SECOND AMENDED AND RESTATED CREDIT AGREEMENT dated as of September 15, 2005 among SEMCO ENERGY, INC. as the Company THE VARIOUS FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS PARTY HERETO, as Lenders, and LASALLE BANK MIDWEST NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, A NATIONAL BANKING...
Exhibit
10.1
Execution
Copy
SECOND
AMENDED AND RESTATED CREDIT AGREEMENT
dated
as of September 15, 2005
among
SEMCO
ENERGY, INC.
as
the Company
THE
VARIOUS FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS PARTY HERETO,
as
Lenders,
and
LASALLE
BANK MIDWEST NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, A NATIONAL BANKING ASSOCIATION, as
Administrative Agent
NATIONAL
CITY BANK OF THE MIDWEST, A NATIONAL BANKING ASSOCIATION, as Syndication
Agent
U.S.
BANK, N.A., as Documentation Agent
LASALLE
BANK MIDWEST NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, A NATIONAL BANKING
ASSOCIATION
as
Arranger
ANNEXES
ANNEX
A Lenders
and Pro Rata Shares
ANNEX
B Addresses
for Notices
SCHEDULES
SCHEDULE
9.6 Litigation
and Contingent Liabilities
SCHEDULE
9.15 Environmental
Matters
SCHEDULE
9.16 Insurance
SCHEDULE
9.21 Labor
Matters
SCHEDULE
11.1 Existing
Debt
SCHEDULE
11.2 Existing
Liens
SCHEDULE
11.11 Investments
EXHIBITS
EXHIBIT
A Form
of
Note (Section 3.1)
EXHIBIT
B Form
of
Compliance Certificate (Section 10.1.3)
EXHIBIT
C Form
of
New Lender Addendum
EXHIBIT
D Form
of
Assignment Agreement (Section 15.6.1)
EXHIBIT
E Form
of
Notice of Borrowing (Section 2.2.2)
EXHIBIT
F Form
of
Notice of Conversion/Continuation (Section 2.2.3)
EXHIBIT
G Investment
Policy
SECOND
AMENDED AND RESTATED CREDIT AGREEMENT
THIS
SECOND AMENDED AND RESTATED CREDIT AGREEMENT dated as of September 15, 2005
(this “Agreement”) is entered into among SEMCO ENERGY, INC. (the “Company”), the
financial institutions that are or may from time to time become parties hereto
(together with their respective successors and assigns, the “Lenders”) and
LASALLE BANK MIDWEST NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, a national banking association (in
its individual capacity, “LaSalle Midwest”), as administrative agent for the
Lenders, NATIONAL CITY BANK OF THE MIDWEST, a national banking association,
as
syndication agent and U.S. BANK, N.A., as documentation agent.
The
Lenders have previously made available to the Company certain loans pursuant
to
the terms of that certain Amended and Restated Credit Agreement dated as of
June
25, 2004 by and among the Company, LaSalle Midwest (formerly known as Standard
Federal Bank N.A.) and certain other financial institutions party thereto from
time to time, (as amended prior to the date hereof, the “Prior Credit
Agreement”), and, at the request of the Company, the Administrative Agent and
the Lenders have agreed to amend the Prior Credit Agreement as set forth herein
upon the terms and conditions below.
In
consideration of the mutual agreements herein contained, the parties hereto
agree as follows:
SECTION
1. DEFINITIONS.
1.1 Definitions.
When
used herein the following terms shall have the following meanings:
Acquired
Debt
means
mortgage Debt or purchase money Debt or Debt with respect to Capital Leases
of a
Person existing at the time such Person became a Subsidiary or Debt assumed
by
the Company or a Subsidiary of the Company pursuant to an Acquisition permitted
hereunder (and not created or incurred in connection with or in anticipation
of
such Acquisition).
Acquisition
means
any transaction or series of related transactions for the purpose of or
resulting, directly or indirectly, in (a) the acquisition of all or
substantially all of the assets of a Person, or of all or substantially all
of
any business or division of a Person, (b) the acquisition of in excess of 50%
of
the Capital Securities of any Person, or otherwise causing any Person to become
a Subsidiary, or (c) a merger or consolidation or any other combination with
another Person (other than a Person that is already a Subsidiary).
Administrative
Agent
or
Agent
means
LaSalle Midwest in its capacity as administrative agent for the Lenders
hereunder and any successor thereto in such capacity.
Affected
Loan
- see
Section
8.3.
Affiliate
of any
Person means (a) any other Person which, directly or indirectly, controls or
is
controlled by or is under common control with such Person, (b) any officer
or
director of such Person and (c) with respect to any Lender, any entity
administered or managed by such Lender or an Affiliate or investment advisor
thereof and which is engaged in making, purchasing, holding or otherwise
investing in commercial loans. A Person shall be deemed to be “controlled by”
any other Person if such Person possesses, directly or indirectly, power to
direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of such Person
whether by contract or otherwise. Unless expressly stated otherwise herein,
neither the Administrative Agent nor any Lender shall be deemed an Affiliate
of
any Affiliated Party.
Affiliated
Party
means
the Company and each Subsidiary.
Agent
Proposal Letter
means
the Proposal Letter dated as of July 27, 2005 between the Company and the
Administrative Agent.
Agreement
- see
the Preamble.
Applicable
Margin
means,
for any day, the rate per annum set forth below opposite the level (the
“Level”)
then
in effect, it being understood that the Applicable Margin for (i) LIBOR Loans
shall be the percentage set forth under the column “LIBOR Margin”, (ii) Base
Rate Loans shall be the percentage set forth under the column “Base Rate
Margin”, (iii) the Facility Fee Rate shall be the percentage set forth under the
column “Facility Fee Rate” and (iv) the L/C Fee shall be the percentage set
forth under the column “L/C Fee Rate”:
Level
|
S&P/Xxxxx’x
Unsecured Senior Debt Ratings
|
LIBOR
Margin
(in
basis points)
|
Base
Rate
Margin
(in basis points)
|
Facility
Fee
Rate (in basis points)
|
L/C
Fee
Rate
(in basis points)
|
1
|
>
BBB/Baa2
|
65.0
|
0.0
|
10.0
|
65.0
|
2
|
>
BBB-/Baa3
|
85.0
|
0.0
|
15.0
|
85.0
|
3
|
>BB+/Ba1
|
105.0
|
0.0
|
20.0
|
105.0
|
4
|
>BB/Ba2
|
125.0
|
0.0
|
25.0
|
125.0
|
5
|
>BB-/Ba3
|
145.0
|
25.0
|
30.0
|
145.0
|
6
|
<BB-/Ba3
|
225.0
|
125.0
|
50.0
|
225.0
|
In
case
of a split rating between S&P and Xxxxx’x, the lower rating shall apply,
unless the Company shall have secured an unsecured senior debt rating of BBB-
or
Baa3 or better from both S&P and Xxxxx’x in which case the higher rating
shall apply. If the rating is split by two or more levels, the average of the
two ratings shall apply which if not a whole number shall be rounded down (if
<.5) or up (if >.5),
as
applicable (for example, if the split ratings are Level 1 and 3, Level 2 shall
apply). The LIBOR Margin, the Base Rate Margin, the Facility Fee Rate and the
L/C Fee Rate shall be adjusted, to the extent applicable, promptly following
receipt of the new rating. No reduction to any Applicable Margin shall become
effective at any time when an Event of Default or Unmatured Event of Default
has
occurred and is continuing.
Assignee
- see
Section
15.6.1.
Assignment
Agreement
- see
Section
15.6.1.
Attorney
Costs
means,
with respect to any Person, all reasonable fees and charges of any counsel
to
such Person, the reasonable allocable cost of internal legal services of such
Person if outside counsel is not used, all reasonable out-of-pocket
disbursements of such internal counsel (if outside counsel is not used) and
all
court costs and similar legal expenses.
4
Base
Rate
means at
any time the greater of (a) the Federal Funds Rate plus 0.5% and (b) the Prime
Rate.
Base
Rate Loan
means
any Loan which bears interest at or by reference to the Base Rate.
Base
Rate Margin
- see
the definition of Applicable Margin.
Business
Day
means
any day on which LaSalle Midwest is open for commercial banking business in
Detroit, Michigan and, in the case of a Business Day which relates to a LIBOR
Loan, on which dealings are carried on in the London interbank eurodollar
market.
Capital
Expenditures
means
all expenditures which, in accordance with GAAP, would be required to be
capitalized and shown on the Consolidated balance sheet of the Company,
including expenditures in respect of Capital Leases, but excluding expenditures
made in connection with the replacement, substitution or restoration of assets
to the extent financed (a) from insurance proceeds (or other similar recoveries)
paid on account of the loss of or damage to the assets being replaced or
restored or (b) with awards of compensation arising from the taking by eminent
domain or condemnation of the assets being replaced.
Capital
Lease
means,
with respect to any Person, any lease of (or other agreement conveying the
right
to use) any real or personal property by such Person that, in conformity with
GAAP, is accounted for as a capital lease on the balance sheet of such
Person.
Capital
Securities
means,
with respect to any Person, all shares, interests, participations or other
equivalents (however designated, whether voting or non-voting) of such Person’s
capital, whether now outstanding or issued or acquired after the Closing Date,
including common shares, preferred shares, preference shares, membership
interests in a limited liability company, limited or general partnership
interests in a partnership or any other equivalent of such ownership
interest.
Capitalized
Rentals
of any
Person means as of the date of any determination thereof the amount at which
the
aggregate Rentals due and to become due under all Capital Leases under which
such Person is a lessee would be reflected as a liability on a Consolidated
balance sheet of such Person in accordance with GAAP.
Cash
Collateralize
means to
deliver cash collateral to the Administrative Agent, to be held as cash
collateral for outstanding Letters of Credit, pursuant to documentation
satisfactory to the Administrative Agent. Derivatives of such term have
corresponding meanings.
Cash
Equivalent Investment
means,
at any time, any Investment made in accordance with the investment guidelines
attached hereto as Exhibit G, as such guidelines may be amended or modified
from
time to time with the approval of the Board of Directors of the Company, upon
delivery of such amendments or modifications to the Administrative Agent,
provided,
however,
that no
Investment with (a) a tenor longer than one calendar year (unless puttable
within one calendar year) and (b) a Rating Agencies’ rating of lower than
BBB+/Baa1 shall be deemed Cash Equivalent Investments hereunder.
5
Closing
Date
- see
Section
12.1.
Code
means
the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.
Commitment
means,
as
to any Lender, such Lender’s commitment to make Loans, and to issue or
participate in Letters of Credit, under this Agreement. The initial amount
of
each Lender’s commitment to make Loans is set forth on Annex
A.
Company
- see
the Preamble.
Compliance
Certificate
means a
Compliance Certificate in substantially the form of Exhibit B.
Consolidated
(or “consolidated”) or Consolidating (or “consolidating”)
shall
mean, when used with reference to any financial term in this Agreement, the
aggregate for two or more Persons of the amounts signified by such term for
all
such Persons determined on a consolidated (or consolidating) basis in accordance
with GAAP, applied on a consistent basis. Unless otherwise specified herein,
“Consolidated” and “Consolidating” shall refer to Company and its
Subsidiaries.
Consolidated
Adjusted Funded Debt
means
all Consolidated Funded Debt (i) minus Guaranteed Amounts to the extent included
in determining such Consolidated Funded Debt and (ii) plus Additional Funded
Debt; provided,
however,
that
(a) no Funded Debt shall for purposes of this definition be included as
Consolidated Funded Debt if money sufficient to pay such Funded Debt in full
(either on the date of maturity expressed therein or on such earlier date as
such Funded Debt may be called for redemption) shall be held in trust for such
purpose by the trustee or proper depository under the instrument pursuant to
which such Funded Debt was issued, and (b) in the event of the issuance of
Funded Debt (“New
Funded Debt”),
for
purposes of this definition there shall be excluded from Consolidated Funded
Debt at the time of such issuance and thereafter:
(a) existing
Funded Debt which is paid in full substantially concurrently with the issuance
of the New Funded Debt and out of proceeds therefrom; and
(b) existing
Funded Debt which is paid out of the proceeds from the issuance of the New
Funded Debt in compliance with the following:
(i) on
the
date of the issuance of the New Funded Debt (the “Issuance
Date”)
an
amount from the proceeds sufficient to pay such existing Funded Debt in full
if
called for redemption as hereinafter described shall be deposited in an escrow
account (the “Escrow
Account”)
with a
third party selected by the Company with written instructions from the Company
that the proceeds shall be used for such purpose;
6
(ii) not
later
than the 30th day following the Issuance Date, such existing Funded Debt shall
be called for redemption on a date which is not later than the 70th day
following the Issuance Date; and
(iii) on
a date
which is not later than the 70th day following the Issuance Date, such existing
Funded Debt shall be paid in full from the proceeds deposited in the Escrow
Account.
As
used
in this definition, the term “Additional
Funded Debt”
means
at any time an amount equal to the excess, if any, of (i) the lowest daily
average of the smallest aggregate principal amount of Consolidated Current
Debt
minus Guaranteed Amounts to the extent included in determining such Consolidated
Current Debt outstanding on each day for any period of 30 consecutive days
during the 12-month period immediately preceding the date of determination,
over
(ii) the sum of $10,000,000.
Consolidated
Adjusted Total Capitalization
means,
as of the date of any determination thereof, the sum of (i) the aggregate
principal amount of Consolidated Adjusted Funded Debt then outstanding,
plus
(ii)
Consolidated Net Worth.
Consolidated
Current Debt
means
all Current Debt of the Company and its Subsidiaries determined on a
consolidated basis eliminating intercompany items.
Consolidated
Funded Debt
means
all Funded Debt of the Company and its Subsidiaries determined on a consolidated
basis eliminating intercompany items.
Consolidated
Net Income
for any
period means the net income of the Company and its Subsidiaries for such period
determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP but excluding all
non-cash charges taken by the Company in accordance with GAAP under Statement
of
Financial Accounting Standards (“FAS”) No. 142 or FAS No. 144 during such period
and less other proper charges (including taxes on income), determined on a
consolidated basis, but excluding in any event:
(a) any
gains
or losses on the sale or other disposition of Investments or fixed or capital
assets, and any taxes on such excluded gains and any tax deductions or credits
on account of any such excluded losses;
(b) the
proceeds of any life insurance policy;
(c) net
earnings and losses of any Subsidiary accrued prior to the date it became a
Subsidiary;
(d) net
earnings and losses of any corporation (other than a Subsidiary), substantially
all the assets of which have been acquired in any manner by the Company or
any
Subsidiary, realized by such corporation prior to the date of such
acquisition;
(e) net
earnings and losses of any corporation (other than a Subsidiary) with which
the
Company or a Subsidiary shall have consolidated or which shall have merged
into
or with the Company or a Subsidiary prior to the date of such consolidation
or
merger;
7
(f) net
earnings of any business entity (other than a Subsidiary) in which the Company
or any Subsidiary has an ownership interest unless such net earnings shall
have
actually been received by the Company or such Subsidiary in the form of cash
distributions;
(g) any
portion of the net earnings of any Subsidiary which for any reason is
unavailable for payment of dividends to the Company or any other
Subsidiary;
(h) earnings
resulting from any reappraisal, revaluation or write-up of assets;
(i) any
deferred or other credit representing any excess of the equity in any Subsidiary
at the date of acquisition thereof over the amount invested in such
Subsidiary;
(j) any
gain
arising from the acquisition of any Securities of the Company or any
Subsidiary;
(k) any
reversal of any contingency reserve, except to the extent that provision for
such contingency reserve shall have been made from income arising during such
period, and any gain or loss resulting from accounting method changes;
and
(l) any
items
other than those described in clauses (a) through (k) above of this definition
which are properly classified under GAAP as extraordinary items.
Consolidated
Net Worth
means,
as of the date of any determination thereof, the stockholders’ capital and
surplus of the Company and its Subsidiaries determined on a consolidated basis
in accordance with GAAP, and which shall include (whether or not includible
under GAAP) the principal amount of the Junior Capital and adding back an amount
equal to all non-cash charges, less any tax deductions or credits on account
of
such charges, taken by the Company in accordance with GAAP under FAS No. 142
or
FAS No. 144 after December 31, 2004; provided, that for the Fiscal Quarter
ending September 30, 2005, only, Consolidated Net Worth shall be deemed
increased by the amount of $17,400,000 being the asset impairment charge
recognized by the Company in the Fiscal Quarter ending September 30,
2003.
Consolidated
Operating Income
means,
as of the date of any determination thereof, the operating income of the Company
and its Subsidiaries determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with
GAAP
as shown on the financial statements delivered to Agent pursuant to Sections
10.1.1 and 10.1.2 of this Agreement, as applicable but (i) excluding from the
calculation hereof, whether or not otherwise includable under GAAP, (a) the
payment of $5,500,000 to Atlas Pipeline Partners, L.P. on December 31, 2004
made
pursuant to the terms of that certain Settlement Agreement dated as of December
31, 2004 and (b) all pre-tax gains or losses from the sale of assets permitted
under this Agreement, and (ii) adding back an amount equal to all pre-tax
non-cash charges, taken by the Company in accordance with GAAP under FAS No.
142
or FAS No. 144. Acquisitions by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries made
in
compliance with this Agreement shall be given pro forma effect in calculation
of
Consolidated Operating Income.
Consolidated
Storage Income
means
the “Storage Income” of the Company and its Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis
in accordance with GAAP, as shown under the heading “Other Income” on the
Company’s consolidated statement of operations delivered to the Agent pursuant
to the requirements of Sections 10.1.1 and 10.1.2 of this
Agreement.
8
Controlled
Group
means
all members of a controlled group of corporations, all members of a controlled
group of trades or businesses (whether or not incorporated) under common control
and all members of an affiliated service group which, together with the Company
or any of its Subsidiaries, are treated as a single employer under Section
414
of the Code or Section 4001 of ERISA.
Credit
Party
means
Company and each Guarantor.
Current
Debt of any Person
means as
of the date of any determination thereof (i) all Debt of such Person for
borrowed money other than Funded Debt of such Person and (ii) Guaranty
Obligations of such Person relating to the Current Debt of others.
Debt
of any
Person means, without duplication, (a) all indebtedness of such Person for
borrowed money, whether or not evidenced by bonds, debentures, notes or similar
instruments, (b) all obligations of such Person as lessee under Capital Leases
which have been or should be recorded as liabilities on a balance sheet of
such
Person in accordance with GAAP, (c) all obligations of such Person to pay the
deferred purchase price of property or services (excluding trade accounts
payable in the ordinary course of business), (d) all Debt secured by a Lien
on
the property of such Person, whether or not such Debt shall have been assumed
by
such Person; provided that if such Person has not assumed or otherwise become
liable for such Debt, such Debt shall be measured at the fair market value
of
such property securing such Debt at the time of determination, (e) all
obligations, contingent or otherwise, with respect to the face amount of all
letters of credit (whether or not drawn), bankers’ acceptances and similar
obligations issued for the account of such Person (including the Letters of
Credit), (f) all Guaranty Obligations relating to the Debt of other Persons
or
the payment of dividends or distributions on the Capital Securities of any
Person and (g) all Debt of any partnership of which such Person is a general
partner except where the only asset which may be used as a source of repayment
is such Person’s partnership interest in the partnership obligated on the
Debt.
Designated
Proceeds
- see
Section
6.2.2(a).
Dollar
and the
sign “$”
mean
lawful money of the United States of America.
Environmental
Claims
means
all claims, however asserted, by any governmental, regulatory or judicial
authority or other Person alleging potential liability or responsibility for
violation of any Environmental Law, or for release or injury to the
environment.
Environmental
Laws
means
all present or future federal, state or local laws, statutes, common law duties,
rules, regulations, ordinances and codes, together with all administrative
or
judicial orders, consent agreements, directed duties, requests, licenses,
authorizations and permits of, and agreements with, any governmental authority,
in each case relating to any matter arising out of or relating to public health
and safety, or pollution or protection of the environment or workplace,
including any of the foregoing relating to the presence, use, production,
generation, handling, transport, treatment, storage, disposal, distribution,
discharge, emission, release, threatened release, control or cleanup of any
Hazardous Substance.
Environmental
Matters
means
any matter arising out of or relating to pollution or protection of the
environment or workplace, including any of the foregoing relating to the
presence, use, production, generation, handling, transport, treatment, storage,
disposal, distribution, discharge, release, control or cleanup of any Hazardous
Substance.
9
ERISA
means
the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974.
Event
of Default
means
any of the events described in Section
13.1.
Excluded
Taxes
means
taxes based upon, or measured by, the Lender’s or Administrative Agent’s (or a
branch of the Lender’s or Administrative Agent’s) overall net income, overall
net receipts, or overall net profits (including franchise taxes imposed in
lieu
of such taxes), but only to the extent such taxes are imposed by a taxing
authority (a) in a jurisdiction in which such Lender or Administrative Agent
is
organized, (b) in a jurisdiction which the Lender’s or Administrative Agent’s
principal office is located, or (c) in a jurisdiction in which such Lender’s or
Administrative Agent’s lending office (or branch) in respect of which payments
under this Agreement are made is located.
Facility
Fee Rate
- see
the definition of Applicable Margin.
Federal
Funds Rate
means,
for any day, a fluctuating interest rate equal for each day during such period
to the weighted average of the rates on overnight Federal funds transactions
with members of the Federal Reserve System arranged by Federal funds brokers,
as
published for such day (or, if such day is not a Business Day, for the next
preceding Business Day) by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, or, if such
rate is not so published for any day which is a Business Day, the average of
the
quotations for such day on such transactions received by the Administrative
Agent from three Federal funds brokers of recognized standing selected by the
Administrative Agent. The Administrative Agent’s determination of such rate
shall be binding and conclusive absent manifest error.
Fiscal
Quarter
means a
fiscal quarter of a Fiscal Year.
Fiscal
Year
means
the fiscal year of the Company and its Subsidiaries, which period shall be
the
12-month period ending on December 31 of each year. References to a Fiscal
Year
with a number corresponding to any calendar year (e.g., “Fiscal
Year 2005”)
refer
to the Fiscal Year ending on December 31 of such calendar year.
FRB
means
the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System or any successor
thereto.
Funded
Debt
of any
Person means, without duplication, (i) all Debt of such Person for borrowed
money or which has been incurred in connection with the acquisition of assets
in
each case having a final maturity of one or more than one year from the date
of
origin thereof (or which is renewable or extendible at the option of the obligor
for a period or periods more than one year from the date of origin), including
all principal payments in respect thereof that are required to be made within
one year from the date of any determination of Funded Debt, whether or not
the
obligation to make such payments shall constitute a current liability of the
obligor under GAAP , provided, however, that Funded Debt shall not include
(a)
Junior Capital, (b) all outstanding Loans made to such Person pursuant to the
Revolving Commitment and (c) any notes of such Person evidencing Debt of such
Person which when issued constitute a current liability of such Person under
GAAP, (ii) all Capitalized Rentals of such Person, and (iii) Off Balance Sheet
Liabilities.
10
GAAP
means
generally accepted accounting principles set forth from time to time in the
opinions and pronouncements of the Accounting Principles Board and the American
Institute of Certified Public Accountants and statements and pronouncements
of
the Financial Accounting Standards Board (or agencies with similar functions
of
comparable stature and authority within the U.S. accounting profession) and
the
Securities and Exchange Commission, which are applicable to the circumstances
as
of the date of determination.
Gas
Related Business
means
any business permitted under Sections 10.5 and 11.10 hereof involving the
purchase, distribution, sale, storage and/or transport of natural
gas.
Guaranteed
Amounts
means as
of any date the aggregate amounts of Debt of others guaranteed by the Company
and/or any of its Subsidiaries determined on a consolidated basis.
Guarantor(s)
means
any Subsidiaries of the Company which shall hereafter execute and deliver that
certain Guaranty (or a joinder thereto) with respect to the Obligations.
Guaranty
means
any Guaranty (and any joinders thereto), in form and substance reasonably
acceptable to the Administrative Agent and the Required Lenders, that may be
hereafter executed and delivered by certain Subsidiaries of the Company, as
the
same may be amended, restated or otherwise modified from time to
time.
Guaranty
Event
means
the failure at any time of the Company and the Guarantors, as of the last day
of
any Fiscal Quarter (determined on a consolidated basis for the Company and
the
Guarantors but without regard to any Subsidiaries which are not Guarantors),
to
constitute the source of at least seventy percent (70%) of the Consolidated
Operating Income of the Company and its Subsidiaries for the four Fiscal Quarter
period ending on such date or to hold at least seventy percent (70%) of the
Consolidated total assets of the Company and its Subsidiaries on such
date.
Guaranty
Obligations
shall
mean a guaranty, an endorsement, a contingent agreement to purchase or to
furnish funds for the payment or maintenance of, or otherwise to be or become
contingently liable under or with respect to, the Debt, other obligations,
net
worth, working capital or earnings of any Person, or a guarantee of the payment
of dividends or other distributions upon the Capital Securities of any Person,
or an agreement to purchase, sell or lease (as lessee or lessor) real property,
products, materials, supplies or services primarily for the purpose of enabling
a debtor to make payment of such debtor's obligations or an agreement to assure
a creditor against loss, and including, without limitation, causing a bank
or
other financial institution to issue a letter of credit or other similar
instrument for the benefit of another Person, but excluding endorsements for
collection or deposit in the ordinary course of business.
Group
- see
Section
2.2.1.
Hazardous
Substances
means
(a) any petroleum or petroleum products, radioactive materials, asbestos in
any
form that is or could become friable, urea formaldehyde foam insulation,
dielectric fluid containing levels of polychlorinated biphenyls, radon gas
and
mold; (b) any chemicals, materials, pollutant or substances defined as or
included in the definition of “hazardous substances”, “hazardous waste”,
“hazardous materials”, “extremely hazardous substances”, “restricted hazardous
waste”, “toxic substances”, “toxic pollutants”, “contaminants”, “pollutants” or
words of similar import, under any applicable Environmental Law; and (c) any
other chemical, material or substance, the exposure to, or release of which
is
prohibited, limited or regulated by any governmental authority or for which
any
duty or standard of care is imposed pursuant to, any Environmental
Law.
11
Hedging
Agreement
means
any interest rate, currency or commodity swap agreement, cap agreement or collar
agreement, and any other agreement or arrangement designed to protect a Person
against fluctuations in interest rates, currency exchange rates or commodity
prices.
Hedging
Obligation
means,
with respect to any Person, any liability of such Person under any Hedging
Agreement. The amount of any Person’s obligation in respect of any Hedging
Obligation shall be deemed to be the incremental obligation that would be
reflected in the financial statements of such Person in accordance with
GAAP.
Indemnified
Liabilities
- see
Section
15.16.
Interest
Coverage Ratio
shall
mean the sum of the Consolidated Operating Income and the Consolidated Storage
Income of the Company and its Subsidiaries divided by all interest paid or
payable in cash on any Debt of the Company or any Subsidiary, including all
interest, dividends or distributions paid or payable in cash on the Junior
Capital but excluding a premium in the aggregate amount of $8,170,000 paid
by
the Company on March 15, 2005.
Interest
Charges
for any
period means all interest and all amortization of debt discount and expense
on
any particular Debt for which such calculations are being made.
