equally to the singular and plural forms of the terms
defined. Whenever the context may require, any pronoun shall include
the corresponding masculine, feminine and neuter forms. The words
“include”, “includes” and “including” shall be deemed to be followed by the
phrase “without limitation”. The word “will” shall be construed to
have the same meaning and effect as the word “shall”. Unless the
context requires otherwise (a) any definition of or reference to any agreement,
instrument or other document herein shall be construed as referring to such
agreement, instrument or other document as from time to time amended,
supplemented or otherwise modified (subject to any restrictions on such
amendments, supplements or modifications set forth herein), (b) any reference
herein to any Person shall be construed to include such Person’s successors and
assigns, (c) the words “herein”, “hereof” and “hereunder”, and words of similar
import, shall be construed to refer to this Agreement in its entirety and not
to
any particular provision hereof, (d) all references herein to Articles,
Sections, Exhibits and Schedules shall be construed to refer to Articles and
Sections of, and Exhibits and Schedules to, this Agreement and (e) the words
“asset” and “property” shall be construed to have the same
18
meaning
and effect and to refer to any and all tangible and intangible assets and
properties, including cash, securities, Accounts and contract
rights.
SECTION
1.04. Accounting Terms; GAAP. Except as otherwise
expressly provided herein, all terms of an accounting or financial nature shall
be construed in accordance with GAAP, as in effect from time to time; provided
that, if the Borrower notifies the Administrative Agent that the Borrower
requests an amendment to any provision hereof to eliminate the effect of any
change occurring after the date hereof in GAAP or in the application thereof
on
the operation of such provision (or if the Administrative Agent notifies the
Borrower that the Required Lenders request an amendment to any provision hereof
for such purpose), regardless of whether any such notice is given before or
after such change in GAAP or in the application thereof, then such provision
shall be interpreted on the basis of GAAP as in effect and applied immediately
before such change shall have become effective until such notice
shall have been withdrawn or such provision amended in accordance
herewith.
ARTICLE
II
The
Credits
SECTION
2.01. Commitments. Subject to the terms and
conditions set forth herein, each Lender agrees to make Revolving Loans to
the
Borrower from time to time during the Revolving Availability Period in an
aggregate principal amount that will not result in such Lender’s Revolving
Exposure exceeding such Lender’s Commitment. Within the foregoing
limits and subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, the Borrower
may borrow, prepay and reborrow Revolving Loans.
SECTION
2.02. Loans and Borrowings.
(a) Each
Loan (other than a Swingline Loan) shall be made as part of a Borrowing
consisting of Loans of the same Class and Type made by the Lenders ratably
in
accordance with their respective Commitments of the applicable
Class. The failure of any Lender to make any Loan required to be made
by it shall not relieve any other Lender of its obligations hereunder; provided
that the Commitments of the Lenders are several and no Lender shall be
responsible for any other Lender’s failure to make Loans as
required. The Loans made by each Lender shall be evidenced by a
single Note of Borrower (each, together with all renewals, extensions,
modifications and replacements thereof and substitutions therefor, a
“Note,” collectively, the “Notes”) in substantially the forms of
Exhibit C-1 (Revolving Loans) and Exhibit C-2 (Swingline Loans)
respectively, payable to the order of such Lender in a principal amount equal
to
the applicable Commitment of such Lender with respect to Revolving Loans, and
in
the principal amount of $10,000,000 with respect to Swingline Loans and
otherwise duly completed. Each Lender is hereby authorized by
Borrower to endorse on the schedule (or a continuation thereof) that may be
attached to each Note of such Lender, to the extent applicable, the date,
amount, type of and the applicable period of interest for each Loan made by
such
Lender to Borrower hereunder, and the amount of each payment or prepayment
of
principal of such Loan received by such Lender, provided, that any failure
by
such Lender to make any such endorsement shall not affect the obligations of
Borrower under such Note or hereunder in respect of such Loan.
19
(b) Subject
to Section 2.13, each Revolving Borrowing shall be comprised entirely of
ABR Loans or Eurodollar Loans as the Borrower may request in accordance
herewith. Each Swingline Loan shall be an ABR Loan. Each
Lender at its option may make any Eurodollar Loan by causing any domestic or
foreign branch or Affiliate of such Lender to make such Loan; provided that
any
exercise of such option shall not affect the obligation of the Borrower to
repay
such Loan in accordance with the terms of this Agreement.
(c) At
the commencement of each Interest Period for any Eurodollar Borrowing, such
Borrowing shall be in an aggregate amount equal to $500,000 or an amount that
is
an integral multiple of $100,000 in excess thereof. At the time that
each ABR Revolving Borrowing is made, such Borrowing shall be in an aggregate
amount $500,000 or an amount that is an integral multiple of $100,000 in excess
thereof; provided that an ABR Revolving Borrowing may be in an aggregate amount
that is equal to the entire unused balance of the total Commitments or that
is
required to finance the reimbursement of an LC Disbursement as contemplated
by
Section 2.04(e). Except as may be permitted under Section
2.19(d) hereof, each Swingline Loan shall be in an amount that is an
integral multiple of $25,000. Borrowings of more than one Type and
Class may be outstanding at the same time; provided that there shall not at
any
time be more than a total of six (6) Eurodollar Borrowings
outstanding.
(d) Notwithstanding
any other provision of this Agreement, the Borrower shall not be entitled to
request, or to elect to convert or continue, any Borrowing if the Interest
Period requested with respect thereto would end after the Maturity
Date.
SECTION
2.03. Requests for Borrowings. To request a
Revolving Borrowing, the Borrower shall notify the Administrative Agent of
such
request by telephone (a) in the case of a Eurodollar Borrowing, not later than
11:00 a.m., Houston, Texas time, three Business Days before the date of the
proposed Borrowing and (b) in the case of an ABR Borrowing, not later than
11:00
a.m., Houston, Texas time, one Business Day before the date of the proposed
Borrowing; provided that any such notice of an ABR Revolving Borrowing to
finance the reimbursement of an LC Disbursement as contemplated by Section
2.04(e) may be given not later than 10:00 a.m., Houston, Texas time, on the
date of the proposed Borrowing. Each such telephonic Borrowing
Request shall be irrevocable and shall be confirmed promptly by hand delivery
or
telecopy to the Administrative Agent of a written Borrowing Request in a form
approved by the Administrative Agent and signed by the Borrower. Each
such telephonic and written Borrowing Request shall specify the following
information in compliance with Section 2.02:
(i) the
aggregate amount of the requested Borrowing;
(ii) the
date of such Borrowing, which shall be a Business Day;
(iii) whether
such Borrowing is to be an ABR Borrowing or a Eurodollar Borrowing;
(iv) in
the case of a Eurodollar Borrowing, the initial Interest Period to be applicable
thereto, which shall be a period contemplated by the definition of the term
“Interest Period”; and
20
(v) the
location and number of the Borrower’s account to which funds are to be
disbursed, which shall comply with the requirements of Section
2.05(a).
If
no
election as to the Type of Borrowing is specified, then the requested Borrowing
shall be an ABR Borrowing. If no Interest Period is specified with
respect to any requested Eurodollar Revolving Borrowing, then the Borrower
shall
be deemed to have selected an Interest Period of one month’s
duration. Promptly following receipt of a Borrowing
Request in accordance with this Section, the Administrative Agent shall advise
each Lender of the details thereof and of the amount of such Lender’s Loan to be
made as part of the requested Borrowing.
SECTION
2.04. Letters of Credit.
(a) General. Subject
to the terms and conditions set forth herein, the Borrower may request the
issuance of Letters of Credit for its own account, in a form reasonably
acceptable to the Administrative Agent and the Issuing Bank, at any time and
from time to time during the Revolving Availability Period. In the
event of any inconsistency between the terms and conditions of this Agreement
and the terms and conditions of any form of letter of credit application or
other agreement submitted by the Borrower to, or entered into by the Borrower
with, the Issuing Bank relating to any Letter of Credit, the terms and
conditions of this Agreement shall control.
(b) Notice
of Issuance, Amendment, Renewal, Extension; Certain
Conditions. To request the issuance of a Letter of Credit (or the
amendment, renewal or extension of an outstanding Letter of Credit), the
Borrower shall hand deliver or telecopy (or transmit by electronic
communication, if arrangements for doing so have been approved by the Issuing
Bank) to the Issuing Bank and the Administrative Agent (at least five Business
Days in advance of the requested date of issuance, amendment, renewal or
extension) a notice requesting the issuance of a Letter of Credit, or
identifying the Letter of Credit to be amended, renewed or extended, and
specifying the date of issuance, amendment, renewal or extension (which shall
be
a Business Day), the date on which such Letter of Credit is to expire (which
shall comply with paragraph (c) of this Section), the amount of such Letter
of
Credit, the name and address of the beneficiary thereof and such other
information as shall be necessary to prepare, amend, renew or extend such Letter
of Credit. If requested by the Issuing Bank, the Borrower also shall
submit a letter of credit application on the Issuing Bank’s standard form in
connection with any request for a Letter of Credit. A Letter of
Credit shall be issued, amended, renewed or extended only if (and upon issuance,
amendment, renewal or extension of each Letter of Credit the Borrower shall
be
deemed to represent and warrant that), after giving effect to such issuance,
amendment, renewal or extension the total Revolving Exposures shall not exceed
the total Commitments.
(c) Expiration
Date. Each Letter of Credit shall expire at or prior to the close
of business on the date that is five Business Days prior to the Maturity
Date.
(d) Participations. By
the issuance of a Letter of Credit (or an amendment to a Letter of Credit
increasing the amount thereof) and without any further action on the part of
the
Issuing Bank or the Lenders, the Issuing Bank hereby grants to each Revolving
Lender, and each Revolving Lender hereby acquires from the Issuing Bank, a
participation in such Letter of Credit equal to such Lender’s Applicable
Percentage of the aggregate amount available to be drawn under such Letter
of
Credit. In consideration and in furtherance of the foregoing,
each
21
Revolving
Lender hereby absolutely and unconditionally agrees to pay to the Administrative
Agent, for the account of the Issuing Bank, such Lender’s Applicable Percentage
of each LC Disbursement made by the Issuing Bank and not reimbursed by the
Borrower on the date due as provided in paragraph (e) of this Section, or of
any
reimbursement payment required to be refunded to the Borrower for any
reason. Each Lender acknowledges and agrees that its obligation to
acquire participations pursuant to this paragraph in respect of Letters of
Credit is absolute and unconditional and shall not be affected by any
circumstance whatsoever, including any amendment, renewal or extension of any
Letter of Credit or the occurrence and continuance of a Default or reduction
or
termination of the Commitments, and that each such payment shall be made without
any offset, abatement, withholding or reduction whatsoever.
(e) Reimbursement. If
the Issuing Bank shall make any LC Disbursement in respect of a Letter of
Credit, the Borrower shall reimburse such LC Disbursement by paying to the
Administrative Agent an amount equal to such LC Disbursement not later than
2:00
p.m., Houston, Texas time, on the date that such LC Disbursement is made, if
the
Borrower shall have received notice of such LC Disbursement prior to 10:00
a.m.,
Houston, Texas time, on such date, or, if such notice has not been received
by
the Borrower prior to such time on such date, then not later than 2:00 p.m.,
Houston, Texas time, on (i) the Business Day that the Borrower receives such
notice, if such notice is received prior to 10:00 a.m., Houston, Texas time,
on
the day of receipt, or (ii) the Business Day immediately following the day
that
the Borrower receives such notice, if such notice is not received prior to
such
time on the day of receipt; provided that the Borrower may, subject to the
conditions to borrowing set forth herein, request in accordance with this
Agreement that such payment be financed with an ABR Revolving Borrowing or
Swingline Loan in an equivalent amount and, to the extent so financed, the
Borrower’s obligation to make such payment shall be discharged and replaced by
the resulting ABR Revolving Borrowing or Swingline Loan. If the
Borrower fails to make such payment when due, the Administrative Agent shall
notify each Revolving Lender of the applicable LC Disbursement, the payment
then
due from the Borrower in respect thereof and such Lender’s Applicable Percentage
thereof. Promptly following receipt of such notice, each Revolving
Lender shall pay to the Administrative Agent its Applicable Percentage of the
payment then due from the Borrower, in the same manner as provided in Section
2.05 with respect to Loans made by such Lender (and Section 2.05
shall apply, mutatis mutandis, to the payment obligations of the Revolving
Lenders), and the Administrative Agent shall promptly pay to the Issuing Bank
the amounts so received by it from the Revolving Lenders. Promptly
following receipt by the Administrative Agent of any payment from the Borrower
pursuant to this paragraph, the Administrative Agent shall distribute such
payment to the Issuing Bank or, to the extent that Revolving Lenders have made
payments pursuant to this paragraph to reimburse the Issuing Bank, then to
such
Lenders and the Issuing Bank as their interests may appear. Any
payment made by a Revolving Lender pursuant to this paragraph to reimburse
the
Issuing Bank for any LC Disbursement (other than the funding of ABR Revolving
Loans or Swingline Loan as contemplated above) shall not constitute a Loan
and
shall not relieve the Borrower of its obligation to reimburse such LC
Disbursement.
(f) Obligations
Absolute. The Borrower’s obligation to reimburse LC Disbursements
as provided in paragraph (e) of this Section shall be absolute, unconditional
and irrevocable, and shall be performed strictly in accordance with the terms
of
this Agreement under any and all circumstances whatsoever and irrespective
of
(i) any lack of validity or enforceability of any Letter of Credit or this
Agreement, or any term or provision therein, (ii) any draft or
other
22
document
presented under a Letter of Credit proving to be forged, fraudulent or invalid
in any respect or any statement therein being untrue or inaccurate in any
respect, (iii) payment by the Issuing Bank under a Letter of Credit against
presentation of a draft or other document that does not comply with the terms
of
such Letter of Credit, or (iv) any other event or circumstance whatsoever,
whether or not similar to any of the foregoing, that might, but for the
provisions of this Section, constitute a legal or equitable discharge of, or
provide a right of setoff against, the Borrower’s obligations
hereunder. Neither the Administrative Agent, the Lenders nor the
Issuing Bank, nor any of their Related Parties, shall have any liability or
responsibility by reason of or in connection with the issuance or transfer
of
any Letter of Credit or any payment or failure to make any payment thereunder
(irrespective of any of the circumstances referred to in the preceding
sentence), or any error, omission, interruption, loss or delay in transmission
or delivery of any draft, notice or other communication under or relating to
any
Letter of Credit (including any document required to make a drawing thereunder),
any error in interpretation of technical terms or any consequence arising from
causes beyond the control of the Issuing Bank; provided that the foregoing
shall
not be construed to excuse the Issuing Bank from liability to the Borrower
to
the extent of any direct damages (as opposed to consequential damages, claims
in
respect of which are hereby waived by the Borrower to the extent permitted
by
applicable law) suffered by the Borrower that are caused by the Issuing Bank’s
failure to exercise care when determining whether drafts and other documents
presented under a Letter of Credit comply with the terms thereof. The
parties hereto expressly agree that, in the absence of gross negligence or
willful misconduct on the part of the Issuing Bank (as finally determined by
a
court of competent jurisdiction), the Issuing Bank shall be deemed to have
exercised care in each such determination. In furtherance of the
foregoing and without limiting the generality thereof, the parties agree that,
with respect to documents presented which appear on their face to be in
substantial compliance with the terms of a Letter of Credit, the Issuing Bank
may, in its sole discretion, either accept and make payment upon such documents
without responsibility for further investigation, regardless of any notice
or
information to the contrary, or refuse to accept and make payment upon such
documents if such documents are not in strict compliance with the terms of
such
Letter of Credit.
(g) Disbursement
Procedures. The Issuing Bank shall, promptly following its
receipt thereof, examine all documents purporting to represent a demand for
payment under a Letter of Credit. The Issuing Bank shall promptly
notify the Administrative Agent and the Borrower by telephone (confirmed by
telecopy) of such demand for payment and whether the Issuing Bank has made
or
will make an LC Disbursement thereunder; provided that any failure to give
or
delay in giving such notice shall not relieve the Borrower of its obligation
to
reimburse the Issuing Bank and the Revolving Lenders with respect to any such
LC
Disbursement.
(h) Interim
Interest. If the Issuing Bank shall make any LC Disbursement,
then, unless the Borrower shall reimburse such LC Disbursement in full on the
date such LC Disbursement is made, the unpaid amount thereof shall bear
interest, for each day from and including the date such LC Disbursement is
made
to but excluding the date that the Borrower reimburses such LC Disbursement,
at
the rate per annum then applicable to ABR Revolving Loans; provided that, if
the
Borrower fails to reimburse such LC Disbursement when due pursuant to paragraph
(e) of this Section, then Section 2.12(c) shall
apply. Interest accrued pursuant to this paragraph shall be for the
account of the Issuing Bank, except that interest accrued on and after the
date
of payment by any Revolving Lender pursuant to paragraph (e) of
23
this
Section to reimburse the Issuing Bank shall be for the account of such Lender
to
the extent of such payment.
(i) Replacement
of the Issuing Bank. The Issuing Bank may be replaced at any time
by written agreement among the Borrower, the Administrative Agent, the replaced
Issuing Bank and the successor Issuing Bank. The Administrative Agent
shall notify the Lenders of any such replacement of the Issuing
Bank. At the time any such replacement shall become effective, the
Borrower shall pay all unpaid fees accrued for the account of the replaced
Issuing Bank pursuant to Section 2.11(b). From and after the
effective date of any such replacement, (i) the successor Issuing Bank shall
have all the rights and obligations of the Issuing Bank under this Agreement
with respect to Letters of Credit to be issued thereafter and (ii) references
herein to the term “Issuing Bank” shall be deemed to refer to such successor or
to any previous Issuing Bank, or to such successor and all previous Issuing
Banks, as the context shall require. After the replacement of an
Issuing Bank hereunder, the replaced Issuing Bank shall remain a party hereto
and shall continue to have all the rights and obligations of an Issuing Bank
under this Agreement with respect to Letters of Credit issued by it prior to
such replacement, but shall not be required to issue additional Letters of
Credit.
(j) Cash
Collateralization. If any Event of Default shall occur and be
continuing, on the Business Day that the Borrower receives notice from the
Administrative Agent or the Required Lenders demanding the deposit of cash
collateral pursuant to this paragraph, the Borrower shall deposit in an account
with the Administrative Agent, in the name of the Administrative Agent and
for
the benefit of the Lenders, an amount in cash equal to the LC Exposure as of
such date plus any accrued and unpaid interest thereon; provided that the
obligation to deposit such cash collateral shall become effective immediately,
and such deposit shall become immediately due and payable, without demand or
other notice of any kind, upon the occurrence of any Event of Default with
respect to the Borrower described in clauses (h) or (i) of
Article VII. The Borrower also shall deposit cash collateral
pursuant to this paragraph as and to the extent required by Section
2.10(b). Each such deposit shall be held by the Administrative
Agent as collateral for the payment and performance of the obligations of the
Borrower under this Agreement. The Administrative Agent shall have
exclusive dominion and control, including the exclusive right of withdrawal,
over such account. Other than any interest earned on the investment
of such deposits, which investments shall be made at the option and sole
discretion of the Administrative Agent and at the Borrower’s risk and expense,
such deposits shall not bear interest. Interest or profits, if any,
on such investments shall accumulate in such account. Moneys in such
account shall be applied by the Administrative Agent to reimburse the Issuing
Bank for LC Disbursements for which it has not been reimbursed and, to the
extent not so applied, shall be held for the satisfaction of the reimbursement
obligations of the Borrower for the LC Exposure at such time or, if the maturity
of the Loans has been accelerated (but subject to the consent of the Required
Lenders), be applied to satisfy other obligations of the Borrower under this
Agreement. If the Borrower is required to provide an amount of cash
collateral hereunder as a result of the occurrence of an Event of Default,
such
amount (to the extent not applied as aforesaid) shall be returned to the
Borrower within three Business Days after all Events of Default have been cured
or waived. If the Borrower is required to provide an amount of cash
collateral hereunder pursuant to Section 2.10(b), such amount (to the
extent not applied as aforesaid) shall be returned to the Borrower as and to
the
extent that, after giving effect to such return, the Borrower would remain
in
compliance with Section 2.10(b) and no Default shall have occurred and be
continuing.
