SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, DC 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Date of Report: October 19, 2004
HERMAN MILLER, INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
| Michigan (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation) 855 East Main Avenue Zeeland, Michigan (Address of principal executive office) | 001-15141 (Commission File Number) | 38-0837640 (IRS Employer Identification no.) 49464 (Zip Code) |
(616) 654-3000
(Registrant’s Telephone Number, Including Area Code)
Not Applicable
(Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):
[_] Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)
[_] Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14A-12)
[_] Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))
[_] Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))
Item 1.01. Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement
On October 18, 2004, Herman Miller, Inc. completed a new $150 million five-year revolving credit agreement. The agreement has an accordion feature enabling the credit facility to be increased to $200 million, subject to customary conditions. This new credit agreement replaces the $200 million bank facility that was scheduled to expire in April, 2005. The new credit facility is provided by Bank One, NA as Administrative Agent and Wells Fargo Bank, NA as Syndication Agent and various other lenders. Outstanding borrowings under the new agreement incur interest at rates based on the prime rate, certificates of deposit, LIBOR, or negotiated rates.
Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits
Exhibits.
99.1 Credit Agreement dated as of October 18, 2004 among Herman Miller, Inc. and various lenders.
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SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.
| Dated: October 19, 2004 | HERMAN MILLER, INC. (Registrant) By: /s/ Joseph M. Nowicki —————————————— Joseph M. Nowicki Its: Treasurer and VP, Investor Relations |
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EXHIBIT INDEX
99.1 Credit Agreement dated as of October 18, 2004 among Herman Miller, Inc. and various lenders.
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EXHIBIT 99.1
CREDIT AGREEMENT
dated as of
October 18, 2004
among
HERMAN MILLER INC.,
THE FOREIGN SUBSIDIARY BORROWERS PARTY HERETO,
THE LENDERS PARTY HERETO,
BANK ONE, NA,
as Administrative Agent,
WELLS FARGO BANK, N.A.,
as Syndication Agent
and
STANDARD FEDERAL BANK, N.A. and
WACHOVIA BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION,
as Documentation Agents
_________________
J.P. MORGAN SECURITIES INC.
and
WELLS FARGO BANK, N.A.,
as Co-Lead Arrangers
This CREDIT AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”), dated as of October 18, 2004, is among HERMAN MILLER, INC., the FOREIGN SUBSIDIARY BORROWERS party hereto, the LENDERS party hereto, BANK ONE, NA, as Administrative Agent, WELLS FARGO BANK, N.A., as Syndication Agent, and STANDARD FEDERAL BANK, N.A. and WACHOVIA BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, as Documentation Agents.
The parties hereto agree as follows:
ARTICLE I
Definitions
SECTION 1.01. Defined Terms. As used in this Agreement, the following terms have the meanings specified below:
“ABR”, when used in reference to any Loan or Borrowing, refers to whether such Loan, or the Loans comprising such Borrowing, are bearing interest at a rate determined by reference to the Alternate Base Rate.
“Acquisition” means any transaction, or any series of related transactions, consummated on or after the date of this Agreement, by which the U.S. Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries (i) acquires any going business or all or substantially all of the assets of any firm, corporation or limited liability company, or division thereof, whether through purchase of assets, merger or otherwise or (ii) directly or indirectly acquires (in one transaction or as the most recent transaction in a series of transactions) at least a majority (in number of votes) of the Equity Interests of a Person.
“Adjusted LIBO Rate” means, with respect to any Eurocurrency Borrowing for any Interest Period, an interest rate per annum (rounded upwards, if necessary, to the next 1/16 of 1%) equal to (a) the LIBO Rate for such Interest Period multiplied by (b) the Statutory Reserve Rate.
“Administrative Agent” means Bank One, in its capacity as administrative agent for the Lenders hereunder.
“Administrative Questionnaire” means an Administrative Questionnaire in a form supplied by the Administrative Agent.
“Advance” means any Loan or any Letter of Credit.
“Affiliate” means, with respect to a specified Person, another Person that directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, Controls or is Controlled by or is under common Control with the Person specified.
“Agents” means the Administrative Agent, the Syndication Agent and the Documentation Agents.
“Aggregate Ancillary Commitments” means, at any time, the aggregate amount of the Ancillary Commitments of all Lenders at such time.
“Aggregate Ancillary Facility Exposure” means, at any time, the aggregate amount of the Ancillary Facility Exposures of all Lenders at such time.
“Aggregate Commitments” means, at any time, the aggregate amount of the Commitments of all Lenders at such time.
“Aggregate Competitive Loan Exposure” means, at any time, the aggregate amount of the Competitive Loan Exposures of all Lenders at such time.
“Aggregate Revolving Credit Exposure” means, at any time, the aggregate amount of the Revolving Credit Exposures of all Lenders at such time.
“Aggregate Total Exposure” means, at any time, the sum of the Aggregate Revolving Credit Exposure, the Aggregate Ancillary Facility Exposure and the Aggregate Competitive Loan Exposure at such time.
“Agreement Currency” shall have the meaning assigned to such term in Section 9.15(b).
“Alternate Base Rate” means, for any day, a rate per annum equal to the greatest of (a) the Prime Rate in effect on such day, (b) the Base CD Rate in effect on such day plus 1% and (c) the Federal Funds Effective Rate in effect on such day plus ½ of 1%. Any change in the Alternate Base Rate due to a change in the Prime Rate, the Base CD Rate or the Federal Funds Effective Rate shall be effective from and including the effective date of such change in the Prime Rate, the Base CD Rate or the Federal Funds Effective Rate, respectively.
“Ancillary Commitment” means, with respect to any Ancillary Lender and Ancillary Facility, the maximum amount that such Ancillary Lender has agreed to make available from time to time during the Availability Period under such Ancillary Facility created pursuant to Section 2.22 by such Ancillary Lender; provided that at no time shall (a) all Ancillary Commitments of such Ancillary Lender and the Revolving Credit Exposure of such Ancillary Lender exceed (b) the Commitment of such Ancillary Lender.
“Ancillary Facility” means any facility made available for a Foreign Subsidiary Borrower by a Lender pursuant to Section 2.22.
“Ancillary Facility Document” means, with respect to any Ancillary Facility, the agreements between the applicable Foreign Subsidiary Borrower and the Ancillary Lender(s) thereunder providing such Ancillary Facility.
“Ancillary Facility Exposure” means, with respect to any Lender at any time, the Dollar Equivalent of the outstanding principal amount of such Lender’s Ancillary Loans at such time.
“Ancillary Facility Termination Date” shall have the meaning assigned to such term in Section 2.22(e)(i).
“Ancillary Lender” means, with respect to any Ancillary Facility, the Lender that has made such Ancillary Facility available under Section 2.22.
“Ancillary Loan” means, at any time, a loan under an Ancillary Facility in respect of which the applicable Ancillary Lender has advanced funds to the Foreign Subsidiary Borrower thereunder.
“Applicable Agent” means (a) with respect to a Loan or Borrowing denominated in Dollars or with respect to any payment that does not relate to any Loan or Borrowing, the Administrative Agent and (b) with respect to a Loan or Borrowing denominated in a Foreign Currency, the Administrative Agent or an Affiliate thereof designated pursuant to Section 8.07.
“Applicable Creditor” shall have the meaning assigned to such term in Section 9.15(b).
“Applicable Adjusted Percentage” means, with respect to any Lender, the percentage of (a) the Aggregate Commitments minus the Aggregate Ancillary Commitments, represented by (b) such Lender’s Commitment minus such Lender’s Ancillary Commitments. If the Commitments have terminated or expired, the Applicable Adjusted Percentage shall be determined based upon the Commitments and Ancillary Commitments most recently in effect, giving effect to any assignments.
“Applicable Percentage” means, with respect to any Lender, the percentage of the Aggregate Commitments represented by such Lender’s Commitment. If the Commitments have terminated or expired, the Applicable Percentages shall be determined based upon the Commitments most recently in effect, giving effect to any assignments.
“Applicable Rate” means, for any day, with respect to any Eurocurrency Loan or with respect to the facility fees payable hereunder, as the case may be, the applicable rate per annum set forth below under the caption “Eurocurrency Spread” or “Facility Fee Rate”, as the case may be, based upon the Leverage Ratio as of the most recent determination date:
| Level | Leverage Ratio | Eurocurrency Spread | Facility Fee Rate |
| 1 | < 0.75:1.0 | 36.0 bps | 9.0 bps |
| 2 | < 1.25:1.0 | 40.0 bps | 10.0 bps |
| 3 | < 1.75:1.0 | 47.5 bps | 12.5 bps |
| 4 | < 2.25:1.0 | 60.0 bps | 15.0 bps |
| 5 | < 2.75:1.0 | 80.0 bps | 20.0 bps |
| 6 | = 2.75:1.0 | 90.0 bps | 22.5 bps |
The Applicable Rate shall be determined in accordance with the foregoing table based on the Leverage Ratio as of the end of each fiscal quarter, as calculated for the four most recently ended consecutive fiscal quarters of the U.S. Borrower. Adjustments, if any, to the Applicable Rate shall be effective five business days after the Administrative Agent is scheduled to receive the applicable financials under Section 5.01(a) or (b) and certificate under Section 5.01(c). If the U.S. Borrower fails to deliver the financials to the Administrative Agent at the time required hereunder, then the Applicable Rate shall be set at Level 6 until five days after such financials are so delivered. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Applicable Rate shall be set at Level 3 as of the Effective Date hereof and shall be adjusted for the first time based on the financials for the fiscal quarter ending November 27, 2004.
“Approved Fund” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 9.04.
“Assessment Rate” means, for any day, the annual assessment rate in effect on such day that is payable by a member of the Bank Insurance Fund classified as “well-capitalized” and within supervisory subgroup “B” (or a comparable successor risk classification) within the meaning of 12 C.F.R. Part 327 (or any successor provision) to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation for insurance by such Corporation of time deposits made in Dollars at the offices of such member in the United States;provided that if, as a result of any change in any law, rule or regulation, it is no longer possible to determine the Assessment Rate as aforesaid, then the Assessment Rate shall be such annual rate as shall be determined by the Administrative Agent to be representative of the cost of such insurance to the Lenders.
“Assignment and Assumption” means an assignment and assumption entered into by a Lender and an assignee (with the consent of any party whose consent is required by Section 9.04), and accepted by the Administrative Agent, in the form of Exhibit A or any other form approved by the Administrative Agent.
“Available Unused Commitment” means, with respect to a Lender at any time, an amount equal to the amount by which (a) the Commitment of such Lender at such time exceeds (b) the sum of (x) the Revolving Credit Exposure of such Lender at such time and (y) the Ancillary Commitments (if any) of such Lender at such time.
“Availability Period” means the period from and including the Effective Date to but excluding the earlier of the Maturity Date and the date of termination of the Commitments.
“Bank One” means Bank One, NA, a national banking association, with its main office in Chicago, Illinois, and its successors.
“Base CD Rate” means the sum of (a) the Three-Month Secondary CD Rate multiplied by the Statutory Reserve Rate plus (b) the Assessment Rate.
“Board” means the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System of the United States of America.
“Board of Directors” means: (1) with respect to a corporation, the board of directors of the corporation or such directors or committee serving a similar function; (2) with respect to a limited liability company, the board of managers of the company or such managers or committee serving a similar function; (3) with respect to a partnership, the Board of Directors of the general partner of the partnership; and (4) with respect to any other Person, the managers, directors, trustees, board or committee of such Person or its owners serving a similar function.
“Borrowers” means the U.S. Borrower and the Foreign Subsidiary Borrowers.
“Borrowing” means (a) Revolving Loans of the same Type, made, converted or continued on the same date and, in the case of Eurocurrency Loans, as to which a single Interest Period is in effect, (b) Ancillary Loans of the same Type, made, converted or continued on the same date and made with respect to the same Ancillary Facility, (c) a Competitive Loan or group of Competitive Loans of the same Type made on the same date and as to which a single Interest Period is in effect or (d) a Swingline Loan.
“Borrowing Minimum” means (a) in the case of an ABR Borrowing, a Eurocurrency Borrowing denominated in Dollars and a Competitive Loan, $5,000,000, (b) in the case of a Revolving Borrowing denominated in a Foreign Currency, the smallest amount of such Foreign Currency that is a multiple of 1,000,000 units of such Foreign Currency and has a Dollar Equivalent in excess of $5,000,000, (c) in the case of an Ancillary Borrowing, such amount agreed upon in the relevant Ancillary Facility Document, (d) in the case of a Swingline Borrowing denominated in Dollars, $500,000 or such other amount agreed to by the Swingline Lender, and (e) in the case of a Swingline Borrowing denominated in a Foreign Currency, the smallest amount of such Foreign Currency that is a multiple of 100,000 units of such Foreign Currency and has a Dollar Equivalent in excess of $500,000 or such other amount agreed to by the Swingline Lender.
“Borrowing Multiple” means (a) in the case of a Revolving Borrowing denominated in Dollars or a Competitive Loan, $1,000,000, (b) in the case of a Revolving Borrowing denominated in a Foreign Currency, 1,000,000 units of such Foreign Currency, (c) in the case of an Ancillary Borrowing, such amount agreed upon in the relevant Ancillary Facility Document, (d) in the case of a Swingline Borrowing denominated in Dollars, $100,000 or such other amount agreed to by the Swingline Lender, and (e) in the case of a Swingline Borrowing denominated in a Foreign Currency, 100,000 units of such Foreign Currency or such other amount agreed to by the Swingline Lender.
“Borrowing Request” means a request by the Borrower for a Revolving Borrowing in accordance with Section 2.03.
“Business Day” means any day that is not a Saturday, Sunday or other day on which commercial banks in New York City or Chicago are authorized or required by law to remain closed;provided that, when used in connection with a Eurocurrency Loan, the term “Business Day” shall also exclude any day on which banks are not open for dealings in deposits in the currency in which such Eurocurrency Loan is denominated in the London interbank market.
“CAM” means the mechanism for the allocation and exchange of interests in the Loans and participations in Letters of Credit and collections thereunder established under Article X.
“CAM Exchange” means the exchange of the Lenders’ interests provided for in Section 10.01.
“CAM Exchange Date” means the first date after the Effective Date on which there shall occur (a) any event described in paragraph (h) or (i) of Section 7.01 with respect to any Borrower or (b) an acceleration of Advances pursuant to Article VII.
“CAM Percentage” means, as to each Lender, the Applicable Percentage calculated immediately prior to the CAM Exchange Date.
“Capital Lease Obligations” of any Person means the obligations of such Person to pay rent or other amounts under any lease of (or other arrangement conveying the right to use) real or personal property, or a combination thereof, which obligations are required to be classified and accounted for as capital leases on a balance sheet of such Person under GAAP, and the amount of such obligations shall be the capitalized amount thereof determined in accordance with GAAP.
“Change in Control” means (a) the membership of the U.S. Borrower’s Board of Directors changes by more than 50% during any 12-month period, or the number of members on the U.S. Borrower’s Board of Directors either increases or decreases by more than 50% during any 12 month period, (ii) any person or group or persons (within the meaning of Section 13(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 , as amended) shall obtain ownership or control in one or more series of transactions of more than 33% of the common Equity Interests or 33% of the voting power of the Equity Interests of the U.S. Borrower entitled to vote in the election of members of the Board of Directors of the U.S. Borrower, or (iii) there shall have occurred under any credit agreement, indenture or other instrument evidencing any Indebtedness in excess of $10,000,000 any “change in control” or similar term (as defined in such credit agreement, indenture or other evidence of Indebtedness) obligating, or permitting the holders of such Indebtedness to obligate, the U.S. Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries to repurchase, redeem or repay all or any part of the Indebtedness or Equity Interests provided for therein.
“Change in Law” means (a) the adoption of any law, rule or regulation after the date of this Agreement, (b) any change in any law, rule or regulation or in the interpretation or application thereof by any Governmental Authority after the date of this Agreement or (c) compliance by any Lender or the Issuing Bank (or, for purposes of Section 2.15(b), by any lending office of such Lender or by such Lender’s or the Issuing Bank’s holding company, if any) with any request, guideline or directive (whether or not having the force of law) of any Governmental Authority made or issued after the date of this Agreement.
“Class”, when used in reference to any Loan or Borrowing, refers to whether such Loan, or the Loans comprising such Borrowing, are Revolving Loans, Competitive Loans or Swingline Loans.
“Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time.
“Commitment” means, with respect to each Lender, the commitment of such Lender to make Revolving Loans and to acquire participations in Letters of Credit and Swingline Loans hereunder, expressed as an amount representing the maximum aggregate amount of such Lender’s Revolving Credit Exposure hereunder, as such commitment may be reduced or increased from time to time pursuant to Section 2.09 or 9.04. The initial amount of each Lender’s Commitment is set forth on Schedule 2.01, or in the Assignment and Assumption pursuant to which such Lender shall have assumed its Commitment, as applicable. The initial aggregate amount of the Lenders’ Commitments is $150,000,000.
“Competitive Bid” means an offer by a Lender to make a Competitive Loan in accordance with Section 2.04.
“Competitive Bid Rate” means, with respect to any Competitive Bid, the Margin or the Fixed Rate, as applicable, offered by the Lender making such Competitive Bid.
“Competitive Bid Request” means a request by the U.S. Borrower for Competitive Bids in accordance with Section 2.04.
“Competitive Loan” means a Loan made pursuant to Section 2.04.
“Competitive Loan Exposure” means, with respect to any Lender at any time, the outstanding principal amount of such Lender’s Competitive Loans at such time.
“Consolidated EBITDA” means, with reference to any period, the net income (or loss) of the U.S. Borrower and its Subsidiaries for such period,plus, to the extent deducted from revenues in determining such net income, (i) Consolidated Interest Expense, (ii) expense for income taxes accrued, (iii) depreciation, (iv) amortization, and (v) extraordinary non-cash losses incurred other than in the ordinary course of business, minus, to the extent included in such net income, extraordinary gains realized other than in the ordinary course of business, all as determined in accordance with GAAP and calculated for the U.S. Borrower and its Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis.
“Consolidated Indebtedness” means at any time the Indebtedness of the U.S. Borrower and its Subsidiaries calculated on a consolidated basis.
“Consolidated Interest Expense” means, with reference to any period, the Interest Expense of the U.S. Borrower and its Subsidiaries calculated on a consolidated basis for such period.
“Consolidated Total Assets” means, as of any date, the total assets of the U.S. Borrower and the consolidated Subsidiaries, determined in accordance with GAAP, as set forth on the consolidated balance sheet of the U.S. Borrower as of such date.
“Control” means the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management or policies of a Person, whether through the ability to exercise voting power, by contract or otherwise. “Controlling” and “Controlled” have meanings correlative thereto.
“Default” means any event or condition which constitutes an Event of Default or which upon notice, lapse of time or both would, unless cured or waived, become an Event of Default.
“Defaulting Lender” means any Lender with respect to which a Lender Default is in effect.
“Disclosed Matters” means the actions, suits and proceedings and the environmental matters disclosed in Schedule 3.06.
“Disqualified Stock” means any Equity Interest that, by its terms (or by the terms of any security into which it is convertible or for which it is exchangeable), or upon the happening of any event, matures or is mandatorily redeemable, pursuant to a sinking fund obligation or otherwise, or redeemable at the option of the holder thereof, in whole or in part.
“Documentation Agents” means Standard Federal Bank, N.A. and Wachovia Bank, National Association, in their capacity as documentation agents for the Lenders hereunder.
