AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF MERGER BY AND AMONG ARDMORE HOLDING CORPORATION, ARDMORE ACQUISITION CORP., CHARLESTON INDUSTRIAL LTD., AND TRYANT, LLC
AGREEMENT
AND PLAN OF MERGER
BY
AND AMONG
ARDMORE
HOLDING CORPORATION,
ARDMORE
ACQUISITION CORP.,
CHARLESTON
INDUSTRIAL LTD.,
AND
TRYANT,
LLC
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page | |
1.
Definitions
|
1
|
2.
Plan of Reorganization
|
4
|
3.
Terms of Merger
|
5
|
4.
Exchange of Certificates
|
5
|
5.
Representations and Warranties of Target
|
6
|
6.
Representations and Warranties of Ardmore and Merger Sub
|
7
|
7.
Closing
|
11
|
8.
Actions Prior to Closing
|
11
|
9.
Conditions Precedent to the Obligations of Target
|
12
|
10.
Conditions Precedent to the Obligations of Ardmore and Merger
Sub
|
13
|
11.
Survival and indemnification
|
14
|
12.
Nature of Representations
|
15
|
13.
Documents at Closing
|
16
|
14.
Finder’s Fees
|
16
|
15.
Post-Closing Covenants
|
16
|
16.
Miscellaneous
|
17
|
Schedule
6(b)(1) - Capital Structure of Ardmore and Merger Sub
Schedule
6(d)(2) - SEC Reports
Schedule
14 - Finder’s
Fees
Exhibit A - |
Certificate
of Merger
|
Exhibit B - |
Articles
of Merger
|
Exhibit C- |
Indemnification
Agreement
|
AGREEMENT
AND PLAN OF MERGER
This
Agreement and Plan of Merger (the “Agreement”)
is
dated as of June 6, 2008, by and among Ardmore Holding Corporation, a Delaware
corporation (“Ardmore”),
Ardmore Acquisition Corp., a direct wholly owned subsidiary of Ardmore
(“Merger
Sub”),
Tryant, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company as the principal shareholder
of Ardmore (the “Principal
Shareholder”),
and
Charleston Industrial Ltd., a British Virgin Islands limited liability company
(the “Target).
RECITALS
WHEREAS,
the
parties hereto desire that Target shall be acquired by Ardmore through the
merger (“Merger”)
of
Merger Sub with and into Target, with Target being the surviving wholly owned
subsidiary of Ardmore (the “Surviving
Corporation”),
pursuant to this Agreement, the Certificate of Merger in the form annexed hereto
as Exhibit
A
(the
“Certificate
of Merger”),
the
Articles of Merger in the form annexed hereto as Exhibit
B,
(the
“Articles
of Merger”),
the
Delaware General Corporation Law (“DGCL”)
and
the British Virgin Islands Business Companies Act (the “B.V.I.
Corporation Law”);
WHEREAS,
simultaneously with and conditioned upon, the Effective Time of the Merger,
Ardmore will have received subscription agreements for the purchase of
securities of Ardmore in a proposed offering thereof, and the gross proceeds
therefrom shall be no less than $1,000,000 (the “Offering”);
WHEREAS,
the
parties desire to provide for certain undertakings, conditions, representations,
warranties and covenants in connection with the transactions contemplated
hereby.
AGREEMENT
NOW,
THEREFORE,
in
consideration of the premises and of the mutual representations, warranties
and
covenants herein contained and intending to be legally bound hereby, the parties
hereto agree as follows:
1. Definitions.
As used
in this Agreement, the following terms shall have the meanings set forth
below:
“Accredited
Investor”
has
the
meaning ascribed to such term by Rule 501(a) promulgated under the Securities
Act.
“Affiliates”
means
with respect to any Person, (a) each other Person that controls, is controlled
by, or is under common control with, such Person, (b) each other Person that
holds a Material Interest in such Person, (c) each other Person that serves
as a
director, officer, general partner, executor or trustee of such Person (or
in a
similar capacity), (d) each other Person in which such Person holds a Material
Interest and (e) each other Person with respect to which such Person serves
as a
general partner or a trustee (or in a similar capacity). For purposes of this
definition “Material
Interest”
means
direct or indirect beneficial ownership (as defined in Rule 13d-3 under the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended) of voting securities or other
voting interests representing at least 10% of the outstanding voting power
of an
entity or equity securities or other equity interests representing at least
10%
of the outstanding equity securities or equity interests in an
entity.
“Agreement”
means
this Agreement as defined in the preamble hereto.
“Ardmore
Stock”
means
the common stock of Ardmore.
“B.V.I.”
means
British Virgin Islands.
“Certificate
of Merger”
has
the
meaning provided in the Recitals.
“Certifications”
shall
have the meaning ascribed to such term by Section
6(d)(4).
“Charleston’s
Financial Statements”
mean
the (i) the audited balance sheet of Target as of October 31, 2007 and (ii)
the
unaudited condensed consolidated balance sheet of and for Target and its
consolidated subsidiaries as of January 31, 2008 and 2007, and the related
statements of operations and comprehensive income, cash flows and stockholders
equity (including related notes, if any) for the three months then
ended.
“Closing”
has
the
meaning provided in Section
7.
“Code”
means
the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.
“Constituent
Corporations”
means
Merger Sub and Target, collectively.
“Contemplated
Transactions”
means
the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the Transaction Documents,
including without limitation, the transactions contemplated by the
Offering.
“Contract”
means
any agreement, contract, license, lease, instrument, note, bond, mortgage,
indenture, guarantee or other legally binding commitment or obligation, whether
oral or written.
“Effective
Time”
has
the
meaning provided in Section
7.
“Encumbrance”
means
any mortgage, deed of trust, pledge, lien, security interest, charge, claim
or
other security arrangement of any nature whatsoever, whether voluntarily or
involuntarily given, including any conditional sale or title retention
arrangement, and any Assignment, deposit arrangement or lease intended as ,
or
having the effect of, security and any filed financing statement or other notice
of any of the foregoing (whether or not an Encumbrance is created or exists
at
the time of the filing).
“Exchange
Act”
means
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations
promulgated thereunder.
“Financial
Statements”
means
collectively, Tianjin Yayi’s Financial Statements and Charleston’s Financial
Statements.
“GAAP”
means
generally accepted accounting principles in the United States.
“Governmental
Authorization”
means
any permit, license, franchise, approval, consent, permission, confirmation,
endorsement, waiver, certification, registration, qualification, clearance
or
other authorization issued, granted, given or otherwise made available by or
under the authority of any Governmental Entity or pursuant to any Legal
Requirement.
“Governmental
Entity”
means
FINRA and any of its Affiliates, any nation, state, municipality and any
federal, state, local, foreign, provincial or supranational court or
governmental agency, authority, instrumentality or regulatory body as the case
may be.
“Indebtedness”
means
indebtedness for borrowed money or the equivalent or represented by notes,
bonds
or other similar instruments or letters of credit (or reimbursement agreements
in respect thereof) or representing the balance deferred and unpaid of the
purchase price of any property (other than trade payables constituting current
liabilities and personal property leases), and including, without limitation,
capital lease obligations, including all accrued and unpaid interest thereon,
and applicable prepayment, breakage or other premiums, fees or penalties and
the
costs of discharging such indebtedness, all as determined in accordance with
GAAP.
“Indemnification
Agreement”
means
the agreement in the form annexed hereto as Exhibit
C.
“Indemnified
Parties”
has
the
meaning set forth in Section
11(a).
“Legal
Requirement”
shall
mean any federal, state, local, provincial, foreign, international,
multinational or other statute, law, treaty, rule, regulation, guideline,
administrative order, directives, ordinance, constitution or principle of common
law (or any interpretation thereof by a Governmental Entity).
“Liability”
or
“Liabilities”
has
the
meaning ascribed to such term in Section
6(h).
“Losses”
has
the
meaning set forth in Section 11(a).
“Material
Adverse Effect”
means:
(a) with
respect to Target, an effect that would be materially adverse: (i) to the
business, results of operation or financial condition of Target or Tianjin
Yayi;
(ii) to Target’s ability to perform any of its material obligations under this
Agreement or to consummate the Merger; or (iii) to the ability of the Surviving
Corporation or Ardmore to conduct the business of Target (including, for
avoidance of doubt Tianjin Yayi) following the Effective Time or the ability
of
Target to exercise full rights of ownership of Target or its Assets or business;
or
2
(b) with
respect to Ardmore, an effect that would be materially adverse (i) to the
business, results of operation, or financial conditions of Ardmore and its
subsidiaries, considered as a whole; or (ii) to Ardmore’s ability to perform any
of its material obligations under this Agreement or to consummate the Merger;
or
(iii) to the ability of the Surviving Corporation or Ardmore to conduct the
business of Target following the Effective Time or the ability of Ardmore to
exercise full rights of ownership of Target or its assets or business; or (iv)
to the ability of Ardmore to prepare, file and remain in compliance with its
SEC
Reports (as hereinafter defined) and other reporting obligations under the
Securities Laws (as hereinafter defined), or (v) to the trading of the Ardmore
common stock or the ability of brokers to maintain quotations for its common
stock on the OTC Bulletin Board;
provided,
however,
that in
determining whether a Material Adverse Effect has occurred there shall be
excluded any effect on the referenced party the cause of which is (i) general
changes in conditions in the dairy or livestock or cheese industries, in the
financial markets or in the global or United States economy and (ii) any
action or omission of Target or Ardmore or Merger Sub taken with the prior
written consent of Ardmore or Target, as applicable, in contemplation of the
Merger.