Interest
Period
means,
as to any LIBOR Loan, the period commencing on the date such Loan is borrowed
or
continued as, or converted into, a LIBOR Loan and ending on the date one, two,
three or six months thereafter as selected by the Company pursuant to
Section
2.2.2
or
2.2.3,
as the
case may be; provided
that:
(a) if
any
Interest Period would otherwise end on a day that is not a Business Day, such
Interest Period shall be extended to the following Business Day unless the
result of such extension would be to carry such Interest Period into another
calendar month, in which event such Interest Period shall end on the preceding
Business Day;
(b) any
Interest Period that begins on a day for which there is no numerically
corresponding day in the calendar month at the end of such Interest Period
shall
end on the last Business Day of the calendar month at the end of such Interest
Period; and
(c) the
Company may not select any Interest Period for a Revolving Loan which would
extend beyond the scheduled Termination Date.
Investment
means,
with respect to any Person, any investment in another Person, whether by
acquisition of any debt security or Capital Security, by making any loan or
advance (excluding the extension of trade credit in the ordinary course of
business), by becoming obligated with respect to a contingent liability in
respect of obligations of such other Person (other than travel and similar
advances to employees in the ordinary course of business) or by making an
Acquisition.
12
Issuing
Lender
means
LaSalle Midwest, in its capacity as the issuer of Letters of Credit hereunder,
any Affiliate of LaSalle Midwest that may from time to time issue Letters of
Credit, any other Lender or any Affiliate of any other Lender that may from
time
to time issue Letters of Credit and their respective successors and assigns
in
such capacity.
Junior
Capital
means,
without duplication (i) Subordinated Debt, (ii) the Trust Preferred Securities,
and such other trust preferred securities which may be issued by unconsolidated
capital trust subsidiaries of the Company from time to time, (iii) the Series
B
Preferred Stock and (iv) all other preferred stock or preference stock issued
by
the Company that by their terms rank junior to the Series B Preferred
Stock.
LaSalle
Midwest
is
defined in the Preamble.
L/C
Application
means,
with respect to any request for the issuance of a Letter of Credit, a letter
of
credit application in the form being used by an Issuing Lender at the time
of
such request for the type of letter of credit requested.
L/C
Fee Rate
- see
the definition of Applicable Margin.
Lender
- see
the Preamble.
References to the “Lenders” shall include each Issuing Lender; for purposes of
clarification only, to the extent that such Issuing Lender may have any rights
or obligations in addition to those of the other Lenders due to its status
as an
Issuing Lender, its status as such will be specifically referenced.
Lender
Party
- see
Section
15.16.
Letter
of Credit
- see
Section
2.1.3.
LIBOR
Loan
means
any Loan which bears interest at a rate determined by reference to the LIBOR
Rate.
LIBOR
Margin
- see
the definition of Applicable Margin.
LIBOR
Office
means
with respect to any Lender the office or offices of such Lender which shall
be
making or maintaining the LIBOR Loans of such Lender hereunder. A LIBOR Office
of any Lender may be, at the option of such Lender, either a domestic or foreign
office.
LIBOR
Rate
means a
rate of interest equal to (a) the per annum rate of interest at which United
States dollar deposits in an amount comparable to the amount of the relevant
LIBOR Loan and for a period equal to the relevant Interest Period are offered
in
the London Interbank Eurodollar market at 11:00 A.M. (London time) two (2)
Business Days prior to the commencement of such Interest Period (or three (3)
Business Days prior to the commencement of such Interest Period if banks in
London, England were not open and dealing in offshore United States dollars
on
such second preceding Business Day), as displayed in the Bloomberg
Financial Markets
system
(or other authoritative source selected by the Administrative Agent in its
sole
discretion) or, if the Bloomberg
Financial Markets
system
or another authoritative source is not available, as the LIBOR Rate is otherwise
determined by the Administrative Agent in its sole and absolute discretion,
divided by (b) a number determined by subtracting from 1.00 the then stated
maximum reserve percentage for determining reserves to be maintained by member
banks of the Federal Reserve System for Eurocurrency funding or liabilities
as
defined in Regulation D (or any successor category of liabilities under
Regulation D), such rate to remain fixed for such Interest Period. The
Administrative Agent’s determination of the LIBOR Rate shall be conclusive,
absent manifest error.
13
Lien
means,
with respect to any Person, any interest granted by such Person in any real
or
personal property, asset or other right owned or being purchased or acquired
by
such Person (including an interest in respect of a Capital Lease) which secures
payment or performance of any obligation and shall include any mortgage, lien,
encumbrance, title retention lien, charge or other security interest of any
kind, whether arising by contract, as a matter of law, by judicial process
or
otherwise.
Loan
Documents
means
this Agreement, the Notes, the Letters of Credit, the Master Letter of Credit
Agreement, the L/C Applications, the Agent Proposal Letter, the Subordination
Agreements and all documents, instruments and agreements delivered in connection
with the foregoing.
Loan
or Loans
means,
as the context may require, Revolving Loans, and/or Swing Line
Loans.
Margin
Stock
means
any “margin stock” as defined in Regulation U.
Master
Letter of Credit Agreement
means,
at any time, with respect to the issuance of Letters of Credit, a master letter
of credit agreement or reimbursement agreement in the form, if any, being used
by an Issuing Lender at such time.
Material
Adverse Effect
means
(a) a material adverse change in, or a material adverse effect upon, the
financial condition, operations, assets, business, or properties of the
Affiliated Parties taken as a whole, (b) a material impairment of the ability
of
any Credit Party to perform any of the Obligations under any Loan Document
or
(c) a material adverse effect upon any substantial portion of the assets of
the
Credit Parties, taken as a whole, or upon the legality, validity, binding effect
or enforceability against any Credit Party of any Loan Document.
Moody’s
means
Xxxxx’x Investors Service, Inc., and any successor thereto.
Mortgage
means a
mortgage, deed of trust, leasehold mortgage or similar instrument granting
the
Administrative Agent a Lien on real property of any Affiliated
Party.
Multiemployer
Pension Plan
means a
multiemployer plan, as defined in Section 4001(a)(3) of ERISA, to which the
Company or any other member of the Controlled Group may have any
liability.
14
New
Capital Adjustment
means
that amount to be added to the minimum Consolidated Net Worth required to be
maintained under Section
11.14.3
consisting of an amount equal to one hundred percent (100%) of the proceeds
of
each New Capital Offering conducted by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries
on
or after June 30, 2005, net of costs of issuance on a cumulative basis, less
the
aggregate principal amount (excluding any capitalized interest) of any Junior
Capital which is retired, prepaid, or redeemed in connection with a New Capital
Offering.
New
Capital Offering
means
the issuance and sale for cash or other consideration, on and after June 30,
2005, by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries of additional Capital Securities
or other equity interests or of Junior Capital.
New
Lender
is
defined in Sections
2.1.2(b).
New
Lender Addendum
means an
addendum, substantially in the form of Exhibit
C,
to be
executed and delivered by each Bank becoming a party to this Agreement pursuant
to Section
2.1.2.
Non-U.S.
Participant
- see
Section
7.6(d).
Note
means a
promissory note substantially in the form of Exhibit
A.
Notice
of Borrowing
- see
Section
2.2.2.
Notice
of Conversion/Continuation
- see
Section
2.2.3.
Obligations
means
all obligations (monetary (including post-petition interest, allowed or not)
or
otherwise) of any Affiliated Party under this Agreement and any other Loan
Document including Attorney Costs and any reimbursement obligations of each
Affiliated Party in respect of Letters of Credit, all in each case howsoever
created, arising or evidenced, whether direct or indirect, absolute or
contingent, now or hereafter existing, or due or to become due.
OFAC
- see
Section
10.4.
Off-Balance
Sheet Liability
of a
Person shall mean (i) any repurchase obligation or liability of such Person
with
respect to accounts or notes receivable sold by such Person and (ii) any
liability under any so-called “synthetic lease” or “tax ownership operating
lease” transaction entered into by such Person.
PBGC
means
the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation and any entity succeeding to any or
all
of its functions under ERISA.
Participant
- see
Section 15.6.2.
Pension
Plan
means a
“pension plan”, as such term is defined in Section 3(2) of ERISA, which is
subject to Title IV of ERISA or the minimum funding standards of ERISA (other
than a Multiemployer Pension Plan), and as to which the Company or any member
of
the Controlled Group may have any liability, including any liability by reason
of having been a substantial employer within the meaning of Section 4063 of
ERISA at any time during the preceding five years, or by reason of being deemed
to be a contributing sponsor under Section 4069 of ERISA.
15
Permitted
Lien
means a
Lien expressly permitted hereunder pursuant to Section
11.2.
Person
means
any natural person, corporation, partnership, trust, limited liability company,
association, governmental authority or unit, or any other entity, whether acting
in an individual, fiduciary or other capacity.
Prime
Rate
means,
for any day, the rate of interest in effect for such day as publicly announced
from time to time by the Administrative Agent as its prime rate (whether or
not
such rate is actually charged by the Administrative Agent), which is not
intended to be the Administrative Agent’s lowest or most favorable rate of
interest at any one time. Any change in the Prime Rate announced by the
Administrative Agent shall take effect at the opening of business on the day
specified in the public announcement of such change; provided
that the
Administrative Agent shall not be obligated to give notice of any change in
the
Prime Rate.
Prior
Credit Agreement
has the
meaning set forth in the Recitals hereto.
Pro
Rata Share
means
with respect to a Lender’s obligation to make Revolving Loans, participate in
Letters of Credit, reimburse each Issuing Lender, and receive payments of
principal, interest, fees, costs, and expenses with respect thereto, (x) prior
to the Revolving Commitment being terminated or reduced to zero, the percentage
obtained by dividing (i) such Lender’s Revolving Commitment, by (ii) the
aggregate Revolving Commitment of all Lenders and (y) from and after the time
the Revolving Commitment has been terminated or reduced to zero, the percentage
obtained by dividing (i) the aggregate unpaid principal amount of such Lender’s
Revolving Outstandings (after settlement and repayment of all Swing Line Loans
by the Lenders) by (ii) the aggregate unpaid principal amount of all Revolving
Outstandings.
Rating
Agencies
means
Moody’s and S&P, or such other rating agencies acceptable to the Required
Lenders in their sole discretion.
Refunded
Swing Line Loan
- see
Section
2.2.4(c).
Regulation
D
means
Regulation D of the FRB.
Regulation
U
means
Regulation U of the FRB.
Regulatory
Body(ies)
means
any federal or state board or commission, department or other regulatory body
in
the United States of America (or any international equivalent thereof) which
regulates the distribution, transportation or storage of natural gas, or other
material lines of business in which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries
is
engaged from time to time.
Release
has the
meaning specified in CERCLA and the term “Disposal”
(or
“Disposed”)
has
the meaning specified in RCRA; provided
that in
the event either CERCLA or RCRA is amended so as to broaden or narrow the
meaning of any term defined thereby, such broader or narrower meaning shall
apply as of the effective date of such amendment; and provided,
further,
that to
the extent that the laws of a state wherein any affected property lies establish
a meaning for “Release”
or
“Disposal”
which
is broader than is specified in either CERCLA or RCRA, such broader meaning
shall apply.
16
Replacement
Lender
- see
Section
8.7(b).
Rentals
means
and include as of the date of any determination thereof all fixed payments
(including as such all payments which the lessee is obligated to make to the
lessor on termination of the lease or surrender of the property) payable by
the
Company or a Subsidiary, as lessee or sublessee under a lease of real or
personal property, but shall be exclusive of any amounts required to be paid
by
the Company or a Subsidiary (whether or not designated as rents or additional
rents) on account of maintenance, repairs, insurance, taxes and similar charges.
Fixed rents under any so-called “percentage leases” shall be computed solely on
the basis of the minimum rents, if any, required to be paid by the lessee
regardless of sales volume or gross revenues.
Request
for Revolving Commitment Increase is
defined in Section
2.1.2
Required
Lenders
means,
at any time, Lenders whose Pro Rata Shares equal or exceed 51%.
Revolving
Commitment
means
$120,000,000, as reduced from time to time pursuant to Section 6.1 or as
increased by the Revolving Commitment Optional Increase pursuant to Section
2.1.2.
Revolving
Commitment Optional Increase
means an
amount up to $5,000,000, minus the portions thereof applied from time to time
to
increase the Revolving Commitment.
Revolving
Loan
- see
Section
2.1.1.
Revolving
Loan Availability
means
the Revolving Commitment.
Revolving
Outstandings
means,
at any time, the sum of (a) the aggregate principal amount of all outstanding
Revolving Loans, plus (b) the Stated Amount of all outstanding Letters of
Credit.
S&P
means
Standard & Poor’s Ratings Group, a division of XxXxxx-Xxxx Companies, and
any successor thereto.
SEC
means
the Securities and Exchange Commission or any other governmental authority
succeeding to any of the principal functions thereof.
Senior
Notes
shall
mean the Company’s 7.125% Senior Notes due 2008.
Senior
Officer
means,
with respect to any Affiliated Party, any of the chief executive officer, the
chief financial officer, the chief operating officer or the treasurer of such
Affiliated Party.
17
Series
B Preferred Stock means
the
Company’s 5% Series B Convertible Cumulative Preferred Stock.
Stated
Amount
means,
with respect to any Letter of Credit at any date of determination, (a) the
maximum aggregate amount available for drawing thereunder under any and all
circumstances plus (b) the aggregate amount of all unreimbursed payments and
disbursements under such Letter of Credit.
Subordinated
Debt
means
(i) the Company’s existing unsecured subordinated debt identified on
Schedule
10.7
and (ii)
any other unsecured Debt of the Company which has subordination terms, covenants
and default provisions which have been approved in writing by the Required
Lenders.
Subordinated
Debt Documents
means
all documents and instruments relating to the Subordinated Debt and all
amendments and modifications thereof approved by the Administrative
Agent.
Subordination
Agreements
means
all subordination agreements executed by a holder of Subordinated Debt in favor
of the Administrative Agent and the Lenders from time to time after the Closing
Date.
Subsidiary
means,
with respect to any Person, a corporation, partnership, limited liability
company or other entity of which such Person owns, directly or indirectly,
such
number of outstanding Capital Securities as have more than 50% of the ordinary
voting power for the election of directors or other managers of such
corporation, partnership, limited liability company or other entity ;provided,
however, in the case of the Company, “Subsidiary” shall not include any
unconsolidated capital trust subsidiary of the Company. Unless the context
otherwise requires, each reference to Subsidiaries herein shall be a reference
to Subsidiaries of the Company.
Swing
Line Availability
means
the lesser (a) the Swing Line Commitment Amount and (b) Revolving Loan
Availability (less Revolving Outstandings at such time).
Swing
Line Commitment Amount
means
$40,000,000, as reduced from time to time pursuant to Section
6.1,
which
commitment constitutes a subfacility of the Revolving Commitment of the Swing
Line Lender.
Swing
Line Lender
means
LaSalle Midwest.
Swing
Line Loan
-
see
Section 2.2.4.
Taxes
means
any and all present and future taxes, duties, levies, imposts, deductions,
assessments, charges or withholdings, and any and all liabilities (including
interest and penalties and other additions to taxes) with respect to the
foregoing, but excluding Excluded Taxes.
Termination
Date
means
the earlier to occur of (a) September 15, 2008 or (b) such other date on which
the Commitments terminate pursuant to Section
6
or
13.
18
Trust-Preferred
Securities
means
the trust-preferred securities issued by SEMCO Capital Trust I, a wholly-owned
Subsidiary of the Company, under the SEMCO Capital Trust I Amended and Restated
Trust Agreement dated as of April 19, 2000 and the related documents and
instruments, all as amended (subject to the terms hereof) from time to
time.
type
- see
Section
2.2.1.
Unmatured
Event of Default
means
any event that, if it continues uncured, will, with lapse of time or notice
or
both, constitute an Event of Default.
Withholding
Certificate
- see
Section
7.6(d).
1.2 Other
Interpretive Provisions.
(a) The
meanings of defined terms are equally applicable to the singular and plural
forms of the defined terms.
(a) Section,
Annex,
Schedule and Exhibit references are to this Agreement unless otherwise
specified.
(b) The
term
“including” is not limiting and means “including without
limitation.”
(c) In
the
computation of periods of time from a specified date to a later specified date,
the word “from” means “from and including”; the words “to” and “until” each mean
“to but excluding”, and the word “through” means “to and
including.”
(d) Unless
otherwise expressly provided herein, (i) references to agreements (including
this Agreement and the other Loan Documents) and other contractual instruments
shall be deemed to include all subsequent amendments, restatements, supplements
and other modifications thereto, but only to the extent such amendments,
restatements, supplements and other modifications are not prohibited by the
terms of any Loan Document, and (ii) references to any statute or regulation
shall be construed as including all statutory and regulatory provisions
amending, replacing, supplementing or interpreting such statute or
regulation.
(e) This
Agreement and the other Loan Documents may use several different limitations,
tests or measurements to regulate the same or similar matters. All such
limitations, tests and measurements are cumulative and each shall be performed
in accordance with its terms.
(f) This
Agreement and the other Loan Documents are the result of negotiations among
and
have been reviewed by counsel to the Administrative Agent, the Company, the
Lenders and the other parties thereto and are the products of all parties.
Accordingly, they shall not be construed against the Administrative Agent or
the
Lenders merely because of the Administrative Agent’s or Lenders’ involvement in
their preparation.
SECTION
2. COMMITMENTS
OF THE LENDERS; BORROWING, CONVERSION AND LETTER OF CREDIT
PROCEDURES.
19
2.1 Commitments.
On and
subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, each of the Lenders,
severally and for itself alone, agrees to make loans to, and to issue or
participate in letters of credit for the account of, the Company as
follows:
2.1.1 Revolving
Loan Commitment.
Each
Lender with a Revolving Loan Commitment agrees to make loans on a revolving
basis (“Revolving
Loans”)
from
time to time until the Termination Date in such Lender’s Pro Rata Share of such
aggregate amounts as the Company may request from all Lenders; provided that
the
Revolving Outstandings will not at any time exceed Revolving Loan Availability
(less the amount of any Swing Line Loans outstanding at such time).
2.1.2 Revolving
Commitment Optional Increase.
So long
as no Unmatured Event of Default or Event of Default has occurred and is
continuing, and the Company has not previously elected to terminate the
Revolving Commitment, the Company may request that the Revolving Commitment
be
increased in an aggregate amount not to exceed the Revolving Commitment Optional
Increase, subject, in each case, to Section 8.4 and to the satisfaction
concurrently with or prior to the date of each such request of the following
conditions:
(a) the
Company shall have delivered to the Agent not less than 90 days prior to the
Termination Date then in effect a written request for such increase, specifying
the amount of Revolving Commitment Optional Increase thereby requested (each
such request, a “Request
for Revolving Commitment Increase”);
provided,
however
that in
the event the Company has previously delivered a Request for Revolving
Commitment Increase pursuant to this Section
2.1.2,
the
Company may not deliver a subsequent Request for Revolving Commitment Increase
until all the conditions to effectiveness of such first Request for Revolving
Commitment Increase have been fully satisfied hereunder (or such Request for
Revolving Commitment Increase has been withdrawn); and provided,
further
that the
Company may make no more than two Requests for Increase in any
year;
(b) a
lender
or lenders meeting the requirements of this Agreement and reasonably acceptable
to the Company and the Agent (including, for the purposes of this Section
2.1.2,
any
existing Lender which agrees to increase its Commitment, each a “New Lender” and
collectively, the “New Lenders”) shall have become a party to this Agreement by
executing and delivering a New Lender Addendum for a minimum amount (including
for the purposes of this Section
2.1.2
the
existing commitment of any existing Lender) for each such New Lender of
$5,000,000 and an aggregate amount for all such New Lenders of that portion
of
the Revolving Commitment Optional Increase, taking into account the amount
of
any prior increase in the Revolving Commitment (pursuant to this Section
2.1.2),
covered by the applicable Request, provided,
however
that (i)
each New Lender shall remit to the Agent funds in an amount equal to its Pro
Rata Share (after giving effect to this Section
2.1.2,
but
taking into account, in the case of any existing Lender, any Revolving Loan
Outstandings then funded by such Lender) of the Revolving Outstandings, such
sums to be reallocated among and paid to the existing Lenders based upon the
new
Pro Rata Shares as determined below;
20
(c) the
Company shall have paid to the Agent for distribution to the existing Lenders,
as applicable, all interest, fees and other amounts, if any, accrued to the
effective date of such increase and any breakage fees attributable to the
reduction (prior to the last day of the applicable Interest Period) of any
outstanding Eurodollar Loan, calculated on the basis set forth in Section
8.4
as
though the Company has prepaid such Loans;
(d) the
Company shall have executed and delivered to the Agent new Revolving Credit
Notes payable to each of the New Lenders in the face amount of each such New
Lender’s Pro Rata Share of the Revolving Commitment (after giving effect to this
Section
2.1.2)
and, if
applicable, renewal and replacement Revolving Credit Notes payable to each
of
the existing Lenders in the face amount of each such Lender’s Pro Rata Share of
the Revolving Commitment (after giving effect to this Section
2.1.2),
each
of such Revolving Credit Notes to be dated as of the effective date of such
increase (with appropriate insertions relevant to such Notes and acceptable
to
the applicable Lender, including the New Lenders);
(e) except
to
the extent such representations and warranties are not, by their terms,
continuing representations and warranties, but speak only as of a specific
date,
the representations and warranties made by the Company (excluding the Agent
and
the Lenders) in this Agreement or any of the other Loan Documents, and the
representations and warranties of any of the foregoing which are contained
in
any certificate, document or financial or other statement furnished at any
time
hereunder or thereunder or in connection herewith or therewith shall have been
true and correct in all material respects when made and shall be true and
correct in all material respects on and as of the effective date of such
increase; in each case except for changes therein occurring in the ordinary
course of business and which do not violate this Agreement and no Unmatured
Event of Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing
as of
such date; and
(f) such
other acknowledgments, consents, authority documents or other documents, if
any,
shall have been executed and delivered and/or obtained by the Company as
reasonably required by Agent or the Required Lenders.
Promptly
on or after the date on which all of the conditions to such Request for Increase
in the Revolving Commitment set forth above have been satisfied, the Agent
shall
notify the Company and each of the Lenders of the amount of the Revolving
Commitment as increased pursuant this Section
2.1.2
and the
date on which such increase has become effective and shall prepare and
distribute to Company and each of the Lenders (including the New Lenders) a
revised Annex
A
setting
forth the applicable new Pro Rata Shares of the Lenders (including the New
Lender(s), taking into account such increase and assignments (if
any).
2.1.3 L/C
Commitment.
Subject
to Section 2.3.1, each Issuing Lender agrees to issue letters of credit, in
each
case containing such terms and conditions as are permitted by this Agreement
and
are reasonably satisfactory to such Issuing Lender (each, a “Letter
of Credit”),
at
the request of and for the account of the Company from time to time before
the
scheduled Termination Date and, as more fully set forth in Section
2.3.2,
each
Lender agrees to purchase a participation in each such Letter of Credit;
provided
that (a)
the aggregate Stated Amount of all Letters of Credit shall not at any time
exceed $72,000,000, provided that upon the Revolving Commitment being increased
as set forth in Section 2.1.2, the aggregate Stated Amount of all Letters of
Credit shall not exceed an amount equal to sixty percent (60%) of the Revolving
Commitment after giving effect to such increase and (b) the Revolving
Outstandings shall not at any time exceed Revolving Loan Availability (less
the
amount of any Swing Line Loans outstanding at such time).
21
2.2 Loan
Procedures.
2.2.1 Various
Types of Loans.
Each
Revolving Loan shall be divided into tranches which are, either a Base Rate
Loan
or a LIBOR Loan (each a “type”
of
Loan), as the Company shall specify in the related notice of borrowing or
conversion pursuant to Section
2.2.2
or
2.2.3.
LIBOR
Loans having the same Interest Period are sometimes called a “Group”
or
collectively “Groups”. Base Rate Loans and LIBOR Loans may be outstanding at the
same time, provided that not more than seven (7) different Groups of LIBOR
Loans
shall be outstanding at any one time. All borrowings, conversions and repayments
of Revolving Loans shall be effected so that each Lender will have a ratable
share (according to its Pro Rata Share) of all types and Groups of Loans.
2.2.2 Borrowing
Procedures.
The
Company shall give written notice (each such written notice, a “Notice
of Borrowing”)
substantially in the form of Exhibit
E
or
telephonic notice (followed immediately by a Notice of Borrowing) to the
Administrative Agent of each proposed borrowing not later than (a) in the case
of a Base Rate borrowing, noon, Detroit time, on the proposed date of such
borrowing, and (b) in the case of a LIBOR borrowing, noon, Detroit time, at
least three Business Days prior to the proposed date of such borrowing. Each
such notice shall be effective upon receipt by the Administrative Agent, shall
be irrevocable, and shall specify the date, amount and type of borrowing and,
in
the case of a LIBOR borrowing, the initial Interest Period therefor. Promptly
upon receipt of such notice, the Administrative Agent shall advise each Lender
thereof. Not later than 3:00 P.M., Detroit time, on the date of a proposed
borrowing, each Lender shall provide the Administrative Agent at the office
specified by the Administrative Agent with immediately available funds covering
such Lender’s Pro Rata Share of such borrowing and, so long as the
Administrative Agent has not received written notice that the conditions
precedent set forth in Section 11 with respect to such borrowing have not been
satisfied, the Administrative Agent shall pay over the funds received by the
Administrative Agent to the Company on the requested borrowing date. Each
borrowing shall be on a Business Day. Each Base Rate borrowing shall be in
an
aggregate amount of at least $500,000 and an integral multiple of $100,000,
and
each LIBOR borrowing shall be in an aggregate amount of at least $1,000,000
and
an integral multiple of at least $500,000.
2.2.3 Conversion
and Continuation Procedures.
(a)
Subject to Section
2.2.1,
the
Company may, upon irrevocable written notice to the Administrative Agent in
accordance with clause
(b)
below:
(A) elect,
as
of any Business Day, to convert any Loans (or any part thereof in an aggregate
amount not less than $500,000 a higher integral multiple of $100,000) into
Loans
of the other type; or
22
(B) elect,
as
of the last day of the applicable Interest Period, to continue any LIBOR Loans
having Interest Periods expiring on such day (or any part thereof in an
aggregate amount not less than $1,000,000 or a higher integral multiple of
$500,000) for a new Interest Period;
provided
that after giving effect to any prepayment, conversion or continuation, the
aggregate principal amount of each Group of LIBOR Loans shall be at least
$1,000,000 and an integral multiple of $500,000.
(b) The
Company shall give written notice (each such written notice, a “Notice
of Conversion/Continuation”)
substantially in the form of Exhibit
F
or
telephonic notice (followed immediately by a Notice of Conversion/Continuation)
to the Administrative Agent of each proposed conversion or continuation not
later than (i) in the case of conversion into Base Rate Loans, noon, Detroit
time, on the proposed date of such conversion and (ii) in the case of conversion
into or continuation of LIBOR Loans, noon, Detroit time, at least three Business
Days prior to the proposed date of such conversion or continuation, specifying
in each case:
(A) the
proposed date of conversion or continuation;
(B) the
aggregate amount of Loans to be converted or continued;
(C) the
type
of Loans resulting from the proposed conversion or continuation;
and
(D) in
the
case of conversion into, or continuation of, LIBOR Loans, the duration of the
requested Interest Period therefor.
