AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF MERGER
AGREEMENT
AND PLAN OF MERGER
BY AND
AMONG
ALL
AMERICAN GROUP HOLDINGS, LLC
ALL
AMERICAN ACQUISITION CORPORATION
ALL
AMERICAN GROUP, INC.
AND
XXXXXXX
X. XXXXXX, AS SHAREHOLDERS REPRESENTATIVE
Dated as of November 8, 2010
Dated as of November 8, 2010
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
Page
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ARTICLE I DEFINITIONS
|
1 | |||
Section 1.1
|
Definitions | 1 | ||
ARTICLE II THE MERGER
|
9 | |||
Section 2.1
|
The Merger | 9 | ||
Section 2.2
|
Conversion of Stock | 9 | ||
Section 2.3
|
Dissenting Shares | 9 | ||
Section 2.4
|
Surrender of Certificates | 10 | ||
Section 2.5
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Payment | 10 | ||
Section 2.6
|
No Further Rights of Transfers | 11 | ||
Section 2.7
|
Options, Incentive Plans and Other Plans | 11 | ||
Section 2.8
|
Articles of Incorporation of the Surviving Corporation | 12 | ||
Section 2.9
|
Bylaws of the Surviving Corporation | 12 | ||
Section 2.10
|
Directors and Officers of the Surviving Corporation | 12 | ||
Section 2.11
|
Closing | 12 | ||
Section 2.12
|
Withholding Rights | 12 | ||
Section 2.13
|
Further Assurances | 12 | ||
ARTICLE III REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE CORPORATION
|
12 | |||
Section 3.1
|
Corporate Existence; Power and Authority. | 12 | ||
Section 3.2
|
Financial Statements; No Material Adverse Change | 13 | ||
Section 3.3
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Title to Properties | 14 | ||
Section 3.4
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Authorized Capital | 14 | ||
Section 3.5
|
Tax Returns and Payments | 14 | ||
Section 3.6
|
Litigation | 15 | ||
Section 3.7
|
Compliance with Other Agreements and Applicable Laws | 15 | ||
Section 3.8
|
Environmental Compliance | 15 | ||
Section 3.9
|
Employee Benefits | 16 | ||
Section 3.10
|
Intellectual Property | 17 | ||
Section 3.11
|
Subsidiaries; Affiliates; Capitalization | 17 | ||
Section 3.12
|
Labor Disputes. | 17 | ||
Section 3.13
|
Restrictions on Subsidiaries | 18 | ||
Section 3.14
|
Material Contracts | 18 | ||
Section 3.15
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Real Property | 18 | ||
Section 3.16
|
Certain Fees | 18 | ||
Section 3.17
|
Commission Filings | 18 | ||
Section 3.18
|
Proxy Statement | 19 | ||
Section 3.19
|
State Business Combination Statutes; Rights Agreement | 19 | ||
Section 3.20
|
Voting Requirements | 19 | ||
Section 3.21
|
Opinion of Financial Advisor | 19 | ||
Section 3.22
|
Board Approval and Recommendation | 19 | ||
Section 3.23
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Survival of Warranties; Cumulative | 20 | ||
Section 3.24
|
Accuracy and Completeness of Information | 20 |
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ARTICLE IV REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF PARENT AND
ACQUISITION
|
20 | |||
Section 4.1
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Due Organization, Good Standing and Corporate Power | 20 | ||
Section 4.2
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Authorization and Validity of Agreement | 20 | ||
Section 4.3
|
Consents and Approvals; No Violations | 20 | ||
Section 4.4
|
Broker’s or Finder’s Fee | 21 | ||
Section 4.5
|
Registration Statement | 21 | ||
Section 4.6
|
Acquisition’s Operations | 21 | ||
ARTICLE V COVENANTS
|
21 | |||
Section 5.1
|
Access to Information Concerning Properties and Records | 21 | ||
Section 5.2
|
Confidentiality | 21 | ||
Section 5.3
|
Conduct of the Business of the Corporation Pending the Closing Date | 22 | ||
Section 5.4
|
Registration Statement; Proxy Statement; Special Meeting | 24 | ||
Section 5.5
|
Best Efforts to Satisfy Conditions Precedent | 25 | ||
Section 5.6
|
Notification of Certain Matters | 26 | ||
Section 5.7
|
Directors’ and Officers’ Insurance | 26 | ||
Section 5.8
|
Public Announcements | 27 | ||
Section 5.9
|
Subsequent Filings | 27 | ||
Section 5.10
|
Material Consents and Waivers | 27 | ||
Section 5.11
|
Financing Cooperation | 27 | ||
Section 5.12
|
Shareholders Representative. | 28 | ||
Section 5.13
|
Sale of Specialty Vehicle Business. | 29 | ||
Section 5.14
|
Dissenter’s Rights | 30 | ||
ARTICLE VI CONDITIONS PRECEDENT
|
30 | |||
Section 6.1
|
Conditions Precedent to Each Party’s Obligation to Effect the Merger | 30 | ||
Section 6.2
|
Condition Precedent to the Corporation’s Obligation to Effect the Merger | 30 | ||
Section 6.3
|
Conditions Precedent to the Parent’s and Acquisition’s Obligations to Effect the Merger | 31 | ||
ARTICLE VII TERMINATION AND ABANDONMENT
|
31 | |||
Section 7.1
|
Termination | 31 | ||
Section 7.2
|
Effect of Termination | 32 | ||
ARTICLE VIII MISCELLANEOUS
|
32 | |||
Section 8.1
|
Fees and Expenses | 32 | ||
Section 8.2
|
Representations and Warranties | 32 | ||
Section 8.3
|
Extension; Waiver | 32 | ||
Section 8.4
|
Notices | 32 | ||
Section 8.5
|
Entire Agreement | 33 | ||
Section 8.6
|
Binding Effect; Benefit; Assignment | 33 | ||
Section 8.7
|
Amendment and Modification | 33 | ||
Section 8.8
|
Time Is of the Essence | 33 | ||
Section 8.9
|
Headings | 33 | ||
Section 8.10
|
Counterparts | 33 | ||
Section 8.11
|
Applicable Law | 33 | ||
Section 8.12
|
Severability | 34 |
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Section 8.13
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Interpretation | 34 | ||
Section 8.14
|
Specific Enforcement | 34 | ||
Section 8.15
|
Waiver of Jury Trial | 34 | ||
Exhibit A
|
Liquidating Trust Agreement | |||
Exhibit 6.2
|
Parent and Acquisition Closing Certificate | |||
Exhibit 6.3
|
Corporation Closing Certificate |
-iii-
AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF MERGER, dated as of November 8, 2010
(this “Agreement”), by and among ALL AMERICAN
GROUP HOLDINGS, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the
“Parent”), ALL AMERICAN ACQUISITION
CORPORATION, an Indiana corporation and a wholly-owned
subsidiary of the Parent (“Acquisition”), ALL
AMERICAN GROUP, INC. (f/k/a Coachmen Industries, Inc.), an
Indiana corporation (the “Corporation”), and
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx as Shareholders Representative.
W I T N E
S S E T H:
WHEREAS, the Corporation is a publicly traded company whose
shares of Common Stock are currently traded on the OTC
Bulletin Board under the symbol “COHM”;
WHEREAS, subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement,
the parties hereto desire to merge Acquisition with and into the
Corporation, with the Corporation surviving as the Surviving
Corporation (the “Merger”);
WHEREAS, the Parent and Acquisition have negotiated the terms of
this Agreement with a special committee of the board of
directors of the Corporation comprised solely of directors who
are not Designated Directors (as defined in the bylaws of the
Corporation) or otherwise Affiliates of the Parent or
Acquisition (the “Special Committee”);
WHEREAS, the Special Committee, at a meeting thereof duly called
and held, has (i) determined that the Merger and the other
transactions contemplated herein are fair to, and in the best
interests of, the Corporation and the shareholders of the
Corporation, and has declared that the Merger is advisable,
(ii) approved the Merger and this Agreement and
(iii) recommended that the board of directors of the
Corporation approve and adopt the Merger and this Agreement and
call the Special Meeting;
WHEREAS, the board of directors of the Corporation, based in
part on the recommendation of the Special Committee, at a
meeting thereof duly called and held, has (i) determined
that the Merger and the other transactions contemplated herein
are fair to, and in the best interests of, the Corporation and
the shareholders of the Corporation, and declared that the
Merger is advisable and (ii) approved the Merger and this
Agreement;
WHEREAS, the respective boards of directors of the Parent and
Acquisition have approved this Agreement, the Merger and the
other transactions contemplated hereby.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and of the
mutual covenants, representations, warranties and agreements
herein contained, the parties intending to be legally bound,
hereto agree as follows:
ARTICLE I
DEFINITIONS
Section 1.1 Definitions. When
used in this Agreement, the following terms shall have the
respective meanings specified therefor below (such meanings to
be equally applicable to both the singular and plural forms of
the terms defined).
“Acquisition” has the meaning set forth in the
preamble hereto.
“Affiliate” means, with respect to a specified
Person, any other Person which directly or indirectly, through
one or more intermediaries, controls or is controlled by or is
under common control with such Person, and without limiting the
generality of the foregoing, includes (a) any Person which
beneficially owns or holds ten (10%) percent or more of any
class of Capital Stock of such Person or other equity interests
in such Person, (b) any Person of which such Person
beneficially owns or holds ten (10%) percent or more of any
class of Capital Stock or in which such Person beneficially owns
or holds ten (10%) percent or more of the equity interests and
(c) any director or executive officer of such Person. For
the purposes of this definition, the term “control”
(including with correlative meanings, the terms “controlled
by” and “under common control with”), as used
with respect to any Person, shall mean the
possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or
cause the direction of the management and policies of such
Person, whether through the ownership of Capital Stock, by
agreement or otherwise.
“Agreement” has the meaning set forth in the
preamble hereto.
“Articles of Merger” has the meaning set forth
in Section 2.1(a).
“Business Day” means any day except a Saturday,
a Sunday or any other day on which commercial banks are required
or authorized to close in New York, New York.
“Capital Expenditures” means, with respect to
any Person for any period, the aggregate of all expenditures by
such Person during such period that in accordance with GAAP are
or should be included in “property, plant and
equipment” or in a similar fixed asset account on its
balance sheet, whether such expenditures are paid in cash or
financed and including all liabilities and obligations in
respect of Capital Leases paid or payable during such period.
“Capital Leases” means, as applied to any
Person, any lease of (or any agreement conveying the right to
use) any property (whether real, personal or mixed) by such
Person as lessee which in accordance with GAAP, is required to
be reflected as a liability on the balance sheet of such Person.
“Capital Stock” shall mean, with respect to any
Person, any and all shares, interests, participations or other
equivalents (however designated) of such Person’s capital
stock or partnership, limited liability company or other equity
interests at any time outstanding, and any and all rights,
warrants or Options exchangeable for or convertible into such
capital stock or other interests (but excluding any debt
security that is exchangeable for or convertible into such
capital stock).
“Certificates” has the meaning set forth in
Section 2.4(a).
“Claim” means any action, suit, claim, lawsuit,
demand, inquiry, hearing, investigation, notice of a violation
or noncompliance, litigation, proceeding, arbitration, appeal or
other dispute, whether civil, criminal, administrative or
otherwise.
“Closing” has the meaning set forth in
Section 2.11.
“Closing Date” has the meaning set forth in
Section 2.11.
“Code” means the United States Internal Revenue
Code of 1986, as amended, and the regulations promulgated and
the rulings issued thereunder.
“Commission” means the Securities and Exchange
Commission.
“Commission Filings” has the meaning set forth
in Section 3.17.
“Common Stock” shall mean the issued and
outstanding common stock of the Corporation, no par value per
share.
“Corporation” has the meaning set forth in the
preamble hereto.
“Corporation Disclosure Letter” has the meaning
set forth in the preamble to Section 3.
“Dissenting Shareholders” has the meaning set
forth in Section 2.3.
“Dissenting Shares” has the meaning set forth
in Section 2.3.
“Effective Time” has the meaning set forth in
Section 2.1(a).
“Environmental Laws” means all foreign,
federal, state and local Laws (including common law),
legislation, rules, codes, licenses, permits (including any
conditions imposed therein), authorizations, judicial or
administrative decisions, injunctions or agreements between the
Corporation and any Governmental Authority, (a) relating to
pollution and the protection, preservation or restoration of the
environment (including air, water vapor, surface water, ground
water, drinking water, drinking water supply, surface land,
subsurface land, plant and animal life or any other natural
resource), or to human health or safety, (b) relating to
the exposure to, or the use, storage, recycling, treatment,
generation, manufacture, processing, distribution,
transportation, handling, labeling, production, release or
disposal, or threatened release, of Hazardous Materials or
(c) relating to all laws with regard to
2
recordkeeping, notification, disclosure and reporting
requirements respecting Hazardous Materials. The term
“Environmental Laws” includes (i) the
Federal Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and
Liability Act of 1980, the Federal Superfund Amendments and
Reauthorization Act, the Federal Water Pollution Control Act of
1972, the Federal Clean Water Act, the Federal Clean Air Act,
the Federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976
(including the Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments thereto),
the Federal Solid Waste Disposal and the Federal Toxic
Substances Control Act, the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and
Rodenticide Act, and the Federal Safe Drinking Water Act of
1974, (ii) applicable state counterparts to such laws and
(iii) any common law or equitable doctrine that may impose
liability or obligations for injuries or damages due to, or
threatened as a result of, the presence of or exposure to any
Hazardous Materials.
“ERISA” means the Employee Retirement Income
Security Act of 1974, as amended from time to time, together
with all rules, regulations and interpretations thereunder or
related thereto.
“ERISA Affiliate” means any person (as defined
in Section 3(9) of ERISA) which together with the
Corporation or any of its Subsidiaries would be deemed to be a
“single employer,” or otherwise required to be
aggregated with the Corporation or any of its Subsidiaries,
under Sections 414(b), 414(c), 414(m) or 414(o) of the Code.
“ERISA Event” means any one or more of the
following: (a) any “reportable event”, as defined
in Section 4043(c) of ERISA, with respect to a Plan, other
than events as to which the requirement of notice under
Section 4043(a) of ERISA has been waived in regulations by
the PBGC, (b) the failure to make a required contribution
to any Plan that would result in the imposition of a lien or
other encumbrance or the provision of security under
Section 412 or 430 of the Code or Section 302, 303, or
4068 of ERISA, or the arising of such a lien or encumbrance;
there being or arising any “unpaid minimum required
contribution” or “accumulated funding deficiency”
(as defined or otherwise set forth in Section 4971 of the
Code or Part 3 of Subtitle B of Title I of ERISA),
whether or not waived; or the filing of any request for or
receipt of a minimum funding waiver under Section 412 of
the Code with respect to any Plan or Multiemployer Plan, or that
such filing may be made, or a determination that any Plan is, or
is expected to be, in at-risk status under Title IV of
ERISA, (c) a complete or partial withdrawal by the
Corporation or any of its Subsidiaries, or any ERISA Affiliate
from a Multiemployer Plan or a cessation of operations which is
treated as such a withdrawal, the reorganization or insolvency
under Title IV of ERISA of any Multiemployer Plan, or the
receipt by the Corporation or any of its Subsidiaries, or any
ERISA Affiliate of any notice, or the receipt by any
Multiemployer Plan from the Corporation or any of its
Subsidiaries, or any ERISA Affiliate of any notice, that a
Multiemployer Plan is in endangered or critical status under
Section 305 of ERISA, (d) the filing of a notice of
intent to terminate any Plan, if such termination would require
material additional contributions in order to be considered a
standard termination within the meaning of Section 4041(b)
of ERISA, the filing under Section 4041(c) of ERISA of a
notice of intent to terminate any Plan, the termination of any
Plan under Section 4041(c) of ERISA, or the treatment of a
Plan amendment as a termination under Section 4041 or 4041A
of ERISA, (e) the commencement of proceedings, or the
occurrence of an event or condition which would reasonably be
expected to constitute grounds for the institute of proceedings,
by the PBGC under Section 4042 of ERISA to terminate, or
appoint a trustee to administer, any Plan, (f) engaging in
a non-exempt prohibited transaction within the meaning of
Section 4975 of the Code or Section 406 of ERISA,
(g) the imposition of any liability under Title IV of
ERISA, other than the PBGC’s premiums due but not
delinquent under Section 4007 of ERISA, upon the
Corporation or any of its Subsidiaries, or any ERISA Affiliate
in excess of $100,000 and (h) any other event or condition
with respect to a Plan that could reasonably be expected to
result in liability of the Corporation or any of its
Subsidiaries, or any ERISA Affiliate in excess of $100,000.
“Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations
promulgated thereunder.
“Excluded Shares” means shares of Common Stock
which are held (a) by any wholly-owned Subsidiary of the
Corporation or in the treasury of the Corporation, or
(b) directly or indirectly by the Parent or any Affiliate
of the Parent.
“Excess Sale Proceeds” means the amount by
which the Net Sale Proceeds received from the Sale of the
Specialty Vehicle Business exceed Five Million Dollars
($5,000,000).
3
“Existing Lenders” shall mean the lenders to
the Corporation and its Subsidiaries listed on
Schedule 3.3(c) of the Corporation Disclosure Letter
and their respective predecessors, successors and assigns.
“Financial Advisor” has the meaning set forth
in Section 3.16.
“GAAP” means generally accepted accounting
principles in the United States of America as in effect from
time to time as set forth in the opinions and pronouncements of
the Accounting Principles Board and the American Institute of
Certified Public Accountants and the statements and
pronouncements of the Financial Accounting Standards Board which
are applicable to the circumstances as of the date of
determination consistently applied.