“Dollars” or “$” refers to lawful money of the United States of America.
“Dollar Equivalent” means, on any date of determination (a) with respect to any amount in Dollars, such amount, and (b) with respect to any amount in any Foreign Currency, the equivalent in Dollars of such amount, determined by the Administrative Agent pursuant to Section 1.05 using the Exchange Rate with respect to such Foreign Currency at the time in effect under the provisions of such Section.
“Domestic Subsidiary” means any Subsidiary that is not a Foreign Subsidiary.
“Effective Date” means the date on which the conditions specified in Section 4.01 are satisfied (or waived in accordance with Section 9.02).
“EMU Legislation” means the legislative measures of the European Union for the introduction of, changeover to or operation of the euro in one or more member states of the European Union.
“Environmental Laws” means all laws, rules, regulations, codes, ordinances, orders, decrees, judgments, injunctions, notices or binding agreements issued, promulgated or entered into by any Governmental Authority, relating in any way to the environment, preservation or reclamation of natural resources, the management, release or threatened release of any Hazardous Material or to health and safety matters.
“Environmental Liability” means any liability, contingent or otherwise (including any liability for damages, costs of environmental remediation, fines, penalties or indemnities), of the U.S. Borrower or any Subsidiary directly or indirectly resulting from or based upon (a) violation of any Environmental Law, (b) the generation, use, handling, transportation, storage, treatment or disposal of any Hazardous Materials, (c) exposure to any Hazardous Materials, (d) the release or threatened release of any Hazardous Materials into the environment or (e) any contract, agreement or other consensual arrangement pursuant to which liability is assumed or imposed with respect to any of the foregoing.
“Equity Interests ” means shares of capital stock, partnership interests, membership interests in a limited liability company, beneficial interests in a trust or other equity ownership interests in a Person, and any warrants, options or other rights entitling the holder thereof to purchase or acquire any such equity interest.
“ERISA” means the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended from time to time.
“ERISA Affiliate” means any trade or business (whether or not incorporated) that, together with the U.S. Borrower, is treated as a single employer under Section 414(b) or (c) of the Code or, solely for purposes of Section 302 of ERISA and Section 412 of the Code, is treated as a single employer under Section 414 of the Code.
“ERISA Event” means (a) any “reportable event”, as defined in Section 4043 of ERISA or the regulations issued thereunder with respect to a Plan (other than an event for which the 30-day notice period is waived); (b) the existence with respect to any Plan of an “accumulated funding deficiency” (as defined in Section 412 of the Code or Section 302 of ERISA), whether or not waived; (c) the filing pursuant to Section 412(d) of the Code or Section 303(d) of ERISA of an application for a waiver of the minimum funding standard with respect to any Plan; (d) the incurrence by the U.S. Borrower or any of its ERISA Affiliates of any liability under Title IV of ERISA with respect to the termination of any Plan; (e) the receipt by the U.S. Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate from the PBGC or a plan administrator of any notice relating to an intention to terminate any Plan or Plans or to appoint a trustee to administer any Plan; (f) the incurrence by the U.S. Borrower or any of its ERISA Affiliates of any liability with respect to the withdrawal or partial withdrawal from any Plan or Multiemployer Plan; or (g) the receipt by the U.S. Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate of any notice, or the receipt by any Multiemployer Plan from the U.S. Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate of any notice, concerning the imposition of Withdrawal Liability or a determination that a Multiemployer Plan is, or is expected to be, insolvent or in reorganization, within the meaning of Title IV of ERISA.
“Euro” or “€” means the single currency of the European Union as constituted by the treaty establishing the European Community being the Treaty of Rome, as amended from time to time and as referred to in the EMU Legislation.
“Eurocurrency”, when used in reference to any Loan or Borrowing, refers to whether such Loan, or the Loans comprising such Borrowing, are bearing interest at a rate determined by reference to the Adjusted LIBO Rate (or, in the case of a Competitive Loan, the LIBO Rate).
“Event of Default” has the meaning assigned to such term in Article VII.
“Exchange Rate” means on any day, for purposes of determining the Dollar Equivalent of any other currency, the rate at which such other currency may be exchanged into Dollars at the time of determination on such day on the Reuters WRLD Page for such currency. In the event that such rate does not appear on any Reuters WRLD Page, the Exchange Rate shall be determined by reference to such other publicly available service for displaying exchange rates as may be agreed upon by the Administrative Agent and the Borrowers, or, in the absence of such an agreement, such Exchange Rate shall instead be the arithmetic average of the spot rates of exchange of the Administrative Agent in the market where its foreign currency exchange operations in respect of such currency are then being conducted, at or about such time as the Administrative Agent shall elect after determining that such rates shall be the basis for determining the Exchange Rate, on such date for the purchase of Dollars for delivery two Business Days later;provided that if at the time of any such determination, for any reason, no such spot rate is being quoted, the Administrative Agent may use any reasonable method it deems appropriate to determine such rate, and such determination shall be conclusive absent manifest error.
“Exchange Rate Date” means, if on such date any outstanding Loan is (or any Loan that has been requested at such time would be) denominated in a currency other than Dollars, each of:
(a) the last Business Day of each calendar month,
(b) if an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, the CAM Exchange Date and any other Business Day designated as an Exchange Rate Date by the Administrative Agent in its sole discretion, and
(c) each date (with such date to be reasonably determined by the Administrative Agent) that is on or about the date of (i) a Borrowing Request or an Interest Election Request with respect to any Revolving Borrowing or (ii) each request for the issuance, amendment, renewal or extension of any Ancillary Loan, Letter of Credit or Swingline Loan.
“Excluded Taxes” means, with respect to the Administrative Agent, any Lender, the Issuing Bank or any other recipient of any payment to be made by or on account of any obligation of the U.S. Borrower hereunder, (a) income or franchise taxes imposed on (or measured by) its net income by the United States of America, or by the State of the United States of America or other jurisdiction under the laws of which such recipient is organized or in which its principal office is located or, in the case of any Lender, in which its applicable lending office is located, (b) any branch profits taxes imposed by the United States of America or any similar tax imposed by any other jurisdiction in which the U.S. Borrower is located and (c) in the case of a Foreign Lender (other than an assignee pursuant to a request by the U.S. Borrower under Section 2.19(b)), any withholding tax that is imposed on amounts payable to such Foreign Lender at the time such Foreign Lender becomes a party to this Agreement (or designates a new lending office) or is attributable to such Foreign Lender’s failure to comply with Section 2.17(e), except to the extent that such Foreign Lender (or its assignor, if any) was entitled, at the time of designation of a new lending office (or assignment), to receive additional amounts from the U.S. Borrower with respect to such withholding tax pursuant to Section 2.17(a).
“Existing Credit Agreement” means the Credit Agreement among the U.S. Borrower, the foreign subsidiaries and lenders thereto, Nationsbank, N.A., as Administrative Agent, NBD Bank, as Syndication Agent, and First Union National Bank, The Huntington National Bank and Wachovia Bank, N.A. as Co-Agents, dated as of April 16, 1999, as amended.
“Federal Funds Effective Rate” means, for any day, the weighted average (rounded upwards, if necessary, to the next 1/100 of 1%) of the rates on overnight Federal funds transactions with members of the Federal Reserve System arranged by Federal funds brokers, as published on the next succeeding Business Day by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, or, if such rate is not so published for any day that is a Business Day, the average (rounded upwards, if necessary, to the next 1/100 of 1%) of the quotations for such day for such transactions received by the Administrative Agent from three Federal funds brokers of recognized standing selected by it.
“Financial Officer” means the chief financial officer, principal accounting officer, treasurer or controller of the U.S. Borrower.
“Fixed Rate” means, with respect to any Competitive Loan (other than a Eurocurrency Competitive Loan), the fixed rate of interest per annum specified by the Lender making such Competitive Loan in its related Competitive Bid.
“Fixed Rate Loan” means a Competitive Loan bearing interest at a Fixed Rate.
“Foreign Currency” means (a) with respect to an Ancillary Facility, any currency acceptable to the Administrative Agent that is freely available, freely transferable and freely convertible into Dollars and in which dealings in deposits are carried on in the London interbank market and (b) otherwise, Euros and Sterling.
“Foreign Lender” means any Lender that is organized under the laws of a jurisdiction other than that in which the U.S. Borrower is located. For purposes of this definition, the United States of America, each State thereof and the District of Columbia shall be deemed to constitute a single jurisdiction.
“Foreign Subsidiary” means any Subsidiary that is incorporated or organized under the laws of any jurisdiction other than the United States of America, any State thereof or the District of Columbia.
“Foreign Subsidiary Borrower” means, at any time, each Foreign Subsidiary that has been designated as a Foreign Subsidiary Borrower by the U.S. Borrower pursuant to Section 2.20, other than a Foreign Subsidiary Borrower that has ceased to be a Foreign Subsidiary Borrower as provided in Section 2.20.
“Foreign Subsidiary Borrower Agreement” means a Foreign Subsidiary Borrower Agreement substantially in the form of Exhibit B.
“Foreign Subsidiary Borrower Termination” means a Foreign Subsidiary Borrower Termination substantially in the form of Exhibit C.
“GAAP” means generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America.
“Governmental Authority” means the government of the United States of America, any other nation or any political subdivision thereof, whether state or local, and any agency, authority, instrumentality, regulatory body, court, central bank or other entity exercising executive, legislative, judicial, taxing, regulatory or administrative powers or functions of or pertaining to government.
“Guarantee” of or by any Person (the “guarantor”) means any obligation, contingent or otherwise, of the guarantor guaranteeing or having the economic effect of guaranteeing any Indebtedness or other obligation of any other Person (the “primary obligor”) in any manner, whether directly or indirectly, and including any obligation of the guarantor, direct or indirect, (a) to purchase or pay (or advance or supply funds for the purchase or payment of) such Indebtedness or other obligation or to purchase (or to advance or supply funds for the purchase of) any security for the payment thereof, (b) to purchase or lease property, securities or services for the purpose of assuring the owner of such Indebtedness or other obligation of the payment thereof, (c) to maintain working capital, equity capital or any other financial statement condition or liquidity of the primary obligor so as to enable the primary obligor to pay such Indebtedness or other obligation or (d) as an account party in respect of any letter of credit or letter of guaranty issued to support such Indebtedness or obligation;provided, that the term Guarantee shall not include endorsements for collection or deposit in the ordinary course of business.
“Hazardous Materials” means all explosive or radioactive substances or wastes and all hazardous or toxic substances, wastes or other pollutants, including petroleum or petroleum distillates, asbestos or asbestos containing materials, polychlorinated biphenyls, radon gas, infectious or medical wastes and all other substances or wastes of any nature regulated pursuant to any Environmental Law.
“Indebtedness” of any Person means, without duplication, (a) all obligations of such Person for borrowed money or with respect to deposits or advances of any kind, (b) all obligations of such Person evidenced by bonds, debentures, notes or similar instruments, (c) all obligations of such Person upon which interest charges are customarily paid, (d) all obligations of such Person under conditional sale or other title retention agreements relating to property acquired by such Person, (e) all obligations of such Person in respect of the deferred purchase price of property or services (excluding current accounts payable incurred in the ordinary course of business), (f) all Indebtedness of others secured by (or for which the holder of such Indebtedness has an existing right, contingent or otherwise, to be secured by) any Lien on property owned or acquired by such Person, whether or not the Indebtedness secured thereby has been assumed, (g) all Guarantees by such Person of Indebtedness of others, (h) all Capital Lease Obligations of such Person, (i) all obligations, contingent or otherwise, of such Person as an account party in respect of letters of credit and letters of guaranty, (j) all obligations, contingent or otherwise, of such Person in respect of bankers’ acceptances, (k) all Off-Balance Sheet Liabilities of such Person, (l) all obligations under any Disqualified Stock of such Person and (m) the Net Mark-to-Market Exposure of such Person. The Indebtedness of any Person shall include the Indebtedness of any other entity (including any partnership in which such Person is a general partner) to the extent such Person is liable therefor as a result of such Person’s ownership interest in or other relationship with such entity, except to the extent the terms of such Indebtedness provide that such Person is not liable therefor. Indebtedness of any Person shall not include equipment leases under which such Person is lessee that are true operating leases.
“Indemnified Taxes” means Taxes other than Excluded Taxes.
“Index Debt” means senior, unsecured, long-term indebtedness for borrowed money of the U.S. Borrower that is not guaranteed by any other Person or subject to any other credit enhancement.
“Information Memorandum” means the Confidential Information Memorandum dated August, 2004 relating to the U.S. Borrower and the Transactions.
“Interest Coverage Ratio” means, as of the end of any fiscal quarter of the U.S. Borrower, the ratio of Consolidated EBITDA to Consolidated Interest Expense, as calculated for the four consecutive fiscal quarters of the U.S. Borrower then ending.
“Interest Election Request” means a request by the U.S. Borrower to convert or continue a Revolving Borrowing in accordance with Section 2.08.
“Interest Expense” means, with respect to any person for any period, the sum of (a) gross interest expense of such person for such period on a consolidated basis, including (i) the amortization of debt discounts, (ii) the amortization of all fees (including fees with respect to Swap Agreements) payable in connection with the incurrence of Indebtedness to the extent included in interest expense, (iii) the portion of any payments or accruals with respect to Capital Lease Obligations allocable to interest expense and (iv) commissions, discounts, yield and other fees and charges incurred in connection with the asset securitization or similar transaction which are payable to any person other than the U.S. Borrower or a Wholly-Owned Subsidiary and (b) capitalized interest of such person. For purposes of the foregoing, gross interest expense shall be determined after giving effect to any net payments made or received by the U.S. Borrower and the Subsidiaries with respect to Swap Agreements.
“Interest Payment Date” means (a) with respect to any ABR Loan (other than a Swingline Loan), the last day of each March, June, September and December, (b) with respect to any Eurocurrency Loan, the last day of the Interest Period applicable to the Borrowing of which such Loan is a part and, in the case of a Eurocurrency Borrowing with an Interest Period of more than three months’ duration, each day prior to the last day of such Interest Period that occurs at intervals of three months’ duration after the first day of such Interest Period, (c) with respect to any Fixed Rate Loan, the last day of the Interest Period applicable to the Borrowing of which such Loan is a part and, in the case of a Fixed Rate Borrowing with an Interest Period of more than 90 days’ duration (unless otherwise specified in the applicable Competitive Bid Request), each day prior to the last day of such Interest Period that occurs at intervals of 90 days’ duration after the first day of such Interest Period, and any other dates that are specified in the applicable Competitive Bid Request as Interest Payment Dates with respect to such Borrowing and (d) with respect to any Swingline Loan, the day that such Loan is required to be repaid.
“Interest Period” means (a) with respect to any Eurocurrency Revolving Borrowing, the period commencing on the date of such Borrowing and ending on the numerically corresponding day in the calendar month that is one, two, three or six months (or, with the consent of each Lender, such other period requested by a Borrower) thereafter, as a Borrower may elect, (b) with respect to any Fixed Rate Borrowing, the period (which shall not be less than 1 day or more than 270 days) commencing on the date of such Borrowing and ending on the date specified in the applicable Competitive Bid Request, and (c) as to any Swingline Foreign Currency Loan, the period commencing on the date of such Loan and ending on the day that is designated in the notice delivered pursuant to Section 2.05 with respect to such Swingline Foreign Currency Loan, which shall not be later than the seventh day thereafter;provided, that (i) if any Interest Period would end on a day other than a Business Day, such Interest Period shall be extended to the next succeeding Business Day unless, in the case of a Eurocurrency Borrowing only, such next succeeding Business Day would fall in the next calendar month, in which case such Interest Period shall end on the next preceding Business Day and (ii) any Interest Period pertaining to a Eurocurrency Borrowing that commences on the last Business Day of a calendar month (or on a day for which there is no numerically corresponding day in the last calendar month of such Interest Period) shall end on the last Business Day of the last calendar month of such Interest Period. For purposes hereof, the date of a Borrowing initially shall be the date on which such Borrowing is made and thereafter shall be the effective date of the most recent conversion or continuation of such Borrowing.
“Issuing Bank” means Bank One, in its capacity as the issuer of Letters of Credit hereunder, and its successors in such capacity as provided in Section 2.06(i). The Issuing Bank may, in its discretion, arrange for one or more Letters of Credit to be issued by Affiliates of the Issuing Bank or another Lender, in which case the term “Issuing Bank” shall include any such Affiliate or other Lender with respect to Letters of Credit issued by such Affiliate or other Lender.
“Judgment Currency” shall have the meaning assigned to such term in Section 9.15(b).
“LC Disbursement” means a payment made by the Issuing Bank pursuant to a Letter of Credit.
“LC Exposure” means, at any time, the sum of (a) the aggregate undrawn amount of all outstanding Letters of Credit at such time plus (b) the aggregate amount of all LC Disbursements that have not yet been reimbursed by or on behalf of the U.S. Borrower at such time. The LC Exposure of any Lender at any time shall be its Applicable Adjusted Percentage of the total LC Exposure at such time.
“Lender Addition and Acknowledgement Agreement” means an agreement in substantially the form of Exhibit D hereto, with such changes thereto as approved by the Administrative Agent.
“Lender Default” means (i) the refusal (which has not been retracted) of a Lender to make available its portion of any Borrowing, to acquire participations in a Swingline Loan pursuant to Section 2.05 or to fund its portion of any unreimbursed payment under Section 2.06(e), (ii) a Lender having notified in writing the applicable Borrower and/or the Applicable Agent that it does not intend to comply with its obligations under Section 2.05, 2.06 or 2.07 or (iii) the refusal of an Ancillary Lender to extend credit under an Ancillary Facility other than a refusal in accordance with the terms of the applicable Ancillary Facility Document and the terms hereof.
“Lenders” means the Persons listed on Schedule 2.01 and any other Person that shall have become a party hereto pursuant to an Assignment and Assumption, other than any such Person that ceases to be a party hereto pursuant to an Assignment and Assumption. Unless the context otherwise requires, the term “Lenders” includes the Swingline Lender.
“Letter of Credit” means any letter of credit issued pursuant to this Agreement.
“Leverage Ratio” means, as of the end of any fiscal quarter of the U.S. Borrower, the ratio of (a) Consolidated Indebtedness at such time to (b) Consolidated EBITDA, as calculated for the four consecutive fiscal quarters of the U.S. Borrower then ending.
“LIBO Rate” means, with respect to any Eurocurrency Borrowing for any Interest Period, the rate per annum determined by the Applicable Agent at approximately 11:00 a.m., London time, on the Quotation Day for such Interest Period by reference to the British Bankers’ Association Interest Settlement Rates for deposits in the currency of such Borrowing (as reflected on the applicable Telerate screen page), for a period equal to such Interest Period; provided that, to the extent that an interest rate is not ascertainable pursuant to the foregoing provisions of this definition, the “LIBO Rate” shall be the average (rounded upward, if necessary, to the next 1/100 of 1%) of the respective interest rates per annum at which deposits in the currency of such Borrowing are offered for such Interest Period to major banks in the London interbank market by Bank One at approximately 11:00 a.m., London time, on the Quotation Day for such Interest Period.
“Lien” means, with respect to any asset, (a) any mortgage, deed of trust, lien, pledge, hypothecation, encumbrance, charge or security interest in, on or of such asset, (b) the interest of a vendor or a lessor under any conditional sale agreement, capital lease or title retention agreement (or any financing lease having substantially the same economic effect as any of the foregoing) relating to such asset and (c) in the case of securities, any purchase option, call or similar right of a third party with respect to such securities.