“Merger”
is
defined in the recitals hereto.
“Merger
Sub Stock”
has
the
meaning provided in Section
6(b)(1).
“Off
Balance Sheet Arrangement”
shall
have the meaning ascribed to such term by Item 303 (a)(4)(ii) of Regulation
S-K.
“Person”
means
any individual and any corporation, partnership, limited liability company,
firm, trust, or other business entity and any Governmental Entity.
“Registry”
means
the B.V.I. Registry of Corporate Affairs.
“Rights”
means
(i) warrants, options, rights, convertible securities and other arrangements
or
commitments which obligate an entity to issue or dispose of any of its capital
stock or shares, (ii) stock or share appreciation rights, performance units
and
other similar stock-based rights whether they obligate the issuer thereof to
issue stock or shares or other securities or to pay cash and (iii) the right
to
require the registration under Securities Laws of the issuance, sale, resale
or
any other transactions involving securities.
“Sarbanes
Act”
means
the Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act of 2002, as amended, and the rules and regulations
promulgated thereunder or with respect thereto.
“SEC”
means
the Securities and Exchange Commission.
“SEC
Reports”
means
all forms, reports, registration statements, schedules and documents filed,
or
required to be filed, by Ardmore pursuant to the Securities Laws.
“Securities
Act”
means
the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations
promulgated thereunder.
“Securities
Laws”
means
the Securities Act; the Exchange Act; the Investment Company Act of 1940, as
amended; the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended; the Trust Indenture
Act of 1939, as amended; the Sarbanes Act; the rules and regulations of SEC
promulgated thereunder; and the blue sky and other Legal Requirements of any
state or jurisdiction that are applicable to the transactions in securities
generally.
“Stockholders”
means
all Persons who hold issued and outstanding Target Stock as of the Effective
Time.
“Subsidiary”
or
“Subsidiaries”
means
with respect to any party, any corporation, company, partnership or other
organization, whether incorporated or unincorporated, which is consolidated
with
such party for financial reporting purposes.
“Surviving
Corporation”
has
the
meaning provided in the recital hereto.
“Tianjin
Yayi Financial Statements”
means the (i) audited balance sheet of Tianjin Yayi and its consolidated
subsidiaries as of October 31, 2007 and 2006, and the related statements of
operations and comprehensive income, cash flows and stockholders’ equity
(including related notes, if any) for the years then ended and (ii) unaudited
balance sheet of Tianjin Yayi and its consolidated subsidiaries as of and for
the three months ended January 31, 2008 and 2007 and
the
related statements of operations and comprehensive income, cash flows and
stockholders equity (including related notes, if any) for the three months
then
ended
“Target
Stock”
means
the shares in Target.
3
“Tax”
collectively, “Taxes” means all taxes, however denominated, including any
interest, penalties, criminal sanctions or additions to tax (including, without
limitation, any underpayment penalties for insufficient estimated tax payments)
or other additional amounts that may become payable in respect thereof (or
in
respect of a failure to file any Tax Return when and as required), imposed
by
any Governmental Entity, which taxes shall include, without limiting the
generality of the foregoing, all income taxes, payroll and employment taxes,
withholding taxes (including withholding taxes in connection with amounts paid
or owing to any employee, independent contractor, creditor, stockholder or
other
person or entity), unemployment insurance taxes, social security (or similar)
taxes, sales and use taxes, excise taxes, franchise taxes, gross receipts taxes,
occupation taxes, real and personal property taxes, stamp taxes, value added
taxes, transfer taxes, profits or windfall profits taxes, licenses in the nature
of taxes, estimated taxes, severance taxes, duties (custom and others), workers’
compensation taxes, premium taxes, environmental taxes (including taxes under
Section 59A of the Code), disability taxes, registration taxes, alternative
or
add-on minimum taxes, estimated taxes, and other fees, assessments, charges
or
obligations of the same or of a similar nature.
“Tax
Return,”
collectively, “Tax
Returns”
means
all returns, reports, estimates, information statements or other written
submissions, and any schedules or attachments thereto, required or permitted
to
be filed pursuant to Legal Requirements including but not limited to, original
returns and filings, amended returns, claims for refunds, information returns,
ruling requests, administrative or judicial filings, accounting method change
requests, responses to revenue agents’ reports (federal, state or local) and
settlement documents.
“Tianjin
Yayi”
means
Tianjin Yayi Industrial Co. Ltd., an entity organized and existing under the
laws of the People’s Republic of China.
“Transaction
Documents”
means
the Agreement and the agreements, certificates, documents and instruments to
be
entered into in connection therewith.
“Transaction
Expenses”
means
all fees, costs, expenses and disbursements, incurred by Ardmore, Principal
Shareholder, the Stockholders, and/or Target in connection with the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement, the Merger and the other agreements referenced
or provided for herein, including, without limitation, (a) the fees and expenses
of any legal counsel retained by the Principal Shareholder, Ardmore, or Target;
(b) the fees and expenses of any accountants of Target including any indirect
fees and expenses resulting from outsourcing or through service agreements;
(c)
any amounts payable in accordance with Section
16(l)
of this
Agreement; and (d) any fees and expenses of any other counsel, accountants,
financial advisors or other similar professionals with respect to services
rendered to the Principal Shareholder or Target in connection with the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
In
addition, the following terms shall be interpreted as set forth
below:
(a) The
words
“hereof,” “herein,” and “hereunder” and words of similar import, when used in
this Agreement, shall refer to this Agreement as a whole including the schedules
and exhibits hereto and not to any particular provisions of this
Agreement.
(b) Terms
defined in the singular shall have a comparable meaning when used in the plural,
and vice-versa.
(c) References
to the “Knowledge”
of
(i)
a natural Person shall refer to the conscious awareness of facts by such person
after due inquiry and (ii) an entity shall refer to the actual knowledge of
the
directors and officers or similar control persons of the entity, and the
knowledge of any fact or matter which any Person would have following reasonable
inquiries of those employees and directors or former employees and directors
of
the entity of whom such Persons would reasonably believe would have actual
knowledge of such matters presented.
(d) References
to an “Exhibit”
or
to a
“Schedule”
are,
unless otherwise specified, to one of the Exhibits or Schedules attached to
or
referenced in this Agreement, and reference to a “Section” is, unless otherwise
specified, to one of the Sections of this Agreement.
2. Plan
of Reorganization.
The
parties to this Agreement do hereby agree that Merger Sub shall be merged with
and into Target upon the terms and conditions set forth herein and in accordance
with the provisions of the DGCL and the B.V.I. Corporation Law to the extent
that such law is relevant to transactions of this type. It is the intention
of
the parties hereto that this transaction qualify as a tax-free reorganization
under Section 368(a)(2)(E) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended,
and
related sections thereunder.
4
3. Terms
of Merger.
In
accordance with the provisions of this Agreement and the requirements of
applicable law, Merger Sub shall be merged with and into Target as of the
Effective Time (the terms “Closing”
and
“Effective
Time”
are
defined in Section
7
hereof).
Target shall be the Surviving Corporation and resulting wholly owned subsidiary
of Ardmore and the separate existence of Merger Sub shall cease when the Merger
shall become effective. Consummation of the Merger shall be upon the following
terms and subject to the conditions set forth herein:
(a) Corporate
Existence.
(1) Commencing
with the Effective Time, the Surviving Corporation shall continue its corporate
existence as a B.V.I. limited liability company and as a wholly owned subsidiary
of Ardmore and (i) it shall thereupon and thereafter possess all rights,
privileges, powers, franchises and property (real, personal and mixed) of each
of the Constituent Corporations; (ii) all debts due to either of the Constituent
Corporations, on whatever account, all causes in action and all other things
belonging to either of the Constituent Corporations shall be taken and deemed
to
be transferred to and shall be vested in the Surviving Corporation by virtue
of
the Merger without further act or deed; and (iii) all rights of creditors and
all Encumbrances, if any, upon any property of any of the Constituent
Corporations shall be preserved unimpaired, limited in Encumbrances to the
property affected by such Encumbrances immediately prior to the Effective Time,
and all debts, liabilities and duties of the Constituent Corporations shall
thenceforth attach to the Surviving Corporation.
(2) At
the
Effective Time, (i) the Memorandum and Articles of Association of Target, as
existing immediately prior to the Effective Time, shall be and remain the
Memorandum and Articles of Association of the Surviving Corporation; (ii) the
members of the Board of Directors of the Target holding office immediately
prior
to the Effective Time shall remain as the members of the Board of Directors
of
the Surviving Corporation (if on or after the Effective Time a vacancy exists
on
the Board of Directors of the Surviving Corporation, such vacancy may thereafter
be filled in a manner provided by applicable law and the Memorandum and Articles
of Association of the Surviving Corporation); and (iii) until the Board of
Directors of the Surviving Corporation shall otherwise determine, all persons
who hold offices of the Target at the Effective Time shall continue to hold
the
same offices of the Surviving Corporation.