“Government Contract” means any bid, quotation,
proposal, contract, work authorization, lease, commitment or
sale or purchase order of the Corporation that is with the
United States government or any other Government Authority.
“Governmental Authority” means any nation or
government, any state, province, or other political subdivision
thereof, any central bank (or similar monetary or regulatory
authority) thereof, and any entity exercising executive,
legislative, judicial, regulatory or administrative functions of
or pertaining to government.
“Hazardous Materials” means any hazardous,
toxic or dangerous substances, materials and wastes, including
hydrocarbons (including naturally occurring or man-made
petroleum and hydrocarbons), flammable explosives, asbestos,
urea formaldehyde insulation, radioactive materials, biological
substances, polychlorinated biphenyls, pesticides, herbicides
and any other kind
and/or type
of pollutants or contaminants (including materials which include
hazardous constituents), sewage, sludge, industrial slag,
solvents
and/or any
other similar substances, materials, or wastes and including any
other substances, materials or wastes that are or become
regulated under any Environmental Law (including any that are or
become classified as hazardous or toxic under any Environmental
Law).
“IBCL” means the Indiana Business Corporation
Law.
“Incentive Plans” means (a) the
Corporation’s Supplemental Deferred Compensation Plan, as
amended and restated on January 1, 2003, (b) the
Corporation’s Executive Annual Performance Incentive Plan,
as amended on May 3, 2001, (c) the Corporation’s
Long Term Incentive Performance Based Restricted Stock Plan,
(d) the Corporation’s 2000 Omnibus Stock Incentive
Program and (e) all other agreements or plans providing for
the grant of any Option or other right to purchase Common Stock
to any current or former employee of the Corporation or any of
its Subsidiaries or any other Person, in each case as amended
from time to time.
“Indebtedness” means, with respect to any
Person, any liability, whether or not contingent, (a) in
respect of borrowed money (whether or not the recourse of the
lender is to the whole of the assets of such Person or only to a
portion thereof) or evidenced by bonds, notes, debentures or
similar instruments, (b) representing the balance deferred
and unpaid of the purchase price of any property or services
(other than an account payable to a trade creditor (whether or
not an Affiliate) incurred in the ordinary course of business of
such Person and payable in accordance with customary trade
practices so long as such accounts payable are paid within
60 days of their due date and are not being contested),
(c) all obligations as lessee under leases which have been,
or should be, in accordance with GAAP recorded as Capital
Leases, (d) any contractual obligation, contingent or
otherwise, of such Person to pay or be liable for the payment of
any indebtedness described in this definition of another Person,
including, without limitation, any such indebtedness, directly
or indirectly guaranteed, or any agreement to purchase,
repurchase, or otherwise acquire such indebtedness, obligation
or liability or any security therefor, or to provide funds for
the payment or discharge thereof, or to maintain solvency,
assets, level of income, or other financial condition,
(e) all obligations with respect to redeemable stock and
redemption or repurchase obligations under any Capital Stock or
other equity securities issued by such Person, (f) all
reimbursement obligations and other liabilities of such Person
with respect to surety bonds (whether bid, performance or
otherwise), letters of credit, banker’s acceptances, drafts
or similar documents or instruments issued for such
Person’s account, (g) all indebtedness of such Person
in respect of indebtedness of another Person for borrowed money
or indebtedness of another Person otherwise described in this
definition that is secured by any consensual lien, security
interest, collateral assignment, conditional sale, mortgage,
deed of trust, or other encumbrance on any asset of such Person,
whether or not such obligations, liabilities or indebtedness are
assumed by or are a personal liability of such Person, all as of
such time, (h) all obligations, liabilities and
indebtedness of such Person (marked to market) arising under
swap agreements,
4
cap agreements and collar agreements and other agreements or
arrangements designed to protect such person against
fluctuations in interest rates or currency or commodity values,
(i) all obligations owed by such Person under License
Agreements with respect to non-refundable, advance or minimum
guarantee royalty payments, (j) indebtedness of any
partnership or joint venture in which such Person is a general
partner or a joint venturer to the extent such Person is liable
therefor as a result of such Person’s ownership interest in
such entity, except to the extent that the terms of such
indebtedness expressly provide that such Person is not liable
therefor or such Person has no liability therefor as a matter of
law, (k) the principal and interest portions of all rental
obligations of such Person under any synthetic lease or similar
off-balance sheet financing where such transaction is considered
to be borrowed money for Tax purposes but is classified as an
operating lease in accordance with GAAP and (l) accounts
payable of such Person that have not been paid within sixty
(60) days of their due date and are not being contested in
good faith.
“Indemnified Parties” has the meaning set forth
in Section 5.7(b).
“Initial Merger Consideration” has the meaning
set forth in Section 2.2(a).
“Intellectual Property” means any U.S. and
non-U.S. (a) patents
and patent applications, (b) registered and unregistered
trademarks, service marks and other indicia of origin, pending
trademark and service xxxx registration applications, and
intent-to-use registrations or similar reservations of marks,
(c) registered and unregistered copyrights and mask works,
and applications for registration thereof, (d) internet
domain names, applications and reservations therefor, uniform
resource locators and the corresponding Internet sites,
(e) trade secrets, proprietary information and other
intangible property rights not otherwise listed in
(a) through (d) above, including, but not limited to,
unpatented inventions, invention disclosures, moral and economic
rights of authors and inventors (however denominated),
confidential information, technical data, customer lists,
corporate and business names, trade names, trade dress, brand
names, know-how, formulae, methods (whether or not patentable),
designs, processes, procedures, technology, source codes, object
codes, computer software programs, databases, data collections
and other proprietary information or material of any type, and
all derivatives, improvements and refinements thereof, howsoever
recorded, or unrecorded and (f) any good will associated
with any of the foregoing.
“Law” means any law, rule, code, statute,
regulation, ordinance, requirement, announcement, policy,
guideline, rule of common law, order, judgment, decree or other
binding action of or by a Governmental Authority and any
judicial interpretation thereof.
“License Agreements” has the meaning set forth
in Section 3.10.
“Liquidating Trust” means the All American
Group Liquidating Trust that is subject to that certain
Trust Agreement in the form of Exhibit A hereto.
“Liquidating Trust Agreement” shall mean
the agreement governing the terms and conditions of the
Liquidating Trust Agreement substantially in the form
attached hereto as Exhibit A.
“Loan Agreement” means the Loan Agreement,
dated October 27, 2009, by and among H.I.G. All American,
LLC, the Corporation and the direct and indirect Subsidiaries of
the Corporation party thereto, as amended on April 5, 2010,
as it may be further amended, restated, supplemented or
otherwise modified from time to time.
“Material Adverse Effect” means a material
adverse effect on (a) the financial condition, business,
performance, operations or prospects of the Corporation and its
Subsidiaries taken as a whole or (b) the legality, validity
or enforceability of this Agreement or any of the other
agreements contemplated hereunder or any of the transactions
contemplated hereunder or thereunder (including without
limitation the Merger).
“Material Contract” means (a) any contract
or other agreement (other than this Agreement and purchase
orders entered into in the ordinary course of business), written
or oral, of the Corporation or any of its Subsidiaries involving
monetary liability of or to any Person in an amount in excess of
$500,000 in any fiscal year, (b) any other contract or
other agreement (other than this Agreement), whether written or
oral, to which one or more of the Corporation or any of its
Subsidiaries is a party as to which the breach, nonperformance,
cancellation or failure to renew by any party thereto would have
a Material Adverse Effect and (c) any contract filed as a
material contract in an exhibit to any Commission Filings.
“Merger” has the meaning set forth in the
recitals hereto.
5
“Merger Consideration” has the meaning set
forth in Section 2.2(a).
“Multiemployer Plan” means any
“multiemployer plan” as defined in
Section 4001(a)(3) of ERISA (a) (i) which is
contributed to by (or to which there is an obligation to
contribute of) the Corporation or any of its Subsidiaries, or
any ERISA Affiliate, and (ii) each such plan for the
five-year period immediately following the latest date on which
the Corporation or any of its Subsidiaries, or any ERISA
Affiliate contributed to or had an obligation to contribute to
such plan, or (b) with respect to which the Corporation or
any of its Subsidiaries, or any ERISA Affiliate may incur any
liability.
“Net Sale Proceeds” means the proceeds received
by the Surviving Corporation or its Subsidiaries in cash from
the Sale of the Specialty Vehicle Business, minus (a) taxes
and other amounts paid or payable by the Surviving Corporation
to government agencies as a result of such sale and for any
income of the Specialty Vehicle Business that accrues prior to
the sale, but only income taxes that cannot be immediately
offset against net operating losses of the Surviving
Corporation, (b) the costs and expenses of such sale
(including legal fees and sales and brokers’ commissions)
and (c) the Indebtedness of the Specialty Vehicle Business.
For purposes of this definition, (i) if any portion of the
sales proceeds are paid on a date after the closing of the sale
of the Specialty Vehicle Business, Net Sale Proceeds shall
include such amounts as and when received by the Surviving
Corporation, and (ii) Indebtedness of the Specialty Vehicle
Business means all (A) subject to the following sentence,
Indebtedness now outstanding or made hereafter, and
(B) equity invested after the date hereof, in each case, to
or for the benefit of the Specialty Vehicle Business whether
such Indebtedness or equity investment is made by the Surviving
Corporation, the Parent or any other Person. Indebtedness of the
Specialty Vehicle Business shall not include (1) the
Tranche B Note, (2) Indebtedness owed to Lake City
National Bank in the approximate amount of $2.2 million and
secured by that certain real property in Midddlebury, Indiana,
and (3) Indebtedness assumed by the purchaser of the
Specialty Vehicle Business and for which there is no lien or
encumbrance remaining on the Surviving Corporation’s or its
Subsidiaries’ assets. In determining “Net Sale
Proceeds”, accounts receivable owed to the Specialty
Vehicle Business from ARBOC Mobility, LLC may be transferred to
the Surviving Corporation to set off against Indebtedness owed
by the Specialty Vehicle Business to the Surviving Corporation
in the net amount of the receivables transferred.
“Option” means any options, subscriptions,
warrants, rights, profit participation or other arrangements, or
convertible or exchangeable securities (but excluding the
Tranche B Note) by which any Person has the right to
purchase Capital Stock, or any security convertible or
exchangeable into Capital Stock (but excluding the
Tranche B Notes) of another Person or by which a Person is
bound to issue Capital Stock.
“Option Cash Payment” has the meaning set forth
in Section 2.7.
“Outside Sale Date” means the nine
(9) month anniversary after the Effective Time.
“Parent” has the meaning set forth in the
preamble hereto.
“Paying Agent” has the meaning set forth in
Section 2.4(a).
“Payment Fund” has the meaning set forth in
Section 2.5.
“PBGC” means the Pension Benefit Guaranty
Corporation established pursuant to Section 4002 of ERISA,
or any successor thereto.
“Permits” has the meaning set forth in
Section 3.7(b).
“Permitted Encumbrances” means, with respect to
the Corporation or any of its Subsidiaries, (a) the
security interests and liens granted pursuant to the Loan
Agreement and the other Transaction Documents (as defined in the
Loan Agreement), (b) liens securing the payment of Taxes,
either not yet overdue or the validity of which are being
contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings diligently
pursued and available to the Corporation or such Subsidiary, as
the case may be and with respect to which adequate reserves have
been set aside on its books in accordance with GAAP,
(c) non-consensual statutory liens (other than liens
securing the payment of Taxes) arising in the ordinary course of
the Corporation’s or such Subsidiary’s business to the
extent (i) such liens secure Indebtedness which is not
overdue or (ii) such liens secure Indebtedness relating to
claims or liabilities which are fully insured and being defended
at the sole cost and expense and at the sole risk of the insurer
or being contested in
6
good faith by appropriate proceedings diligently pursued and
available to the Corporation or such Subsidiary, in each case
prior to the commencement of foreclosure or other similar
proceedings and with respect to which adequate reserves have
been set aside on its books, (d) zoning restrictions,
easements, licenses, covenants and other restrictions affecting
the use of Real Property which do not interfere in any material
respect with the use of such Real Property or ordinary conduct
of the business of the Corporation or such Subsidiary as
presently conducted thereon or materially impair the value of
the Real Property which may be subject thereto,
(e) purchase money security interests in equipment
(including Capital Leases) and purchase money mortgages on Real
Property to secure purchase money Indebtedness (including
Capital Leases) arising after the date hereof and prior to the
Closing Date to the extent secured by purchase money security
interests in equipment (including Capital Leases) and purchase
money mortgages on Real Property that do not exceed $100,000 in
the aggregate at any time outstanding provided that such
security interests and mortgages do not apply to any property of
the Corporation or any Subsidiary other than the equipment or
Real Property so acquired, and the Indebtedness secured thereby
does not exceed the cost of the equipment or Real Property so
acquired, as the case may be, and (f) the security
interests and liens of the Existing Lenders on that certain real
property located at 00000 Xxxxxxxxxx Xxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxxx,
Xxxxxxx 00000.
“Permitted Investments” has the meaning set
forth in Section 2.5.
“Person” means and includes an individual, a
partnership, a limited liability partnership, a joint venture, a
corporation, a limited liability company, a trust, an
unincorporated organization, a group and a Governmental
Authority.
“Plan” means (a)(i) an “employee benefit
plan” (as defined in Section 3(3) of ERISA), other
than a Multiemployer Plan, maintained or contributed to by the
Corporation or any of its Subsidiaries, or any ERISA Affiliate,
or to which the Corporation or any of its Subsidiaries or any
ERISA Affiliate has an obligation to contribute and
(ii) each such plan subject to the provisions of
Title IV of ERISA or Section 412 of the Code or
Section 302 of ERISA for the five-year period immediately
following the latest date on which the Corporation, any of its
Subsidiaries or any ERISA Affiliate maintained, contributed to
or had an obligation to contribute to (or is deemed under
Section 4069 of ERISA to have maintained or contributed to
or to have had an obligation to contribute to), or otherwise has
liability with respect to such plan and (b) each stock
option, stock appreciation right, restricted stock, stock
purchase, stock unit, performance share, incentive, bonus,
profit-sharing, savings, deferred compensation, health, medical,
dental, life insurance, disability, accident, employment,
severance or salary or benefits continuation or fringe benefit
plan, program, arrangement, agreement or commitment maintained
by the Corporation or any of its Subsidiaries or any ERISA
Affiliate or to which the Corporation or any of its Subsidiaries
or any ERISA Affiliate contributes (or has any obligation to
contribute), has any liability, or is a party.
“Proxy Statement” has the meaning set forth in
Section 5.4(a).
“Real Property” means all now owned and
hereafter acquired real property of the Corporation or any of
its Subsidiaries, including leasehold interests, together with
all buildings, structures, and other improvements located
thereon and all licenses, easements and appurtenances relating
thereto, wherever located.
“Registration Statement” has the meaning set
forth in Section 5.4(a).
“Returns” has the meaning set forth in
Section 3.5.
“Rights Agreement” has the meaning set forth in
Section 3.19(b).
“Sale Committee” has the meaning set forth in
Section 5.13(a).
“Sale of the Specialty Vehicle Business” means
the sale of the Specialty Vehicle Business to any Person other
than the Parent or an Affiliate of the Parent, whether by sale
of assets, disposition of securities, merger, consolidation, or
otherwise.
“Securities Act” means the Securities Act of
1933, as amended.
“Shareholders Representative” shall initially
mean Xx. Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx and his successors and assigns.
“Special Committee” has the meaning set forth
in the recitals hereto.
7
“Special Meeting” means a special meeting of
the shareholders of the Corporation held for the purpose of
considering and taking action on this Agreement and the Merger.
“Specialty Vehicles Business” means the
Corporation’s and its Subsidiaries’ business division
relating to the manufacture and sale of buses and other
vehicles, including, without limitation, the business conducted
by All American Specialty Vehicles, LLC.
“Subsequent Filings” has the meaning set forth
in Section 5.9.
“Subsidiary” means, with respect to any Person,
any corporation, limited liability company, limited liability
partnership or other limited or general partnership, trust,
association or other business entity of which an aggregate of at
least a majority of the outstanding Capital Stock or other
interests entitled to vote in the election of the board of
directors (irrespective of whether, at the time, Capital Stock
of any other class or classes of such corporation shall have or
might have voting power by reason of the happening of any
contingency), managers, trustees or other controlling persons,
or an equivalent controlling interest therein, of such Person
is, at the time, directly or indirectly, owned by such Person
and/or one
or more subsidiaries of such Person; provided,
that, for purposes of this Agreement, neither the
Corporation nor any of its Subsidiaries shall be deemed a
Subsidiary of the Parent or Acquisition.
“Surviving Corporation” has the meaning set
forth in Section 2.1(b).
“Tax or Taxes” means all taxes,
assessments, charges, duties, fees, levies or other governmental
charges including all United States federal, state, local,
foreign and other income, franchise, profits, gross receipts,
capital gains, capital stock, transfer, property, sales, use,
value-added, occupation, property, excise, severance, windfall
profits, stamp, license, payroll, social security, withholding
and other taxes, assessments, charges, duties, fees, levies or
other governmental charges of any kind whatsoever (whether
payable directly or by withholding and whether or not requiring
the filing of a Return), all estimated taxes, deficiency
assessments, additions to tax, penalties and interest, and shall
include any liability for such amounts as a result either of
being a member of a combined, consolidated, unitary or
affiliated group, or of a contractual obligation to indemnify
any Person or other entity.