24
SECTION
2.05. Funding of Borrowings.
(a) Each
Lender shall make each Loan to be made by it hereunder on the proposed date
thereof by wire transfer of immediately available funds by 12:00 noon, Houston,
Texas time, to the account of the Administrative Agent most recently designated
by it for such purpose by notice to the Lenders; provided that Swingline Loans
shall be made as provided in Section 2.19. The Administrative
Agent will make such Loans available to the Borrower by promptly crediting
the
amounts so received, in like funds, to an account of the Borrower maintained
with the Administrative Agent in Houston, Texas and designated by the Borrower
in the applicable Borrowing Request; provided that ABR Revolving Loans made
to
finance the reimbursement of an LC Disbursement as provided in Section
2.04(e) shall be remitted by the Administrative Agent to the Issuing
Bank.
(b) Unless
the Administrative Agent shall have received notice from a Lender prior to
the
proposed date of any Borrowing that such Lender will not make available to
the
Administrative Agent such Lender’s share of such Borrowing, the Administrative
Agent may assume that such Lender has made such share available on such date
in
accordance with paragraph (a) of this Section and may, in reliance upon such
assumption, make available to the Borrower a corresponding amount. If
a Lender has not in fact made its share of the applicable Borrowing available
to
the Administrative Agent, then the applicable Lender and the Borrower severally
agree to pay to the Administrative Agent forthwith on demand such corresponding
amount with interest thereon, for each day from and including the date such
amount is made available to the Borrower to but excluding the date of payment
to
the Administrative Agent, at (i) in the case of such Lender, the greater of
the
Federal Funds Effective Rate and a rate determined by the Administrative Agent
in accordance with banking industry rules on interbank compensation or (ii)
in
the case of the Borrower, the interest rate applicable to ABR
Loans. If such Lender pays such amount to the Administrative Agent,
then such amount shall constitute such Lender’s Loan included in such
Borrowing.
SECTION
2.06. Interest Elections.
(a) Each
Revolving Borrowing initially shall be of the Type specified in the applicable
Borrowing Request and, in the case of a Eurodollar Borrowing, shall have an
initial Interest Period as specified in such Borrowing
Request. Thereafter, the Borrower may elect to convert such Borrowing
to a different Type or to continue such Borrowing and, in the case of a
Eurodollar Borrowing, may elect Interest Periods therefor, all as provided
in
this Section. The Borrower may elect different options with respect
to different portions of the affected Borrowing, in which case each such portion
shall be allocated ratably among the Lenders holding the Loans comprising such
Borrowing, and the Loans comprising each such portion shall be considered a
separate Borrowing. This Section shall not apply to Swingline
Borrowings, which may not be converted or continued.
(b) To
make an election pursuant to this Section, the Borrower shall notify the
Administrative Agent of such election by telephone by the time that a Borrowing
Request would be required under Section 2.03 if the Borrower were
requesting a Revolving Borrowing of the Type resulting from such election to
be
made on the effective date of such election. Each such telephonic
Interest Election Request shall be irrevocable and shall be confirmed promptly
by
25
hand
delivery or telecopy to the Administrative Agent of a written Interest Election
Request in a form approved by the Administrative Agent and signed by the
Borrower.
(c) Each
telephonic and written Interest Election Request shall specify the following
information:
(i) the
Borrowing to which such Interest Election Request applies and, if different
options are being elected with respect to different portions thereof, the
portions thereof to be allocated to each resulting Borrowing (in which case
the
information to be specified pursuant to clauses (iii) and (iv)
below shall be specified for each resulting Borrowing);
(ii) the
effective date of the election made pursuant to such Interest Election Request,
which shall be a Business Day;
(iii) whether
the resulting Borrowing is to be an ABR Borrowing or a Eurodollar Borrowing;
and
(iv) if
the resulting Borrowing is a Eurodollar Borrowing, the Interest Period to be
applicable thereto after giving effect to such election, which shall be a period
contemplated by the definition of the term “Interest Period”.
If
any
such Interest Election Request requests a Eurodollar Borrowing but does not
specify an Interest Period, then the Borrower shall be deemed to have selected
an Interest Period of one month’s duration.
(d) Promptly
following receipt of an Interest Election Request, the Administrative Agent
shall advise each Lender of the details thereof and of such Lender’s portion of
each resulting Borrowing.
(e) If
the Borrower fails to deliver a timely Interest Election Request with respect
to
a Eurodollar Borrowing prior to the end of the Interest Period applicable
thereto, then, unless such Borrowing is repaid as provided herein, at the end
of
such Interest Period such Borrowing shall be converted to an ABR
Borrowing. Notwithstanding any contrary provision hereof, if an Event
of Default has occurred and is continuing and the Administrative Agent, at
the
request of the Required Lenders, so notifies the Borrower, then, so long as
an
Event of Default is continuing (i) no outstanding Borrowing may be converted
to
or continued as a Eurodollar Borrowing and (ii) unless repaid, each Eurodollar
Borrowing shall be converted to an ABR Borrowing at the end of the Interest
Period applicable thereto.
SECTION
2.07. Termination, Reduction and Increase of
Commitments.
(a) Unless
previously terminated, the Commitments shall terminate on the Maturity
Date.
(b) The
Borrower may at any time terminate, or from time to time reduce, the Commitments
of any Class; provided that (i) each reduction of the Commitments of any Class
shall be in an amount that is an integral multiple of $1,000,000 and (ii) the
Borrower shall not terminate or reduce the Commitments if, after giving effect
to any concurrent prepayment of the
26
Revolving
Loans in accordance with Section 2.10, the sum of the Revolving Exposures
would exceed the total Commitments.
(c) The
Borrower shall notify the Administrative Agent of any election to terminate
or
reduce the Commitments under paragraph (b) of this Section, at least three
Business Days prior to the effective date of such termination or reduction,
specifying such election and the effective date thereof. Promptly
following receipt of any notice, the Administrative Agent shall advise the
Lenders of the contents thereof. Each notice delivered by the
Borrower pursuant to this Section shall be irrevocable; provided that a notice
of termination of the Commitments delivered by the Borrower may state that
such
notice is conditioned upon the effectiveness of other credit facilities, in
which case such notice may be revoked by the Borrower (by notice to the
Administrative Agent on or prior to the specified effective date) if such
condition is not satisfied. Any termination or reduction of the
Commitments of any Class shall be permanent. Each reduction of the
Commitments of any Class shall be made ratably among the Lenders in accordance
with their respective Commitments of such Class.
(d) At
any time prior to the expiration of the Revolving Availability Period, and
so
long as no Event of Default shall have occurred which is continuing, the
Borrower may elect to increase the aggregate of the Commitments to an amount
not
exceeding $160,000,000 minus any reductions in the Commitments pursuant to
Section 2.07(b) hereof, provided that (i) no Lender shall be required to
increase its Commitment unless it shall have expressly agreed to such increase
in writing (but otherwise, no notice to or consent by any Lender shall be
required, notwithstanding anything to the contrary set forth in Section
9.02 hereof), (ii) the addition of new Lenders shall be subject to the terms
and provisions of Section 9.04 hereof as if such new Lenders were
acquiring an interest in the Loans by assignment from an existing Lenders (to
the extent applicable, i.e. required approvals, minimum amounts and the like),
(iii) the Borrower shall execute and deliver such additional or replacement
Notes and such other documentation (including evidence of proper authorization)
as may be reasonably requested by the Administrative Agent, any new Lender
or
any Lender which is increasing its Commitment, (iv) no Lender shall have any
right to decrease its Commitment as a result of such increase of the aggregate
amount of the Commitments, (v) the Administrative Agent shall have no obligation
to arrange, find or locate any Lender or new bank or financial institution
to
participate in any unsubscribed portion of such increase in the aggregate
committed amount of the Commitments, and (vi) such option to increase the
Commitments may only be exercised once. The Borrowers shall be
required to pay (or to reimburse each applicable Lender for) any breakage costs
incurred by any Lender in connection with the need to reallocate existing Loans
among the Lenders following any increase in the Commitments pursuant to this
provision. Except as may otherwise be agreed by the Borrower and any
applicable Lender, the Borrower shall not be required to pay any upfront or
other fees or expenses to any existing Lenders, new Lenders or the
Administrative Agent with respect to any such increase in
Commitments.
SECTION
2.08. Repayment of Loans; Evidence of Debt.
(a) The
Borrower hereby unconditionally promises to pay (i) to the Administrative Agent
for the account of each Lender the then unpaid principal amount of each
Revolving Loan of such Lender on the Maturity Date and (ii) to the Swingline
Lender the then unpaid principal amount of each Swingline Loan on the earlier
of
the Maturity Date and the first date after such Swingline Loan is made that
is
the 15th or last day of a calendar month and is at least two
27
Business
Days after such Swingline Loan is made; provided that on each date that a
Revolving Borrowing is made, the Borrower shall repay all Swingline Loans then
outstanding.
(b) Each
Lender shall maintain in accordance with its usual practice an account or
accounts evidencing the indebtedness of the Borrower to such Lender resulting
from each Loan made by such Lender, including the amounts of principal and
interest payable and paid to such Lender from time to time
hereunder.
(c) The
Administrative Agent shall maintain accounts in which it shall record (i) the
amount of each Loan made hereunder, the Class and Type thereof and the Interest
Period applicable thereto, (ii) the amount of any principal or interest due
and
payable or to become due and payable from the Borrower to each Lender hereunder
and (iii) the amount of any sum received by the Administrative Agent hereunder
for the account of the Lenders and each Lender’s share thereof.
(d) The
entries made in the accounts maintained pursuant to paragraphs (b) or (c) of
this Section shall be prima facie evidence of the existence and amounts of
the
obligations recorded therein; provided that the failure of any Lender or the
Administrative Agent to maintain such accounts or any error therein shall not
in
any manner affect the obligation of the Borrower to repay the Loans in
accordance with the terms of this Agreement.
SECTION
2.09. Intentionally Left Blank.
SECTION
2.10. Prepayment of Loans.
(a) The
Borrower shall have the right at any time and from time to time to prepay any
Borrowing in whole or in part, subject to the requirements of this
Section. Each prepayment shall be in an amount equal to $500,000 or
an amount that is an integral multiple of $100,000 in excess thereof, and
accrued and unpaid interest as of the date of prepayment shall be paid
concurrently with any such prepayment.
(b) In
the event and on such occasion that the sum of the Revolving Exposures exceeds
the total Commitments, the Borrower shall prepay Revolving Borrowings or
Swingline Borrowings (or, if no such Borrowings are outstanding, deposit cash
collateral in an account with the Administrative Agent pursuant to Section
2.04(j)) in an aggregate amount equal to such excess.
(c) Prior
to any optional or mandatory prepayment of Borrowings hereunder, the Borrower
shall select the Borrowing or Borrowings to be prepaid and shall specify such
selection in the notice of such prepayment pursuant to this
Section.
(d) The
Borrower shall notify the Administrative Agent (and, in the case of prepayment
of a Swingline Loan, the Swingline Lender) by telephone (confirmed by telecopy)
of any prepayment hereunder (i) in the case of prepayment of a Eurodollar
Revolving Borrowing, not later than 11:00 a.m., Houston, Texas time, three
Business Days before the date of prepayment or (ii) in the case of prepayment
of
an ABR Revolving Borrowing, not later than 11:00 a.m., Houston, Texas time,
one
Business Day before the date of prepayment or (iii) in the case of prepayment
of
a Swingline Loan, not later than 12:00 noon, Houston, Texas time, on the date
of
prepayment. Each such notice shall be irrevocable and shall specify
the prepayment date,
28
the
principal amount of each Borrowing or portion thereof to be prepaid and, in
the
case of a mandatory prepayment, a reasonably detailed calculation of the amount
of such prepayment; provided that, if a notice of optional prepayment is given
in connection with a conditional notice of termination of the Commitments as
contemplated by Section 2.07, then such notice of prepayment may be
revoked if such notice of termination is revoked in accordance with Section
2.07. Promptly following receipt of any such notice (other than a
notice relating solely to Swingline Loans), the Administrative Agent shall
advise the Lenders of the contents thereof.
SECTION
2.11. Fees.
(a) The
Borrower agrees to pay to the Administrative Agent for the account of each
Lender a commitment fee, which shall accrue at the Applicable Rate on the
average daily unused amount of the Commitment of such Lender during the period
from and including the date hereof to but excluding the date on which such
Commitment terminates. Accrued commitment fees shall be payable in
arrears on the last day of March, June, September and December of each year
and
on the date on which the Commitments terminate, commencing on the first such
date to occur after the date hereof. All commitment fees shall be
computed on the basis of a year of 360 days and shall be payable for the actual
number of days elapsed (including the first day but excluding the last
day). For purposes of computing such commitment fees, a Commitment of
a Lender shall be deemed to be used to the extent of the outstanding Revolving
Loans and LC Exposure of such Lender (and the Swingline Exposure of such Lender
shall be disregarded for such purpose).
(b) The
Borrower agrees to pay (i) to the Administrative Agent for the account of each
Revolving Lender a participation fee with respect to its participations in
Letters of Credit, which shall accrue at the same Applicable Rate used to
determine the interest rate applicable to Eurodollar Revolving Loans on the
average daily amount of such Lender’s LC Exposure (excluding any portion thereof
attributable to unreimbursed LC Disbursements) during the period from and
including the Effective Date to but excluding the later of the date on which
such Lender’s Commitment terminates and the date on which such Lender ceases to
have any LC Exposure and (ii) to the Issuing Bank a fronting fee, which shall
accrue at the rate of 0.125% per annum on the average daily amount of the LC
Exposure (excluding any portion thereof attributable to unreimbursed LC
Disbursements) during the period from and including the Effective Date to but
excluding the later of the date of termination of the Commitments and the date
on which there ceases to be any LC Exposure (provided, however, that in no
event
shall such fronting fee for any single Letter of Credit be less than $500),
as
well as the Issuing Bank’s standard fees with respect to the amendment, renewal
or extension of any Letter of Credit or processing of drawings
thereunder. Participation fees accrued through and including the last
day of March, June, September and December of each year shall be payable on
the
third Business Day following such last day, commencing on the first such date
to
occur after the Effective Date; provided that all such fees shall be payable
on
the date on which the Commitments terminate and any such fees accruing after
the
date on which the Commitments terminate shall be payable on
demand. Fronting fees with respect to any Letter of Credit shall be
payable in advance upon issuance of such Letter of Credit. Any other
fees payable to the Issuing Bank pursuant to this paragraph shall be payable
within 10 days after demand. All participation fees and fronting fees
shall be computed on the basis of a year of 360 days and shall be payable for
the actual number of days elapsed (including the first day but excluding the
last day).
29
(c) The
Borrower agrees to pay to the Administrative Agent, for its own account, fees
payable in the amounts and at the times separately agreed upon between the
Borrower and the Administrative Agent.
(d) All
fees payable hereunder shall be paid on the dates due, in immediately available
funds, to the Administrative Agent (or to the Issuing Bank, in the case of
fees
payable to it) for distribution, in the case of commitment fees and
participation fees, to the Lenders entitled thereto. Fees paid shall
not be refundable under any circumstances.
SECTION
2.12. Interest.
(a) The
Loans comprising each ABR Borrowing (including each Swingline Loan) shall bear
interest at the lesser of (i) the Alternate Base Rate plus the Applicable
Rate or (ii) the Ceiling Rate.
(b) The
Loans comprising each Eurodollar Borrowing shall bear interest at the lesser
of
(i) the Adjusted LIBO Rate for the Interest Period in effect for such Borrowing
plus the Applicable Rate or (ii) the Ceiling Rate.
(c) Notwithstanding
the foregoing, if any principal of or interest on any Loan or any fee or other
amount payable by the Borrower hereunder is not paid when due, whether at stated
maturity, upon acceleration or otherwise, such overdue amount shall bear
interest, after as well as before judgment, at a rate per annum equal to the
lesser of (i) the Ceiling Rate or (ii) in the case of overdue principal of
any
Loan, 2% plus the rate otherwise applicable to such Loan as provided in
the preceding paragraphs of this Section or in the case of any other amount,
2%
plus the rate applicable to ABR Revolving Loans as provided in paragraph
(a) of this Section.
(d) Accrued
interest on each Loan shall be payable in arrears on each Interest Payment
Date
for such Loan and, in the case of Revolving Loans, upon termination of the
Commitments; provided that (i) interest accrued pursuant to paragraph (c) of
this Section shall be payable on demand, (ii) in the event of any repayment
or
prepayment of any Loan (other than a prepayment of an ABR Revolving Loan prior
to the end of the Revolving Availability Period), accrued interest on the
principal amount repaid or prepaid shall be payable on the date of such
repayment or prepayment and (iii) in the event of any conversion of any
Eurodollar Loan prior to the end of the current Interest Period therefor,
accrued interest on such Loan shall be payable on the effective date of such
conversion.
(e) All
interest hereunder shall be computed on the basis of a year of 360 days, except
that interest computed by reference to the Alternate Base Rate at times when
the
Alternate Base Rate is based on the Prime Rate shall be computed on the basis
of
a year of 365 days (or 366 days in a leap year), and in each case shall be
payable for the actual number of days elapsed (including the first day but
excluding the last day). The applicable Alternate Base Rate or
Adjusted LIBO Rate shall be determined by the Administrative Agent, and such
determination shall be conclusive absent manifest error.
SECTION
2.13. Alternate Rate of Interest. If prior to the
commencement of any Interest Period for a Eurodollar Borrowing:
30
(a) the
Administrative Agent determines (which determination shall be conclusive absent
manifest error) that adequate and reasonable means do not exist for ascertaining
the Adjusted LIBO Rate for such Interest Period; or
(b) the
Administrative Agent is advised by the Required Lenders that the Adjusted LIBO
Rate for such Interest Period will not adequately and fairly reflect the cost
to
such Lenders (or Lender) of making or maintaining their Loans (or its Loan)
included in such Borrowing for such Interest Period;
then
the
Administrative Agent shall give notice thereof to the Borrower and the Lenders
by telephone or telecopy as promptly as practicable thereafter and, until the
Administrative Agent notifies the Borrower and the Lenders that the
circumstances giving rise to such notice no longer exist, (i) any Interest
Election Request that requests the conversion of any Borrowing to, or
continuation of any Borrowing as, a Eurodollar Borrowing shall be ineffective
and (ii) if any Borrowing Request requests a Eurodollar Borrowing, such
Borrowing shall be made as an ABR Borrowing; provided that if the circumstances
giving rise to such notice affect only one Type of Borrowings, then the other
Type of Borrowings shall be permitted.