(b) Conversion
of Securities.
As of
the Effective Time and without any action on the part of Ardmore, Merger Sub,
Target or the holders of any of the securities of any of the foregoing, each
of
the following shall occur:
(1) Each
share of Target Stock issued and outstanding immediately prior to the Effective
Time, shall automatically and without any further action required by any party,
be converted into the right to receive 446.5 shares of Ardmore Stock. All such
shares of Target Stock shall no longer be outstanding and shall automatically
be
canceled and shall cease to exist, and each certificate previously evidencing
any such shares shall thereafter represent the right to receive, upon the
surrender of such certificate in accordance with the provisions of Section
4
hereof, certificates evidencing such number of shares of Ardmore Stock,
respectively, into which such shares of Target Stock were converted. No
fractional shares of Ardmore Stock will be issued in the Merger; any fractional
share otherwise issuable shall be rounded to the nearest whole share. The
holders of such certificates previously evidencing shares of Target Stock
outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time shall cease to have any
rights with respect to such shares of Target Stock except as otherwise provided
herein or by law;
(2) Any
shares of Target Stock held as treasury shares immediately prior to the
Effective Time shall automatically be canceled and extinguished without any
conversion thereof and no payment shall be made with respect thereto;
and
(3) All
shares of capital stock of Merger Sub issued and outstanding immediately prior
to the Effective Time shall automatically converted into one share in the
Surviving Corporation, all of which shall be wholly owned by Ardmore.
(c) Reaffirmation
of Warranties and Representations.
Ardmore
hereby expressly reaffirms all of the warranties and representations made by
the
Ardmore in Section
4
of each
of the Securities Purchase Agreements entered into in connection with the
Offering.
(d) Other
Matters.
At the
Closing, the existing directors of Ardmore shall nominate and elect to the
Board
of Directors of Ardmore the persons designated by Target effective as of the
Effective Time.
4. Exchange
of Certificates. On
or as
soon as practicable after the Effective Date, Target will cause all holders
of
Target Stock to surrender to Ardmore’s transfer agent for cancellation
certificates representing their shares of Target Stock, against delivery of
certificates representing the shares of Ardmore Stock for which the shares
of
Target Stock are to be converted in the Merger. Until surrendered and exchanged
as herein provided, each outstanding certificate which, prior to the Effective
Time, evidenced Target Stock shall be deemed for all corporate purposes to
evidence ownership of the same number of shares of Ardmore Stock into which
the
shares of Target Stock evidenced by such Target certificate shall have been
so
converted. All shares of Merger Sub shall remain held by Ardmore and after
the
Effective Time be deemed converted into shares of the Surviving Corporation
as
contemplated by Section 3(b)(3).
5
5. Representations
and Warranties of Target.
Target
hereby represents and warrants as follows:
(a) Organization,
Standing and Authority of Target and Tianjin Yayi.
(1)
Target is a company duly incorporated, validly existing and in good standing
under the laws of the B.V.I., with the requisite corporate power and authority
to carry on its business as now conducted, and is duly qualified to do business
in any jurisdiction where its ownership or leasing of property or the conduct
of
its business requires such qualification, except where the failure to be so
qualified would not have a Material Adverse Effect on Target and its
consolidated subsidiaries.
(2)
Tianjin Yayi is an entity duly organized and validly existing under the laws
of
the People’s Republic of China, with the requisite entity power and authority to
carry on its business as now conducted, and is duly qualified to do business
in
any jurisdiction where its ownership or leasing of property or the conduct
of
its business requires such qualification, except where the failure to be so
qualified would not have a Material Adverse Effect on Target and its
consolidated subsidiaries. Tianjin Yayi is a wholly owned subsidiary of
Target.
(b) Authorized
and Effective Agreement.
(1) Target
has the requisite corporate power and authority to enter into and perform its
obligations under this Agreement. The execution, delivery and performance of
this Agreement by Target and the consummation of the Merger have been duly
authorized by the board of directors and shareholders of Target, which
authorization constitutes all necessary corporate action in respect thereof
and
which has not been rescinded, revoked or otherwise adversely
modified.
(2) This
Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by Target and constitutes the
legal, valid and binding obligation of Target, enforceable against it in
accordance with its terms subject, as to enforceability, to bankruptcy,
insolvency and other Legal Requirements of general applicability relating to
or
affecting creditors’ rights and to general equity principles.
(3) Neither
the execution and delivery of this Agreement, nor consummation of the Merger
and
the other transactions contemplated hereby, nor compliance by Target with any
of
the provisions hereof shall (i) conflict with or result in a breach of any
provision of the Memorandum and Articles of Association of Target or (ii)
violate any Legal Requirements applicable to Target.
(4) Other
than the filing of the Certificate of Merger with the Delaware Secretary of
State and the Articles of Merger with the Registry, no consent, approval or
authorization of, or declaration, notice, filing or registration with, any
Governmental Entity, or any other Person, is required to be made or obtained
by
Target on or prior to the Effective Time in connection with the execution,
delivery and performance of this Agreement and the consummation of the
transactions contemplated hereby.
(c) Capital
Structure of Target.
(1) As
of the
date of this Agreement, the Target is authorized to issue 50,000 shares, all
of
which are presently issued and outstanding, and no shares are held as treasury
shares. No additional shares will be issued by Target between the date of this
Agreement and the Effective Time.
(2) Except
as
reflected in Charleston’s Financial Statements, all outstanding shares of Target
Stock are, as of the date of this Agreement, and shall be at Closing, duly
authorized, validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable. There are no Rights
existing or issuable relating to the issued or unissued shares or other
securities of Target. There are no outstanding obligations of Target to
repurchase, redeem or otherwise acquire any shares in Target.
(d) Financial
Statements.
Each of
the Charleston Financial Statements and the Tianjin Yayi Financial Statements
fairly present in all material respects the financial position of Charleston
and
Tianjin Yayi, as the case may be, as of the dates thereof and the results of
such entity’s operations for the periods covered thereby. The Financial
Statements have been prepared in accordance with GAAP (except as may be
indicated therein or in the notes thereto and except with respect to unaudited
financial statements for presentation items and normal audit
adjustments).
(e) Material
Adverse Change.
Except
for changes arising in the ordinary course of business, (including Tianjin
Yayi’s borrowing of funds subsequent to January 31, 2008), since January 31,
2008, there has not been any change in the financial condition, results of
operations, prospects or business of Target and its consolidated subsidiaries
which would, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect
with respect to Target and its consolidated subsidiaries taken as a whole.
6
(f) Minute
Books, Financial Records.
Target
has made its corporate financial records, minute books, and other corporate
documents and records available for review to present management of Ardmore
prior to the Closing, during reasonable business hours and on reasonable
notice.
(g) Status
of Stockholders; Access to SEC Reports.
Each of
the Stockholders is either (i) an Accredited Investor or (ii) is not a U.S.
Person (as such term is used in Rule 902(k) promulgated under the Securities
Act). Each Stockholder has had access to the SEC Reports filed during the one
year ending the date hereof.
6. Representations
and Warranties with respect to Ardmore and Merger Sub.
Principal Shareholder hereby represents and warrants as follows:
(a) Organization,
Standing and Authority of Purchaser.
Each of
Ardmore and Merger Sub are corporations duly organized, validly existing and
in
good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware, with the full corporate
power and authority to own, lease and operate its property and to carry on
its
business as now being conducted and is duly qualified to do business and in
good
standing to do business in any jurisdiction where the ownership or leasing
of
the property or the conduct of its business requires such qualification, except
where the failure to so qualify would not have a Material Adverse
Effect.
(b) Capital
Structure of Ardmore and Merger Sub.
(1) As
of the
date of this Agreement, Ardmore’s authorized capital stock consists of (i)
100,000,000 shares of Ardmore Stock, of which 2,675,000 shares are issued and
outstanding, and (ii) 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock par value $.001
per
share (“Ardmore
Preferred Stock”),
of
which no shares are presently issued and outstanding. At the Effective Time,
Ardmore’s authorized capital stock will consist solely of 100,000,000 shares of
Ardmore Stock, and 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock. Schedule
6(b)(1)
sets
forth the securities and Rights of Ardmore that will be outstanding at the
Effective Time as well as all securities currently being subscribed for and
to
be issued at the Closing of the Offering, after giving effect to the
Contemplated Transactions. As of the date of this Agreement and as at the
Effective Time, the authorized capital stock of Merger Sub will consist of
1,000
authorized shares of $.001 par value common stock (the “Merger
Sub Stock”),
of
which, all 1,000 shares will be issued and outstanding and owned by Ardmore,
free and clear of all Encumbrances. Immediately after the Effective Time there
shall be no more than 25,000,000 shares of Ardmore Stock outstanding other
than
those shares issuable in the Offering. Except as provided by the Transaction
Documents, there are no (and will at Closing be no) outstanding Rights or
obligations of Ardmore or Merger Sub to sell, issue, transfer or assign now
or
in the future any Ardmore Stock, Ardmore Preferred Stock, or Merger Sub Stock,
and no preferred stock have been reserved for issuance. Ardmore has not
designated or agreed to designate the rights, preferences or privileges of
any
Ardmore preferred stock.