“Tranche B Notes” means the Second Amended
and Restated Secured Subordinated Convertible Tranche B
Notes issued by the Corporation and certain of its direct and
indirect Subsidiaries to H.I.G. All American, LLC, together with
any and all
payment-in-kind
Secured Subordinated Convertible Tranche B Notes issued in
satisfaction of any interest or other obligations due H.I.G. All
American, LLC, and all replacements, renewals or other notes of
like tenor hereafter issued by the Corporation and such
Subsidiaries in substitution or exchange for any thereof.
“Unfunded Pension Liability” of any Plan that
is an employee pension benefit plan (as such term is defined in
Section 3(2) of ERISA) shall mean the amount, if any, by
which the value of the accumulated plan benefits under such
Plan, determined on a plan termination basis in accordance with
actuarial assumptions at such time consistent with those
prescribed by the PBGC for purposes of Section 4044 of
ERISA, exceeds the fair market value of all plan assets
allocable to such liabilities under Title IV of ERISA
(excluding any accrued but unpaid contributions).
“Unit” means a beneficial interest in the
Liquidating Trust equal to a fraction, the numerator of which is
one and the denominator of which is the number of shares of
Common Stock (other than Dissenting Shares) and Vested Options
outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time. Each Unit
will be nontransferable by the holder thereof except pursuant to
the laws of descent and distribution.
“Vested Options” means all in-the-money Options
of the Corporation that by their terms are exercisable or become
exercisable at the Effective Time; provided, that,
any Option of the Corporation that is exercisable or becomes
exercisable at the Effective Time with respect to less than the
total number of shares subject to such Option shall be deemed to
be a “Vested Option” only with respect to such
exercisable portion of such Option.
8
ARTICLE II
THE
MERGER
Section 2.1 The
Merger.
(a) Upon the terms and subject to the conditions of this
Agreement, at the Closing, articles of merger (the
“Articles of Merger”) shall be duly prepared,
executed and acknowledged by Acquisition and the Corporation in
accordance with the IBCL and shall be filed with the Secretary
of State of Indiana in accordance with the provisions of the
IBCL. The Merger shall become effective upon the filing of the
Articles of Merger (or at such later time reflected in such
Articles of Merger as shall be agreed to by the Parent and the
Corporation). The date and time when the Merger shall become
effective is hereinafter referred to as the “Effective
Time.”
(b) On the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in
this Agreement and in accordance with the IBCL, at the Effective
Time, Acquisition shall be merged with and into the Corporation,
and the separate corporate existence of Acquisition shall cease,
and the Corporation shall continue as the surviving corporation
under the laws of the State of Indiana (the “Surviving
Corporation”).
(c) From and after the Effective Time, the Merger shall
have the effects set forth in
Section 23-1-40-6
of the IBCL.
Section 2.2 Conversion
of Stock. At the Effective Time:
(a) Each share of Common Stock issued and outstanding
immediately prior to the Effective Time (other than Excluded
Shares and Dissenting Shares) shall forthwith cease to exist and
be converted into and represent the right to receive (i) an
amount in cash, without interest, equal to $0.20 per share (the
“Initial Merger Consideration”), and
(ii) one Unit of the Liquidating Trust (together with the
Initial Merger Consideration, the “Merger
Consideration”), payable as provided in
Sections 2.4 and 2.5 and, with respect to the Unit of the
Liquidating Trust, Section 5.13 and the Liquidating
Trust Agreement.
(b) Each share of Common Stock issued and outstanding
immediately prior to the Effective Time that is (i) an
Excluded Share shall forthwith cease to exist and be converted
into and represent the right to receive one Unit of the
Liquidating Trust in exchange therefor and (ii) a
Dissenting Share shall cease to be outstanding and shall entitle
the holder thereof only to the rights set forth in
Section 2.3.
(c) Each share of common stock, no par value per share, of
Acquisition, then issued and outstanding, shall, by virtue of
the Merger and without any action on the part of the holder
thereof, be converted into one fully paid and non-assessable
share of common stock, no par value per share, of the Surviving
Corporation.
Section 2.3 Dissenting
Shares. Notwithstanding anything contained in
Section 2.2 to the contrary and notwithstanding any
conversion of Tranche B Notes, shares of Common Stock that
are issued and outstanding immediately prior to the Effective
Time and are held by Persons who comply with all of the
provisions of the IBCL concerning the right of such Persons to
demand appraisal of their shares of Common Stock in connection
with the Merger (such holders are “Dissenting
Shareholders” and such shares are “Dissenting
Shares”), shall not be converted into the right to
receive the Merger Consideration, but shall only become the
right to receive such consideration as may be determined to be
due such Dissenting Shareholder pursuant to the IBCL and other
applicable Laws of the State of Indiana; provided,
however, that if any Dissenting Shareholder who demands
appraisal of his or her shares of Common Stock under the IBCL
effectively withdraws or loses (through failure to perfect or
otherwise) his or her right to appraisal, then as of the
Effective Time, or the occurrence of such event, whichever
occurs later, such holder’s shares of Common Stock shall
thereupon be deemed to have been converted as of the Effective
Time into the right to receive the Merger Consideration, without
interest thereon, and such holder shall no longer be a
Dissenting Shareholder. The Corporation shall give the Parent
(a) prompt notice of any written demands for appraisal,
withdrawals of demands for appraisal and any other related
instruments received by the Corporation after the date hereof
and (b) the opportunity to direct all negotiations and
proceedings with respect to demands for appraisal. The
Corporation shall not voluntarily make any payment with respect
to any demands for appraisal and shall not, except with the
prior written consent of the Parent, settle or offer to settle
any such demand.
9
Section 2.4 Surrender
of Certificates.
(a) Prior to the Effective Time, the Parent shall designate
a bank or trust company located in the United States to act as
paying agent (the “Paying Agent”) to receive
funds in trust in order to make the payments contemplated by
Sections 2.2(a) and 2.7. As soon as practicable after the
Effective Time, the Parent shall cause the Paying Agent to mail
and/or make
available to each record holder of a certificate theretofore
evidencing shares of Common Stock (other than Excluded Shares) a
notice and letter of transmittal in customary form advising such
record holder of the effectiveness of the Merger and the
procedure for surrendering to the Paying Agent such certificate
or certificates which immediately prior to the Effective Time
represented outstanding Common Stock (the
“Certificates”) in exchange for the Merger
Consideration deliverable in respect thereof pursuant to this
Article II. Upon the surrender for cancellation to the
Paying Agent of such Certificates, together with a letter of
transmittal, duly executed and completed in accordance with the
instructions thereon, and any other items specified by the
letter of transmittal, the Parent shall cause (i) the
Paying Agent to promptly pay to the Person entitled thereto an
amount equal to the product of (A) the Initial Merger
Consideration and (B) the number of shares of Common Stock
represented by such Certificates, and (ii) the trustees of
the Liquidating Trust to deliver to each Person entitled thereto
one Unit of the Liquidating Trust in book entry form for each
share of Common Stock represented by such Certificates. Until so
surrendered, each Certificate shall be deemed, for all corporate
purposes, to evidence only the right to receive upon such
surrender the Merger Consideration deliverable in respect
thereof to which such Person is entitled pursuant to this
Article II. No interest shall be paid or accrued in respect
of such cash payments.
(b) If any Merger Consideration (or any portion thereof) is
to be delivered to a Person other than the Person in whose name
the Certificates surrendered in exchange therefor are
registered, it shall be a condition to the payment of the Merger
Consideration that the Certificates so surrendered shall be
properly endorsed or accompanied by appropriate stock powers and
otherwise in proper form for transfer, and that the Person
requesting such transfer pay to the Paying Agent any transfer or
other Taxes payable by reason of the foregoing or establish to
the satisfaction of the Paying Agent that such Taxes have been
paid or are not required to be paid.
(c) In the event any Certificate shall have been lost,
stolen or destroyed, upon the making of an affidavit of that
fact by the Person claiming such Certificate to be lost, stolen
or destroyed, the Paying Agent shall issue in exchange for such
lost, stolen or destroyed Certificate the Merger Consideration
deliverable in respect thereof as determined in accordance with
this Article II; provided, that such Person
to whom the Merger Consideration is delivered shall, as a
condition precedent to the delivery thereof, deliver to the
Surviving Corporation a bond in such sum as it may direct or, in
the sole discretion of the Surviving Corporation, otherwise
indemnify the Surviving Corporation in a manner satisfactory to
it against any Claim that may be made against the Surviving
Corporation with respect to the Certificate claimed to have been
lost, stolen or destroyed.
Section 2.5 Payment.
(a) Concurrently with or immediately prior to the Effective
Time, the Parent shall deposit or cause to be deposited in trust
with the Paying Agent cash in United States dollars in an
aggregate amount equal to the sum of (a) the product of
(i) the number of Common Stock shares outstanding
immediately prior to the Effective Time (excluding Excluded
Shares and shares known by the Parent to be Dissenting Shares at
the time of such deposit) and (ii) the Initial Merger
Consideration plus (b) all Option Cash Payments owed
in respect of Vested Options (such amount being hereinafter
referred to as the “Payment Fund”). The Payment
Fund shall be invested by the Paying Agent as directed by the
Parent (x) in direct obligations of the United States,
commercial paper of an issuer organized under the laws of a
state of the United States rated of the highest quality by
Xxxxx’x Investors Service, Inc. or Standard &
Poor’s Ratings Group, or certificates of deposit, bank
repurchase agreements or bankers’ acceptances of a United
States commercial bank having at least $1,000,000,000 in assets
(collectively, “Permitted Investments”), or
(y) in money market funds which are invested exclusively in
Permitted Investments. Any net earnings with respect to the
Payment Fund shall be paid to the Surviving Corporation as and
when requested by the Surviving Corporation.
(b) The Paying Agent shall, pursuant to irrevocable
instructions, make the payments referred to in
Sections 2.2(a) and 2.7 out of the Payment Fund and the
Payment Fund shall not be used for any other purpose.
10
Promptly following the date that is ninety (90) days after
the Effective Time, the Paying Agent shall return to the
Surviving Corporation all cash, certificates and other
instruments in its possession that constitute any portion of the
Payment Fund, and the Paying Agent’s duties shall
terminate. Thereafter, subject to applicable abandoned property,
escheat and similar Laws, each holder of (a) a Certificate
(other than a Certificate representing Excluded Shares or
Dissenting Shares) may surrender such Certificate to the
Surviving Corporation and receive in exchange therefor the
Merger Consideration payable in respect of such shares of Common
Stock pursuant to Section 2.2(a), without interest, and
(b) a Vested Option that was not previously cancelled in
exchange for an Option Cash Payment in accordance with
Section 2.7 may surrender such Vested Option to the
Surviving Corporation and receive in cancellation and settlement
therefor the Option Cash Payment payable pursuant to
Section 2.7, without interest; provided, that
in no event shall any such holder of a Certificate or Vested
Option have any greater rights against the Surviving Corporation
than may be accorded to general creditors of the Surviving
Corporation under applicable Law. Neither the Paying Agent nor
any party hereto shall be liable to a holder of shares of Common
Stock or Vested Options for any Merger Consideration or Option
Cash Payments delivered to a public official pursuant to
applicable abandoned property, escheat or similar Laws.
Section 2.6 No
Further Rights of Transfers. At and after the
Effective Time, each holder of Common Stock shall cease to have
any rights as a shareholder of the Corporation, except as
otherwise required by applicable Law and except for, in the case
of a holder of a Certificate (other than Certificates
representing Excluded Shares or Dissenting Shares), the right to
surrender his or her Certificate in exchange for payment of the
Merger Consideration or, in the case of a Dissenting
Shareholder, to perfect his or her right to receive payment for
his or her Dissenting Shares pursuant to the Laws of the State
of Indiana if such holder has validly perfected and not
withdrawn or otherwise lost his or her right to receive payment
for his or her Dissenting Shares, and no transfer of shares of
Common Stock shall be made on the stock transfer books of the
Surviving Corporation. Certificates presented to the Surviving
Corporation after the Effective Time shall be canceled and
exchanged for cash as provided in this Article II. At the
close of business on the day of the Effective Time the stock
ledger of the Corporation with respect to shares of Common Stock
shall be closed.
Section 2.7 Options,
Incentive Plans and Other Plans. Prior to the
Effective Time, the board of directors of the Corporation (or,
if appropriate, any committee thereof) shall obtain all
necessary consents and releases from all of the holders of
Options heretofore granted under any Incentive Plan or
otherwise, to (a) provide for the cancellation, effective
at the Effective Time, and subject only to Option Cash Payments
being made and receipt of Units of the Liquidating Trust
delivered with respect to Vested Options, of all Options and
(b) terminate, as of the Effective Time, the Incentive
Plans and any other Plan, program or arrangement providing for
the issuance or grant of any other interest in respect of the
Capital Stock of the Corporation or any of its Subsidiaries.
Immediately prior to the Effective Time, each Option shall no
longer be exercisable for the purchase of shares of Common
Stock. Each outstanding Vested Option shall entitle the holder
thereof, in cancellation and settlement therefor, to (i) a
cash payment (an “Option Cash Payment”) equal
to the product of (x) the total number of shares of Common
Stock subject to such Vested Option and (y) the amount by
which the Merger Consideration exceeds the exercise price per
share of Common Stock subject to such Vested Option, each such
Option Cash Payment to be paid from the Payment Fund at the
Effective Time, and (ii) one Unit of the Liquidating Trust
for each share of Common Stock subject to such Vested Option.
Each outstanding Option that is not a Vested Option, and any
outstanding stock appreciation rights or other rights or
interests in respect of Capital Stock of the Corporation or any
of its Subsidiaries, shall be canceled immediately prior to the
Effective Time without any payment therefor. The Corporation
shall take all steps to ensure that, immediately prior to the
Effective Time, neither it nor any of its Subsidiaries is or
shall be bound by any Options, warrants, rights or agreements
that would entitle any Person, other than the Parent or
Acquisition or their Affiliates, to own any Capital Stock of the
Corporation or any of its Subsidiaries or to receive any payment
in respect thereof other than pursuant to this Article II.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this Section 2.7 to
the contrary, payment of any Option Cash Payment may be withheld
with respect to any Vested Option until all necessary consents
and releases are obtained. For the avoidance of doubt, nothing
contained in this Section 2.7 or elsewhere in this
Agreement shall be deemed to cancel or terminate the
Tranche B Note or otherwise impair H.I.G. All American,
LLC’s or its assignee’s rights therein in any manner.
11
Section 2.8 Articles
of Incorporation of the Surviving
Corporation. The articles of incorporation of
Acquisition, as in effect immediately prior to the Effective
Time and as set forth on Schedule 2.8 hereto, shall
be the articles of incorporation of the Surviving Corporation,
and shall be amended as of the Effective Time so that
Article I of the articles of incorporation of the Surviving
Corporation shall read in its entirety as follows: “The
name of the Corporation is All American Group, Inc.”
Section 2.9 Bylaws
of the Surviving Corporation. The bylaws of
Acquisition, as in effect immediately prior to the Effective
Time and as set forth on Schedule 2.9 hereto, shall
be the bylaws of the Surviving Corporation.
Section 2.10 Directors
and Officers of the Surviving Corporation. At
the Effective Time, the Persons set forth on
Schedule 2.10(a) hereto shall be appointed as the
board of directors of the Surviving Corporation, each of such
directors to hold office, subject to the applicable provisions
of the articles of incorporation and bylaws of the Surviving
Corporation, until their respective successors shall be duly
elected or appointed and qualified. At the Effective Time, the
persons set forth on Schedule 2.10(b) hereto shall
be appointed as the officers of the Surviving Corporation, each
such person holding the office or offices set forth opposite
their name on Schedule 2.10(b) hereto, until their
respective successors shall be duly elected or appointed and
qualified.
Section 2.11 Closing. Unless
this Agreement has been terminated and the transactions
contemplated hereby have been abandoned pursuant to
Article VII, and subject to the satisfaction or waiver of
all of the conditions set forth in Article VI, the closing
of the Merger (the “Closing”) shall take place
at 10:00 A.M. at the offices of White & Case LLP,
000 Xxxxx Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxxx, Xxxxx 0000, Xxxxx, Xxxxxxx
00000, as soon as practicable, but in any event within three
(3) Business Days after the last of the conditions set
forth in Article VI hereof is satisfied or waived, or at
such other date, time or place as the parties hereto shall agree
in writing. Such date is herein referred to as the
“Closing Date.”
Section 2.12 Withholding
Rights. The Parent shall be entitled to
deduct and withhold, or cause to be deducted or withheld, from
(a) the Merger Consideration otherwise payable pursuant to
this Agreement to any holder of Common Stock or (b) any
Option Cash Payment otherwise payable pursuant to this
Agreement, such amounts as are required to be deducted and
withheld with respect to the making of such payment under the
Code, or any provision of applicable state, local or foreign Tax
Law. To the extent that amounts are so deducted and withheld,
such deducted and withheld amounts shall be treated for all
purposes of this Agreement as having been paid to such holders
in respect of which such deduction and withholding was made.