SECTION
2.14. Increased Costs.
(a) If
any Change in Law shall:
(i) impose,
modify or deem applicable any reserve, special deposit or similar requirement
against assets of, deposits with or for the account of, or credit extended
by,
any Lender (except any such reserve requirement reflected in the Adjusted LIBO
Rate) or the Issuing Bank; or
(ii) impose
on any Lender or the Issuing Bank or the London interbank market any other
condition affecting this Agreement or Eurodollar Loans made by such Lender
or
any Letter of Credit or participation therein;
and
the
result of any of the foregoing shall be to increase the cost to such Lender
of
making or maintaining any Eurodollar Loan (or of maintaining its obligation
to
make any such Loan) or to increase the cost to such Lender or the Issuing Bank
of participating in, issuing or maintaining any Letter of Credit or to reduce
the amount of any sum received or receivable by such Lender or the Issuing
Bank
hereunder (whether of principal, interest or otherwise), then the Borrower
will
pay to such Lender or the Issuing Bank, as the case may be, such additional
amount or amounts as will compensate such Lender or the Issuing Bank, as the
case may be, for such additional costs incurred or reduction
suffered.
(b) If
any Lender or the Issuing Bank determines that any Change in Law regarding
capital requirements has or would have the effect of reducing the rate of return
on such Lender’s or the Issuing Bank’s capital or on the capital of such
Lender’s or the Issuing Bank’s holding company, if any, as a consequence of this
Agreement or the Loans made by, or participations in Letters of Credit held
by,
such Lender, or the Letters of Credit issued by the Issuing Bank, to a level
below that which such Lender or the Issuing Bank or such Lender’s or the Issuing
Bank’s holding company could have achieved but for such Change in Law (taking
into consideration such Lender’s or the Issuing Bank’s policies and the policies
of such Lender’s or the Issuing
31
Bank’s
holding company with respect to capital adequacy), then from time to time the
Borrower will pay to such Lender or the Issuing Bank, as the case may be, such
additional amount or amounts as will compensate such Lender or the Issuing
Bank
or such Lender’s or the Issuing Bank’s holding company for any such reduction
suffered.
(c) A
certificate of a Lender or the Issuing Bank setting forth the amount or amounts
necessary to compensate such Lender or the Issuing Bank or its holding company,
as the case may be, as specified in paragraphs (a) or (b) of this Section shall
be delivered to the Borrower, demonstrating in reasonable detail the calculation
of the amounts, and shall be conclusive absent manifest error. The
Borrower shall pay such Lender or the Issuing Bank, as the case may be, the
amount shown as due on any such certificate within 10 days after receipt
thereof.
(d) Failure
or delay on the part of any Lender or the Issuing Bank to demand compensation
pursuant to this Section shall not constitute a waiver of such Lender’s or the
Issuing Bank’s right to demand such compensation; provided that the Borrower
shall not be required to compensate a Lender or the Issuing Bank pursuant to
this Section for any increased costs or reductions incurred more than 180 days
prior to the date that such Lender or the Issuing Bank, as the case may be,
notifies the Borrower of the Change in Law giving rise to such increased costs
or reductions and of such Lender’s or the Issuing Bank’s intention to claim
compensation therefor; provided further that, if the Change in Law giving rise
to such increased costs or reductions is retroactive and if such Lender or
the
Issuing Bank, as the case may be, notifies the Borrower of such Change of Law
within 180 days after the adoption, enactment or similar act with respect to
such Change of Law, then the 180-day period referred to above shall be extended
to include the period from the effective date of such Change of Law to the
date
of such notice.
SECTION
2.15. Break Funding Payments. In the event of (a)
the payment of any principal of any Eurodollar Loan other than on the last
day
of an Interest Period applicable thereto (including as a result of an Event
of
Default), (b) the conversion of any Eurodollar Loan other than on the last
day
of the Interest Period applicable thereto, (c) the failure to borrow, convert,
continue or prepay any Revolving Loan on the date specified in any notice
delivered pursuant hereto, or (d) the assignment of any Eurodollar Loan other
than on the last day of the Interest Period applicable thereto as a result
of a
request by the Borrower pursuant to Section 2.18, then, in any such
event, the Borrower shall compensate each Lender for the loss, cost and expense
attributable to such event. Such loss, cost or expense to any Lender
shall be deemed to include an amount determined by such Lender to be the excess,
if any, of (i) the amount of interest which would have accrued on the principal
amount of such Loan had such event not occurred, at the Adjusted LIBO Rate
that
would have been applicable to such Loan, for the period from the date of such
event to the last day of the then current Interest Period therefor (or, in
the
case of a failure to borrow, convert or continue, for the period that would
have
been the Interest Period for such Loan), over (ii) the amount of interest which
would accrue on such principal amount for such period at the interest rate
which
such Lender would bid were it to bid, at the commencement of such period, for
dollar deposits of a comparable amount and period from other banks in the
Eurodollar market. A certificate of any Lender setting forth any
amount or amounts that such Lender is entitled to receive pursuant to this
Section, demonstrating in reasonable detail the calculation of the amounts,
shall be delivered to the Borrower and shall be conclusive absent manifest
error. The Borrower shall pay such Lender the amount shown as due on
any such certificate within 10 days after receipt thereof.
32
SECTION
2.16. Taxes.
(a) Any
and all payments by or on account of any obligation of the Borrower hereunder
or
under any other Loan Document shall be made free and clear of and without
deduction for any Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes; provided that if the
Borrower shall be required to deduct any Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes from
such payments, then (i) the sum payable shall be increased as necessary so
that
after making all required deductions or withholdings (including deductions
applicable to additional sums payable under this Section) the Administrative
Agent, Lender or Issuing Bank (as the case may be) receives an amount equal
to
the sum it would have received had no such deductions been made, (ii) the
Borrower shall make such deductions or withholdings and (iii) the Borrower
shall
pay the full amount deducted or withheld to the relevant Governmental Authority
in accordance with applicable law.
(b) In
addition, the Borrower shall pay any Other Taxes to the relevant Governmental
Authority in accordance with applicable law.
(c) The
Borrower shall indemnify the Administrative Agent, each Lender and the Issuing
Bank, within 30 days after written demand therefor, for the full amount of
any
Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes paid by the Administrative Agent, such Lender
or the Issuing Bank, as the case may be, on or with respect to any payment
by or
on account of any obligation of the Borrower hereunder or under any other Loan
Document (including Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes imposed or asserted on
or
attributable to amounts payable under this Section) and any penalties, interest
and reasonable expenses arising therefrom or with respect thereto, whether
or
not such Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes were correctly or legally imposed
or
asserted by the relevant Governmental Authority. A certificate as to
the amount of such payment or liability delivered to the Borrower by a Lender
or
the Issuing Bank, or by the Administrative Agent on its own behalf or on behalf
of a Lender or the Issuing Bank, demonstrating in reasonable detail the
calculation of the amounts, shall be conclusive absent manifest
error. However, neither the Administrative Agent, any Lender or the
Issuing Bank shall be entitled to receive any payment with respect to
Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes that are incurred or accrued more than 180
days
prior to the date the Administrative Agent, such Lender or the Issuing Bank
gives notice and demand thereof to the Borrower.
(d) As
soon as reasonably practicable after any payment of Indemnified Taxes or Other
Taxes by the Borrower to a Governmental Authority, the Borrower shall deliver
to
the Administrative Agent the original or a certified copy of a receipt issued
by
such Governmental Authority evidencing such payment, a copy of the return
reporting such payment or other evidence of such payment reasonably satisfactory
to the Administrative Agent.
(e) Any
Foreign Lender that is entitled to an exemption from or reduction of withholding
tax under the law of the jurisdiction in which the Borrower is located, or
any
treaty to which such jurisdiction is a party, with respect to payments under
this Agreement or any other Loan Document shall deliver to the Borrower (with
a
copy to the Administrative Agent), at the time or times prescribed by applicable
law, such properly completed and executed documentation prescribed by applicable
law or reasonably requested by the Borrower as will permit such payments to
be
made without withholding or at a reduced rate. In addition, any
Lender, if requested by the Borrower or the Administrative Agent, shall deliver
such properly completed and executed documentation prescribed by applicable
law
or reasonably requested by
33
the
Borrower or the Administrative Agent as will enable the Borrower or the
Administrative Agent to determine whether or not such Lender is subject to
backup withholding or information reporting requirements. Each Lender
shall promptly (i) notify the Borrower and the Administrative Agent of any
change in circumstances which would modify or render invalid any such claimed
exemption or reduction, and (ii) take such steps as may be reasonably necessary
(including the designation of a new lending office to the extent such
designation is consistent with such Lender’s internal policies and legal and
regulatory restrictions and so long as such action would not be disadvantageous
to such Lender) to avoid any requirement of the applicable laws of any such
jurisdiction that Borrower make any deduction or withholding for taxes from
amounts payable to such Lender. Without limiting the generality of
the foregoing, any Foreign Lender shall deliver to the Borrower and the
Administrative Agent (in such number of copies as shall be requested by the
recipient) on or prior to the date on which such Foreign Lender becomes a Lender
under this Agreement (and from time to time thereafter upon the request of
the
Borrower or the Administrative Agent, but only if such Foreign Lender is legally
entitled to do so), whichever of the following is applicable:
(i) duly
completed copies of Internal Revenue Service Form W-8BEN claiming eligibility
for benefits of an income tax treaty to which the United States is a
party,
(ii) duly
completed copies of Internal Revenue Service Form W-8ECI;
(iii) in
the case of a Foreign Lender claiming the benefits of the exemption for
portfolio interest under Section 881(c) of the Code, (x) a certificate to the
effect that such Foreign Lender is not (A) a “bank” within the meaning of
Section 881(c)(3)(A) of the Code, (B) a “10 percent shareholder” of the Borrower
within the meaning of Section 881(c)(3)(B) of the Code, or (C) a “controlled
foreign corporation” described in Section 881(c)(3)(C) of the Code and (y) duly
completed copies of Internal Revenue Service Form W-8BEN,
or
(iv) any
other form prescribed by applicable law as a basis for claiming exemption from
or a reduction in United States Federal withholding tax duly completed together
with such supplementary documentation as may be prescribed by applicable law
to
permit the Borrower to determine the withholding or deduction required to be
made.
(f) If
the Administrative Agent or a Lender determines, in its reasonable discretion,
that it has received a refund of any Taxes or Other Taxes as to which it has
been indemnified by the Borrower or with respect to which the Borrower has
paid
additional amounts pursuant to this Section, it shall pay over such refund
to
the Borrower (but only to the extent of indemnity payments made, or additional
amounts paid, by the Borrower under this Section with respect to the Taxes
or
Other Taxes giving rise to such refund), net of all out-of-pocket expenses
of
the Administrative Agent or such Lender and without interest (other than any
interest paid by the relevant Governmental Authority with respect to such
refund); provided, that the Borrower, upon the request of the Administrative
Agent or such Lender, agrees to repay the amount paid over to the Borrower
(plus
any penalties, interest or other charges imposed by the relevant Governmental
Authority) to the Administrative Agent or such Lender in the event the
Administrative Agent or such Lender is required to repay such refund to such
Governmental Authority. This Section shall not be construed to
require the Administrative Agent or any Lender to make available its tax returns
(or any other information relating to its taxes which it deems confidential)
to
the Borrower or any other Person.
34
(g) Each
Lender shall use its best efforts (consistent with its internal policies and
legal and regulatory restrictions) to select a jurisdiction for its lending
office or change the jurisdiction of its lending office, as the case may be,
so
as to avoid the imposition of any Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes or to
eliminate or reduce the payment of any additional sums under this Section,
so
long as such action would not be disadvantageous to such Lender.
SECTION
2.17. Payments Generally; Pro Rata Treatment; Sharing of
Set-offs.
(a) The
Borrower shall make each payment required to be made by it hereunder or under
any other Loan Document (whether of principal, interest, fees or reimbursement
of LC Disbursements, or of amounts payable under Sections 2.14,
2.15 or 2.16, or otherwise) at or prior to the time expressly
required hereunder or under such other Loan Document for such payment (or,
if no
such time is expressly required, prior to 2:00 p.m., Houston, Texas time),
on
the date when due, in immediately available funds, without set off, deduction
or
counterclaim. Any amounts received after such time on any date may,
in the discretion of the Administrative Agent, be deemed to have been received
on the next succeeding Business Day for purposes of calculating interest
thereon. All such payments shall be made to the Administrative Agent
at its offices at 0000 Xxxxxxx Xxx., MAC C7300-034, Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxxx
00000, except payments to be made directly to the Issuing Bank or Swingline
Lender as expressly provided herein and except that payments pursuant to
Sections 2.14, 2.15, 2.16 and 9.03 shall be made
directly to the Persons entitled thereto and payments pursuant to other Loan
Documents shall be made to the Persons specified therein. The
Administrative Agent shall distribute any such payments received by it for
the
account of any other Person to the appropriate recipient promptly following
receipt thereof. If any payment under any Loan Document shall be due
on a day that is not a Business Day, the date for payment shall be extended
to
the next succeeding Business Day, and, in the case of any payment accruing
interest, interest thereon shall be payable for the period of such
extension. All payments under each Loan Document shall be made in
dollars.
(b) If
at any time insufficient funds are received by and available to the
Administrative Agent to pay fully all amounts of principal, unreimbursed LC
Disbursements, interest and fees then due hereunder, such funds shall be applied
(i) first, towards payment of interest and fees then due hereunder, ratably
among the parties entitled thereto in accordance with the amounts of interest
and fees then due to such parties, and (ii) second, towards payment of principal
and unreimbursed LC Disbursements then due hereunder, ratably among the parties
entitled thereto in accordance with the amounts of principal and unreimbursed
LC
Disbursements then due to such parties.
(c) If
any Lender shall, by exercising any right of set off or counterclaim or
otherwise, obtain payment in respect of any principal of or interest on any
of
its Revolving Loans or participations in LC Disbursements or Swingline Loans,
resulting in such Lender receiving payment of a greater proportion of the
aggregate amount of its Revolving Loans and participations in LC Disbursements
and Swingline Loans and accrued interest thereon than the proportion received
by
any other Lender, then the Lender receiving such greater proportion shall
purchase (for cash at face value) participations in the Revolving Loans and
participations in LC Disbursements and Swingline Loans of other Lenders to
the
extent necessary so that the benefit of all such payments shall be shared by
the
Lenders ratably in accordance with the aggregate amount of principal of and
accrued interest on their respective Revolving Loans and participations in
LC
Disbursements and Swingline Loans; provided that (i) if any such
35
participations
are purchased and all or any portion of the payment giving rise thereto is
recovered, such participations shall be rescinded and the purchase
price restored to the extent of such recovery, without interest, and (ii) the
provisions of this paragraph shall not be construed to apply to any payment
made
by the Borrower pursuant to and in accordance with the express terms of this
Agreement or any payment obtained by a Lender as consideration for the
assignment of or sale of a participation in any of its Loans or participations
in LC Disbursements to any assignee or participant, other than to the Borrower
or any other Loan Party or Affiliate thereof (as to which the provisions of
this
paragraph shall apply). Each Lender agrees that it will not exercise
any right of set-off or counterclaim or otherwise obtain payment in respect
of
any Obligation owed to it other than principal of and interest accruing on
the
Loans and participations in the LC Disbursements and Swingline Loans, unless
all
of the outstanding principal of and accrued interest on the Loans and LC
Disbursements have been paid in full. The Borrower consents to the foregoing
and
agrees, to the extent it may effectively do so under applicable law, that any
Lender acquiring a participation pursuant to the foregoing arrangements may
exercise against the Borrower rights of set-off and counterclaim with respect
to
such participation as fully as if such Lender were a direct creditor of the
Borrower in the amount of such participation.
(d) Unless
the Administrative Agent shall have received notice from the Borrower prior
to
the date on which any payment is due to the Administrative Agent for the account
of the Lenders or the Issuing Bank hereunder that the Borrower will not make
such payment, the Administrative Agent may assume that the Borrower has made
such payment on such date in accordance herewith and may, in reliance upon
such
assumption, distribute to the Lenders or the Issuing Bank, as the case may
be,
the amount due. If the Borrower has not in fact made such payment
when due, then each of the Lenders or the Issuing Bank, as the case may be,
severally agrees to repay to the Administrative Agent forthwith on demand the
amount so distributed to such Lender or Issuing Bank with interest thereon,
for
each day from and including the date such amount is distributed to it to but
excluding the date of payment to the Administrative Agent, at the greater of
the
Federal Funds Effective Rate and a rate determined by the Administrative Agent
in accordance with banking industry rules on interbank
compensation.
(e) If
any Lender shall fail to make any payment required to be made by it pursuant
to
this Agreement, then the Administrative Agent may, in its discretion
(notwithstanding any contrary provision hereof), apply any amounts thereafter
received by the Administrative Agent for the account of such Lender to satisfy
such Lender’s obligations hereunder until all such unsatisfied obligations are
fully paid.
SECTION
2.18. Mitigation Obligations; Replacement of
Lenders.
(a) If
any Lender requests compensation under Section 2.14, if the
Administrative Agent delivers a notice contemplated by Section 2.13
(other than such a notice applicable to all Lenders), or if the Borrower is
required to pay any additional amount to any Lender or any Governmental
Authority for the account of any Lender pursuant to Section 2.16, then
such Lender shall use reasonable efforts to designate a different lending office
for funding or booking its Loans hereunder or to assign its rights and
obligations hereunder to another of its offices, branches or Affiliates, if,
in
the judgment of such Lender, such designation or assignment (i) would eliminate
or reduce amounts payable pursuant to Sections 2.14 or 2.16 or
would cause Eurodollar Borrowings to be available, as the case may be, in the
future and (ii) would not
36
subject
such Lender to any unreimbursed cost or expense and would not otherwise be
disadvantageous to such Lender. The Borrower hereby agrees to pay all
reasonable costs and expenses incurred by any Lender in connection with any
such
designation or assignment.
(b) If
any Lender requests compensation under Section 2.14, if Eurodollar
Borrowings become unavailable from less than all of the Lenders under Section
2.13 or if the Borrower is required to pay any additional amount to any
Lender or any Governmental Authority for the account of any Lender pursuant
to
Section 2.16, or if any Lender defaults in its obligation to fund Loans
hereunder, then the Borrower may, at its sole expense and effort, upon notice
to
such Lender and the Administrative Agent, require such Lender to assign and
delegate, without recourse (in accordance with and subject to the restrictions
contained in Section 9.04), all its interests, rights and obligations
under this Agreement to an assignee that shall assume such obligations (which
assignee may be another Lender, if a Lender accepts such assignment); provided
that (i) the Borrower shall have received the prior written consent of the
Administrative Agent (and, if a Commitment is being assigned, the Issuing Bank
and Swingline Lender), which consent shall not unreasonably be withheld, (ii)
such assignor Lender shall have received payment of an amount equal to the
outstanding principal of its Loans and participations in LC Disbursements and
Swingline Loans, accrued interest thereon, accrued fees and all other amounts
payable to it hereunder and (iii) in the case of any such assignment resulting
from a claim for compensation under Section 2.14, the unavailability of
Eurodoillar Borrowings under Section 2.13 or payments required to be made
pursuant to Section 2.16, such assignment will result in a reduction in
such compensation or payments of the availability of Eurodollar Borrowings
from
the applicable assignee. A Lender shall not be required to make any
such assignment and delegation if, prior thereto, as a result of a waiver by
such Lender or otherwise, the circumstances entitling the Borrower to require
such assignment and delegation cease to apply.