(c) If
upon
the expiration of any Interest Period applicable to LIBOR Loans, the Company
has
failed to select timely a new Interest Period to be applicable to such LIBOR
Loans, the Company shall be deemed to have elected to convert such LIBOR Loans
into Base Rate Loans effective on the last day of such Interest
Period.
(d) The
Administrative Agent will promptly notify each Lender of its receipt of a notice
of conversion or continuation pursuant to this Section
2.2.3
or, if
no timely notice is provided by the Company, of the details of any automatic
conversion.
(e) Any
conversion of a LIBOR Loan on a day other than the last day of an Interest
Period therefor shall be subject to Section
8.4.
2.2.4 Swing
Line Facility.
(a) The
Administrative Agent shall notify the Swing Line Lender upon the Administrative
Agent’s receipt of any Notice of Borrowing. Subject to the terms and conditions
hereof, the Swing Line Lender may, in its sole discretion, make available from
time to time until the Termination Date advances (each, a “Swing
Line Loan”)
in
accordance with any such notice, notwithstanding that after making a requested
Swing Line Loan, the sum of the Swing Line Lender’s Pro Rata Share of the
Revolving Outstanding and all outstanding Swing Line Loans, may exceed the
Swing
Line Lender’s Pro Rata Share of the Revolving Commitment. The provisions of this
Section
2.2.4
shall
not relieve Lenders of their obligations to make Revolving Loans under
Section
2.1.1;
provided that if the Swing Line Lender makes a Swing Line Loan pursuant to
any
such notice, such Swing Line Loan shall be in lieu of any Revolving Loan that
otherwise may be made by the Lenders pursuant to such notice. The aggregate
amount of Swing Line Loans outstanding shall not exceed at any time Swing Line
Availability. Until the Termination Date, the Company may from time to time
borrow, repay and reborrow under this Section 2.2.4. Each Swing Line Loan shall
be made pursuant to a Notice of Borrowing delivered by the Company to the
Administrative Agent in accordance with Section
2.2.2.
Any
such notice must be given no later than 2:00 P.M., Detroit time, on the Business
Day of the proposed Swing Line Loan. Unless the Swing Line Lender has received
at least one Business Day’s prior written notice from Requisite Lenders that the
conditions set forth in Section
12.2
have not
been satisfied, the Swing Line Lender shall, notwithstanding the failure of
any
condition precedent set forth in Section
12.2,
be
entitled to fund that Swing Line Loan, and to have such Lender make Revolving
Loans in accordance with Section
2.2.4(c)
or
purchase participating interests in accordance with Section
2.2.4(d).
Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement or the other Loan
Documents, each Swing Line Loan shall constitute a Base Rate Loan.
23
(b) The
entire unpaid balance of each Swing Line Loan and all other noncontingent
Obligations shall be immediately due and payable in full in immediately
available funds on the Termination Date if not sooner paid in full.
(c) The
Swing
Line Lender, at any time and from time to time no less frequently than once
weekly, shall on behalf of the Company (and the Company hereby irrevocably
authorizes the Swing Line Lender to so act on its behalf) request each Lender
with a Revolving Commitment (including the Swing Line Lender) to make a
Revolving Loan to the Company (which shall be a Base Rate Loan) in an amount
equal to that Lender’s Pro Rata Share of the principal amount of all Swing Line
Loans (the “Refunded
Swing Line Loan”)
outstanding on the date such notice is given. Unless any of the events described
in Section
13.1.4
has
occurred (in which event the procedures of Section
2.2.4(d)
shall
apply) and regardless of whether the conditions precedent set forth in this
Agreement to the making of a Revolving Loan are then satisfied, each Lender
shall disburse directly to the Administrative Agent, its Pro Rata Share on
behalf of the Swing Line Lender, prior to 3:00 P.M., Detroit time, in
immediately available funds on date that notice is given (provided
that
such notice is given by 1:00 P.M., Detroit time, on such date). The proceeds
of
those Revolving Loans shall be immediately paid to the Swing Line Lender and
applied to repay the Refunded Swing Line Loan.
(d) If,
prior
to refunding a Swing Line Loan with a Revolving Loan pursuant to Section
2.2.4(c),
one of
the events described in Section
13.1.4
has
occurred, then, subject to the provisions of Section
2.2.4(e)
below,
each Lender shall, on the date such Revolving Loan was to have been made for
the
benefit of the Company, purchase from the Swing Line Lender an undivided
participation interest in the Swing Line Loan in an amount equal to its Pro
Rata
Share of such Swing Line Loan. Upon request, each Lender shall promptly transfer
to the Swing Line Lender, in immediately available funds, the amount of its
participation interest.
24
(e) Each
Lender’s obligation to make Revolving Loans in accordance with Section
2.2.4(c)
and to
purchase participation interests in accordance with Section
2.2.4(d)
shall be
absolute and unconditional and shall not be affected by any circumstance,
including (i) any setoff, counterclaim, recoupment, defense or other right
that
such Lender may have against the Swing Line Lender, the Company or any other
Person for any reason whatsoever; (ii) the occurrence or continuance of any
Unmatured Event of Default or Event of Default; (iii) any inability of the
Company to satisfy the conditions precedent to borrowing set forth in this
Agreement at any time or (iv) any other circumstance, happening or event
whatsoever, whether or not similar to any of the foregoing. If and to the extent
any Lender shall not have made such amount available to the Administrative
Agent
or the Swing Line Lender, as applicable, by 2:00 P.M., Detroit time, the amount
required pursuant to Sections
2.2.4(c) or 2.2.4(d),
as the
case may be, on the Business Day on which such Lender receives notice from
the
Administrative Agent of such payment or disbursement (it being understood that
any such notice received after noon, Detroit time, on any Business Day shall
be
deemed to have been received on the next following Business Day), such Lender
agrees to pay interest on such amount to the Administrative Agent for the Swing
Line Lender’s account forthwith on demand, for each day from the date such
amount was to have been delivered to the Administrative Agent to the date such
amount is paid, at a rate per annum equal to (a) for the first three days after
demand, the Federal Funds Rate from time to time in effect and (b) thereafter,
the Base Rate from time to time in effect.
2.3 Letter
of Credit Procedures.
2.3.1 L/C
Applications.
The
Company shall execute and deliver to the applicable Issuing Lenders the Master
Letter of Credit Agreements from time to time in effect. The Company shall
give
notice to the Administrative Agent and the applicable Issuing Lender of the
proposed issuance of each Letter of Credit on a Business Day which is at least
three Business Days (or such lesser number of days as the applicable Issuing
Lender shall agree in any particular instance in their sole discretion) prior
to
the proposed date of issuance of such Letter of Credit. Each such notice shall
be accompanied by an L/C Application, duly executed by the Company and in all
respects satisfactory to the Administrative Agent and the applicable Issuing
Lender, together with such other documentation as the Administrative Agent
or
the applicable Issuing Lender may request in support thereof, it being
understood that each L/C Application shall specify, among other things, the
date
on which the proposed Letter of Credit is to be issued, the expiration date
of
such Letter of Credit (which, unless such Letter of Credit is Cash
Collateralized, shall not be later than the earlier of (a) seven days prior
to
the scheduled Termination Date and (b) one year after the issuance thereof
(provided,
however,
that
such Letter of Credit may provide for one year renewals thereof, so long as
the
expiration date is never later than that set forth in clause (a) above)) and
whether such Letter of Credit is to be transferable in whole or in part. Any
Letter of Credit outstanding after the scheduled Termination Date which is
Cash
Collateralized for the benefit of a particular Issuing Lender shall be the
sole
responsibility of such Issuing Lender. So long as the applicable Issuing Lender
has not received written notice that the conditions precedent set forth in
Section 12 with respect to the issuance of such Letter of Credit have not been
satisfied, such Issuing Lender shall issue such Letter of Credit on the
requested issuance date. Each Issuing Lender shall promptly advise the
Administrative Agent of the issuance of each Letter of Credit and of any
amendment thereto, extension thereof or event or circumstance changing the
amount available for drawing thereunder. In the event of any inconsistency
between the terms of the Master Letter of Credit Agreement, any L/C Application
and the terms of this Agreement, the terms of this Agreement shall control.
25
2.3.2 Participations
in Letters of Credit.
Concurrently with the issuance of each Letter of Credit, each Issuing Lender
shall be deemed to have sold and transferred to each Lender with a Revolving
Loan Commitment, and each such Lender shall be deemed irrevocably and
unconditionally to have purchased and received from such Issuing Lender, without
recourse or warranty, an undivided interest and participation, to the extent
of
such Lender’s Pro Rata Share, in such Letter of Credit and the Company’s
reimbursement obligations with respect thereto. If the Company does not pay
any
reimbursement obligation when due, the Company shall be deemed to have
immediately requested that the Lenders make a Revolving Loan which is a Base
Rate Loan in a principal amount equal to such reimbursement obligations. The
Administrative Agent shall promptly notify such Lenders of such deemed request
and, without the necessity of compliance with the requirements of Section
2.2.2,
12.2
or
otherwise such Lender shall make available to the Administrative Agent its
Pro
Rata Share of such Loan. The proceeds of such Loan shall be paid over by the
Administrative Agent to the applicable Issuing Lender for the account of the
Company in satisfaction of such reimbursement obligations. For the purposes
of
this Agreement, the unparticipated portion of each Letter of Credit shall be
deemed to be the applicable Issuing Lender’s “participation” therein. Each
Issuing Lender hereby agrees, upon request of the Administrative Agent or any
Lender, to deliver to the Administrative Agent or such Lender a list of all
outstanding Letters of Credit issued by such Issuing Lender, together with
such
information related thereto as the Administrative Agent or such Lender may
reasonably request.
2.3.3 Reimbursement
Obligations.
(a)
The
Company hereby unconditionally and irrevocably agrees to reimburse each Issuing
Lender for each payment or disbursement made by such Issuing Lender under any
Letter of Credit honoring any demand for payment made by the beneficiary
thereunder, in each case on the date that such payment or disbursement is made
provided, however, unless Company shall have made payment to the Administrative
Agent for the account of such Issuing Lender on the date of disbursement, upon
each such disbursement by such Issuing Lender, the Administrative Agent shall
be
deemed to have disbursed to Company and Company shall be deemed to have elected
to substitute for the reimbursement obligation, with respect to the applicable
Letters of Credit, a Base Rate Loan under the Revolving Commitment for the
account of the Lenders in an amount equal to the amount so paid by such Issuing
Lender in respect of such draft or other demand under such Letters of Credit.
Such Base Rate Loan shall be deemed disbursed notwithstanding any failure to
satisfy any conditions for disbursement of a Loan set forth in this Agreement,
provided, however, that if the Company has failed to satisfy any conditions
for
disbursement of a Loan as set forth in this Agreement, the Administrative Agent,
upon notice to the Company, may require that the applicable reimbursement
obligations be paid within five (5) days of the applicable Issuing Lender’s
disbursement under the applicable Letter of Credit. The applicable Issuing
Lender shall notify the Company and the Administrative Agent whenever any demand
for payment is made under any Letter of Credit by the beneficiary thereunder;
provided that the failure of an Issuing Lender to so notify the Company shall
not affect the rights of such Issuing Lender or the Lenders in any manner
whatsoever.
26
(b) The
Company’s reimbursement obligations hereunder shall be irrevocable and
unconditional under all circumstances, including (a) any lack of validity or
enforceability of any Letter of Credit, this Agreement or any other Loan
Document, (b) the existence of any claim, set-off, defense or other right which
any Affiliated Party may have at any time against a beneficiary named in a
Letter of Credit, any transferee of any Letter of Credit (or any Person for
whom
any such transferee may be acting), the Administrative Agent, any Issuing
Lender, any Lender or any other Person, whether in connection with any Letter
of
Credit, this Agreement, any other Loan Document, the transactions contemplated
herein or any unrelated transactions (including any underlying transaction
between any Affiliated Party and the beneficiary named in any Letter of Credit),
(c) the validity, sufficiency or genuineness of any document which an Issuing
Lender has determined complies on its face with the terms of the applicable
Letter of Credit, even if such document should later prove to have been forged,
fraudulent, invalid or insufficient in any respect or any statement therein
shall have been untrue or inaccurate in any respect, or (d) the surrender or
impairment of any security for the performance or observance of any of the
terms
hereof. Without limiting the foregoing, no action or omission whatsoever by
the
Administrative Agent or any Lender (excluding any Lender in its capacity as
an
Issuing Lender) under or in connection with any Letter of Credit or any related
matters shall result in any liability of the Administrative Agent or any Lender
to the Company, or relieve the Company of any of its obligations hereunder
to
any such Person.
2.3.4 Existing
Letters of Credit.
The
Letters of Credit outstanding immediately prior to the amending and restating
of
this Agreement (the “Existing Letters of Credit”) shall be deemed for all
purposes of this Agreement to be Letters of Credit, and each application and
master letter of credit agreement submitted in connection with the Existing
Letters of Credit shall be deemed for all purposes of this Agreement to be
L/C
Applications and Master Letter of Credit Agreements. On the Closing Date, the
Issuing Lender for the Existing Letters of Credit shall be deemed automatically
to have sold and transferred, and each other Lender shall be deemed
automatically, irrevocably, and unconditionally to have purchased and received
from such Issuing Lender, without recourse or warranty, an undivided interest
and participation, to the extent of such other Lender’s Pro Rata Share, in the
Existing Letters of Credit and the related obligations with respect
thereto.
2.3.5 Funding
by Lenders to Issuing Lenders.
If an
Issuing Lender makes any payment or disbursement under any Letter of Credit
and
(a) the Company has not reimbursed such Issuing Lender in full for such payment
or disbursement by 11:00 A.M., Detroit time, on the date of such payment or
disbursement, (b) a Revolving Loan may not be made in accordance with
Section
2.3.2
or (c)
any reimbursement received by such Issuing Lender from the Company is or must
be
returned or rescinded upon or during any bankruptcy or reorganization of the
Company or otherwise, each other Lender with a Revolving Loan Commitment shall
be obligated to pay to the Administrative Agent for the account of such Issuing
Lender, in full or partial payment of the purchase price of its participation
in
such Letter of Credit, its Pro Rata Share of such payment or disbursement (but
no such payment shall diminish the obligations of the Company under Section
2.3.3),
and,
upon notice from such Issuing Lender, the Administrative Agent shall promptly
notify each other Lender thereof. Each other Lender irrevocably and
unconditionally agrees to so pay to the Administrative Agent in immediately
available funds for the applicable Issuing Lender’s account the amount of such
other Lender’s Pro Rata Share of such payment or disbursement. If and to the
extent any Lender shall not have made such amount available to the
Administrative Agent by 2:00 P.M., Detroit time, on the Business Day on which
such Lender receives notice from the Administrative Agent of such payment or
disbursement (it being understood that any such notice received after noon,
Detroit time, on any Business Day shall be deemed to have been received on
the
next following Business Day), such Lender agrees to pay interest on such amount
to the Administrative Agent for the applicable Issuing Lender’s account
forthwith on demand, for each day from the date such amount was to have been
delivered to the Administrative Agent to the date such amount is paid, at a
rate
per annum equal to (a) for the first three days after demand, the Federal Funds
Rate from time to time in effect and (b) thereafter, the Base Rate from time
to
time in effect. Any Lender’s failure to make available to the Administrative
Agent its Pro Rata Share of any such payment or disbursement shall not relieve
any other Lender of its obligation hereunder to make available to the
Administrative Agent such other Lender’s Pro Rata Share of such payment, but no
Lender shall be responsible for the failure of any other Lender to make
available to the Administrative Agent such other Lender’s Pro Rata Share of any
such payment or disbursement.
27
2.4 Commitments
Several.
The
failure of any Lender to make a requested Loan on any date shall not relieve
any
other Lender of its obligation (if any) to make a Loan on such date, but no
Lender shall be responsible for the failure of any other Lender to make any
Loan
to be made by such other Lender.
2.5 Certain
Conditions.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, no Lender shall have
an
obligation to make any Loan, or to permit the continuation of or any conversion
into any LIBOR Loan, and no Issuing Lender shall have any obligation to issue
any Letter of Credit, if an Event of Default or Unmatured Event of Default
exists.
SECTION
3. EVIDENCING
OF LOANS.
3.1 Notes.
The
Loans of each Lender shall be evidenced by a Note, with appropriate insertions,
payable to the order of such Lender in a face principal amount equal to the
sum
of such Lender’s Revolving Loan Commitment.
3.2 Recordkeeping.
The
Administrative Agent, on behalf of each Lender, shall record in its records,
the
date and amount of each Loan made by each Lender, each repayment or conversion
thereof and, in the case of each LIBOR Loan, the dates on which each Interest
Period for such Loan shall begin and end. The aggregate unpaid principal amount
so recorded shall be rebuttably presumptive evidence of the principal amount
of
the Loans owing and unpaid. The failure to so record any such amount or any
error in so recording any such amount shall not, however, limit or otherwise
affect the Obligations of the Company hereunder or under any Note to repay
the
principal amount of the Loans hereunder, together with all interest accruing
thereon.
28
SECTION
4. INTEREST.
4.1 Interest
Rates.
The
Company promises to pay interest on the unpaid principal amount of each Loan
for
the period commencing on the date of such Loan until such Loan is paid in full
as follows:
(a) at
all
times while a Revolving Loan is a Base Rate Loan, at a rate per annum equal
to
the sum of the Base Rate from time to time in effect plus the Base Rate Margin
from time to time in effect;
(b) at
all
times while a Revolving Loan is a LIBOR Loan, at a rate per annum equal to
the
sum of the LIBOR Rate applicable to each Interest Period for such Loan plus
the
LIBOR Margin from time to time in effect; and
(c) in
the
case of any Swing Line Loan, at a rate per annum equal to the Base Rate from
time to time in effect minus fifty (50) basis points, or, at the Company’s
request, at another rate negotiated between the Company and the Swing Line
Lender from time to time;
provided,
at any
time an Event of Default exists, if the Required Lenders so request, the
interest rate applicable to each Loan shall be increased by 2% (and, in the
case
of Obligations not bearing interest, such Obligations shall bear interest at
the
Base Rate applicable to Revolving Loans plus 2%), provided further
that
such increase may thereafter be rescinded by the Required Lenders,
notwithstanding Section
15.1.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, upon the occurrence of an Event of Default under
Section
13.1.1
or
13.1.4,
such
increase shall occur automatically.
4.2 Interest
Payment Dates.
Accrued
interest on each Base Rate Loan shall be payable in arrears on the last day
of
each calendar month and at maturity. Accrued interest on each LIBOR Loan shall
be payable on the last day of each Interest Period relating to such Loan (and,
in the case of a LIBOR Loan with an Interest Period in excess of three months,
on the three-month anniversary of the first day of such Interest Period), upon
a
prepayment of such Loan, and at maturity. After maturity, and at any time an
Event of Default exists, accrued interest on all Loans shall be payable on
demand.
4.3 Setting
and Notice of LIBOR Rates.
The
applicable LIBOR Rate for each Interest Period shall be determined by the
Administrative Agent, and notice thereof shall be given by the Administrative
Agent promptly to the Company and each Lender. Each determination of the
applicable LIBOR Rate by the Administrative Agent shall be conclusive and
binding upon the parties hereto, in the absence of demonstrable error. The
Administrative Agent shall, upon written request of the Company or any Lender,
deliver to the Company or such Lender a statement showing the computations
used
by the Administrative Agent in determining any applicable LIBOR Rate
hereunder.
4.4 Computation
of Interest.
Interest shall be computed for the actual number of days elapsed on the basis
of
a year of 360 days for LIBOR Loans, and on the basis of a year of 365/366 days
for Base Rate Loans. The applicable interest rate for each Base Rate Loan shall
change simultaneously with each change in the Base Rate.
29
SECTION
5. FEES.
5.1 Facility
Fee.
The
Company agrees to pay to the Administrative Agent for the account of each Lender
a facility fee, for the period from the Closing Date to the Termination Date,
at
the Facility Fee Rate in effect from time to time of such Lender’s Pro Rata
Share (as adjusted from time to time) of the Revolving Commitment. Such facility
fee shall be payable in arrears on the last day of each calendar quarter and
on
the Termination Date for any period then ending for which such facility fee
shall not have previously been paid. The facility fee shall be computed for
the
actual number of days elapsed on the basis of a year of 360 days. Such facility
fee shall not be refundable.
5.2 Letter
of Credit Fees.
(a) The
Company agrees to pay to the Administrative Agent for the account of each Lender
a letter of credit fee for each Letter of Credit equal to the L/C Fee Rate
in
effect from time to time of such Lender’s Pro Rata Share (as adjusted from time
to time) of the undrawn amount of such Letter of Credit (computed for the actual
number of days elapsed on the basis of a year of 360 days); provided
that,
unless the Required Lenders otherwise consent, the rate applicable to each
Letter of Credit shall be increased by 2% at any time that the Loans are bearing
interest at the default rate described in Section 4.1 of this Agreement. Such
letter of credit fee shall be payable in arrears on the last day of each
calendar quarter and on the Termination Date (or such later date on which such
Letter of Credit expires or is terminated) for the period from the date of
the
issuance of each Letter of Credit (or the last day on which the letter of credit
fee was paid with respect thereto) to the date such payment is due or, if
earlier, the date on which such Letter of Credit expired or was terminated.
(b) In
addition, with respect to each Letter of Credit, the Company agrees to pay
to
each Issuing Lender, for its own account, (i) such fees and expenses as the
Issuing Lender customarily requires in connection with the issuance,
negotiation, processing and/or administration of letters of credit in similar
situations and (ii) a letter of credit fronting fee in the amount and at the
times agreed to by the Company and such Issuing Lender.
The
fees
set forth in this Section 5.2 shall not be refundable.
5.3 Administrative
Agent’s Fees.
The
Company agrees to pay to the Administrative Agent such agent’s fees as are
mutually agreed to from time to time by the Company and the Administrative
Agent
including the fees set forth in the Agent Proposal Letter.
SECTION
6. REDUCTION
OR TERMINATION OF THE REVOLVING COMMITMENT; PREPAYMENTS.
6.1 Reduction
or Termination of the Revolving Commitment.
6.1.1 Voluntary
Reduction or Termination of the Revolving Commitment.
The
Company may from time to time on at least two Business Days’ prior written
notice received by the Administrative Agent (which shall promptly advise each
Lender thereof) permanently reduce the Revolving Commitment to an amount not
less than the Revolving Outstandings plus the outstanding amount of all Swing
Line Loans. Any such reduction shall be in an amount not less than $3,000,000
or
a higher integral multiple of $500,000. Concurrently with any reduction of
the
Revolving Commitment to zero, the Company shall pay all interest on the
Revolving Loans, all facility fees and all letter of credit fees and shall
Cash
Collateralize in full all obligations arising with respect to the Letters of
Credit.
30
6.1.2 All
Reductions of the Revolving Commitment.
All
reductions of the Revolving Commitment shall reduce the Commitments ratably
among the Lenders according to their respective Pro Rata Shares.
6.2 Prepayments.
6.2.1 Voluntary
Prepayments.
The
Company may from time to time prepay the Loans in whole or in part; provided
that the Company shall give the Administrative Agent (which shall promptly
advise each Lender) notice thereof not later than 11:00 A.M., Detroit time,
on
the day of such prepayment (which shall be a Business Day), specifying the
Loans
to be prepaid and the date and amount of prepayment. Any such partial prepayment
shall be in an amount equal to $1,000,000 or a higher integral multiple of
$500,000.
6.2.2 Mandatory
Prepayments.
If
on any
day the Revolving Outstandings plus the outstanding amount of the aggregate
Swing Line Loans exceeds the Revolving Commitment, the Company shall immediately
prepay Revolving Loans and/or Cash Collateralize the outstanding Letters of
Credit, or do a combination of the foregoing, in an amount sufficient to
eliminate such excess.
6.3 Manner
of Prepayments.
6.3.1 All
Prepayments.
Each
voluntary partial prepayment shall be in a principal amount of $1,000,000 or
a
higher integral multiple of $500,000. Any partial prepayment of a Group of
LIBOR
Loans shall be subject to the proviso to Section
2.2.3(a).
Any
prepayment of a LIBOR Loan on a day other than the last day of an Interest
Period therefor shall include interest on the principal amount being repaid
and
shall be subject to Section
8.4.
Except
as otherwise provided by this Agreement, all principal payments in respect
of
the Loans (other than the Swing Line Loans) shall be applied first, to repay
outstanding Base Rate Loans and then to repay outstanding LIBOR Rate Loans
in
direct order of Interest Period maturities.
6.4 Repayments.
The
Company shall repay the Revolving Loans of each Lender in full on the
Termination Date and the Revolving Commitment shall terminate on the Termination
Date.
SECTION
7. MAKING
AND PRORATION OF PAYMENTS; SETOFF; TAXES.
7.1 Making
of Payments.
All
payments of principal or interest on the Notes, and of all fees, shall be made
by the Company to the Administrative Agent in immediately available funds at
the
office specified by the Administrative Agent not later than 1:00 P.M., Detroit
time, on the date due; and funds received after that hour shall be deemed to
have been received by the Administrative Agent on the following Business Day.
The Administrative Agent shall promptly remit to each Lender its share of all
such payments received in collected funds by the Administrative Agent for the
account of such Lender. All payments under Section 8.1 shall be made by the
Company directly to the Lender entitled thereto without setoff, counterclaim
or
other defense.
31
7.2 Application
of Certain Payments.
So long
as no Unmatured Event of Default or Event of Default has occurred and is
continuing, (a) payments matching specific scheduled payments then due shall
be
applied to those scheduled payments and (b) voluntary and mandatory prepayments
shall be applied as set forth in Sections
6.2
and
6.3.
After
the occurrence and during the continuance of an Event of Default, all amounts
collected or received by the Administrative Agent or any Lender as proceeds
from
the sale of, or other realization upon, all or any part of the assets of the
Affiliated Parties shall be applied as the Administrative Agent shall determine
in its discretion. Concurrently with each remittance to any Lender of its share
of any such payment, the Administrative Agent shall advise such Lender as to
the
application of such payment.
7.3 Due
Date Extension.
If any
payment of principal or interest with respect to any of the Loans, or of any
fees, falls due on a day which is not a Business Day, then such due date shall
be extended to the immediately following Business Day and, in the case of
principal, additional interest shall accrue and be payable for the period of
any
such extension.
7.4 Setoff.
The
Company agrees that the Administrative Agent and each Lender have all rights
of
set-off and bankers’ lien provided by applicable law, and in addition thereto,
the Company agrees that at any time any Event of Default exists, the
Administrative Agent and each Lender may apply to the payment of any Obligations
of the Company hereunder, whether or not then due, any and all balances,
credits, deposits, accounts or moneys of the Company then or thereafter with
the
Administrative Agent or such Lender.
7.5 Proration
of Payments.
If any
Lender shall obtain any payment or other recovery (whether voluntary,
involuntary, by application of offset or otherwise, on account of (a) principal
of or interest on any Loan, but excluding (i) any payment pursuant to
Section
8.7
or
15.6
and (ii)
payments of interest on any Affected Loan) or (b) its participation in any
Letter of Credit) in excess of its applicable Pro Rata Share of payments and
other recoveries obtained by all Lenders on account of principal of and interest
on the Loans (or such participation) then held by them, then such Lender shall
purchase from the other Lenders such participations in the Loans (or
sub-participations in Letters of Credit) held by them as shall be necessary
to
cause such purchasing Lender to share the excess payment or other recovery
ratably with each of them; provided
that if
all or any portion of the excess payment or other recovery is thereafter
recovered from such purchasing Lender, the purchase shall be rescinded and
the
purchase price restored to the extent of such recovery.