Section 2.13 Further
Assurances. If, at any time after the
Effective Time, the Surviving Corporation determines that any
deeds, bills of sale, assignments or assurances or any other
acts or things are necessary, desirable or proper to
(a) vest, perfect or confirm, of record or otherwise, in
the Surviving Corporation, its right, title or interest in, to
or under any of the rights, privileges, powers, franchises,
properties or assets of either of the constituent corporations
in the Merger, or (b) otherwise carry out the purposes of
this Agreement, the Surviving Corporation and its officers and
directors or their designees shall be authorized to execute and
deliver, in the name and on behalf of either of the constituent
corporations in the Merger, all such deeds, bills of sale,
assignments and assurances and do, in the name and on behalf of
such constituent corporations, all such other acts and things
necessary, desirable or proper, consistent with the terms of
this Agreement, to vest, perfect or confirm the Surviving
Corporation’s right, title or interest in, to or under any
of the rights, privileges, powers, franchises, properties or
assets of such constituent corporations and otherwise to carry
out the purposes of this Agreement.
ARTICLE III
REPRESENTATIONS
AND WARRANTIES OF THE CORPORATION
Except as set forth in the corresponding schedules of the
disclosure letter delivered by the Corporation to the Parent and
Acquisition upon or prior to entering into this Agreement (the
“Corporation Disclosure Letter”), the
Corporation hereby represents and warrants to the Parent and
Acquisition as follow as of the date hereof and as of the
Closing Date:
Section 3.1 Corporate
Existence; Power and Authority. Each of the
Corporation and its Subsidiaries is a corporation or limited
liability company, as applicable, duly organized and validly
existing under the laws of its
12
jurisdiction of organization and is duly qualified as a foreign
corporation in all states or other jurisdictions where the
nature and extent of the business transacted by it or the
ownership of its assets makes such qualification necessary,
except for those jurisdictions in which the failure to so
qualify would not have a Material Adverse Effect. The execution,
delivery and performance of this Agreement, the other agreements
contemplated hereunder and the transactions contemplated
hereunder and thereunder (a) are all within the
Corporation’s corporate powers, (b) have been duly
authorized, (c) are not in contravention of law or the
terms of the Corporation’s or any of its Subsidiaries’
articles of incorporation, bylaws, or other organizational
documentation, or any indenture, agreement or undertaking to
which the Corporation or any of its Subsidiaries is a party or
by which any of their property is bound, (d) will not
result in the creation or imposition of, or require or give rise
to any obligation to grant, any lien, security interest, charge
or other encumbrance upon any property of the Corporation or its
Subsidiaries and (e) will not require any approval of
shareholders or any approval or consent of any Person under any
contract of the Corporation or its Subsidiaries, except for such
approvals or consents which will be obtained on or before the
Closing Date and are disclosed in Schedule 3.1 of
the Corporation Disclosure Letter. This Agreement and the other
agreements contemplated hereunder have been duly executed and
delivered by the Corporation and constitute a legal, valid and
binding obligation of the Corporation enforceable in accordance
with their respective terms, except that its enforceability may
be subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization,
moratorium or other similar Laws affecting the enforcement of
creditors’ rights generally, and by general equitable
principles. The execution, delivery and performance by the
Corporation of this Agreement and the agreements contemplated
hereunder and the consummation of the transactions contemplated
by this Agreement and the agreements contemplated hereunder do
not and will not require any registration with, consent or
approval of or notice to, or other action to, with or by, any
Governmental Authority or public body or subdivision thereof.
Section 3.2 Financial
Statements; No Material Adverse Change.
(a) All financial statements relating to the Corporation
and its Subsidiaries (including the financial statements
contained in any Commission Filings) that have been or may
hereafter be delivered by the Corporation to the Parent or
Acquisition or any of their Affiliates (collectively, the
“Financial Statements”), have been prepared in
accordance with GAAP (except as to any interim financial
statements, to the extent such statements are subject to normal
year-end adjustments, none of which would be material or
recurring, and do not include any notes) and fairly present in
all material respects the consolidated financial condition and
the consolidated results of operation of the Corporation and its
Subsidiaries as of the dates and for the periods set forth
therein. Except as set forth on Schedule 3.2(a) of
the Corporation Disclosure Letter, since December 31, 2009,
there has not been (i) any act, condition or event which
has had or is reasonably likely to have a Material Adverse
Effect, (ii) any general increase in the compensation of
officers or employees of the Corporation or any of its
Subsidiaries (including any such increase pursuant to any bonus,
pension, profit-sharing or other plan or commitment) or any
increase in the compensation payable or to become payable to any
officer or employee of the Corporation or any of its
Subsidiaries, except for increases in the ordinary course of
business and in accordance with past practice that are
immaterial in the aggregate, (iii) any sale, transfer or
other disposition of any material tangible asset of the
Corporation or any of its Subsidiaries, except in the ordinary
course of business, or any sale, assignment, transfer or other
disposition of any of the Corporation’s or its
Subsidiaries’ Intellectual Property or other intangible
assets, (iv) any incurrence of any lien, security interest,
pledge, mortgage, encumbrance, restriction or change of any kind
permitted or allowed with respect to any of the properties,
business or assets of the Corporation and its Subsidiaries,
(v) any declaration, setting aside, making or paying of any
dividend or other distribution in respect of the
Corporation’s Capital Stock or any direct or indirect
redemption, purchase or other acquisition of any shares of the
Corporation’s or its Subsidiaries’ respective Capital
Stock, (vi) any setting aside, making or incurring of any
Capital Expenditure or commitment, or series of related Capital
Expenditures or commitments, by the Corporation and any of its
Subsidiaries in the aggregate amount above $100,000 or
(vii) any decrease in the amount of the Corporation’s
or any of its Subsidiaries’ reserves and accruals, except
as through the normal course of business, based on consistent
methods of reserve and accrual calculations. The projections for
the fiscal years ending 2010 through 2012 that have been
delivered to the Parent or Acquisition and any projections
hereafter delivered to the Parent or Acquisition or any of their
Affiliates have been prepared in light of the past operations of
the business of the Corporation and its Subsidiaries and are
based upon estimates and assumptions stated therein, all of
which the Corporation and its Subsidiaries have determined to be
reasonable and fair in light of the then current
13
conditions and current facts and reflect the good faith and
reasonable estimates of the Corporation and its Subsidiaries of
the future financial performance of the Corporation and its
Subsidiaries and of the other information projected therein for
the periods set forth therein.
(b) Except as fully reflected in the Financial Statements
or the notes thereto, there are no liabilities or obligations
with respect to the Corporation or any of its Subsidiaries of
any nature whatsoever (whether absolute, accrued, contingent or
otherwise and whether or not due) which, either individually or
in aggregate, would be material to the Corporation and its
Subsidiaries, taken as a whole. Except as set forth in the
Financial Statements or the notes thereto, the Corporation and
its Subsidiaries do not know of any basis for the assertion
against the Corporation or any of its Subsidiaries of any
liability or obligation of any nature whatsoever that is not
fully reflected in the Financial Statements or the notes thereto
which, either individually or in the aggregate, could be
material to the Corporation and its Subsidiaries, taken as a
whole.
(c) Schedule 3.2(c) of the Corporation
Disclosure Letter sets forth a complete and accurate description
of all Indebtedness of the Corporation or any of its
Subsidiaries (other than Indebtedness owed pursuant to the Loan
Agreement), including the principal amount thereof, the lender
thereof, the interest rate, the maturity date, the collateral
subject thereto and the principal documentation related thereto.
There is no Indebtedness outstanding except for Indebtedness
that is owed pursuant to the Loan Agreement or set forth on
Schedule 3.2(c) of the Corporation Disclosure Letter.
Section 3.3 Title
to Properties. The Corporation and each of
its Subsidiaries has good and marketable fee simple title to or
valid leasehold interests in all of its Real Property and good,
valid and merchantable title to all of its other properties and
assets subject to no liens, mortgages, pledges, security
interests, encumbrances or charges of any kind, except those
granted to H.I.G. All American, LLC and such others as are
specifically listed on Schedule 3.3 to the
Corporation Disclosure Letter or Permitted Encumbrances.
Section 3.4 Authorized
Capital. The authorized capital stock of the
Corporation consists of 100,000,000 shares of common stock,
no par value per share, of which (a) 36,750,083 are issued and
outstanding, (b) 35,700 are reserved for issuance upon
exercise of outstanding options, (c) 0 are reserved for issuance
under The Corporation’s Long Term Incentive Performance
Based Restricted Stock Plan, (d) 0 are reserved for issuance to
directors of the Corporation and (e) 21,156,658 are reserved for
issuance upon conversion of the Tranche B Notes. Of the
36,750,083 outstanding shares, 0 are unvested restricted shares.
All outstanding shares of Common Stock are duly and validly
issued, fully paid and nonassessable. There are no outstanding
subscriptions, Options or other rights (including registration
rights and preemptive rights) or any other agreements or
commitments of any nature relating to any Capital Stock of the
Corporation or any of its Subsidiaries, except as disclosed in
Schedule 3.4 of the Corporation Disclosure Letter.
The Parent has been furnished with a true and complete copy of
each agreement and document disclosed in
Schedule 3.4 of the Corporation Disclosure Letter.
Section 3.5 Tax
Returns and Payments. The Corporation and its
Subsidiaries have timely filed with the appropriate taxing
authority, or have caused to be filed with the appropriate
taxing authority, all returns, statements, forms, and reports
for Taxes (the “Returns”) required to be filed
by or with respect to the income, properties or operations of
the Corporation
and/or any
of its Subsidiaries except for such filings listed on
Schedule 3.5(a) of the Corporation Disclosure Letter
as to which the Corporation or the applicable Subsidiary has
properly requested an extension of time. The Returns accurately
reflect in all material respects all liability for Taxes of the
Corporation and its Subsidiaries as a whole for the periods
covered thereby. The Corporation and its Subsidiaries have paid
all Taxes payable by them other than those contested in good
faith and adequately disclosed for which adequate reserves have
been established in accordance with GAAP. Except as set forth on
Schedule 3.5(b) of the Corporation Disclosure
Letter, there is no action, suit, proceeding, investigation,
audit, or claim now pending or, to the best knowledge of the
Corporation and its Subsidiaries, threatened by any Governmental
Authority against the Corporation and its Subsidiaries regarding
any Taxes. Neither the Corporation nor any of its Subsidiaries
has entered into an agreement or waiver or been requested to
enter into an agreement or waiver extending any statute of
limitations relating to the payment or collection of Taxes of
the Corporation or any of its Subsidiaries, or are aware of any
circumstances that would cause the taxable years or other
taxable periods of the Corporation or any of its Subsidiaries
not to be subject to the normally applicable statute of
limitations.
14
Section 3.6 Litigation. Except
as set forth on Schedule 3.6 to the Corporation
Disclosure Letter, there is no investigation by any Governmental
Authority pending, or to the best of the Corporation’s
knowledge, threatened, against or affecting the Corporation or
any of its Subsidiaries, or their respective assets or
businesses and there is no action, suit, proceeding or claim by
any Person pending, or to the best of the Corporation’s
knowledge, threatened, against the Corporation or any of its
Subsidiaries or their respective assets or goodwill, or against
or affecting any transactions contemplated by this Agreement, in
each case that if adversely determined against the Corporation
or such Subsidiary has or could reasonably be expected to have a
Material Adverse Effect on the Corporation or such Subsidiary.
Section 3.7 Compliance
with Other Agreements and Applicable Laws.
(a) Except as set forth on Schedule 3.7 to the
Corporation Disclosure Letter, neither the Corporation nor any
of its Subsidiaries is in default in any respect under, or in
violation in any respect of the terms of, any material
agreement, contract, instrument, lease or other commitment to
which it is a party or by which it or any of its assets are
bound and the Corporation and each of its Subsidiaries are in
compliance with the requirements of all applicable laws, rules,
regulations and orders of any Governmental Authority relating to
their respective businesses, including, without limitation,
those set forth in or promulgated pursuant to the Occupational
Safety and Health Act of 1970, as amended, the Fair Labor
Standards Act of 1938, as amended, ERISA, the Code, as amended,
and the rules and regulations thereunder, and all Environmental
Laws.
(b) The Corporation and each of its Subsidiaries have
obtained all material permits, licenses, approvals, consents,
certificates, orders or authorizations of any Governmental
Authority required for the lawful conduct of their respective
businesses (the “Permits”). All of the Permits
are valid and subsisting and in full force and effect. There are
no actions, claims or proceedings pending or to the best of the
Corporation’s knowledge, threatened, that seek the
revocation, cancellation, suspension or modification of any of
the Permits.
(c) Neither the Corporation nor any of its Subsidiaries is
subject to regulation under the Public Utility Holding Company
Act of 1935, the Federal Power Act, the Interstate Commerce Act
or the Investment Company Act of 1940 or under any other federal
or state statute or regulation which may limit its ability to
incur Indebtedness. Neither the Corporation nor any of its
Subsidiaries is engaged principally, or as one of its important
activities, in the business of extending credit for the purpose
of purchasing or carrying any margin stock.
Section 3.8 Environmental
Compliance.
(a) Except as set forth on Schedule 3.8 of the
Corporation Disclosure Letter, the Corporation and its
Subsidiaries have not generated, used, stored, treated,
transported, manufactured, handled, produced or disposed of any
Hazardous Materials, on or off their premises (whether or not
owned by them) in any manner which at any time violates in any
material respect any applicable Environmental Law or Permit, and
the operations of the Corporation and its Subsidiaries comply in
all material respects with all Environmental Laws and all
Permits.
(b) Except as set forth on Schedule 3.8 of the
Corporation Disclosure Letter, there has been no investigation
by any Governmental Authority or any proceeding, complaint,
order, directive, claim, citation or notice by any Governmental
Authority or any other person nor is any pending or to the best
of the Corporation’s knowledge threatened, with respect to
any non-compliance with or violation of the requirements of any
Environmental Law by the Corporation or any of its Subsidiaries
or the release, spill or discharge, threatened or actual, of any
Hazardous Material or the generation, use, storage, treatment,
transportation, manufacture, handling, production or disposal of
any Hazardous Materials or any other environmental, health or
safety matter, which adversely affects or could reasonably be
expected to adversely affect in any material respect its
businesses, operations or assets or any properties at which the
Corporation or any of its Subsidiaries has transported, stored
or disposed of any Hazardous Materials.
(c) Except as set forth on Schedule 3.8 to the
Corporation Disclosure Letter, the Corporation and its
Subsidiaries have no material liability (contingent or
otherwise) in connection with a release, spill or discharge,
threatened or actual, of any Hazardous Materials or the
generation, use, storage, treatment, transportation,
manufacture, handling, production or disposal of any Hazardous
Materials.
15
(d) The Corporation and its Subsidiaries have all Permits
required to be obtained or filed in connection with their
operations under any Environmental Law and all of such licenses,
certificates, approvals or similar authorizations and other
Permits are valid and in full force and effect.
Section 3.9 Employee
Benefits.
(a) Schedule 3.9(a) of the Corporation
Disclosure Letter sets forth a true and complete list of each
Plan and Multiemployer Plan. Except as disclosed on
Schedule 3.9 of the Corporation Disclosure Letter,
none of the Corporation or its Subsidiaries or the ERISA
Affiliates have any commitment to establish any additional Plans
or to modify or change materially any existing Plan. The
Corporation has made available to the Parent with respect to
each Plan (i) true and complete copies of all written
documents comprising such Plan (including amendments and
individual agreements relating thereto) or, if there is no such
written document, an accurate and complete description of such
Plan and (ii) the most recent annual report on Internal
Revenue Service
Form 5500-series
and financial statements, if any.
(b) Each Plan is in compliance in form and operation with
its terms and with all applicable Laws, including ERISA and the
Code, and all contributions and payments required to be made
under any Plan or related agreement have been made in a timely
fashion or have been properly reflected on the Financial
Statements.
(c) Each Plan (and each related trust, if any) which is
intended to be “qualified” under Section 401(a)
of the Code has received a favorable determination letter from
the Internal Revenue Service to the effect that it meets the
requirements of Sections 401(a) and 501(a) of the Code
covering all applicable Tax Law changes and no event has
occurred, and no condition exists, which could reasonably be
expected to adversely affect such determination.
(d) Except as set forth on Schedule 3.9(d) of
the Corporation Disclosure Letter, no Plan provides for
post-employment or retiree welfare benefits, except as required
by Section 4980B of the Code or Part 6 of subtitle B
of Title I of ERISA or for death benefits under any
“employee pension plan” (as such term is defined in
Section 3(2) of ERISA).
(e) There are no pending or, to the best of the
Corporation’s knowledge, threatened, claims, lawsuits,
actions, audits, investigations, or other proceedings (other
than routine claims for benefits) with respect to any Plan.
There has been no violation of the fiduciary responsibility
rules with respect to any Plan.
(f) (i) No ERISA Event has occurred or is reasonably
expected to occur, (ii) there exists no Unfunded Pension
Liability with respect to Plans that are employee pension
benefit plans (as such term is defined in Section 3(2) of
ERISA) in the aggregate (taking into account only Plans with
positive Unfunded Pension Liability) in excess of $100,000,
(iii) none of the Corporation or its Subsidiaries or the
ERISA Affiliates is making or accruing an obligation to make
contributions, or has within any of the five calendar years
immediately preceding the date hereof, made or accrued an
obligation to make contributions to any Multiemployer Plan,
(iv) no Plan which is subject to Section 412 of the
Code or Section 302 of ERISA has applied for or received an
extension of any amortization period, within the meaning of
Section 412 of the Code or Section 303 or 304 of
ERISA, (v) none of the Corporation or its Subsidiaries or
the ERISA Affiliates has ceased operations at a facility so as
to become subject to the provisions of Section 4068(a) of
ERISA, withdrawn as a substantial employer so as to become
subject to the provisions of Section 4063 of ERISA or
ceased making contributions to any Plan subject to
Section 4064(a) of ERISA to which it made contributions,
(vi) none of the Corporation or its Subsidiaries or the
ERISA Affiliates has incurred or reasonably expects to incur any
liability (and no event has occurred which, with the giving of
notice under Section 4219 of ERISA, would result in such
liability) under Section 4201 or 4243 of ERISA with respect
to a Multiemployer Plan and (vii) none of the Corporation
or its Subsidiaries or the ERISA Affiliates have any liability
under Section 4069 or 4212(c) of ERISA.