(c) If
any Lender (a “Non-Consenting Lender”) refuses to consent to an amendment
to or waiver of any Credit Document or provision thereof, which amendment or
waiver requires unanimous consent of all the Lenders, or all the Lenders making
Loans of a particular Class or Type, in order to be effective, then the
Administrative Agent may or the Borrower may (but neither shall be obligated
to), upon notice to the Non-Consenting Lender (and the Administrative Agent,
if
applicable), require the Non-Consenting Lender to assign and delegate, without
recourse (in accordance with and subject to the restrictions contained in
Section 9.04) all of its interests, rights, duties and obligations under
this Agreement and the Credit Documents to an assignee that shall assume such
obligations (which assignee may be a Lender, if a Lender accepts such
assignment); provided that:
(i) if
it is an assignment at the request of the Borrower, the Borrower shall have
received the prior written consent of the Administrative Agent (and if a
Revolving Commitment is being assigned, the Issuing Lender and the Swingline
Lender), which consents shall not unreasonably be withheld,
(ii) if
it is an assignment at the request of the Administrative Agent and there is
no
Event of Default, the Borrower shall have consented to such assignment (and
if a
Revolving Commitment is being assigned, the Issuing Lender and the Swingline
Lender) which consents shall not be unreasonably withheld,
37
(iii) the
interests, rights, duties and obligations of all Non-Consenting Lenders are
similarly assigned, and
(iv) the
Non-Consenting Lender shall have received payment of an amount equal to the
outstanding principal of (and participation interests in) its Obligations,
accrued interest thereon, accrued fees and all other amounts payable to it
hereunder and under the other Credit Documents.
SECTION
2.19. Swingline Loans.
(a) Subject
to the terms and conditions set forth herein, the Swingline Lender agrees to
make Swingline Loans to the Borrower from time to time during the
Revolving Availability Period, in an aggregate principal amount at any time
outstanding that will not result in (i) the aggregate principal amount of
outstanding Swingline Loans exceeding $10,000,000 or (ii) the sum of the total
Revolving Exposures exceeding the total Commitments; provided that the Swingline
Lender shall not be required to make a Swingline Loan to refinance an
outstanding Swingline Loan and provided further that the Swingline Lender shall
not, without the consent of the Required Lenders, make any Swingline Loan if
any
Event of Default exists of which the Swingline Lender has actual
knowledge. Within the foregoing limits and subject to the terms and
conditions set forth herein, the Borrower may borrow, prepay and reborrow
Swingline Loans.
(b) To
request a Swingline Loan, the Borrower shall notify the Administrative Agent
of
such request by telephone (confirmed by telecopy), not later than 12:00 noon,
Houston, Texas time, on the day of a proposed Swingline Loan. Each
such notice shall be irrevocable and shall specify the requested date (which
shall be a Business Day) and amount of the requested Swingline
Loan. The Administrative Agent will promptly advise the Swingline
Lender of any such notice received from the Borrower. The Swingline
Lender shall make each Swingline Loan available to the Borrower by means of
a
credit to the general deposit account of the Borrower with the Swingline Lender
(or, in the case of a Swingline Loan made to finance the reimbursement of an
LC
Disbursement as provided in Section 2.04(e), by remittance to the Issuing
Bank) by 3:00 p.m., Houston, Texas time, on the requested date of such Swingline
Loan.
(c) The
Swingline Lender may by written notice given to the Administrative Agent not
later than 12:00 noon, Houston, Texas time, on any Business Day require the
Revolving Lenders to acquire participations on such Business Day in all or
a
portion of the Swingline Loans outstanding. Such notice shall specify
the aggregate amount of Swingline Loans in which Revolving Lenders will
participate. The Administrative Agent will give notice thereof to
each Revolving Lender by 1:00 p.m., Houston, Texas time on such Business Day,
specifying in such notice such Lender’s Applicable Percentage of such Swingline
Loan or Loans. Each Revolving Lender hereby absolutely and
unconditionally agrees, upon receipt of notice as provided above, to pay to
the
Administrative Agent, for the account of the Swingline Lender, such Lender’s
Applicable Percentage of such Swingline Loan or Loans. Each Revolving
Lender acknowledges and agrees that its obligation to acquire participations
in
Swingline Loans pursuant to this paragraph is absolute and unconditional,
subject to Swingline Lender’s compliance with the provisions of Section
2.19(a) hereof, and shall not be affected by any circumstance whatsoever,
including the occurrence and continuance of a Default or reduction or
termination of the Commitments, and that each such payment shall be made without
any offset, abatement,
38
withholding
or reduction whatsoever. Each Revolving Lender shall comply with its
obligation under this paragraph by wire transfer of immediately available funds,
in the same manner as provided in Section 2.05 with respect to Loans made
by such Lender (and Section 2.05 shall apply, mutatis mutandis, to the
payment obligations of the Revolving Lenders), and the Administrative Agent
shall promptly pay to the Swingline Lender the amounts so received by it from
the Revolving Lenders. The Administrative Agent shall notify the
Borrower in writing of any participations in any Swingline Loan acquired
pursuant to this paragraph, and thereafter payments in respect of such Swingline
Loan shall be made to the Administrative Agent and not to the Swingline
Lender. Any amounts received by the Swingline Lender from the
Borrower (or other party on behalf of the Borrower) in respect of a Swingline
Loan after receipt by the Swingline Lender of the proceeds of a sale of
participations therein shall be promptly remitted to the Administrative Agent;
any such amounts received by the Administrative Agent shall be remitted by
the
Administrative Agent to the Swingline Lender and to the Revolving
Lenders that shall have made their payments pursuant to this paragraph, as
their
interests may appear, such remittance to be made on the day of receipt if such
payment is received by 2:00 p.m., Houston, Texas time and prior to 10:00 a.m.
of
the following Business Day if such payment is received after 2:00 p.m., Houston,
Texas time. The purchase of participations in a Swingline Loan
pursuant to this paragraph shall not relieve the Borrower of any default in
the
payment thereof.
(d) Notwithstanding
the foregoing procedures for requesting a Swingline Loan, the Borrower and
the
Swingline Lender may agree to implement an alternate arrangement with respect
to
Swingline Loans pursuant to a direct borrowing agreement between the Borrower
and the Swingline Lender. The Swingline Lender will give notice to
the Administrative Agent of each Swingline Loan made by the Borrower within
one
(1) Business Day after making such Swingline Loan.
SECTION
2.20. Defaulting Lender.
(a) Notwithstanding
anything to the contrary contained herein, in the event any Lender (x) has
refused (which refusal constitutes a breach by such Lender of its obligations
under this Agreement) to make available its portion of any Loan or (y) notifies
either the Administrative Agent or the Borrower that such Lender does not intend
to make available its portion of any Loan (if the actual refusal would
constitute a breach by such Lender of its obligations under this Agreement)
(each, a “Lender Default”), all rights and obligations hereunder of such
Lender (a “Defaulting Lender”) as to which a Lender Default is in effect
and of the other parties hereto shall be modified to the extent of the express
provisions of this Section while such Lender Default remains in
effect.
(b) Advances
shall be incurred pro rata from Lenders which are not Defaulting Lenders (the
“Non-Defaulting Lenders”) based on their respective Commitments and no
Commitment of any Lender or any pro rata share of any Loans required to be
advanced by any Lender shall be increased as a result of such Lender
Default. Amounts received in respect of principal of any type of
Loans shall be applied to reduce the applicable Loans of each Lender pro rata
based on the aggregate of the outstanding Loans of that type of all Lenders
at
the time of such application; provided, that, such amount shall not be applied
to any Loans of a Defaulting Lender at any time when, and to the extent that,
the aggregate amount of Loans of any Non-Defaulting Lender exceeds such
Non-Defaulting Lender’s Commitment of all Loans then outstanding.
39
(c) A
Defaulting Lender shall not be entitled to give instructions to the
Administrative Agent or to approve, disapprove, consent to or vote on any
matters relating to this Agreement and the other Loan Documents. All
amendments, waivers and other modifications of this Agreement and the other
Loan
Documents may be made without regard to a Defaulting Lender and, for purposes
of
the definition of “Required Lenders,” a Defaulting Lender shall be deemed not to
be a Lender and not to have Loans outstanding.
(d) Other
than as expressly set forth in this Section, the rights and obligations of
a
Defaulting Lender (including the obligation to indemnify the Administrative
Agent) and the other parties hereto shall remain unchanged. Nothing
in this Section shall be deemed to release any Defaulting Lender from its
obligations under this Agreement and the other Loan Documents, shall alter
such
obligations, shall operate as a waiver of any default by such Defaulting Lender
hereunder, or shall prejudice any rights which the Borrower, the Administrative
Agent or any Lender may have against any Defaulting Lender as a result of any
default by such Defaulting Lender hereunder.
(e) In
the event a Defaulting Lender retroactively cures to the satisfaction of the
Administrative Agent the breach which caused a Lender to become a Defaulting
Lender, such Defaulting Lender shall no longer be a Defaulting Lender and shall
be treated as a Lender under this Agreement and the other Loan
Documents.
ARTICLE
III
Representations
and Warranties
The
Borrower represents and warrants to the Lenders that:
SECTION
3.01. Organization; Powers. Each of the Borrower
and the other applicable Loan Parties is (a) organized, validly existing and
in
good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its organization, (b) has
all requisite power and authority to carry on its business as now conducted
and
is (c) qualified to do business in, and is in good standing in, every
jurisdiction where such qualification is required by applicable law, except
in
the case of clause (a) (other than with respect to the Borrower) and
clause (c), where the failure to do so would not reasonably be expected
to result in a Material Adverse Effect,.
SECTION
3.02. Authorization; Enforceability. The
Transactions to be entered into by each Loan Party are within such Loan Party’s
powers and have been duly authorized by all necessary action. This
Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by the Borrower and constitutes,
and each other Loan Document to which any Loan Party is to be a party, when
executed and delivered by such Loan Party, will constitute, a legal, valid
and
binding obligation of the Borrower or such Loan Party (as the case may be),
enforceable in accordance with its terms, subject to applicable bankruptcy,
insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other laws affecting creditors’ rights
generally and subject to general principles of equity, regardless of whether
considered in a proceeding in equity or at law.
SECTION
3.03. Governmental Approvals; No Conflicts. The
Transactions (a) do not require any material consent or approval of,
registration or filing with, or any other action by, any Governmental Authority,
except such as have been obtained or made and are in full force and effect
and
except filings necessary to perfect Liens created under the Loan Documents,
(b)
40
will
not
violate any applicable law or regulation or any order of any Governmental
Authority, (c) will not violate the charter, by-laws or other organizational
documents of the Borrower or any other applicable Loan Party, (d) will not
violate or result in a default under any material indenture, agreement or other
instrument binding upon the Borrower or any other Loan Party or their assets,
or
give rise to a right thereunder to require any payment to be made by the
Borrower or any other Loan Party, and (e) will not result in the creation or
imposition of any Lien on any asset of the Borrower or any other Loan Party,
except Liens created under the Loan Documents, except such consents, approvals,
registrations, filings or other actions the failure to obtain or make, or,
in
the case of clauses (b) and (d) above, to the extent such
violations could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse
Effect.
SECTION
3.04. Financial Condition.
(a) The
Borrower has heretofore furnished to the Lenders Borrower’s consolidated balance
sheet and statements of income, stockholders equity and cash flows (1) as of
and
for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2006 and (2) as of and for the fiscal
quarter and the portion of the fiscal year ended June 30, 2007, certified by
its
chief financial officer. Such financial statements present fairly, in
all material respects, the financial position and results of operations and
cash
flows of the Borrower and its consolidated Subsidiaries as of such dates and
for
such periods in accordance with GAAP, subject to year-end audit adjustments
and
the absence of footnotes in the case of the statements referred to in clause
(2) above. Since December 31, 2006, there has been no material adverse
change in the business, assets, operations or condition, financial or otherwise,
of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole. Except as set
forth on Schedule 6.01, after giving effect to the Transactions, none of
the Borrower or its Subsidiaries has, as of the Effective Date, any material
contingent liabilities or unrealized losses.
(b) The
Borrower has heretofore furnished to the Lenders the consolidated balance sheet
and statements of income, stockholders equity and cash flows of Precisions
Industries, Inc., a Nebraska corporation, (1) as of and for the fiscal year
ended December 31, 2006 and (2) as of and for the fiscal quarter and the portion
of the fiscal year ended June 30, 2007, certified by the chief financial officer
of Precisions Industries, Inc. Such financial statements present
fairly, in all material respects, the financial position and results of
operations and cash flows of Precisions Industries, Inc. and its consolidated
Subsidiaries as of such dates and for such periods in accordance with GAAP,
subject to year-end audit adjustments and the absence of footnotes in the case
of the statements referred to in clause (2) above. Since December 31,
2006, there has been no material adverse change in the business, assets,
operations or condition, financial or otherwise, of Precisions Industries,
Inc.
and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole.
SECTION
3.05. Properties.
(a) The
Borrower and each other Loan Party has good title to, or valid leasehold
interests in, all its real and personal property material to its business
(including the Mortgaged Properties), except for Liens permitted under this
Agreement and minor defects in title that do not interfere with its ability
to
conduct its business as currently conducted or to utilize such properties for
their intended purposes.
(b) The
Borrower and each other Loan Party owns, or is licensed to use, all trademarks,
tradenames, copyrights, patents and other intellectual property material to
its
41
business,
and the use thereof by the Borrower and each other Loan Party does not infringe
upon the rights of any other Person, except for any such infringements that
could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse
Effect.
SECTION
3.06. Litigation and Environmental Matters.
(a) There
are no actions, suits or proceedings by or before any arbitrator or Governmental
Authority pending against or, to the knowledge of the Borrower, threatened
against or affecting the Borrower or any other Loan Party (i) that could
reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect or (ii) that
involve any of the Loan Documents or the Transactions.
(b) Except
with respect to any matters that could not reasonably be expected to result
in a
Material Adverse Effect, neither the Borrower nor any other Loan Party (i)
has
failed to comply with any Environmental Law or to obtain, maintain or comply
with any permit, license or other approval required under any Environmental
Law,
(ii) has become subject to any Environmental Liability, (iii) has received
written notice of any claim with respect to any Environmental Liability or
(iv)
knows of any basis for any Environmental Liability.
SECTION
3.07. Compliance with Laws and Agreements. The
Borrower and each other Loan Party is in compliance with all laws, regulations
and orders of any Governmental Authority applicable to it or its property and
all indentures, agreements and other instruments binding upon it or its
property, except where the failure to do so could not reasonably be expected
to
result in a Material Adverse Effect. No Default has occurred and is
continuing.
SECTION
3.08. Investment Company Status. Neither the
Borrower nor any other Loan Party is an “investment company” as defined in, or
subject to regulation under, the Investment Company Act of 1940.
SECTION
3.09. Taxes. The Borrower and each other Loan Party
has timely filed or caused to be filed all Tax returns and reports required
to
have been filed and has paid or caused to be paid all Taxes required to have
been paid by it, except (a) Taxes that are being contested in good faith by
appropriate proceedings and for which the Borrower or such other Loan Party,
as
applicable, has set aside on its books adequate reserves or (b) to the extent
that the failure to do so could not reasonably be expected to result in a
Material Adverse Effect.
SECTION
3.10. ERISA. No ERISA Event has occurred or is
reasonably expected to occur that, when taken together with all other such
ERISA
Events for which liability is reasonably expected to occur, could reasonably
be
expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. The present value of
all accumulated benefit obligations under each Plan (based on the assumptions
used for purposes of Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 87) did
not, as of the date of the most recent financial statements reflecting such
amounts, exceed the fair market value of the assets of such Plan, and the
present value of all accumulated benefit obligations of all underfunded Plans
(based on the assumptions used for purposes of Statement of Financial Accounting
Standards No. 87) did not, as of the date of the most recent financial
statements reflecting such amounts, exceed the fair market value of the assets
of all such underfunded Plans, in each of such cases so as to cause a Material
Adverse Effect.
42
SECTION
3.11. Disclosure. The Borrower has disclosed to the
Lenders all agreements, instruments and corporate or other restrictions to
which
the Borrower or any other Loan Party is subject, and all other matters known
to
any of them, that could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse
Effect. None of the reports, financial statements, certificates or
other information furnished by or on behalf of any Loan Party to the
Administrative Agent or any Lender in connection with the negotiation of this
Agreement or any other Loan Document or delivered hereunder or thereunder (as
modified or supplemented by other information so furnished) contains any
material misstatement of fact or omits to state any material fact necessary
to
make the statements therein, taken as a whole, in the light of the circumstances
under which they were made, not materially misleading; provided, however, that
with respect to projected financial information, the Borrower represents only
that such information was prepared in good faith based upon assumptions believed
to be reasonable at the time, it being recognized by the Lenders that
projections are not to be viewed as facts and that the actual results during
the
period or periods covered by such projections may vary from such projections
and
that such variations may be material.
SECTION
3.12. Subsidiaries. As of the date hereof, after
giving effect to the closing of the Purchase Agreement, the Borrower has no
Subsidiaries other than as set forth on Schedule 3.12
hereto. As of the date hereof, the Borrower owns all of the Equity
Interests in and to each Subsidiary (other than Foreign Subsidiaries) listed
on
Schedule 3.12 hereto. Foreign Subsidiaries of the Borrower as
of the date hereof are identified as such on Schedule 3.12 hereto and the
identities of the holders of the Equity Interests in and to each Foreign
Subsidiary as of the date hereof are also set forth on Schedule 3.12
hereto.
SECTION
3.13. Insurance. As of the Effective Date, all
premiums due in respect of all insurance maintained by the Borrower and each
other Loan Party have been paid.
SECTION
3.14. Labor Matters. As of the Effective Date,
there are no strikes, lockouts or slowdowns against the Borrower or any other
Loan Party pending or, to the knowledge of the Borrower,
threatened. The hours worked by and payments made to employees of the
Borrower and the other Loan Parties have not been in violation, in any material
manner, of the Fair Labor Standards Act or any other applicable Federal, state,
local or foreign law dealing with such matters. All payments due from
the Borrower or any other Loan Party, or for which any claim may be made against
the Borrower or any other Loan Party, on account of wages and employee health
and welfare insurance and other benefits, have been paid or accrued as a
liability on the books of the Borrower or such other Loan Party. The
consummation of the Transactions will not give rise to any right of termination
or right of renegotiation on the part of any union under any collective
bargaining agreement to which the Borrower or any other Loan Party is
bound.
SECTION
3.15. Solvency. Immediately after the consummation
of the Transactions to occur on the Effective Date and immediately following
the
making of each Loan made on the Effective Date and after giving effect to the
application of the proceeds of such Loans and to the rights of reimbursement,
contribution and subrogation that the Loan Parties may have under the
Contribution Agreement or otherwise, (a) the fair value of the assets of each
Loan Party, at a fair valuation, will exceed its debts and liabilities,
subordinated, contingent or otherwise; (b) the present fair saleable value
of
the property of each Loan Party will be greater than the amount that will be
required to pay the probable liability of its debts and other liabilities,
subordinated, contingent or otherwise, as such debts and other liabilities
become absolute and matured; (c)
43
each
Loan
Party will be able to pay its debts and liabilities, subordinated, contingent
or
otherwise, as such debts and liabilities become absolute and matured; and (d)
each Loan Party will not have unreasonably small capital with which to conduct
the business in which it is engaged as such business is now conducted and is
proposed to be conducted following the Effective Date.
SECTION
3.16. Material Property Subject to Security
Documents. The Collateral constitutes all of the real and
material personal property (other than Excluded Assets) owned by Borrower or
any
of its Subsidiaries (other than Foreign Subsidiaries); provided, however that
the Collateral shall not include more than 66-2/3% of the issued and outstanding
Equity Interests in and to any Foreign Subsidiary which is owned directly by
Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries (other than Foreign
Subsidiaries).
SECTION
3.17. Property of Foreign Subsidiaries. The
aggregate value (based on the greater of book or market value) of the total
assets owned by Foreign Subsidiaries of Borrower as of the Effective Date is
no
greater than 5% of the aggregate value (based on the greater of book or market
value) of the total assets owned by Borrower and all of its
Subsidiaries.