“Loan Documents” means this Agreement, the U.S. Borrower Guaranty, each Ancillary Facility Document and all instruments, agreements or other documents executed in connection herewith at any time.
“Loans” means any Competitive Loan, Ancillary Loan, Swingline Loan or Revolving Loan.
“Local Time” means (a) with respect to a Loan or Borrowing denominated in Dollars, Chicago time, and (b) with respect to a Loan or Borrowing denominated in any Foreign Currency, London time.
“London Administrative Office” means the office of the Administrative Agent in London, England designated by the Administrative Agent from time to time as the London Administrative Office for purposes of this Agreement.
“Margin” means, with respect to any Competitive Loan bearing interest at a rate based on the LIBO Rate, the marginal rate of interest, if any, to be added to or subtracted from the LIBO Rate to determine the rate of interest applicable to such Loan, as specified by the Lender making such Loan in its related Competitive Bid.
“Material Adverse Effect” means a material adverse effect on (a) the business, assets, operations, prospects or condition, financial or otherwise, of the U.S. Borrower and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole, (b) the ability of any Borrower to perform any of its obligations under any Loan Document or (c) the rights of or benefits available to the Lenders under any Loan Document.
“Material Indebtedness” means Indebtedness (other than the Loans and Letters of Credit), or obligations in respect of one or more Swap Agreements, of any one or more of the U.S. Borrower and its Subsidiaries in an aggregate principal amount exceeding the Dollar Equivalent of $10,000,000. For purposes of determining Material Indebtedness, the “principal amount” of the obligations of the U.S. Borrower or any Subsidiary in respect of any Swap Agreement at any time shall be the maximum aggregate amount (giving effect to any netting agreements) that the U.S. Borrower or such Subsidiary would be required to pay if such Swap Agreement were terminated at such time.
“Maturity Date” means October 18, 2009.
“Moody’s” means Moody’s Investors Service, Inc.
“Multiemployer Plan” means a multiemployer plan as defined in Section 4001(a)(3) of ERISA.
“Net Mark-to-Market Exposure” of a Person means, as of any date of determination, the excess (if any) of all unrealized losses over all unrealized profits of such Person arising from Swap Agreements. “Unrealized losses” means the fair market value of the cost to such Person of replacing such Swap Agreements as of the date of determination (assuming the Swap Agreements were to be terminated as of that date), and “unrealized profits” means the fair market value of the gain to such Person of replacing such Swap Agreements as of the date of determination (assuming such Swap Agreements were to be terminated as of that date).
“Notice of Termination” shall have the meaning assigned to such term in Section 2.22(e)(ii).
“Obligations” means all unpaid principal of, accrued and unpaid interest and fees and reimbursement obligations on the Advances, all accrued and unpaid fees and all expenses, reimbursements, indemnities and other obligations of the Borrowers or any of them to the Lenders, the Agents, any indemnified party or any of them arising under the Loan Documents.
“Off-Balance Sheet Liability” of a Person means (i) any obligation under a sale and leaseback transaction which is not a Capital Lease Obligation, (ii) any so-called “synthetic lease” or “tax ownership operating lease” transaction entered into by such Person, (iii) the amount of obligations outstanding under the legal documents entered into as part of any asset securitization or similar transaction on any date of determination that would be characterized as principal if such asset securitization or similar transaction were structured as a secured lending transaction rather than as a purchase or (iv) any other transaction (excluding operating leases for purposes of this clause (iv)) which is the functional equivalent of or takes the place of borrowing but which does not constitute a liability on the balance sheet of such Person; in all of the foregoing cases, calculated based on the aggregate outstanding amount of obligations outstanding under the legal documents entered into as part of any such transaction on any date of determination that would be characterized as principal if such transaction were structured as a secured lending transaction, whether or not shown as a liability on a consolidated balance sheet of such Person, in a manner reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent.
“Other Taxes” means any and all present or future stamp or documentary taxes or any other excise or property taxes, charges or similar levies arising from any payment made hereunder or from the execution, delivery or enforcement of, or otherwise with respect to, this Agreement.
“Participant” has the meaning set forth in Section 9.04.
“PBGC” means the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation referred to and defined in ERISA and any successor entity performing similar functions.
“Permitted Encumbrances” means:
| (a) Liens imposed by law for taxes that are not delinquent or are being contested in compliance with Section 5.04; |
| (b) carriers’, warehousemen’s, mechanics’, materialmen’s, repairmen’s and other like Liens imposed by law, arising in the ordinary course of business and securing obligations that are not overdue by more than 30 days or are being contested in compliance with Section 5.04; |
| (c) pledges and deposits made in the ordinary course of business in compliance with workers’ compensation, unemployment insurance and other social security laws or regulations; |
| (d) deposits to secure the performance of bids, trade contracts, leases, statutory obligations, surety and appeal bonds, performance bonds and other obligations of a like nature, in each case in the ordinary course of business; |
| (e) judgment liens in respect of judgments that do not constitute an Event of Default under clause (k) of Article VII; and |
| (f) easements, zoning restrictions, rights-of-way and similar encumbrances on real property imposed by law or arising in the ordinary course of business that do not secure any monetary obligations and do not materially detract from the value of the affected property or interfere with the ordinary conduct of business of the U.S. Borrower or any Subsidiary; |
provided that the term “Permitted Encumbrances” shall not include any Lien securing Indebtedness.
“Permitted Investments” means any investment that would qualify as cash equivalents under GAAP and that matures within one year from the date of acquisition thereof.
“Person” means any natural person, corporation, limited liability company, trust, joint venture, association, company, partnership, Governmental Authority or other entity.
“Plan” means any employee pension benefit plan (other than a Multiemployer Plan) subject to the provisions of Title IV of ERISA or Section 412 of the Code or Section 302 of ERISA, and in respect of which the U.S. Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate is (or, if such plan were terminated, would under Section 4069 of ERISA be deemed to be) an “employer” as defined in Section 3(5) of ERISA.
“Prime Rate” means the rate of interest per annum publicly announced from time to time by Bank One as its prime rate in effect at its principal office in Chicago; each change in the Prime Rate shall be effective from and including the date such change is publicly announced as being effective.
“Quotation Day” means, with respect to any Eurocurrency Borrowing or Swingline Foreign Currency Borrowing and any Interest Period, the day on which it is market practice in the relevant interbank market for prime banks to give quotations for deposits in the currency of such Borrowing for delivery on the first day of such Interest Period. If such quotations would normally be given by prime banks on more than one day, the Quotation Day will be the last of such days.
“Register” has the meaning set forth in Section 9.04.
“Related Parties” means, with respect to any specified Person, such Person’s Affiliates and the respective directors, officers, employees, agents and advisors of such Person and such Person’s Affiliates.
“Reserve Account” shall have the meaning assigned to such term in Section 10.02(a).
“Required Lenders” means, at any time, Lenders having Commitments representing more than 50% of the sum of the total Commitments of all Lenders at such time;provided that, for purposes of declaring the Advances to be due and payable pursuant to Article VII, and for all purposes after the Advances become due and payable pursuant to Article VII or the Commitments expire or terminate, Required Lenders means Lenders having a share of the Aggregate Total Exposure representing more than 50% of the Aggregate Total Exposure. The Commitment and share of the Aggregate Total Exposure of any Defaulting Lender shall be disregarded in determining Required Lenders at any time.
“Restricted Payment” means any dividend or other distribution (whether in cash, securities or other property) with respect to any Equity Interests in the U.S. Borrower or any Subsidiary, or any payment (whether in cash, securities or other property), including any sinking fund or similar deposit, on account of the purchase, redemption, retirement, acquisition, cancellation or termination of any such Equity Interests in the U.S. Borrower or any option, warrant or other right to acquire any such Equity Interests in the U.S. Borrower.
“Revolving Credit Exposure” means, with respect to any Lender at any time, the Dollar Equivalent of the sum of the outstanding principal amount of such Lender’s Revolving Loans and its LC Exposure and Swingline Exposure at such time.
“Revolving Loan” means a loan made pursuant to Section 2.01.
“S&P” means Standard & Poor’s.
“Statutory Reserve Rate” means a fraction (expressed as a decimal), the numerator of which is the number one and the denominator of which is the number one minus the aggregate of the maximum reserve percentages (including any marginal, special, emergency or supplemental reserves) expressed as a decimal established by the Board to which the Administrative Agent is subject (a) with respect to the Base CD Rate, for new negotiable nonpersonal time deposits in Dollars of over $100,000 with maturities approximately equal to three months and (b) with respect to the Adjusted LIBO Rate, for eurocurrency funding (currently referred to as “Eurocurrency Liabilities” in Regulation D of the Board). Such reserve percentages shall include those imposed pursuant to such Regulation D. Eurocurrency Loans shall be deemed to constitute eurocurrency funding and to be subject to such reserve requirements without benefit of or credit for proration, exemptions or offsets that may be available from time to time to any Lender under such Regulation D or any comparable regulation. The Statutory Reserve Rate shall be adjusted automatically on and as of the effective date of any change in any reserve percentage.
“Sterling” or “£” means the lawful currency of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
“subsidiary” means, with respect to any Person (the “parent”) at any date, any corporation, limited liability company, partnership, association or other entity the accounts of which would be consolidated with those of the parent in the parent’s consolidated financial statements if such financial statements were prepared in accordance with GAAP as of such date, as well as any other corporation, limited liability company, partnership, association or other entity (a) of which securities or other ownership interests representing more than 50% of the equity or more than 50% of the ordinary voting power or, in the case of a partnership, more than 50% of the general partnership interests are, as of such date, owned, controlled or held, or (b) that is, as of such date, otherwise Controlled, by the parent or one or more subsidiaries of the parent or by the parent and one or more subsidiaries of the parent.
“Subsidiary” means any subsidiary of the U.S. Borrower.
“Syndication Agent” means Wells Fargo, in its capacity as syndication agent for the Lenders hereunder.
“Swap Agreement” means any agreement with respect to any swap, forward, future or derivative transaction or option or similar agreement involving, or settled by reference to, one or more rates, currencies, commodities, equity or debt instruments or securities, or economic, financial or pricing indices or measures of economic, financial or pricing risk or value or any similar transaction or any combination of these transactions;provided that no phantom stock or similar plan providing for payments only on account of services provided by current or former directors, officers, employees or consultants of the U.S. Borrower or the Subsidiaries shall be a Swap Agreement.
“Swingline Dollar Loan” means a Swingline Loan denominated in Dollars.
“Swingline Exposure” means, at any time, the aggregate principal amount of all Swingline Loans outstanding at such time. The Swingline Exposure of any Lender at any time shall be its Applicable Adjusted Percentage of the total Swingline Exposure at such time.
“Swingline Foreign Currency Loan” means a Swingline Loan denominated in a Foreign Currency.
“Swingline Lender” means Bank One, in its capacity as lender of Swingline Loans hereunder and its successors in such capacity. The Swingline Lender may, in its discretion, arrange for one or more Swingline Loans to be made by Affiliates of the Swingline Lender, in which case the term “Swingline Lender” shall include any such Affiliate with respect to Swingline Loans made by such Affiliate.
“Swingline Loan” means a Loan made pursuant to Section 2.05.
“Taxes” means any and all present or future taxes, levies, imposts, duties, deductions, charges or withholdings imposed by any Governmental Authority.
“Three-Month Secondary CD Rate” means, for any day, the secondary market rate for three-month certificates of deposit reported as being in effect on such day (or, if such day is not a Business Day, the next preceding Business Day) by the Board through the public information telephone line of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York (which rate will, under the current practices of the Board, be published in Federal Reserve Statistical Release H.15(519) during the week following such day) or, if such rate is not so reported on such day or such next preceding Business Day, the average of the secondary market quotations for three-month certificates of deposit of major money center banks in New York City received at approximately 10:00 a.m., Chicago time, on such day (or, if such day is not a Business Day, on the next preceding Business Day) by the Administrative Agent from three negotiable certificate of deposit dealers of recognized standing selected by it.
“Transactions” means the execution, delivery and performance by the Borrowers of each Loan Document, the borrowing of Loans, the use of the proceeds thereof and the issuance of Letters of Credit hereunder.
“Type”, when used in reference to any Loan or Borrowing, refers to whether the rate of interest on such Loan, or on the Loans comprising such Borrowing, is determined by reference to the Adjusted LIBO Rate, the Alternate Base Rate or, in the case of a Competitive Loan or Borrowing, the LIBO Rate or a Fixed Rate.
“U.S. Borrower” means Herman Miller, Inc., a Michigan corporation, and its successors.
“U.S. Borrower Guaranty” shall mean the Guarantee, as amended, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, in the form of Exhibit E, by the U.S. Borrower in favor of the Lenders and the Administrative Agent.
“Wells Fargo” means Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., a national banking association, and its successors.
“Wholly-Owned Subsidiary” means, as to any Person, a subsidiary all of the Equity Interests of which (except directors’ qualifying Equity Interests) are at the time directly or indirectly owned by such Person and/or another Wholly-Owned Subsidiary of such Person.
“Withdrawal Liability” means liability to a Multiemployer Plan as a result of a complete or partial withdrawal from such Multiemployer Plan, as such terms are defined in Part I of Subtitle E of Title IV of ERISA.
SECTION 1.02.Classification of Loans and Borrowings. For purposes of this Agreement, Loans may be classified and referred to by Class (e.g., a “Revolving Loan”) or by Type (e.g., a “Eurocurrency Loan”) or by Class and Type (e.g., a “Eurocurrency Revolving Loan”). Borrowings also may be classified and referred to by Class (e.g., a “Revolving Borrowing”) or by Type (e.g., a “Eurocurrency Borrowing”) or by Class and Type (e.g., a “Eurocurrency Revolving Borrowing”).
SECTION 1.03.Terms Generally. The definitions of terms herein shall apply equally to the singular and plural forms of the terms defined. Whenever the context may require, any pronoun shall include the corresponding masculine, feminine and neuter forms. The words “include”, “includes” and “including” shall be deemed to be followed by the phrase “without limitation”. The word “will” shall be construed to have the same meaning and effect as the word “shall”. Unless the context requires otherwise (a) any definition of or reference to any agreement, instrument or other document herein shall be construed as referring to such agreement, instrument or other document as from time to time amended, supplemented or otherwise modified (subject to any restrictions on such amendments, supplements or modifications set forth herein), (b) any reference herein to any Person shall be construed to include such Person’s successors and assigns, (c) the words “herein”, “hereof” and “hereunder”, and words of similar import, shall be construed to refer to this Agreement in its entirety and not to any particular provision hereof, (d) all references herein to Articles, Sections, Exhibits and Schedules shall be construed to refer to Articles and Sections of, and Exhibits and Schedules to, this Agreement and (e) the words “asset” and “property” shall be construed to have the same meaning and effect and to refer to any and all tangible and intangible assets and properties, including cash, securities, accounts and contract rights.
SECTION 1.04.Accounting Terms; GAAP; Pro Forma Treatment. Except as otherwise expressly provided herein, all terms of an accounting or financial nature shall be construed in accordance with GAAP, as in effect from time to time;provided that, if the U.S. Borrower notifies the Administrative Agent that the U.S. Borrower requests an amendment to any provision hereof to eliminate the effect of any change occurring after the date hereof in GAAP or in the application thereof on the operation of such provision (or if the Administrative Agent notifies the U.S. Borrower that the Required Lenders request an amendment to any provision hereof for such purpose), regardless of whether any such notice is given before or after such change in GAAP or in the application thereof, then such provision shall be interpreted on the
basis of GAAP as in effect and applied immediately before such change shall have become effective until such notice shall have been withdrawn or such provision amended in accordance herewith. For purposes of calculating the Leverage Ratio (as used in Section 6.10 and in determining the Applicable Rate) and the Interest Coverage Ratio, any Acquisition or any sale or other disposition outside the ordinary course of business by the U.S. Borrower or any of the Subsidiaries of any asset or group of related assets in one or a series of related transactions, the net proceeds from which exceed $1,000,000, including the incurrence of any Indebtedness and any related financing or other transactions in connection with any of the foregoing, occurring during the period for which such ratios are calculated shall be deemed to have occurred on the first day of the relevant period for which such ratios were calculated on a pro forma basis acceptable to the Administrative Agent.
SECTION 1.05.Foreign Currency Calculations. (a) For purposes of determining the Dollar Equivalent of any Advance denominated in a Foreign Currency or any related amount, the Administrative Agent shall determine the Exchange Rate as of the applicable Exchange Rate Date with respect to each Foreign Currency in which any requested or outstanding Advance is denominated and shall apply such Exchange Rates to determine such amount (in each case after giving effect to any Advance to be made or repaid on or prior to the applicable date for such calculation).
(b) For purposes of any determination under Section 6.01, 6.02, 6.04 or 6.09 or under Article VII, all amounts incurred, outstanding or proposed to be incurred or outstanding in currencies other than Dollars shall be translated into Dollars at the currency exchange rates in effect on the date of such determination;provided that no Default shall arise as a result of any limitation set forth in Dollars in Section 6.01 or 6.02 being exceeded solely as a result of changes in currency exchange rates from those rates applicable at the time or times Indebtedness or Liens were initially consummated in reliance on the exceptions under such Sections. For purposes of any determination under Section 6.04 or 6.09, the amount of each investment, asset disposition or other applicable transaction denominated in a currency other than Dollars shall be translated into Dollars at the currency exchange rate in effect on the date such investment, disposition or other transaction is consummated. Such currency exchange rates shall be determined in good faith by the Borrowers.
SECTION 1.06.Redenomination of Certain Foreign Currencies. (a) Each obligation of any party to this Agreement to make a payment denominated in the national currency unit of any member state of the European Union that adopts the Euro as its lawful currency after the Effective Date shall be redenominated into Euro at the time of such adoption (in accordance with the EMU Legislation). If, in relation to the currency of any such member state, the basis of accrual of interest expressed in this Agreement in respect of that currency shall be inconsistent with any convention or practice in the London Interbank Market for the basis of accrual of interest in respect of the Euro, such expressed basis shall be replaced by such convention or practice with effect from the date on which such member state adopts the Euro as its lawful currency; provided that if any Borrowing in the currency of such member state is outstanding immediately prior to such date, such replacement shall take effect, with respect to such Borrowing, at the end of the then current Interest Period.
(b) Without prejudice and in addition to any method of conversion or rounding prescribed by any EMU Legislation and (i) without limiting the liability of any Borrower for any amount due under this Agreement and (ii) without increasing any Commitment of any Lender, all references in this Agreement to minimum amounts (or integral multiples thereof) denominated in the national currency unit of any member state of the European Union that adopts the Euro as its lawful currency after the Effective Date shall, immediately upon such adoption, be replaced by references to such minimum amounts (or integral multiples thereof) as shall be specified herein with respect to Borrowings denominated in Euros.
(c) Each provision of this Agreement shall be subject to such reasonable changes of construction as the Administrative Agent may from time to time specify to be appropriate to reflect the adoption of the Euro by any member state of the European Union and any relevant market conventions or practices relating to the Euro or any other Foreign Currency.