(g) There are no participants in the Corporation’s
(i) Executive Annual Performance Incentive Plan or
(ii) Supplemental Deferred Compensation Plan, other than
Xxxx Xxxx, Xxxxxx X. Xxxx and Xxxxx X. Xxxxxxxxx.
16
Section 3.10 Intellectual
Property. Each of the Corporation and its
Subsidiaries owns or licenses or otherwise has the right to use
all Intellectual Property necessary for the operation of its
business as presently conducted or proposed to be conducted. As
of the date hereof, neither the Corporation nor any of its
Subsidiaries has any Intellectual Property registered, or
subject to pending applications, in the United States Patent and
Trademark Office or any similar office or agency in the United
States, any State thereof, any political subdivision thereof or
in any other country, other than those described in
Schedule 3.10 of the Corporation Disclosure Letter
and has not granted any licenses with respect thereto other than
as set forth in Schedule 3.10 to the Corporation
Disclosure Letter. No event has occurred which permits or would
permit after notice or passage of time or both, the revocation,
suspension or termination of such rights. To the best of the
Corporation’s knowledge, no slogan or other advertising
device, product, process, method, substance or other
Intellectual Property or goods bearing or using any Intellectual
Property presently contemplated to be sold by or employed by the
Corporation or any of its Subsidiaries infringes any patent,
trademark, servicemark, tradename, copyright, license or other
Intellectual Property owned by any other Person presently and no
claim or litigation is pending or threatened against or
affecting the Corporation or any of its Subsidiaries contesting
their right to sell or use any such Intellectual Property.
Schedule 3.10 of the Corporation Disclosure Letter
sets forth all of the agreements or other arrangements of the
Corporation and each of its Subsidiaries pursuant to which the
Corporation or such Subsidiary has a license or other right to
use any trademarks, logos, designs, representations or other
Intellectual Property owned by another person and the dates of
the expiration of such agreements or other arrangements of the
Corporation or such Subsidiary (collectively, together with such
agreements or other arrangements as may be entered into by the
Corporation or such Subsidiary after the date hereof,
collectively, the “License Agreements” and
individually, a “License Agreement”). No
trademark, servicemark, copyright or other Intellectual Property
at any time used by the Corporation or any of its Subsidiaries
that is owned by another Person, or owned by the Corporation or
such Subsidiary subject to any security interest, lien,
collateral assignment, pledge or other encumbrance in favor of
any Person other than H.I.G. All American, LLC, is affixed to
any inventory, except (a) to the extent permitted under the
term of the License Agreements listed on
Schedule 3.10 of the Corporation Disclosure Letter
and (b) to the extent the sale of inventory to which such
Intellectual Property is affixed is permitted to be sold by the
Corporation or such Subsidiary under applicable law (including
the United States Copyright Act of 1976).
Section 3.11 Subsidiaries;
Affiliates; Capitalization.
(a) The Corporation does not have any direct or indirect
Subsidiaries and is not engaged in any joint venture or
partnership except as set forth in Schedule 3.11 of
the Corporation Disclosure Letter. Except as disclosed in
Schedule 3.11 of the Corporation Disclosure Letter,
no executive officer or director of the Corporation or any of
its Subsidiaries or any person related by blood or marriage, to
any such person or any entity in which any such person owns any
beneficial interest (excluding five percent (5%) or less of a
publicly held company), is a party to any agreement, contract,
commitment or transaction with the Corporation or any of its
Subsidiaries or which pertains to any of their respective
businesses or had any interest in any property, real or personal
or mixed, tangible or intangible, used in or pertaining to any
of their respective businesses.
(b) All of the issued and outstanding shares of Capital
Stock of each of the Corporation’s Subsidiaries are owned
beneficially and of record by the Persons listed on
Schedule 3.11 of the Corporation Disclosure Letter
and there are no proxies, irrevocable or otherwise, with respect
to such shares and no equity securities of any of the
Corporation’s Subsidiaries are or may become required to be
issued by reason of any Options or other rights to subscribe to
any equity securities, calls or commitments of any kind or
nature and there are no contracts, commitments, understandings
or arrangements by which any Subsidiary of the Corporation is or
may become bound to issue additional Capital Stock or securities
convertible into or exchangeable for Capital Stock.
(c) All of the issued and outstanding Capital Stock of each
of the Corporation’s Subsidiaries has been duly authorized
and is fully paid and non-assessable, free and clear of all
claims, liens, pledges and encumbrances of any kind.
Section 3.12 Labor
Disputes.
(a) Set forth on Schedule 3.12 to the
Corporation Disclosure Letter is a true and complete list
(including dates of termination) of all collective bargaining or
similar agreements between or applicable to the
17
Corporation or any of its Subsidiaries and any union, labor
organization or other bargaining agent in respect of the
employees of the Corporation and any of its Subsidiaries.
(b) There is (i) no significant unfair labor practice
complaint pending against the Corporation and any of its
Subsidiaries or, to the best of the Corporation’s
knowledge, threatened against it, before the National Labor
Relations Board, and no significant grievance or significant
arbitration proceeding arising out of or under any collective
bargaining agreement is pending against the Corporation and any
of its Subsidiaries or, to best of the Corporation’s
knowledge, threatened against it and (ii) no significant
strike, labor dispute, slowdown or stoppage is pending against
the Corporation and any of its Subsidiaries or, to the best of
the Corporation’s knowledge, threatened against the
Corporation and any of its Subsidiaries.
Section 3.13 Restrictions
on Subsidiaries. Except for restrictions
contained in the Loan Agreement or any other agreement with
respect to Indebtedness of the Corporation and its Subsidiaries
permitted under the Loan Agreement, there are no contractual or
consensual restrictions on the Corporation or any of its
Subsidiaries that prohibit or otherwise restrict (a) the
transfer of cash or other assets (i) between the
Corporation and any of its Subsidiaries or (ii) between any
Subsidiaries of the Corporation, or (b) the ability of the
Corporation or any of its Subsidiaries to incur Indebtedness or
grant the security interests granted pursuant to the Loan
Agreement and the other Transaction Documents (as defined in the
Loan Agreement).
Section 3.14 Material
Contracts. Schedule 3.14 of the
Corporation Disclosure Letter sets forth all Material Contracts
to which the Corporation or any of its Subsidiaries are a party
or are bound. The Corporation has delivered true, correct and
complete copies of such Material Contracts to the Parent.
Neither the Corporation nor any of its Subsidiaries is in breach
or in default in any material respect of or under any Material
Contract and no condition exists that, with the giving of notice
or the lapse of time or both, constitutes such a default.
Neither the Corporation nor any of its Subsidiaries has received
any written notice of the intention of any other party thereto
to terminate any Material Contract. Neither the Corporation nor
any of its Subsidiaries is a party to or otherwise subject to
any agreements or instruments or any charter or other internal
restrictions which, individually or in the aggregate, could
reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
Section 3.15 Real
Property. Schedule 3.15 of the
Corporation Disclosure Letter contains a true, accurate and
complete list of (i) leases, subleases or assignments of
leases, or any agreements similar to the foregoing (together
with all amendments, modifications, supplements, renewals or
extensions of any thereof), affecting each parcel of Real
Property leased by the Corporation or any of its Subsidiaries,
regardless of whether the Corporation or such Subsidiary is the
landlord or tenant (whether directly or as an assignee or
successor in interest) under such lease, sublease, assignment or
similar assignment and (ii) Real Property owned in fee by
the Corporation or any of its Subsidiaries. Except as specified
in Schedule 3.15 of the Corporation Disclosure
Letter, each agreement listed therein is in full force and
effect with respect to the Corporation or Subsidiary party
thereto and the Corporation or such Subsidiary does not have any
knowledge of a default that has occurred and is continuing
thereunder and each constitutes the legally valid and binding
obligation of the Corporation or such Subsidiary, enforceable
against the Corporation or such Subsidiary in accordance with
its terms, except as enforcement may be limited by bankruptcy,
insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or similar laws relating
to or limiting creditors’ rights generally or by equitable
principles.
Section 3.16 Certain
Fees. Except for the fees and expenses of
Xxxxxxxx Xxxxx Financial Advisors, Inc. (the “Financial
Advisor”), which shall be paid in full by the
Corporation as set forth on Schedule 3.16 of the
Corporation Disclosure Letter, no brokers or finders fee or
commission will be payable with respect to this Agreement or any
of the transactions contemplated hereby.
Section 3.17 Commission
Filings. The Corporation has filed, and will
file, all required registration statements, reports, schedules,
forms, statements and other documents required to be filed by it
with the Commission prior to the Effective Time (the
“Commission Filings”). The Corporation has made
or will make available to the Parent a correct and complete copy
of each such Commission Filing filed by the Corporation. As of
their respective dates, the Commission Filings (a) were
prepared, or will be prepared, in accordance with, and comply in
all material respects with the requirements of the Securities
Act or the Exchange Act, as the case may be, and the rules and
regulations of the Commission thereunder applicable to such
Commission Filings, and (b) did not, or do not, at the time
they were filed (and if amended or superseded by a filing, then
on the date of such filing and as
18
so amended or superseded) 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. All of such Commission Filings (including
any financial statements included or incorporated by reference
therein), as of their respective dates (and as of the date of
any amendment to the respective Commission Filing), complied or
will comply as to form in all material respects with the
applicable requirements of the Securities Act and the Exchange
Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
Section 3.18 Proxy
Statement. The Proxy Statement to be sent to
the shareholders of the Corporation in connection with the
Merger will not, on the date the Proxy Statement (or any
amendment or supplement thereto) is first mailed to shareholders
of the Corporation or on the Closing Date, contain any untrue
statement of a material fact or omit to state any 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; provided, that the
Corporation makes no representation or warranty with respect to
any information supplied or to be supplied by the Parent,
Acquisition or any of their respective representatives in
writing for inclusion in the Proxy Statement. The Proxy
Statement shall comply in all material respects with the
requirements of the Exchange Act and any other applicable Laws.
If at any time after the date hereof but prior to the Closing
Date, any event occurs that should be described in an amendment
or supplement to the Proxy Statement, the Corporation will file
and disseminate, as required, an amendment or supplement that
complies in all material respects with the Exchange Act and any
other applicable Laws.
Section 3.19 State
Business Combination Statutes; Rights Agreement.
(a) (a) The requirements of
Section 23-1-43-18
of the IBCL are satisfied with respect this Agreement, the
Merger and the other transactions contemplated hereby pursuant
to the terms of the Loan Agreement whereby H.I.G. was approved
to purchase shares of the Corporation prior to H.I.G’s
shares acquisition date. Except for
Section 23-1-43-18
of the IBCL (the requirements of which have been satisfied), no
other “fair price”, “moratorium”,
“control share acquisition”, “business
combination” or other state takeover statute or similar
statute or regulation of any state is applicable to this
Agreement, the Merger or the other transactions contemplated
hereby.
(b) The Corporation’s Amended and Restated Rights
Agreement, dated October 23, 2009 (the “Rights
Agreement”), is in full force and effect and no
amendment, restatement, supplement or other modification thereto
has been made or will be made at or prior to the Effective Time.
Neither the Parent nor Acquisition is, or at any time at or
prior to the Effective Time will be, an “Acquiring
Person” as defined in the Rights Agreement, and neither
this Agreement nor any of the transactions contemplated hereby
will trigger the right of any Person to purchase Common Stock or
other securities thereunder.
Section 3.20 Voting
Requirements. The affirmative vote of the
majority of the outstanding shares of Common Stock is the only
vote of the holders of any class or series of the
Corporation’s Capital Stock necessary to adopt this
Agreement and approve the transactions contemplated hereby.
Section 3.21 Opinion
of Financial Advisor. The Special Committee
has received the opinion of the Financial Advisor, a complete
and correct signed copy of which will be delivered to the Parent
solely for information purposes after receipt thereof by the
Special Committee, to the effect that, as of the date of this
Agreement, the Merger Consideration to be received by the
holders of Common Stock (except as set forth in such opinion) is
fair, from a financial point of view, to such holders, subject
to the assumptions, limitations and qualifications contained
therein.
Section 3.22 Board
Approval and Recommendation. The Special
Committee has, at a meeting thereof duly called and held,
(a) determined that the Merger and the other transactions
contemplated herein are fair to, and in the best interests of,
the Corporation and the shareholders of the Corporation, and has
declared that the Merger is advisable, (b) approved the
Merger and this Agreement and (c) recommended that the
board of directors of the Corporation approve and adopt the
Merger and this Agreement. The board of directors of the
Corporation has, at a meeting duly called and held,
(a) determined that the Merger and the other transactions
contemplated herein are fair to, and in the best interests of,
the Corporation and the shareholders of the Corporation, and
declared that the Merger is advisable and (b) approved the
Merger and this Agreement. None of the foregoing determinations,
approvals or
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recommendations will have been revoked or otherwise modified or
amended at any time on or prior to the Closing Date.
Section 3.23 Survival
of Warranties; Cumulative. All
representations and warranties contained in this Agreement or
any of the other agreements, certificates or other documents
contemplated hereby shall survive the execution and delivery of
this Agreement and shall be deemed to have been made again to
the Parent and Acquisition on and as of the Closing Date and
shall be conclusively presumed to have been relied on by the
Parent and Acquisition regardless of any investigation made or
information possessed by the Parent and Acquisition. The
representations and warranties set forth herein shall be
cumulative and in addition to any other representations or
warranties that the Corporation shall now or hereafter give, or
cause to be given, to the Parent or Acquisition.
Section 3.24 Accuracy
and Completeness of Information. All
information furnished by or on behalf of the Corporation in
writing to the Parent or Acquisition in connection with this
Agreement or any of the other agreements or documents
contemplated hereby or any transaction contemplated hereby or
thereby, including all information in the Corporation Disclosure
Letter, is true and correct in all material respects on the date
as of which such information is dated or certified and does not
omit any material fact necessary in order to make such
information not misleading. No event or circumstance has
occurred that has had or could reasonably be expected to have a
Material Adverse Affect that has not been fully and accurately
disclosed to the Parent in writing.
ARTICLE IV
REPRESENTATIONS
AND WARRANTIES OF PARENT AND ACQUISITION
Each of the Parent and Acquisition hereby represents and
warrants to the Corporation as follows as of the date hereof and
as of the Closing Date:
Section 4.1 Due
Organization, Good Standing and Corporate
Power. The Parent and Acquisition are each a
corporation duly organized, validly existing and in good
standing under the Laws of their respective jurisdictions of
organization and have all requisite corporate power and
authority to own, lease and operate their respective properties
and to carry on their respective business as now being conducted.
Section 4.2 Authorization
and Validity of Agreement. Each of the Parent
and Acquisition has the requisite corporate power and authority
to execute and deliver this Agreement, to perform its
obligations hereunder and to consummate the transactions
contemplated hereby. The execution, delivery and performance of
this Agreement by the Parent and Acquisition and the
consummation by each of them of the transactions contemplated
hereby have been duly authorized by the board of directors of
each of the Parent and Acquisition. No other corporate action on
the part of either of the Parent or Acquisition is necessary to
authorize the execution, delivery and performance of this
Agreement by each of the Parent and Acquisition and the
consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby (other than
the filing of the appropriate merger documents as required by
the IBCL). This Agreement has been duly executed and delivered
by the Parent and Acquisition and, assuming that this Agreement
constitutes a valid and binding obligation of the Corporation,
constitutes valid and binding obligations of the Parent and
Acquisition enforceable against the Parent and Acquisition in
accordance with its terms, except that its enforceability may be
subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization,
moratorium or other similar Laws affecting the enforcement of
creditors’ rights generally, and by general equitable
principles.
Section 4.3 Consents
and Approvals; No Violations. Assuming
(a) the requirements of the Exchange Act relating to the
Proxy Statement, if any, are met and (b) the filing of the
Articles of Merger and other appropriate merger documents, if
any, as required by the IBCL, are made, the execution and
delivery of this Agreement by the Parent and Acquisition and the
consummation by the Parent and Acquisition of the transactions
contemplated hereby will not (w) violate or conflict with
any provision of the certificate or articles of incorporation or
bylaws of the Parent or Acquisition, (x) violate or
conflict with any Law applicable to the Parent or Acquisition or
by which either of their respective properties or assets may be
bound, (y) require any filing with, consent or approval of,
Permit from, or the giving of any notice to, any Governmental
Authority or (z) result in a violation or breach of,
conflict with, constitute (with or without due notice or lapse
of time or both) a default under (or give rise to any right of
termination, cancellation or acceleration or any right which
becomes effective upon the occurrence of a merger, consolidation
or change of control under), or result in the creation of any
lien upon any of the properties or assets of
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the Parent or Acquisition under, or give rise to any obligation
under any agreement, contract, arrangement, lease or other
instrument or obligation to which the Parent or Acquisition or
any of their properties or assets may be bound.
Section 4.4 Broker’s
or Finder’s Fee. Except for H.I.G.
Capital LLC (whose fees and expenses shall be payable by the
Parent), no agent, broker, Person or firm (other than legal
counsel to the Parent or Acquisition) acting on behalf of the
Parent or Acquisition is or shall be entitled to any fee,
commission or broker’s or finder’s fees in connection
with this Agreement or any of the transactions contemplated
hereby.