ARTICLE
IV
Conditions
SECTION
4.01. Effective Date. The obligations of the
Lenders to make Loans and of the Issuing Bank to issue Letters of Credit
hereunder shall not become effective until the date on which each of the
following conditions is satisfied (or waived in accordance with Section
9.02):
(a) The
Administrative Agent (or its counsel) shall have received from each party hereto
either (i) counterparts of this Agreement signed on behalf of such party or
(ii)
written evidence satisfactory to the Administrative Agent (which may include
telecopy transmission of a signed signature page of this Agreement) that such
party has signed counterparts of this Agreement.
(b) The
Administrative Agent (or its counsel) shall have received from Borrower an
original of each Note signed on behalf of Borrower.
(c) The
Administrative Agent (or its counsel) shall have received from Borrower and
from
each other party to the Loan Documents (other than the Notes) either (i)
counterparts of each applicable Loan Document signed on behalf of such party
or
(ii) written evidence satisfactory to the Administrative Agent (which may
include telecopy transmission of a signed signature page of the applicable
Loan
Document) that such party has signed counterparts of such Loan
Document.
(d) The
Administrative Agent shall have received written opinions (addressed to the
Administrative Agent and the Lenders and dated the Effective Date) of Fulbright
& Xxxxxxxx L.L.P., counsel for the Borrower and the other Loan Parties, in
form and substance satisfactory to the Administrative Agent and its counsel,
covering such matters relating to the Loan Parties, the Loan Documents or the
Transactions as the Required Lenders shall reasonably request.
(e) The
Administrative Agent shall have received such documents and certificates as
the
Administrative Agent or its counsel may reasonably request relating to the
organization,
44
existence
and good standing of each Loan Party, the authorization of the Transactions
and
any other legal matters relating to the Loan Parties, the Loan Documents or
the
Transactions, all in form and substance satisfactory to the Administrative
Agent
and its counsel.
(f) The
Administrative Agent shall have received a certificate, dated the Effective
Date
and signed by an appropriate officer or other responsible party acceptable
to
Administrative Agent on behalf of Borrower, confirming compliance with the
conditions set forth in paragraphs (a) and (b) of Section
4.02.
(g) The
Administrative Agent shall have received all fees and other amounts due and
payable on or prior to the Effective Date, including, to the extent invoiced,
reimbursement or payment of all reasonable out of pocket expenses (including
reasonable fees, charges and disbursements of counsel) required to be reimbursed
or paid by any Loan Party hereunder or under any other Loan
Document.
(h) The
Administrative Agent shall have received each of the following:
(i) stock
certificates representing all of the outstanding shares of capital stock of
each
Subsidiary of Borrower as of the Effective Date (other than Foreign
Subsidiaries) and stock powers, endorsed in blank, with respect to such stock
certificates;
(ii) all
documents and instruments, including Uniform Commercial Code financing
statements, required by law or reasonably requested by the Administrative Agent
to be filed, registered or recorded to create or perfect the Liens intended
to
be created under the Security Documents;
(iii) to
the extent required by Administrative Agent, agreements whereby each landlord
in
respect of any space leased by the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries which
is
affiliated with the Borrower or with Precision Industries, Inc., a Nebraska
corporation, has subordinated any Lien such landlord may claim in any property
of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries;
(iv) the
results of a search of the Uniform Commercial Code (or equivalent) filings
made
with respect to the Loan Parties in such jurisdictions as the Administrative
Agent may require and copies of the financing statements (or similar documents)
disclosed by such search and evidence reasonably satisfactory to the
Administrative Agent that the Liens indicated by such financing statements
(or
similar documents) are permitted by Section 6.02 or have been released;
and
(v) evidence
reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent that none of the Mortgaged
Property lies in an area requiring special notices of flood hazard issues or
the
purchase of flood hazard insurance and, to the extent reasonably required by
Administrative Agent with respect to Mortgaged Property, a policy or policies
of
title insurance issued by a nationally recognized title insurance company,
insuring the Lien of each such Mortgage as a valid first Lien on the Mortgaged
Property described therein, free of any other Liens except as permitted by
Section 6.02, together with such endorsements, coinsurance and
reinsurance as the Administrative Agent may reasonably
45
request,
and such surveys, abstracts and appraisals as may be required pursuant to such
Mortgages or as the Administrative Agent may reasonably request.
(i) The
Administrative Agent shall have received evidence that the insurance required
by
Section 5.07 and the Security Documents is in effect.
(j) Borrower
shall have delivered to the Administrative Agent a copy of the fully executed
purchase agreement (the “Purchase Agreement”), relating to the
acquisition by Borrower of all of the Equity Interests in and to Precisions
Industries, Inc., a Nebraska corporation. The acquisition
contemplated by the Purchase Agreement shall have been, or substantially
simultaneously with the initial advance hereunder shall be, consummated in
accordance with the Purchase Agreement and applicable law, without any amendment
to or waiver of any terms or conditions of the Purchase Agreement not approved
by the Administrative Agent (such approval not to be unreasonably withheld
or
delayed). The Administrative Agent shall have received copies of the
material documents evidencing the closing of the transactions contemplated
by
the Purchase Agreement and all material due diligence materials relating to
such
transactions, which documents shall be in form and substance satisfactory to
the
Administrative Agent.
(k) The
Administrative Agent shall have received evidence reasonably satisfactory to
the
Administrative Agent that the Borrower and each other Loan Party shall have
been
released from all liabilities and obligations in respect of Indebtedness (other
than the Obligations and other than liabilities and obligations expressly
permitted under Section 6.01 hereof, or as to which the proceeds of the
initial Loans hereunder will be used to payoff such Obligations in
full).
The
Administrative Agent shall notify the Borrower and the Lenders of the Effective
Date, and such notice shall be conclusive and binding.
SECTION
4.02. Each Credit Event. The obligation of each
Lender to make a Loan on the occasion of any Borrowing, and of the Issuing
Bank
to issue, amend, renew or extend any Letter of Credit, is subject to receipt
of
the request therefor in accordance herewith and to the satisfaction of the
following conditions:
(a) The
representations and warranties of each Loan Party set forth in the Loan
Documents shall be true and correct in all material respects on and as of the
date of such Borrowing or the date of issuance, amendment, renewal or extension
of such Letter of Credit, as applicable, except to the extent that such
representations and warranties specifically refer to an earlier date, in which
case they shall be true and correct in all material respects as of such earlier
date.
(b) At
the time of and immediately after giving effect to such Borrowing or the
issuance, amendment, renewal or extension of such Letter of Credit, as
applicable, no Default shall have occurred and be continuing and there shall
have occurred no event which would be reasonably likely to have a Material
Adverse Effect.
46
Each
Borrowing and each issuance, amendment, renewal or extension of a Letter of
Credit shall be deemed to constitute a representation and warranty by the
Borrower on the date thereof as to the matters specified in paragraphs (a)
and
(b) of this Section.
ARTICLE
V
Affirmative
Covenants
Until
the
Commitments have expired or been terminated and the principal of and interest
on
each Loan and all fees payable hereunder shall have been paid in full and all
Letters of Credit shall have expired or terminated (or the obligations
thereunder shall have otherwise been collateralized in a manner and to an extent
satisfactory to the Issuing Lender in its sole discretion) and all LC
Disbursements shall have been reimbursed, the Borrower covenants and agrees
with
the Lenders that:
SECTION
5.01. Financial Statements and Other
Information. The Borrower will furnish to the Administrative
Agent and each Lender:
(a) within
90 days after the end of each fiscal year of the Borrower, its audited
consolidated balance sheet and related statements of operations, shareholders’
equity and cash flows as of the end of and for such year, setting forth in
each
case in comparative form the figures for the previous fiscal year, all reported
on by Xxxx & Associates or other independent public accountants of
recognized national standing (without a “going concern” or like qualification or
exception and without any qualification or exception as to the scope of such
audit) to the effect that such consolidated financial statements present fairly
in all material respects the financial condition and results of operations
of
the Borrower and its consolidated Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis in
accordance with GAAP consistently applied;
(b) within
60 days after the end of each fiscal quarter (other than the last fiscal
quarter) of each fiscal year of the Borrower, its consolidated balance sheet
and
related statements of operations and cash flows as of the end of and for such
fiscal quarter and the then elapsed portion of the fiscal year, setting forth
in
each case in comparative form the figures for the corresponding period or
periods of (or, in the case of the balance sheet, as of the end of) the previous
fiscal year, all certified by one of its Financial Officers as presenting fairly
in all material respects the financial condition and results of operations
of
the Borrower and its consolidated Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis in
accordance with GAAP consistently applied, subject to normal year-end audit
adjustments and the absence of footnotes;
(c) concurrently
with any delivery of financial statements under clauses (a) or (b)
above, a certificate of a Financial Officer of the Borrower, in the form of
Exhibit B hereto, (i) certifying as to whether a Default has occurred
and, if a Default has occurred, specifying the details thereof and any action
taken or proposed to be taken with respect thereto and (ii) setting forth
reasonably detailed calculations demonstrating compliance with Sections
5.13, 6.13 and 6.14;
(d) at
any such times as the Leverage Ratio is greater than 2.50 to 1.00, then within
20 days after the end of each calendar month, a certificate of a Financial
Officer of the Borrower setting forth reasonably detailed calculations
demonstrating compliance with Sections 5.13(c);
47
(e) within
30 days after the end of each fiscal quarter of each fiscal year of the
Borrower, a listing and aging of the Accounts receivable and Accounts payable
of
each Loan Party, prepared in reasonable detail and containing such information
as Administrative Agent may reasonably request;
(f) on
or before each November 30, a detailed consolidated budget for the immediately
following fiscal year (including a projected consolidated balance sheet and
related statements of projected operations as of the end of and for such fiscal
year and setting forth the assumptions used for purposes of preparing such
budget and, promptly when available, any significant revisions of such budget;
and
(g) promptly
following any request therefor, such other information regarding the operations,
business affairs and financial condition of the Borrower or any other Loan
Party, or compliance with the terms of any Loan Document, as the Administrative
Agent may reasonably request.
SECTION
5.02. Notices of Material Events. The Borrower will
furnish to the Administrative Agent prompt written notice of the
following:
(a) the
occurrence of any Default;
(b) the
Borrower becoming aware of the filing or commencement of any action, suit or
proceeding by or before any arbitrator or Governmental Authority against or
affecting the Borrower or any other Loan Party or any Affiliate thereof that,
if
adversely determined, could reasonably be expected to result in a Material
Adverse Effect;
(c) any
casualty or other insured damage to any material portion of the Collateral
or
the commencement of any action or proceeding for the taking of any Collateral
or
any part thereof or interest therein under power of eminent domain or by
condemnation or similar proceeding;
(d) any
other development that results in, or would reasonably be expected to result
in,
a Material Adverse Effect.
Each
notice delivered under this Section shall be accompanied by a statement of
a
Financial Officer or other executive officer of the Borrower setting forth
the
details of the event or development requiring such notice and any action taken
or proposed to be taken with respect thereto.
SECTION
5.03. Information Regarding Borrower.
(a) The
Borrower will furnish to the Administrative Agent prompt written notice of
any
change (i) in any Loan Party’s jurisdiction of organization or corporate name,
(ii) in the location of any Loan Party’s chief executive office, its principal
place of business, any office in which it maintains books or records relating
to
Collateral owned by it, (iii) in any Loan Party’s identity or corporate
structure or (iv) in any Loan Party’s Federal Taxpayer Identification
Number. The Borrower agrees not to effect or permit any change
referred to in the preceding sentence unless all filings have been or will,
promptly after giving effect to such change, be, made under the Uniform
Commercial Code or otherwise that are required in order for the
48
Administrative
Agent to continue at all times following such change to have a valid, legal
and
perfected security interest in all the Collateral. The Borrower also
agrees promptly to notify the Administrative Agent if any material portion
of
the Collateral is damaged or destroyed.
(b) After
the Effective Date (and after giving effect to the closing of the Purchase
Agreement), Borrower will notify the Administrative Agent in writing promptly
upon Borrower’s or any of its Subsidiaries’ (other than Foreign Subsidiaries)
acquisition or ownership of any estate (fee simple or leasehold) of real
property, wherever located (other than Excluded Assets) or of any personal
property (other than Excluded Assets) not already covered by the Security
Documents (such acquisition or ownership being herein called an “Additional
Collateral Event” and the property so acquired or owned being herein called
“Additional Collateral”). As soon as practicable and in any
event within thirty (30) days (or such longer period as the Administrative
Agent
shall agree) after an Additional Collateral Event, Borrower shall (a) execute
and deliver or cause to be executed and delivered Security Documents, in form
and substance reasonably satisfactory to Administrative Agent, in favor of
Administrative Agent and duly executed by Borrower or the applicable Subsidiary,
covering and affecting and granting a first-priority Lien upon the applicable
Additional Collateral, and such other documents (including, without limitation,
surveys, environmental assessments, certificates, legal opinions, all in form
and substance reasonably satisfactory to Administrative Agent) as may be
reasonably required by Administrative Agent in connection with the execution
and
delivery of such Security Documents; (b) with respect to any Additional
Collateral which is real property, to the extent required by Administrative
Agent, cause a title insurance underwriter satisfactory to Administrative Agent
to issue to Administrative Agent a mortgage policy of title insurance, in form
and substance reasonably satisfactory to Administrative Agent, insuring the
first-priority Lien of the applicable Mortgage in such amount as is reasonably
satisfactory to Administrative Agent, and (c) deliver or cause to be delivered
by Subsidiaries of Borrower such other documents or certificates consistent
with
the terms of this Agreement and relating to the transactions contemplated hereby
as Administrative Agent may reasonably request.
SECTION
5.04. Existence; Conduct of Business. The Borrower
will, and will cause each other Loan Party to, do or cause to be done all things
necessary to preserve, renew and keep in full force and effect its legal
existence and the rights, licenses, permits, privileges, franchises, patents,
copyrights, trademarks and trade names material to the conduct of its business;
provided that the foregoing shall not prohibit any merger, consolidation,
liquidation or dissolution permitted under Section 6.03.
SECTION
5.05. Payment of Obligations. The Borrower will,
and will cause each other Loan Party to, pay its Indebtedness and other
obligations, including liabilities for Taxes, before the same shall become
delinquent or in default, except where (a) the validity or amount thereof is
being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings, (b) the Borrower
or
such other Loan Party has set aside on its books adequate reserves with respect
thereto in accordance with GAAP, (c) such contest effectively suspends
collection of the contested obligation and the enforcement of any Lien securing
such obligation and (d) the failure to make payment pending such contest would
not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
SECTION
5.06. Maintenance of Properties. The Borrower will,
and will cause each other Loan Party to, keep and maintain all property material
to the conduct of its business in
49
good
working order and condition, ordinary wear and tear and casualty and
condemnation (so long as prompt efforts are being pursued for repair and
restoration) excepted.
SECTION
5.07. Insurance. The Borrower will, and will cause
each other Loan Party to, maintain, with financially sound and reputable
insurance companies (a) insurance in such amounts (with no greater risk
retention) and against such risks as are customarily maintained by companies
of
established repute engaged in the same or similar businesses operating in the
same or similar locations and (b) all insurance required to be maintained
pursuant to the Security Documents. The Borrower will furnish to the
Lenders, upon request of the Administrative Agent, information in reasonable
detail as to the insurance so maintained.
SECTION
5.08. Intentionally Left Blank..
SECTION
5.09. Books and Records; Inspection and Audit
Rights. The Borrower will, and will cause each other Loan Party
to, keep proper books of record and account in which full, true and correct
entries in all material respects in accordance with GAAP are made of all
dealings and transactions in relation to its business and
activities. The Borrower will, and will cause each other Loan Party
to, permit any representatives designated by the Administrative Agent, upon
reasonable prior notice and during normal business hours, to visit and inspect
its properties, to examine and make extracts from its books and records, and
to
discuss its affairs, finances and condition with its officers and independent
accountants, all at such reasonable times and as often as reasonably
requested.
SECTION
5.10. Compliance with Laws. The Borrower will, and
will cause each other Loan Party to, comply with all laws, rules, regulations
and orders of any Governmental Authority applicable to it or its property,
except where the failure to do so would not reasonably be expected to result
in
a Material Adverse Effect.
SECTION
5.11. Use of Proceeds and Letters of Credit. The
Letters of Credit and the proceeds of the Loans will be used only to pay a
portion of the purchase price payable under the Purchase Agreement and for
general working capital purposes, which may include refinancing existing
Indebtedness. No part of the proceeds of any Loan will be used,
whether directly or indirectly, for any purpose that entails a violation of
any
of the Regulations of the Board, including Regulations U and X.
SECTION
5.12. Further Assurances. The Borrower will, and
will cause each other Loan Party to, execute any and all further documents,
financing statements, agreements and instruments, and take all such further
actions (including the filing and recording of financing statements, fixture
filings, mortgages, deeds of trust and other documents), which may be required
under any applicable law, or which the Administrative Agent or the Required
Lenders may reasonably request, to effectuate the transactions contemplated
by
the Loan Documents or to grant, preserve, protect or perfect the Liens created
or intended to be created by the Security Documents or the validity or priority
of any such Lien, all at the expense of the Loan Parties. The
Borrower also agrees to provide to the Administrative Agent, from time to time
upon reasonable request by the Administrative Agent, evidence reasonably
satisfactory to the Administrative Agent as to the perfection and priority
of
the Liens created or intended to be created by the Security
Documents.
50
SECTION
5.13. Financial Covenants. The Borrower will have
(in each case, in accordance with GAAP):
(a) Fixed
Charge Coverage Ratio– a Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio of not less than 1.50
to 1.00 as of the last day of each fiscal quarter.
(b) Leverage
Ratio– a Leverage Ratio of not greater than (i) as of the last day of each
fiscal quarter during the period from and after the date hereof through and
including September 30, 2009, 3.50 to 1.00 and (ii) as of the last day of each
fiscal quarter thereafter, 3.00 to 1.00.
(c) Asset
Coverage Ratio– an Asset Coverage Ratio of not less than 1.00 to 1.00 at all
times.
SECTION
5.14. Post-Closing Requirements.
(a) Borrower
shall deliver to the Administrative Agent, within thirty (30) days after the
Effective Date, stock certificates representing all the outstanding shares
of
capital stock of Borrower and of each Foreign Subsidiary of Borrower (subject
to
the limitation on Collateral set forth in Section 3.16 hereof) as of the
Effective Date and stock powers, endorsed in blank, with respect to
such stock certificates.
(b) To
the extent not required to be delivered concurrently with the execution of
this
Agreement, Borrower shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to deliver
to
the Administrative Agent, within sixty (60) days after the Effective Date,
agreements whereby each landlord in respect of any space leased by the Borrower
or any of its Subsidiaries (other than Foreign Subsidiaries) has subordinated
any Lien such landlord may claim in any property of the Borrower or any of
its
Subsidiaries (other than Foreign Subsidiaries).
(c) Within
sixty (60) days after the Effective Date, Borrower shall deliver to the
Administrative Agent opinions of counsel reasonably acceptable to the
Administrative Agent for each Loan Party organized under the laws of a
jurisdiction other than Texas or Delaware or Nebraska covering such matters
relating to such Loan Parties as the Administrative Agent may reasonably
require, including the due organization of such Loan Parties and the due
authorization of the execution and delivery of the Loan Documents by such Loan
Parties.