ARTICLE II
The Credits
SECTION 2.01.Commitments. Subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, each Lender agrees to make Revolving Loans denominated in Dollars and Foreign Currencies to the U.S. Borrower and to Foreign Subsidiary Borrowers (other than any Foreign Subsidiary Borrower for which an Ancillary Commitment has been established under Section 2.22) from time to time during the Availability Period in an aggregate principal amount that will not result in any of following:
(a) such Lender’s Revolving Credit Exposure exceeding (i) such Lender’s Commitment minus (ii) such Lender’s Ancillary Commitments;
(b) (i) the Aggregate Revolving Credit Exposure plus the Aggregate Competitive Loans exceeding (ii) the Aggregate Commitments minus the Aggregate Ancillary Commitments;
(c) the Dollar Equivalent of the aggregate amount of all Revolving Loans and Swingline Loans denominated in any Foreign Currency exceeding $50,000,000.
Within the foregoing limits and subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, the Borrowers may borrow, prepay and reborrow Revolving Loans.
SECTION 2.02.Loans and Borrowings. (a) Each Revolving Loan shall be made as part of a Borrowing consisting of Loans of the same Type made by the Lenders ratably in accordance with their respective Applicable Adjusted Percentage on the date such Loans are made hereunder (or, in the case of Swingline Loans, in accordance with Section 2.05). Each Ancillary Loan shall be made as part of a Borrowing consisting of Loans of the same Type made by the applicable Ancillary Lenders with an Ancillary Commitment for such Ancillary Loan ratably in accordance with such Ancillary Commitments on the date such Ancillary Loans and otherwise in accordance with the applicable Ancillary Facility Document. Each Competitive Loan shall be made in accordance with the procedures set forth in Section 2.04. The failure of any Lender to make any Loan required to be made by it shall not relieve any other Lender of its obligations hereunder;provided that the Commitments, the Ancillary Commitments and Competitive Bids of the Lenders are several and no Lender shall be responsible for any other Lender’s failure to make Loans as required.
(b) Subject to Section 2.14, (i) each Revolving Borrowing denominated in Dollars shall be comprised entirely of ABR Loans or Eurocurrency Loans as the applicable Borrower may request in accordance herewith, (ii) each Revolving Borrowing denominated in a Foreign Currency and each Ancillary Borrowing shall be comprised entirely of Eurocurrency Loans and (iii) each Competitive Borrowing shall be comprised entirely of Eurocurrency Loans or Fixed Rate Loans as the U.S. Borrower may request in accordance herewith. Each Swingline Borrowing shall bear interest at such rate agreed to between the U.S. Borrower and the Swingline Lender. Each Lender at its option may make any ABR Loan or Eurocurrency Loan by causing any domestic or foreign branch or Affiliate of such Lender to make such Loan; provided that any exercise of such option shall not affect the obligation of the applicable Borrower to repay such Loan in accordance with the terms of this Agreement and such Lender shall not be entitled to any amounts payable under Section 2.15, 2.17 or 2.21 solely in respect of increased costs resulting from such exercise.
(c) Each Borrowing shall be in an aggregate amount that is an integral multiple of the applicable Borrowing Multiple and not less than the applicable Borrowing Minimum, provided that an ABR Revolving Borrowing may be in an aggregate amount that is equal to the entire unused balance of the Commitments or that is required to finance the reimbursement of an LC Disbursement as contemplated by Section 2.06(e). Borrowings of more than one Type may be outstanding at the same time; provided that there shall not at any time be more than a total of ten Eurocurrency Borrowings outstanding.
(d) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, no Borrower shall be entitled to request, or to elect to convert or continue, any Borrowing if the Interest Period requested with respect thereto would end after the Maturity Date.
SECTION 2.03.Requests for Revolving Borrowings. To request a Revolving Borrowing, the applicable Borrower shall notify the Applicable Agent of such request by telephone (a) in the case of a Eurocurrency Borrowing, not later than 2:00 p.m., Local Time, three Business Days before the date of the proposed Borrowing or (b) in the case of an ABR Borrowing, not later than 2:00 p.m., Chicago time, one Business Day before the date of the proposed Borrowing; provided that any such notice of an ABR Revolving Borrowing to finance the reimbursement of an LC Disbursement as contemplated by Section 2.05(e) may be given not later than 10:00 a.m., Chicago time, on the date of the proposed Borrowing. Each such telephonic Borrowing Request shall be irrevocable and shall be confirmed promptly by hand delivery or telecopy to the Applicable Agent of a written Borrowing Request in a form approved by the Applicable Agent and signed by the applicable Borrower. Each such telephonic and written Borrowing Request shall specify the following information in compliance with Section 2.02:
(i) the Borrower requesting such Borrowing;
(ii) in the case of a Revolving Borrowing requested by a Foreign Subsidiary Borrower, the Foreign Currency in which such Borrowing is to be denominated;
(iii) the aggregate amount of the requested Borrowing (expressed in Dollars or the applicable Foreign Currency);
(iv) the date of such Borrowing, which shall be a Business Day;
(v) in the case of a Borrowing denominated in Dollars, whether such Borrowing is to be an ABR Borrowing or a Eurocurrency Borrowing;
(vi) in the case of a Eurocurrency Borrowing, the initial Interest Period to be applicable thereto, which shall be a period contemplated by clause (a) of the definition of the term “Interest Period”; and
(vii) the location and number of the applicable Borrower’s account to which funds are to be disbursed.
If no election as to the Type of Revolving Borrowing is specified, then the requested Revolving Borrowing shall be an ABR Borrowing, unless such Revolving Borrowing is denominated in a Foreign Currency, in which case such Revolving Borrowing shall be a Eurocurrency Borrowing. If no Interest Period is specified with respect to any requested Eurocurrency Borrowing, then the applicable Borrower shall be deemed to have selected an Interest Period of one month’s duration. Promptly following receipt of a Borrowing Request in accordance with this Section, the Applicable Agent shall advise each Lender of the details thereof and of the amount of such Lender’s Loan to be made as part of the requested Borrowing. Requests for Ancillary Loans shall be made in accordance with the applicable Ancillary Facility Document.
SECTION 2.04.Competitive Bid Procedure. (a) Subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, from time to time during the Availability Period the U.S. Borrower may request Competitive Bids and may (but shall not have any obligation to) accept Competitive Bids and borrow Competitive Loans;provided that the borrowing of any such Competitive Loan will not result in (i) the (A) Aggregate Revolving Credit Exposure plus the Aggregate Competitive Loans exceeding (B) the Aggregate Commitments minus the Aggregate Ancillary Commitments or (ii) the Aggregate Total Exposure exceeding the Aggregate Commitments. To request Competitive Bids, the U.S. Borrower shall notify the Administrative Agent of such request by telephone, in the case of a Eurocurrency Borrowing, not later than 11:00 a.m., Chicago time, four Business Days before the date of the proposed Borrowing and, in the case of a Fixed Rate Borrowing, not later than 10:00 a.m., Chicago time, one Business Day before the date of the proposed Borrowing;provided that the U.S. Borrower may submit not more than one Competitive Bid Request on the same day, but a Competitive Bid Request shall not be made within five Business Days after the date of any previous Competitive Bid Request, unless any and all such previous Competitive Bid Requests shall have been withdrawn or all Competitive Bids received in response thereto rejected. Each such telephonic Competitive Bid Request shall be confirmed promptly by hand delivery or telecopy to the Administrative Agent of a written Competitive Bid Request in a form approved by the Administrative Agent and signed by the U.S. Borrower. Each such telephonic and written Competitive Bid Request shall specify the following information in compliance with Section 2.02:
| (i) the aggregate amount of the requested Borrowing; |
| (ii) the date of such Borrowing, which shall be a Business Day; |
| (iii) whether such Borrowing is to be a Eurocurrency Borrowing or a Fixed Rate Borrowing; |
| (iv) the Interest Period to be applicable to such Borrowing, which shall be a period contemplated by the definition of the term “Interest Period”; and |
| (v) the location and number of the U.S. Borrower’s account to which funds are to be disbursed, which shall comply with the requirements of Section 2.07. |
Promptly following receipt of a Competitive Bid Request in accordance with this Section, the Administrative Agent shall notify the Lenders of the details thereof by telecopy, inviting the Lenders to submit Competitive Bids.
(b) Each Lender may (but shall not have any obligation to) make one or more Competitive Bids to the U.S. Borrower in response to a Competitive Bid Request. Each Competitive Bid by a Lender must be in a form approved by the Administrative Agent and must be received by the Administrative Agent by telecopy, in the case of a Eurocurrency Competitive Borrowing, not later than 9:30 a.m., Chicago time, three Business Days before the proposed date of such Competitive Borrowing, and in the case of a Fixed Rate Borrowing, not later than 9:30 a.m., Chicago time, on the proposed date of such Competitive Borrowing. Competitive Bids that do not conform substantially to the form approved by the Administrative Agent may be rejected by the Administrative Agent, and the Administrative Agent shall notify the applicable Lender as promptly as practicable. Each Competitive Bid shall specify (i) the principal amount (which shall be a minimum of $5,000,000 and an integral multiple of $1,000,000 and which may equal the entire principal amount of the Competitive Borrowing requested by the U.S. Borrower) of the Competitive Loan or Loans that the Lender is willing to make, (ii) the Competitive Bid Rate or Rates at which the Lender is prepared to make such Loan or Loans (expressed as a percentage rate per annum in the form of a decimal to no more than four decimal places) and (iii) the Interest Period applicable to each such Loan and the last day thereof.
(c) The Administrative Agent shall promptly notify the U.S. Borrower by telecopy of the Competitive Bid Rate and the principal amount specified in each Competitive Bid and the identity of the Lender that shall have made such Competitive Bid.
(d) Subject only to the provisions of this paragraph, the U.S. Borrower may accept or reject any Competitive Bid. The U.S. Borrower shall notify the Administrative Agent by telephone, confirmed by telecopy in a form approved by the Administrative Agent, whether and to what extent it has decided to accept or reject each Competitive Bid, in the case of a Eurocurrency Competitive Borrowing, not later than 10:30 a.m., Chicago time, three Business Days before the date of the proposed Competitive Borrowing, and in the case of a Fixed Rate Borrowing, not later than 10:30 a.m., Chicago time, on the proposed date of the Competitive Borrowing;providedthat (i) the failure of the U.S. Borrower to give such notice shall be deemed to be a rejection of each Competitive Bid, (ii) the U.S. Borrower shall not accept a Competitive Bid made at a particular Competitive Bid Rate if the U.S. Borrower rejects a Competitive Bid made at a lower Competitive Bid Rate, (iii) the aggregate amount of the Competitive Bids accepted by the U.S. Borrower shall not exceed the aggregate amount of the requested Competitive Borrowing specified in the related Competitive Bid Request, (iv) to the extent necessary to comply with clause (iii) above, the U.S. Borrower may accept Competitive Bids at the same Competitive Bid Rate in part, which acceptance, in the case of multiple Competitive Bids at such Competitive Bid Rate, shall be made pro rata in accordance with the amount of each such Competitive Bid, and (v) except pursuant to clause (iv) above, no Competitive Bid shall be accepted for a Competitive Loan unless such Competitive Loan is in a minimum principal amount of the Borrowing Minimum and an integral multiple of the Borrowing Multiple;providedfurther that if a Competitive Loan must be in an amount less than the Borrowing Minimum because of the provisions of clause (iv) above, such Competitive Loan may be for a minimum of $1,000,000 or any integral multiple thereof, and in calculating the pro rata allocation of acceptances of portions of multiple Competitive Bids at a particular Competitive Bid Rate pursuant to clause (iv) the amounts shall be rounded to integral multiples of $1,000,000 in a manner determined by the U.S. Borrower. A notice given by the U.S. Borrower pursuant to this paragraph shall be irrevocable.
(e) The Administrative Agent shall promptly notify each bidding Lender by telecopy whether or not its Competitive Bid has been accepted (and, if so, the amount and Competitive Bid Rate so accepted), and each successful bidder will thereupon become bound, subject to the terms and conditions hereof, to make the Competitive Loan in respect of which its Competitive Bid has been accepted.
(f) If the Administrative Agent shall elect to submit a Competitive Bid in its capacity as a Lender, it shall submit such Competitive Bid directly to the U.S. Borrower at least one quarter of an hour earlier than the time by which the other Lenders are required to submit their Competitive Bids to the Administrative Agent pursuant to paragraph (b) of this Section.
SECTION 2.05.Swingline Loans. (a) Subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, the Swingline Lender may make Swingline Loans to the U.S. Borrower from time to time during the Availability Period, in an aggregate principal amount at any time outstanding that will not result in (i) the Dollar Equivalent of the aggregate principal amount of outstanding Swingline Loans exceeding $20,000,000, (ii) the (A) Aggregate Revolving Credit Exposure plus the Aggregate Competitive Loans exceeding (B) the Aggregate Commitments minus the Aggregate Ancillary Commitments or (iii) the Aggregate Total Exposure exceeding the Aggregate Commitments. Within the foregoing limits and subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, the U.S. Borrower may borrow, prepay and reborrow Swingline Loans.
(b) To request a Swingline Borrowing, the U.S. Borrower shall notify the Applicable Agent of such request by telephone (confirmed in a writing acceptable to the Applicable Agent if requested by the Applicable Agent), not later than 12:00 noon, Local Time, on the day of a proposed Swingline Loan. Each such notice shall be irrevocable and shall specify (i) the requested date (which shall be a Business Day), (ii) whether such Swingline Loan is to be denominated in Dollars or a Foreign Currency, (iii) the amount of the requested Swingline Borrowing, and (iv) in the case of a Swingline Borrowing denominated in a Foreign Currency, the Interest Period requested to be applicable thereto, which shall be a period contemplated by clause (c) of the definition of the term “Interest Period”. The Applicable Agent shall promptly advise the Swingline Lender of any such notice received from the U.S. Borrower. The Swingline Lender and the U.S. Borrower shall agree upon the interest rate applicable to such Swingline Loan, provided that if such agreement cannot be reached prior to 2:00 p.m., Local Time, on the day of such proposed Swingline Loan then such Swingline Loan (A) shall bear interest at the Alternate Base Rate if such Swingline Loan is denominated in Dollars and (B) shall not be made if such Swingline Loan is to be denominated in a Foreign Currency. Any funding of a Swingline Loan by the Swingline Lender shall be made in accordance with Section 2.02(a) on the proposed date thereof by wire transfer of immediately available funds by 3:00 p.m., Local Time, to the account of the Applicable Agent most recently designated by it for such purpose by notice to the Swingline Lender. The Applicable Agent will make such Swingline Loan available to the U.S. Borrower by promptly crediting the amounts so received, in like funds, to the general deposit account of the U.S. Borrower with the Applicable Agent (or, in the case of a Swingline Borrowing made to finance the reimbursement of an LC Disbursement as provided in Section 2.05(e), by remittance to the applicable Issuing Bank).
(c) The Swingline Lender may by written notice given to the Applicable Agent not later than 1:00 p.m., Chicago time, on any Business Day require the Lenders to acquire participations on such Business Day in all or a portion of the outstanding Swingline Loans. Such notice shall specify the aggregate amount of such Swingline Loans in which the Lenders will participate, and such amount of Swingline Loans, if denominated in Foreign Currency shall be converted to Dollars and shall bear interest at the Alternate Base Rate. Promptly upon receipt of such notice, the Applicable Agent will give notice thereof to each Lender, specifying in such notice such Lender’s Applicable Adjusted Percentage of such Swingline Loan or Loans. Each Lender hereby absolutely and unconditionally agrees, upon receipt of notice as provided above, to pay to the Applicable Agent, for the account of the Swingline Lender, such Lender’s Applicable Adjusted Percentage of such Swingline Loan or Loans. Each Lender acknowledges and agrees that its respective obligation to acquire participations in Swingline Loans pursuant to this paragraph is absolute and unconditional and shall not be affected by any circumstance whatsoever, including the occurrence and continuance of a Default or reduction or termination of the Commitments, and that each such payment shall be made without any offset, abatement, withholding or reduction whatsoever. Each Lender shall comply with its obligation under this paragraph by wire transfer of immediately available funds, in the same manner as provided in Section 2.07 with respect to Loans made by such Lender (and Section 2.07 shall apply, mutatis mutandis, to the payment obligations of the Lenders), and the Applicable Agent shall promptly pay to the Swingline Lender the amounts so received by it from the Lenders. The Applicable Agent shall notify the U.S. Borrower of any participations in any Swingline Loan acquired pursuant to this paragraph (c), and thereafter payments in respect of such Swingline Loan shall be made to the Applicable Agent and not to the Swingline Lender. Any amounts received by the Swingline Lender from the U.S. Borrower (or other party on behalf of such Borrower) in respect of a Swingline Loan after receipt by such Swingline Lender of the proceeds of a sale of participations therein shall be promptly remitted to the Applicable Agent; any such amounts received by the Applicable Agent shall be promptly remitted by the Applicable Agent to the Lenders that shall have made their payments pursuant to this paragraph and to such Swingline Lender, as their interests may appear; provided that any such payment so remitted shall be repaid to such Swingline Lender or to the Applicable Agent, as applicable, if and to the extent such payment is required to be refunded to the U.S. Borrower for any reason. The purchase of participations in a Swingline Loan pursuant to this paragraph shall not relieve the U.S. Borrower of any default in the payment thereof.
SECTION 2.06.Letters of Credit. (a) General. Subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, the U.S. Borrower may request the issuance of Letters of Credit denominated in Dollars for its own account or the account of a Domestic Subsidiary, in a form reasonably acceptable to the Administrative Agent and the Issuing Bank, at any time and from time to time during the Availability Period. In the event of any inconsistency between the terms and conditions of this Agreement and the terms and conditions of any form of letter of credit application or other agreement submitted by the U.S. Borrower to, or entered into by the U.S. Borrower with, the Issuing Bank relating to any Letter of Credit, the terms and conditions of this Agreement shall control.
(b) Notice of Issuance, Amendment, Renewal, Extension; Certain Conditions. To request the issuance of a Letter of Credit (or the amendment, renewal or extension of an outstanding Letter of Credit), the U.S. Borrower shall hand deliver or telecopy (or transmit by electronic communication, if arrangements for doing so have been approved by the Issuing Bank) to the Issuing Bank and the Administrative Agent (reasonably in advance of the requested date of issuance, amendment, renewal or extension) a notice requesting the issuance of a Letter of Credit, or identifying the Letter of Credit to be amended, renewed or extended, and specifying the date of issuance, amendment, renewal or extension (which shall be a Business Day), the date on which such Letter of Credit is to expire (which shall comply with paragraph (c) of this Section), the amount of such Letter of Credit, the name and address of the account party thereof (which shall be the U.S. Borrower or a Domestic Subsidiary, and if a Domestic Subsidiary then the U.S. Borrower and such Domestic Subsidiary shall be jointly and severally liable with respect to all Obligations relating to such Letter of Credit), the name and address of the beneficiary thereof and such other information as shall be necessary to prepare, amend, renew or extend such Letter of Credit. If requested by the Issuing Bank, the U.S. Borrower also shall submit a letter of credit application on the Issuing Bank’s standard form in connection with any request for a Letter of Credit. A Letter of Credit shall be issued, amended, renewed or extended only if (and upon issuance, amendment, renewal or extension of each Letter of Credit the U.S. Borrower shall be deemed to represent and warrant that), after giving effect to such issuance, amendment, renewal or extension (i) the LC Exposure shall not exceed $40,000,000, (ii) the (A) Aggregate Revolving Credit Exposure plus the Aggregate Competitive Loans shall not exceed (B) the Aggregate Commitments minus the Aggregate Ancillary Commitments and (iii) the sum of the Aggregate Total Exposure shall not exceed the Aggregate Commitments.