Section 4.5 Registration
Statement. The Registration Statement to be
filed with the Commission in connection with the Merger will
not, on the date the Registration Statement (or any amendment or
supplement thereto) is submitted to the Commission prior to the
Closing Date, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or
omit to state any 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;
provided, that neither the Parent nor Acquisition
makes any representation or warranty with respect to any
information supplied or to be supplied by the Corporation or any
of its representatives in writing for inclusion in the
Registration Statement. The Registration Statement shall comply
in all material respects with the requirements of the Exchange
Act and any other applicable Laws. If at any time after the date
hereof but prior to the Closing Date, any event occurs that
should be described in an amendment or supplement to the
Registration Statement, the Parent will file and disseminate, as
required, an amendment or supplement that complies in all
material respects with the Exchange Act and any other applicable
Laws.
Section 4.6 Acquisition’s
Operations. Acquisition was formed solely for
the purpose of engaging in the transactions contemplated by this
Agreement and has not engaged in any business activities or
conducted any operations other than in connection with such
transactions.
ARTICLE V
COVENANTS
Section 5.1 Access
to Information Concerning Properties and
Records. During the period commencing on the
date hereof and ending on the earlier of (a) the Closing
Date and (b) the date on which this Agreement is terminated
pursuant to Section 7.1 hereof, the Corporation shall, and
shall cause each of its Subsidiaries to, upon reasonable notice
from the Parent, afford the Parent, Acquisition, their potential
financing sources and each of their respective Affiliates,
employees, counsel, accountants, consultants and other
authorized representatives, reasonable access during normal
business hours to the officers, directors, employees,
accountants, properties, books and records of the Corporation
and its Subsidiaries in order that they may have the opportunity
to make such investigations as they shall desire of the affairs
of the Corporation and its Subsidiaries; provided,
however, that such investigation shall not affect the
representations and warranties made by the Corporation in this
Agreement. The Corporation shall furnish promptly to the Parent
and Acquisition (i) a copy of each Commission Filing filed
by it during such period and (ii) all other information
concerning the Corporation’s or its Subsidiaries’
business, properties and personnel as the Parent and Acquisition
may request. The Corporation agrees to cause its officers and
employees to furnish such additional financial and operating
data and other information and respond to such inquiries as the
Parent, Acquisition, or their potential financing sources and
their Affiliates shall from time to time request.
Section 5.2 Confidentiality. The
Parent, Acquisition and the Corporation hereby agree that,
unless and until the transactions contemplated hereby have been
consummated, each of the Parent, Acquisition and the
Corporation, and their respective representatives and advisors
shall hold in strict confidence, and shall not divulge to any
Person other than an Affiliate or potential financing source of
the Parent or Acquisition, all data and information obtained
from the Parent or Acquisition (in the case of the Corporation)
or the Corporation (in the case of the Parent or Acquisition) in
connection with the transactions contemplated hereby, except any
of the same that (a) was, is now, or becomes generally
available to the public (but not as a result of a breach of any
duty of confidentiality by which the Parent, Acquisition, the
Corporation or any of their respective Affiliates,
representatives and advisors are bound), (b) was known to
the party receiving such information on a non-confidential basis
prior to its disclosure to such party as demonstrated by the
written records of such party, (c) is disclosed to the
Parent, Acquisition or the
21
Corporation by a third party not subject to any duty of
confidentiality to the Parent, Acquisition or the Corporation,
as applicable, prior to its disclosure in connection with the
transactions contemplated hereby, or (d) may be required to
be disclosed by applicable Law (provided that the affected party
first uses reasonable efforts to preserve the confidentiality of
such information). If this Agreement is properly terminated in
accordance with Article VII hereunder, each of the Parent
and Acquisition, on the one hand, and the Corporation, on the
other hand, and their representatives and advisors will promptly
return to the other party or destroy all such data, information
and other written material (including all copies thereof) which
has been obtained by such party in connection with the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement, and each such party
shall make no further use whatsoever of any of such material or
any information and knowledge contained therein or derived
therefrom. The provisions of this Section 5.2 shall
supersede any confidentiality or similar agreement that may
exist between the Parent and Acquisition and their Affiliates,
on the one hand, and the Corporation, on the other hand, prior
to the date hereof, and shall survive until November 6,
2011.
Section 5.3 Conduct
of the Business of the Corporation Pending the Closing
Date. The Corporation agrees that, except as
expressly permitted or required by this Agreement or otherwise
consented to in writing by the Parent, during the period
commencing on the date hereof and ending at the earlier of
(a) the Closing Date and (b) termination of this
Agreement pursuant to Section 7.1:
(a) the Corporation and each of its Subsidiaries shall
conduct their respective operations only according to their
ordinary and usual course of business consistent with past
practice and shall use their commercially reasonable efforts to
preserve intact their respective business organization and
maintain satisfactory relationships with suppliers,
distributors, customers and other Persons having significant
business relationships with them;
(b) neither the Corporation nor any of its Subsidiaries
shall:
(i) make any change in or amendment to its articles of
incorporation or organization or by laws or operating agreement
(or comparable governing documents);
(ii) (A) issue or sell, or authorize to issue or sell,
any (1) shares of its Capital Stock (except pursuant to the
exercise of Vested Options or the conversion of all or a portion
of the Tranche B Notes ), (2) other securities
convertible into or exchangeable for shares of Capital Stock
(other than Tranche B Notes) or (3) Options, warrants
or other rights to purchase or subscribe for shares of Capital
Stock, or (B) enter into any arrangement or contract with
respect to the issuance or sale of any shares of its Capital
Stock or any other securities, or make any other changes in its
capital structure;
(iii) sell, pledge or dispose of or agree to sell, pledge
or dispose of any Capital Stock or other equity interest owned
by it in any other Person;
(iv) (A) declare, pay or set aside any dividend or
other distribution or payment with respect to, or split,
combine, reclassify, or purchase or otherwise redeem or acquire,
any shares of its Capital Stock or its other securities (other
than the Tranche B Notes), except pursuant to the exercise
of any currently outstanding Vested Options or (B) offer to
do, or enter into any agreement or arrangement to do, any of the
foregoing;
(v) enter into any contract or commitment with respect to
capital expenditures requiring expenditures by the Corporation
or any of its Subsidiaries that exceed the amounts budgeted
therefor in the financial projections delivered to the Parent by
$50,000 or more in the aggregate;
(vi) acquire, by merging or consolidating with, by
purchasing an equity interest in or a portion of the assets of,
or by any other manner, any business of any Person, or otherwise
acquire any assets of any Person (other than the purchase of
assets in the ordinary course of business and consistent with
past practice);
(vii) except to the extent required under existing employee
and director benefit plans and written agreements in effect on
the date of this Agreement, increase the compensation or fringe
benefits of any of its directors, officers or key employees, or
grant any severance or termination pay not currently required to
be paid under such existing agreements or plans, or enter into
any employment, consulting,
22
indemnification or severance agreement or arrangement with any
present or former director, officer or other employee of the
Corporation or any of its Subsidiaries, or establish, adopt,
enter into or amend or terminate, except for the termination of
the Incentive Plans pursuant to Section 2.7 and to the
extent that amendments are required by applicable Law, any
collective bargaining, bonus, profit sharing, thrift,
compensation, stock option, restricted stock, pension,
retirement, deferred compensation, employment, termination,
severance or other plan, agreement, trust, fund, policy or
arrangement for the benefit of any directors, officers or
employees;
(viii) transfer, lease, license, guarantee, sell, mortgage,
pledge, dispose of, subject to any lien (other than a Permitted
Encumbrance) or otherwise encumber any material assets, or incur
or modify any Indebtedness or other material liability, other
than in the ordinary course of business consistent with past
practice, or issue any debt securities or assume, guarantee or
endorse or otherwise as an accommodation become responsible for
the obligations of any Person or make any loan or other
extension of credit;
(ix) agree to the settlement of or waive any material Claim;
(x) file or cause to be filed any amended Returns or Claims
for refund of Taxes;
(xi) except to the extent permitted by Section 5.11 or
required by Law, issue any press release or otherwise make any
public announcements without prior consultation and review by,
and consent (which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld)
of, the Parent, other than in the ordinary course of business
consistent with past practice;
(xii) except as required by applicable Law or GAAP, make
any material change in its accounting practices, policies or
procedures or any of its methods of reporting income, deductions
or other items for income Tax purposes;
(xiii) adopt or enter into a plan of complete or partial
liquidation, dissolution, merger, consolidation, restructuring,
recapitalization or other reorganization of the Corporation or
any of its Subsidiaries (other than the Merger) or any agreement
relating to an Acquisition Proposal, except as expressly
permitted in Section 5.6;
(xiv) (A) incur, assume, guarantee or prepay any
Indebtedness except to the extent permitted by the Loan
Agreement, or (B) make any loans, extensions of credit or
advances to any other Person, other than to the Corporation or
any wholly-owned Subsidiary of the Corporation, except
extensions of credit or advances constituting trade payables in
the ordinary course of business;
(xv) accelerate the payment, right to payment or vesting of
any bonus, severance, profit sharing, retirement, deferred
compensation, Option, insurance or other compensation or
benefits;
(xvi) pay, discharge or satisfy any Claims, liabilities or
obligations (absolute, accrued, asserted or unasserted,
contingent or otherwise), other than the payment, discharge or
satisfaction (A) of any such Claims, liabilities or
obligations in the ordinary course of business and consistent
with past practice or (B) of Claims, liabilities or
obligations reflected or reserved against in the most recent
consolidated financial statements (or the notes thereto)
contained in the Commission Filings;
(xvii) enter into any Material Contract other than in the
ordinary course of business consistent with past practice,
except pursuant to Section 5.6;
(xviii) other than as disclosed in the Commission Filings
filed prior to the date hereof, plan, announce, implement or
effect any reduction in force, lay-off, early retirement
program, severance program or other program or effort concerning
the termination of employment of employees of the Corporation or
its Subsidiaries; provided, however, that routine
employee terminations for cause shall not be considered subject
to this clause (xviii);
(xix) take any action, engage in any transaction or enter
into any agreement which would cause any of the representations
or warranties set forth in Article III that are subject to,
or qualified by, Material Adverse Effect or other materiality
qualification to be untrue as of the Effective Time, or any such
representations and warranties that are not so qualified to be
untrue in any material respect;
23
(xx) take any action, including the adoption of any
stockholder-rights plan or amendments to its articles of
incorporation or organization or bylaws or operating agreement
(or comparable governing documents) that would, directly or
indirectly, restrict or impair the ability of the Parent to vote
or otherwise to exercise the rights and receive the benefits of
a shareholder with respect to securities of the Corporation that
may be acquired or controlled by the Parent or Acquisition, or
which would permit any shareholder to acquire securities of the
Corporation from the Corporation on a basis not available to the
Parent or Acquisition in the event that the Parent or
Acquisition were to acquire any shares of Common Stock;
(xxi) materially modify, amend or terminate any Material
Contract or waive any of its material rights or Claims;
(xxii) (A) prepare any Return in a manner that is
inconsistent with the past practices of the Corporation or any
of its Subsidiaries, as the case may be, with respect to the
treatment of items on such Returns, (B) incur any material
liability for Taxes other than in the ordinary course of
business or (C) enter into any settlement or closing
agreement with a taxing authority that adversely affects or may
adversely affect the Tax liability of the Surviving Corporation,
the Corporation or any of their respective Subsidiaries, as the
case may be, for any period;
(xxiii) fail to maintain, with financially responsible
insurance companies, insurance on its tangible assets and its
businesses in such amounts and against such risks and losses as
are consistent with past practice; or
(xxiv) authorize, agree or announce an intention, in
writing or otherwise, to take any of the foregoing actions.
Section 5.4 Registration
Statement; Proxy Statement; Special Meeting.
(a) As promptly as practicable after the date hereof, the
Corporation shall prepare and file with the Commission a proxy
statement relating to the Special Meeting (together with any
amendments thereof or supplements thereto, the “Proxy
Statement”), and the Parent shall prepare and file with
the Commission a registration statement on
Form S-4
(together with all amendments thereto, the “Registration
Statement”), in which the Proxy Statement shall be
included, as a prospectus in connection with the registration
under the Securities Act of the Units of the Liquidating Trust
to be issued to the shareholders of the Corporation pursuant to
the Merger. Each of the Parent and the Corporation will use all
reasonable efforts to respond to any comments made by the SEC
with respect to the Proxy Statement, and to cause the
Registration Statement to become effective as promptly as
practicable. Each of the Parent and the Corporation shall
furnish all information concerning it and the holders of its
capital stock as the other may reasonably request in connection
with such actions and the preparation of the Registration
Statement and the Proxy Statement. As promptly as practicable
after the Registration Statement shall have become effective,
but not later than two (2) days thereafter, the Corporation
shall mail the Proxy Statement to its shareholders. The Proxy
Statement shall include a recommendation by the Special
Committee and the Corporation’s board of directors that the
Corporation’s shareholders approve this Agreement and the
Merger.
(b) If at any time before the Effective Time, any event or
circumstance relating to (i) the Parent or any of its
Subsidiaries, or their respective officers or directors, is
discovered by the Parent, or (ii) the Corporation or any of
its Subsidiaries, which should be set forth in an amendment or a
supplement to the Registration Statement or the Proxy Statement,
the party hereto to which the event or circumstance relates
shall promptly inform the other parties hereto. All documents
that the Parent and the Corporation are responsible for filing
with the SEC in connection with the transactions contemplated
herein will comply as to form and substance in all material
respects with the applicable requirements of the Securities Act
and the rules and regulations thereunder, the Exchange Act and
the rules and regulations thereunder, and other applicable Laws,
provided, that the neither the Parent nor the Corporation shall
be responsible hereunder for the substance of statements or
omissions included in the Registration Statement or Proxy
Statement based upon information furnished in writing to such
Person by the other Person specifically for use therein).
24
(c) Neither the Parent nor the Corporation shall amend or
supplement, or permit an amendment or supplement, to the Proxy
Statement or the Registration Statement without the approval of
the other party (which approval shall not be unreasonably
withheld, delayed or conditioned). The Parent and the
Corporation each will advise the other, promptly after it
receives notice thereof, of the time when the Registration
Statement has become effective or any supplement or amendment
has been filed, of the issuance of any stop order, the
suspension of the qualification of the Units of the Liquidating
Trust issuable in connection with the Merger for offering or
sale in any jurisdiction, or any request by the Commission for
amendment of the Proxy Statement or the Registration Statement
or comments thereon and responses thereto or requests by the
Commission for additional information and shall provide each
other with all copies of correspondence with the Commission or
any Governmental Authority relating thereto.
(d) For the avoidance of doubt, it is expressly understood
and agreed that (i) the Parent, Acquisition and the
Corporation shall cooperate with each other in connection with
all aspects of the preparation, filing and clearance by the
Commission of the Proxy Statement and Registration Statement
(including the preliminary Proxy Statement and any and all
amendments or supplements thereto), (ii) each of the
Corporation and the Parent shall give the other party and its
counsel the opportunity to review the Proxy Statement and
Registration Statement prior to it being filed with the
Commission and shall give the other party and its counsel the
opportunity to review all amendments and supplements thereto and
all responses to requests for additional information and replies
to comments prior to their being filed with, or sent to, the
Commission and each of the Corporation, the Parent and
Acquisition agrees to use its commercially reasonable efforts,
after consultation with the other, to respond promptly to all
such comments of and requests by the Commission, (iii) to
the extent practicable, each of the Corporation, the Parent and
Acquisition and their respective counsels shall permit the
parties and their counsel to participate in all communications
with the Commission and its staff (including, without
limitation, all meetings and telephone conferences) relating to
the Proxy Statement and Registration Statement, this Agreement
or any of the transactions contemplated thereby (provided that
in the event that such participation is not practicable, the
party communicating with the Commission shall promptly inform
the other parties and their counsel of the content of all such
communications and the participants involved therein), and
(iv) neither the Corporation, the Parent nor Acquisition
shall file with, or send to, the Commission, the Registration
Statement (including any preliminary Proxy Statement and any and
all amendments or supplements thereto and any and all responses
to requests for additional information and replies to comments
relating thereto) without the prior approval of the other
parties, which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld,
conditioned or delayed.
(e) The Corporation, acting through its board of directors,
shall (i) duly set a record date for, call and establish a
date for, and give notice of, the Special Meeting (with the
record date and meeting date each set for a date as soon as
reasonably practicable and in consultation with the Parent), and
(ii) convene and hold the Special Meeting as soon as
reasonably practicable after the date on which the Registration
Statement becomes effective. The Special Meeting shall be
scheduled to be held approximately 30 days after the
mailing of the Proxy Statement. The Corporation may adjourn or
postpone the Special Meeting only if as of any time the Special
Meeting is scheduled (as set forth in the Proxy Statement) there
are insufficient shares of Common Stock represented (either in
person or by proxy) to constitute a quorum necessary to conduct
the business for which the Special Meeting was called. The
Parent shall cause all shares of Common Stock owned by the
Parent, Acquisition or their Affiliates to be voted in favor of
adoption of this Agreement and approval of the Merger.