7.6 Taxes.
(a) All
payments made by the Company hereunder or under any Loan Documents shall be
made
without setoff, counterclaim, or other defense. To the extent permitted by
applicable law, all payments hereunder or under the Loan Documents (including
any payment of principal, interest, or fees) to, or for the benefit, of any
Person shall be made by the Company free and clear of and without deduction
or
withholding for, or account of, any Taxes now or hereinafter imposed by any
taxing authority.
32
(b) If
the
Company makes any payment hereunder or under any Loan Document in respect of
which it is required by applicable law to deduct or withhold any Taxes, the
Company shall increase the payment hereunder or under any such Loan Document
such that after the reduction for the amount of Taxes withheld (and any taxes
withheld or imposed with respect to the additional payments required under
this
Section
7.6(b)),
the
amount paid to the Lenders or the Administrative Agent equals the amount that
was payable hereunder or under any such Loan Document without regard to this
Section
7.6(b).
To the
extent the Company withholds any Taxes on payments hereunder or under any Loan
Document, the Company shall pay the full amount deducted to the relevant taxing
authority within the time allowed for payment under applicable law and shall
deliver to the Administrative Agent within 30 days after it has made payment
to
such authority a receipt issued by such authority (or other evidence
satisfactory to the Administrative Agent) evidencing the payment of all amounts
so required to be deducted or withheld from such payment.
(c) If
any
Lender or the Administrative Agent is required by law to make any payments
of
any Taxes on or in relation to any amounts received or receivable hereunder
or
under any other Loan Document, or any Tax is assessed against a Lender or the
Administrative Agent with respect to amounts received or receivable hereunder
or
under any other Loan Document, the Company will indemnify such Person against
(i) such Tax (and any reasonable counsel fees and expenses associated with
such
Tax) and (ii) any taxes imposed as a result of the receipt of the payment under
this Section
7.6(c).
A
certificate prepared in good faith as to the amount of such payment by such
Lender or the Administrative Agent shall, absent manifest error, be final,
conclusive, and binding on all parties.
(d) (i) Each
Lender that is not a United States person within the meaning of Code section
7701(a)(30) (a “Non-U.S.
Participant”)
shall,
as a condition precedent to becoming a Lender hereunder, deliver to the Company
and the Administrative Agent on or prior to the Closing Date (or in the case
of
a Lender that is an Assignee, on the date of such assignment to such Lender)
two
accurate and complete original signed copies of IRS Form W-8BEN, W-8ECI, or
W-8IMY (or any successor or other applicable form prescribed by the IRS)
certifying to such Lender’s entitlement to a complete exemption from, or a
reduced rate in, United States withholding tax on interest payments to be made
hereunder or any Loan. If a Lender that is a Non-U.S. Participant is claiming
a
complete exemption from withholding on interest pursuant to Sections 871(h)
or
881(c) of the Code, the Lender shall deliver (along with two accurate and
complete original signed copies of IRS Form W-8BEN) a certificate in form and
substance reasonably acceptable to Administrative Agent (any such certificate,
a
“Withholding
Certificate”).
In
addition, each Lender that is a Non-U.S. Participant agrees that from time
to
time after the Closing Date, (or in the case of a Lender that is an Assignee,
after the date of the assignment to such Lender), when a lapse in time (or
change in circumstances occurs) renders the prior certificates hereunder
obsolete or inaccurate in any material respect, such Lender shall, to the extent
permitted under applicable law, deliver to the Company and the Administrative
Agent two new and accurate and complete original signed copies of an IRS Form
W-8BEN, W-8ECI, or W-8IMY (or any successor or other applicable forms prescribed
by the IRS), and if applicable, a new Withholding Certificate, to confirm or
establish the entitlement of such Lender or the Administrative Agent to an
exemption from, or reduction in, United States withholding tax on interest
payments to be made hereunder or any Loan.
33
(ii)
|
Each
Lender that is not a Non-U.S. Participant (other than any such Lender
which is taxed as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes)
shall provide two properly completed and duly executed copies of
IRS Form
W-9 (or any successor or other applicable form) to the Company and
the
Administrative Agent certifying that such Lender is exempt from United
States backup withholding tax. To the extent that a form provided
pursuant
to this Section
7.6(d)(ii)
is
rendered obsolete or inaccurate in any material respect as result
of a
change in circumstances with respect to the status of a Lender, such
Lender shall, to the extent permitted by applicable law, deliver
to the
Company and the Administrative Agent revised forms necessary to confirm
or
establish the entitlement to such Lender’s or Agent’s exemption from
United States backup withholding
tax.
|
(iii)
|
The
Company shall not be required to pay additional amounts to a Lender,
or
indemnify any Lender, under this Section
7.6
to
the extent that such obligations would not have arisen but for the
failure
of such Lender to comply with Section
7.6(d)
or
any Taxes applicable to a Lender on the date that such Lender became
a
Lender hereunder.
|
(iv)
|
Each
Lender agrees to indemnify the Administrative Agent and hold the
Administrative Agent harmless for the full amount of any and all
present
or future Taxes and related liabilities (including penalties, interest,
additions to tax and expenses, and any Taxes imposed by any jurisdiction
on amounts payable to the Administrative Agent under this Section
7.6)
which are imposed on or with respect to principal, interest or fees
payable to such Lender hereunder and which are not paid by the Company
pursuant to this Section
7.6,
whether or not such Taxes or related liabilities were correctly or
legally
asserted. This indemnification shall be made within 30 days from
the date
the Administrative Agent makes written demand
therefor.
|
SECTION
8. INCREASED
COSTS; SPECIAL PROVISIONS FOR LIBOR LOANS.
8.1 Increased
Costs.
(a) If,
after the date hereof, the adoption of, or any change in, any applicable law,
rule or regulation, or any change in the interpretation or administration of
any
applicable law, rule or regulation by any governmental authority, central bank
or comparable agency charged with the interpretation or administration thereof,
or compliance by any Lender with any request or directive (whether or not having
the force of law) of any such authority, central bank or comparable agency:
(i)
shall impose, modify or deem applicable any reserve (including any reserve
imposed by the FRB, but excluding any reserve included in the determination
of
the LIBOR Rate pursuant to Section
4),
special deposit or similar requirement against assets of, deposits with or
for
the account of, or credit extended by any Lender; or (ii) shall impose on any
Lender any other condition affecting its LIBOR Loans, its Note or its obligation
to make LIBOR Loans; and the result of anything described in clauses (i) and
(ii) above is to increase the cost to (or to impose a cost on) such Lender
(or
any LIBOR Office of such Lender) of making or maintaining any LIBOR Loan, or
to
reduce the amount of any sum received or receivable by such Lender (or its
LIBOR
Office) under this Agreement or under its Note with respect thereto, then upon
demand by such Lender (which demand shall be accompanied by a statement setting
forth the basis for such demand and a calculation of the amount thereof in
reasonable detail, a copy of which shall be furnished to the Administrative
Agent), the Company shall pay directly to such Lender such additional amount
as
will compensate such Lender for such increased cost or such reduction, so long
as such amounts have accrued on or after the day which is 100 days prior to
the
date on which such Lender first made demand therefor.
34
(b) If
any
Lender shall reasonably determine that any change in, or the adoption or
phase-in of, any applicable law, rule or regulation regarding capital adequacy,
or any change in the interpretation or administration thereof by any
governmental authority, central bank or comparable agency charged with the
interpretation or administration thereof, or the compliance by any Lender or
any
Person controlling such Lender with any request or directive regarding capital
adequacy (whether or not having the force of law) of any such authority, central
bank or comparable agency, has or would have the effect of reducing the rate
of
return on such Lender’s or such controlling Person’s capital as a consequence of
such Lender’s obligations hereunder or under any Letter of Credit to a level
below that which such Lender or such controlling Person could have achieved
but
for such change, adoption, phase-in or compliance (taking into consideration
such Lender’s or such controlling Person’s policies with respect to capital
adequacy) by an amount deemed by such Lender or such controlling Person to
be
material, then from time to time, upon demand by such Lender (which demand
shall
be accompanied by a statement setting forth the basis for such demand and a
calculation of the amount thereof in reasonable detail, a copy of which shall
be
furnished to the Administrative Agent), the Company shall pay to such Lender
such additional amount as will compensate such Lender or such controlling Person
for such reduction so long as such amounts have accrued on or after the day
which is 100 days prior to the date on which such Lender first made demand
therefor.
8.2 Basis
for Determining Interest Rate Inadequate or Unfair.
If
(a) the
Administrative Agent reasonably determines (which determination shall be binding
and conclusive on the Company) that by reason of circumstances affecting the
interbank LIBOR market adequate and reasonable means do not exist for
ascertaining the applicable LIBOR Rate; or
35
(b) the
Required Lenders advise the Administrative Agent that the LIBOR Rate as
determined by the Administrative Agent will not adequately and fairly reflect
the cost to such Lenders of maintaining or funding LIBOR Loans for such Interest
Period (taking into account any amount to which such Lenders may be entitled
under Section
8.1)
or that
the making or funding of LIBOR Loans has become impracticable as a result of
an
event occurring after the date of this Agreement which in the opinion of such
Lenders materially affects such Loans;
then
the
Administrative Agent shall promptly notify the other parties thereof and, so
long as such circumstances shall continue, (i) no Lender shall be under any
obligation to make LIBOR Loans or convert any Base Rate Loans into LIBOR Loans
and (ii) on the last day of the current Interest Period for each LIBOR Loan,
such Loan shall, unless then repaid in full, automatically convert to a Base
Rate Loan.
8.3 Changes
in Law Rendering LIBOR Loans Unlawful.
If any
change in, or the adoption of any new, law or regulation, or any change in
the
interpretation of any applicable law or regulation by any governmental or other
regulatory body charged with the administration thereof, should make it (or
in
the good faith judgment of any Lender cause a substantial question as to whether
it is) unlawful for any Lender to make, maintain or fund LIBOR Loans, then
such
Lender shall promptly notify each of the other parties hereto and, so long
as
such circumstances shall continue, (a) such Lender shall have no obligation
to
make LIBOR Loans or convert any Base Rate Loan into a LIBOR Loan (but shall
make
Base Rate Loans concurrently with the making of or conversion of Base Rate
Loans
into LIBOR Loans by the Lenders which are not so affected, in each case in
an
amount equal to the amount of LIBOR Loans which would be made or converted
into
by such Lender at such time in the absence of such circumstances) and (b) on
the
last day of the current Interest Period for each LIBOR Loan of such Lender
(or,
in any event, on such earlier date as may be required by the relevant law,
regulation or interpretation), such LIBOR Loan shall, unless then repaid in
full, automatically convert to a Base Rate Loan. Each Base Rate Loan made by
a
Lender which, but for the circumstances described in the foregoing sentence,
would be a LIBOR Loan (an “Affected
Loan”)
shall
remain outstanding for the period corresponding to the Group of LIBOR Loans
of
which such Affected Loan would be a part absent such circumstances.
8.4 Funding
Losses.
The
Company hereby agrees that upon demand by any Lender (which demand shall be
accompanied by a statement setting forth the basis for the amount being claimed,
a copy of which shall be furnished to the Administrative Agent), the Company
will indemnify such Lender against any net loss or expense which such Lender
may
sustain or incur (including any net loss or expense incurred by reason of the
liquidation or reemployment of deposits or other funds acquired by such Lender
to fund or maintain any LIBOR Loan but excluding the loss of the Applicable
Margin), as reasonably determined by such Lender, as a result of (a) any
payment, prepayment or conversion of any LIBOR Loan of such Lender on a date
other than the last day of an Interest Period for such Loan (including any
conversion pursuant to Section
8.3)
or (b)
any failure of the Company to borrow, convert or continue any LIBOR Loan on
a
date specified therefor in a notice of borrowing, conversion or continuation
pursuant to this Agreement. For this purpose, all notices to the Administrative
Agent pursuant to this Agreement shall be deemed to be irrevocable.
36
8.5 Right
of Lenders to Fund through Other Offices.
Each
Lender may, if it so elects, fulfill its commitment as to any LIBOR Loan by
causing a foreign branch or Affiliate of such Lender to make such Loan;
provided
that in
such event for the purposes of this Agreement such Loan shall be deemed to
have
been made by such Lender and the obligation of the Company to repay such Loan
shall nevertheless be to such Lender and shall be deemed held by it, to the
extent of such Loan, for the account of such branch or Affiliate.
8.6 Discretion
of Lenders as to Manner of Funding.
Notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to the contrary, each Lender
shall be entitled to fund and maintain its funding of all or any part of its
Loans in any manner it sees fit, it being understood, however, that for the
purposes of this Agreement all determinations hereunder shall be made as if
such
Lender had actually funded and maintained each LIBOR Loan during each Interest
Period for such Loan through the purchase of deposits having a maturity
corresponding to such Interest Period and bearing an interest rate equal to
the
LIBOR Rate for such Interest Period.
8.7 Mitigation
of Circumstances; Replacement of Lenders.
(a)
Each Lender shall promptly notify the Company and the Administrative Agent
of
any event of which it has knowledge which will result in, and will use
reasonable commercial efforts available to it (and not, in such Lender’s sole
judgment, otherwise materially disadvantageous to such Lender) to mitigate
or
avoid, (i) any obligation by the Company to pay any amount pursuant to
Section
7.6
or
8.1
or (ii)
the occurrence of any circumstances described in Section
8.2
or
8.3
(and, if
any Lender has given notice of any such event described in clause (i) or (ii)
above and thereafter such event ceases to exist, such Lender shall promptly
so
notify the Company and the Administrative Agent). Without limiting the
foregoing, each Lender will designate a different funding office if such
designation will avoid (or reduce the cost to the Company of) any event
described in clause (i) or (ii) above and such designation will not, in such
Lender’s sole judgment, be otherwise materially disadvantageous to such
Lender.
(b) If
the
Company becomes obligated to pay additional amounts to any Lender pursuant
to
Section 7.6 or 8.1, or any Lender gives notice of the occurrence of any
circumstances described in Section 8.2 or 8.3, the Company may designate another
lender which is reasonably acceptable to the Administrative Agent in its
reasonable discretion (such other bank being called a “Replacement
Lender”)
to
purchase the Loans of such Lender and such Lender’s rights hereunder, without
recourse to or warranty (except as set forth in the applicable Assignment
Agreement) by, or expense to, such Lender, for a purchase price equal to the
outstanding principal amount of the Loans payable to such Lender plus any
accrued but unpaid interest on such Loans and all accrued but unpaid fees owed
to such Lender and any other amounts payable to such Lender under this
Agreement, and to assume all the obligations of such Lender hereunder, and,
upon
such purchase and assumption (pursuant to an Assignment Agreement), such Lender
shall no longer be a party hereto or have any rights hereunder (other than
rights with respect to indemnities and similar rights applicable to such Lender
prior to the date of such purchase and assumption) and shall be relieved from
all obligations to the Company hereunder, and the Replacement Lender shall
succeed to the rights and obligations of such Lender hereunder.
37
8.8 Conclusiveness
of Statements; Survival of Provisions.
Determinations and statements of any Lender pursuant to Section
8.1,
8.2,
8.3
or
8.4
shall be
conclusive absent demonstrable error. Lenders may use reasonable averaging
and
attribution methods in determining compensation under Sections
8.1
and
8.4,
and the
provisions of such Sections shall survive repayment of the Obligations,
cancellation of any Notes, expiration or termination of the Letters of Credit
and termination of this Agreement.
SECTION
9. REPRESENTATIONS
AND WARRANTIES.
To
induce
the Administrative Agent and the Lenders to enter into this Agreement and to
induce the Lenders to make Loans and issue and participate in Letters of Credit
hereunder, the Company represents and warrants to the Administrative Agent
and
the Lenders that:
9.1 Organization.
Each
Affiliated Party is validly existing and in good standing under the laws of
its
jurisdiction of organization; and each Affiliated Party is duly qualified to
do
business in each jurisdiction where, because of the nature of its activities
or
properties, such qualification is required, except for such jurisdictions where
the failure to so qualify would not reasonably be expected to have a Material
Adverse Effect.
9.2 Authorization;
No Conflict.
Each
Affiliated Party is duly authorized to execute and deliver each Loan Document
to
which it is a party, the Company is duly authorized to borrow monies hereunder
and each Affiliated Party is duly authorized to perform its Obligations under
each Loan Document to which it is a party. The execution, delivery and
performance by each Affiliated Party of each Loan Document to which it is a
party, and the borrowings by the Company hereunder, do not and will not (a)
require any consent or approval of any governmental agency or authority (other
than any consent or approval which has been obtained and is in full force and
effect), (b) conflict with (i) any provision of law the violation of which
would
reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect (ii) the charter,
by-laws or other organizational documents of any Affiliated Party or (iii)
any
agreement, indenture, instrument or other document, or any judgment, order
or
decree, which is binding upon any Affiliated Party or any of their respective
properties the violation of which would reasonably be expected to have a
Material Adverse Effect or (c) require, or result in, the creation or imposition
of any Lien on any asset of any Affiliated Party.
9.3 Validity
and Binding Nature.
Each of
this Agreement and each other Loan Document to which any Affiliated Party is
a
party is the legal, valid and binding obligation of such Person, enforceable
against such Person in accordance with its terms, subject to bankruptcy,
insolvency and similar laws affecting the enforceability of creditors’ rights
generally and to general principles of equity.
9.4 Financial
Condition.
The
audited consolidated financial statements of the Company and its Subsidiaries
as
at December 31, 2004 and the unaudited consolidated financial statements of
the
Company and its Subsidiaries as at June 30, 2005, copies of each of which have
been delivered to each Lender, were prepared in accordance with GAAP (subject,
in the case of such unaudited statements, to the absence of footnotes and to
normal year-end adjustments) and present fairly the consolidated financial
condition of the Company and its Subsidiaries as at such dates and the results
of their operations for the periods then ended.
38
9.5 No
Material Adverse Change.
Since
December 31, 2004, there has been no material adverse change in the financial
condition, operations, assets, business, or properties of the Affiliated Parties
taken as a whole.
9.6 Litigation.
No
litigation (including derivative actions), arbitration proceeding or
governmental investigation or proceeding is pending or, to the Company’s
knowledge, threatened against any Affiliated Party which would reasonably be
expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, except as set forth in Schedule
9.6.
9.7 Ownership
of Properties; Liens.
Each
Affiliated Party owns, to the extent needed for operation of its business,
good
and, in the case of real property, marketable title to all of its properties
and
assets, real and personal, tangible and intangible, of any nature whatsoever
(including patents, trademarks, trade names, service marks and copyrights),
free
and clear of all Liens except as permitted by Section
11.2.
9.8 [Intentionally
Omitted]
9.9 Pension
Plans
(a)
During the twelve-consecutive-month period prior to the date of the execution
and delivery of this Agreement or the making of any Loan or the issuance of
any
Letter of Credit, (i) no steps have been taken to terminate any Pension Plan
and
(ii) no contribution failure has occurred with respect to any Pension Plan
sufficient to give rise to a Lien under Section 302(f) of ERISA. No condition
exists or event or transaction has occurred with respect to any Pension Plan
which could result in the incurrence by the Company of any material liability,
fine or penalty.
(b) (i)
All
contributions (if any) have been made to any Multiemployer Pension Plan that
are
required to be made by the Company or any other member of the Controlled Group
under the terms of the plan or of any collective bargaining agreement or by
applicable law; (ii) other than withdrawal from and withdrawal liabilities
under
the Teamsters Central States Pension Fund, which would not reasonably be
expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, neither the Company nor any member
of the Controlled Group has withdrawn or partially withdrawn from any
Multiemployer Pension Plan, incurred any withdrawal liability with respect
to
any such plan or received notice of any claim or demand for withdrawal liability
or partial withdrawal liability from any such plan, and no condition has
occurred which, if continued, might result in a withdrawal or partial withdrawal
from any such plan; and (iii) neither the Company nor any member of the
Controlled Group has received any notice that any Multiemployer Pension Plan
is
in reorganization, that increased contributions may be required to avoid a
reduction in plan benefits or the imposition of any excise tax, that any such
plan is or has been funded at a rate less than that required under Section
412
of the Code, that any such plan is or may be terminated, or that any such plan
(other than the Teamsters Central States Pension Fund) is or may become
insolvent.
9.10 Investment
Company Act.
No
Affiliated Party is an “investment company” or a company “controlled” by an
“investment company” or a “subsidiary” of an “investment company,” within the
meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940.
39
9.11 Public
Utility Holding Company Act.
No
Affiliated Party is a “holding company”, or a “subsidiary company” of a “holding
company,” or an “affiliate” of a “holding company” or of a “subsidiary company”
of a “holding company,” within the meaning of the Public Utility Holding Company
Act of 1935.
9.12 Regulation
U.
No
Affiliated Party engaged principally, or as one of its important activities,
in
the business of extending credit for the purpose of purchasing or carrying
Margin Stock.
9.13 Taxes;
Tax Shelter Registration.
(a) Each
Affiliated Party has timely filed all tax returns and reports required by law
to
have been filed by it and has paid all taxes and governmental charges due and
payable with respect to such return, except any such taxes or charges which
are
being diligently contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings and for
which adequate reserves in accordance with GAAP shall have been set aside on
its
books. The Affiliated Parties have made adequate reserves on their books and
records in accordance with GAAP for all taxes that have accrued but which are
not yet due and payable. No Affiliated Party has participated in any transaction
that relates to a year of the taxpayer (which is still open under the applicable
statute of limitations) which is a “reportable transaction” within the meaning
of Treasury Regulation section 1.6011-4(b)(2) (irrespective of the date when
the
transaction was entered into).
(b) No
Affiliated Party intends to treat any of the transactions contemplated by any
Loan Document as being a “reportable transaction” within the meaning of Treasury
Regulation Section 1.6011-4.
9.14 Solvency,
etc.
On the
Closing Date, and immediately prior to and after giving effect to the issuance
of each Letter of Credit and each borrowing hereunder and the use of the
proceeds thereof, with respect to each Credit Party, individually, (a) the
fair
value of its assets is greater than the amount of its liabilities (including
disputed, contingent and unliquidated liabilities) as such value is established
and liabilities evaluated, (b) the present fair saleable value of its assets
is
not less than the amount that will be required to pay the probable liability
on
its debts as they become absolute and matured, (c) it is able to realize upon
its assets and pay its debts and other liabilities (including disputed,
contingent and unliquidated liabilities) as they mature in the normal course
of
business, (d) it does not intend to, and does not believe that it will, incur
debts or liabilities beyond its ability to pay as such debts and liabilities
mature and (e) it is not engaged in business or a transaction, and is not about
to engage in business or a transaction, for which its property would constitute
unreasonably small capital.
9.15 Environmental
Matters.
No
Violations.
Except
as set forth on Schedule
9.15,
neither
the Company nor any Subsidiary, nor any operator of the Company’s or any
Subsidiary’s properties, is in violation, or alleged violation, of any judgment,
decree, order, law, permit, license, rule or regulation pertaining to
Environmental Matters, including those arising under the Resource Conservation
and Recovery Act (“RCRA”),
the
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980,
as
amended (“CERCLA”)
or any
of the Environmental Law which individually or in the aggregate otherwise would
reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
40
b) Notices.
Except
as set forth on Schedule
9.15
and for
matters arising after the Closing Date, in each case none of which would singly
or in the aggregate be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, neither
the
Company nor any Subsidiary has received notice from any Federal, state or local
governmental authority: (i) that any one of them has been identified by the
U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency as a potentially responsible party under CERCLA
with respect to a site listed on the National Priorities List, 40 C.F.R. Part
000 Xxxxxxxx X; (ii) that any Hazardous Substances which any one of them has
generated, transported or disposed of has been found at any site at which a
Federal, state or local agency or other third party has conducted a remedial
investigation, removal or other response action pursuant to any Environmental
Law; (iii) that the Company or any Subsidiary must conduct a remedial
investigation, removal, response action or other activity pursuant to any
Environmental Law; or (iv) of any Environmental Claim, in each case that would
reasonably be expected to result in a liability to the Company that would
reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(c) Handling
of Hazardous Substances.
Except
as set forth on Schedule
9.15
as of
the Closing Date, (i) no portion of the real property or other assets of the
Company or any Subsidiary has been used by the Company or any Subsidiary or,
to
the best knowledge of the Company, by any third party for the handling,
processing, storage or disposal of Hazardous Substances except in accordance
in
all material respects with applicable Environmental Laws; and no underground
tank or other underground storage receptacle for Hazardous Substances is located
on such properties; (ii) in the course of any activities conducted by the
Company, any Subsidiary or the operators of any real property of the Company
or
any Subsidiary, no Hazardous Substances have been generated or are being used
on
such properties except in accordance in all material respects with applicable
Environmental Laws; (iii) there have been no Releases or, to best knowledge
of
the Company, threatened Releases of Hazardous Substances, upon, into or from
any
real property or other assets of the Company or any Subsidiary, which Releases
singly or in the aggregate would reasonably be expected to have a material
adverse effect on the value of such real property or assets (provided that
with
respect to any Releases or threatened Releases which occurred prior to the
ownership, occupancy or use of such property or assets, as applicable, by the
Company or any Subsidiary, such representation is given to the best knowledge
of
the Company); (iv) there have been no Releases to the best knowledge of the
Company on, upon, from or into any real property in the vicinity of the real
property or other assets of the Company or any Subsidiary which, through soil
or
groundwater contamination, may have come to be located on, and which would
reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; and (v) any Hazardous
Substances generated by the Company and its Subsidiaries have been transported
offsite only by properly licensed carriers and delivered only to treatment
or
disposal facilities maintaining valid permits as required under applicable
Environmental Laws, which transporters and facilities to the best knowledge
of
the Company have been and are operating in compliance in all material respects
with such permits and applicable Environmental Laws.
41
9.16 Insurance.
Set
forth on Schedule
9.16
is a
complete and accurate summary of the property and casualty insurance program
of
the Affiliated Parties as of the Closing Date (including the names of all
insurers, policy numbers, expiration dates, amounts and types of coverage,
annual premiums, exclusions, deductibles, self-insured retention, and a
description in reasonable detail of any self-insurance program, retrospective
rating plan, fronting arrangement or other risk assumption arrangement involving
any Affiliated Party). Each Affiliated Party and its properties are insured
with
financially sound and reputable insurance companies which are not Affiliates
of
the Affiliated Parties, in such amounts, with such deductibles and covering
such
risks as are customarily carried by companies engaged in similar businesses
and
owning similar properties in localities where such Affiliated Parties operate.
9.17 Intentionally
Omitted.