(2) All
outstanding shares of Ardmore Stock and Merger Sub Stock are, and shall be
at
Closing, duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable. Except
as provided by the Transaction Documents, as of the date hereof and at the
Closing, there are no and will be no (i) Rights relating to the issued or
unissued capital stock or other securities of either Ardmore or Merger Sub,
(ii)
voting trusts, proxies or other agreements, commitments or understandings of
any
character to which Ardmore or Merger Sub is a party or by which Ardmore or
Merger Sub is bound with respect to the voting of any capital stock of Ardmore
or Merger Sub nor (iii) outstanding obligations to repurchase, redeem or
otherwise acquire any shares of capital stock of Ardmore or Merger
Sub.
(3) The
shares of Ardmore Stock to be issued and delivered pursuant to the Transaction
Documents, have been reserved for issuance and will, when so issued and
delivered, pursuant to the terms thereof constitute duly authorized, validly
and
legally issued, fully-paid, non-assessable shares of Ardmore Stock, will not
be
issued in violation of any preemptive or similar rights and will be issued
free
and clear of all Encumbrances.
(c) Authorized
and Effective Agreement.
(1) Each
of
Merger Sub and Ardmore has the corporate power and authority to enter into
this
Agreement and the Transaction Documents to which it is a party and to perform
its obligations hereunder and thereunder. Principal Shareholder has the limited
liability company power and authority to enter into this Agreement and the
Transaction Documents to which it is a party and to perform its obligations
hereunder.
7
(2) The
execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and the Transaction
Documents and the consummation of the Merger and the Contemplated Transactions
have been duly authorized by the respective Boards of Directors of Ardmore
and
Merger Sub and by Ardmore as the sole stockholder of Merger Sub, and by
Principal Shareholder as majority stockholder of Ardmore, which authorizations
constitute all necessary corporate action in respect thereof and which has
not
been rescinded, revoked or otherwise adversely modified.
(3) This
Agreement, and the Transaction Documents to which it is a party, have been
duly
executed and delivered by each of Ardmore and Merger Sub and constitutes the
legal, valid and binding obligation of Principal Shareholder, Ardmore and Merger
Sub, enforceable against Principal Shareholder, Ardmore and Merger Sub,
respectively, in accordance with its terms, except as enforcement may be limited
by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or other Legal Requirements of general
applicability relating to or affecting creditor’s rights generally and to
general equity principles.
(4) Neither
the execution and delivery of this Agreement will constitute a breach of any
Contract to which Principal Shareholder, Ardmore or Merger Sub is a party or
to
which it is otherwise subject and will not violate any judgment, decree, order,
writ or Legal Requirement applicable to Ardmore, Merger Sub or their properties.
(5) Neither
the execution and delivery of this Agreement or the Transaction Documents to
which it is a party, nor the consummation of the Merger and the Contemplated
Transactions, nor compliance by Principal Shareholder, Ardmore or Merger Sub
with any of the provisions hereof or thereof, shall conflict with or result
in a
breach of the respective Articles or Certificate of Incorporation or by-laws
of
either Ardmore or Merger Sub or the Articles of Organization or Operating
Agreement of Principal Shareholder.
(d) Periodic
Reports; Financial Statements of Ardmore and Merger Sub Compliance
with Securities.
(1) The
Ardmore Stock is registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Exchange Act,
and
no action has been taken or contemplated that would result in the suspension,
cancellation or termination of such registration.
(2) Except
as
set forth on
Schedule 6(d)(2),
Ardmore has timely filed or otherwise furnished all SEC Reports required by
Securities Laws (including without limitation, Sections 13 or 15(d) of the
Exchange Act Rules 13a-14 and 15d-14 under the Exchange Act and Sections 302
and
906 of the Sarbanes Act,) and the other documents required to be filed by it
with any Governmental Entity. Except
as
disclosed in the SEC Reports, each director and officer (as defined in Rule
16a-1(f) of the Exchange Act) of Ardmore has filed with the SEC on a timely
basis all statements required by Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act and the
rules
and regulations thereunder. As used in this Section 6(d), the term “file” or
“filed” shall be broadly construed to include any manner in which a document or
information is furnished, transmitted or otherwise made available to a
Governmental Entity. Each of the SEC Reports: (i) complied in all respects,
as
of its respective date of filing with a Governmental Entity, with the
requirements of the Securities Laws (including without limitation the Securities
Act, the Exchange Act and the Sarbanes Act ) (ii) did not at the time its were
filed and on the date it was amended and supplemented, if applicable, contain
any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact
required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements
therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not
misleading.
(3) The
financial statements contained in the SEC Reports complied as to form in all
material respects, as of their respective dates of filing with the SEC, with
applicable accounting requirements and the published rules and regulations
of
the SEC with respect thereto, have been prepared in accordance with GAAP applied
on a consistent basis (except, in the case of unaudited quarterly financial
statements, subject to normal year-end adjustments consistent with GAAP), and
fairly present, in all material respects, the financial condition of Ardmore
as
of the respective dates indicated and the statements of operations, cash flows
and changes in shareholders’ equity of Ardmore for the periods then ended.
(4) Ardmore
has been, and is in compliance with (i) the applicable listing and corporate
governance rules and regulations of The OTC Bulletin Board, and (ii) the
applicable provisions of the Sarbanes Act and the related rules and regulations
promulgated thereunder. The certifications (the “Certifications”)
signed
by Ardmore’s principal executive officer and principal financial and accounting
officer relating to the SEC Reports, complied with Rules 13a-14 and 15d-14
under
the Exchange Act and Sections 302 and 906 of Sarbanes Act, and the statements
contained in the Certifications were true and correct as of the date of the
filing thereof. The management of Ardmore has implemented and maintains
disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)
of the Exchange Act) designed to ensure (and such controls and procedures are
effective to ensure) that material information relating to Ardmore is
accumulated and communicated to the management of Ardmore, including its chief
executive officer and chief financial officer, as appropriate, by others within
those entities to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
8
(5) Ardmore
is not a party to any Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements.
(6) No
financial statements exist for Merger Sub because it was recently formed solely
for the purpose of effectuating the Merger and it has been, is and will remain
inactive except for purposes of the Merger, and it has no Assets, Liabilities,
contracts or obligations of any kind other than as incurred in the ordinary
course in connection with its incorporation in Delaware.
(7) Ardmore
has complied with all of the provisions relating to the issuance of shares,
and
for the registration thereof, under the Securities Laws in connection with
any
and all of its issuances and transactions in stock and other securities. There
are no outstanding, pending or threatened stop orders or other actions or
investigations relating thereto involving Securities Laws. All issued and
outstanding shares of Ardmore’s capital stock were offered and sold in
compliance with Securities Laws and were not offered, sold or issued in
violation of any preemptive right, right of first refusal or right of first
offer and are not subject to any right of rescission.
(8) All
information regarding Ardmore and any entity for whose conduct Ardmore is
legally held responsible which has been or will be provided in any document
or
other communication disseminated to any former, existing or potential
stockholders of Ardmore or to the public or filed with any Governmental Entity
is true, complete, accurate in all material respects, not misleading, and was
and is in full compliance with all Securities Laws and regulations. Ardmore
Stock is currently quoted for trading on the OTC Bulletin Board, and Ardmore
has
received no notice that the Ardmore Stock is subject to being delisted
therefrom. Ardmore is not aware of any fact or condition that would make it
unlikely that the Ardmore Stock would continue to be eligible to be quoted
on
the OTC Bulletin Board following the Merger.
(e) Taxes.
Ardmore
and Merger Sub have filed all Tax Returns which are due or required to be filed
by it prior to the date hereof and have paid or will pay prior to Closing all
Taxes which have or may become due pursuant to such returns pursuant to any
assessments received or pursuant to Tax Returns to be filed after the date
hereof. All of the Tax Returns were true, complete and correct in all respects.
Neither Ardmore nor Merger Sub is delinquent or obligated for any Tax, and
there
are no Encumbrances applicable to either corporation.
(f) No
Subsidiaries.
Ardmore
has no Subsidiaries or Affiliates other than Merger Sub. Ardmore has no direct
or indirect equity participation or similar interest in any corporation,
partnership, limited liability company, joint venture, trust or other business
except for Merger Sub, and Merger Sub has no Subsidiaries or
Affiliates.
(g) Adverse
Change.
Since
December 31, 2007 there have not been any changes in the financial
condition, results of operations, or prospects of Ardmore or Merger Sub which
would individually or in the aggregate with any other such changes, except
changes arising in the ordinary course of business, which changes would have
a
Material Adverse Effect with respect to Ardmore. Ardmore and Merger Sub have
(and at the Closing they will have) disclosed in the SEC Reports all events,
conditions, and facts materially affecting, the business, financial condition
(including liabilities, contingent or otherwise) or results of operations of
Ardmore and Merger Sub.
