JBT’s obligations under the Bridge Credit Agreement will be guaranteed by certain of JBT’s domestic subsidiaries (collectively, the “Subsidiary Guarantors”) and, when permitted by JBT’s Revolving Credit Facility (as defined below), secured by a first-priority security interest in substantially all of the tangible and intangible personal property of JBT and domestic Subsidiary Guarantors, subject to an intercreditor agreement with JBT’s Revolving Credit Facility.
If drawn, loans under the Bridge Credit Agreement accrue interest at the Euro Interbank Offered Rate plus 2.25% per annum, increasing by 0.50% per annum at the end of the first 90 day period after the initial borrowing date and by an additional 0.50% per annum at the end of each 90 day period thereafter until the maturity date of the Bridge Credit Agreement. Any such drawn amounts and the amount of the undrawn and available commitments are also subject to a duration fee that accrues daily at a rate of 0.75% for the period of time from 90 days after the initial borrowing date until the 180th day after the initial borrowing date, 1.00% for the period of time from 180 days after the initial borrowing date until the 270th day after the initial borrowing date and 1.25% for the period of time from 270 days after the initial borrowing date until the maturity date of the Bridge Credit Agreement.
JBT may voluntarily prepay the Bridge Credit Agreement, if drawn, at any time without premium or penalty. The Bridge Credit Agreement also requires certain mandatory commitment reductions or loan prepayments in connection with certain equity issuances or debt issuances, subject to certain customary exceptions. The Bridge Credit Agreement also contains customary events of default, upon the occurrence of which, and for so long as such event of default is continuing, the amounts outstanding under the Bridge Credit Agreement will accrue interest at an increased rate and payments of such outstanding amounts could be accelerated by the lenders. In addition, the loan parties under the Bridge Credit Agreement will be subject to certain affirmative and negative covenants.
The obligations to pay interest on, repay the principal amount of and guarantee the payment of any liability (contingent or otherwise) under the Bridge Credit Agreement are not conditioned or otherwise subject to the financial results of Marel.
The Bridge Credit Agreement contains representations and warranties and covenants that the respective parties made to each other as of the date of the Bridge Credit Agreement or other specific dates. The assertions embodied in those representations and warranties and covenants were made for purposes of the contract among the respective parties and are subject to important qualifications and limitations agreed to by the parties in connection with negotiating such Bridge Credit Agreement. The representations and warranties and covenants in the Bridge Credit Agreement are also modified in important part by the underlying disclosure schedules which are not filed publicly and which are subject to a contractual standard of materiality different from that generally applicable to shareholders and were used for the purpose of allocating risk among the parties rather than establishing matters as facts. JBT does not believe that these schedules contain information that is material to an investment decision.
The foregoing description of the Bridge Credit Agreement does not purport to be complete and is subject to, and qualified in its entirety by, reference to the full text of the Bridge Credit Agreement, which is filed as Exhibit 10.1 to this Report and incorporated by reference herein.
Item 2.03 | Creation of a Direct Financial Obligation or an Obligation under an Off-Balance Sheet Arrangement of a Registrant. |
On April 4, 2024, JBT entered into the Bridge Credit Agreement as described in Item 1.01 above. The description of the Bridge Credit Agreement set forth in Item 1.01 above is hereby incorporated into this Item 2.03 by reference.
Backstop Commitment Letter
In connection with the Transaction, on April 4, 2024, JBT entered into a backstop commitment letter pursuant to which Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, Wells Fargo Bank, National Association and Goldman Sachs Bank USA have committed to provide and to arrange, as applicable, subject to the terms and conditions of the backstop commitment letter, a $1.3 billion revolving credit facility to the extent that JBT’s existing revolving credit facility under that certain Amended and Restated Credit Agreement, dated as of December 14, 2021, by and among JBT, the Bidder, the lenders from time to time party thereto and Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as administrative agent (the “Existing Revolving Credit Facility”), is not amended to expressly permit the Transaction and make certain other amendments as set forth in the backstop commitment letter (the Existing Revolving Credit Facility, as amended or replaced by the backstop revolving credit facility, the “Revolving Credit Facility”). Such Revolving Credit Facility would be available to finance the Transaction, to pay related fees and expenses and for general working capital purposes. If the amendment to JBT’s Existing Revolving Credit Facility is not achieved, the backstop revolving credit facility would be on substantially the same terms as the Existing Revolving Credit Facility if it were successfully amended in the manner as contemplated in the backstop commitment letter.
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