9.18 Information.
(a) The
Company’s annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended at December 31,
2004 and the Company’s quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter
ended on June 30, 2005, copies of which have been furnished by the Company
to
the Administrative Agent and the Lenders, did not, as of the respective dates
such Form 10-K and Form 10-Q were filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state
a
material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the
circumstances under which they were made, not misleading (b) from the date
of
filing of the Company’s quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter
ended on June 30, 2005 through the date hereof, the Company has not filed a
current report on Form 8-K with the Securities and Exchange Commission and,
as
of the date hereof, no event or condition exists which would require such filing
by the Company pursuant to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended,
except for any such event or condition which has heretofore been disclosed
in
writing to the Lenders by delivery to the Lenders of a Form 8-K prior to or
contemporaneously with the filing thereof, and (c) any projections, forecasts
or
other information heretofore or contemporaneously herewith furnished in writing
by any Affiliated Party to the Administrative Agent or any Lender pursuant
hereto or in connection herewith are based on good faith estimates and
assumptions believed by the Affiliated Parties to be reasonable as of the date
of the applicable projections or assumptions or shall otherwise have been
prepared in good faith by the Affiliated Parties.
9.19 Intellectual
Property.
Each
Affiliated Party owns and possesses or has a license or other right to use
all
patents, patent rights, trademarks, trademark rights, trade names, trade name
rights, service marks, service xxxx rights and copyrights as are necessary
for
the conduct of the businesses of the Affiliated Parties, without any
infringement upon rights of others which would reasonably be expected to have
a
Material Adverse Effect.
9.20 Intentionally
Omitted
9.21 Labor
Matters.
Except
as set forth on Schedule
9.21,
as of
the Closing Date, no Affiliated Party is subject to any labor or collective
bargaining agreement. There are no existing or threatened strikes, lockouts
or
other labor disputes involving any Affiliated Party that singly or in the
aggregate would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
42
9.22 No
Default.
No
Event of Default or Unmatured Event of Default exists or would result from
the
incurrence by any Affiliated Party of any Debt hereunder or under any other
Loan
Document.
9.23 Compliance
With Laws.
The
nature and transaction of the Company’s business and operations and the use of
its properties and assets do not and during the term of the Loans shall not,
violate or conflict with any applicable law, statute, ordinance, rule,
regulation or order of any kind or nature, including, without limitation, the
provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act or any zoning, land use, building,
noise abatement, occupational health and safety or other laws, any building
permit or any condition, grant, easement, covenant, condition or restriction,
whether recorded or not except such as would not reasonably be expected to
have
a Material Adverse Effect.
SECTION
10. AFFIRMATIVE
COVENANTS.
Until
the
expiration or termination of the Commitments and thereafter until all
Obligations hereunder and under the other Loan Documents are paid in full and
all Letters of Credit have been terminated, the Company agrees that, unless
at
any time the Required Lenders shall otherwise expressly consent in writing,
it
will:
10.1 Reports,
Certificates and Other Information.
Furnish
or make available to the Administrative Agent and each Lender:
10.1.1 Annual
Report.
Promptly when available and in any event within 105 days after the close of
each
Fiscal Year: a copy of the annual audit report of the Company and its
Subsidiaries for such Fiscal Year, including therein consolidated balance sheets
and statements of earnings and cash flows of the Company and its Subsidiaries
as
at the end of such Fiscal Year, certified without adverse reference to going
concern value and without qualification by independent auditors of recognized
standing selected by the Company and reasonably acceptable to the Administrative
Agent, together with a written statement from such accountants to the effect
that in making the examination necessary for the signing of such annual audit
report by such accountants, nothing came to their attention that caused them
to
believe that the Company was not in compliance with any provision of
Sections
11.1,
11.3,
11.4
or
11.14
of this
Agreement insofar as such provision relates to accounting matters or, if
something has come to their attention that caused them to believe that the
Company was not in compliance with any such provision, describing such
non-compliance in reasonable detail.
10.1.2 Interim
Reports.
Promptly when available and in any event within 60 days after the end of each
Fiscal Quarter (except the last Fiscal Quarter of each Fiscal Year),
consolidated (and consolidating, upon the request of the Administrative Agent)
balance sheets of the Company and its Subsidiaries as of the end of such Fiscal
Quarter, together with consolidated statements of earnings and cash flows for
such Fiscal Quarter and for the period beginning with the first day of such
Fiscal Year and ending on the last day of such Fiscal Quarter.
10.1.3 Compliance
Certificates.
Contemporaneously with the furnishing of a copy of each annual audit report
pursuant to Section
10.1.1
and each
set of quarterly statements pursuant to Section
10.1.2,
a duly
completed compliance certificate in the form of Exhibit
B,
with
appropriate insertions, dated the date of such annual report or such quarterly
statements and signed by a Senior Officer of the Company, containing (i) a
computation of each of the financial ratios and restrictions set forth in
Section
11.14
and to
the effect that such officer has not become aware of any Event of Default or
Unmatured Event of Default that has occurred and is continuing or, if there
is
any such event, describing it and the steps, if any, being taken to cure it
and
(ii) a written statement as to whether a Guaranty Event has
occurred.
43
10.1.4 Reports
to the SEC and to Shareholders; Regulatory Bodies.
(a)
Promptly upon the filing or sending thereof, copies of all regular, periodic
or
special reports of any Affiliated Party filed with the SEC; copies of all
registration statements of any Affiliated Party filed with the SEC (other than
on Form S-8); and copies of all proxy statements or other communications made
to
security holders generally; and
(b) Promptly
upon request of the Administrative Agent, copies of all regular, periodic or
special reports of the Company or any Subsidiary filed with any Regulatory
Bodies, and copies of all rate or similar applications of the Company or any
Subsidiary filed with any Regulatory Bodies.
10.1.5 Notice
of Default, Litigation and ERISA Matters.
Promptly upon becoming aware of any of the following, written notice describing
the same and the steps being taken by the Company or the Subsidiary affected
thereby with respect thereto:
(a) the
occurrence of an Event of Default or an Unmatured Event of Default;
(b) any
litigation, arbitration or governmental investigation or proceeding not
previously disclosed by the Company to the Lenders which has been instituted
or,
to the knowledge of the Company, is threatened against any Affiliated Party
or
to which any of the properties of any thereof is subject which would reasonably
be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect;
(c) the
institution of any steps by any member of the Controlled Group or any other
Person to terminate any Pension Plan, or the failure of any member of the
Controlled Group to make a required contribution to any Pension Plan (if such
failure is sufficient to give rise to a Lien under Section 302(f) of ERISA)
or
to any Multiemployer Pension Plan, or the taking of any action with respect
to a
Pension Plan which could result in the requirement that the Company furnish
a
bond or other security to the PBGC or such Pension Plan, or the occurrence
of
any event with respect to any Pension Plan or Multiemployer Pension Plan which
could result in the incurrence by any member of the Controlled Group of any
material liability, fine or penalty (including any claim or demand for
withdrawal liability or partial withdrawal from any Multiemployer Pension Plan),
or any material increase in the contingent liability of the Company with respect
to any post-retirement welfare benefit plan or other employee benefit plan
of
the Company or another member of the Controlled Group, or any notice that any
Multiemployer Pension Plan is in reorganization, that increased contributions
may be required to avoid a reduction in plan benefits or the imposition of
an
excise tax, that any such plan is or has been funded at a rate less than that
required under Section 412 of the Code, that any such plan is or may be
terminated, or that any such plan is or may become insolvent; or
44
(d) any
other
event (including (i) any violation of any Environmental Law or the assertion
of
any Environmental Claim or (ii) the enactment or effectiveness of any law,
rule
or regulation) which would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse
Effect.
10.1.6 Intentionally
Omitted
10.1.7 Management
Reports.
Promptly upon receipt thereof, copies of all detailed financial and management
reports submitted to the Company by independent auditors in connection with
each
annual or interim audit made by such auditors of the books of the
Company.
10.1.8 Projections.
As soon
as practicable, and in any event not later than 105 days after the commencement
of each Fiscal Year, financial projections for the Company and its Subsidiaries
for such Fiscal Year (including quarterly operating and cash flow budgets)
prepared in a manner consistent with the projections delivered by the Company
to
the Lenders prior to the Closing Date or otherwise in a manner reasonably
satisfactory to the Administrative Agent.
10.1.9 Junior
Capital Notices.
Promptly following receipt, copies of any material notices (including, in any
event, notices of default or acceleration) received from any holder or trustee
of, under or with respect to any Junior Capital or sent by the Company or any
other Affiliated Party to any holder or trustee of, under or with respect to
any
Junior Capital.
10.1.10 Other
Information.
Promptly from time to time, such other information concerning the Affiliated
Parties as any Lender or the Administrative Agent may reasonably
request.
10.2 Books,
Records and Inspections.
Keep,
and cause each other Affiliated Party to keep, its books and records in
accordance with sound business practices sufficient to allow the preparation
of
financial statements in accordance with GAAP; (a) permit, and cause each other
Affiliated Party to permit, any Lender or the Administrative Agent or any
representative thereof to, at any reasonable time and with reasonable notice,
taking into the account the potential effect on the business and operations
of
such Affiliated Party (or at any time without notice if an Event of Default
exists), inspect the properties and operations of the Affiliated Parties, all
such inspections to be at the inspecting Lender’s or the Administrative Agent’s
expense, unless an Event of Default exists at the time such inspection is made
(in which case such inspections shall be at the Company’s expense) provided,
however, that the Administrative Agent may make an inspection of the Affiliated
Parties’ properties and operations as set forth in this clause (a) at the
Company’s expense not more than once during each 12-month period regardless of
whether an Event of Default exists at the time such inspection is made; (b)
permit and cause each other Affiliated Party to permit, at any reasonable time
and with reasonable notice taking into account the potential effect on the
business operations of the Affiliated Parties (or at any time without notice
if
an Event of Default exists), any Lender or the Administrative Agent or any
representative thereof to visit any or all of its offices, to discuss its
financial matters with its officers and its independent auditors (and the
Company hereby authorizes such independent auditors to discuss such financial
matters with any Lender or the Administrative Agent or any representative
thereof), and to examine (and, at the expense of the Affiliated Parties,
photocopy extracts from) any of its books or other records.
45
10.3 Maintenance
of Property; Insurance.
(a)
Keep, and cause each other Affiliated Party to keep, all property useful and
necessary in the business of the Affiliated Parties in good working order and
condition, ordinary wear and tear excepted.
(b) Maintain,
and cause each other Affiliated Party to maintain, with responsible insurance
companies, such insurance coverage as may be required by any law or governmental
regulation or court decree or order applicable to it and such other insurance,
to such extent and against such hazards and liabilities, as is customarily
maintained by companies similarly situated, and, upon request of the
Administrative Agent or any Lender, furnish to the Administrative Agent or
such
Lender a certificate setting forth in reasonable detail the nature and extent
of
all insurance maintained by the Affiliated Parties.
10.4 Compliance
with Laws; Payment of Taxes and Liabilities.
(a)
Comply, and cause each other Affiliated Party to comply, in all material
respects with all applicable laws, rules, regulations, decrees, orders,
judgments, licenses and permits, except where failure to comply would not
reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; (b) without limiting
clause (a) above, ensure, and cause each other Affiliated Party to ensure,
that
no Person who owns a controlling interest in or otherwise controls a Affiliated
Party is or shall be (i) listed on the Specially Designated Nationals and
Blocked Person List maintained by the Office of Foreign Assets Control
(“OFAC”),
Department of the Treasury, and/or any other similar lists maintained by OFAC
pursuant to any authorizing statute, Executive Order or regulation or (ii)
a
Person designated under Section 1(b), (c) or (d) of Executive Order No. 13224
(September 23, 2001), any related enabling legislation or any other similar
Executive Orders, (c) without limiting clause (a) above, comply, and cause
each
other Affiliated Party to comply, with all applicable Bank Secrecy Act and
anti-money laundering laws and regulations of which they are aware and (d)
pay,
and cause each other Affiliated Party to pay, prior to delinquency, all taxes
and other governmental charges against it or any of its assets, as well as
claims of any kind which, if unpaid, could become a Lien on any of its property;
provided that the foregoing shall not require any Affiliated Party to pay any
such tax or charge so long as it shall contest the validity thereof in good
faith by appropriate proceedings and shall set aside on its books adequate
reserves with respect thereto in accordance with GAAP and, in the case of a
claim which could become a Lien on any assets, such contest proceedings shall
stay the foreclosure of such Lien or the sale of any portion of the assets
to
satisfy such claim.
10.5 Maintenance
of Existence, etc.
Maintain and preserve, and (subject to Section
11.5)
cause
each other Affiliated Party to maintain and preserve, (a) its existence and
good
standing in the jurisdiction of its organization and (b) its qualification
to do
business and good standing in each jurisdiction where the nature of its business
makes such qualification necessary (other than such jurisdictions in which
the
failure to be qualified or in good standing would not reasonably be expected
to
have a Material Adverse Effect).
10.6 Use
of
Proceeds.
Use the
proceeds of the Loans, and the Letters of Credit, solely to refinance existing
obligations of the Company, for working capital purposes, for Acquisitions
permitted by Section
11.5,
for
Capital Expenditures and for other general business purposes; and not use or
permit any proceeds of any Loan to be used, either directly or indirectly,
for
the purpose, whether immediate, incidental or ultimate, of “purchasing or
carrying” any Margin Stock in violation of Regulation U.
46
10.7 Employee
Benefit Plans.
(a) Maintain,
and cause each other member of the Controlled Group to maintain, each Pension
Plan in substantial compliance with all applicable requirements of law and
regulations except for such non-compliance as would not reasonably be expected
to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(b) Make,
and
cause each other member of the Controlled Group to make, on a timely basis,
all
required contributions to any Multiemployer Pension Plan.
(c) Not,
and
not permit any other member of the Controlled Group to (i) seek a waiver of
the
minimum funding standards of ERISA, (ii) terminate or withdraw from any Pension
Plan or Multiemployer Pension Plan or (iii) take any other action with respect
to any Pension Plan that would reasonably be expected to entitle the PBGC to
terminate, impose liability in respect of, or cause a trustee to be appointed
to
administer, any Pension Plan, unless the actions or events described in clauses
(i), (ii) and (iii) individually or in the aggregate would not have a Material
Adverse Effect.
10.8 Environmental
Matters.
If any
release or threatened release or other disposal of Hazardous Substances shall
occur or shall have occurred on any real property or any other assets of any
Affiliated Party, the Company shall, or shall cause the applicable Affiliated
Party to, cause the prompt containment and removal of such Hazardous Substances
and the remediation of such real property or other assets as necessary to comply
in all material respects with all Environmental Laws and to preserve, the value
of such real property or other assets except where the failure to take such
action would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Company shall, and shall
cause each other Affiliated Party to, comply with any Federal or state judicial
or administrative order (which is either final and unappealable or which has
not
been stayed) requiring the performance at any real property of any Affiliated
Party of activities in response to the release or threatened release of a
Hazardous Substance. To the extent that the transportation of Hazardous
Substances is permitted by this Agreement, the Company shall, and shall cause
its Subsidiaries to, dispose of such Hazardous Substances, or of any other
wastes, only at licensed disposal facilities operating in compliance with
Environmental Laws, except where the failure to take such action would not
reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
10.9 Tax
Shelter Registration.
Notify
the Administrative Agent of any action (or the intention to take an action)
inconsistent with the representation in Section
9.13(b).
If the
Company so notifies the Administrative Agent, the Company acknowledges and
agrees that the Administrative Agent and the Lenders may treat the transactions
contemplated hereby (or any single transaction contemplated hereby) as part
of a
transaction that is subject to Treasury Regulation Section 301.6112-1, and
the
Administrative Agent and such Lender, as applicable, may maintain the lists
and
other regulations required by such Treasury Regulation. To the extent the
Administrative Agent or a Lender determines to maintain such list, each
Affiliated Party shall cooperate with the Administrative Agent and Lenders
in
obtaining the information required under such Treasury Regulation. Within 10
days after notifying the Administrative Agent under this Section
10.9,
the
Company shall deliver to the Administrative Agent a duly completed copy of
IRS
Form 8886 or any successor form.
47
10.10 Further
Assurances.
After
the occurrence of a Guaranty Event, take, and cause each other Affiliated Party
to take, such actions as are necessary or as the Administrative Agent or the
Required Lenders may reasonably request from time to time to ensure that the
Obligations of each Affiliated Party under the Loan Documents are guaranteed
by
those Subsidiaries required to deliver a Guaranty pursuant to the terms of
this
Agreement, including the execution and delivery of the Guaranty and any joinder
agreements thereto, and other related ancillary documents reasonably requested
by the Administrative Agent such as authority documents and opinions.
10.11 Deposit
Accounts.
Unless
the Administrative Agent otherwise consents in writing, maintain all of the
Company’s primary deposit accounts with any Lender or a domestic bank affiliate
of any Lender.
10.12 Guaranty
Event.
Within
ninety (90) days of the occurrence of a Guaranty Event, the Company shall cause
certain Subsidiaries approved of by the Administrative Agent (which approval
shall not be unreasonably withheld) to execute and deliver a Guaranty (or
execute and deliver joinder agreements thereto), together with such
certificates, resolutions, formation documents and opinions of counsel to the
Guarantors as the Administrative Agent may reasonably request, such that upon
execution and delivery of the Guaranty (or the applicable joinder agreements),
the Guarantors, together with the Company, are the source of at least seventy
percent (70%) of the Consolidated Operating Income of the Company and all its
Subsidiaries for the four Fiscal Quarter period most recently ended prior to
such date and hold at least seventy percent (70%) of the Consolidated total
assets of the Company and all its Subsidiaries as of the last day of the Fiscal
Quarter then most recently ended.
10.13 Maintain
Debt Rating.
Use
reasonable commercial efforts to cause the Rating Agencies to maintain, on
an
ongoing basis, a debt rating of the Company’s long term, publicly traded,
non-credit enhanced senior unsecured Debt (whether or not such Debt is then
outstanding).
10.14 Subordinated
Debt.
The
subordination provisions of any Subordinated Debt outstanding from time to
time
shall be enforceable against the holders of such Subordinated Debt by the
Administrative Agent and the Lenders. All Obligations shall constitute senior
Debt entitled to the benefits of the subordination provisions contained in
any
Subordinated Debt outstanding from time to time.
SECTION
11. NEGATIVE
COVENANTS
Until
the
expiration or termination of the Commitments and thereafter until all
Obligations hereunder and under the other Loan Documents are paid in full and
all Letters of Credit have been terminated, the Company agrees that, unless
at
any time the Required Lenders shall otherwise expressly consent in writing,
it
will:
48
11.1 Debt.
Not,
and not permit any other Affiliated Party to, create, incur, assume or suffer
to
exist any Debt, except:
(a) Obligations
under this Agreement and the other Loan Documents;
(b) Debt
secured by Liens permitted by Section 11.2(e),
and
extensions, renewals and refinancings thereof; provided that the aggregate
amount of all such Debt secured by Liens permitted by Section 11.2(d) at any
time outstanding shall not exceed $15,000,000;
(c) (i)
Debt
of the Company to any Subsidiary and (ii) Debt of any Subsidiary to the Company
or another Subsidiary, provided, however, that the aggregate principal amount
of
Debt of any foreign Subsidiaries to Company or to any domestic Subsidiaries,
outstanding from time to time, when incurred, shall not be in excess of an
amount equal to twenty percent (20%) of Consolidated Net Worth as of the
Company’s most recent Fiscal Year end;
(d) Subordinated
Debt;
(e) Debt
described on Schedule
11.1
and any
extension, renewal or refinancing thereof so long as the principal amount
thereof is not increased and no Default or Unmatured Event of Default shall
have
occurred and been continuing or would result therefrom.
(f) Contingent
Liabilities arising with respect to customary indemnification obligations in
favor of sellers in connection with Acquisitions permitted under Section 11.5
and purchasers in connection with dispositions permitted under Section 11.5;
(g) Acquired
Debt assumed in Acquisitions permitted under Section 11.5; and
(h) the
Senior Notes, and any refinancing of the Senior Notes which mature in 2008,
provided that
in
connection with such refinancing that (i) the Company shall not incur Debt
(other than Subordinated Debt or Revolving Loans) in excess of $155,000,000,
and
(ii) all the proceeds thereof are used to refinance the Senior Notes on the
stated maturity thereof and to pay the reasonable costs of issuing such Debt,
provided
that (A)
no Unmatured Event of Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and been
continuing at the time of incurring such Debt; (B) the documents governing
or
describing such Debt shall be provided to the Administrative Agent in draft
form
at least three days prior to the incurrence of the Debt; (C) the Company shall
provide a certificate executed by a Senior Officer, in form and substance
acceptable to the Administrative Agent, evidencing that as of the end of the
Fiscal Quarter immediately preceding such refinancing and as of the date of
such
refinancing calculated on a pro forma basis, giving effect to thereto (x) the
Company’s Maximum Leverage Ratio, calculated in accordance with Section 11.14.2,
does not exceed sixty three percent (63%) and (y) the Company’s Interest
Coverage Ratio, calculated in accordance with Section 11.14.1, is not less
than
the level set forth for the applicable period in Section 11.14.1 plus 0.10
and
(D) the Administrative Agent shall concur with the calculations contained in
the
certification provided by the Company pursuant to clause (C) above (provided
that such concurrence shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed) and,
provided,
further,
that
this clause (h) shall not restrict the repayment of the Senior Notes with the
proceeds of Subordinated Debt, a Revolving Loan, a New Capital Offering, or
any
combination thereof;
49
(i) Guaranty
Obligations relating to Debt to the extent permitted under Section 11.16 of
this
Agreement.
(j) other
unsecured Debt, in addition to the Debt listed above, in an aggregate
outstanding amount not at any time exceeding an amount equal to twenty percent
(20%) of Consolidated Net Worth as of the Company’s most recent Fiscal Year end,
provided that at the time of incurring such Debt, no Default or Unmatured Event
of Default shall have occurred and been continuing or would result
therefrom.
11.2 Liens.
Not,
and not permit any other Affiliated Party to, create or permit to exist any
Lien
on any of its real or personal properties, assets or rights of whatsoever nature
(whether now owned or hereafter acquired), except:
(a) Liens
for
taxes or other governmental charges not at the time delinquent or thereafter
payable without penalty or being contested in good faith by appropriate
proceedings and, in each case, for which it maintains adequate
reserves;
(b) Liens
arising in the ordinary course of business (such as (i) Liens of carriers,
warehousemen, mechanics and materialmen and other similar Liens and (ii) Liens
in the form of deposits or pledges incurred in connection with worker’s
compensation, unemployment compensation and other types of social security
(excluding Liens arising under ERISA) or in connection with surety bonds, bids,
performance bonds and similar obligations) for sums not overdue or being
contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings and not involving any
advances or borrowed money or the deferred purchase price of property or
services and, in each case, for which it maintains adequate
reserves;
(c) Liens
described on Schedule
11.2
as of
the Closing Date;
(d) cash
deposits made with or pledged to gas suppliers of the Affiliated Parties,
provided
that the
obligation to post such cash deposits arises under gas contracts entered into
by
the Company or such Subsidiary in the ordinary course of business and the amount
of gas purchased pursuant to such contracts does not exceed the greater of
(a)
the requirements established by the applicable regulatory authorities (as in
effect from time to time) with jurisdiction over the Affiliated Parties or
(b)
ten (10) billion cubic feet;
(e) subject
to the limitation set forth in Section
11.1(b),
(i)
Liens arising in connection with Capital Leases (and attaching only to the
property being leased), (ii) Liens existing on property at the time of the
acquisition thereof by any Affiliated Party (and not created in contemplation
of
such acquisition) and (iii) Liens that constitute purchase money security
interests on any property securing debt incurred for the purpose of financing
all or any part of the cost of acquiring such property, provided
that any
such Lien attaches to such property within 60 days of the acquisition thereof
and attaches solely to the property so acquired;
50
(f) Liens
in
favor of customs and revenue authorities arising as a matter of law to secure
payment of customs duties in connection with the importation of inventory or
other goods;
(g) attachments,
appeal bonds, judgments and other similar Liens which do not constitute Events
of Default hereunder;
(h) easements,
rights of way, restrictions, minor defects or irregularities in title and other
similar Liens not interfering in any material respect with the ordinary conduct
of the business of any Affiliated Party; and
(i) the
replacement, extension or renewal of any Lien permitted by clause (c) above
upon
or in the same property subject thereto arising out of the extension, renewal
or
replacement of the Debt secured thereby (without increase in the amount
thereof).
11.3 Hedging
Xxxxxxxxxx.Xx
Affiliated Party shall enter into any Hedging Agreement except for Hedging
Agreements used solely as a part of its normal business operations as a risk
management strategy and/or hedge against changes resulting from market
operations in accordance with its customary policies and not as a means to
speculate for investment purposes on trends and shifts in financial or
commodities markets.
11.4 Restricted
Payments; Subordinated Debt.
Not,
and not permit any other Affiliated Party to (a) make any distribution to any
holders of its Capital Securities or of the Junior Capital, (b) repay, prepay,
defease, purchase or redeem any of its Capital Securities or Junior Capital,
(c)
pay any management fees or similar fees to any of its equityholders, and (d)
set
aside funds for any of the foregoing. Notwithstanding the foregoing, (i) any
Subsidiary may pay dividends or make other distributions to the Company or
to a
Subsidiary, provided
that no
domestic Subsidiaries shall pay dividends or make other distributions to any
foreign Subsidiaries in excess of $10,000,000, in the aggregate amount during
any Fiscal Year and no Guarantor shall pay dividends or make other distributions
to any Subsidiary except Subsidiaries which are also Guarantors; (ii) so long
as
no Event of Default or Unmatured Event of Default exists or would result
therefrom, the Company may make, pay, declare or authorize any dividend, payment
or other distribution in respect of any class of its capital stock or any
dividend, payment or distribution in connection with the redemption, purchase,
retirement or other acquisition, directly or indirectly, of any shares of its
Capital Securities, to the extent in each case payable solely in shares of
Capital Securities of the Company, (iii) the Company may make, pay, declare
or
authorize any dividend, payment or other distribution in respect of any class
of
its Capital Securities or any dividend, payment or distribution in connection
with the redemption, purchase, retirement or other acquisition, directly or
indirectly, of any shares of its Capital Securities, provided, however, that
immediately before and after giving effect to such dividend, payment or other
distribution, no Event of Default or Unmatured Event of Default shall exist
or
shall have occurred and be continuing and that the Company, both before and
after giving effect (on a pro forma basis) to the payment of such dividends
or
distributions shall be in compliance with the financial covenants set forth
in
Section
11.14
of this
Agreement, (iv) the Company may redeem all of its outstanding Series A 10.25%
Subordinated Debentures due 2040 (of which $30,927,850 in aggregate principal
amount is outstanding on the date hereof), which will in turn cause the
redemption of all of the 10.25% Cumulative Trust Preferred Securities of SEMCO
Capital Trust I (the “Trust”) (of which 1,200,000 trust preferred securities are
outstanding on the date hereof) and all of the common securities of the Trust
(of which 37,114 common securities were outstanding on the date hereof) for
which all of the foregoing notices were sent out calling for such redemption
to
occur on September 14, 2005, (v) the Company may prepay, purchase, redeem or
defease Subordinated Debt with the proceeds of a New Capital Offering or of
Subordinated Debt in each case issued in accordance with the terms of this
Agreement, provided that no Unmatured Event of Default or Event of Default
has
occurred and is continuing; and (vi) the Company may make any payment of
regularly scheduled interest or of principal at maturity under any of the Trust
Preferred Securities, if the Company has provided not less than five (5)
Business Days prior written notice to the Agent of its intent to make such
payment, accompanied by a certification (which is true and correct when given)
that both before and after giving effect to such payment (and taking into
account the making thereof), no Unmatured Event of Default or Event of Default
has occurred and is continuing (or will occur as of the last day of the next
succeeding reporting period) and that such payment would be permitted under
the
terms of this Agreement.