(h) Absence
of Undisclosed Liabilities.
(1) At
the
Closing and Effective Time, neither Ardmore nor Merger Sub has any material
Assets and neither such corporation has or will have, any
Liabilities.
(2) Except
as
disclosed in Ardmore’s Annual Report on Form 10-KSB for the year ended December
31, 2007 (the “Annual
Report”)
there
is no basis for any assertion against Ardmore or Merger Sub of any liabilities
or obligations of any nature, whether absolute, accrued, contingent or otherwise
and whether due or to become due, known or unknown, including, without
limitation, any liability for taxes (including e-commerce sales or other taxes),
interest, penalties and other charges payable with respect thereto
(collectively, “Liabilities”).
Neither the execution and delivery of this Agreement or the Transaction
Documents nor the consummation of the Contemplated Transactions will (a) result
in any payment (whether severance pay, unemployment compensation or otherwise)
becoming due from Ardmore or Merger Sub to any Person, including without
limitation any employee, director, officer or Affiliate or former employee,
director, officer or Affiliate of Ardmore or Merger Sub, (b) increase any
benefits otherwise payable to any Person, including without limitation any
employee, director, officer or Affiliate or former employee, director, officer
or Affiliate of Ardmore or Merger Sub, or (c) result in the acceleration of
the
time of payment or vesting of any such benefits.
9
(i) Litigation.
Neither
Ardmore nor Merger Sub is a party to, or the subject of, any pending litigation,
claims, or governmental investigation or proceeding not reflected in the SEC
Reports, and there are no lawsuits, claims, assessments, investigations, or
similar matters, threatened or contemplated against or affecting Merger Sub,
Ardmore, or the management or properties of Ardmore or Merger Sub.
(j) Minute
Books and Records.
The
Ardmore and Merger Sub minute books and other corporate records made available
to Target prior to the date of this Agreement, are, with respect to the periods
prior to July 7, 2006, complete and accurate in all material respects, and
with
respect to periods thereafter, are complete and accurate in all
respects.
(k) (1) Contracts.
Neither
Ardmore nor Merger Sub has breached, nor is there any pending, existing or
threatened claim that Ardmore or Merger Sub has breached, any of the terms
or
conditions of any Contracts or other documents to which it is a party or by
which it is, or its properties are bound. The execution, delivery and
performance of this Agreement and the Transaction Documents will not violate
any
Legal Requirement or any agreement to which Ardmore or Merger Sub is subject.
(2) Except
as
contemplated by the Transaction Documents, neither Ardmore nor Merger Sub is
a
party to any Contract or commitment other than appointment documents with
Ardmore’s transfer agent, and that it has disclosed to Target in writing all
previous or existing relationships or dealings with related or controlling
parties or Affiliates of Ardmore, Merger Sub or the Principal Shareholder.
There
are no currently existing contracts with any Affiliates, related or controlling
persons or entities of Ardmore, Merger Sub or the Principal
Shareholder.
(3) Except
as
expressly contemplated by the Transaction Documents, neither Ardmore nor Merger
Sub has any Contracts, commitments, arrangements, or understandings relating
to
its business, operations, financial condition, prospects or otherwise.
(4) Except
as
otherwise expressly contemplated by the Transaction Documents, there are no
outstanding contracts, commitments or bids, or services, development, sales
or
other proposals of either Ardmore or Merger Sub.
(5) There
are
no outstanding lease commitments that cannot be terminated without penalty
upon
30-days notice, or any purchase commitments, in each case of either Ardmore
or
Merger Sub.
(l) Governmental
Authorizations; Compliance with Laws.
Ardmore
is and has been in compliance with, and Ardmore has conducted any business
previously owned or operated by it in compliance with, all applicable Legal
Requirements.
(1) Ardmore
has not received notice of any noncompliance with any Legal Requirement, nor
are
there any claims or threatened claims in connection therewith. Ardmore has
never
conducted any operations or engaged in any business transactions whatsoever
other than as set forth in the SEC Reports.
(2) Other
than the filing of the Certificate of Merger with the Secretary of State of
Delaware and the filing of the Articles of Merger with the Registry, the filing
of applicable SEC Reports and the completion of the transactions contemplated
by
the Transaction Documents , the execution and delivery by Ardmore and Merger
Sub
of this Agreement and the Transaction Documents to which each is a party and
the
consummation by Ardmore and Merger Sub of the Contemplated Transactions to
which
is it a party do not and will not (i) require the consent, approval or action
of, or any filing or notice to, any Person or (ii) violate any order, writ,
injunction, decree, judgment, ruling or Legal Requirement applicable to Ardmore,
Merger Sub or their respective businesses or Assets. Neither Ardmore nor Merger
Sub is subject to, or a party to, any Encumbrance, Contract, order, judgment
or
decree or any other restriction of any kind or character which would prevent,
hinder, restrict or impair the continued operation of the business of Ardmore
or
the continued operation of the business of Target after the
Closing.
(m) Neither
Ardmore nor Merger Sub currently has any employees, consultants or independent
contractors other than those identified in its Annual Report. All
consulting, employment and other agreements and arrangements between Ardmore
or
Merger Sub and their respective employees, consultants and independent
contractors have been validly terminated, and all such agreements and
arrangements previously did comply, and have at all times been in full
compliance, with all Legal Requirements. The termination of any existing
employment with persons identified in the Annual Report, or termination of
the
other agreements with prior Ardmore employees, consultants or independent
contractors will not and did not subject Ardmore (or Target after the Merger)
to
any U.S. workers’ compensation, unemployment compensation and other
government-mandated program or obligation or liability. No amounts are due
or owed to any previous or current Ardmore employee, consultant or independent
contractor. There are no oral or written employment agreements, consulting
agreements or other compensation agreements currently in effect between Ardmore
and any person.
10
(n) Non-Applicability
of Business Combination Law.
Neither
Ardmore nor the Contemplated Transactions are subject to Section 203 of the
DGCL.
(o) Disclosures.
No
representation or warranty with respect to Ardmore or Merger Sub contained
in
this Agreement or any Transaction Document and no statement contained in any
certificate, schedule or other communication furnished pursuant to or in
connection with the provisions hereof or thereof contains or shall contain
any
untrue statement of a material fact or omits to state a material fact necessary
in order to make the statements therein not misleading. There is no current
or
prior event or condition of any kind or character pertaining to Ardmore that
may
reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect on Ardmore or its
subsidiaries. Except as specifically indicated elsewhere in this Agreement,
all
documents delivered by Ardmore in connection herewith have been and will be
complete originals, or exact copies thereof.
7. Closing.
The
closing of the transactions contemplated herein shall take place at the offices
of Xxxxxxx Xxxx LLP, 0000 Xxxxxxxx, 00xx
Xxxxx,
Xxx Xxxx, XX 00000 on such date (the “Closing”)
as is
mutually determined by the parties hereto when all conditions precedent have
been met and all required documents have been delivered, which Closing shall
occur on or before June 12, 2008.
In
connection with the Closing, Target and Merger Sub shall execute the Certificate
of Merger in accordance with the DGCL and the Articles of Merger in accordance
with the B.V.I. Corporation Law, Ardmore shall cause the Certificate of Merger
to be filed as soon as practicable on the Closing Date with the Delaware
Secretary of State in accordance with the DGCL and Target shall cause the
Articles of Merger to be filed with the Registry in accordance with the B.V.I.
Corporation Law. The Merger shall become effective (the “Effective
Time”)
at the
time and on the date that the Certificate of Merger and the Articles of Merger
are filed with the Delaware Secretary of State and the Registry, respectively,
or on such date subsequent to such filing, not to exceed 30 days, as stated
in
the Certificate of Merger and Articles of Merger.
8. Actions
Prior to Closing.
(a) Prior
to
the Closing, Target, Ardmore and Merger Sub will be entitled to make such
investigations of the Assets, properties, business and operations of the other
parties, and to examine the books, records, tax returns, financial statements
and other materials of the other parties as such investigating party deems
necessary in connection with this Agreement, the Transaction Documents and
the
Contemplated Transactions. Any such investigation and examination shall be
conducted at reasonable times and under reasonable circumstances, and the
parties hereto shall cooperate fully therein. Until the Closing, and if the
Closing shall not occur, thereafter, each party shall keep confidential and
shall not use in any manner inconsistent with the transactions contemplated
by
this Agreement, and shall not disclose, nor use for their own benefit, any
information or documents obtained from the other party concerning the Assets,
properties, business and operations of such party, unless such information
(i)
is readily ascertainable from public or published information, (ii) is received
from a third party not under any obligation to keep such information
confidential, or (iii) is required to be disclosed by any law or order (in
which
case the disclosing party shall promptly provide notice thereof to the other
party in order to enable the other party to seek a protective order or to
otherwise prevent such disclosure). If this transaction is not consummated
for
any reason, each party shall return to the other all such confidential
information, including notes and compilations thereof, promptly after the date
of such termination. The representations and warranties contained in this
Agreement shall not be affected or deemed waived by reason of the fact that
either party hereto discovered or should have discovered any representation
or
warranty is or might be inaccurate in any respect.