(c) Expiration Date. Each Letter of Credit shall expire at or prior to the close of business on the earlier of (i) the date one year after the date of the issuance of such Letter of Credit (provided that any Letter of Credit may provide for additional one year renewals thereof subject to the approval of the Administrative Agent prior to the time of such renewal) and (ii) the date that is five Business Days prior to the Maturity Date.
(d) Participations. By the issuance of a Letter of Credit (or an amendment to a Letter of Credit increasing the amount thereof) and without any further action on the part of the Issuing Bank or the Lenders, the Issuing Bank hereby grants to each Lender, and each Lender hereby acquires from the Issuing Bank, a participation in such Letter of Credit equal to such Lender’s Applicable Adjusted Percentage of the aggregate amount available to be drawn under such Letter of Credit. In consideration and in furtherance of the foregoing, each Lender hereby absolutely and unconditionally agrees to pay to the Administrative Agent, for the account of the Issuing Bank, such Lender’s Applicable Adjusted Percentage of each LC Disbursement made by the Issuing Bank and not reimbursed by the U.S. Borrower on the date due as provided in paragraph (e) of this Section, or of any reimbursement payment required to be refunded to the U.S. Borrower for any reason. Each Lender acknowledges and agrees that its obligation to acquire participations pursuant to this paragraph in respect of Letters of Credit is absolute and unconditional and shall not be affected by any circumstance whatsoever, including any amendment, renewal or extension of any Letter of Credit or the occurrence and continuance of a Default or reduction or termination of the Commitments, and that each such payment shall be made without any offset, abatement, withholding or reduction whatsoever.
(e) Reimbursement. If the Issuing Bank shall make any LC Disbursement in respect of a Letter of Credit, the U.S. Borrower shall reimburse such LC Disbursement by paying to the Administrative Agent an amount equal to such LC Disbursement not later than 12:00 noon, Chicago time, on the date that such LC Disbursement is made, if the U.S. Borrower shall have received notice of such LC Disbursement prior to 10:00 a.m., Chicago time, on such date, or, if such notice has not been received by the U.S. Borrower prior to such time on such date, then not later than 12:00 noon, Chicago time, on (i) the Business Day that the U.S. Borrower receives such notice, if such notice is received prior to 10:00 a.m., Chicago time, on the day of receipt, or (ii) the Business Day immediately following the day that the U.S. Borrower receives such notice, if such notice is not received prior to such time on the day of receipt;provided that the U.S. Borrower may, subject to the conditions to borrowing set forth herein, request in accordance with Section 2.03 or 2.05 that such payment be financed with an ABR Revolving Borrowing or Swingline Loan in an equivalent amount and, to the extent so financed, the U.S. Borrower’s obligation to make such payment shall be discharged and replaced by the resulting ABR Revolving Borrowing or Swingline Loan. If the U.S. Borrower fails to make such payment when due, the Administrative Agent shall notify each Lender of the applicable LC Disbursement, the payment then due from the U.S. Borrower in respect thereof and such Lender’s Applicable Adjusted Percentage thereof. Promptly following receipt of such notice, each Lender shall pay to the Administrative Agent its Applicable Adjusted Percentage of the payment then due from the U.S. Borrower, in the same manner as provided in Section 2.07 with respect to Loans made by such Lender (and Section 2.07 shall apply,mutatismutandis, to the payment obligations of the Lenders), and the Administrative Agent shall promptly pay to the Issuing Bank the amounts so received by it from the Lenders. Promptly following receipt by the Administrative Agent of any payment from the U.S. Borrower pursuant to this paragraph, the Administrative Agent shall distribute such payment to the Issuing Bank or, to the extent that Lenders have made payments pursuant to this paragraph to reimburse the Issuing Bank, then to such Lenders and the Issuing Bank as their interests may appear. Any payment made by a Lender pursuant to this paragraph to reimburse the Issuing Bank for any LC Disbursement (other than the funding of ABR Revolving Loans or a Swingline Loan as contemplated above) shall not constitute a Loan and shall not relieve the U.S. Borrower of its obligation to reimburse such LC Disbursement.
(f) Obligations Absolute. The U.S. Borrower’s obligation to reimburse LC Disbursements as provided in paragraph (e) of this Section shall be absolute, unconditional and irrevocable, and shall be performed strictly in accordance with the terms of this Agreement under any and all circumstances whatsoever and irrespective of (i) any lack of validity or enforceability of any Letter of Credit or this Agreement, or any term or provision therein, (ii) any draft or other document presented under a Letter of Credit proving to be forged, fraudulent or invalid in any respect or any statement therein being untrue or inaccurate in any respect, (iii) payment by the Issuing Bank under a Letter of Credit against presentation of a draft or other document that does not comply with the terms of such Letter of Credit, or (iv) any other event or circumstance whatsoever, whether or not similar to any of the foregoing, that might, but for the provisions of this Section, constitute a legal or equitable discharge of, or provide a right of setoff against, the U.S. Borrower’s obligations hereunder. Neither the Administrative Agent, the Lenders nor the Issuing Bank, nor any of their Related Parties, shall have any liability or responsibility by reason of or in connection with the issuance or transfer of any Letter of Credit or any payment or failure to make any payment thereunder (irrespective of any of the circumstances referred to in the preceding sentence), or any error, omission, interruption, loss or delay in transmission or delivery of any draft, notice or other communication under or relating to any Letter of Credit (including any document required to make a drawing thereunder), any error in interpretation of technical terms or any consequence arising from causes beyond the control of the Issuing Bank;provided that the foregoing shall not be construed to excuse the Issuing Bank from liability to the U.S. Borrower to the extent of any direct damages (as opposed to consequential damages, claims in respect of which are hereby waived by the U.S. Borrower to the extent permitted by applicable law) suffered by the U.S. Borrower that are caused by the Issuing Bank’s failure to exercise care when determining whether drafts and other documents presented under a Letter of Credit comply with the terms thereof. The parties hereto expressly agree that, in the absence of gross negligence or wilful misconduct on the part of the Issuing Bank (as finally determined by a court of competent jurisdiction), the Issuing Bank shall be deemed to have exercised care in each such determination. In furtherance of the foregoing and without limiting the generality thereof, the parties agree that, with respect to documents presented which appear on their face to be in substantial compliance with the terms of a Letter of Credit, the Issuing Bank may, in its sole discretion, either accept and make payment upon such documents without responsibility for further investigation, regardless of any notice or information to the contrary, or refuse to accept and make payment upon such documents if such documents are not in strict compliance with the terms of such Letter of Credit.
(g) Disbursement Procedures. The Issuing Bank shall, promptly following its receipt thereof, examine all documents purporting to represent a demand for payment under a Letter of Credit. The Issuing Bank shall promptly notify the Administrative Agent and the U.S. Borrower by telephone (confirmed by telecopy) of such demand for payment and whether the Issuing Bank has made or will make an LC Disbursement thereunder;providedthat any failure to give or delay in giving such notice shall not relieve the U.S. Borrower of its obligation to reimburse the Issuing Bank and the Lenders with respect to any such LC Disbursement.
(h) Interim Interest. If the Issuing Bank shall make any LC Disbursement, then, unless the U.S. Borrower shall reimburse such LC Disbursement in full on the date such LC Disbursement is made, the unpaid amount thereof shall bear interest, for each day from and including the date such LC Disbursement is made to but excluding the date that the U.S. Borrower reimburses such LC Disbursement, at the rate per annum then applicable to ABR Revolving Loans;provided that, if the U.S. Borrower fails to reimburse such LC Disbursement when due pursuant to paragraph (e) of this Section, then Section 2.13(e) shall apply. Interest accrued pursuant to this paragraph shall be for the account of the Issuing Bank, except that interest accrued on and after the date of payment by any Lender pursuant to paragraph (e) of this Section to reimburse the Issuing Bank shall be for the account of such Lender to the extent of such payment.
(i) Replacement of the Issuing Bank. The Issuing Bank may be replaced at any time by written agreement among the U.S. Borrower, the Administrative Agent, the replaced Issuing Bank and the successor Issuing Bank. The Administrative Agent shall notify the Lenders of any such replacement of the Issuing Bank. At the time any such replacement shall become effective, the U.S. Borrower shall pay all unpaid fees accrued for the account of the replaced Issuing Bank pursuant to Section 2.12(b). From and after the effective date of any such replacement, (i) the successor Issuing Bank shall have all the rights and obligations of the Issuing Bank under this Agreement with respect to Letters of Credit to be issued thereafter and (ii) references herein to the term “Issuing Bank” shall be deemed to refer to such successor or to any previous Issuing Bank, or to such successor and all previous Issuing Banks, as the context shall require. After the replacement of an Issuing Bank hereunder, the replaced Issuing Bank shall remain a party hereto and shall continue to have all the rights and obligations of an Issuing Bank under this Agreement with respect to Letters of Credit issued by it prior to such replacement, but shall not be required to issue additional Letters of Credit.
(j) Cash Collateralization. If any Event of Default shall occur and be continuing, on the Business Day that the U.S. Borrower receives notice from the Administrative Agent or the Required Lenders (or, if the maturity of the Loans has been accelerated, Lenders with LC Exposure representing greater than 50% of the total LC Exposure) demanding the deposit of cash collateral pursuant to this paragraph, the U.S. Borrower shall deposit in an account with the Administrative Agent, in the name of the Administrative Agent and for the benefit of the Lenders, an amount in cash equal to the LC Exposure as of such date plus any accrued and unpaid interest thereon;provided that the obligation to deposit such cash collateral shall become effective immediately, and such deposit shall become immediately due and payable, without demand or other notice of any kind, upon the occurrence of any Event of Default with respect to the U.S. Borrower described in clause (h) or (i) of Article VII. Such deposit shall be held by the Administrative Agent as collateral for the payment and performance of the obligations of the U.S. Borrower under this Agreement. The Administrative Agent shall have exclusive dominion and control, including the exclusive right of withdrawal, over such account. Other than any interest earned on the investment of such deposits, which investments shall be made at the option and sole discretion of the Administrative Agent and at the U.S. Borrower’s risk and expense, such deposits shall not bear interest. Interest or profits, if any, on such investments shall accumulate in such account. Moneys in such account shall be applied by the Administrative Agent to reimburse the Issuing Bank for LC Disbursements for which it has not been reimbursed and, to the extent not so applied, shall be held for the satisfaction of the reimbursement obligations of the U.S. Borrower for the LC Exposure at such time or, if the maturity of the Loans has been accelerated (but subject to the consent of Lenders with LC Exposure representing greater than 50% of the total LC Exposure), be applied to satisfy other obligations of the U.S. Borrower under this Agreement. If the U.S. Borrower is required to provide an amount of cash collateral hereunder as a result of the occurrence of an Event of Default, such amount (to the extent not applied as aforesaid) shall be returned to the U.S. Borrower within three Business Days after all Events of Default have been cured or waived.
(k) Additional Issuing Banks. From time to time, the Administrative Agent may designate other Lenders (in addition to Bank One) that agree (in their sole discretion) to act in such capacity and are satisfactory to the Administrative Agent and the U.S. Borrower as Issuing Banks. Each such additional Issuing Bank shall execute such agreements requested by the Administrative Agent and shall thereafter be an Issuing Bank hereunder for all purposes, provided that any such additional Issuing Bank shall only issue such Letters of Credit as approved by the Administrative Agent.
(l) Reporting. Unless otherwise requested by the Administrative Agent, each Issuing Bank shall report in writing to the Administrative Agent (i) on the first Business Day of each week and the first Business Day of each fiscal quarter, the aggregate face amount of Letters of Credit issued by it and outstanding as of the last Business Day of the preceding week or the preceding fiscal quarter, as applicable, (ii) on or prior to each Business Day on which such Issuing Bank expects to issue, amend, renew or extend any Letter of Credit, the date of such issuance, amendment, renewal or extension, and the aggregate face amount of the Letters of Credit to be issued, amended, renewed or extended by it and outstanding after giving effect to such issuance, amendment, renewal or extension occurred (and whether the amount thereof changed), (iii) on each Business Day on which such Issuing Bank makes any LC Disbursement, the date of such LC Disbursement and the amount of such LC Disbursement and (iv) on any other Business Day, such other information as the Administrative Agent shall reasonably request.
(m) Existing Letters of Credit. All existing letters of credit issued by Bank One pursuant to the Existing Credit Agreement and listed on Schedule 2.06 shall be deemed (i) Letters of Credit issued under this Agreement and shall be subject to the terms of this Agreement and (ii) issued on the Effective Date for purposes of determining fees payable under Section 2.12(b).
SECTION 2.07.Funding of Borrowings. (a) Each Lender shall make each Loan to be made by it hereunder on the proposed date thereof by wire transfer of immediately available funds by 12:00 noon, Local Time, to the account of the Applicable Agent most recently designated by it for such purpose by notice to the Lenders; provided that Swingline Loans shall be made as provided in Section 2.05. The Applicable Agent will make such Loans available to the applicable Borrower by promptly crediting the amounts so received, in like funds, to an account of the applicable Borrower maintained with the Applicable Agent (i) in such location determined by the Administrative Agent, in the case of Loans denominated in Dollars, or (ii) in London, in the case of Loans denominated in a Foreign Currency and designated by the applicable Borrower in the applicable Borrowing Request; provided that ABR Revolving Loans and Swingline Dollar Borrowings made to finance the reimbursement of a LC Disbursement and reimbursements as provided in Section 2.06(e) shall be remitted by the Administrative Agent to the applicable Issuing Bank.
(b) Unless the Applicable Agent shall have received notice from a Lender prior to the proposed date of any Borrowing that such Lender will not make available to the Applicable Agent such Lender’s share of such Borrowing, the Applicable Agent may assume that such Lender has made such share available on such date in accordance with paragraph (a) of this Section and may, in reliance upon such assumption, make available to the applicable Borrower a corresponding amount. In such event, if a Lender has not in fact made its share of the applicable Borrowing available to the Applicable Agent, then the applicable Lender and the applicable Borrower severally agree to pay to the Applicable Agent forthwith on demand (without duplication) such corresponding amount with interest thereon, for each day from and including the date such amount is made available to the applicable Borrower to but excluding the date of payment to the Applicable Agent, at (i) in the case of such Lender, (x) the greater of the Federal Funds Effective Rate and a rate determined by the Administrative Agent in accordance with banking industry rules on interbank compensation (in the case of a Borrowing denominated in Dollars) or (y) the rate reasonably determined by the Applicable Agent to be the cost to it of funding such amount (in the case of a Borrowing denominated in a Foreign Currency) or (ii) in the case of the applicable Borrower, the interest rate applicable to ABR Loans (in the case of a Borrowing denominated in Dollars) or the rate reasonably determined by the Applicable Agent to be the cost to it of funding such amount (in the case of a Borrowing denominated in a Foreign Currency). If such Lender pays such amount to the Applicable Agent, then such amount shall constitute such Lender’s Loan included in such Borrowing.
SECTION 2.08.Interest Elections. (a) Each Borrowing initially shall be of the Type specified in the applicable Borrowing Request and, in the case of a Eurocurrency Borrowing, shall have an initial Interest Period as specified in such Borrowing Request. Thereafter, the applicable Borrower may elect to convert such Borrowing to a different Type, in the case of Borrowings denominated in Dollars, or to continue such Borrowing and, in the case of a Eurocurrency Borrowing, may elect Interest Periods therefor, all as provided in this Section. The applicable Borrower may elect different options with respect to different portions of the affected Borrowing, in which case each such portion shall be allocated ratably among the Lenders holding the Loans comprising such Borrowing, and the Loans comprising each such portion shall be considered a separate Borrowing. This Section shall not apply to Swingline Foreign Currency Borrowings or Swingline Dollar Borrowings, which may not be converted or continued.
(b) To make an election pursuant to this Section, the applicable Borrower shall notify the Applicable Agent of such election by telephone by the time that a Borrowing Request would be required under Section 2.03 if such Borrower were requesting a Borrowing of the Type and denominated in the Foreign Currency resulting from such election to be made on the effective date of such election. Each such telephonic Interest Election Request shall be irrevocable and shall be confirmed promptly by hand delivery or telecopy to the Applicable Agent of a written Interest Election Request in a form approved by the Applicable Agent and signed by the applicable Borrower.
(c) Each telephonic and written Interest Election Request shall specify the following information in compliance with Section 2.02:
| (i) the Borrowing to which such Interest Election Request applies and, if different options are being elected with respect to different portions thereof, the portions thereof to be allocated to each resulting Borrowing (in which case the information to be specified pursuant to clauses (iii) and (iv) below shall be specified for each resulting Borrowing); |
| (ii) the effective date of the election made pursuant to such Interest Election Request, which shall be a Business Day; |
| (iii) whether the resulting Borrowing is to be an ABR Borrowing or a Eurocurrency Borrowing; provided that the resulting Borrowing is required to be a Eurocurrency Borrowing in the case of a Borrowing denominated in a Foreign Currency; and |
| (iv) if the resulting Borrowing is a Eurocurrency Borrowing, the Interest Period to be applicable thereto after giving effect to such election, which shall be a period contemplated by clause (a) of the definition of the term “Interest Period”. |
If any such Interest Election Request requests a Eurocurrency Borrowing but does not specify an Interest Period, then the applicable Borrower shall be deemed to have selected an Interest Period of one month’s duration.
(d) Promptly following receipt of an Interest Election Request, the Applicable Agent shall advise each Lender to which such Interest Election Request relates of the details thereof and of such Lender’s portion of each resulting Borrowing.
(e) If the applicable Borrower fails to deliver a timely Interest Election Request with respect to a Eurocurrency Borrowing prior to the end of the Interest Period applicable thereto, then, unless such Borrowing is repaid as provided herein, at the end of such Interest Period such Borrowing shall be converted to an ABR Borrowing (unless such Borrowing is denominated in a Foreign Currency, in which case such Borrowing shall be continued as a Eurocurrency Borrowing with an Interest Period of one month’s duration commencing on the last day of such Interest Period). Notwithstanding any contrary provision hereof, if an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing and the Administrative Agent, at the written request (including a request through electronic means) of the Required Lenders, so notifies the applicable Borrower, then, so long as an Event of Default is continuing (i) no outstanding Borrowing may be converted to or continued as a Eurocurrency Borrowing, (ii) unless repaid, each Eurocurrency Borrowing denominated in Dollars shall be converted to an ABR Borrowing at the end of the Interest Period applicable thereto and (iii) unless repaid, each Eurocurrency Borrowing denominated in a Foreign Currency shall be continued as a Eurocurrency Borrowing with an Interest Period of one month’s duration.
SECTION 2.09.Termination and Reduction/Increases of Commitments. (a) Unless previously terminated, the Commitments shall terminate on the Maturity Date.
(b) The U.S. Borrower may at any time terminate, or from time to time reduce, the Commitments;provided that (i) each reduction of the Commitments shall be in an amount that is an integral multiple of $10,000,000 and not less than $10,000,000 and (ii) the U.S. Borrower shall not terminate or reduce the Commitments if, after giving effect to any concurrent prepayment of the Loans in accordance with Section 2.11, the Aggregate Total Exposure would exceed the Aggregate Commitments.