ARTICLE
VI
Negative
Covenants
Until
the
Commitments have expired or terminated and the principal of and interest on
each
Loan and all fees payable hereunder have been paid in full and all Letters
of
Credit have expired or terminated (or the obligations thereunder shall have
otherwise been collateralized in a manner and to an extent satisfactory to
the
Issuing Lender in its sole discretion) and all LC Disbursements shall have
been
reimbursed, the Borrower covenants and agrees with the Lenders
that:
SECTION
6.01. Indebtedness; Certain Equity Securities.
(a) The
Borrower will not, and will not permit any other Loan Party to, create, incur,
assume or permit to exist any Indebtedness, except:
51
(i) Indebtedness
created under the Loan Documents;
(ii) Indebtedness
existing on the date hereof and set forth in Schedule 6.01;
(iii) Indebtedness
of any Subsidiary of Borrower (other than a Foreign Subsidiary) to the Borrower
or any other Subsidiary of Borrower (other than a Foreign Subsidiary)
and Indebtedness of Borrower to any of its Subsidiaries (other than a Foreign
Subsidiary) and Indebtedness of any Foreign Subsidiary of Borrower to any other
Foreign Subsidiary of Borrower;
(iv) Indebtedness
of any Foreign Subsidiary of Borrower to the Borrower or any
other Subsidiary of Borrower (other than a Foreign Subsidiary) in an
aggregate amount not to exceed $1,000,000 in the aggregate at any one time
outstanding and Indebtedness of Borrower to any of its Foreign Subsidiaries
not
to exceed $1,000,000 in the aggregate at any one time outstanding;
(v) Guarantees
of Indebtedness permitted under this Section 6.01;
(vi) purchase
money Indebtedness or Capital Lease Obligations in an aggregate amount not
exceeding, at any one time outstanding, $3,000,000;
(vii) “xxxx
to market” exposure resulting from any Swap Agreement entered into in compliance
with Section 6.07;
(viii) Indebtedness
under performance, stay, customs, appeal and surety bonds or with respect to
workers’ compensation or other like employee benefit claims, in each case
incurred in the ordinary course of business;
(ix) Indebtedness
in respect of customary netting services, overdraft protections and similar
customary arrangements, in each case incurred in the ordinary course of business
in connection with deposit accounts;
(x) Indebtedness
of the type described in clause (e) of the definition of “Indebtedness”
secured by the Liens permitted under Section 6.02;
(xi) other
Indebtedness in an aggregate principal amount not exceeding $10,000,000 at
any
one time outstanding; and
(xii) extensions,
renewals and replacements of any of the foregoing that do not increase the
outstanding principal amount thereof.
(b) The
Borrower will not, nor will it permit any other Loan Party to, issue any
preferred stock or other preferred Equity Interests after the Effective
Date.
SECTION
6.02. Liens. The Borrower will not, and will not
permit any other Loan Party to, create, incur, assume or permit to exist any
Lien on any property or asset now owned or hereafter acquired by it, or assign
or sell any income or revenues (including Accounts receivable) or rights in
respect of any thereof, except:
52
(i) Liens
created under the Loan Documents;
(ii) any
Lien on any property or asset of the Borrower or any other Loan Party existing
on the date hereof and set forth in Schedule 6.02;
(iii) Liens
created pursuant to Capital Lease Obligations or purchase money Indebtedness
permitted pursuant to this Agreement; provided that such Liens are only in
respect of the property or assets subject to, and secure only, the respective
Capital Lease Obligations or purchase money Indebtedness;
(iv) leases,
subleases, licenses and sublicenses granted in the ordinary course of business
and not interfering in any material respect with the business of any Loan Party,
and any interest of a lessor, sublessor, licensor or sublicensor under any
lease
or license entered into in the ordinary course of business;
(v) customary
Liens (x) of a collection bank arising under Section 4-210 of the Uniform
Commercial Code on items in the course of collection and (y) in favor of a
banking institution arising as a matter of law encumbering deposits (including
the right of set-off) and which are within the general parameters customary
in
the banking industry;
(vi) Liens
on xxxx xxxxxxx money deposits or cash advances in favor of the seller of any
property to be acquired in connection with an Acquisition permitted under
Section 6.15, which advances shall be applied against the purchase price
for such Acquisition;
(vii) Liens
arising out of any conditional sale, title retention, consignment or similar
arrangements for the sale of goods entered into in the ordinary course of
business;
(viii) Liens
not otherwise permitted by this Section securing obligations in an outstanding
principal amount not in excess of $2,000,000; and
(ix) Permitted
Encumbrances.
SECTION
6.03. Fundamental Changes.
(a) The
Borrower will not, nor will it permit any other Loan Party to, merge into or
consolidate with any other Person, or permit any other Person to merge into
or
consolidate with it, or liquidate or dissolve, except that (i) any Subsidiary
of
the Borrower may merge into the Borrower in a transaction in which the Borrower
is the surviving Person, (ii) any Subsidiary of the Borrower may merge into
any
other Subsidiary in a transaction in which the surviving entity is a Subsidiary
of Borrower and a Loan Party, (iii) any Subsidiary of the Borrower may liquidate
or dissolve if the Borrower determines in good faith that such liquidation
or
dissolution is in the best interests of the Borrower and is not materially
disadvantageous to the Lenders and if such Subsidiary is not a Foreign
Subsidiary, its assets are transferred to the Borrower or a Subsidiary (other
than a Foreign Subsidiary) of the Borrower and (iv) the Borrower or any
Subsidiary of Borrower may give effect to a merger or consolidation the purpose
of which is to effect an investment, disposition or Acquisition permitted under
Article VI so long as the surviving entity is a Subsidiary of Borrower
and a Loan Party.
53
(b) The
Borrower will not, and will not permit any other Loan Party to, engage to any
material extent in any business other than businesses of the type conducted
by
the Borrower and the other Loan Parties on the date of execution of this
Agreement and businesses reasonably related thereto.
SECTION
6.04. Investments, Loans, Advances and
Guarantees. The Borrower will not, and will not permit any other
Loan Party to, purchase, hold or acquire (including pursuant to any merger
with
any Person that was not a wholly owned Subsidiary of Borrower or that is a
Foreign Subsidiary prior to such merger) any Equity Interests in or evidences
of
indebtedness or other securities (including any option, warrant or other right
to acquire any of the foregoing) of, make or permit to exist any loans or
advances to, Guarantee any obligations of, or make or permit to exist any
investment or any other interest in, any other Person, or purchase or otherwise
acquire (in one transaction or a series of transactions) any assets of any
other
Person constituting a business unit, except:
(a) investments
existing on the date hereof and set forth on Schedule 6.04;
(b) Permitted
Investments and Acquisitions permitted under Section 6.15
hereof;
(c) loans
or advances made by any Subsidiary of Borrower (other than Foreign Subsidiary)
to or in the Borrower or any other Subsidiary of Borrower (other than a Foreign
Subsidiary) or loans or advances or investments made by Borrower to or in any
of
its Subsidiaries (other than a Foreign Subsidiary);
(d) loans
or advances by the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries to their respective
employees in the ordinary course of business, not to exceed $250,000 in the
aggregate at any one time outstanding;
(e) Accounts
receivable owned by the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, if created in
the
ordinary course of business and payable or dischargeable in accordance with
customary trade terms;
(f) Guarantees
by the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries (other than a Foreign Subsidiary)
constituting Indebtedness permitted by Section 6.01; provided that a
Subsidiary of Borrower shall not Guarantee any Subordinated Debt;
(g) pledges
and deposits permitted under Section 6.02;
(h) Investments
made as a result of the receipt of non-cash consideration from a sale, transfer
or other disposition permitted under Section 6.05;
(i) Restricted
Payments permitted under Section 6.08;
(j) additional
Investments so long as the aggregate amount invested, loaned or advanced does
not exceed $1,000,000; and
(k) investments
received in connection with the bankruptcy or reorganization of, or settlement
of delinquent Accounts and disputes with, customers and suppliers, in each
case
in the ordinary course of business.
54
SECTION
6.05. Asset Sales. The Borrower will not, and will
not permit any other Loan Party to, sell, transfer, lease or otherwise dispose
of any asset, including any Equity Interest owned by it, nor will the Borrower
permit any of its Subsidiaries to issue any additional Equity Interest in such
Subsidiary, except:
(a) sales
of inventory, used or surplus equipment and Permitted Investments in the
ordinary course of business and sales of real property owned by the Borrower
or
any of its Subsidiaries as of the date hereof;
(b) sales,
transfers and dispositions to the Borrower or to any of its Subsidiaries (other
than a Foreign Subsidiary); provided that any such sales, transfers or
dispositions involving a Subsidiary of Borrower that is not a Loan Party shall
be made in compliance with Section 6.09;
(c) dispositions
of property as a result of condemnation, eminent domain or similar
proceedings;
(d) to
the extent constituting dispositions, investments expressly permitted by
Section 6.04;
(e) leases,
subleases, licenses or sublicenses in the ordinary course of business and which
do not interfere in any material respect with the business of any Loan
Party;
(f) dispositions
of Accounts Receivable in connection with the collection or compromise thereof
in the ordinary course of business;
(g) Restricted
Payments permitted by Section 6.08; and
(h) other
sales by the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries which do not exceed, in the
aggregate, $500,000 in any fiscal year;
provided
that all sales, transfers, leases and other dispositions permitted hereby (other
than those permitted by clause (b) above) shall be made for fair value
and for at least 75% cash consideration.
SECTION
6.06. Sale and Leaseback Transactions. The Borrower
will not, and will not permit any other Loan Party to, enter into any
arrangement, directly or indirectly, whereby it shall sell or transfer any
property, real or personal, used or useful in its business, whether now owned
or
hereinafter acquired, and thereafter rent or lease such property or other
property that it intends to use for substantially the same purpose or purposes
as the property sold or transferred.
SECTION
6.07. Swap Agreements. The Borrower will not, and
will not permit any other Loan Party to, enter into any Swap Agreement, other
than Swap Agreements entered into in the ordinary course of business to hedge
or
mitigate risks to which the Borrower or any other Loan Party is exposed in
the
conduct of its business or the management of its liabilities and not for
speculative purposes.
SECTION
6.08. Restricted Payments. The Borrower will not,
nor will it permit any other Loan Party to, declare or make, or agree to pay
or
make, directly or indirectly, any
55
Restricted
Payment, or incur any obligation (contingent or otherwise) to do so, except
(i)
the Borrower may declare and pay dividends with respect to its Equity Interests
payable solely in additional shares of its common stock, and (ii) Subsidiaries
of Borrower may declare and pay dividends ratably with respect to their Equity
Interests and (iii) the Borrower may declare and pay preferred dividends up
to a
maximum aggregate amount of $90,000 per annum.
SECTION
6.09. Transactions with Affiliates. The Borrower
will not, nor will it permit any other Loan Party to, sell, lease or otherwise
transfer any property or assets to, or purchase, lease or otherwise acquire
any
property or assets from, or otherwise engage in any other transactions with,
any
of its Affiliates, except (a) transactions in the ordinary course of business
that are at prices and on terms and conditions not less favorable to the
Borrower or such other Loan Party than could be obtained on an arm’s-length
basis from unrelated third parties, (b) transactions between or among the
Borrower and any Loan Party not involving any other Affiliate, (c) payments
of
customary fees to directors of the Borrower and reimbursement of the reasonable
out-of-pocket expenses incurred by directors in such capacity, (d) customary
employment and severance arrangements with officers and employees in the
ordinary course of business and (e) any transactions permitted by Article
VI.
SECTION
6.10. Restrictive Agreements. The Borrower will
not, nor will it permit any other Loan Party to, directly or
indirectly, enter into, incur or permit to exist any agreement or other
arrangement that prohibits, restricts or imposes any condition upon (a) the
ability of the Borrower or any other Loan Party to create, incur or permit
to
exist any Lien upon any of its property or assets, or (b) the ability of any
Subsidiary of Borrower to pay dividends or other distributions with respect
to
any shares of its capital stock or membership interests or to make or repay
loans or advances to the Borrower or any other Subsidiary of Borrower or to
Guarantee Indebtedness of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries; provided
that
the foregoing shall not apply to restrictions and conditions imposed by law
or
by any Loan Document and provided further that (x) clauses (a) and
(b) above shall not apply to customary restrictions and conditions
contained in agreements relating to the sale of a Person or asset pending such
sale solely to the extent such sale is permitted under Section 6.05, and
(y) clause (a) above shall not apply to customary provisions in leases,
sublease, licenses or sublicenses and other contracts restricting the assignment
thereof and negative pledges and restrictions on Liens in favor of any holder
of
Indebtedness permitted under Section 6.01(v), but solely to the extent
such negative pledge or restriction relates to the property financed by such
Indebtedness.
SECTION
6.11. Amendment of Material Documents. The Borrower
will not, nor will it permit any other Loan Party to, amend, modify or waive
any
of its rights under (a) any Subordinated Debt Document or (b) its organizational
documents (in any manner adverse to the Lenders).
SECTION
6.12. Additional Subsidiaries. The Borrower will
not, and will not permit any other Loan Party to, form or acquire any Subsidiary
after the Effective Date except that Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries may
form, create or acquire a wholly-owned Subsidiary so long as (a) immediately
thereafter and giving effect thereto, no event will occur and be continuing
which constitutes a Default; (b) such domestic Subsidiary (and, where
applicable, Borrower) shall execute and deliver a Guaranty (or, at the option
of
Administrative Agent, a joinder to the Guaranty executed concurrently herewith)
and such Security Documents as the Administrative Agent may reasonably require
to effectuate the provisions of this Agreement regarding Collateral
56
to
be
covered by the Security Documents (provided that no Foreign Subsidiary shall
be
required to execute and deliver such a Guaranty or such Security Documents),
and
(c) Administrative Agent is given at least thirty (30) days’ (or such lesser
period of time as may be agreed to by the Administrative Agent) prior notice
of
such formation, creation or acquisition. No Foreign
Subsidiary may form, create or acquire a Subsidiary which is not a Foreign
Subsidiary.
SECTION
6.13. Capital Expenditures. The Borrower will not,
and will not permit any other Loan Party to, permit the aggregate amount of
all
Capital Expenditures for Borrower and the other Loan Parties during any fiscal
year of the Borrower to exceed $10,000,000 plus, for fiscal years
beginning on January 1, 2008 and later, any unused availability for Capital
Expenditures from the immediately preceding fiscal year (but not from any
earlier year).
SECTION
6.14. Lease Expense. The Borrower will not, and
will not permit any other Loan Party to, enter into any lease agreement (other
than capital leases giving rise to Capital Lease Obligations) if, after giving
effect to such new lease agreement, consolidated annual rental expense of the
Borrower and its Subsidiaries attributable to leases (other than capital leases
giving rise to Capital Lease Obligations) would exceed $10,000,000.
SECTION
6.15. Acquisitions. The Borrower will not, and will
not permit any other Loan Party to, enter into Acquisition other
than an Acquisition (which may be way of a merger with and into the
Borrower or another Loan Party so long as the Borrower or the applicable Loan
Party is the surviving entity), so long as:
(a) any
Acquisition of Equity Interests shall require the acquisition of all (but not
less than all) of the Equity Interests in and to the applicable
Person;
(b) no
Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing or, on a
pro
forma basis, would reasonably be expected to result from such
Acquisition;
(c) the
Borrower can demonstrate, on a pro forma basis, after giving effect to such
Acquisition that (x) there is at least ten percent (10%) availability for Loan
Borrowings hereunder and (y) if the Leverage Ratio is equal to or greater
than 2.00 to 1.00, that the consideration payable in connection with the
applicable Acquisition will not exceed $10,000,000 and that the aggregate
consideration payable in connection with all Acquisitions (including the
applicable Acquisition) in the applicable fiscal year will not exceed
$25,000,000; and
(d) the
Borrower shall have delivered (or caused to be delivered) to the Administrative
Agent such other documents as may be reasonably requested by the Administrative
Agent in connection with such Acquisition.
SECTION
6.16. Property of Foreign Subsidiaries. Permit the
aggregate value (based on the greater of book or market value) of the total
assets owned by Foreign Subsidiaries of Borrower to exceed 5% of the
aggregate value (based on the greater of book or market value) of the total
assets owned by Borrower and all of its Subsidiaries.
57
ARTICLE
VII
Events
of
Default
If
any of
the following events (“Events of Default”) shall occur:
(a) the
Borrower shall fail to pay any principal of any Loan or any reimbursement
obligation in respect of any LC Disbursement when and as the same shall become
due and payable, whether at the due date thereof or at a date fixed for
prepayment thereof or otherwise;
(b) the
Borrower shall fail to pay any interest on any Loan or any fee or any other
amount (other than an amount referred to in clause (a) of this Article)
payable under this Agreement or any other Loan Document, when and as the same
shall become due and payable, and such failure shall continue unremedied for
a
period of three Business Days;
(c) any
representation or warranty made or deemed made by or on behalf of the Borrower
or any other Loan Party in or in connection with any Loan Document or any
amendment or modification thereof or waiver thereunder, or in any report,
certificate, financial statement or other document furnished pursuant to or
in
connection with any Loan Document or any amendment or modification thereof
or
waiver thereunder, shall prove to have been incorrect in any material respect
when made or deemed made;
(d) the
Borrower shall fail to observe or perform any covenant, condition or agreement
contained in Sections 5.02 (other than clause (c) thereof),
5.03(b), 5.07, 5.11, 5.12, 5.13(a) or
5.13(b) or in Article
VI;
(e) any
Loan Party shall fail to observe or perform any covenant, condition or agreement
contained in any Loan Document (other than those specified in clauses
(a), (b) or (d) of this Article), and such failure shall
continue unremedied for a period of 30 days after the earlier of (i) the
Borrower becoming aware of such failure and (ii) notice thereof from the
Administrative Agent to the Borrower (which notice will be given at the request
of the Required Lenders);
(f) any
Loan Party shall fail to observe or perform any covenant, condition or agreement
contained in Section 5.13(c), and such failure shall continue unremedied
for a period of 5 Business Days after the earlier of (i) the Borrower becoming
aware of such failure and (ii) notice thereof from the Administrative Agent
to
the Borrower (which notice will be given at the request of the Required
Lenders);
(g) any
event or condition occurs that results in any Material Indebtedness becoming
due
prior to its scheduled maturity or that enables or permits (with or without
the
giving of notice, the lapse of time or both) the holder or holders of any
Material Indebtedness or any trustee or agent on its or their behalf to cause
any Material Indebtedness to become due, or to require the prepayment,
repurchase, redemption or defeasance thereof, prior to its scheduled
maturity;
(h) an
involuntary proceeding shall be commenced or an involuntary petition shall
be
filed seeking (i) liquidation, reorganization or other relief in respect of
the
Borrower or any other Loan Party or their debts, or of a substantial part of
their assets, under any Federal, state or foreign bankruptcy,
insolvency, receivership or similar law now or hereafter in effect or (ii)
the
58
appointment
of a receiver, trustee, custodian, sequestrator, conservator or similar official
for the Borrower or any other Loan Party or for a substantial part of their
assets, and, in any such case, such proceeding or petition shall continue
undismissed for 60 days or an order or decree approving or ordering any of
the
foregoing shall be entered;
(i) the
Borrower or any other Loan Party shall (i) voluntarily commence any proceeding
or file any petition seeking liquidation, reorganization or other relief under
any Federal, state or foreign bankruptcy, insolvency, receivership or similar
law now or hereafter in effect, (ii) consent to the institution of, or fail
to
contest in a timely and appropriate manner, any proceeding or petition described
in clause (h) of this Article, (iii) apply for or consent to the
appointment of a receiver, trustee, custodian, sequestrator, conservator or
similar official for the Borrower or any other Loan Party or for a substantial
part of its assets, (iv) file an answer admitting the material allegations
of a
petition filed against it in any such proceeding, (v) make a general assignment
for the benefit of creditors or (vi) take any action for the purpose of
effecting any of the foregoing;
(j) the
Borrower or any other Loan Party shall become unable, admit in writing its
inability or fail generally to pay its debts as they become due;
(k) one
or more judgments for the payment of money in an aggregate amount in excess
of
$1,000,000 (exclusive of amounts covered by insurance) shall be rendered against
the Borrower or any other Loan Party and the same shall remain undischarged
for
a period of 30 consecutive days during which execution shall not be effectively
stayed, or any action shall be legally taken by a judgment creditor to attach
or
levy upon any assets of the Borrower or any other Loan Party to enforce any
such
judgment;
(l) an
ERISA Event shall have occurred that, in the opinion of the Required Lenders,
when taken together with all other ERISA Events that have occurred, could
reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect;
(m) any
Lien purported to be created under any Security Document shall cease to be
a
valid and perfected Lien on any Collateral, with the priority required by the
applicable Security Document, except as a result of the sale or other
disposition of the applicable Collateral in a transaction permitted under the
Loan Documents, and the same shall not be fully cured within 30 days after
notice thereof to the Borrower by the Administrative Agent, or any Lien
purported to be created under any Security Document shall be asserted by any
Loan Party not to be a valid and perfected Lien on any Collateral, with the
priority required by the applicable Security Document, except as a result of
the
sale or other disposition of the applicable Collateral in a transaction
permitted under the Loan Documents;
(n) a
Change of Control shall occur;
then,
and
in every such event (other than an event with respect to the Borrower described
in clauses (h) or (i) of this Article), and at any time thereafter
during the continuance of such event, the Administrative Agent may, and at
the
request of the Required Lenders shall, by notice to the Borrower, take either
or
both of the following actions, at the same or different times: (i)
terminate the Commitments, and thereupon the Commitments shall terminate
immediately, and (ii) declare the Loans then outstanding to be due and payable
in whole (or in part, in which case
59
any
principal not so declared to be due and payable may thereafter be declared
to be
due and payable), and thereupon the principal of the Loans so declared to be
due
and payable, together with accrued interest thereon and all fees and other
obligations of the Borrower accrued hereunder, shall become due and
payable immediately, without presentment, demand, protest or other notice of
any
kind, all of which are hereby waived by the Borrower; and in case of any event
with respect to the Borrower described in clauses (h) or (i) of
this Article, the Commitments shall automatically terminate and the principal
of
the Loans then outstanding, together with accrued interest thereon and all
fees
and other obligations of the Borrower accrued hereunder, shall automatically
become due and payable, without presentment, demand, protest or other notice
of
any kind, all of which are hereby waived by the Borrower.