(b) Target,
Ardmore, Merger Sub, and the Principal Shareholder agree that prior to the
Closing, they will not issue any statement or communications to the general
public or the press regarding the Contemplated Transactions without the prior
written consent of the other parties. In
the
event that Ardmore is required under Securities Law to either (i) file any
document with the SEC that discloses this Agreement or the Contemplated
Transactions, or (ii) to make a public announcement regarding this Agreement
or
the Contemplated Transactions, Ardmore shall provide Target with a copy of
the
proposed disclosure no less than 48 hours before such disclosure is made and
shall incorporate into such disclosure any reasonable comments or changes that
Target may request.
(c) Except
as
provided in the Transaction Documents, prior to the Closing, there shall be
no
stock dividend, stock split, recapitalization, or exchange of shares with
respect to, or Rights issued in respect of, the Ardmore Stock or Ardmore
Preferred Stock, and there shall be no dividends or other distributions paid
on
Ardmore’s Stock or Ardmore Preferred Stock after the date hereof, in each case
through and including the Effective Time.
11
(d) Ardmore
and Merger Sub shall (i) conduct no business, prior to the Closing, other than
as may be necessary in order to consummate the Contemplated Transactions, (ii)
Ardmore and Merger Sub shall not incur any Liabilities without the express
prior
written consent of Target, and (iii) Ardmore shall pay, discharge or satisfy
all
Liabilities of Ardmore and Merger Sub prior to Closing and shall provide
confirmation of same, which confirmation will be in form and substance
satisfactory to Target, prior to Closing.
(e) Except
as
otherwise provided under this Agreement, prior to the Closing, Ardmore and
Merger Sub shall not take any action or enter into any agreement to issue or
sell any shares of capital stock of Ardmore or Merger Sub or any securities
convertible into or exchangeable for any shares of capital stock of Ardmore
or
Merger Sub or to repurchase, redeem or otherwise acquire any of the issued
and
outstanding capital stock of Ardmore or Merger Sub without the prior express
written consent of Target.
(f) Prior
to
the Closing, Ardmore and Merger Sub will timely file all SEC Reports required
to
be filed with the SEC and will comply in all respects with the requirements
of
the Securities Laws.
9. Conditions
Precedent to the Obligations of Target.
All
obligations of Target under this Agreement are subject to the fulfillment,
prior
to or as of the Closing, of each of the following conditions:
(a) The
representations and warranties by or on behalf of Ardmore and Merger Sub
contained in this Agreement, the Transaction Documents or in any certificate
or
document delivered pursuant to the provisions hereof or thereof or in connection
herewith or therewith shall be true at the time made and as of the Closing
as
though such representations and warranties were made at and as of such
time.
(b) Ardmore,
Merger Sub and the Principal Shareholder shall have performed and complied
with
all covenants, agreements, and conditions set forth or otherwise contemplated
in, and shall have executed and delivered all documents required by, this
Agreement and the Transaction Documents to be performed or complied with or
executed and delivered by them prior to or at the Closing.
(c) On
or
before the Closing, the Board of Directors of Ardmore and Merger Sub, and
Ardmore as sole stockholder of Merger Sub, shall have approved in accordance
with the DGCL the execution and delivery of this Agreement and the Transaction
Documents and the consummation of the Contemplated Transactions.
(d) On
or
before the Closing Date, Ardmore and Merger Sub shall have delivered certified
copies of resolutions of the sole stockholder and the directors of Merger Sub
and of the directors of Ardmore approving and authorizing the execution,
delivery and performance of this Agreement and the Transaction Documents and
authorizing all of the necessary and proper action to enable Ardmore and Merger
Sub to comply with the terms of this Agreement and the Transaction Documents,
including the election of Target’s nominees to the Board of Directors of Ardmore
and all matters outlined or contemplated herein or therein.
(e) The
Merger shall be permitted by applicable Legal Requirements and Ardmore shall
have sufficient shares of its capital stock authorized to complete the Merger
and the transactions contemplated hereby.
(f) At
Closing, all of the officers of Ardmore shall have resigned in writing from
their positions as officers of Ardmore effective upon the election and
appointment of the Target nominees for officers, and the directors of Ardmore
shall nominate and elect to the Board of Directors of Ardmore the persons
designated by Target effective as of the Effective Time.
(g) Target
shall have received the advice of its tax advisor, to the extent it deems
necessary, that the Merger is a tax-free reorganization as to Target and all
of
the Target Stockholders.
(h) At
the
Closing, all instruments and documents delivered by Ardmore or Merger Sub,
including any to Target Stockholders pursuant to the provisions hereof, shall
be
reasonably satisfactory to legal counsel for Target.
(i) The
shares of Ardmore capital stock to be issued in the Merger and the Contemplated
Transactions and the shares of Ardmore capital stock to be issued upon exercise
of the notes and warrants issued in the Offering, when issued in accordance
with
the terms thereof, will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable and
will be issued in a nonpublic offering in compliance with all federal, state
and
applicable securities laws.
(j) Target
shall have received all necessary and required approvals and consents from
required Persons and from its shareholders.
12
(k) At
the
Closing, Principal Shareholder, Ardmore and Merger Sub shall have delivered
to
Target and such other persons as Target may reasonably request, an opinion
of
their legal counsel, dated as of the Closing (which shall be in addition to
any
opinion required by investors in the Offering), and in a form reasonably
acceptable to Target to the effect that:
(1) Each
of
Ardmore and Merger Sub is a corporation duly organized, validly existing and
in
good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its
incorporation;
(2) The
Agreement and the Transaction Documents to which Ardmore or Merger Sub is a
party have been duly authorized, executed and delivered by them and are valid
and binding obligation of Ardmore and Merger Sub enforceable against each of
them in accordance with their respective terms;
(3) This
Agreement and the Transaction Documents to which it is a party have been duly
executed and delivered by the Principal Shareholder and are a valid and binding
obligation of Principal Shareholder, enforceable against it in accordance with
its terms;
(4) The
Board
of Directors of each of Ardmore and Merger Sub, and the stockholder of Merger
Sub have taken all corporate action necessary for their performance under this
Agreement;
(5) The
documents executed and delivered to Target and its shareholders hereunder are
valid and binding in accordance with their terms and vest in the Target’s
shareholders all right, title and interest in and to the shares of Ardmore
Stock
to be issued pursuant to Section 3 hereof, and the shares of Ardmore capital
stock when issued in accordance with this Agreement will be duly authorized,
validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable;
(6) Each
of
Ardmore and Merger Sub has the corporate power and authority to execute, deliver
and perform its obligations under this Agreement and the Transaction Documents
to which it is a party and to consummate the Contemplated Transactions;
and
(7) The
shares of Ardmore capital stock to be issued in the Merger and the Contemplated
Transactions when issued in accordance with the terms thereof, will be validly
issued, fully paid and non-assessable and will be issued in a nonpublic offering
in compliance with Securities Laws.
(l) All
conditions to the closing of the Offering, other than the completion of the
Merger, shall have been satisfied or waived.
(m) Ardmore
shall have complied with the provisions of Rule 14f-1 of the Exchange Act,
if
necessary, and have mailed to all of its stockholders the notice required by
that rule.
(n) Target
shall have received the documents identified in Section 13(b).
(o) Ardmore
shall have received, simultaneously with the Merger, gross proceeds of not
less
than $1,000,000 from the Offering.
(p) All
information (including without limitation financial statements) required to
be
included in the initial Current Report on Form 8-K to be filed in connection
with the Merger and the Contemplated Transactions shall be available to the
Target, in form and substance satisfactory to it and its representatives, so
that such report may be filed with the SEC within four business days of the
Closing, as if Ardmore was a shell company (as such term is used in Item 9.01(c)
of Form 8-K).
(q) All
Liabilities of Ardmore and Merger Sub shall have been fully satisfied or
discharged in full either prior to or simultaneously with the
Closing.
10. Conditions
Precedent to the Obligations of Ardmore and Merger Sub.
All
obligations of Ardmore and Merger Sub under this Agreement are subject to the
fulfillment, prior to or at the Closing, of each of the following
conditions:
(a) The
representations and warranties by Target contained in this Agreement or in
any
certificate or document delivered pursuant to the provisions hereof shall be
true in all material respects when made and at and as of the Closing as though
such representations and warranties were made at and as of such
times.
13
(b) Target
shall have performed and complied with, in all material respects, all covenants,
agreements, and conditions required by this Agreement to be performed or
complied with by it prior to or at the Closing;
(c) Target
shall deliver an opinion of its legal counsel, dated the date of the Closing,
and in a form reasonably acceptable to Ardmore (and Ardmore acknowledges that
such opinion may be rendered assuming that the X.X. Corporation Law governs)
to
the effect that:
(1) Target
is
a company duly incorporated, validly existing and in good standing under the
laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation;
(2) This
Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by Target and is
a
binding obligation of Target enforceable in accordance with its
terms;
(3) The
Board
of Directors and shareholders of Target have taken all corporate action
necessary for its performance under this Agreement and other Transaction
Documents to which it is a party; and
(4) Target
has the corporate power to execute, deliver and perform its obligations under
this Agreement.