51
11.5 Mergers,
Consolidations, Acquisitions, Sales.
Not,
and not permit any other Affiliated Party to, (a) be a party to any merger
or
consolidation, or purchase or otherwise acquire all or substantially all of
the
assets or any Capital Securities of any class of, or any partnership or joint
venture interest in, any other Person, (b) sell, transfer, convey or lease
all
or any substantial part of its assets or Capital Securities (including the
sale
of Capital Securities of any Subsidiary) except for sales of inventory in the
ordinary course of business, or (c) sell or assign with or without recourse
any
receivables, except for (i) any such merger, consolidation, sale, transfer,
conveyance, lease or assignment of or by any Subsidiary into the Company or
into
any other domestic Subsidiary, provided,
however,
that
any merger or consolidation between a Guarantor and another Subsidiary shall
only be permitted if the survivor of the merger remains subject to the
obligations set forth in the Guaranty to which the Guarantor was originally
subject; (ii) any such purchase or other acquisition by the Company or any
Subsidiary of the assets or Capital Securities of any Subsidiary (provided,
however,
that
the aggregate net book value of any assets transferred or sold by (x) the
Guarantors to any Subsidiaries shall not be in excess of $5,000,000 for any
Fiscal Year and (y) the Company and any domestic Subsidiaries to any foreign
Subsidiaries shall not be in excess of $10,000,000 for any Fiscal Year); (iii)
sales and dispositions of assets (including the Capital Securities of
Subsidiaries but excluding the Capital Securities of any Guarantor) for at
least
fair market value (as determined by the Board of Directors of the Company)
so
long as the net book value of all assets sold or otherwise disposed of in any
Fiscal Year does not exceed 10% of the net book value of the consolidated assets
of the Affiliated Parties as of the last day of the preceding Fiscal Year,
except to the extent the proceeds of such sales or dispositions are used to
purchase comparable replacement assets within 180 days following the date of
such sale or disposition (or if within 180 days following the date of such
sale
or disposition the Company has entered into a binding purchase order or contract
for such purchase, within 360 days following the date of such sale or
disposition); and (iv) any Acquisition by the Company or any domestic Subsidiary
where:
52
(A) the
business or division acquired are for use, or the Person acquired is principally
engaged, in the Gas Related Businesses engaged in by the Affiliated Parties
on
the Closing Date;
(B) immediately
before and after giving effect to such Acquisition, no Event of Default or
Unmatured Event of Default shall exist;
(C) the
aggregate consideration to be paid by the Affiliated Parties (including any
Debt
assumed or issued in connection therewith, the amount thereof to be calculated
in accordance with GAAP) in connection with such Acquisition (or any series
of
related Acquisitions) is not more than $50,000,000 and shall not exceed
$150,000,000 in total for all Acquisitions from the Closing Date until the
Termination Date, provided,
however,
that
the limitations on such consideration specified under this clause shall not
apply during such periods as the Company maintains senior unsecured debt ratings
of BBB- and Baa3 or better from S&P and Xxxxx’x respectively and
provided,
further,
no
Event of Default shall be deemed to occur or be continuing if the Company has
paid more than $150,000,000 in consideration for Acquisitions during the period
when the limitations contained in this clause (C) were lifted but subsequently
re-imposed so long as the Company does not make any further Acquisitions while
the limitations are re-imposed;
(D) immediately
after giving effect to such Acquisition, the Company is in pro forma compliance
with all the financial ratios and restrictions set forth in Section
11.14;
(E) in
the
case of the Acquisition of any Person, the Board of Directors of such Person
has
approved such Acquisition;
(F) reasonably
prior to such Acquisition, the Administrative Agent shall have received complete
executed or conformed copies of each material document, instrument and agreement
to be executed in connection with such Acquisition together with all lien search
reports and lien release letters and other documents as the Administrative
Agent
may require to evidence the termination of Liens on the assets or business
to be
acquired; and
(G) not
less
than ten Business Days prior to such Acquisition, the Administrative Agent
shall
have received an acquisition summary with respect to the Person and/or business
or division to be acquired, such summary to include a reasonably detailed
description thereof (including financial information) and operating results
(including financial statements for the most recent 12 month period for which
they are available and as otherwise available), the terms and conditions,
including economic terms, of the proposed Acquisition, and the Company’s
calculation of pro forma Net Operating Income relating thereto.
11.6 [Intentionally
Omitted]
11.7 Transactions
with Affiliates.
Not,
and not permit any other Affiliated Party to, enter into, or cause, suffer
or
permit to exist any transaction, arrangement or contract with any of its other
Affiliates (other than the Affiliated Parties) which is on terms which are
less
favorable than are obtainable from any Person which is not one of its
Affiliates.
11.8 [Intentionally
Omitted]
53
11.9 Inconsistent
Agreements.
Not,
and not permit any other Affiliated Party to, enter into any agreement
containing any provision which would (a) be violated or breached by any
borrowing by the Company hereunder or by the performance by any Affiliated
Party
of any of its Obligations hereunder or under any other Loan Document, or (b)
create or permit to exist or become effective any encumbrance or restriction
on
the ability of any Subsidiary to (i) pay dividends or make other distributions
to the Company or any other Subsidiary, or pay any Debt owed to the Company
or
any other Subsidiary, (ii) make loans or advances to any Affiliated Party or
(iii) transfer any of its assets or properties to any Affiliated Party, other
than (A) customary restrictions and conditions contained in agreements relating
to the sale of all or a substantial part of the assets of any Subsidiary pending
such sale, provided
that
such restrictions and conditions apply only to the Subsidiary to be sold and
such sale is permitted hereunder (B) restrictions or conditions imposed by
any
agreement relating to purchase money Debt, Capital Leases, Junior Capital and
other Debt permitted by this Agreement, (C) customary provisions in leases
and
other contracts restricting the assignment thereof, (D) Liens securing
Indebtedness otherwise permitted to be incurred, under the provisions of Section
11.2 hereof that limit the right of the debtor to dispose of the assets subject
to such Liens; (E) provisions with respect to the disposition or distribution
of
assets or property in joint venture agreements asset sale agreements, stock
sale
agreements and other similar agreements entered into in the ordinary course
of
business; and (F) restrictions on deposits (to the extent permitted hereunder)
imposed by customers under contracts entered into in the ordinary course of
business.
11.10 Business
Activities; Issuance of Equity.
Not,
and not permit any other Affiliated Party to, engage in any line of business
other than the businesses engaged in on the date hereof and businesses
reasonably related and incidental thereto. Not permit any Subsidiary to issue
any Capital Securities other than any issuance by a Subsidiary to the Company
or
another Subsidiary in accordance with Section
11.4,
except
to the extent such issuance would fit within the basket set forth for asset
sales pursuant to Section 11.5(c)(iii) of this Agreement.
11.11 Investments.
Not,
and not permit any other Affiliated Party to, make or permit to exist any
Investment in any other Person, except the following:
(a) Investments
by (i) the Company or any of its domestic Subsidiaries in any of the Company’s
foreign Subsidiaries, provided, that the aggregate amount of such investments
shall not be in excess of an amount equal to twenty percent (20%) of
Consolidated Net Worth as of the Company’s most recent Fiscal Year end tested as
of the date the applicable investment is made and (ii) the Company in any of
its
domestic Subsidiaries, or by any Subsidiary in any of its domestic Subsidiaries
and;
(b) Investments
constituting Debt permitted by Section
11.1
and
Hedging Agreements permitted by Section
11.3;
(c) Contingent
Liabilities constituting Debt permitted by Section
11.1
or Liens
permitted by Section
11.2;
(d) Cash
Equivalent Investments;
(e) bank
deposits in the ordinary course of business and cash deposits with gas supplies
of the Company, provided that the obligation to post such cash deposits arises
under gas contracts entered into by the Company in the ordinary course of
business and the amount of gas purchased pursuant to such contracts does not
exceed the greater of (a) the requirements established by the applicable
regulatory authorities (as in effect from time to time) with jurisdiction over
the Company or (b) ten (10) billion cubic feet;
54
(f) Investments
in securities of account debtors received pursuant to any plan of reorganization
or similar arrangement upon the bankruptcy or insolvency of such account
debtors;
(g) Investments
to consummate Acquisitions permitted by Section
11.5;
(h) Investments
listed on Schedule
11.11
as of
the Closing Date;
(i) joint
ventures that are principally engaged in Gas Related Businesses, provided
however, that the aggregate amount invested such joint ventures shall not exceed
an amount equal to twenty percent (20%) of Consolidated Net Worth as of the
Company’s most recent Fiscal Year end tested as of the date the applicable
investment is made; and
(j) other
Investments not set forth above which are not, in the aggregate, in excess
of
$5,000,000;
provided
that (x)
any Investment which when made complies with the requirements of the definition
of the term “Cash
Equivalent Investment”
may
continue to be held notwithstanding that such Investment if made thereafter
would not comply with such requirements; (y) no Investment otherwise permitted
by clause (b), (c),
(g),
(i)
or (j)
shall be permitted to be made if, immediately before or after giving effect
thereto, any Event of Default or Unmatured Event of Default exists. In valuing
any Investments for the purpose of applying the limitations set forth in this
Section
11.11
(except
as otherwise expressly provided herein), such Investment shall be taken at
the
original cost thereof, without allowance for any subsequent write-offs or
appreciation or depreciation, but less any amount repaid or recovered on account
of capital or principal.
11.12 Restriction
of Amendments to Certain Documents.
Not
amend or otherwise modify, or waive any rights under any documents relating
to
the Junior Capital if, in any case, such amendment, modification or waiver
could
be adverse to the interests of the Lenders or would reasonably be expected
to
have a Material Adverse Effect
11.13 Fiscal
Year.
Not
change its Fiscal Year or that of any Affiliated Party.
11.14 Financial
Covenants
11.14.1 Minimum
Interest Coverage Ratio.
Not
permit the Interest Coverage Ratio for any period of four consecutive Fiscal
Quarters ending on the last day of a Fiscal Quarter to be less than as
follows:
55
Periods
|
Interest
Coverage Ratio
|
Each
Fiscal Quarter through September 30, 2007
|
1.25
to 1.00
|
Each
Fiscal Quarter thereafter
|
1.30
to 1.00
|
11.14.2 Maximum
Leverage Ratio.
Not
permit, as of the last day of each Fiscal Quarter a ratio of (i) Consolidated
Adjusted Funded Debt to (ii) Consolidated Adjusted Total Capitalization to
be
more than sixty five percent (65%).
11.14.3 Minimum
Consolidated Net Worth.
Not
permit the Consolidated Net Worth, as of the last day of each Fiscal Quarter,
to
be less than an amount equal to (a) the Net Worth Base Amount, plus (b) the
New
Capital Adjustment through the date of determination.
Net
Worth Base Amount
means
$225,000,000 plus 50% of Consolidated Net Income (if positive) earned during
each Fiscal Year, commencing with the Fiscal Year ending December 31, 2005,
provided, however, that for Fiscal Year 2005, Consolidated Net Income for
purposes of this Section 11.14.3, shall be calculated to include only the last
three fiscal quarters of such Fiscal Year.
11.15 Cancellation
of Debt; More Favorable Terms.
(a)
Not, and not permit any other Affiliated Party to, cancel any claim or debt
owing to it (except from another Affiliated Party), except for reasonable
consideration or in the ordinary course of business, and except for the
cancellation of debts or claims not to exceed $10,000,000 in any Fiscal
Year.
(b) Not
enter
into any amendment or modification of the senior notes set forth on Schedule
11.15(b) and any additional senior notes issued on a pari passu basis with
the
Obligations from time to time or any related loan documentation for such senior
notes or any refinancing of such senior notes if such amendment or modification
shall include, or be issued pursuant to any amendment or other agreement which
includes (i) financial covenants (other than incurrence-type covenants which
permit the Affiliated Parties to take specified actions only if certain
financial tests are met) or event of default provisions (other than any event
of
default provisions which are comparable to Sections 13.1.1, 13.1.5 and 13.1.6
hereof) which are more restrictive than or substantially different from the
financial covenants and default provisions set forth in this Agreement unless,
prior to entering into any such amendment, the Company notifies the
Administrative Agent and the Lenders of its intent to enter into any such
amendment and, if the Required Lenders determine that some or all of the
financial covenants or default provisions set forth in such amendment are more
favorable to the lender thereunder than the covenants or default provisions
set
forth in this Agreement (“More Favorable Terms”), and that the Required Lenders
desire that this Agreement be further amended to incorporate the More Favorable
Terms, the Company shall, within thirty days following receipt from
Administrative Agent of notice that the Required Lenders have made the foregoing
determination, enter into an amendment to this Agreement incorporating, on
terms
and conditions acceptable to the Required Lenders, the More Favorable Terms
or
(ii) a covenant or agreement requiring any of the Subsidiaries of the Company
to
guaranty the senior notes described above or any refinancing of such senior
notes, unless prior to or simultaneously with the grant of such guaranty, such
Subsidiaries shall execute and deliver a Guaranty for the benefit of the
Administrative Agent and the Lenders, together with such resolutions, opinions,
certificates and other documents as Agent may reasonably request, each in form
and substance reasonably acceptable to Agent.
56
SECTION
12. EFFECTIVENESS;
CONDITIONS OF LENDING, ETC.
The
obligation of each Lender to make its Loans and of each Issuing Lender to issue
Letters of Credit is subject to the following conditions precedent:
12.1 Initial
Credit Extension.
The
obligation of the Lenders to make the initial Loans and the obligation of each
Issuing Lender to issue its initial Letter of Credit (whichever first occurs)
is, in addition to the conditions precedent specified in Section
12.2,
subject
to the conditions precedent that the Administrative Agent shall have received
all of the following, each duly executed and dated the Closing Date (or such
earlier date as shall be satisfactory to the Administrative Agent), in form
and
substance satisfactory to the Administrative Agent (and the date on which all
such conditions precedent have been satisfied or waived in writing by the
Administrative Agent and the Lenders is called the “Closing
Date”):
12.1.1 Notes.
A Note
for each Lender.
12.1.2 Authorization
Documents.
For
each Affiliated Party executing and delivering Loan Documents, such Person’s (a)
charter (or similar formation document), certified by the appropriate
governmental authority; (b) good standing certificates in its state of
incorporation (or formation) and in each other state in which a Affiliated
Party
is qualified as a foreign corporation and which is requested by the
Administrative Agent; (c) bylaws (or similar governing document); (d)
resolutions of its board of directors (or similar governing body) approving
and
authorizing such Person’s execution, delivery and performance of the Loan
Documents to which it is party and the transactions contemplated thereby; and
(e) signature and incumbency certificates of its officers executing any of
the
Loan Documents (it being understood that the Administrative Agent and each
Lender may conclusively rely on each such certificate until formally advised
by
a like certificate of any changes therein), all certified by its secretary
or an
assistant secretary (or similar officer) as being in full force and effect
without modification.
12.1.3 Consents,
etc.
Certified copies of all documents evidencing any necessary corporate or
partnership action, consents and governmental approvals (if any) required for
the execution, delivery and performance by the Affiliated Parties of the
documents referred to in this Section 12.
12.1.4 Letter
of Direction.
A
letter of direction containing funds flow information with respect to the
proceeds of the Loans on the Closing Date.
12.1.5 Opinions
of Counsel.
Opinions of counsel for each Affiliated Party party to the Loan
Documents.
12.1.6 Intentionally
Omitted
57
12.1.7 Payment
of Fees.
Evidence of payment by the Company of all accrued and unpaid fees, costs and
expenses to the extent then due and payable on the Closing Date, together with
(a) all Attorney Costs of the Administrative Agent to the extent invoiced prior
to the Closing Date, plus
such
additional amounts of Attorney Costs as shall constitute the Administrative
Agent’s reasonable estimate of Attorney Costs incurred or to be incurred by the
Administrative Agent through the closing proceedings (provided
that
such estimate shall not thereafter preclude final settling of accounts between
the Company and the Administrative Agent) and (b) an upfront fee in the amount
set forth in the Agent Proposal Letter to be divided by the Administrative
Agent
amongst the Lenders according to their respective Pro Rata Shares upon the
effectiveness of this Agreement.
12.1.8 Income
Statements, Balance Sheets and Cash Flow Statements.
The
Administrative Agent shall have received projected income statements, balance
sheets and cash flow statements prepared by the Company and giving effect to
the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the use of proceeds therefrom,
in each case in form and substance acceptable to the Administrative
Agent.
12.1.9 Financial
Statements.The
Administrative Agent shall have received (i) audited Consolidated financial
statements for the Company and its Subsidiaries for the Fiscal Years ending
2002, 2003 and 2004 and (ii) unaudited interim Consolidated financial statements
for the Company and its Subsidiaries for each fiscal quarter ended after the
latest Fiscal Year 2004, in each case in form and substance acceptable to the
Administrative Agent.
12.1.10 Search
Results; Lien Terminations.
Certified copies of Uniform Commercial Code search reports from the Secretary
of
State of Michigan dated a date reasonably near to the Closing Date, listing
all
effective financing statements which name the Company (under its present names)
as debtor, together with (a) copies of such financing statements, and (b) such
other Uniform Commercial Code termination statements as the Administrative
Agent
may reasonably request with respect to Liens other than Permitted
Liens.
12.1.11 Closing
Certificate, Consents and Permits.
A
certificate executed by an officer of the Company on behalf of the Company
certifying the matters set forth in Section
12.2.1
as of
the Closing Date.
12.1.12 Other.
Such
other documents as the Administrative Agent or any Lender may reasonably
request.
12.2 Conditions.
The
obligation (a) of each Lender to make each Loan and (b) of each Issuing Lender
to issue each Letter of Credit is subject to the following further conditions
precedent that:
12.2.1 Compliance
with Warranties, No Default, etc.
Both
before and after giving effect to any borrowing and the issuance of any Letter
of Credit, the following statements shall be true and correct:
(a) the
representations and warranties of each Affiliated Party set forth in this
Agreement and the other Loan Documents shall be true and correct in all respects
with the same effect as if then made (except to the extent stated to relate
to a
specific earlier date, in which case such representations and warranties shall
be true and correct as of such earlier date) and except for changes therein
occurring in the ordinary course of business and which do not violate this
Agreement; and
58
(b) no
Event
of Default or Unmatured Event of Default shall have then occurred and be
continuing.
12.2.2 Confirmatory
Certificate.
If
requested by the Administrative Agent or any Lender, the Administrative Agent
shall have received a certificate dated the date of such requested Loan or
Letter of Credit and signed by a duly authorized representative of the Company
as to the matters set out in Section
12.2.1
(it
being understood that each request by the Company for the making of a Loan
or
the issuance of a Letter of Credit shall be deemed to constitute a
representation and warranty by the Company that the conditions precedent set
forth in Section
12.2.1
will be
satisfied at the time of the making of such Loan or the issuance of such Letter
of Credit), together with such other documents as the Administrative Agent
or
any Lender may reasonably request in support thereof.
SECTION
13. EVENTS
OF
DEFAULT AND THEIR EFFECT.
13.1 Events
of Default.
Each of
the following shall constitute an Event of Default under this
Agreement:
13.1.1 Non-Payment
of the Loans, etc.
Default
in the payment when due of the principal of any Loan; or default, and
continuance thereof for five days, in the payment when due of any interest,
fee,
reimbursement obligation with respect to any Letter of Credit or other amount
payable by the Company hereunder or under any other Loan Document.
13.1.2 Non-Payment
of Other Debt.
Any
default shall occur under the terms applicable to any Debt of any Affiliated
Party in an aggregate amount (for all such Debt so affected and including
undrawn committed or available amounts and amounts owing to all creditors under
any combined or syndicated credit arrangement) exceeding $10,000,000 and shall
continue beyond any applicable notice, grace or cure period, and such default
shall (a) consist of the failure to pay such Debt when due, whether by
acceleration or otherwise, or (b) accelerate the maturity of such Debt or permit
the holder or holders thereof, or any trustee or agent for such holder or
holders, to cause such Debt to become due and payable (or require any Affiliated
Party to purchase or redeem such Debt or post cash collateral in respect
thereof) prior to its expressed maturity.
13.1.3 Intentionally
Omitted.
13.1.4 Bankruptcy,
Insolvency, etc.
Any
Affiliated Party becomes insolvent or generally fails to pay, or admits in
writing its inability or refusal to pay, debts as they become due; or any
Affiliated Party applies for, consents to, or acquiesces in the appointment
of a
trustee, receiver or other custodian for such Affiliated Party or any property
thereof, or makes a general assignment for the benefit of creditors; or, in
the
absence of such application, consent or acquiescence, a trustee, receiver or
other custodian is appointed for any Affiliated Party or for a substantial
part
of the property of any thereof and is not discharged within 60 days; or any
bankruptcy, reorganization, debt arrangement, or other case or proceeding under
any bankruptcy or insolvency law, or any dissolution or liquidation proceeding,
is commenced in respect of any Affiliated Party, and if such case or proceeding
is not commenced by such Affiliated Party, it is consented to or acquiesced
in
by such Affiliated Party, or remains for 60 days undismissed; or any Affiliated
Party takes any action to authorize, or in furtherance of, any of the
foregoing.
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13.1.5 Non-Compliance
with Loan Documents.
(a)
Failure by any Affiliated Party to comply with or to perform any covenant set
forth in Section
10.1.5,
10.5
or
10.9
or
Section
11;
or (b)
failure by any Affiliated Party to comply with or to perform any other provision
of this Agreement or any other Loan Document (and not constituting an Event
of
Default under any other provision of this Section
13)
and
continuance of such failure described in this clause
(b)
for 30
days following the earlier to occur of (i) the obtaining of actual knowledge
by
the Company or any Subsidiary of such default or (ii) the receipt of written
notice by any senior officer of the Company of such default; provided,
in each
case that an Event of Default arising from a breach of Sections 10.1.1 through
10.1.4 or 10.1.10 shall be deemed to have been cured upon delivery of the
required item; and provided, further, that the Event of Default arising solely
due to a breach of Section 10.1.5(a) shall be deemed cured upon the earlier
of
(i) the giving of notice as required by that Section and (ii) the date upon
which the Event of Default or Unmatured Event of Default giving rise to the
notice obligation has been cured or waived.
13.1.6 Representations;
Warranties.
Any
representation or warranty made by any Affiliated Party herein or any other
Loan
Document is breached or is false or misleading in any material respect, or
any
schedule, certificate, financial statement, report, notice or other writing
furnished by any Affiliated Party to the Administrative Agent or any Lender
in
connection herewith is false or misleading in any material respect on the date
as of which the facts therein set forth are stated or certified.
13.1.7 Pension
Plans.
(a) Any
Person institutes steps to terminate a Pension Plan if as a result of such
termination the Company or any member of the Controlled Group could be required
to make a contribution to such Pension Plan, or could incur a liability or
obligation to such Pension Plan, in excess of $5,000,000; (b) a contribution
failure occurs with respect to any Pension Plan sufficient to give rise to
a
Lien under Section 302(f) of ERISA; or (c) there shall occur any withdrawal
or
partial withdrawal from a Multiemployer Pension Plan and the withdrawal
liability (without unaccrued interest) to Multiemployer Pension Plans as a
result of such withdrawal (including any outstanding withdrawal liability that
the Company or any member of the Controlled Group have incurred on the date
of
such withdrawal) exceeds $5,000,000.
13.1.8 Judgments.
Final
judgments which exceed an aggregate of $5,000,000 shall be rendered against
any
Affiliated Party and shall not have been paid, discharged or vacated or had
execution thereof stayed pending appeal within 30 days after entry or filing
of
such judgments.
13.1.9 Intentionally
Omitted.
13.1.10 Invalidity
of Subordination Provisions, etc.
(i) Any
subordination provision in any document or instrument governing Subordinated
Debt aggregating $5,000,000 or more, or any subordination provision in any
guaranty by any Subsidiary of any Subordinated Debt aggregating $5,000,000
or
more, shall cease to be in full force and effect, or (ii) any Affiliated Party
or any other Person (including the holder of any applicable Subordinated Debt)
shall contest in any manner the validity, binding nature or enforceability
of
any such provision.
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13.1.11 Change
of Control.
(a)
Any
Person or group of Persons (within the meaning of Section 13 or 14 of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934) shall acquire beneficial ownership (within
the
meaning of Rule 13d-3 promulgated under such Act) of more than 35% of the
outstanding securities (on a fully diluted basis and taking into account any
securities or contract rights exercisable, exchangeable or convertible into
equity securities) of the Company having voting rights in the election of
directors under normal circumstances; (b) a majority of the members of the
Board
of Directors of the Company shall cease to be Continuing Members. For purposes
of the foregoing; “Continuing Member” means a member of the Board of Directors
of the Company who either (i) was a member of the Company’s Board of Directors
on the day before the Closing Date and has been such continuously thereafter
or
(ii) became a member of such Board of Directors after the day before the Closing
Date and whose election or nomination for election was approved by a vote of
the
majority of the Continuing Members then members of the Company’s Board of
Directors, (c) any “change of control” shall occur under any documents or
agreements relating to the Junior Capital, or (d) the Company shall no longer
hold, either directly or indirectly, 100% of the Capital Securities of any
Guarantor.
13.2 Effect
of Event of Default.
If any
Event of Default described in Section
13.1.4
shall
occur in respect of the Company, the Commitments shall immediately terminate
and
the Loans and all other Obligations hereunder shall become immediately due
and
payable and the Company shall become immediately obligated to Cash Collateralize
all Letters of Credit, all without presentment, demand, protest or notice of
any
kind; and, if any other Event of Default shall occur and be continuing, the
Administrative Agent may (and, upon the written request of the Required Lenders
shall) declare the Commitments to be terminated in whole or in part and/or
declare all or any part of the Loans and all other Obligations hereunder to
be
due and payable and/or demand that the Company immediately Cash Collateralize
all or any Letters of Credit, whereupon the Commitments shall immediately
terminate (or be reduced, as applicable) and/or the Loans and other Obligations
hereunder shall become immediately due and payable (in whole or in part, as
applicable) and/or the Company shall immediately become obligated to Cash
Collateralize the Letters of Credit (all or any, as applicable), all without
presentment, demand, protest or notice of any kind. Any cash collateral
delivered hereunder shall be held by the Administrative Agent (without liability
for interest thereon) and applied to the Obligations arising in connection
with
any drawing under a Letter of Credit. After the expiration or termination of
all
Letters of Credit, such cash collateral shall be applied by the Administrative
Agent to any remaining Obligations hereunder and any excess shall be delivered
to the Company or as a court of competent jurisdiction may elect.
SECTION
14. THE
AGENTS.
14.1 Appointment
and Authorization.