ARTICLE
VIII
The
Administrative Agent
Each
of
the Lenders and the Issuing Bank hereby irrevocably appoints the Administrative
Agent as its agent and authorizes the Administrative Agent to take such actions
on its behalf and to exercise such powers as are delegated to the Administrative
Agent by the terms of the Loan Documents, together with such actions and powers
as are reasonably incidental thereto.
The
bank
serving as the Administrative Agent hereunder shall have the same rights and
powers in its capacity as a Lender as any other Lender and may exercise the
same
as though it were not the Administrative Agent, and such bank and its Affiliates
may accept deposits from, lend money to and generally engage in any kind of
business with the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries or other Affiliate thereof
as if it were not the Administrative Agent hereunder.
The
Administrative Agent shall not have any duties or obligations except those
expressly set forth in the Loan Documents. Without limiting the
generality of the foregoing, (a) the Administrative Agent shall not be subject
to any fiduciary or other implied duties, regardless of whether a Default has
occurred and is continuing, (b) the Administrative Agent shall not have any
duty
to take any discretionary action or exercise any discretionary powers, except
discretionary rights and powers expressly contemplated by the Loan Documents
that the Administrative Agent is required to exercise in writing by the Required
Lenders (or such other number or percentage of the Lenders as shall be necessary
under the circumstances as provided in Section 9.02), and (c) except as
expressly set forth in the Loan Documents, the Administrative Agent shall not
have any duty to disclose, and shall not be liable for the failure to disclose,
any information relating to the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries that is
communicated to or obtained by the bank serving as Administrative Agent or
any
of its Affiliates in any capacity. The Administrative Agent shall not
be liable for any action taken or not taken by it with the consent or at the
request of the Required Lenders (or such other number or percentage of the
Lenders as shall be necessary under the circumstances as provided in Section
9.02) or in the absence of its own gross negligence or willful misconduct,
BUT REGARDLESS OF THE PRESENCE OF ORDINARY NEGLIGENCE. The
Administrative Agent shall not be deemed to have knowledge of any Default unless
and until written notice thereof is given to the Administrative Agent by the
Borrower or a Lender, and the Administrative Agent shall not be responsible
for
or have any duty to ascertain or inquire into (i) any statement, warranty or
representation made in or in connection with any Loan Document, (ii) the
contents of any certificate, report or other document delivered thereunder
or in
connection therewith, (iii) the performance or observance of any of the
covenants, agreements or other terms or conditions set
60
forth
in
any Loan Document, (iv) the validity, enforceability, effectiveness or
genuineness of any Loan Document or any other agreement, instrument or document,
or (v) the satisfaction of any condition set forth in Article IV or
elsewhere in any Loan Document, other than to confirm receipt of items expressly
required to be delivered to the Administrative Agent.
The
Administrative Agent shall be entitled to rely upon, and shall not incur any
liability for relying upon, any notice, request, certificate, consent,
statement, instrument, document or other writing believed by it to be genuine
and to have been signed or sent by the proper Person. The
Administrative Agent also may rely upon any statement made to it orally or
by
telephone and believed by it to be made by the proper Person, and shall not
incur any liability for relying thereon. The Administrative Agent may
consult with legal counsel (who may be counsel for the Borrower), independent
accountants and other experts selected by it, and shall not be liable for any
action taken or not taken by it in accordance with the advice of any such
counsel, accountants or experts.
The
Administrative Agent may perform any and all its duties and exercise its rights
and powers by or through any one or more sub-agents appointed by the
Administrative Agent. The Administrative Agent and any such sub-agent
may perform any and all its duties and exercise its rights and powers through
their respective Related Parties. The exculpatory provisions of the
preceding paragraphs shall apply to any such sub-agent and to the Related
Parties of the Administrative Agent and any such sub-agent, and shall apply
to
their respective activities in connection with the syndication of the credit
facilities provided for herein as well as activities as Administrative
Agent.
Subject
to the appointment and acceptance of a successor Administrative Agent as
provided in this paragraph, the Administrative Agent may (and, in the event
(i)
neither the Administrative Agent nor any Affiliate of the Administrative Agent,
as a Lender, has any Revolving Exposure or unused Commitment and (ii) the
Required Lenders so request, the Administrative Agent shall) resign at any
time
by notifying the Lenders, the Issuing Bank and the Borrower. Upon any
such resignation, the Required Lenders shall have the right, in consultation
with the Borrower (and, so long as no Event of Default has occurred which is
continuing, subject to the consent of Borrower, not to be unreasonably
withheld), to appoint a successor. If no successor shall have been so
appointed by the Required Lenders and shall have accepted such appointment
within 60 days after the retiring Administrative Agent gives notice of its
resignation, then the retiring Administrative Agent may, on behalf of the
Lenders and the Issuing Bank, in consultation with the Borrower, appoint a
successor Administrative Agent which shall be a bank with an office in Houston,
Texas, or an Affiliate of any such bank. Upon the acceptance of its
appointment as Administrative Agent hereunder by a successor, such successor
shall succeed to and become vested with all the rights, powers, privileges
and
duties of the retiring Administrative Agent, and the retiring Administrative
Agent shall be discharged from its duties and obligations
hereunder. The fees payable by the Borrower to a successor
Administrative Agent shall be the same as those payable to its predecessor
unless otherwise agreed between the Borrower and such
successor. After the Administrative Agent’s resignation hereunder,
the provisions of this Article and Section 9.03 shall continue in effect
for the benefit of such retiring Administrative Agent, its sub agents and their
respective Related Parties in respect of any actions taken or omitted to be
taken by any of them while it was acting as Administrative Agent.
61
Each
Lender acknowledges that it has, independently and without reliance upon the
Administrative Agent or any other Lender and based on such documents and
information as it has deemed appropriate, made its own credit analysis and
decision to enter into this Agreement. Each Lender also acknowledges
that it will, independently and without reliance upon the Administrative Agent
or any other Lender and based on such documents and information as it shall
from
time to time deem appropriate, continue to make its own decisions in taking
or
not taking action under or based upon this Agreement, any other Loan Document
or
related agreement or any document furnished hereunder or
thereunder.
ARTICLE
IX
Miscellaneous
SECTION
9.01. Notices.
(a) Except
in the case of notices and other communications expressly permitted to be given
by telephone (and subject to paragraph (b) below), all notices and other
communications provided for herein shall be in writing and shall be delivered
by
hand or overnight courier service, mailed by certified or registered mail or
sent by telecopy, as follows:
(i) if
to the Borrower, to it at 0000 Xxxxxxxx, Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx 00000, Attention: Xxx
XxXxxxxxx (Telecopy No. 713-996-6570);
(ii) if
to the Administrative Agent, to Xxxxx Fargo Bank, National Association, 0000
Xxxxxxx Xxx., XXX X0000-000, Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxxx 00000, Telecopy No.: 000-000-0000,
with a copy to: Xxxxx Fargo Bank, National Association, North Houston Commercial
Banking, 00 Xxxxxxxx Xxx., Xxxxx 000, Xxx Xxxxxxxxx, XX 00000,
Attention: Xxxxxx X. Xxxxx, Telecopy
No.: 000-000-0000;
(iii) if
to the Issuing Bank, to Xxxxx Fargo Bank, National Association, 0000 Xxxxxxx
Xxx., XXX X0000-000, Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxxx 00000, Telecopy No.: 000-000-0000, with
a
copy to: Xxxxx Fargo Bank, National Association, North Houston Commercial
Banking, 00 Xxxxxxxx Xxx., Xxxxx 000, Xxx Xxxxxxxxx, XX 00000,
Attention: Xxxxxx X. Xxxxx, Telecopy
No.: 000-000-0000;
(iv) if
to the Swingline Lender, to Xxxxx Fargo Bank, National Association, 0000 Xxxxxxx
Xxx., XXX X0000-000, Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxxx 00000, Telecopy No.: 000-000-0000, with
a
copy to: Xxxxx Fargo Bank, National Association, North Houston Commercial
Banking, 00 Xxxxxxxx Xxx., Xxxxx 000, Xxx Xxxxxxxxx, XX 00000,
Attention: Xxxxxx X. Xxxxx, Telecopy No.: 000-000-0000;
and
(v) if
to any other Lender, to it at its address (or telecopy number) set forth in
its
Administrative Questionnaire.
(b) The
Borrower and the Lenders agree that the Administrative Agent may make any
material delivered by the Borrower to the Administrative Agent, as well as
any
amendments, waivers, consents, and other written information, documents,
instruments and other materials relating to the Borrower, any of its
Subsidiaries, or any other materials or matters relating to this Agreement,
the
Notes or any of the transactions contemplated hereby (collectively, the
"Communications") available to the Lenders by posting such notices on an
electronic delivery
62
system
(which may be provided by the Administrative Agent, an Affiliate of the
Administrative Agent, or any Person that is not an Affiliate of the
Administrative Agent), such as IntraLinks, or a substantially similar electronic
system (the "Platform"). The Borrower acknowledges that (i)
the distribution of material through an electronic medium is not necessarily
secure and that there are confidentiality and other risks associated with such
distribution, (ii) the Platform is provided "as is" and "as available" and
(iii)
neither the Administrative Agent nor any of its Affiliates warrants the
accuracy, completeness, timeliness, sufficiency, or sequencing of the
Communications posted on the Platform. The Administrative Agent and
its Affiliates expressly disclaim with respect to the Platform any liability
for
errors in transmission, incorrect or incomplete downloading, delays in posting
or delivery, or problems accessing the Communications posted on the Platform
and
any liability for any losses, costs, expenses or liabilities that may be
suffered or incurred in connection with the Platform. No warranty of
any kind, express, implied or statutory, including, without limitation, any
warranty of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, non-infringement
of third party rights or freedom from viruses or other code defects, is made
by
the Administrative Agent or any of its Affiliates in connection with the
Platform. Each Lender agrees that notice to it (as provided in the
next sentence) (a "Notice") specifying that any Communication has been
posted to the Platform shall for purposes of this Agreement constitute effective
delivery to such Lender of such information, documents or other materials
comprising such Communication. Each Lender agrees (i) to notify, on
or before the date such Lender becomes a party to this Agreement, the
Administrative Agent in writing of such Lender's e-mail address to which a
Notice may be sent (and from time to time thereafter to ensure that the
Administrative Agent has on record an effective e-mail address for such Lender)
and (ii) that any Notice may be sent to such e-mail address.
(c) Any
party hereto may change its address or telecopy number for notices and other
communications hereunder by notice to the other parties hereto. All
notices and other communications given to any party hereto in accordance with
the provisions of this Agreement shall be deemed to have been given on the
date
of receipt.
SECTION
9.02. Waivers; Amendments.
(a) No
failure or delay by the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank or any Lender
in
exercising any right or power hereunder or under any other Loan Document shall
operate as a waiver thereof, nor shall any single or partial exercise of any
such right or power, or any abandonment or discontinuance of steps to enforce
such a right or power, preclude any other or further exercise thereof or the
exercise of any other right or power. The rights and remedies of the
Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank and the Lenders hereunder and under
the
other Loan Documents are cumulative and are not exclusive of any rights or
remedies that they would otherwise have. No waiver of any provision
of any Loan Document or consent to any departure by any Loan Party therefrom
shall in any event be effective unless the same shall be permitted by paragraph
(b) of this Section, and then such waiver or consent shall be effective only
in
the specific instance and for the purpose for which given. Without
limiting the generality of the foregoing, the making of a Loan or issuance
of a
Letter of Credit shall not be construed as a waiver of any Default, regardless
of whether the Administrative Agent, any Lender or the Issuing Bank may have
had
notice or knowledge of such Default at the time.
63
(b) Neither
this Agreement nor any other Loan Document nor any provision hereof or thereof
may be waived, amended or modified except, in the case of this Agreement,
pursuant to an agreement or agreements in writing entered into by the Borrower
and the Required Lenders or, in the case of any other Loan Document, pursuant
to
an agreement or agreements in writing entered into by the Administrative Agent
and the Loan Party or Loan Parties that are parties thereto, in each case with
the consent of the Required Lenders; provided that no such agreement shall
(i)
increase the Commitment of any Lender without the written consent of
such Lender, (ii) reduce the principal amount of any Loan or LC Disbursement
or
reduce the rate of interest thereon, or reduce any fees payable hereunder,
without the written consent of each Lender affected thereby, (iii) postpone
the
scheduled date of payment of the principal amount of any Loan or LC
Disbursement, or any interest thereon, or any fees payable hereunder, or reduce
the amount of, waive or excuse any such payment, or postpone the scheduled
date
of expiration of any Commitment, without the written consent of each Lender
affected thereby, (iv) change Section 2.17(b) or (c) in a manner
that would alter the pro rata sharing of payments required thereby, without
the
written consent of each Lender affected thereby, (v) change any of the
provisions of this Section or the definition of “Required Lenders” or any other
provision of any Loan Document specifying the number or percentage of Lenders
(or Lenders of any Class) required to waive, amend or modify any rights
thereunder or make any determination or grant any consent thereunder, without
the written consent of each Lender (or each Lender of such Class, as the case
may be), (vi) other than in connection with a transaction permitted by
Article VI, release any Subsidiary of Borrower from liability under the
Guaranty or limit the liability of any Subsidiary of Borrower in respect of
the
Guaranty, without the written consent of each Lender, (vii) other than in
connection with a transaction permitted by Article VI, release all or
substantially all of the Collateral from the Liens of the Security Documents,
without the written consent of each Lender or (vii) change any provisions of
any
Loan Document in a manner that by its terms adversely affects the rights in
respect of payments due to Lenders holding Loans of any Class differently than
those holding Loans of any other Class, without the written consent of Lenders
holding a majority in interest of the outstanding Loans and unused Commitments
of each affected Class; provided further that no such agreement shall amend,
modify or otherwise affect the rights or duties of the Administrative Agent
or
the Issuing Bank or the Swingline Lender without the prior written consent
of
the Administrative Agent or the Issuing Bank or the Swingline Lender, as the
case may be.
SECTION
9.03. Expenses; Indemnity; Damage Waiver.
(a) The
Borrower shall pay (i) all reasonable out of pocket expenses incurred by the
Administrative Agent and its Affiliates, including the reasonable fees, charges
and disbursements of counsel for the Administrative Agent, in connection with
the syndication of the credit facilities provided for herein, the preparation
and administration of the Loan Documents or any amendments, modifications or
waivers of the provisions thereof (whether or not the transactions contemplated
hereby or thereby shall be consummated), (ii) all reasonable out of-pocket
expenses incurred by the Issuing Bank in connection with the issuance,
amendment, renewal or extension of any Letter of Credit or any demand for
payment thereunder and (iii) all out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the
Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank or any Lender, including the fees,
charges and disbursements of any counsel for the Administrative Agent, the
Issuing Bank or any Lender, in connection with the enforcement or protection
of
its rights in connection with the Loan Documents, including its rights under
this Section, or in connection with the Loans made or Letters of Credit issued
hereunder, including all such out-of pocket
64
expenses
incurred during any workout, restructuring or negotiations in respect
of such Loans or Letters of Credit.
(b) The
Borrower shall indemnify the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank and each
Lender, and each Related Party of any of the foregoing Persons (each such Person
being called an “Indemnitee”) against, and hold each Indemnitee harmless from,
any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities and related expenses, including
the fees, charges and disbursements of any counsel for any Indemnitee, incurred
by or asserted against any Indemnitee arising out of, in connection with, or
as
a result of (i) the execution or delivery of any Loan Document or any other
agreement or instrument contemplated hereby, the performance by the parties
to
the Loan Documents of their respective obligations thereunder or the
consummation of the Transactions or any other transactions contemplated hereby,
(ii) any Loan or Letter of Credit or the use of the proceeds therefrom
(including any refusal by the Issuing Bank to honor a demand for payment under
a
Letter of Credit if the documents presented in connection with such demand
do
not strictly comply with the terms of such Letter of Credit), (iii) any actual
or alleged presence or release of Hazardous Materials on or from any Mortgaged
Property or any other property currently or formerly owned or operated by the
Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, or any Environmental Liability related
in
any way to the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, or (iv) any actual or
prospective claim, litigation, investigation or proceeding relating to any
of
the foregoing, whether based on contract, tort or any other theory and
regardless of whether any Indemnitee is a party thereto; provided that such
indemnity shall not, as to any Indemnitee, be available to the extent that
such
losses, claims, damages, liabilities or related expenses resulted from the
gross
negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct of, or a breach of the Loan
Documents by, such Indemnitee, BUT THE PRESENCE OF ORDINARY NEGLIGENCE SHALL
NOT
AFFECT THE AVAILABILITY OF SUCH INDEMNITY.
(c) To
the extent that the Borrower fails to pay any amount required to be paid by
it
to the Administrative Agent or the Issuing Bank or the Swingline Lender under
paragraphs (a) or (b) of this Section, each Lender severally agrees to pay
to
the Administrative Agent or the Issuing Bank or the Swingline Lender, as the
case may be, such Lender’s pro rata share (determined as of the time that the
applicable unreimbursed expense or indemnity payment is sought) of such unpaid
amount; provided that the unreimbursed expense or indemnified loss, claim,
damage, liability or related expense, as the case may be, was incurred by or
asserted against the Administrative Agent or the Issuing Bank in its capacity
as
such. For purposes hereof, a Lender’s “pro rata share” shall be
determined based upon (without duplication) its share of the sum of the total
Revolving Exposures and unused Commitments at the time.