(e) Simultaneously
with the Merger and the Closing, the Principal Shareholder shall have received
the consideration it is entitled to receive pursuant to the Indemnification
Agreement.
(f) Ardmore
shall have received, simultaneously with the Merger, gross proceeds of not
less
than $1,000,000 from the Offering.
11. Survival
and Indemnification.
Notwithstanding any investigation conducted by any party hereto or any
information any party may receive, all representations and warranties, contained
in this Agreement, the Transaction Documents or in any schedule, certificate,
document or statement delivered pursuant hereto, shall survive (and not be
affected in any respect by) (i) in the case of Target, only until the Closing
and (ii) in the case of Principal Shareholder, until the first anniversary
of
the Effective Time. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the representations and
warranties contained in Sections 6(a)-(c) of this Agreement shall survive
indefinitely. The representations and warranties which terminate on the first
anniversary of the Effective Time, and the liability of any party with respect
thereto pursuant to this Section
11,
shall
not terminate with respect to any claim, whether or not fixed as to liability
or
liquidated as to amount, with respect to which the appropriate party has been
given written notice setting forth the facts upon which the claim for
indemnification is based prior to the first anniversary of the Effective
Time.
(a) The
parties shall indemnify each other as set forth below:
(1) Subject
to the provisions of this Section 11,
the
Principal Shareholder shall indemnify and hold harmless Target (and Surviving
Corporation) and Target’s past, present and future officers, directors,
stockholders, employees, attorneys, and agents (and after the Closing, the
Principal Shareholder shall also indemnify Ardmore) (collectively, the
“Target
Indemnified Parties”)
from
and against any Losses (as defined below) including, without limitation, any
reasonable legal expenses to the extent arising from, relating to or otherwise
in respect of (i) any inaccuracy or breach of any representation or
warranty with respect to Ardmore, Merger Sub or Principal Shareholder, contained
in Sections
6
or
14
of this
Agreement (as of the date hereof, or as of the Closing) or of any
representation, warranty or statement made in any schedule, certificate,
document or instrument delivered by Ardmore or any officer or any of them at
or
in connection with the Closing, (ii) the breach by Ardmore, Merger Sub or
Principal Shareholder of or failure by Ardmore, Merger Sub or Principal
Shareholder to perform any of their respective covenants or agreements contained
in this Agreement or the Transaction Documents, or (iii) any Liabilities of
Ardmore or Merger Sub. As used herein, “Losses”
shall
mean any and all demands, claims, complaints, actions or causes of action,
suits, proceedings, investigations, arbitrations, assessments, losses, damages,
diminution in value, deficiencies, payments, liabilities or obligations
(including those arising out of any action, such as any settlement or compromise
thereof or judgment or award therein) and any fees, costs and expenses related
thereto, and the term “legal expenses” shall mean the fees, costs and expenses
of any kind incurred by any party indemnified herein and its counsel in
investigating, preparing for, defending against or providing evidence, producing
documents or taking other action with respect to any threatened or asserted
claim.
(2) Subject
to the provisions of this Section 11,
Target
shall indemnify and hold harmless the Principal Shareholder from and against
any
Losses (including, without limitation, any reasonable legal expenses) to the
extent arising from, relating to or otherwise in respect of (i) the inaccuracy
or breach of any representation or warranty of Target contained in Sections
5
or
14
of this
Agreement (as of the date hereof, or as of the Closing) or of any
representation, warranty or statement made in any schedule, certificate document
or instrument delivered by Target or an officer of Target at or in connection
with the Closing, or (ii) the breach by Target of or failure by Target to
perform any of its covenants or agreements contained in this
Agreement.
14
(3) In
order
for a Target Indemnified Party or Principal Shareholder (an “Indemnified
Party”)
to be
entitled to any indemnification provided for under this Agreement, the
Indemnified Party shall deliver notice of its claim for indemnification with
reasonable promptness after determining to make such claim, to the Principal
Shareholder or any of them. The failure by any Indemnified Party to notify
the
Principal Shareholder or Target, as the case may be, shall not relieve any
relevant indemnifying party from any liability which he or it may have to such
Indemnified Party under this Agreement, except to the extent that such claim
for
indemnification involves the claim of a third party against the Indemnified
Party and the Indemnifying Party shall have been actually prejudiced by such
failure. If an Indemnifying Party does not notify the Indemnified Party within
30 calendar days following receipt by it of such notice that such Indemnifying
Party disputes its liability to the Indemnified Party under this Agreement,
such
claim specified by the Indemnified Party in such notice shall be conclusively
deemed a liability of such Indemnifying Party under this Agreement and such
Indemnifying Party shall pay the amount of such liability to the Indemnified
Party on demand or, in the case of any notice in which the amount of the claim
(or any portion thereof) is estimated, on such later date when the amount of
such claim (or such portion thereof) becomes finally determined. If an
Indemnifying Party has timely disputed its liability with respect to such claim,
as provided above, such Indemnifying Party and the Indemnified Party shall
proceed in good faith to negotiate a resolution of such dispute and, if not
resolved through negotiations, such dispute shall be resolved by litigation
in
accordance with the terms of this Agreement.
(4) (A) If
the
claim involves a third party claim (a “Third
Party Claim”),
then
the Indemnifying Party shall have the right, at its sole cost, expense and
ultimate liability regardless of the outcome, and through counsel of its choice
(which counsel shall be reasonably satisfactory to the Indemnified Party),
to
litigate, defend, settle or otherwise attempt to resolve such Third Party Claim;
provided,
however,
that if
in the Indemnified Party’s reasonable judgment a conflict of interest may exist
between the Indemnified Party and the Indemnifying Party with respect to such
Third Party Claim, then the Indemnified Party shall be entitled to select
counsel of its own choosing, reasonably satisfactory to the Indemnifying Party,
in which event the Indemnifying Party shall be obligated to pay the fees and
expenses of such counsel.
(B) Notwithstanding
the preceding paragraph, if in the Indemnified Party’s reasonable judgment no
such conflict exists, the Indemnified Party may, but will not be obligated
to,
participate at its own expense in a defense of such Third Party Claim by counsel
of its own choosing, but the Indemnifying Party shall be entitled to control
the
defense unless (i) in the case where only money damages are sought, the
Indemnified Party has relieved the Indemnifying Party from liability with
respect to the particular matter or (ii) in the case where equitable relief
is sought, the Indemnified Party elects to participate in and jointly control
the defense thereof.
(C) Whenever
the Indemnifying Party controls the defense of a Third Party Claim, the
Indemnifying Party may only settle or compromise the matter subject to
indemnification without the consent of the Indemnified Party if such settlement
includes a complete release of all Indemnified Parties as to the matters in
dispute and relates solely to money damages. The Indemnified Party will not
unreasonably withhold consent to any settlement or compromise that requires
its
consent.
(D) In
the
event the Indemnifying Party fails to timely defend, contest, or otherwise
protect the Indemnified Party against any such claim or suit, the Indemnified
Party may, but will not be obligated to, defend, contest, or otherwise protect
against the same, and make any compromise or settlement thereof, and in such
event, or in the case where the Indemnified Party jointly controls such claim
or
suit, the Indemnified Party shall be entitled to recover its costs thereof
from
the Indemnifying Party, including attorneys’ fees, disbursements and all amounts
paid as a result of such claim or suit or the compromise or settlement
thereof.
(E) The
Indemnified Party shall cooperate and provide such assistance as the
Indemnifying Party may reasonably request in connection with the defense of
the
matter subject to indemnification and in connection with recovering from any
third parties amounts that the Indemnifying Party may pay or be required to
pay
by way of indemnification hereunder.
(b) The
amount of Losses for which indemnification is provided hereunder shall be
computed without regard to any insurance recovery related to such
losses.
12. Nature
of Representations.
All of
the parties hereto are executing and carrying out the provisions of this
Agreement in reliance solely on the representations, warranties and covenants
and agreements contained in this Agreement and the other documents delivered
at
the Closing and not upon any representation, warranty, agreement, promise or
information, written or oral, made by the other party or any other person other
than as specifically set forth herein.
15
13. Documents
at Closing.
At the
Closing, the following documents shall be delivered:
(a) Target
will deliver, or will cause to be delivered, to Ardmore the
following:
(1) a
certificate executed by a director or officer of Target to the effect that
all
conditions set forth in Section 5 have been satisfied or waived;
(2) a
certificate from the jurisdiction of Target’s incorporation dated within ten
business days of the Closing to the effect that Target is in good standing
under
the laws of said jurisdiction;
(3) such
other instruments, documents and certificates, if any, as are required to be
delivered pursuant to the provisions of this Agreement;
(4) executed
copy of the Certificate of Merger for filing in Delaware and the Articles of
Merger for filing with the Registry;
(5) certified
copies of resolutions, in form and substance satisfactory to the Target, adopted
by the shareholders and directors of Target authorizing this Agreement, the
transactions contemplated hereby, the expansion of Ardmore’s board of directors
so that it consists of six persons and the election to such board of the persons
designated by the Target;
(6) all
other
items, the delivery of which is a condition precedent to the obligations of
Ardmore and Merger Sub, as set forth herein; and
(7) the
legal
opinion required by Section 10(c) hereof.