Each
Lender hereby irrevocably (subject to Section
14.10)
appoints, designates and authorizes the Administrative Agent to take such action
on its behalf under the provisions of this Agreement and each other Loan
Document and to exercise such powers and perform such duties as are expressly
delegated to it by the terms of this Agreement or any other Loan Document,
together with such powers as are reasonably incidental thereto. Notwithstanding
any provision to the contrary contained elsewhere in this Agreement or in any
other Loan Document, the Administrative Agent shall not have any duty or
responsibility except those expressly set forth herein, nor shall the
Administrative Agent have or be deemed to have any fiduciary relationship with
any Lender or participant, and no implied covenants, functions,
responsibilities, duties, obligations or liabilities shall be read into this
Agreement or any other Loan Document or otherwise exist against the
Administrative Agent. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing sentence,
the use of the term “agent” herein and in other Loan Documents with reference to
the Agent is not intended to connote any fiduciary or other implied (or express)
obligations arising under agency doctrine of any applicable law. Instead, such
term is used merely as a matter of market custom, and is intended to create
or
reflect only an administrative relationship between independent contracting
parties.
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14.2 Issuing
Lender.
Each
Issuing Lender shall act on behalf of the Lenders (according to their Pro Rata
Shares) with respect to any Letters of Credit issued by it and the documents
associated therewith. Each Issuing Lender shall have all of the benefits and
immunities (a) provided to the Administrative Agent in this Section
14
with
respect to any acts taken or omissions suffered by each Issuing Lender in
connection with Letters of Credit issued by it or proposed to be issued by
it
and the applications and agreements for letters of credit pertaining to such
Letters of Credit as fully as if the term “Administrative Agent”, as used in
this Section
14,
included each Issuing Lender with respect to such acts or omissions and (b)
as
additionally provided in this Agreement with respect to each Issuing
Lender.
14.3 Delegation
of Duties.
The
Administrative Agent may execute any of its duties under this Agreement or
any
other Loan Document by or through agents, employees or attorneys in fact and
shall be entitled to advice of counsel and other consultants or experts
concerning all matters pertaining to such duties. The Administrative Agent
shall
not be responsible for the negligence or misconduct of any agent or attorney
in
fact that it selects in the absence of gross negligence or willful
misconduct.
14.4 Exculpation
of Administrative Agent.
None of
the Administrative Agent nor any of its directors, officers, employees or agents
shall (a) be liable for any action taken or omitted to be taken by any of them
under or in connection with this Agreement or any other Loan Document or the
transactions contemplated hereby (except to the extent resulting from its own
gross negligence or willful misconduct in connection with its duties expressly
set forth herein as determined by a final, nonappealable judgment by a court
of
competent jurisdiction), or (b) be responsible in any manner to any Lender
or
participant for any recital, statement, representation or warranty made by
any
Affiliated Party or Affiliate of the Company, or any officer thereof, contained
in this Agreement or in any other Loan Document, or in any certificate, report,
statement or other document referred to or provided for in, or received by
the
Administrative Agent under or in connection with, this Agreement or any other
Loan Document, or the validity, effectiveness, genuineness, enforceability
or
sufficiency of this Agreement or any other Loan Document (or the creation,
perfection or priority of any Lien or security interest therein), or for any
failure of the Company or any other party to any Loan Document to perform its
Obligations hereunder or thereunder. The Administrative Agent shall not be
under
any obligation to any Lender to ascertain or to inquire as to the observance
or
performance of any of the agreements contained in, or conditions of, this
Agreement or any other Loan Document, or to inspect the properties, books or
records of the Company or any of the Company’s Subsidiaries or
Affiliates.
62
14.5 Reliance
by Administrative Agent.
The
Administrative Agent shall be entitled to rely, and shall be fully protected
in
relying, upon any writing, communication, signature, resolution, representation,
notice, consent, certificate, electronic mail message, affidavit, letter,
telegram, facsimile, telex or telephone message, statement or other document
or
conversation believed by it to be genuine and correct and to have been signed,
sent or made by the proper Person or Persons, and upon advice and statements
of
legal counsel (including counsel to the Company), independent accountants and
other experts selected by the Administrative Agent. The Administrative Agent
shall be fully justified in failing or refusing to take any action under this
Agreement or any other Loan Document unless it shall first receive such advice
or concurrence of the Required Lenders (or all Lenders if such action
specifically requires the approval of all Lenders under this Agreement) as
it
deems appropriate and, if it so requests, confirmation from the Lenders of
their
obligation to indemnify the Administrative Agent against any and all liability
and expense which may be incurred by it by reason of taking or continuing to
take any such action. The Administrative Agent shall in all cases be fully
protected in acting, or in refraining from acting, under this Agreement or
any
other Loan Document in accordance with a request or consent of the Required
Lenders (or all Lenders if such action specifically requires the approval of
all
Lenders under this Agreement) and such request and any action taken or failure
to act pursuant thereto shall be binding upon each Lender. For purposes of
determining compliance with the conditions specified in Section
12.1,
each
Lender that has signed this Agreement shall be deemed to have consented to,
approved or accepted or to be satisfied with, each document or other matter
required thereunder to be consented to or approved by or acceptable or
satisfactory to a Lender unless the Administrative Agent shall have received
written notice from such Lender prior to the proposed Closing Date specifying
its objection thereto.
14.6 Notice
of Default.
The
Administrative Agent shall not be deemed to have knowledge or notice of the
occurrence of any Event of Default or Unmatured Event of Default except with
respect to defaults in the payment of principal, interest and fees required
to
be paid to the Administrative Agent for the account of the Lenders, unless
the
Administrative Agent shall have received written notice from a Lender or the
Company referring to this Agreement, describing such Event of Default or
Unmatured Event of Default and stating that such notice is a “notice of
default”. The Administrative Agent will notify the Lenders of its receipt of any
such notice. The Administrative Agent shall take such action with respect to
such Event of Default or Unmatured Event of Default as may be requested by
the
Required Lenders in accordance with Section
13;
provided
that
unless and until the Administrative Agent has received any such request, the
Administrative Agent may (but shall not be obligated to) take such action,
or
refrain from taking such action, with respect to such Event of Default or
Unmatured Event of Default as it shall deem advisable or in the best interest
of
the Lenders.
14.7 Credit
Decision.
Each
Lender acknowledges that the Administrative Agent has not made any
representation or warranty to it, and that no act by the Administrative Agent
hereafter taken, including any consent and acceptance of any assignment or
review of the affairs of the Affiliated Parties, shall be deemed to constitute
any representation or warranty by the Administrative Agent to any Lender as
to
any matter, including whether the Administrative Agent has disclosed material
information in its possession. Each Lender represents to the Administrative
Agent that it has, independently and without reliance upon the Administrative
Agent and based on such documents and information as it has deemed appropriate,
made its own appraisal of and investigation into the business, prospects,
operations, property, financial and other condition and creditworthiness of
the
Affiliated Parties, and made its own decision to enter into this Agreement
and
to extend credit to the Company hereunder. Each Lender also represents that
it
will, independently and without reliance upon the Administrative Agent and
based
on such documents and information as it shall deem appropriate at the time,
continue to make its own credit analysis, appraisals and decisions in taking
or
not taking action under this Agreement and the other Loan Documents, and to
make
such investigations as it deems necessary to inform itself as to the business,
prospects, operations, property, financial and other condition and
creditworthiness of the Company. Except for notices, reports and other documents
expressly herein required to be furnished to the Lenders by the Administrative
Agent, the Administrative Agent shall not have any duty or responsibility to
provide any Lender with any credit or other information concerning the business,
prospects, operations, property, financial or other condition or
creditworthiness of the Company which may come into the possession of the
Administrative Agent.
63
14.8 Indemnification.
Whether
or not the transactions contemplated hereby are consummated, each Lender shall
indemnify upon demand the Administrative Agent and its directors, officers,
employees and agents (to the extent not reimbursed by or on behalf of the
Company and without limiting the obligation of the Company to do so), according
to its applicable Pro Rata Share, from and against any and all Indemnified
Liabilities (as hereinafter defined); provided
that no
Lender shall be liable for any payment to any such Person of any portion of
the
Indemnified Liabilities to the extent determined by a final, nonappealable
judgment by a court of competent jurisdiction to have resulted from the
applicable Person’s own gross negligence or willful misconduct. No action taken
in accordance with the directions of the Required Lenders (or all Lenders for
actions specifically requiring the consent of all Lenders under this Agreement)
shall be deemed to constitute gross negligence or willful misconduct for
purposes of this Section. Without limitation of the foregoing, each Lender
shall
reimburse the Administrative Agent upon demand for its ratable share of any
costs or out of pocket expenses (including Attorney Costs and Taxes) incurred
by
the Administrative Agent in connection with the preparation, execution,
delivery, administration, modification, amendment or enforcement (whether
through negotiations, legal proceedings or otherwise) of, or legal advice in
respect of rights or responsibilities under, this Agreement, any other Loan
Document, or any document contemplated by or referred to herein, to the extent
that the Administrative Agent is not reimbursed for such expenses by or on
behalf of the Company. The undertaking in this Section shall survive repayment
of the Loans, cancellation of the Notes, expiration or termination of the
Letters of Credit, termination of this Agreement and the resignation or
replacement of the Administrative Agent.
14.9 Administrative
Agent in Individual Capacity.
LaSalle
Midwest and its Affiliates may make loans to, issue letters of credit for the
account of, accept deposits from, acquire equity interests in and generally
engage in any kind of banking, trust, financial advisory, underwriting or other
business with the Affiliated Parties and Affiliates as though LaSalle Midwest
were not the Administrative Agent hereunder and without notice to or consent
of
any Lender. Each Lender acknowledges that, pursuant to such activities, LaSalle
Midwest or its Affiliates may receive information regarding the Company or
its
Affiliates (including information that may be subject to confidentiality
obligations in favor of the Company or such Affiliate) and acknowledge that
the
Administrative Agent shall be under no obligation to provide such information
to
them. With respect to their Loans (if any), LaSalle Midwest and its Affiliates
shall have the same rights and powers under this Agreement as any other Lender
and may exercise the same as though LaSalle Midwest were not the Administrative
Agent, and the terms “Lender” and “Lenders” include LaSalle Midwest and its
Affiliates, to the extent applicable, in their individual
capacities.
64
14.10 Successor
Administrative Agent.
The
Administrative Agent may resign as Administrative Agent upon 30 days’ notice to
the Lenders. If the Administrative Agent resigns under this Agreement, the
Required Lenders shall, with (so long as no Event of Default exists) the consent
of the Company (which shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed), appoint
from among the Lenders a successor agent for the Lenders. If no successor agent
is appointed prior to the effective date of the resignation of the
Administrative Agent, the Administrative Agent may appoint, after consulting
with the Lenders and the Company, a successor agent from among the Lenders.
Upon
the acceptance of its appointment as successor agent hereunder, such successor
agent shall succeed to all the rights, powers and duties of the retiring
Administrative Agent and the term “Administrative Agent” shall mean such
successor agent, and the retiring Administrative Agent’s appointment, powers and
duties as Administrative Agent shall be terminated. After any retiring
Administrative Agent’s resignation hereunder as Administrative Agent, the
provisions of this Section
14
and
Sections
15.5
and
15.16
shall
inure to its benefit as to any actions taken or omitted to be taken by it while
it was Administrative Agent under this Agreement. If no successor agent has
accepted appointment as Administrative Agent by the date which is 30 days
following a retiring Administrative Agent’s notice of resignation, the retiring
Administrative Agent’s resignation shall nevertheless thereupon become effective
and the Lenders shall perform all of the duties of the Administrative Agent
hereunder until such time, if any, as the Required Lenders appoint a successor
agent as provided for above.
14.11 Intentionally
Omitted
14.12 Administrative
Agent May File Proofs of Claim.
In case
of the pendency of any receivership, insolvency, liquidation, bankruptcy,
reorganization, arrangement, adjustment, composition or other judicial
proceeding relative to any Affiliated Party, the Administrative Agent
(irrespective of whether the principal of any Loan shall then be due and payable
as herein expressed or by declaration or otherwise and irrespective of whether
the Administrative Agent shall have made any demand on the Company) shall be
entitled and empowered, by intervention in such proceeding or
otherwise:
(a) to
file
and prove a claim for the whole amount of the principal and interest owing
and
unpaid in respect of the Loans, and all other Obligations that are owing and
unpaid and to file such other documents as may be necessary or advisable in
order to have the claims of the Lenders and the Administrative Agent (including
any claim for the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances
of the Lenders and the Administrative Agent and their respective agents and
counsel and all other amounts due the Lenders and the Administrative Agent
under
Sections
5,
15.5
and
15.16)
allowed
in such judicial proceedings; and
65
(b) to
collect and receive any monies or other property payable or deliverable on
any
such claims and to distribute the same;
and
any
custodian, receiver, assignee, trustee, liquidator, sequestrator or other
similar official in any such judicial proceeding is hereby authorized by each
Lender to make such payments to the Administrative Agent and, in the event
that
the Administrative Agent shall consent to the making of such payments directly
to the Lenders, to pay to the Administrative Agent any amount due for the
reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the
Administrative Agent and its agents and counsel, and any other amounts due
the
Administrative Agent under Sections 5, 15.5 and 15.16.
Nothing
contained herein shall be deemed to authorize the Administrative Agent to
authorize or consent to or accept or adopt on behalf of any Lender any plan
of
reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or composition affecting the Obligations
or the rights of any Lender or to authorize the Administrative Agent to vote
in
respect of the claim of any Lender in any such proceeding.
14.13 Other
Agents; Arrangers and Managers.
None of
the Lenders or other Persons identified on the facing page or signature pages
of
this Agreement as a “syndication agent,”“documentation agent,”“co-agent,”“book manager,”“lead manager,”“arranger,”“lead arranger” or “co-arranger”, if
any, shall have any right, power, obligation, liability, responsibility or
duty
under this Agreement other than, in the case of such Lenders, those applicable
to all Lenders as such. Without limiting the foregoing, none of the Lenders
or
other Persons so identified shall have or be deemed to have any fiduciary
relationship with any Lender. Each Lender acknowledges that it has not relied,
and will not rely, on any of the Lenders or other Persons so identified in
deciding to enter into this Agreement or in taking or not taking action
hereunder.
SECTION
15. GENERAL.
15.1 Waiver;
Amendments.
No
delay on the part of the Administrative Agent or any Lender in the exercise
of
any right, power or remedy shall operate as a waiver thereof, nor shall any
single or partial exercise by any of them of any right, power or remedy preclude
other or further exercise thereof, or the exercise of any other right, power
or
remedy. No amendment, modification or waiver of, or consent with respect to,
any
provision of this Agreement or the other Loan Documents shall in any event
be
effective unless the same shall be in writing and acknowledged by Lenders having
an aggregate Pro Rata Shares of not less than the aggregate Pro Rata Shares
expressly designated herein with respect thereto or, in the absence of such
designation as to any provision of this Agreement, by the Required Lenders,
and
then any such amendment, modification, waiver or consent shall be effective
only
in the specific instance and for the specific purpose for which given. No
amendment, modification, waiver or consent shall (a) extend or increase the
Commitment of any Lender without the written consent of such Lender, (b) extend
the date scheduled for payment of any principal of or interest on the Loans
or
any fees payable hereunder without the written consent of each Lender directly
affected thereby, (c) reduce the principal amount of any Loan, the rate of
interest thereon or any fees payable hereunder, without the consent of each
Lender directly affected thereby; or (d) release any party from its obligations
under the Guaranty (except in connection with the permitted sale of the
applicable Guarantor, in which case the Administrative Agent may release the
applicable Guarantor, provided,
however,
that no
Guaranty Event shall result therefrom (determined on a pro forma basis as of
the
proposed date of sale)), change the definition of Required Lenders, any
provision of this Section
15.1
or
reduce the aggregate Pro Rata Share required to effect an amendment,
modification, waiver or consent, without, in each case, the written consent
of
all Lenders. No provision of Section
14
or other
provision of this Agreement affecting the Administrative Agent in its capacity
as such shall be amended, modified or waived without the consent of the
Administrative Agent. No provision of this Agreement relating to the rights
or
duties of each Issuing Lender in its capacity as such shall be amended, modified
or waived without the consent of each Issuing Lender. No provision of this
Agreement relating to the rights or duties of the Swing Line Lender in its
capacity as such shall be amended, modified or waived without the consent of
the
Swing Line Lender.
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15.2 Confirmations.
The
Company and each holder of a Note agree from time to time, upon written request
received by it from the other, to confirm to the other in writing (with a copy
of each such confirmation to the Administrative Agent) the aggregate unpaid
principal amount of the Loans then outstanding under such Note.
15.3 Notices.
Except
as otherwise provided in Sections
2.2.2
and
2.2.3,
all
notices hereunder shall be in writing (including facsimile transmission) and
shall be sent to the applicable party at its address shown on Annex B or at
such
other address as such party may, by written notice received by the other
parties, have designated as its address for such purpose. Notices sent by
facsimile transmission shall be deemed to have been given when sent; notices
sent by mail shall be deemed to have been given three Business Days after the
date when sent by registered or certified mail, postage prepaid; and notices
sent by hand delivery or overnight courier service shall be deemed to have
been
given when received. For purposes of Sections 2.2.2
and
2.2.3,
the
Administrative Agent shall be entitled to rely on telephonic instructions from
any Person that the Administrative Agent in good faith believes is an authorized
officer or employee of the Company, and the Company shall hold the
Administrative Agent and each other Lender harmless from any loss, cost or
expense resulting from any such reliance.
15.4 Computations.
Where
the character or amount of any asset or liability or item of income or expense
is required to be determined, or any consolidation or other accounting
computation is required to be made, for the purpose of this Agreement, such
determination or calculation shall, to the extent applicable and except as
otherwise specified in this Agreement, be made in accordance with GAAP,
consistently applied; provided
that if
the Company notifies the Administrative Agent that the Company wishes to amend
any covenant in Section 10 (or any related definition) to eliminate or to take
into account the effect of any change in GAAP on the operation of such covenant
(or if the Administrative Agent notifies the Company that the Required Lenders
wish to amend Section 10 (or any related definition) for such purpose), then
the
Company’s compliance with such covenant shall be determined on the basis of GAAP
in effect immediately before the relevant change in GAAP became effective,
until
either such notice is withdrawn or such covenant (or related definition) is
amended in a manner satisfactory to the Company and the Required
Lenders.
67
15.5 Costs,
Expenses and Taxes.
The
Company agrees to pay on demand all reasonable and documented out-of-pocket
costs and expenses of the Administrative Agent (including Attorney Costs and
any
Taxes) in connection with the preparation, execution, syndication, delivery
and
administration (including the costs of Intralinks (or other similar service),
if
applicable) of this Agreement, the other Loan Documents and all other documents
provided for herein or delivered or to be delivered hereunder or in connection
herewith (including any amendment, supplement or waiver to any Loan Document),
whether or not the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby shall be
consummated, and all reasonable out-of-pocket costs and expenses (including
Attorney Costs and any Taxes) incurred by the Administrative Agent and each
Lender after an Event of Default in connection with the collection of the
Obligations or the enforcement of this Agreement the other Loan Documents or
any
such other documents or during any workout, restructuring or negotiations in
respect thereof. In addition, the Company agrees to pay, and to save the
Administrative Agent and the Lenders harmless from all liability for, any fees
of the Company’s auditors in connection with any reasonable exercise by the
Administrative Agent and the Lenders of their rights pursuant to Section
10.2.
All
Obligations provided for in this Section
15.5
shall
survive repayment of the Loans, cancellation of the Notes, expiration or
termination of the Letters of Credit and termination of this
Agreement.
15.6 Assignments;
Participations.
15.6.1 Assignments.
(a) Any
Lender may at any time assign to one or more Persons (any such Person, an
“Assignee”) all or any portion of such Lender’s Loans and Commitments, with the
prior written consent of the Administrative Agent, each Issuing Lender (for
an
assignment of the Revolving Loans and the Revolving Commitment) and, so long
as
no Event of Default exists, the Company (which consents shall not be
unreasonably withheld or delayed and shall not be required for an assignment
by
a Lender to a Lender or an Affiliate of a Lender). Except as the Administrative
Agent may otherwise agree, any such assignment shall be in a minimum aggregate
amount equal to $5,000,000 or, if less, the remaining Commitment and Loans
held
by the assigning Lender. The Company and the Administrative Agent shall be
entitled to continue to deal solely and directly with such Lender in connection
with the interests so assigned to an Assignee until the Administrative Agent
shall have received and accepted an effective assignment agreement in
substantially the form of Exhibit
D
hereto
(an “Assignment
Agreement”)
executed, delivered and fully completed by the applicable parties thereto and
a
processing fee of $3,500. No assignment may be made to any Person if at the
time
of such assignment the Company would be obligated to pay any greater amount
under Section
7.6
or
8
to the
Assignee than the Company is then obligated to pay to the assigning Lender
under
such Sections (and if any assignment is made in violation of the foregoing,
the
Company will not be required to pay such greater amounts). Any attempted
assignment not made in accordance with this Section
15.6.1
shall be
treated as the sale of a participation under Section
15.6.2.
(b) From
and
after the date on which the conditions described above have been met, (i) such
Assignee shall be deemed automatically to have become a party hereto and, to
the
extent that rights and obligations hereunder have been assigned to such Assignee
pursuant to such Assignment Agreement, shall have the rights and obligations
of
a Lender hereunder and (ii) the assigning Lender, to the extent that rights
and
obligations hereunder have been assigned by it pursuant to such Assignment
Agreement, shall be released from its rights (other than its indemnification
rights) and obligations hereunder. Upon the request of the Assignee (and, as
applicable, the assigning Lender) pursuant to an effective Assignment Agreement,
the Company shall execute and deliver to the Administrative Agent for delivery
to the Assignee (and, as applicable, the assigning Lender) a Note in the
principal amount of the Assignee’s Pro Rata Share of the Revolving Commitment
(and, as applicable, a Note in the principal amount of the Pro Rata Share of
the
Revolving Commitment retained by the assigning Lender). Each such Note shall
be
dated the effective date of such assignment. Upon receipt by the assigning
Lender of such Note, the assigning Lender shall return to the Company any prior
Note held by it.
68
(c) Any
Lender may at any time pledge or assign a security interest in all or any
portion of its rights under this Agreement to secure obligations of such Lender,
including any pledge or assignment to secure obligations to a Federal Reserve
Bank, and this Section shall not apply to any such pledge or assignment of
a
security interest; provided
that no
such pledge or assignment of a security interest shall release a Lender from
any
of its obligations hereunder or substitute any such pledgee or assignee for
such
Lender as a party hereto.
15.6.2 Participations.
Any
Lender may at any time sell to one or more Persons participating interests
in
its Loans, Commitments or other interests hereunder (any such Person, a
“Participant”).
In
the event of a sale by a Lender of a participating interest to a Participant,
(a) such Lender’s obligations hereunder shall remain unchanged for all purposes,
(b) the Company and the Administrative Agent shall continue to deal solely
and
directly with such Lender in connection with such Lender’s rights and
obligations hereunder and (c) all amounts payable by the Company shall be
determined as if such Lender had not sold such participation and shall be paid
directly to such Lender. No Participant other than an Affiliate of a Lender
shall have any direct or indirect voting rights hereunder except with respect
to
any event described in Section
15.1
expressly requiring the unanimous vote of all Lenders or, as applicable, all
affected Lenders. Each Lender agrees to incorporate the requirements of the
preceding sentence into each participation agreement which such Lender enters
into with any Participant which is not an Affiliate of a Lender. The Company
agrees that if amounts outstanding under this Agreement are due and payable
(as
a result of acceleration or otherwise), each Participant shall be deemed to
have
the right of set-off in respect of its participating interest in amounts owing
under this Agreement and with respect to any Letter of Credit to the same extent
as if the amount of its participating interest were owing directly to it as
a
Lender under this Agreement; provided
that
such right of set-off shall be subject to the obligation of each Participant
to
share with the Lenders, and the Lenders agree to share with each Participant,
as
provided in Section
7.5.
The
Company also agrees that each Participant shall be entitled to the benefits
of
Section
7.6
or
8
as if it
were a Lender (provided
that on
the date of the participation no Participant shall be entitled to any greater
compensation pursuant to Section
7.6
or
8
than
would have been paid to the participating Lender on such date if no
participation had been sold and that each Participant complies with Section
7.6(d)
as if it
were an Assignee).
15.7 Register.
The
Administrative Agent shall maintain a copy of each Assignment Agreement
delivered and accepted by it and register (the “Register”)
for
the recordation of names and addresses of the Lenders and the Commitment of
each
Lender from time to time and whether such Lender is the original Lender or
the
Assignee. No assignment shall be effective unless and until the Assignment
Agreement is accepted and registered in the Register. All records of transfer
of
a Lender’s interest in the Register shall be conclusive, absent manifest error,
as to the ownership of the interests in the Loans. The Administrative Agent
shall not incur any liability of any kind with respect to any Lender with
respect to the maintenance of the Register.
69
15.8 GOVERNING
LAW.
THIS AGREEMENT AND EACH NOTE SHALL BE A CONTRACT MADE UNDER AND GOVERNED BY
THE
INTERNAL LAWS OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN APPLICABLE TO CONTRACTS MADE AND TO
BE
PERFORMED ENTIRELY WITHIN SUCH STATE, WITHOUT REGARD TO CONFLICT OF LAWS
PRINCIPLES.
15.9 Confidentiality.
The
Administrative Agent and each Lender agree to use commercially reasonable
efforts (equivalent to the efforts the Administrative Agent or such Lender
applies to maintain the confidentiality of its own confidential information)
to
maintain as confidential all information provided to them by any Affiliated
Party and designated as confidential, except that the Administrative Agent
and
each Lender may disclose such information (a) to Persons employed or engaged
by
the Administrative Agent or such Lender in evaluating, approving, structuring
or
administering the Loans and the Commitments provided that such Persons are
bound
by, or agree in writing to be bound by this Section 15.9 or are otherwise
required to maintain confidentiality as set forth herein; (b) to any assignee
or
participant or potential assignee or participant that has agreed to comply
with
the covenant contained in this Section
15.9
(and any
such assignee or participant or potential assignee or participant may disclose
such information to Persons employed or engaged by them as described in clause
(a) above); (c) as required or requested by any federal or state regulatory
authority or examiner, or any insurance industry association, or as reasonably
believed by the Administrative Agent or such Lender to be compelled by any
court
decree, subpoena or legal or administrative order or process; (d) as, on the
advice of the Administrative Agent’s or such Lender’s counsel, is required by
law; (e) in connection with the exercise of any right or remedy under the Loan
Documents or in connection with any litigation to which the Administrative
Agent
or such Lender is a party; (f) to any nationally recognized rating agency that
requires access to information about a Lender’s investment portfolio in
connection with ratings issued with respect to such Lender; (g) to any Affiliate
of the Administrative Agent, Issuing Lenders or any other Lender who may provide
bank products to the Affiliated Parties provided such Affiliates are bound
by or
agree in writing to be bound by this Section 15.9 or are otherwise required
to
maintain confidentiality as set forth herein; or (h) that ceases to be
confidential through no fault of the Administrative Agent or any Lender.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company consents to the publication by the
Administrative Agent or any Lender of a tombstone or similar advertising
material relating to the financing transactions contemplated by this Agreement,
and the Administrative Agent reserves the right to provide to industry trade
organizations information necessary and customary for inclusion in league table
measurements. Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement or any other Loan
Document to the contrary, any information with respect to the “tax treatment” or
“tax structure” (in each case, within the meaning of Treasury Regulation Section
1.6011-4) of the transactions contemplated hereby shall not be confidential
and
the Administrative Agent and the Lenders and other parties hereto may disclose
without limitation of any kind any information that is provided to the
Administrative Agent or the Lenders with respect to the “tax treatment” or “tax
structure” (in each case, within the meaning of Treasury Regulation Section
1.6011-4); provided,
that to
the extent any Loan Document contains information that relates to the “tax
treatment” or “tax structure” and contains other information, this paragraph
shall only apply to the information regarding the “tax treatment” or “tax
structure.”