(d) To
the extent permitted by applicable law, neither the Borrower nor any other
Loan
Party shall assert, and each hereby waives, any claim against any Indemnitee,
on
any theory of liability, for special, indirect, consequential or punitive
damages (as opposed to direct or actual damages) arising out of, in connection
with, or as a result of, this Agreement or any agreement or instrument
contemplated hereby, the Transactions, any Loan or Letter of Credit or the
use
of the proceeds thereof.
(e) All
amounts due under this Section shall be payable not later than three Business
Days after written demand therefor.
SECTION
9.04. Successors and Assigns.
65
(a) The
provisions of this Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit
of
the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns permitted hereby
(including any Affiliate of the Issuing Bank that issues any Letter of Credit),
except that (i) the Borrower may not assign or otherwise transfer any of its
rights or obligations hereunder without the prior written consent of each Lender
(and any attempted assignment or transfer by the Borrower without such consent
shall be null and void) and (ii) no Lender may assign or otherwise transfer
its
rights or obligations hereunder except in accordance with this
Section. Nothing in this Agreement, expressed or implied, shall be
construed to confer upon any Person (other than the parties hereto, their
respective successors and assigns permitted hereby (including any Affiliate
of
the Issuing Bank that issues any Letter of Credit), Participants (to the extent
provided in paragraph (c) of this Section) and, to the extent expressly
contemplated hereby, the Related Parties of each of the Administrative Agent,
the Issuing Bank and the Lenders) any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim
under or by reason of this Agreement.
(b) (i) Subject
to the conditions set forth in paragraph (b)(ii) below, any Lender may assign
to
one or more assignees all or a portion of its rights and obligations under
this
Agreement (including all or a portion of its Commitment and the Loans at the
time owing to it) with the prior written consent (such consent not to be
unreasonably withheld) of:
(A) the
Borrower, provided that no consent of the Borrower shall be required for an
assignment to a Lender, an Affiliate of a Lender, an Approved Fund or, if an
Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, any other assignee;
and
(B) the
Administrative Agent, provided that no consent of the Administrative Agent
shall
be required for an assignment of any Commitment to an assignee that is a Lender
with a Commitment immediately prior to giving effect to such assignment (or
an
Affiliate of any such Lender or an Approved Fund); and
(C) the
Issuing Bank and the Swingline Lender.
(ii) Assignments
shall be subject to the following additional conditions:
(A) except
in the case of an assignment to a Lender or an Affiliate of a Lender or an
assignment of the entire remaining amount of the assigning Lender’s Commitment
or Loans of any Class, the amount of the Commitment or Loans of the assigning
Lender subject to each such assignment (determined as of the date the Assignment
and Assumption with respect to such assignment is delivered to the
Administrative Agent) shall not be less than $5,000,000 in respect of a
Commitment, and shall not result in the assigning Lender holding a Commitment
of less than $5,000,000, unless each of the Borrower and the
Administrative Agent otherwise consent, provided that no such consent of the
Borrower shall be required if an Event of Default has occurred and is
continuing;
(B) each
partial assignment shall be made as an assignment of a proportionate part of
all
the assigning Lender’s rights and obligations under this Agreement, provided
that this clause shall not be construed to prohibit the
66
assignment
of a proportionate part of all the assigning Lender’s rights and obligations in
respect of one Class of Commitments or Loans;
(C) the
parties to each assignment shall execute and deliver to the Administrative
Agent
an Assignment and Assumption, together with a processing and recordation fee
of
$3,500; and
(D) the
assignee, if it shall not be a Lender, shall deliver to the Administrative
Agent
an Administrative Questionnaire.
For
the
purposes of this Section, the term “Approved Fund” has the following
meaning:
“Approved
Fund” means any Person (other than a natural person) that is engaged in
making, purchasing, holding or investing in bank loans and similar extensions
of
credit in the ordinary course of its business and that is administered or
managed by (a) a Lender, (b) an Affiliate of a Lender or (c) an entity or an
Affiliate of an entity that administers or manages a Lender.
(iii) Subject
to acceptance and recording thereof pursuant to paragraph (b)(iv) of this
Section, from and after the effective date specified in each Assignment and
Assumption the assignee thereunder shall be a party hereto and, to the extent
of
the interest assigned by such Assignment and Assumption, have the rights and
obligations of a Lender under this Agreement, and the assigning Lender
thereunder shall, to the extent of the interest assigned by such Assignment
and
Assumption, be released from its obligations under this Agreement (and, in
the
case of an Assignment and Assumption covering all of the assigning Lender’s
rights and obligations under this Agreement, such Lender shall cease to be
a
party hereto but shall continue to be entitled to the benefits of Sections
2.14, 2.15, 2.16 and 9.03). Any assignment
or transfer by a Lender of rights or obligations under this Agreement
that does not comply with this Section shall be treated for purposes of this
Agreement as a sale by such Lender of a participation in such rights and
obligations in accordance with paragraph (c) of this Section.
(iv) The
Administrative Agent, acting for this purpose as an agent of the Borrower,
shall
maintain at one of its offices a copy of each Assignment and Assumption
delivered to it and a register for the recordation of the names and addresses
of
the Lenders, and the Commitment of, and principal amount of the Loans and LC
Disbursements owing to, each Lender pursuant to the terms hereof from time
to
time (the “Register”). The entries in the Register shall be
conclusive, and the Borrower, the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank, the
Swingline Lender and the Lenders may treat each Person whose name is recorded
in
the Register pursuant to the terms hereof as a Lender hereunder for all purposes
of this Agreement, notwithstanding notice to the contrary. The
Register shall be available for inspection by the Borrower, the Issuing Bank,
the Swingline Lender and any Lender, at any reasonable time and from time to
time upon reasonable prior notice.
(v) Upon
its receipt of a duly completed Assignment and Assumption executed by an
assigning Lender and an assignee, the assignee’s completed Administrative
Questionnaire (unless the assignee shall already be a Lender hereunder), the
processing and recordation fee referred to in paragraph (b) of this Section
and
any written consent to such assignment required by paragraph (b) of this
Section, the Administrative Agent shall accept such
67
Assignment
and Assumption and record the information contained therein in the Register;
provided that if either the assigning Lender or the assignee shall have failed
to make any payment required to be made by it pursuant to this Agreement, the
Administrative Agent shall have no obligation to accept such Assignment and
Assumption and record the information therein in the Register unless and until
such payment shall have been made in full, together with all accrued interest
thereon. No assignment shall be effective for purposes of this
Agreement unless it has been recorded in the Register as provided in this
paragraph.
(c) (i) Any
Lender may, without the consent of the Borrower, the Administrative Agent or
the
Issuing Bank or the Swingline Lender, sell participations to one or more banks
or other entities (a “Participant”) in all or a portion of such Lender’s
rights and obligations under this Agreement (including all or a portion of
its
Commitment and the Loans owing to it); provided that (A) such Lender’s
obligations under this Agreement shall remain unchanged, (B) such Lender shall
remain solely responsible to the other parties hereto for the performance of
such obligations and (C) the Borrower, the Administrative Agent, the Issuing
Bank, the Swingline Lender and the other Lenders shall continue to deal solely
and directly with such Lender in connection with such Lender’s rights and
obligations under this Agreement. Any agreement or instrument
pursuant to which a Lender sells such a participation shall provide that such
Lender shall retain the sole right to enforce this Agreement and to approve
any
amendment, modification or waiver of any provision of this Agreement; provided
that such agreement or instrument may provide that such Lender will not, without
the consent of the Participant, agree to any amendment, modification or waiver
described in the first proviso to Section 9.02(b) that affects such
Participant. Subject to paragraph (c)(ii) of this Section, the
Borrower agrees that each Participant shall be entitled to the benefits of
Sections 2.14, 2.15 and 2.16 to the same extent as if it
were a Lender and had acquired its interest by assignment pursuant to paragraph
(b) of this Section. To the extent permitted by law, each Participant
also shall be entitled to the benefits of Section 9.08 as though it were
a Lender, provided such Participant agrees to be subject to Section
2.17(c) as though it were a Lender.
(ii) A
Participant shall not be entitled to receive any greater payment under
Sections 2.14, 2.15 or 2.16 than the applicable Lender
would have been entitled to receive with respect to the participation sold
to
such Participant, unless the sale of the participation to such Participant
is
made with the Borrower’s prior written consent. A Participant that
would be a Foreign Lender if it were a Lender shall not be entitled to the
benefits of Section 2.16 unless the Borrower is notified of the
participation sold to such Participant and such Participant agrees, for the
benefit of the Borrower, to comply with Section 2.16(e) as though it were
a Lender.
(d) Any
Lender may at any time pledge or assign a security interest in all or any
portion of its rights under this Agreement to secure obligations of such Lender,
including without limitation any pledge or assignment to secure obligations
to a
Federal Reserve Bank, and this Section shall not apply to any such pledge or
assignment of a security interest; provided that no such pledge or assignment
of
a security interest shall release a Lender from any of its obligations hereunder
or substitute any such pledgee or assignee for such Lender as a party
hereto.
SECTION
9.05. Survival. All covenants, agreements,
representations and warranties made by the Loan Parties in the Loan Documents
and in the certificates or other instruments delivered in connection
with or pursuant to this Agreement or any other Loan Document shall be
considered to have been relied upon by the other parties hereto and shall
survive the execution
68
and
delivery of the Loan Documents and the making of any Loans and issuance of
any
Letters of Credit, regardless of any investigation made by any such other party
or on its behalf and notwithstanding that the Administrative Agent, the Issuing
Bank, the Swingline Lender or any Lender may have had notice or knowledge of
any
Default or incorrect representation or warranty at the time any credit is
extended hereunder, and shall continue in full force and effect as long as
the
principal of or any accrued interest on any Loan or any fee or any other amount
payable under this Agreement is outstanding and unpaid or any Letter of Credit
is outstanding and so long as the Commitments have not expired or
terminated. The provisions of Sections 2.14, 2.15,
2.16 and 9.03 and Article VIII shall survive and remain in
full force and effect regardless of the consummation of the transactions
contemplated hereby, the repayment of the Loans, the expiration or termination
of the Letters of Credit and the Commitments or the termination of this
Agreement or any provision hereof.
SECTION
9.06. Counterparts; Integration;
Effectiveness. This Agreement may be executed in counterparts
(and by different parties hereto on different counterparts), each of which
shall
constitute an original, but all of which when taken together shall constitute
a
single contract. This Agreement, the other Loan Documents and any
separate letter agreements with respect to fees payable to the Administrative
Agent constitute the entire contract among the parties relating to the subject
matter hereof and supersede any and all previous agreements and understandings,
oral or written, relating to the subject matter hereof. Except as
provided in Section 4.01, this Agreement shall become effective when it
shall have been executed by the Administrative Agent and when the Administrative
Agent shall have received counterparts hereof which, when taken together, bear
the signatures of each of the other parties hereto, and thereafter shall be
binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective
successors and assigns. Delivery of an executed counterpart of a
signature page of this Agreement by telecopy shall be effective as delivery
of a
manually executed counterpart of this Agreement.
SECTION
9.07. Severability. Any provision of this Agreement
held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any jurisdiction shall, as
to
such jurisdiction, be ineffective to the extent of such invalidity, illegality
or unenforceability without affecting the validity, legality and enforceability
of the remaining provisions hereof; and the invalidity of a particular provision
in a particular jurisdiction shall not invalidate such provision in any other
jurisdiction.
SECTION
9.08. Right of Setoff. If an Event of Default shall
have occurred and be continuing, each Lender and each of its Affiliates is
hereby authorized at any time and from time to time, to the fullest extent
permitted by law, to set off and apply any and all deposits (general or special,
time or demand, provisional or final) at any time held and other obligations
at
any time owing by such Lender or Affiliate to or for the credit or the account
of the Borrower against any of and all the obligations of the Borrower now
or
hereafter existing under this Agreement held by such Lender, irrespective of
whether or not such Lender shall have made any demand under this Agreement
and
although such obligations may be unmatured. The rights of each Lender
under this Section are in addition to other rights and remedies (including
other
rights of setoff) which such Lender may have. Each Lender agrees to
use reasonable efforts to promptly notify Borrower and Administrative Agent
after any such set-off and application, provided that failure to give (or delay
in giving) any such notice shall not affect the validity of such set-off and
application or impose any liability on such Lender.
69
SECTION
9.09. Governing Law; Jurisdiction; Consent to Service of
Process.
(a) This
Agreement shall be construed in accordance with and governed by the law of
the
State of Texas.
(b) Each
party hereto hereby irrevocably and unconditionally submits, for itself and
its
property, to the nonexclusive jurisdiction of each court of the State of Texas
sitting in Xxxxxx County and of the United States District Court of the Southern
District of Texas (Houston Division), and any appellate court from any thereof,
in any action or proceeding arising out of or relating to any Loan Document,
or
for recognition or enforcement of any judgment, and each of the parties hereto
hereby irrevocably and unconditionally agrees that all claims in respect of
any
such action or proceeding may be heard and determined in such Texas State or,
to
the extent permitted by law, in such Federal court. Each of the
parties hereto agrees that a final judgment in any such action or proceeding
shall be conclusive and may be enforced in other jurisdictions by suit on the
judgment or in any other manner provided by law. Nothing in this
Agreement or any other Loan Document shall affect any right that the
Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank, the Swingline Lender or any Lender
may
otherwise have to bring any action or proceeding relating to this Agreement
or
any other Loan Document against the Borrower or its properties in the courts
of
any jurisdiction.
(c) Each
party hereto hereby irrevocably and unconditionally waives, to the fullest
extent it may legally and effectively do so, any objection which it may now
or
hereafter have to the laying of venue of any suit, action or proceeding arising
out of or relating to this Agreement or any other Loan Document in any court
referred to in paragraph (b) of this Section. Each of the parties
hereto hereby irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by law, the
defense of an inconvenient forum to the maintenance of such action or proceeding
in any such court.
(d) Each
party to this Agreement irrevocably consents to service of process in the manner
provided for notices in Section 9.01. Nothing in this
Agreement or any other Loan Document will affect the right of any party to
this
Agreement to serve process in any other manner permitted by law.
SECTION
9.10. WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL. EACH PARTY
HERETO HEREBY AGREES NOT TO ELECT A TRIAL BY JURY OF ANY ISSUE TRIABLE OF RIGHT
BY JURY, AND WAIVES ANY RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY FULLY TO THE EXTENT THAT ANY
SUCH
RIGHT SHALL NOW OR HEREAFTER EXIST WITH REGARD TO THIS AGREEMENT OR ANY OTHER
LOAN DOCUMENT, OR ANY CLAIM, COUNTERCLAIM OR OTHER ACTION ARISING IN CONNECTION
THEREWITH. THIS WAIVER OF RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY IS GIVEN KNOWINGLY
AND VOLUNTARILY BY EACH PARTY HERETO, AND IS INTENDED TO ENCOMPASS INDIVIDUALLY
EACH INSTANCE AND EACH ISSUE AS TO WHICH THE RIGHT TO A TRIAL BY JURY WOULD
OTHERWISE ACCRUE. EACH PARTY HERETO IS HEREBY AUTHORIZED TO FILE A
COPY OF THIS PARAGRAPH IN ANY PROCEEDING AS CONCLUSIVE EVIDENCE OF THIS WAIVER
BY ANY OTER PARTY HERETO.
70
SECTION
9.11. Headings. Article and Section headings and
the Table of Contents used herein are for convenience of reference only, are
not
part of this Agreement and shall not affect the construction of, or be taken
into consideration in interpreting, this Agreement.
SECTION
9.12. Interest Rate Limitation. Borrower and the
Lenders intend to strictly comply with all applicable federal and Texas laws,
including applicable usury laws (or the usury laws of
any jurisdiction whose usury laws are deemed to apply to the Notes or
any other Loan Documents despite the intention and desire of the parties to
apply the usury laws of the State of Texas). Accordingly, the
provisions of this Section shall govern and control over every other provision
of this Agreement or any other Loan Document which conflicts or is inconsistent
with this Section, even if such provision declares that it
controls. As used in this Section, the term “interest” includes the
aggregate of all charges, fees, benefits or other compensation which constitute
interest under applicable law, provided that, to the maximum extent permitted
by
applicable law, (a) any non-principal payment shall be characterized as an
expense or as compensation for something other than the use, forbearance or
detention of money and not as interest, and (b) all interest at any time
contracted for, reserved, charged or received shall be amortized, prorated,
allocated and spread, using the actuarial method, during the full term of the
Notes. In no event shall Borrower or any other Person be obligated to
pay, or any Lender have any right or privilege to reserve, receive or retain,
(a) any interest in excess of the maximum amount of nonusurious interest
permitted under the laws of the State of Texas or the applicable laws (if any)
of the United States or of any other jurisdiction, or (b) total interest in
excess of the amount which such Lender could lawfully have contracted for,
reserved, received, retained or charged had the interest been calculated for
the
full term of the Notes at the Ceiling Rate. The daily interest rates
to be used in calculating interest at the Ceiling Rate shall be determined
by
dividing the applicable Ceiling Rate per annum by the number of days in the
calendar year for which such calculation is being made. None of the
terms and provisions contained in this Agreement or in any other Loan Document
(including, without limitation, Article VII hereof) which directly or
indirectly relate to interest shall ever be construed without reference to
this
Section, or be construed to create a contract to pay for the use, forbearance
or
detention of money at any interest rate in excess of the Ceiling
Rate. If the term of any Note is shortened by reason of acceleration
or maturity as a result of any Default or by any other cause, or by reason
of
any required or permitted prepayment, and if for that (or any other) reason
any
Lender at any time, including but not limited to, the stated maturity, is owed
or receives (and/or has received) interest in excess of interest calculated
at
the Ceiling Rate, then and in any such event all of any such excess interest
shall be canceled automatically as of the date of such acceleration, prepayment
or other event which produces the excess, and, if such excess interest has
been
paid to such Lender, it shall be credited pro tanto against the then-outstanding
principal balance of Borrower’s obligations to such Lender, effective as of the
date or dates when the event occurs which causes it to be excess interest,
until
such excess is exhausted or all of such principal has been fully paid and
satisfied, whichever occurs first, and any remaining balance of such excess
shall be promptly refunded to its payor.
SECTION
9.13. USA Patriot Act. Each Lender that is subject
to the requirements of the USA Patriot Act (Title III of Pub. L. 107-56 (signed
into law October 26, 2001)) (the “Act”) hereby notifies the Borrower that
pursuant to the requirements of the Act, it is required to obtain, verify and
record information that identifies the Borrower, which information includes
the
name and address of the Borrower and other information that will allow such
Lender to identify the Borrower in accordance with the Act.
71
IN
WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be duly
executed by their respective authorized officers as of the day and year first
above written.
DXP
ENTERPRISES, INC.,
a
Texas
corporation
By: /S/Xxx
XxXxxxxxx
Name: Xxx
XxXxxxxxx
|
Title:
|
Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and
Secretary
|
Tax
Id.
No. 00-0000000
72
XXXXX
FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, individually and as Lead Arranger and
Administrative Agent and as Issuing Bank and Swingline Lender
By: /S/Xxx
Xxxxx
Name: Xxxxxx
X.
Xxxxx, III
Title:
Vice
President
73
U.S.
BANK
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
By: /S/Xxxx
X.
Xxxxxxx
Name:
Xxxx X. Xxxxxxx
Title:
Vice President
74
WACHOVIA
BANK, NATIONAL
ASSOCIATION
By: /S/Xxxxxxx
X.
Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxx
X. Xxxxxx, Vice
President
75
FIFTH
THIRD BANK
By: /S/Xxxxxx
X.
Xxxx
Name:
Xxxxxx X. Xxxx
Title:
Vice President