(b) Ardmore
and Merger Sub will deliver or cause to be delivered to Target:
(1) certificates
representing those securities of Ardmore to be issued as a part of the Merger
as
described in Section 3 hereof;
(2) a
certificate of the President of each Ardmore and Merger Sub, to the effect
that
all conditions set forth in Section 9 have been satisfied or
waived;
(3) certified
copies of resolutions adopted by Ardmore’s and Merger Sub’s Board of Directors
and Merger Sub’s stockholder authorizing the Merger and all related
matters;
(4) certificates
from the jurisdiction of incorporation of Ardmore and as dated within ten
business days of the Closing Date that each of said corporations is in good
standing under the laws of said state;
(5) executed
copies of the Articles of Merger and the Certificate of Merger for filing in
Delaware and the Registry.
(6) opinion
of Ardmore’s counsel as described in Section 9(k) above;
(7) the
Indemnification Agreement and such other instruments and documents as are
required to be delivered pursuant to the provisions of this Agreement the
Indemnification Agreement, the Transaction Documents and as may be reasonably
requested by Target; and
(8) all
other
items, the delivery of which is a condition precedent to the obligations of
Target, Merger Sub set forth in Section 9 hereof.
14. Finder’s
Fees.
Except
as set forth in Schedule 14, the Principal Shareholder represents and warrants
to Target, and Target represents and warrants to the Principal Shareholder,
Ardmore and Merger Sub, that none of them, or any party acting on their behalf,
has incurred any Liabilities, either express or implied, to any “broker” or
“finder” or similar person in connection with this Agreement or any of the
Contemplated Transactions hereby,
and
fees and commissions,
if any, payable with respect to the Offering which shall be paid by Ardmore
at
Closing.
15. Post-Closing
Confidentiality Covenants. The
Principal Shareholder hereby agrees that, after the Closing, it shall not
publicly disclose any confidential information of Ardmore, Merger Sub or Target,
and that he shall not make any public statement or announcement regarding the
Merger or the business, financial condition, prospects or operations of Ardmore
or Target, without the prior written consent of Target (or, Ardmore after the
Effective Time) and that he shall cause all persons who served at any time
as an
officer, director, employee or contractor of Ardmore or Merger Sub to comply
with the foregoing restrictions.
16
16. Miscellaneous.
(a) Further
assurances.
At any
time, and from time to time, after the Effective Time, each party will execute
such additional instruments and take such action as may be reasonably requested
by the other party to confirm or perfect title to any property transferred
hereunder or otherwise to carry out the intent and purposes of this
Agreement.
(b) Waiver.
Any
failure on the part of any party hereto to comply with any of its obligations,
agreements or conditions hereunder may be waived in writing by the party (in
its
sole discretion) to whom such compliance is owed.
(c) Termination.
This
Agreement and all obligations hereunder (other than those under Section
16(l))
may be
terminated (i) at the discretion of either party if the Closing has not occurred
by June 12, 2008 (unless the Closing Date is extended with the consent of both
Target and Ardmore) for any reason other than the default hereunder by the
terminating party, (ii) at any time by the non-breaching party if any of the
representations and warranties or other agreements made herein by the other
party have been materially breached, (iii) by either Target or Ardmore, if
the
holders of the requisite number of shares of Target Stock vote against, or
refuse to provide their written consents for, the approval and adoption of
this
Agreement and the Merger, or (iv) by mutual written consent of Ardmore and
Target. Any proper termination of this Agreement under this Section will be
effective immediately upon the delivery of written notice by the terminating
party to the other parties.
(d) Amendment.
This
Agreement may be amended only in writing as agreed to by all parties
hereto.
(e) Notices.
All
notices and other communications hereunder shall be in writing and sufficient
if
delivered personally or sent and received by facsimile transmission or overnight
express or by registered or certified mail, postage prepaid, at the following
addresses (or at such other address for a party as shall be specified in a
notice given in accordance with this section):
If
to Ardmore or Merger Sub prior to the Closing:
|
with
a copy to:
|
Ardmore
Holding Corporation
|
Xxxxxxx
Xxxxxxxxxx, Esq.
|
1608
W. 0000 X.
|
Xxxxxxxxxx
& Xxxxxxxxxx
|
Xxxxx
Xxxxx, XX 00000
|
000
Xxxx 000 Xxxxx
|
Xxxx:
Xxxx Xxxxxx, President
|
Suite
205
|
Facsimile:
(000) 000-0000
|
Xxxx
Xxxx Xxxx, XX 00000
|
Facsimile:
(000) 000-0000
|
|
If
to Target:
|
with
a copy to:
|
c/o
Tianjin Yayi Industrial Co., Ltd.
|
Xxxxxxx
Xxxxx, Esq.
|
XingGuang
Road Xx.0
|
Xxxxxxx
Xxxx XXX
|
Xxxxxxxx
Xxxxxxxxxx Xxxx of Zhongbei Town
|
0000
Xxxxxxxx, 00xx
Xxxxx
|
XxXxxx
Xxxxxxxx
|
Xxx
Xxxx, XX 00000
|
Xxxxxxx
Xxxx, Xxxxx 000000
|
|
Attn:
Ms. Xx Xxx, President
|
Facsimile:
(000) 000-0000
|
Facsimile:
86-22-2798 4358
|
|
If
to Ardmore after the Closing:
|
with
a copy to:
|
c/o
Tianjin Yayi Industrial Co., Ltd.
|
Xxxxxxx
Xxxxx, Esq.
|
XingGuang
Road Xx.0
|
Xxxxxxx
Xxxx XXX
|
Xxxxxxxx
Xxxxxxxxxx Xxxx of Zhongbei Town
|
0000
Xxxxxxxx, 00xx
Xxxxx
|
XxXxxx
Xxxxxxxx
|
Xxx
Xxxx, XX 00000
|
Xxxxxxx
Xxxx, Xxxxx 000000
|
Facsimile:
(000) 000-0000
|
Attn:
Ms. Xx Xxx, President
|
|
Facsimile:
86-22-2798 4358
|
|
If
to the Principal Shareholder:
|
with
a copy to:
|
Tryant
LLC
|
Xxxxxxx
Xxxxxxxxxx, Esq.
|
1608
W. 0000 X.
|
Xxxxxxxxxx
& Xxxxxxxxxx
|
Xxxxx
Xxxxx, XX 00000
|
000
Xxxx 000 Xxxxx
|
Xxxxxxxxx:
(000) 000-0000
|
Xxxxx
000
|
Xxxx
Xxxx Xxxx, XX 00000
|
|
Facsimile:
(000) 000-0000
|
17
(f) Headings.
The
section and subsection headings in this Agreement are inserted for convenience
only and shall not affect in any way the meaning or interpretation of this
Agreement.
(g) Counterparts.
This
Agreement may be executed simultaneously in two or more counterparts, each
of
which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute
one and the same instrument.
(h) Binding
Effect.
This
Agreement shall be binding upon the parties hereto and inure to the benefit
of
the parties, their respective heirs, administrators, executors, successors
and
assigns.
(i) Entire
Agreement.
This
Agreement and the attached Exhibits, constitute the entire agreement of the
parties covering everything agreed upon or understood in the transaction. There
are no oral promises, conditions, representations, understandings,
interpretations or terms of any kind as conditions or inducements to the
execution hereof.
(j) Time.
Time is
of the essence.
(k) Severability.
If any
part of this Agreement is deemed to be unenforceable, the balance of the
Agreement shall remain in full force and effect.
(l) Responsibility
and Costs.
Whether
the Merger is consummated or not, all Transaction Expenses incurred by the
parties hereto shall be borne solely and entirely by the party that has incurred
such costs and expenses other then as specifically provided for herein or in
the
Transaction Documents or Offering related documents.
(m) [Intentionally
Omitted]
(n) Applicable
Law.
This
Agreement shall be construed and governed by the internal laws of the State
of
Delaware without reference to choice of law principles.
(o) Jurisdiction
and Venue.
Each
party hereto irrevocably consents to the jurisdiction and venue of the state
or
federal courts located New York City, State of New York, in connection with
any
action, suit, proceeding or claim to enforce the provisions of this Agreement,
to recover damages for breach of or default under this Agreement, or otherwise
arising under or by reason of this Agreement.
*******************************************
18
IN
WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Agreement the day and year
first
above written.
ARDMORE
HOLDING CORPORATION
|
CHARLESTON
INDUSTRIAL LTD.
|
||||
By:
|
/s/
Xxxx . Xxxxxx
|
By:
|
/s/
Xx Xxx
|
||
Xxxx
X. Xxxxxx, President
|
Xx
Xxx, President
|
ARDMORE
ACQUISITION CORP.
|
|||
By:
|
/s/
Xxxx X. Xxxxxx
|
||
Xxxx
X. Xxxxxx, President
|
PRINCIPAL
SHAREHOLDER:
|
|||
TRYANT
LLC
|
|||
By:
|
/s/
Xxxx X. Xxxxxx
|
||
Xxxx
X. Xxxxxx, Managing Director
|
19