70
15.10 Severability.
Whenever possible each provision of this Agreement shall be interpreted in
such
manner as to be effective and valid under applicable law, but if any provision
of this Agreement shall be prohibited by or invalid under applicable law, such
provision shall be ineffective to the extent of such prohibition or invalidity,
without invalidating the remainder of such provision or the remaining provisions
of this Agreement. All obligations of the Company and rights of the
Administrative Agent and the Lenders expressed herein or in any other Loan
Document shall be in addition to and not in limitation of those provided by
applicable law.
15.11 Nature
of Remedies.
All
rights of the Administrative Agent and the Lenders expressed herein or in any
other Loan Document shall be in addition to and not in limitation of those
provided by applicable law. No failure to exercise and no delay in exercising,
on the part of the Administrative Agent or any Lender, any right, remedy, power
or privilege hereunder, shall operate as a waiver thereof; nor shall any single
or partial exercise of any right, remedy, power or privilege hereunder preclude
any other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right,
remedy, power or privilege.
15.12 Entire
Agreement; Amendment and Restatement.
This
Agreement, together with the other Loan Documents, embodies the entire agreement
and understanding among the parties hereto and supersedes all prior or
contemporaneous agreements and understandings of such Persons, verbal or
written, relating to the subject matter hereof and thereof (except as relates
to
the fees described in Section
5.3)
and any
prior arrangements made with respect to the payment by the Company of (or any
indemnification for) any fees, costs or expenses payable to or incurred (or
to
be incurred) by or on behalf of the Administrative Agent or the Lenders. This
Agreement constitutes an amendment and restatement of the Prior Credit
Agreement, which Prior Credit Agreement is fully superseded and amended and
restated in its entirety hereby; provided that the Obligations governed by
the
Prior Credit Agreement shall remain outstanding and in full force and effect
and
provided further that this Agreement does not constitute a novation of such
Obligations.
15.13 Counterparts.
This
Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts and by the different
parties hereto on separate counterparts and each such counterpart shall be
deemed to be an original, but all such counterparts shall together constitute
but one and the same Agreement. Receipt of an executed signature page to this
Agreement by facsimile or other electronic transmission shall constitute
effective delivery thereof. Electronic records of executed Loan Documents
maintained by the Lenders shall deemed to be originals.
15.14 Successors
and Assigns.
This
Agreement shall be binding upon the Company, the Lenders and the Administrative
Agent and their respective successors and assigns, and shall inure to the
benefit of the Company, the Lenders and the Administrative Agent and the
successors and assigns of the Lenders and the Administrative Agent. No other
Person shall be a direct or indirect legal beneficiary of, or have any direct
or
indirect cause of action or claim in connection with, this Agreement or any
of
the other Loan Documents. The Company may not assign or transfer any of its
rights or Obligations under this Agreement without the prior written consent
of
the Administrative Agent and each Lender.
71
15.15 Captions.
Section
captions used in this Agreement are for convenience only and shall not affect
the construction of this Agreement.
15.16 INDEMNIFICATION
BY THE COMPANY.
IN CONSIDERATION OF THE EXECUTION AND DELIVERY OF THIS AGREEMENT BY THE
ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT AND THE LENDERS AND THE AGREEMENT TO EXTEND THE COMMITMENTS
PROVIDED HEREUNDER, THE COMPANY HEREBY AGREES TO INDEMNIFY, EXONERATE AND HOLD
THE ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT, EACH LENDER AND EACH OF THE OFFICERS, DIRECTORS,
EMPLOYEES, AFFILIATES AND AGENTS OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT AND EACH LENDER
(EACH A “LENDER PARTY”) FREE AND HARMLESS FROM AND AGAINST ANY AND ALL ACTIONS,
CAUSES OF ACTION, SUITS, LOSSES, LIABILITIES, DAMAGES AND EXPENSES, INCLUDING
ATTORNEY COSTS (COLLECTIVELY, THE “INDEMNIFIED LIABILITIES”), INCURRED BY THE
LENDER PARTIES OR ANY OF THEM AS A RESULT OF, OR ARISING OUT OF, OR RELATING
TO
(A) ANY TENDER OFFER, MERGER, PURCHASE OF CAPITAL SECURITIES, PURCHASE OF
ASSETS) OR OTHER SIMILAR TRANSACTION FINANCED OR PROPOSED TO BE FINANCED IN
WHOLE OR IN PART, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, WITH THE PROCEEDS OF ANY OF THE LOANS,
(B) THE USE, HANDLING, RELEASE, EMISSION, DISCHARGE, TRANSPORTATION, STORAGE,
TREATMENT OR DISPOSAL OF ANY HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCE AT ANY PROPERTY OWNED OR LEASED
BY ANY AFFILIATED PARTY, (C) ANY VIOLATION OF ANY ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS WITH
RESPECT TO CONDITIONS AT ANY PROPERTY OWNED OR LEASED BY ANY AFFILIATED PARTY
OR
THE OPERATIONS CONDUCTED THEREON, (D) THE INVESTIGATION, CLEANUP OR REMEDIATION
OF OFFSITE LOCATIONS AT WHICH ANY AFFILIATED PARTY OR THEIR RESPECTIVE
PREDECESSORS ARE ALLEGED TO HAVE DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY DISPOSED OF HAZARDOUS
SUBSTANCES OR (E) THE EXECUTION, DELIVERY, PERFORMANCE OR ENFORCEMENT OF THIS
AGREEMENT OR ANY OTHER LOAN DOCUMENT BY ANY OF THE LENDER PARTIES, EXCEPT FOR
ANY SUCH INDEMNIFIED LIABILITIES ARISING ON ACCOUNT OF THE APPLICABLE LENDER
PARTY’S GROSS NEGLIGENCE OR WILLFUL MISCONDUCT AS DETERMINED BY A COURT OF
COMPETENT JURISDICTION. IF AND TO THE EXTENT THAT THE FOREGOING UNDERTAKING
MAY
BE UNENFORCEABLE FOR ANY REASON, THE COMPANY HEREBY AGREES TO MAKE THE MAXIMUM
CONTRIBUTION TO THE PAYMENT AND SATISFACTION OF EACH OF THE INDEMNIFIED
LIABILITIES WHICH IS PERMISSIBLE UNDER APPLICABLE LAW. ALL OBLIGATIONS PROVIDED
FOR IN THIS SECTION
15.16
SHALL SURVIVE REPAYMENT OF THE LOANS, CANCELLATION OF THE NOTES, EXPIRATION
OR
TERMINATION OF THE LETTERS OF CREDIT, ANY FORECLOSURE UNDER, OR ANY
MODIFICATION, RELEASE OR DISCHARGE OF THE GUARANTY AND TERMINATION OF THIS
AGREEMENT.
72
15.17 Nonliability
of Lenders.
The
relationship between the Company on the one hand and the Lenders and the
Administrative Agent on the other hand shall be solely that of borrower and
lender. Neither the Administrative Agent nor any Lender has any fiduciary
relationship with or duty to any Affiliated Party arising out of or in
connection with this Agreement or any of the other Loan Documents, and the
relationship between the Affiliated Parties, on the one hand, and the
Administrative Agent and the Lenders, on the other hand, in connection herewith
or therewith is solely that of debtor and creditor. Neither the Administrative
Agent nor any Lender undertakes any responsibility to any Affiliated Party
to
review or inform any Affiliated Party of any matter in connection with any
phase
of any Affiliated Party’s business or operations. The Company agrees, on behalf
of itself and each other Affiliated Party, that neither the Administrative
Agent
nor any Lender shall have liability to any Affiliated Party (whether sounding
in
tort, contract or otherwise) for losses suffered by any Affiliated Party in
connection with, arising out of, or in any way related to the transactions
contemplated and the relationship established by the Loan Documents, or any
act,
omission or event occurring in connection therewith, unless it is determined
in
a judgment by a court of competent jurisdiction that such losses resulted from
the gross negligence or willful misconduct of the party from which recovery
is
sought. NO
LENDER PARTY SHALL BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES ARISING FROM THE USE BY OTHERS
OF
ANY INFORMATION OR OTHER MATERIALS OBTAINED THROUGH INTRALINKS OR OTHER SIMILAR
INFORMATION TRANSMISSION SYSTEMS IN CONNECTION WITH THIS AGREEMENT, NOR SHALL
ANY LENDER PARTY HAVE ANY LIABILITY WITH RESPECT TO, AND THE COMPANY ON BEHALF
OF ITSELF AND EACH OTHER AFFILIATED PARTY, HEREBY WAIVES, RELEASES AND AGREES
NOT TO XXX FOR ANY SPECIAL, INDIRECT OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES RELATING TO THIS
AGREEMENT OR ANY OTHER LOAN DOCUMENT OR ARISING OUT OF ITS ACTIVITIES IN
CONNECTION HEREWITH OR THEREWITH (WHETHER BEFORE OR AFTER THE CLOSING
DATE).
The
Company acknowledges that it has been advised by counsel in the negotiation,
execution and delivery of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents to which
it is a party. No joint venture is created hereby or by the other Loan Documents
or otherwise exists by virtue of the transactions contemplated hereby among
the
Lenders or among the Grantors and the Lenders.
15.18 FORUM
SELECTION AND CONSENT TO JURISDICTION.
ANY LITIGATION BASED HEREON, OR ARISING OUT OF, UNDER, OR IN CONNECTION WITH
THIS AGREEMENT OR ANY OTHER LOAN DOCUMENT, SHALL BE BROUGHT AND MAINTAINED
EXCLUSIVELY IN THE COURTS OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN OR IN THE UNITED STATES
DISTRICT COURT FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF MICHIGAN; PROVIDED
THAT NOTHING IN THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE DEEMED OR OPERATE TO PRECLUDE THE
ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT FROM BRINGING SUIT OR TAKING OTHER LEGAL ACTION IN ANY
OTHER JURISDICTION. THE COMPANY, THE ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT, EACH ISSUING LENDER
AND EACH LENDER HEREBY EXPRESSLY AND IRREVOCABLY SUBMITS TO THE JURISDICTION
OF
THE COURTS OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN AND OF THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR
THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF MICHIGAN FOR THE PURPOSE OF ANY SUCH LITIGATION AS
SET
FORTH ABOVE. THE COMPANY, THE ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT, EACH ISSUING LENDER AND
EACH
LENDER FURTHER IRREVOCABLY CONSENTS TO THE SERVICE OF PROCESS BY REGISTERED
MAIL, POSTAGE PREPAID, OR BY PERSONAL SERVICE WITHIN OR WITHOUT THE STATE OF
MICHIGAN. THE COMPANY, THE ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT, EACH ISSUING LENDER AND EACH
LENDER HEREBY EXPRESSLY AND IRREVOCABLY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED
BY LAW, ANY OBJECTION WHICH IT MAY NOW OR HEREAFTER HAVE TO THE LAYING OF VENUE
OF ANY SUCH LITIGATION BROUGHT IN ANY SUCH COURT REFERRED TO ABOVE AND ANY
CLAIM
THAT ANY SUCH LITIGATION HAS BEEN BROUGHT IN AN INCONVENIENT
FORUM.
73
15.19 WAIVER
OF JURY TRIAL.
EACH OF THE COMPANY, THE ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT, EACH ISSUING LENDER AND EACH
LENDER HEREBY WAIVES ANY RIGHT TO A TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY ACTION OR PROCEEDING
TO
ENFORCE OR DEFEND ANY RIGHTS UNDER THIS AGREEMENT, ANY NOTE, ANY OTHER LOAN
DOCUMENT AND ANY AMENDMENT, INSTRUMENT, DOCUMENT OR AGREEMENT DELIVERED OR
WHICH
MAY IN THE FUTURE BE DELIVERED IN CONNECTION HEREWITH OR THEREWITH OR ARISING
FROM ANY LENDING RELATIONSHIP EXISTING IN CONNECTION WITH ANY OF THE FOREGOING,
AND AGREES THAT ANY SUCH ACTION OR PROCEEDING SHALL BE TRIED BEFORE A COURT
AND
NOT BEFORE A JURY.
[signature
pages follow]
74
The
parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be duly executed and delivered
by
their duly authorized officers as of the date first set forth
above.
SEMCO ENERGY, INC. | ||
|
|
|
By: | /s/ Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxx | |
|
||
Title:
Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxx
Senior
Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and
Treasurer
|
75
LASALLE BANK MIDWEST NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, a national banking association, as Administrative Agent, as Issuing Lender and as a Lender | ||
|
|
|
By: | /s/ Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx | |
|
||
Xxxxxxx
X. Xxxxxx
Title:
First
Vice President
|
NATIONAL CITY BANK OF THE MIDWEST | ||
|
|
|
By: | /s/ Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx | |
|
||
Title:
SVP
|
U.S. BANK, N.A. | ||
|
|
|
By: | /s/ Xxxx Xxxxx | |
|
||
Title:
Vice President
|
FIFTH THIRD BANK, EASTERN MICHIGAN | ||
|
|
|
By: | /s/ Xxxxx X. Xxxxxxxxx | |
|
||
Title:
Assistant Vice President
|
THE HUNTINGTON NATIONAL BANK | ||
|
|
|
By: | /s/ Xxxxx X. Xxxxxxx | |
|
||
Xxxxx
X. Xxxxxxx
Title:
Vice President
|
COMERICA BANK | ||
|
|
|
By: | /s/ Xxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx | |
|
||
Title:
Assistant Vice President
|
ANNEX
A
LENDERS
AND PRO RATA SHARES
Lender
|
Revolving
Commitment
Amount
|
Pro
Rata
Share
|
LaSalle
Bank Midwest National Association**
|
$32,750,000.00
|
27.291666667%
|
National
City Bank of the Midwest
|
$23,000,000.00
|
19.166666667%
|
U.S.
Bank, N.A.
|
$23,000,000.00
|
19.166666667%
|
Fifth
Third Bank, Eastern Michigan
|
$13,750,000.00
|
11.458333333%
|
The
Huntington National Bank
|
$13,750,000.00
|
11.458333333%
|
Comerica
Bank
|
$13,750,000.00
|
11.458333333%
|
TOTALS
|
$120,000,000.00
|
100%
|
** Includes
Swing Line Commitment Amount of $40,000,000.00.
TABLE
OF CONTENTS
Pages
SECTION
1.
|
DEFINITIONS.
|
3
|
||
1.1
|
Definitions
|
3
|
||
1.2
|
Other
Interpretive Provisions
|
19
|
||
SECTION
2.
|
COMMITMENTS
OF THE LENDERS; BORROWING, CONVERSION AND LETTER OF CREDIT
PROCEDURES.
|
19
|
||
2.1
|
Commitments
|
20
|
||
2.1.1
|
Revolving
Loan Commitment
|
20
|
||
2.1.2
|
Revolving
Commitment Optional Increase
|
20
|
||
2.1.3
|
L/C
Commitment
|
21
|
||
2.2
|
Loan
Procedures
|
22
|
||
2.2.1
|
Various
Types of Loans
|
22
|
||
2.2.2
|
Borrowing
Procedures
|
22
|
||
2.2.3
|
Conversion
and Continuation Procedures
|
22
|
||
2.2.4
|
Swing
Line Facility
|
23
|
||
2.3
|
Letter
of Credit Procedures
|
25
|
||
2.3.1
|
L/C
Applications
|
25
|
||
2.3.2
|
Participations
in Letters of Credit
|
26
|
||
2.3.3
|
Reimbursement
Obligations
|
26
|
||
2.3.4
|
Existing
Letters of Credit
|
27
|
||
2.3.5
|
Funding
by Lenders to Issuing Lenders
|
27
|
||
2.4
|
Commitments
Several
|
28
|
||
2.5
|
Certain
Conditions
|
28
|
||
SECTION
3.
|
EVIDENCING
OF LOANS.
|
28
|
||
3.1
|
Notes
|
28
|
||
3.2
|
Recordkeeping
|
28
|
||
SECTION
4.
|
INTEREST.
|
29
|
||
4.1
|
Interest
Rates
|
29
|
||
4.2
|
Interest
Payment Dates
|
29
|
||
4.3
|
Setting
and Notice of LIBOR Rates
|
29
|
||
4.4
|
Computation
of Interest
|
29
|
||
SECTION
5.
|
FEES.
|
30
|
||
5.1
|
Facility
Fee
|
30
|
||
5.2
|
Letter
of Credit Fees
|
30
|
||
5.3
|
Administrative
Agent’s Fees
|
30
|
||
SECTION
6.
|
REDUCTION
OR TERMINATION OF THE REVOLVING COMMITMENT;
PREPAYMENTS.
|
30
|
i
6.1
|
Reduction
or Termination of the Revolving Commitment
|
30
|
||
6.1.1
|
Voluntary
Reduction or Termination of the Revolving
Commitment
|
30
|
||
6.1.2
|
All
Reductions of the Revolving Commitment
|
31
|
||
6.2
|
Prepayments
|
31
|
||
6.2.1
|
Voluntary
Prepayments
|
31
|
||
6.2.2
|
Mandatory
Prepayments
|
31
|
||
6.3
|
Manner
or Prepayments
|
31
|
||
6.3.1
|
All
Prepayments
|
31
|
||
6.4
|
Repayments
|
31
|
||
SECTION
7.
|
MAKING
AND PRORATION OF PAYMENTS; SETOFF; TAXES.
|
31
|
||
7.1
|
Making
of Payments
|
31
|
||
7.2
|
Application
of Certain Payments
|
32
|
||
7.3
|
Due
Date Extension
|
32
|
||
7.4
|
Setoff
|
32
|
||
7.5
|
Proration
of Payments
|
32
|
||
7.6
|
Taxes
|
32
|
||
SECTION
8.
|
INCREASED
COSTS; SPECIAL PROVISIONS FOR LIBOR LOANS.
|
34
|
||
8.1
|
Increased
Costs
|
34
|
||
8.2
|
Basis
for Determining Interest Rate Inadequate or
Unfair
|
35
|
||
8.3
|
Changes
in Law Rendering LIBOR Loans Unlawful
|
36
|
||
8.4
|
Funding
Losses
|
36
|
||
8.5
|
Right
of Lenders to Fund through Other Offices
|
37
|
||
8.6
|
Discretion
of Lenders as to Manner of Funding
|
37
|
||
8.7
|
Mitigation
of Circumstances; Replacement of Lenders
|
37
|
||
8.8
|
Conclusiveness
of Statements; Survival of Provisions
|
38
|
||
SECTION
9.
|
REPRESENTATIONS
AND WARRANTIES.
|
38
|
||
9.1
|
Organization
|
38
|
||
9.2
|
Authorization;
No Conflict
|
38
|
||
9.3
|
Validity
and Binding Nature
|
38
|
||
9.4
|
Financial
Condition
|
38
|
||
9.5
|
No
Material Adverse Change
|
39
|
||
9.6
|
Litigation
|
39
|
||
9.7
|
Ownership
of Properties; Liens
|
39
|
||
9.8
|
[Intentionally
Omitted]
|
39
|
||
9.9
|
Pension
Plans
|
39
|
||
9.10
|
Investment
Company Act
|
39
|
||
9.11
|
Public
Utility Holding Company Act
|
40
|
||
9.12
|
Regulation
U
|
40
|
||
9.13
|
Taxes;
Tax Shelter Registration
|
40
|
ii
9.14
|
Solvency,
etc.
|
40
|
||
9.15
|
Environmental
Matters
|
40
|
||
9.16
|
Insurance
|
42
|
||
9.17
|
Intentionally
Omitted
|
42
|
||
9.18
|
Information
|
42
|
||
9.19
|
Intellectual
Property
|
42
|
||
9.20
|
Intentionally
Omitted
|
42
|
||
9.21
|
Labor
Matters
|
42
|
||
9.22
|
No
Default
|
43
|
||
9.23
|
Compliance
With Laws
|
43
|
||
SECTION
10.
|
AFFIRMATIVE
COVENANTS.
|
43
|
||
10.1
|
Reports,
Certificates and Other Information
|
43
|
||
10.1.1
|
Annual
Report
|
43
|
||
10.1.2
|
Interim
Reports
|
43
|
||
10.1.3
|
Compliance
Certificates
|
43
|
||
10.1.4
|
Reports
to the SEC and to Shareholders; Regulatory Bodies
|
44
|
||
10.1.5
|
Notice
of Default, Litigation and ERISA Matters
|
44
|
||
10.1.6
|
Intentionally
Omitted
|
45
|
||
10.1.7
|
Management
Reports
|
45
|
||
10.1.8
|
Projections
|
45
|
||
10.1.9
|
Junior
Capital Notices
|
45
|
||
10.1.10
|
Other
Information
|
45
|
||
10.2
|
Books,
Records and Inspections
|
45
|
||
10.3
|
Maintenance
of Property; Insurance
|
46
|
||
10.4
|
Compliance
with Laws; Payment of Taxes and Liabilities
|
46
|
||
10.5
|
Maintenance
of Existence, etc.
|
46
|
||
10.6
|
Use
of Proceeds
|
46
|
||
10.7
|
Employee
Benefit Plans
|
47
|
||
10.8
|
Environmental
Matters
|
47
|
||
10.9
|
Tax
Shelter Registration
|
47
|
||
10.10
|
Further
Assurances
|
48
|
||
10.11
|
Deposit
Accounts
|
48
|
||
10.12
|
Guaranty
Event
|
48
|
||
10.13
|
Maintain
Debt Rating
|
48
|
||
10.14
|
Subordinated
Debt
|
48
|
||
SECTION
11.
|
NEGATIVE
COVENANTS.
|
48
|
||
11.1
|
Debt
|
49
|
||
11.2
|
Liens
|
50
|
||
11.3
|
Hedging
Agreements
|
51
|
||
11.4
|
Restricted
Payments; Subordinated Debt
|
51
|
||
11.5
|
Mergers,
Consolidations, Acquisitions, Sales
|
52
|
||
11.6
|
[Intentionally
Omitted]
|
53
|
||
11.7
|
Transactions
with Affiliates
|
53
|
iii
11.8
|
[Intentionally
Omitted]
|
53
|
||
11.9
|
Inconsistent
Agreements
|
54
|
||
11.10
|
Business
Activities; Issuance of Equity
|
54
|
||
11.11
|
Investments
|
54
|
||
11.12
|
Restriction
of Amendments to Certain Documents
|
55
|
||
11.13
|
Fiscal
Year
|
55
|
||
11.14
|
Financial
Covenants
|
55
|
||
11.14.1
|
Minimum
Interest Coverage Ratio
|
55
|
||
11.14.2
|
Maximum
Leverage Ratio
|
56
|
||
11.14.3
|
Minimum
Consolidated Net Worth
|
56
|
||
11.15
|
Cancellation
of Debt; More Favorable Terms
|
56
|
||
SECTION
12.
|
EFFECTIVENESS;
CONDITIONS OF LENDING, ETC.
|
57
|
||
12.1
|
Initial
Credit Extension
|
57
|
||
12.1.1
|
Notes
|
57
|
||
12.1.2
|
Authorization
Documents
|
57
|
||
12.1.3
|
Consents,
etc.
|
57
|
||
12.1.4
|
Letter
of Direction
|
57
|
||
12.1.5
|
Opinions
of Counsel
|
57
|
||
12.1.6
|
Intentionally
Omitted
|
57
|
||
12.1.7
|
Payment
of Fees
|
58
|
||
12.1.8
|
Income
Statements, Balance Sheets and Cash Flow
Statements
|
58
|
||
12.1.9
|
Financial
Statements
|
58
|
||
12.1.10
|
Search
Results; Lien Terminations
|
58
|
||
12.1.11
|
Closing
Certificate, Consents and Permits
|
58
|
||
12.1.12
|
Other
|
58
|
||
12.2
|
Conditions
|
58
|
||
12.2.1
|
Compliance
with Warranties, No Default, etc.
|
58
|
||
12.2.2
|
Confirmatory
Certificate
|
59
|
||
SECTION
13.
|
EVENTS
OF DEFAULT AND THEIR EFFECT.
|
59
|
||
13.1
|
Events
of Default
|
59
|
||
13.1.1
|
Non-Payment
of the Loans, etc.
|
59
|
||
13.1.2
|
Non-Payment
of Other Debt
|
59
|
||
13.1.3
|
Intentionally
Omitted
|
59
|
||
13.1.4
|
Bankruptcy,
Insolvency, etc.
|
59
|
||
13.1.5
|
Non-Compliance
with Loan Documents
|
60
|
||
13.1.6
|
Representations;
Warranties
|
60
|
||
13.1.7
|
Pension
Plans
|
60
|
||
13.1.8
|
Judgments
|
60
|
||
13.1.9
|
Intentionally
Omitted
|
60
|
||
13.1.10
|
Invalidity
of Subordination Provisions, etc.
|
60
|
||
13.1.11
|
Change
of Control
|
61
|
||
13.2
|
Effect
of Event of Default
|
61
|
iv
SECTION
14.
|
THE
AGENTS
|
61
|
||
14.1
|
Appointment
and Authorization
|
61
|
||
14.2
|
Issuing
Lender
|
62
|
||
14.3
|
Delegation
of Duties
|
62
|
||
14.4
|
Exculpation
of Administrative Agent
|
62
|
||
14.5
|
Reliance
by Administrative Agent
|
63
|
||
14.6
|
Notice
of Default
|
63
|
||
14.7
|
Credit
Decision
|
63
|
||
14.8
|
Indemnification
|
64
|
||
14.9
|
Administrative
Agent in Individual Capacity
|
64
|
||
14.10
|
Successor
Administrative Agent
|
65
|
||
14.11
|
Intentionally
Omitted
|
65
|
||
14.12
|
Administrative
Agent May File Proofs of Claim
|
65
|
||
14.13
|
Other
Agents; Arrangers and Managers
|
66
|
||
SECTION
15.
|
GENERAL.
|
66
|
||
15.1
|
Waiver;
Amendments
|
66
|
||
15.2
|
Confirmations
|
67
|
||
15.3
|
Notices
|
67
|
||
15.4
|
Computations
|
67
|
||
15.5
|
Costs,
Expenses and Taxes
|
68
|
||
15.6
|
Assignments;
Participations
|
68
|
||
15.6.1
|
Assignments
|
68
|
||
15.6.2
|
Participations
|
69
|
||
15.7
|
Register
|
69
|
||
15.8
|
GOVERNING
LAW
|
70
|
||
15.9
|
Confidentiality
|
70
|
||
15.10
|
Severability
|
71
|
||
15.11
|
Nature
of Remedies
|
71
|
||
15.12
|
Entire
Agreement; Amendment and Restatement
|
71
|
||
15.13
|
Counterparts
|
71
|
||
15.14
|
Successors
and Assigns
|
71
|
||
15.15
|
Captions
|
72
|
||
15.16
|
INDEMNIFICATION
BY THE COMPANY
|
72
|
||
15.17
|
Nonliability
of Lenders
|
73
|
||
15.18
|
FORUM
SELECTION AND CONSENT TO JURISDICTION
|
73
|
||
15.19
|
WAIVER
OF JURY TRIAL
|
74
|
v