(c) The U.S. Borrower shall notify the Administrative Agent of any election to terminate or reduce the Commitments under paragraph (b) of this Section at least three Business Days prior to the effective date of such termination or reduction, specifying such election and the effective date thereof. Promptly following receipt of any notice, the Administrative Agent shall advise the Lenders of the contents thereof. Each notice delivered by the U.S. Borrower pursuant to this Section shall be irrevocable;provided that a notice of termination of the Commitments delivered by the U.S. Borrower may state that such notice is conditioned upon the effectiveness of other credit facilities, in which case such notice may be revoked by the U.S. Borrower (by notice to the Administrative Agent on or prior to the specified effective date) if such condition is not satisfied. Any termination or reduction of the Commitments shall be permanent. Each reduction of the Commitments shall be made ratably among the Lenders in accordance with their respective Commitments.
(d) Subject to the conditions set forth below, the U.S. Borrower may, upon at least ten (10) days (or such other period of time agreed to between the Administrative Agent and the U.S. Borrower) prior written notice to the Administrative Agent and the Lenders, increase the Aggregate Commitments from time to time, either by designating a lender not theretofore a Lender to become a Lender (such designation to be effective only with the prior written consent (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld) of the Administrative Agent) or by agreeing with an existing Lender that such Lender’s Commitment shall be increased (thus increasing the Aggregate Commitments);provided that:
(i) no Default shall have occurred and be continuing hereunder as of the effective date of such increase; |
(ii) the representations and warranties made by the Borrowers and contained in Article III shall be true and correct on and as of the effective date with the same effect as if made on and as of such date (other than those representations and warranties that by their terms speak as of a particular date, which representations and warranties shall be true and correct as of such particular date); |
(iii) the amount of such increase in the Aggregate Commitments shall not be less than $10,000,000, and shall not cause the Aggregate Commitments to exceed $200,000,000; |
(iv) The Borrowers and the Lender or lender not theretofore a Lender, shall execute and deliver to the Administrative Agent, a Lender Addition and Acknowledgement Agreement, in form and substance satisfactory to the Administrative Agent and acknowledged by the Administrative Agent and each Borrower; |
(v) no existing Lender shall be obligated in any way to increase its Commitment; |
(vi) the Administrative Agent shall consent (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld) to such increase and the U.S. Borrower shall have complied with such other conditions in connection with such increase as may be required by the Administrative Agent. |
(e) Upon the execution, delivery, acceptance and recording of the Lender Addition and Acknowledgement Agreement, from and after the effective date specified in a Lender Addition and Acknowledgement Agreement, such existing Lender shall have a Commitment as therein set forth or such other Lender shall become a Lender with a Commitment as therein set forth and all the rights and obligations of a Lender with such a Commitment hereunder.
(f) Upon its receipt of a Lender Addition and Acknowledgement Agreement together with any Note or Notes, if requested, subject to such addition and assumption and the written consent to such addition and assumption, the Administrative Agent shall, if such Lender Addition and Acknowledgement Agreement has been completed and the other conditions described in this Section 2.09 have been satisfied:
(i) accept such Lender Addition and Acknowledgement Agreement; |
(ii) record the information contained therein in the Register; and |
(iii) give prompt notice thereof to the Lenders and the U.S. Borrower and deliver to the Lenders a schedule reflecting the new Commitments. |
SECTION 2.10.Repayment of Loans; Evidence of Debt. (a) The U.S. Borrower hereby unconditionally promises to pay (i) to the Administrative Agent for the account of each Lender the then unpaid principal amount of each Revolving Loan on the Maturity Date, (ii) to the Administrative Agent for the account of each Lender the then unpaid principal amount of each Competitive Loan on the last day of the Interest Period applicable to such Loan and (iii) to the Swingline Lender the then unpaid principal amount of each Swingline Loan on the earlier of the Maturity Date and the first date after such Swingline Loan is made that is the 15th or last day of a calendar month and is at least two Business Days after such Swingline Loan is made;provided that on each date that a Revolving Borrowing or Competitive Borrowing is made, the U.S. Borrower shall repay all Swingline Loans then outstanding. Each Foreign Subsidiary Borrower hereby unconditionally promises to pay to the Applicable Agent for the account of each Lender the then unpaid principal amount of each Revolving Loan and Ancillary Loan to such Foreign Subsidiary Borrower on the Maturity Date.
(b) Each Lender shall maintain in accordance with its usual practice an account or accounts evidencing the indebtedness of each Borrower to such Lender resulting from each Loan made by such Lender, including the amounts of principal and interest payable and paid to such Lender from time to time hereunder.
(c) Each Applicable Agent shall maintain accounts in which it shall record (i) the amount of each Loan made hereunder, the Facility and Type thereof and the Interest Period (if any) applicable thereto, (ii) the amount of any principal or interest due and payable or to become due and payable from each Borrower to each Lender hereunder and (iii) any amount received by such Applicable Agent hereunder for the account of the Lenders and each Lender’s share thereof.
(d) The entries made in the accounts maintained pursuant to paragraph (b) or (c) of this Section shall be prima facie evidence of the existence and amounts of the obligations recorded therein; provided that the failure of any Lender or an Applicable Agent to maintain such accounts or any error therein shall not in any manner affect the obligation of any Borrower to repay the Loans in accordance with the terms of this Agreement.
(e) Any Lender may request that Loans made by it be evidenced by a promissory note. In such event, the applicable Borrower shall prepare, execute and deliver to such Lender a promissory note payable to the order of such Lender (or, if requested by such Lender, to such Lender and its registered assigns) and in a form approved by the Applicable Agent. Thereafter, the Loans evidenced by such promissory note and interest thereon shall at all times (including after assignment pursuant to Section 9.04) be represented by one or more promissory notes in such form payable to the order of the payee named therein (or, if such promissory note is a registered note, to such payee and its registered assigns).
SECTION 2.11.Prepayment of Loans. (a) The Borrowers shall have the right at any time and from time to time to prepay any Borrowing in whole or in part, subject to prior notice in accordance with paragraph (b) of this Section;provided that the U.S. Borrower shall not have the right to prepay any Competitive Loan without the prior consent of the Lender thereof.
(b) The applicable Borrower shall notify the Administrative Agent (and, in the case of prepayment of a Swingline Loan, the Swingline Lender) by telephone (confirmed by telecopy) of any prepayment hereunder (i) in the case of prepayment of a Eurocurrency Revolving Borrowing, not later than 11:00 a.m., Local time, three Business Days before the date of prepayment, (ii) in the case of prepayment of an ABR Revolving Borrowing, not later than 11:00 a.m., Local time, one Business Day before the date of prepayment, (iii) in the case of prepayment of a Swingline Loan, not later than 12:00 noon, Local time, on the date of prepayment or (iv) in the case of prepayment of an Ancillary Loan, as specified in the applicable Ancillary Facility Document. Each such notice shall be irrevocable and shall specify the prepayment date and the principal amount of each Borrowing or portion thereof to be prepaid;provided that, if a notice of prepayment is given in connection with a conditional notice of termination of the Commitments as contemplated by Section 2.09, then such notice of prepayment may be revoked if such notice of termination is revoked in accordance with Section 2.09. Promptly following receipt of any such notice relating to a Revolving Borrowing, the Administrative Agent shall advise the Lenders of the contents thereof. Each partial prepayment of any Revolving Borrowing shall be in an amount that would be permitted in the case of an advance of a Revolving Borrowing of the same Type as provided in Section 2.02. Each prepayment of a Revolving Borrowing shall be applied ratably to the Loans included in the prepaid Borrowing. Prepayments shall be accompanied by accrued interest to the extent required by Section 2.13.
(c) In the event and on such occasion that (i) (A) the sum of (1) the Aggregate Revolving Credit Exposure, (2) the Aggregate Competitive Loan Exposure and (3) the Aggregate Ancillary Commitments exceeds (B) (x) 105% of the Aggregate Commitments solely as a result of currency fluctuations or (y) the Aggregate Commitments (other than as a result of currency fluctuations), the Borrowers shall prepay Aggregate Revolving Credit Exposure owing by such Borrowers, or reduce Aggregate Ancillary Commitments, in an aggregate amount equal to the amount by which (A) the sum of (1) the Aggregate Revolving Credit Exposure, (2) the Aggregate Competitive Loan Exposure and (3) the Aggregate Ancillary Commitments exceeds the Aggregate Commitments.
SECTION 2.12.Fees. (a) The U.S. Borrower agrees to pay to the Administrative Agent for the account of each Lender a facility fee, which shall accrue at the Applicable Rate on the daily amount of the Commitment of such Lender (whether used or unused) during the period from and including the Effective Date to but excluding the date on which such Commitment terminates;provided that, if such Lender continues to have any Revolving Credit Exposure or Ancillary Facility Exposure after its Commitment terminates, then such facility fee shall continue to accrue on the daily amount of such Lender’s Revolving Credit Exposure and Ancillary Facility Exposure from and including the date on which its Commitment terminates to but excluding the date on which such Lender ceases to have any Revolving Credit Exposure or Ancillary Facility Exposure. Accrued facility fees shall be payable in arrears on the last day of March, June, September and December of each year and on the date on which the Commitments terminate, commencing on the first such date to occur after the date hereof;provided that any facility fees accruing after the date on which the Commitments terminate shall be payable on demand. All facility fees shall be computed on the basis of a year of 360 days and shall be payable for the actual number of days elapsed (including the first day but excluding the last day).
(b) The U.S. Borrower agrees to pay (i) to the Administrative Agent for the account of each Lender a participation fee with respect to its participations in Letters of Credit, which shall accrue at the same Applicable Rate used to determine the interest rate applicable to Eurocurrency Revolving Loans on the average daily amount of such Lender’s LC Exposure (excluding any portion thereof attributable to unreimbursed LC Disbursements) during the period from and including the Effective Date to but excluding the later of the date on which such Lender’s Commitment terminates and the date on which such Lender ceases to have any LC Exposure, and (ii) to the Issuing Bank a fronting fee, which shall accrue at the rate or rates per annum separately agreed upon between the U.S. Borrower and the Issuing Bank on the average daily amount of the LC Exposure (excluding any portion thereof attributable to unreimbursed LC Disbursements) during the period from and including the Effective Date to but excluding the later of the date of termination of the Commitments and the date on which there ceases to be any LC Exposure, as well as the Issuing Bank’s standard fees with respect to the issuance, amendment, renewal or extension of any Letter of Credit or processing of drawings thereunder. Participation fees and fronting fees accrued through and including the last day of March, June, September and December of each year shall be payable on the third Business Day following such last day, commencing on the first such date to occur after the Effective Date;provided that all such fees shall be payable on the date on which the Commitments terminate and any such fees accruing after the date on which the Commitments terminate shall be payable on demand. Any other fees payable to the Issuing Bank pursuant to this paragraph shall be payable within 10 days after demand. All participation fees and fronting fees shall be computed on the basis of a year of 360 days and shall be payable for the actual number of days elapsed (including the first day but excluding the last day).
(c) The U.S. Borrower agrees to pay to the Administrative Agent, for its own account, fees payable in the amounts and at the times separately agreed upon between the U.S. Borrower and the Administrative Agent.
(d) All fees payable hereunder shall be paid on the dates due, in immediately available funds, to the Administrative Agent (or to the Issuing Bank, in the case of fees payable to it) for distribution, in the case of facility fees and participation fees, to the Lenders. Fees paid shall not be refundable under any circumstances.
SECTION 2.13.Interest. (a) The Loans comprising each ABR Borrowing (including each Swingline Loan) shall bear interest at the Alternate Base Rate.
(b) The Loans comprising each Eurocurrency Borrowing shall bear interest (i) in the case of a Eurocurrency Revolving Loan, at the Adjusted LIBO Rate for the Interest Period in effect for such Borrowing plus the Applicable Rate, or (ii) in the case of a Eurocurrency Competitive Loan, at the LIBO Rate for the Interest Period in effect for such Borrowing plus (or minus, as applicable) the Margin applicable to such Loan.
(c) Each Fixed Rate Loan shall bear interest at the Fixed Rate applicable to such Loan.
(d) Each Swingline Loan shall bear interest as determined in Section 2.05.
(e) Notwithstanding the foregoing, if any principal of or interest on any Loan or any fee or other amount payable by any Borrower hereunder is not paid when due, whether at stated maturity, upon acceleration or otherwise, such overdue amount shall bear interest, after as well as before judgment, at a rate per annum equal to (i) in the case of overdue principal of any Loan, 2% plus the rate otherwise applicable to such Loan as provided in the preceding paragraphs of this Section or (ii) in the case of any other amount, 2% plus the rate applicable to ABR Loans as provided in paragraph (a) of this Section.
(f) Accrued interest on each Loan shall be payable in arrears on each Interest Payment Date for such Loan and, in the case of Revolving Loans, upon termination of the Commitments;provided that (i) interest accrued pursuant to paragraph (e) of this Section shall be payable on demand, (ii) in the event of any repayment or prepayment of any Loan (other than a prepayment of an ABR Revolving Loan prior to the end of the Availability Period), accrued interest on the principal amount repaid or prepaid shall be payable on the date of such repayment or prepayment and (iii) in the event of any conversion of any Eurocurrency Revolving Loan prior to the end of the current Interest Period therefor, accrued interest on such Loan shall be payable on the effective date of such conversion.
(g) All interest hereunder shall be computed on the basis of a year of 360 days, except that (i) interest on Borrowings denominated in Sterling or in any other Foreign Currency for which it is required by applicable law or customary to compute interest on the basis of a year of 365 days (or 366 days in a leap year), and (ii) interest computed by reference to the Alternate Base Rate at times when the Alternate Base Rate is based on the Prime Rate shall be computed on the basis of a year of 365 days (or 366 days in a leap year), and in each case shall be payable for the actual number of days elapsed (including the first day but excluding the last day). The applicable Alternate Base Rate, Adjusted LIBO Rate or LIBO Rate shall be determined by the Administrative Agent, and such determination shall be conclusive absent manifest error.
SECTION 2.14.Alternate Rate of Interest. If prior to the commencement of any Interest Period for a Eurocurrency Borrowing denominated in any currency:
(a) the Applicable Agent determines (which determination shall be conclusive absent manifest error) that adequate and reasonable means do not exist for ascertaining the Adjusted LIBO Rate or the LIBO Rate, as applicable, for such Interest Period; or
(b) the Applicable Agent is advised by the Required Lenders that the Adjusted LIBO Rate or the LIBO Rate, as applicable, for such Interest Period will not adequately and fairly reflect the cost to such Lenders of making or maintaining their Loans included in such Borrowing for such Interest Period;
then the Applicable Agent shall give notice thereof to the Borrowers and the Lenders by telephone or telecopy as promptly as practicable thereafter and, until the Applicable Agent notifies the Borrowers and the Lenders that the circumstances giving rise to such notice no longer exist, (i) any Interest Election Request that requests the conversion of any Borrowing to, or continuation of any Borrowing as, a Eurocurrency Borrowing denominated in such currency shall be ineffective and such Borrowing shall be converted to or continued as on the last day of the Interest Period applicable thereto (A) if such Borrowing is denominated in Dollars, an ABR Borrowing or (B) if such Borrowing is denominated in a Foreign Currency, as a Borrowing bearing interest at such rate as the Administrative Agent determines adequately reflects the costs to the Lenders of making or maintaining such Borrowing, and (ii) if any Borrowing Request requests a Eurocurrency Borrowing in such currency, such Borrowing shall be made as an ABR Borrowing (if such Borrowing is requested to be made in Dollars) or shall be made as a Borrowing bearing interest at such rate as the Administrative Agent determines adequately reflects the costs to the Lenders of making or maintaining such Borrowing.
SECTION 2.15. Increased Costs. (a) If any Change in Law shall:
(i) impose, modify or deem applicable any reserve, special deposit or similar requirement against assets of, deposits with or for the account of, or credit extended by, any Lender (except any such reserve requirement reflected in the Adjusted LIBO Rate) or the Issuing Bank; or |
(ii) impose on any Lender or the Issuing Bank or the London interbank market any other condition affecting this Agreement or any Advance made by such Lender or any Letter of Credit or participation therein; |
and the result of any of the foregoing shall be to increase the cost to such Lender of making or maintaining any Eurocurrency Loan or Fixed Rate Loan (or of maintaining its obligation to make any such Loan) or to increase the cost to such Lender or the Issuing Bank of participating in, issuing or maintaining any Letter of Credit or to reduce the amount of any sum received or receivable by such Lender or the Issuing Bank hereunder (whether of principal, interest or otherwise), then the applicable Borrower will pay to such Lender or the Issuing Bank, as the case may be, such additional amount or amounts as will compensate such Lender or the Issuing Bank, as the case may be, for such additional costs incurred or reduction suffered.
(b) If any Lender or the Issuing Bank determines that any Change in Law regarding capital requirements has or would have the effect of reducing the rate of return on such Lender’s or the Issuing Bank’s capital or on the capital of such Lender’s or the Issuing Bank’s holding company, if any, as a consequence of this Agreement or the Loans made by, or participations in Letters of Credit held by, such Lender, or the Letters of Credit issued by the Issuing Bank, to a level below that which such Lender or the Issuing Bank or such Lender’s or the Issuing Bank’s holding company could have achieved but for such Change in Law (taking into consideration such Lender’s or the Issuing Bank’s policies and the policies of such Lender’s or the Issuing Bank’s holding company with respect to capital adequacy), then from time to time the applicable Borrower will pay to such Lender or the Issuing Bank, as the case may be, such additional amount or amounts as will compensate such Lender or the Issuing Bank or such Lender’s or the Issuing Bank’s holding company for any such reduction suffered.
(c) A certificate of a Lender or the Issuing Bank setting forth the amount or amounts necessary to compensate such Lender or the Issuing Bank or its holding company, as the case may be, as specified in paragraph (a) or (b) of this Section shall be delivered to the U.S. Borrower and shall be conclusive absent manifest error. The applicable Borrower shall pay such Lender or the Issuing Bank, as the case may be, the amount shown as due on any such certificate within 10 days after receipt thereof.
(d) Failure or delay on the part of any Lender or the Issuing Bank to demand compensation pursuant to this Section shall not constitute a waiver of such Lender’s or the Issuing Bank’s right to demand such compensation;provided that the U.S. Borrower shall not be required to compensate a Lender or the Issuing Bank pursuant to this Section for any increased costs or reductions incurred more than 270 days prior to the date that such Lender or the Issuing Bank, as the case may be, notifies the U.S. Borrower of the Change in Law giving rise to such increased costs or reductions and of such Lender’s or the Issuing Bank’s intention to claim compensation therefor;providedfurther that, if the Change in Law giving rise to such increased costs or reductions is retroactive, then the 270-day period referred to above shall be extended to include the period of retroactive effect thereof.
(e) Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section, a Lender shall not be entitled to compensation pursuant to this Section in respect of any Competitive Loan if the Change in Law that would otherwise entitle it to such compensation shall have been publicly announced prior to submission of the Competitive Bid pursuant to which such Loan was made.