Section 5.5 Best
Efforts to Satisfy Conditions
Precedent. Subject to the terms and
conditions provided herein, each of the Corporation, the Parent
and Acquisition shall, and the Corporation shall cause each of
its Subsidiaries to, cooperate and use their best efforts to
take, or cause to be taken, all appropriate action, and do, or
cause to be done, and assist and cooperate with the other
parties in doing, all things necessary, proper or advisable to
consummate and make effective, in the most expeditious manner
practicable, the Merger and the other transactions contemplated
hereby, including the delivery of by the Corporation of the
Required Releases and the satisfaction of all of the other the
respective conditions of each of the parties hereto set forth in
Article VI, and to make, or cause to be made, all filings
necessary, proper or advisable under applicable Laws to
consummate and make effective the transactions contemplated by
this Agreement, including their commercially reasonable efforts
to (a) obtain, prior to
25
the Closing Date, all licenses, Permits, consents, approvals,
authorizations, qualifications and orders of Governmental
Authorities and parties to contracts with the Corporation or its
Subsidiaries as are necessary for consummation of the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement and to fulfill the
conditions precedent to the Merger and (b) defend any
lawsuits or other legal proceedings, whether judicial or
administrative, challenging this Agreement or the consummation
of any of the transactions contemplated hereby (including
seeking to have any stay or temporary restraining order entered
by any court or other Governmental Authority vacated or
reversed), it being understood and agreed that the Corporation
shall promptly notify the Parent of any litigation (including
any shareholder litigation), other than where the Parent or
Acquisition is the adverse party, against the Corporation
and/or its
directors relating to any of the transactions contemplated by
this Agreement and the Corporation shall give the Parent the
opportunity to participate in the defense or settlement of any
such litigation (provided, that no settlement with respect to
any such litigation shall be agreed to without the Parent’s
prior consent, which shall not be unreasonably withheld).
Section 5.6 Notification
of Certain Matters. The Parent and the
Corporation shall promptly notify each other of the occurrence
or non-occurrence of any fact or event which has caused or could
reasonably likely cause (a) any representation or warranty
made by it (including, in the case of the Parent, Acquisition )
in this Agreement to be untrue or inaccurate in any material
respect at any time from the date hereof to the Effective Time
or (b) any covenant, condition or agreement under this
Agreement not to be complied with or satisfied by it (including,
in the case of the Parent, Acquisition ) in any material
respect; provided, however, that no such
notification shall modify the representations and warranties of
any party or the conditions to the obligations of any party
hereunder. Each of the Corporation, the Parent and Acquisition
shall give prompt notice to the other parties hereof of any
notice or other communication from any third party alleging that
the consent of such third party is or may be required in
connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
Section 5.7 Directors’
and Officers’ Insurance.
(a) The articles of incorporation and bylaws of the
Surviving Corporation shall contain provisions providing for
indemnification and exculpation from liability of directors and
officers of the Surviving Corporation that are no less favorable
to such directors and officers, taken as a whole, as the
corresponding director and officer indemnification provisions
set forth in the Corporation’s articles of incorporation,
as amended through the date hereof, and bylaws as in effect on
the date hereof, and such provisions shall not be amended,
repealed or otherwise modified for a period of four
(4) years from the Effective Time in any manner that would
adversely affect the rights thereunder of individuals who on or
prior to the Effective Time were directors or officers of the
Corporation, unless such modification is required by Law.
(b) The Surviving Corporation shall purchase a tail
officers’ and directors’ liability insurance policy
covering those Persons who are currently covered on the date of
this Agreement by the Corporation’s directors’ and
officers’ liability insurance policy (a copy of which has
been heretofore delivered to the Parent) (the
“Indemnified Parties”) that will cover, on
substantially the same basis as the Corporation’s current
liability policy, claims against the Indemnified Parties
relating to events occurring on or before the Effective Time;
provided the aggregate premium for such tail policy does not
exceed 200% of the annual premium for the Corporation’s
existing directors’ and officers’ liability insurance
policy. If the aggregate premium of such tail liability policy
does exceed 200% of the annual premium for the
Corporation’s existing directors’ and officers’
liability insurance policy, the Surviving Corporation shall
purchase a policy with the greatest coverage available for a
cost not exceeding 200% of such annual premium.
(c) The Surviving Corporation and its successors shall
indemnify all Indemnified Parties to the fullest extent
permitted by the IBCL with respect to all acts and omissions
arising out of such individuals’ services as officers,
directors, employees or agents of the Corporation or any of its
Subsidiaries or as trustees or fiduciaries of any plan for the
benefit of employees of the Corporation or any of its
Subsidiaries, occurring prior to the Effective Time, including
the transactions contemplated by this Agreement. Without
limitation of the foregoing, in the event any such Indemnified
Party is or becomes involved, in any capacity, in any Claim in
connection with any matter, including the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement, occurring prior to and including
the Effective Time, the Surviving Corporation, from and after
the Effective Time, shall pay, as incurred, such Indemnified
Party’s reasonable legal and other expenses (including the
cost of any investigation
26
and preparation) incurred in connection therewith. Subject to
Section 5.7(d) below, the Surviving Corporation shall pay
all reasonable expenses, including attorneys’ fees, that
may be incurred by any Indemnified Party in enforcing this
Section 5.7 or any action involving an Indemnified Party
resulting from the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
(d) Any Indemnified Party wishing to claim indemnification
under paragraph (a) or (c) of this Section 5.7,
upon learning of any such Claim, shall promptly notify the
Surviving Corporation thereof. In the event of any such Claim
(whether arising before or after the Effective Time),
(i) the Surviving Corporation shall have the right, from
and after the Effective Time, to assume the defense thereof, and
the Surviving Corporation shall not be liable to such
Indemnified Party for any legal expenses of other counsel or any
other expenses subsequently incurred by such Indemnified Party
in connection with the defense thereof, (ii) such
Indemnified Party shall cooperate in the defense of any such
matter and (iii) the Surviving Corporation shall not be
liable for any settlement effected without its prior written
consent; provided that the Surviving Corporation
shall not have any obligation hereunder to any Indemnified Party
when and if a court of competent jurisdiction shall ultimately
determine, and such determination shall have become final, that
the indemnification of such Indemnified Party in the manner
contemplated hereby is prohibited by the IBCL or other
applicable Law. The Indemnified Parties shall be third party
beneficiaries of, and entitled to seek enforcement of, this
Section 5.7.
Section 5.8 Public
Announcements. The Parent and the Corporation
shall consult with each other before issuing any press release
or otherwise making any public statements with respect to the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement and shall not issue
any such press release without the prior consent of the other
party, which shall not be unreasonably withheld;
provided, however, that the Corporation and the
Parent may, without the prior consent of the other party, issue
such press release or make such public statement as may be
required by Law if it has used all commercially reasonable
efforts to consult with the other party and to obtain such
party’s consent, but has been unable to do so in a timely
manner.
Section 5.9 Subsequent
Filings. Until the Effective Time, the
Corporation shall timely file with the Commission each
Commission Filing required to be filed by the Corporation after
the date hereof (each such filing a “Subsequent
Filing”) and promptly deliver to Acquisition and the
Parent copies of each such Subsequent Filing filed with the
Commission. As of their respective dates, each of the Subsequent
Filings shall (a) not 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 and (b) comply in all material
respects with all applicable requirements of the federal
securities Laws and the Commission rules and regulations
promulgated thereunder. Each of the audited consolidated
financial statements and unaudited interim financial statements
(including, in each case, any related notes and schedules)
contained or to be contained in any Subsequent Filing shall
(a) be prepared from, and be in accordance with, the books
and records of the Corporation and its consolidated
Subsidiaries, (b) comply in all material respects with
applicable accounting requirements and the published rules and
regulations of the Commission with respect thereto, (c) be
prepared in accordance with GAAP (except as may be indicated in
the notes thereto) and (d) fairly present the consolidated
financial position and consolidated results of operations and
cash flows of the Corporation and its consolidated Subsidiaries
at the dates and for the periods covered thereby.
Section 5.10 Material
Consents and Waivers. The Corporation shall
obtain or file (and furnish to the Parent evidence thereof) any
and all material authorizations, approvals, consents or orders
of, or declarations or filings with, any Governmental Authority
or other third party that are required in connection with the
execution and delivery of this Agreement and the consummation of
the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, and all such
authorizations, approvals, consents and orders shall not expire
or be withdrawn prior to the Effective Time.
Section 5.11 Financing
Cooperation. The Corporation agrees to
provide, and shall cause its Subsidiaries and each of their
respective officers, employees and advisers to provide, upon the
reasonable request of the Parent, all cooperation reasonably
necessary in connection with the arrangement of any financing to
be consummated at or after the Closing on behalf of the
Surviving Corporation, including participation in meetings, due
diligence sessions, preparation of offering memoranda, private
placement memoranda, prospectuses and similar documents, the
execution and delivery of any commitment letters, underwriting
or placement agreements, pledge and security documents or other
definitive financing documents or requested certificates or
documents, including a certificate of
27
the chief financial officer of the Corporation with respect to
solvency matters, comfort letters of accountants, legal opinions
and such other documents as are customary for similar financing
transactions that are reasonably requested by the Parent.
Section 5.12 Shareholders
Representative.
(a) Appointment of Shareholders Representative. For
purposes of (i) negotiating and settling, on behalf of the
Corporation’s shareholders, any dispute that arises under
this Agreement after the Effective Time, (ii) accepting
delivery of notices hereunder to the former Corporation
stockholders after the Effective Time, (iii) negotiating
and settling matters with respect to the amounts to be paid to
the holders of Units of the Liquidating Trust pursuant to the
Liquidating Trust Agreement, if any, the Shareholders
Representative is hereby appointed, authorized and empowered to
be the exclusive representative, agent and attorney-in-fact of
the Corporation shareholders and holders of Units of the
Liquidating Trust, with full power of substitution, to make all
decisions and determinations and to act (or not act) and
execute, deliver and receive all agreements, documents,
instruments and consents on behalf of and as agent for such
Corporation shareholders or holders of Units of the Liquidating
Trust at any time in connection with, and that may be necessary
or appropriate to accomplish the intent and implement the
provisions of this Agreement and the Liquidating
Trust Agreement, and to facilitate the consummation of the
transactions contemplated hereby and thereby. By executing this
Agreement, the Shareholders Representative accepts such
appointment, authority and power. Without limiting the
generality of the foregoing, the Shareholders Representative
shall have the power to take any of the following actions on
behalf of the Corporation’s former shareholders: to give
and receive notices, communications and consents under this
Agreement and the Liquidating Trust Agreement on behalf of
the Corporation’s former shareholders and holders of Units
of the Liquidating Trust; to negotiate, enter into settlements
and compromises of, resolve and comply with orders of courts and
other third-party intermediaries with respect to any disputes
arising under this Agreement or the Liquidating
Trust Agreement; and to make, execute, acknowledge and
deliver all such other agreements, guarantees, orders, receipts,
endorsements, notices, requests, instructions, certificates,
stock powers, letters and other writings, and, in general, to do
any and all things and to take any and all action that the
Shareholders Representative, in its sole and absolute
discretion, may consider necessary or proper or convenient in
connection with or to carry out the activities described in this
Section 5.12.
(b) Authority. The appointment of the Shareholders
Representative by each shareholder and holder of Units of the
Liquidating Trust and the Corporation shareholders’
collective adoption of this Agreement is coupled with an
interest and may not be revoked in whole or in part (including,
without limitation, upon the death or incapacity of any
shareholder). Such appointment shall be binding upon the heirs,
executors, administrators, estates, personal representatives,
officers, directors, security holders, successors and assigns of
each shareholder. All decisions of the Shareholders
Representative shall be final and binding on all of the
shareholders and holders of Units of the Liquidating Trust, and
no shareholder or holder of Units of the Liquidating Trust,
shall have the right to object, dissent, protest or otherwise
contest the same. The Parent shall be entitled to rely upon,
without independent investigation, any act, notice, instruction
or communication from the Shareholders Representative and any
document executed by the Shareholders Representative on behalf
of any shareholder (other than the Parent) or holder of Units of
the Liquidating Trust and shall be fully protected in connection
with any action or inaction taken or omitted to be taken in
reliance thereon by the Parent absent willful misconduct by the
Parent. The Shareholders Representative shall not be responsible
for any loss suffered by, or liability of any kind to, the
shareholders or holders of Units of the Liquidating Trust
arising out of any act done or omitted by the Shareholders
Representative in connection with the acceptance or
administration of the Shareholders Representative’s duties
hereunder, unless such act or omission involves gross negligence
or willful misconduct.
(c) Successor Shareholders Representative. In the
event that the Shareholders Representative dies, becomes unable
to perform his or her responsibilities hereunder or resigns from
such position, Xx. Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxx shall fill such
vacancy and such substituted representative shall be deemed to
be the Shareholders Representative for all purposes of this
Agreement and the Liquidating Trust Agreement. If
Xx. Xxxxxxx or Xx. Xxxxxx is unable to serve for any
reason, either Xx. Xxxxxx or Xx. Xxxxxxx may appoint a
successor Shareholders Representative. The alternate
Shareholders Representative shall notify the Parent, the
Surviving
28
Corporation and any other appropriate Person in writing of the
substitution and provide appropriate contact information for
purposes of this Agreement and the Liquidating
Trust Agreement.
(d) Termination of Duties and Obligations. Subject
to the following sentence, the Shareholders
Representative’s duties and obligations under this
Section 5.12 shall survive the Effective Time indefinitely.
After the Liquidating Trust Termination Date, the
Shareholders Representative shall be relieved of any and all
duties and obligations under this Agreement and the Liquidating
Trust Agreement.
Section 5.13 Sale
of Specialty Vehicle Business.
(a) Appointment of Sale Committee. Not later than
five (5) days prior to the Effective Time, the Special
Committee of the Board of Directors of the Corporation shall
appoint a special committee (the “Sale
Committee”) for the sole purpose of conducting and
negotiating a Sale of the Specialty Vehicle Business subject to
the terms and conditions hereof. The Sale Committee shall be
comprised of three (3) directors of the Corporation, one
(1) of which shall be chosen by Parent and two (2) of
which shall be chosen by the Special Committee so long as such
directors are not employees, stockholders, or agents of, or
otherwise affiliated with, the Parent or any of its Affiliates.
The Sale Committee may act only as a committee and no individual
member may bind the Surviving Corporation. A majority of the
members (which shall include the Parent designee) of the Sale
Committee shall be present in person or by means of a conference
telephone or similar communications equipment that allows all
persons participating in the meeting to hear each other at the
same time at any meeting of the Sale Committee in order to
constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at such
meeting. The act of a majority of the members present at any
meeting at which a quorum is present shall be the act of the
Sale Committee. Any action that may be taken at a meeting may be
taken by written consent signed by all of the members of the
Sale Committee.
(b) Sale Procedures.
(i) Subject to the terms and conditions hereof, the
Surviving Corporation shall use its commercially reasonable
efforts to assist the Sale Committee in selling the Specialty
Vehicle Business prior to the Outside Sale Date. Not later than
thirty (30) days after the Effective Time, the Sale
Committee, in consultation with the Parent, shall engage an
investment bank on behalf of the Surviving Corporation to
commence a Sale of the Specialty Vehicles Business. Prior to the
Outside Sale Date and subject to Section 5.13(b)(ii), the
Sale Committee shall have the exclusive power and authority to
negotiate the terms and conditions of the Sale of the Specialty
Vehicle Business in consultation with the Parent. If either
(A) the Surviving Corporation has not entered into a bona
fide binding letter of intent with a thirty party for a Sale of
the Specialty Vehicles Business prior to the Outside Sale Date,
subject to the terms and conditions set forth in
Section 5.13(b)(ii), or (B) the Surviving Corporation
has entered into such a bona fide letter of intent but fails to
consummate such Sale of the Specialty Vehicle Business on such
terms prior to the ninetieth (90th) day after the Outside Sale
Date, then the Surviving Corporation shall no longer have an
obligation to attempt to effect or effect a Sale of the
Specialty Vehicle Business. Subject to the immediately preceding
sentence, if for any reason a Sale of the Specialty Vehicle
Business is consummated after the Outside Sale Date, the
Surviving Corporation shall be entitled to retain all proceeds
therefrom.
(ii) The Surviving Corporation may, but shall not be
required to, sell the Specialty Vehicle Business if (A) the
Net Sale Proceeds from the Sale of Specialty Vehicle Business
available to the Surviving Corporation immediately upon the
closing of such sale would be less than Twelve Million Dollars
($12,000,000), (B) such sale would require the Parent, the
Surviving Corporation or either of their Subsidiaries to
indemnify the purchaser thereof (provided that the Sale
Committee may agree to provide indemnification from the Excess
Sale Proceeds), (C) such sale fails to close within ninety
(90) days of the Outside Sale Date as set forth in
Section 5.13(b)(i)(B), or (D) such sale is prohibited
by applicable Law.
(c) Payment of Excess Sale Proceeds to Liquidating
Trust. Subject to Section 5.13, if the Surviving
Corporation consummates a Sale of the Specialty Vehicles
Business prior to the Outside Sale Date, the Surviving
Corporation shall deliver the Excess Sale Proceeds, if any, to
the Liquidating Trust within five (5) days after the
consummation of such sale; provided that the Surviving
Corporation shall not be required to
29
pay over any portion of the Excess Sale Proceeds until such
portion is actually received by the Surviving Corporation. If
any Excess Sale Proceeds received by the Surviving Corporation
are in a form other than cash, the Surviving Corporation shall
have the right to pay to the Liquidating Trust an amount equal
to the fair value of the property received by the Surviving
Corporation, as determined by the Surviving Corporation in good
faith and in consultation with the Sale Committee.
Section 5.14 Dissenter’s
Rights. During the period commencing on the
date hereof and ending upon the Effective Time, the Parent shall
not, and shall cause its Affiliates not to, directly or
indirectly take any action that would reasonably be expected to
prevent the holders of the Common stock to exercise their
dissenter’s rights to demand appraisal of their shares of
Common Stock in connection with the Merger.
ARTICLE VI
CONDITIONS
PRECEDENT
Section 6.1 Conditions
Precedent to Each Party’s Obligation to Effect the
Merger. The respective obligations of each
party to this Agreement to effect the Merger shall be subject to
the satisfaction or waiver (to the extent permissible by
applicable Law) on or prior to the Effective Time of each of the
following conditions:
(a) Injunction. No temporary restraining order,
preliminary or permanent injunction or other order shall have
been issued by any federal, state or foreign court or by any
federal, state or foreign Governmental Authority, and no other
legal restraint or prohibition preventing the consummation of
the Merger shall be in effect; provided, that, the
right to assert this condition shall not be available to any
party whose material failure to fulfill any obligation under
this Agreement has been the principal cause of or resulted in
the failure of this condition to be satisfied.
(b) Illegality. There shall have been no action
taken, or Law promulgated, entered, enforced, enacted, issued or
deemed applicable to the Merger by any Governmental Authority,
that directly or indirectly prohibits or makes illegal the
consummation of the Merger or the other transactions
contemplated by this Agreement.
(c) Registration Statement. The Registration
Statement shall have become effective pursuant to the Securities
Act.
(d) Liquidating Trust Agreement. The Parent and
the Stockholders Representative shall have executed and
delivered the Liquidating Trust Agreement.
Section 6.2 Condition
Precedent to the Corporation’s Obligation to Effect the
Merger. In addition to the conditions
precedent set forth in Section 6.1, the obligation of the
Corporation to effect the Merger shall be subject to the
satisfaction or waiver (to the extent permissible by applicable
Law) on or prior to the Effective Time of each of the following
conditions:
(a) Shareholder Approval. The Corporation’s
shareholders shall have approved this Agreement and the Merger
pursuant to
Section 23-1-40-3
of the IBCL.
(b) Representations, Warranties and Covenants of the
Purchaser and Acquisition. The representations and
warranties of the Parent and Acquisition set forth in this
Agreement (i) that are not modified by materiality
qualifiers or Material Adverse Effect shall be true and correct
in all material respects, and (ii) that are modified by
materiality qualifiers or Material Adverse Effect shall be true
and correct, in each case, as of the date hereof and the Closing
Date, except to the extent such representations and warranties
expressly relate to an earlier date (in which case such
representations and warranties shall speak as to such earlier
date). There shall not be any material breach by the Parent or
Acquisition of any of their respective covenants or agreements
contained in this Agreement, which either is not reasonably
capable of being cured or, if reasonably capable of being cured,
has not been cured by the date that is ten (10) days after
the giving of written notice to the Parent of such breach.
(c) Closing Certificate. The Parent shall have
delivered a certificate in the form of Exhibit 6.2
hereto certifying that the conditions in Sections 6.1 and
6.2 have been satisfied.
30
Section 6.3 Conditions
Precedent to the Parent’s and Acquisition’s
Obligations to Effect the Merger. In addition
to the conditions precedent set forth in Section 6.1, the
obligations of the Parent and Acquisition to effect the Merger
shall be subject to the satisfaction or waiver (to the extent
permissible by applicable Law) on or prior to the Effective Time
of each of the following conditions:
(a) Employment Related Agreements. The senior
executives of the Corporation and it Subsidiaries shall have
entered agreements relating to such executives’ employment
with the Corporation or its Subsidiaries that supersede and
replace their existing employment related agreements on terms
and conditions that are satisfactory to the Parent and
Acquisition.
(b) Required Consents. The Corporation shall have
delivered to the Parent all consents, approvals, orders, Permits
and other authorizations required by all applicable Laws and any
contracts or agreements to which the Corporation or any of its
Subsidiaries is a party or which is binding on any of their
properties or assets, with respect to the execution, delivery
and performance of this Agreement and the transactions
contemplated hereby, the financing and consummation of the
transactions contemplated hereby and the conduct of the business
of the Corporation and its Subsidiaries in the same manner
immediately after the Closing as immediately before the Closing.
(c) Proxy Statement. (i) The Corporation shall
have delivered the Proxy Statement to each holder of Common
Stock in compliance with its obligations pursuant to
Section 5.4 and all applicable securities Laws and
(ii) a period of not fewer than twenty (20) days shall
have elapsed since the making of such delivery.
(d) Representations, Warranties and Covenants of the
Corporation. The representations and warranties of the
Corporation set forth in this Agreement (i) that are not
modified by materiality qualifiers or Material Adverse Effect
shall be true and correct in all material respects, and
(ii) that are modified by materiality qualifiers or
Material Adverse Effect shall be true and correct, in each case,
as of the date hereof and the Closing Date, except to the extent
such representations and warranties expressly relate to an
earlier date (in which case such representations and warranties
shall speak as to such earlier date). There shall not be any
material breach by the Corporation of any of its covenants or
agreements contained in this Agreement, which either is not
reasonably capable of being cured, or if reasonably capable of
being cured, has not been cured by the date that is ten
(10) days after the giving of written notice to the
Corporation of such breach.
(e) Closing Certificate. The Corporation shall have
delivered a certificate in the form of Exhibit 6.3
hereto certifying that the conditions in Section 6.1 and
6.3 have been satisfied.
ARTICLE VII
TERMINATION
AND ABANDONMENT
Section 7.1 Termination. This
Agreement may be terminated and the transactions contemplated
hereby may be abandoned, at any time prior to the Effective Time:
(a) by mutual consent of the Corporation, on the one hand,
and of the Parent and Acquisition, on the other hand;
(b) by either the Parent and Acquisition, on the one hand,
or the Corporation, on the other hand, if (i) any court of
competent jurisdiction or any Governmental Authority shall have
issued an order, decree or ruling or taken any other action
permanently restricting, enjoining, restraining or otherwise
prohibiting the acceptance of payment for the shares of Common
Stock pursuant to Article II, and such order, decree or
ruling or other action shall have become final and
nonappealable, (ii) there shall have been an action taken,
or Law promulgated, entered, enforced, enacted, issued or deemed
applicable to the Merger by any Governmental Authority, that
directly or indirectly prohibits or makes illegal the
consummation of the Merger or (iii) all of the conditions
precedent to the consummation of the Merger set forth in
Section 6.1 have not been satisfied on or prior to
March 31, 2011; provided, that, the right to
terminate this Agreement under this Section 7.1(b) shall
not be available to any party whose material failure to fulfill
any obligation under this Agreement has been a principal cause
of any of (i) through (iii) above;
31
(c) by the Corporation if the conditions precedent to the
consummation of the Merger set forth in Section 6.2 shall
not have been satisfied or waived by the Corporation on or prior
to March 31, 2011; provided, that, the
Corporation’s right to terminate this Agreement under this
Section 7.1(c) shall not be available to the Corporation if
it is in material breach of this Agreement at such time; and
(d) by the Parent if the conditions precedent to the
consummation of the Merger set forth in Section 6.3 shall
not have been satisfied or waived by the Parent on or prior to
March 31, 2011; provided, that, the
Parent’s right to terminate this Agreement under this
Section 7.1(d) shall not be available to the Parent if it
is in material breach of this Agreement at such time.
The right of any party hereto to terminate this Agreement
pursuant to this Section 7.1 shall remain operative and in
full force and effect regardless of any investigation made by or
on behalf of such terminating party, any Person controlling such
terminating party or any of their respective Affiliates,
officers or directors, whether prior to or after the execution
of this Agreement.
Section 7.2 Effect
of Termination. In the event of the
termination of this Agreement pursuant to Section 7.1 by
the Parent or Acquisition, on the one hand, or the Corporation,
on the other hand, written notice thereof shall forthwith be
given to the other party or parties specifying the provision
hereof pursuant to which such termination is made, and this
Agreement shall become void and have no effect, and there shall
be no further obligation liability hereunder on the part of the
Parent, Acquisition or the Corporation, except that
Section 5.2, this Section 7.2 and Article VIII
shall survive any termination of this Agreement, and each of the
parties to this Agreement shall remain liable for any breach of
this Agreement occurring prior to the effective date of such
termination.
ARTICLE VIII
MISCELLANEOUS
Section 8.1 Fees
and Expenses. All costs and expenses incurred
in connection with this Agreement and the consummation of the
transactions contemplated hereby shall be paid by the party
incurring such costs and expenses.
Section 8.2 Representations
and Warranties. The respective
representations and warranties of the Corporation, on the one
hand, and each of the Parent and Acquisition, on the other hand,
contained herein or in any certificates or other documents
delivered prior to or at the Closing shall not be deemed waived
or otherwise affected by any investigation made by any party.
Each and every such representation and warranty shall expire
with, and be terminated and extinguished by, the Closing, and
thereafter none of the Corporation, the Parent or Acquisition
shall have any liability whatsoever with respect to any such
representation or warranty.
Section 8.3 Extension;
Waiver. At any time prior to the Effective
Time, the parties hereto may (i) extend the time for the
performance of any of the obligations or other acts of the other
parties hereto, (ii) waive any inaccuracies in the
representations and warranties contained herein by any other
party or in any document, certificate or writing delivered
pursuant hereto by any other party or (iii) waive
compliance with any of the agreements or conditions contained
herein. Any agreement on the part of any party to any such
extension or waiver shall be valid only if set forth in an
instrument in writing signed on behalf of such party.
Section 8.4 Notices. All
notices, requests, demands, waivers and other communications
required or permitted to be given under this Agreement shall be
in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given if
delivered in person or mailed, by certified or registered mail
with postage prepaid, by next day delivery, or sent by facsimile
(upon confirmation of receipt), as follows:
(a) if to the Corporation:
All American Group, Inc.
0000 Xxxxxx Xxxxx
Xxxxxxx, XX 00000
Attention: Chief Executive Officer, General Counsel
Facsimile: (000) 000-0000
0000 Xxxxxx Xxxxx
Xxxxxxx, XX 00000
Attention: Chief Executive Officer, General Counsel
Facsimile: (000) 000-0000
32
(b) if to either the Parent or Acquisition:
H.I.G. All American Holdings, Inc.
c/o H.I.G. Capital, LLC
0000 Xxxxxxxx Xxx Xxxxx, 00xx Xxxxx
Xxxxx, Xxxxxxx, 00000
Attention: Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxx
Facsimile: (000) 000-0000
c/o H.I.G. Capital, LLC
0000 Xxxxxxxx Xxx Xxxxx, 00xx Xxxxx
Xxxxx, Xxxxxxx, 00000
Attention: Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxx
Facsimile: (000) 000-0000
with a copy (which shall not constitute notice) to:
White & Case LLP
000 X. Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxxx, Xxxxx 0000
Xxxxx, Xxxxxxx 00000
Attention: Xxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx, Esq.
Facsimile: (000) 000-0000
000 X. Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxxx, Xxxxx 0000
Xxxxx, Xxxxxxx 00000
Attention: Xxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx, Esq.
Facsimile: (000) 000-0000
or to such other Person or address as any party shall specify by
notice in writing to each of the other parties. All such
notices, requests, demands, waivers and communications shall be
deemed to have been received on the date of delivery unless if
mailed, in which case on the third (3rd) Business Day after the
mailing thereof, except for a notice of a change of address,
which shall be effective only upon receipt thereof.
Section 8.5 Entire
Agreement. This Agreement contains the entire
understanding of the parties hereto with respect to the subject
matter contained herein and supersedes all prior agreements and
understandings, oral and written, with respect thereto.
Section 8.6 Binding
Effect; Benefit; Assignment. This Agreement
shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties
hereto and, with respect to the provisions of Section 5.7,
shall inure to the benefit of the Persons or entities benefiting
from the provisions thereof who are intended to be third-party
beneficiaries thereof. Neither this Agreement nor any of the
rights, interests or obligations hereunder shall be assigned by
any of the parties hereto without the prior written consent of
each of the other parties, except that Acquisition may assign
and transfer its right and obligations hereunder to any of its
Affiliates. Except as provided in the first sentence of this
Section 8.6, nothing in this Agreement, expressed or
implied, is intended to confer on any Person (including any
current or former employees of the Corporation), other than the
parties hereto, any rights or remedies.
Section 8.7 Amendment
and Modification. Subject to applicable Law,
this Agreement may be amended, modified and supplemented in
writing by the parties hereto in any and all respects before the
Effective Time by action authorized by the respective boards of
directors of the Parent, Acquisition and the Corporation or, in
the case of the Parent or Acquisition, by the respective
officers authorized by their respective board of directors.
Section 8.8 Time
Is of the Essence. With regard to the dates
and time periods set forth or referred to in this Agreement,
time is of the essence.
Section 8.9 Headings. The
descriptive headings of the several Articles and Sections of
this Agreement are inserted for convenience only, do not
constitute a part of this Agreement and shall not affect in any
way the meaning or interpretation of this Agreement.
Section 8.10 Counterparts. This
Agreement may be executed in several counterparts, each of which
shall be deemed to be an original, and all of which together
shall be deemed to be one and the same instrument.
Section 8.11 APPLICABLE
LAW. THIS AGREEMENT AND THE LEGAL RELATIONS
BETWEEN THE PARTIES HERETO SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN
ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF INDIANA, WITHOUT REGARD
TO THE CONFLICT OF LAWS RULES THEREOF. THE STATE OR FEDERAL
COURTS LOCATED WITHIN THE STATE OF INDIANA SHALL HAVE
JURISDICTION OVER ANY AND ALL DISPUTES BETWEEN THE PARTIES
HERETO, WHETHER IN LAW OR EQUITY, ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO
THIS AGREEMENT AND THE AGREEMENTS, INSTRUMENTS AND DOCUMENTS
CONTEMPLATED HEREBY, AND THE PARTIES
33
CONSENT TO AND AGREE TO SUBMIT TO THE JURISDICTION OF SUCH
COURTS. EACH OF THE PARTIES HEREBY WAIVES AND AGREES NOT TO
ASSERT IN ANY SUCH DISPUTE, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY
APPLICABLE LAW, ANY CLAIM THAT (I) SUCH PARTY IS NOT
PERSONALLY SUBJECT TO THE JURISDICTION OF SUCH COURTS,
(II) SUCH PARTY AND SUCH PARTY’S PROPERTY IS IMMUNE
FROM ANY LEGAL PROCESS ISSUED BY SUCH COURTS OR (III) ANY
LITIGATION OR OTHER PROCEEDING COMMENCED IN SUCH COURTS IS
BROUGHT IN AN INCONVENIENT FORUM. THE PARTIES HEREBY AGREE THAT
MAILING OF PROCESS OR OTHER PAPERS IN CONNECTION WITH ANY SUCH
ACTION OR PROCEEDING IN THE MANNER PROVIDED IN SECTION 8.4,
OR IN SUCH OTHER MANNER AS MAY BE PERMITTED BY LAW, SHALL BE
VALID AND SUFFICIENT SERVICE THEREOF AND HEREBY WAIVE ANY
OBJECTIONS TO SERVICE ACCOMPLISHED IN THE MANNER HEREIN PROVIDED.
Section 8.12 Severability. If
any term, provision, covenant or restriction contained in this
Agreement is held by a court of competent jurisdiction or other
authority to be invalid, void, unenforceable or against its
regulatory policy, the remainder of the terms, provisions,
covenants and restrictions contained in this Agreement shall
remain in full force and effect and shall in no way be affected,
impaired or invalidated, and this Agreement shall be reformed,
construed and enforced in such jurisdiction as if such invalid,
illegal or unenforceable term, provision, covenant or
restriction or any portion thereof had never been contained
herein.
Section 8.13 Interpretation. When
a reference is made in this Agreement to a Section, such
reference shall be to a Section of this Agreement unless
otherwise indicated. The table of contents and headings
contained in this Agreement are for convenience only and shall
not affect in any way the meaning or interpretation of this
Agreement. Whenever the words “include”,
“includes” or “including” are used in this
Agreement, they shall be deemed to be followed by the words
“without limitation.”
Section 8.14 Specific
Enforcement. The parties hereto agree that
irreparable damage would occur in the event that any of the
provisions of this Agreement were not performed in accordance
with their specific terms or were otherwise breached.
Accordingly, the parties hereto shall be entitled to an
injunction or injunctions to prevent breaches of this Agreement
and to enforce specifically the terms and provisions of this
Agreement, this being in addition to any other remedy to which
they are entitled at Law or in equity.
Section 8.15 Waiver
of Jury Trial. Each of the parties hereto
hereby irrevocably waives all right to a trial by jury in any
action, proceeding or counterclaim arising out of or relating to
this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby.
* * * * *
34
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each of the Parent, Acquisition and the
Corporation have caused this Agreement and Plan of Merger to be
executed by their respective officers thereunto duly authorized,
all as of the date first above written.
ALL AMERICAN GROUP HOLDINGS, LLC
By |
/s/ Xxxxxx
xx Xxxxx
|
Name: Xxxxxx xx Xxxxx
Title: Manager |
ALL AMERICAN ACQUISITION CORPORATION
By |
/s/ Xxxxxx
xx Xxxxx
|
Name: Xxxxxx xx Xxxxx
Title: Vice President |
ALL AMERICAN GROUP, INC.
By |
/s/ Xxxxxxx
Xxxxxx
|
Name: Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Title: President and CEO |
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx, solely in his capacity as
Shareholders Representative
/s/ Xxxxxxx
Xxxxxx
35