SECTION 2.16.Break Funding Payments. In the event of (a) the payment of any principal of any Eurocurrency Loan or Fixed Rate Loan other than on the last day of an Interest Period applicable thereto (including as a result of an Event of Default), (b) the conversion of any Eurocurrency Loan other than on the last day of the Interest Period applicable thereto, (c) the failure to borrow, convert, continue or prepay any Eurocurrency Loan or Fixed Rate Loan on the date specified in any notice delivered pursuant hereto (regardless of whether such notice may be revoked under Section 2.11(b) and is revoked in accordance therewith), (d) the failure to borrow any Competitive Loan after accepting the Competitive Bid to make such Loan, or (e) the assignment of any Eurocurrency Loan or Fixed Rate Loan other than on the last day of the Interest Period applicable thereto as a result of a request by the U.S. Borrower pursuant to Section 2.19, then, in any such event, the applicable Borrower shall compensate each Lender for the loss, cost and expense attributable to such event. In the case of a Eurocurrency Loan, such loss, cost or expense to any Lender shall be deemed to include an amount determined by such Lender to be the excess, if any, of (i) the amount of interest which would have accrued on the principal amount of such Loan had such event not occurred, at the Adjusted LIBO Rate that would have been applicable to such Loan, for the period from the date of such event to the last day of the then current Interest Period therefor (or, in the case of a failure to borrow, convert or continue, for the period that would have been the Interest Period for such Loan), over (ii) the amount of interest which would accrue on such principal amount for such period at the interest rate which such Lender would bid were it to bid, at the commencement of such period, for Dollar deposits of a comparable amount and period from other banks in the eurodollar market. A certificate of any Lender setting forth any amount or amounts that such Lender is entitled to receive pursuant to this Section shall be delivered to the applicable Borrower and shall be conclusive absent manifest error. The applicable Borrower shall pay such Lender the amount shown as due on any such certificate within 10 days after receipt thereof.
SECTION 2.17. Taxes. (a) Any and all payments by or on account of any obligation of any Borrower hereunder shall be made free and clear of and without deduction for any Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes;provided that if the any Borrower shall be required to deduct any Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes from such payments, then (i) the sum payable shall be increased as necessary so that after making all required deductions (including deductions applicable to additional sums payable under this Section) the Administrative Agent, Lender or Issuing Bank (as the case may be) receives an amount equal to the sum it would have received had no such deductions been made, (ii) such Borrower shall make such deductions and (iii) such Borrower shall pay the full amount deducted to the relevant Governmental Authority in accordance with applicable law.
(b) In addition, each Borrower shall pay any Other Taxes to the relevant Governmental Authority in accordance with applicable law.
(c) Each Borrower shall indemnify the Administrative Agent, each Lender and the Issuing Bank, within 10 days after written demand therefor, for the full amount of any Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes paid by the Administrative Agent, such Lender or the Issuing Bank, as the case may be, on or with respect to any payment by or on account of any obligation of such Borrower hereunder (including Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes imposed or asserted on or attributable to amounts payable under this Section) and any penalties, interest and reasonable expenses arising therefrom or with respect thereto, whether or not such Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes were correctly or legally imposed or asserted by the relevant Governmental Authority. A certificate as to the amount of such payment or liability delivered to the U.S. Borrower by a Lender or the Issuing Bank, or by the Administrative Agent on its own behalf or on behalf of a Lender or the Issuing Bank, shall be conclusive absent manifest error.
(d) As soon as practicable after any payment of Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes by any Borrower to a Governmental Authority, such Borrower shall deliver to the Administrative Agent the original or a certified copy of a receipt issued by such Governmental Authority evidencing such payment, a copy of the return reporting such payment or other evidence of such payment reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent.
(e) Any Foreign Lender that is entitled to an exemption from or reduction of withholding tax under the law of the jurisdiction in which a Borrower is located, or any treaty to which such jurisdiction is a party, with respect to payments under this Agreement shall deliver to the U.S. Borrower (with a copy to the Administrative Agent), at the time or times prescribed by applicable law, such properly completed and executed documentation prescribed by applicable law or reasonably requested by the U.S. Borrower as will permit such payments to be made without withholding or at a reduced rate.
(f) If the Administrative Agent or a Lender determines, in its sole discretion, that it has received a refund of any Taxes or Other Taxes as to which it has been indemnified by a Borrower or with respect to which a Borrower has paid additional amounts pursuant to this Section 2.17, it shall pay over such refund to such Borrower (but only to the extent of indemnity payments made, or additional amounts paid, by such Borrower under this Section 2.17 with respect to the Taxes or Other Taxes giving rise to such refund), net of all out-of-pocket expenses of the Administrative Agent or such Lender and without interest (other than any interest paid by the relevant Governmental Authority with respect to such refund); provided, that such Borrower, upon the request of the Administrative Agent or such Lender, agrees to repay the amount paid over to such Borrower (plus any penalties, interest or other charges imposed by the relevant Governmental Authority) to the Administrative Agent or such Lender in the event the Administrative Agent or such Lender is required to repay such refund to such Governmental Authority. This Section shall not be construed to require the Administrative Agent or any Lender to make available its tax returns (or any other information relating to its taxes which it deems confidential) to any Borrower or any other Person.
SECTION 2.18.Payments Generally; Pro Rata Treatment; Sharing of Set-offs. (a) Unless otherwise specified, each Borrower shall make each payment required to be made by it hereunder (whether of principal, interest, fees or reimbursement of LC Disbursements, or of amounts payable under Section 2.15, 2.16, 2.17 or 2.21, or otherwise) prior to 1:00 p.m., Local Time, on the date when due, in immediately available funds, without set-off or counterclaim. Any amounts received after such time on any date may, in
the discretion of the Applicable Agent, be deemed to have been received on the next succeeding Business Day for purposes of calculating interest thereon. All such payments shall be made to the Applicable Agent to the applicable account designated to the U.S. Borrower by each Applicable Agent, except payments to be made directly to the applicable Issuing Bank or the Swingline Lender as expressly provided herein and except that payments pursuant to Sections 2.15, 2.16, 2.17, 2.21 and 9.05 shall be made directly to the persons entitled thereto. The Applicable Agent shall distribute any such payments received by it for the account of any other person to the appropriate recipient promptly following receipt thereof. If any payment hereunder shall be due on a day that is not a Business Day, the date for payment shall be extended to the next succeeding Business Day, and, in the case of any payment accruing interest, interest thereon shall be payable for the period of such extension. All payments hereunder of (i) principal or interest in respect of any Loan shall be made in the currency in which such Loan is denominated, (ii) reimbursement obligations shall be made in the currency in which the Letter of Credit in respect of which such reimbursement obligation exists is denominated or (iii) any other amount due hereunder or under another Loan Document (other than an Ancillary Facility Document) shall be made in Dollars. Any payment required to be made by an Applicable Agent hereunder shall be deemed to have been made by the time required if such Applicable Agent shall, at or before such time, have taken the necessary steps to make such payment in accordance with the regulations or operating procedures of the clearing or settlement system used by such Applicable Agent to make such payment.
(b) If at any time insufficient funds are received by and available to the Applicable Agent from any Borrower to pay fully all amounts of principal, unreimbursed LC Disbursements, interest and fees then due from such Borrower hereunder, such funds shall be applied (i) first, towards payment of interest and fees then due from such Borrower hereunder, ratably among the parties entitled thereto in accordance with the amounts of interest and fees then due to such parties, and (ii) second, towards payment of principal and unreimbursed LC Disbursements then due from such Borrower hereunder, ratably among the parties entitled thereto in accordance with the amounts of principal and unreimbursed LC Disbursements then due to such parties.
(c) If any Lender shall, by exercising any right of set-off or counterclaim or otherwise, obtain payment in respect of any principal of or interest on any of its Ancillary Loans, Revolving Loans or participations in LC Disbursements or Swingline Loans resulting in such Lender receiving payment of a greater proportion of the aggregate amount of its Ancillary Loans, Revolving Loans and participations in LC Disbursements and Swingline Loans and accrued interest thereon than the proportion received by any other Lender, then the Lender receiving such greater proportion shall purchase (for cash at face value) participations in the Ancillary Loans, Revolving Loans and participations in LC Disbursements and Swingline Loans of other Lenders to the extent necessary so that the benefit of all such payments shall be shared by the Lenders ratably in accordance with the aggregate amount of principal of and accrued interest on their respective Ancillary Loans, Revolving Loans and participations in LC Disbursements and Swingline Loans; provided that (i) if any such participations are purchased and all or any portion of the payment giving rise thereto is recovered, such participations shall be rescinded and the purchase price restored to the extent of such recovery, without interest, and (ii) the provisions of this paragraph (c) shall not be construed to apply to any payment made by a Borrower pursuant to and in accordance with the express terms of this Agreement or any payment obtained by a Lender as consideration for the assignment of or sale of a participation in any of its Loans or participations in LC Disbursements to any assignee or participant, other than to such Borrower or any Subsidiary or Affiliate thereof (as to which the provisions of this paragraph (c) shall apply). Each Borrower consents to the foregoing and agrees, to the extent it may effectively do so under applicable law, that any Lender acquiring a participation pursuant to the foregoing arrangements may exercise against such Borrower rights of set-off and counterclaim with respect to such participation as fully as if such Lender were a direct creditor of such Borrower in the amount of such participation.
(d) Unless the Applicable Agent shall have received notice from a Borrower prior to the date on which any payment is due to the Applicable Agent for the account of the Lenders or the applicable Issuing Bank hereunder that such Borrower will not make such payment, the Applicable Agent may assume that such Borrower has made such payment on such date in accordance herewith and may, in reliance upon such assumption, distribute to the Lenders or the applicable Issuing Bank, as applicable, the amount due. In such event, if such Borrower has not in fact made such payment, then each of the Lenders or the applicable Issuing Bank, as applicable, severally agrees to repay to the Applicable Agent forthwith on demand the amount so distributed to such Lender or Issuing Bank with interest thereon, for each day from and including the date such amount is distributed to it to but excluding the date of payment to the Administrative Agent, at (i) the greater of the Federal Funds Effective Rate and a rate determined by the Administrative Agent in accordance with banking industry rules on interbank compensation (in the case of an amount denominated in Dollars) and (ii) the rate reasonably determined by the Applicable Agent to be the cost to it of funding such amount (in the case of an amount denominated in a Foreign Currency).
(e) If any Lender shall fail to make any payment required to be made by it pursuant to Section 2.05(c), 2.06(d) or (e), 2.07(b), 2.18(d) or 9.03(c), then the Applicable Agent may, in its discretion (notwithstanding any contrary provision hereof), apply any amounts thereafter received by the Applicable Agent for the account of such Lender to satisfy such Lender’s obligations under such Sections until all such unsatisfied obligations are fully paid.
SECTION 2.19.Mitigation Obligations; Replacement of Lenders. (a) If any Lender requests compensation under Section 2.15, or if any Borrower is required to pay any additional amount to any Lender or any Governmental Authority for the account of any Lender pursuant to Section 2.17, then such Lender shall use reasonable efforts to designate a different lending office for funding or booking its Loans hereunder or to assign its rights and obligations hereunder to another of its offices, branches or affiliates, if, in the judgment of such Lender, such designation or assignment (i) would eliminate or reduce amounts payable pursuant to Section 2.15 or 2.17, as the case may be, in the future and (ii) would not subject such Lender to any unreimbursed cost or expense and would not otherwise be disadvantageous to such Lender. Each Borrower hereby agrees to pay all reasonable costs and expenses incurred by any Lender in connection with any such designation or assignment.
(b) If any Lender requests compensation under Section 2.15, or if a Borrower is required to pay any additional amount to any Lender or any Governmental Authority for the account of any Lender pursuant to Section 2.17, or if any Lender defaults in its obligation to fund Loans hereunder, then such Borrower may, at its sole expense and effort, upon notice to such Lender and the Administrative Agent, require such Lender to assign and delegate, without recourse (in accordance with and subject to the restrictions contained in Section 9.04), all its interests, rights and obligations under this Agreement (other than any outstanding Competitive Loans held by it) to an assignee that shall assume such obligations (which assignee may be another Lender, if a Lender accepts such assignment);provided that (i) such Borrower shall have received the prior written consent of the Administrative Agent (and if a Commitment is being assigned, the Issuing Bank), which consent shall not unreasonably be withheld, (ii) such Lender shall have received payment of an amount equal to the outstanding principal of its Loans (other than Competitive Loans) and participations in LC Disbursements and Swingline Loans, accrued interest thereon, accrued fees and all other amounts payable to it hereunder, from the assignee (to the extent of such outstanding principal and accrued interest and fees) or such Borrower (in the case of all other amounts) and (iii) in the case of any such assignment resulting from a claim for compensation under Section 2.15 or payments required to be made pursuant to Section 2.17, such assignment will result in a reduction in such compensation or payments. A Lender shall not be required to make any such assignment and delegation if, prior thereto, as a result of a waiver by such Lender or otherwise, the circumstances entitling such Borrower to require such assignment and delegation cease to apply.
SECTION 2.20.Foreign Subsidiary Borrowers. On or after the Effective Date, the U.S. Borrower may designate any Foreign Subsidiary that is a Wholly-Owned Subsidiary as a Foreign Subsidiary Borrower by delivery to the Administrative Agent of a Foreign Subsidiary Borrower Agreement executed by such Foreign Subsidiary and the U.S. Borrower. Each such designation shall specify whether such Foreign Subsidiary shall be entitled (i) to obtain Revolving Loans and/or (ii) to request the creation of Ancillary Facilities under Section 2.22, and each such designation shall be subject to the consent of the Administrative Agent (which consent shall not unreasonably be withheld). Upon the execution by the U.S. Borrower and delivery to the Administrative Agent of a Foreign Subsidiary Borrower Termination with respect to any Foreign Subsidiary Borrower, such Foreign Subsidiary shall cease to be a Foreign Subsidiary Borrower and a party to this Agreement; provided that no Foreign Subsidiary Borrower Termination will become effective as to any Foreign Subsidiary Borrower (other than to terminate such Foreign Subsidiary Borrower’s right to make further Borrowings under this Agreement) at a time when any principal of or interest on any Loan to such Foreign Subsidiary Borrower shall be outstanding hereunder or any Ancillary Facility under which Ancillary Loans may be made available to such Foreign Subsidiary Borrower has not been previously terminated. Promptly following receipt of any Foreign Subsidiary Borrower Agreement or Foreign Subsidiary Borrower Termination, the Administrative Agent shall send a copy thereof to each Lender.
SECTION 2.21.Additional Reserve Costs. (a) For so long as any Lender is required to make special deposits with the Bank of England or comply with reserve assets, liquidity, cash margin or other requirements of the Bank of England, to maintain reserve asset ratios or to pay fees, in each case in respect of such Lender’s Eurocurrency Loans or Swingline Foreign Currency Loans, such Lender shall be entitled to require the applicable Borrower to pay, contemporaneously with each payment of interest on each of such Loans, additional interest on such Loan at a rate per annum equal to the Mandatory Costs Rate calculated in accordance with the formula and in the manner set forth in Exhibit F hereto.
(b) For so long as any Lender is required to comply with reserve assets, liquidity, cash margin or other requirements of any monetary or other authority (including any such requirement imposed by the European Central Bank or the European System of Central Banks, but excluding requirements reflected in the Statutory Reserves or the Mandatory Costs Rate) in respect of any of such Lender’s Eurocurrency Loans and Swingline Foreign Currency Loans, such Lender shall be entitled to require the applicable Borrower to pay, contemporaneously with each payment of interest on each of such Lender’s Loans subject to such requirements, additional interest on such Loan at a rate per annum specified by such Lender to be the cost to such Lender of complying with such requirements in relation to such Loan.
(c) Any additional interest owed pursuant to paragraph (a) or (b) above shall be determined by the applicable Lender, which determination shall be conclusive absent manifest error, and notified to the applicable Borrower (with a copy to the Administrative Agent) at least five Business Days before each date on which interest is payable for the applicable Loan, and such additional interest so notified to the applicable Borrower by such Lender shall be payable to the Administrative Agent for the account of such Lender on each date on which interest is payable for such Loan.
SECTION 2.22.Ancillary Facilities. (a)General. If a Foreign Subsidiary Borrower and a Lender or Lenders agree, subject to (i) compliance with the requirements set forth in this Section 2.22 and (ii) such Foreign Subsidiary Borrower having complied with Sections 2.20 and 4.03, such Lenders shall be permitted to provide an Ancillary Facility to such Foreign Subsidiary Borrower. The Aggregate Ancillary Commitments shall not at any time exceed $20,000,000.
(b) Creation of Ancillary Facilities. To request the creation of an Ancillary Facility, a Foreign Subsidiary Borrower shall deliver to the Administrative Agent not later than 10 Business Days (or such shorter period agreed to by the Administrative Agent) prior to the first date on which such Ancillary Facility is proposed to be made available:
(i) notice in writing specifying: |
(A) the Foreign Subsidiary Borrower to which extensions of credit will be made available thereunder; |
(B) the first date on which such Ancillary Facility shall be made available and the expiration date of such Ancillary Facility (which shall be no later than the Maturity Date); |
(C) the type of Ancillary Facility being provided; |
(D) the identity of the Ancillary Lender(s) (which shall be acceptable to the Administrative Agent); and |
(E) the amount of the Ancillary Commitment with respect to such Ancillary Facility (which shall be expressed in Dollars and shall not (x) exceed the Available Unused Commitment of each such Ancillary Lender on the first date on which such Ancillary Facility shall be made available or (y) when combined with all Ancillary Commitments of the Ancillary Lenders, exceed $20,000,000) and the Foreign Currencies in which such Ancillary Facilities shall be made available. |
(ii) a copy of the Ancillary Facility Document with respect to such Ancillary Facility (which shall be reasonably acceptable to the Administrative Agent), together with a certificate of a Financial Officer certifying that the terms of such Ancillary Facility satisfy the requirements set forth in clauses (i)(B) and (i)(E) above and in paragraph (d) of this Section; and |
(iii) such other information that the Administrative Agent may reasonably request in connection with such Ancillary Facility. |
The Administrative Agent shall give notice to each Lender of such matters.
(c) Amendment of Ancillary Facilities. To request an amendment of an Ancillary Facility, the applicable Foreign Subsidiary Borrower shall deliver to the Administrative Agent, not later than five Business Days (or such shorter period agreed to by the Administrative Agent) prior to the effective date of such amendment, (i) a notice in writing (A) identifying the Ancillary Facility to be amended, (B) the effective date of such Amendment and (C) the documentation relating to such proposed amendment (which shall be reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent) and (ii) a certificate of a Financial Officer certifying that the terms of such Ancillary Facility, after giving effect to such proposed amendment, satisfy the requirements set forth in clauses (i)(B) and (i)(E) of paragraph (b) of this Section and in paragraph (d) of this Section. The Administrative Agent shall give notice to each Lender of such matters.
(d) Terms of Ancillary Facility. Each Ancillary Facility shall contain terms and conditions acceptable to the applicable Ancillary Lenders and the applicable Foreign Subsidiary Borrower thereunder; provided that such terms shall at all times: (i) be based upon normal commercial terms at the time of the creation of such Ancillary Facility pursuant to paragraph (b) of this Section; (ii) permit extensions of credit thereunder to be made only to such Foreign Subsidiary Borrower; (iii) provide that the Ancillary Commitment of the applicable Ancillary Lenders under such Ancillary Facility shall not exceed such Ancillary Lender’s Available Unused Commitment and that, in the event and on such occasion that such Ancillary Commitment exceeds such Available Unused Commitment, such Ancillary Commitment shall be automatically reduced by the amount of such excess; (iv) provide that the Ancillary Commitment under such Ancillary Facility be canceled, and that all extensions of credit under such Ancillary Facility be repaid, not later than the Maturity Date; (v) provide that the conditions set forth in Article IV shall be conditions to each extension of credit under such Ancillary Facility; and (vi) not provide for the payment of commitment fees in respect of the Ancillary Commitment for such Ancillary Facility.
(e) Termination and Demand for Repayment.
(i) Any Ancillary Facility shall be permitted to be terminated by the applicable Ancillary Lenders in accordance with the terms of such Ancillary Facility and, upon the effective date of such termination (an “Ancillary Facility Termination Date”), all Ancillary Loans under such Ancillary Facility shall be repaid in full. |
(ii) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary set forth in the Ancillary Facility Document relating to the Ancillary Facility to be terminated, the Ancillary Lenders seeking to terminate an Ancillary Facility shall deliver to the Applicable Agent, with a copy to the applicable Foreign Subsidiary Borrower, a written notice of termination (a “Notice of Termination”) not later than five Business Days prior to the Ancillary Facility Termination Date specified in such Notice of Termination for such Ancillary Facility. Each such Notice of Termination shall specify: |
(A) the names of the applicable Foreign Subsidiary Borrower and Ancillary Lenders; |
(B) the aggregate amount of Ancillary Loans under the applicable Ancillary Facility (which shall not exceed the Ancillary Commitment in respect of such Ancillary Facility); and |
(C) the applicable Ancillary Facility Termination Date. |
(f) Cancellation by Foreign Subsidiary Borrower. The Foreign Subsidiary Borrower to which an Ancillary Facility has been made available shall be permitted at any time to request the cancellation of all or a portion of such Ancillary Facility by delivery of a notice in writing to the Administrative Agent and the applicable Ancillary Lenders, specifying the Ancillary Facility to be canceled and the proposed cancellation date. Such notice shall be delivered not less than five Business Days prior to the proposed cancellation date. Such cancellation shall be effective as of the proposed cancellation date unless the Ancillary Facility Exposure under such Ancillary Facility has not been reduced to zero as of such date.
(g) Additional Information. Each Ancillary Lender shall report in writing to the Administrative Agent (i) on the last Business Day of each month and of each fiscal quarter of the U.S. Borrower the Ancillary Facility Exposure for each day during the preceding month or fiscal quarter, as the case may be, for each Ancillary Facility under which it is an Ancillary Lender and (ii) on any other Business Day requested by the Administrative Agent, the Ancillary Facility Exposure for such day for each Ancillary Facility under which it is an Ancillary Lender. In addition, each Foreign Subsidiary Borrower to which an Ancillary Facility has been made available and each Ancillary Lender shall, upon request by the Administrative Agent, promptly supply the Administrative Agent with any information relating to the operation of such Ancillary Facility (including the Ancillary Facility Exposure) as the Administrative Agent may reasonably request.
(h) Conflict with Loan Documents. In the event of any conflict between the terms of an Ancillary Facility Document and any other Loan Document (other than an Ancillary Facility Document), the terms of such other Loan Document shall govern.
(i) Termination and Expiration of Ancillary Commitments. On each date on which an Ancillary Facility expires, is terminated or is canceled (in whole or in part), the Available Unused Commitment of the Ancillary Lender under such Ancillary Facility shall be increased by an amount equal to the portion of such Ancillary Facility that has expired or been canceled, unless the Commitments shall have been previously terminated.
SECTION 2.23.U.S. Borrower Guaranty. The U.S. Borrower shall absolutely and unconditionally guarantee all Obligations of each Foreign Subsidiary Borrower pursuant to the U.S. Borrower Guaranty. The U.S. Borrower agrees to execute and deliver such agreements and documents requested by the Administrative Agent in connection with the U.S. Borrower Guaranty and such guarantee obligation.
ARTICLE III
Representations and Warranties
The Borrowers represent and warrant to the Lenders that:
SECTION 3.01.Organization; Powers. Each of the U.S. Borrower and its Subsidiaries is duly organized, validly existing and in good standing (or, if applicable in a foreign jurisdiction, enjoys the equivalent status under the laws of any jurisdiction of organization outside the United States) under the laws of the jurisdiction of its organization, has all requisite power and authority to carry on its business as now conducted and, except where the failure to do so, individually or in the aggregate, could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, is qualified to do business in, and is in good standing in, every jurisdiction where such qualification is required.
SECTION 3.02.Authorization; Enforceability. The Transactions are within each Borrower’s corporate powers and have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate, stockholder and other action. Each Loan Document has been duly executed and delivered by each Borrower party thereto and constitutes a legal, valid and binding obligation of each Borrower, enforceable in accordance with its terms, subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other laws affecting creditors’ rights generally and subject to general principles of equity, regardless of whether considered in a proceeding in equity or at law.
SECTION 3.03.Governmental Approvals; No Conflicts. The Transactions (a) do not require any consent or approval of, registration or filing with, or any other action by, any Governmental Authority, except such as have been obtained or made and are in full force and effect, (b) will not violate any applicable law or regulation or the charter, by-laws or other organizational documents of the U.S. Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries or any order of any Governmental Authority, (c) will not violate or result in a default under any indenture, agreement or other instrument binding upon the U.S. Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries or its assets, or give rise to a right thereunder to require any payment to be made by the U.S. Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, and (d) will not result in the creation or imposition of any Lien on any asset of the U.S. Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries.
SECTION 3.04.Financial Condition; No Material Adverse Change. (a) The U.S. Borrower has heretofore furnished to the Lenders its consolidated balance sheet and statements of income, stockholders equity and cash flows (i) as of and for the fiscal year ended May 29, 2004, reported on by Ernst & Young LLP, independent public accountants, and (ii) as of and for the fiscal quarter and the portion of the fiscal year ended May 29, 2004, certified by its chief financial officer. Such financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position and results of operations and cash flows of the U.S. Borrower and its consolidated Subsidiaries as of such dates and for such periods in accordance with GAAP, subject to year-end audit adjustments and the absence of footnotes in the case of the statements referred to in clause (ii) above.
(b) Since May 29, 2004, there has been no material adverse change in the business, assets, operations, prospects or condition, financial or otherwise, of the U.S. Borrower and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole.
SECTION 3.05.Properties. (a) Each of the U.S. Borrower and its Subsidiaries has good title to, or valid leasehold interests in, all its real and personal property material to its business, except for minor defects in title that do not interfere with its ability to conduct its business as currently conducted or to utilize such properties for their intended purposes.
(b) Each of the U.S. Borrower and its Subsidiaries owns, or is licensed to use, all trademarks, tradenames, copyrights, patents and other intellectual property material to its business, and the use thereof by the U.S. Borrower and its Subsidiaries does not infringe upon the rights of any other Person, except for any such infringements that, individually or in the aggregate, could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
SECTION 3.06.Litigation and Environmental Matters. (a) There are no actions, suits or proceedings by or before any arbitrator or Governmental Authority pending against or, to the knowledge of the U.S. Borrower, threatened against or affecting the U.S. Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries (i) as to which there is a reasonable possibility of an adverse determination and that, if adversely determined, could reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to result in a Material Adverse Effect (other than the Disclosed Matters) or (ii) that involve this Agreement or the Transactions.
(b) Except for the Disclosed Matters and except with respect to any other matters that, individually or in the aggregate, could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, neither the U.S. Borrower nor any of its Subsidiaries (i) has failed to comply with any Environmental Law or to obtain, maintain or comply with any permit, license or other approval required under any Environmental Law, (ii) has become subject to any Environmental Liability, (iii) has received notice of any claim with respect to any Environmental Liability or (iv) knows of any basis for any Environmental Liability.
(c) Since the date of this Agreement, there has been no change in the status of the Disclosed Matters that, individually or in the aggregate, has resulted in, or materially increased the likelihood of, a Material Adverse Effect.
SECTION 3.07.Compliance with Laws and Agreements. Each of the U.S. Borrower and its Subsidiaries is in compliance with all laws, regulations and orders of any Governmental Authority applicable to it or its property and all indentures, agreements and other instruments binding upon it or its property, except where the failure to do so, individually or in the aggregate, could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. No Default has occurred and is continuing.
SECTION 3.08.Investment and Holding Company Status. Neither the U.S. Borrower nor any of its Subsidiaries is (a) an “investment company” as defined in, or subject to regulation under, the Investment Company Act of 1940 or (b) a “holding company” as defined in, or subject to regulation under, the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935.
SECTION 3.09.Taxes. Each of the U.S. Borrower and its Subsidiaries has timely filed or caused to be filed all Tax returns and reports required to have been filed and has paid or caused to be paid all Taxes required to have been paid by it, except (a) Taxes that are being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings and for which the U.S. Borrower or such Subsidiary, as applicable, has set aside on its books adequate reserves or (b) to the extent that the failure to do so could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
SECTION 3.10.ERISA. No ERISA Event has occurred or is reasonably expected to occur that, when taken together with all other such ERISA Events for which liability is reasonably expected to occur, could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
SECTION 3.11.Disclosure. The U.S. Borrower has disclosed to the Lenders all agreements, instruments and corporate or other restrictions to which it or any of its Subsidiaries is subject, and all other matters known to it, that, individually or in the aggregate, could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. Neither the Information Memorandum nor any of the other reports, financial statements, certificates or other information furnished by or on behalf of the U.S. Borrower to the Administrative Agent or any Lender in connection with the negotiation of this Agreement or delivered hereunder (as modified or supplemented by other information so furnished) contains any material misstatement of fact or omits to state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading;provided that, with respect to projected financial information, the U.S. Borrower represents only that such information was prepared in good faith based upon assumptions believed to be reasonable at the time.
SECTION 3.12Use of Advances. Each Borrower will use the proceeds of the Advances for refinancing existing indebtedness, working capital, its general corporate purposes and acquisitions. No Borrower nor any of their respective Subsidiaries extends or maintains, in the ordinary course of business, credit for the purpose, whether immediate, incidental, or ultimate, of buying or carrying margin stock (within the meaning of Regulations T, U or X of the Board), and no part of the proceeds of any Advance will be used for the purpose, whether immediate, incidental, or ultimate, of buying or carrying any such margin stock or maintaining or extending credit to others for such purpose or in violation of any applicable law or regulation (including without limitation Regulations T, U or X of the Board). After applying the proceeds of each Advance, such margin stock will not constitute more than 25% of the value of the assets (either of any Borrower alone or of the Borrowers and their respective Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis) that are subject to any provisions of this Agreement that may cause the Advances to be deemed secured, directly or indirectly, by such margin stock.
SECTION 3.13Labor Matters. There are no labor controversies pending or, to the best of the U.S. Borrower’s knowledge, threatened against the U.S. Borrower or any Subsidiary, which could have a Material Adverse Effect.
ARTICLE IV
Conditions
SECTION 4.01.Effective Date. The obligations of the Lenders to make Loans and of the Issuing Bank to issue Letters of Credit hereunder shall not become effective until the date on which each of the following conditions is satisfied (or waived in accordance with Section 9.02):
(a) The Administrative Agent (or its counsel) shall have received from each party hereto either (i) a counterpart of this Agreement signed on behalf of such party or (ii) written evidence satisfactory to the Administrative Agent (which may include telecopy transmission of a signed signature page of this Agreement) that such party has signed a counterpart of this Agreement. |
(b) The Administrative Agent shall have received the favorable written opinions (addressed to the Administrative Agent and the Lenders and dated the Effective Date) of counsels for the U.S. Borrower and the Foreign Subsidiary Borrowers, if any, substantially in the forms of Exhibits G-1 and G-2, respectively, and covering such other matters relating to the Borrowers, this Agreement or the Transactions as the Required Lenders shall reasonably request. The Borrowers hereby request such counsel to deliver such opinions. |
(c) The Administrative Agent shall have received such documents and certificates as the Administrative Agent or its counsel may reasonably request relating to the organization, existence and good standing of the Borrowers, the authorization of the Transactions and any other legal matters relating to the Borrowers, this Agreement or the Transactions, all in form and substance satisfactory to the Administrative Agent and its counsel. |
(d) The Administrative Agent shall have received a certificate, dated the Effective Date and signed by the President, a Vice President or a Financial Officer of the U.S. Borrower, confirming compliance with the conditions set forth in paragraphs (a) and (b) of Section 4.02. |
(e) The Administrative Agent shall have received evidence that the Existing Credit Agreement has been terminated and all indebtedness under obligations outstanding thereunder have been paid in full. |
(f) The Administrative Agent shall have received (i) satisfactory audited consolidated financial statements of the U.S. Borrower and its Subsidiaries for the two most recent fiscal years ended prior to the Effective Date, (ii) satisfactory unaudited interim consolidated financial statements of the U.S. Borrower and its Subsidiaries for each quarterly period ended subsequent to the date of the latest financial statements delivered pursuant to clause (i) of this paragraph, and (iii) five year projections, a compliance certificate and a solvency certificate from a Financial Officer of the U.S. Borrower, each satisfactory to the Required Lenders. |
(g) The Administrative Agent shall have received all fees and other amounts due and payable on or prior to the Effective Date, including, to the extent invoiced, reimbursement or payment of all out-of-pocket expenses required to be reimbursed or paid by the U.S. Borrower hereunder. |
The Administrative Agent shall notify the Borrowers and the Lenders of the Effective Date, and such notice shall be conclusive and binding. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the obligations of the Lenders to make Loans and of the Issuing Bank to issue Letters of Credit hereunder shall not become effective unless each of the foregoing conditions is satisfied (or waived pursuant to Section 9.02) at or prior to 3:00 p.m., Chicago time, on October 31, 2004 (and, in the event such conditions are not so satisfied or waived, the Commitments shall terminate at such time).
SECTION 4.02.Each Credit Event. The obligation of each Lender to make a Loan on the occasion of any Borrowing, and of the Issuing Bank to issue, amend, renew or extend any Letter of Credit, is subject to the satisfaction of the following conditions:
| (a) The representations and warranties of the Borrowers set forth in the Loan Documents shall be true and correct on and as of the date of such Borrowing or the date of issuance, amendment, renewal or extension of such Letter of Credit, as applicable, provided that, if as of such date the rating issued by S&P and then in effect with respect to Index Debt is BBB- or higher and the rating issued by Moody’s and then in effect with respect to Index Debt is Baa3 or higher, then the representations and warranties in Sections 3.04(b), 3.06(a) and 3.06(b) shall be excluded from the representations and warranties made under this Section 4.02(a). |
| (b) At the time of and immediately after giving effect to such Borrowing or the issuance, amendment, renewal or extension of such Letter of Credit, as applicable, no Default shall have occurred and be continuing. |
Each Borrowing and each issuance, amendment, renewal or extension of a Letter of Credit shall be deemed to constitute a representation and warranty by the Borrowers on the date thereof as to the matters specified in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this Section.
SECTION 4.03.Credit Events Relating to Foreign Subsidiary Borrowers. The obligations of (x) the Lenders to make Loans to any Foreign Subsidiary that becomes a Foreign Subsidiary Borrower after the Effective Date and (y) any Ancillary Lender to make available an Ancillary Facility to such Foreign Subsidiary Borrower, in each case to the extent designated in accordance with Section 2.20, are subject to the satisfaction of the following conditions (which are in addition to the conditions contained in Sections 4.01 and 4.02):
(a) the Administrative Agent (or its counsel) shall have received a Foreign Subsidiary Borrower Agreement with respect to such Foreign Subsidiary Borrower duly executed by all parties thereto; and |
(b) the Administrative Agent shall have received such documents (including legal opinions) and certificates as the Administrative Agent or its counsel may reasonably request relating to the formation, existence and good standing of such Foreign Subsidiary Borrower, the authorization of Borrowings as they relate to such Foreign Subsidiary Borrower and any other legal matters relating to such Foreign Subsidiary Borrower or its Foreign Subsidiary Borrower Agreement, all in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent and its counsel. |
ARTICLE V
Affirmative Covenants
Until the Commitments have expired or been terminated and the principal of and interest on each Loan and all fees payable hereunder shall have been paid in full and all Letters of Credit shall have expired or terminated and all LC Disbursements shall have been reimbursed, the U.S. Borrower covenants and agrees with the Lenders that:
SECTION 5.01.Financial Statements; Ratings Change and Other Information. The U.S. Borrower will furnish to the Administrative Agent and each Lender:
(a) within 90 days after the end of each fiscal year of the U.S. Borrower, its audited consolidated balance sheet and related statements of operations, stockholders’ equity and cash flows as of the end of and for such year, setting forth in each case in comparative form the figures for the previous fiscal year, all reported on by Ernst & Young LLP or other independent public accountants of recognized national standing (without a “going concern” or like qualification or exception and without any qualification or exception as to the scope of such audit) to the effect that such consolidated financial statements present fairly in all material respects the financial condition and results of operations of the U.S. Borrower and its consolidated Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP consistently applied; |
(b) within 45 days after the end of each of the first three fiscal quarters of each fiscal year of the U.S. Borrower, its consolidated balance sheet and related statements of operations, stockholders’ equity and cash flows as of the end of and for such fiscal quarter and the then elapsed portion of the fiscal year, setting forth in each case in comparative form the figures for the corresponding period or periods of (or, in the case of the balance sheet, as of the end of) the previous fiscal year, all certified by one of its Financial Officers as presenting fairly in all material respects the financial condition and results of operations of the U.S. Borrower and its consolidated Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP consistently applied, subject to normal year-end audit adjustments and the absence of footnotes; |
(c) concurrently with any delivery of financial statements under clause (a) or (b) above, a certificate of a Financial Officer of the U.S. Borrower (i) certifying as to whether a Default has occurred and, if a Default has occurred, specifying the details thereof and any action taken or proposed to be taken with respect thereto, (ii) setting forth reasonably detailed calculations demonstrating compliance with Sections 6.10 and 6.11 and (iii) stating whether any change in GAAP or in the application thereof has occurred since the date of the audited financial statements referred to in Section 3.04 and, if any such change has occurred, specifying the effect of such change on the financial statements accompanying such certificate; |
| (d) promptly after the same become publicly available, copies of all periodic and other reports, proxy statements and other materials filed by the U.S. Borrower or any Subsidiary with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or any Governmental Authority succeeding to any or all of the functions of said Commission, or with any national securities exchange, or distributed by the U.S. Borrower to its shareholders generally, as the case may be; |
(e) promptly after Moody’s or S&P shall have announced a change in the rating established or deemed to have been established for the Index Debt, written notice of such rating change; and |
(f) promptly following any request therefor, such other information regarding the operations, business affairs and financial condition of the U.S. Borrower or any Subsidiary, or compliance with the terms of this Agreement, as the Administrative Agent or any Lender may reasonably request. |
SECTION 5.02.Notices of Material Events. The U.S. Borrower will furnish to the Administrative Agent and each Lender prompt written notice of the following:
(a) the occurrence of any Default; |
(b) the filing or commencement of any action, suit or proceeding by or before any arbitrator or Governmental Authority against or affecting the U.S. Borrower or any Affiliate thereof that, if adversely determined, could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect; |
| (c) the occurrence of any ERISA Event that, alone or together with any other ERISA Events that have occurred, could reasonably be expected to result in liability of the U.S. Borrower and its Subsidiaries in an aggregate amount exceeding $1,000,000; and |
(d) any other development that results in, or could reasonably be expected to result in, a Material Adverse Effect. |
Each notice delivered under this Section shall be accompanied by a statement of a Financial Officer or other executive officer of the U.S. Borrower setting forth the details of the event or development requiring such notice and any action taken or proposed to be taken with respect thereto.
SECTION 5.03.Existence; Conduct of Business. The U.S. Borrower will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to, do or cause to be done all things necessary to preserve, renew and keep in full force and effect its legal existence and the rights, licenses, permits, privileges and franchises material to the conduct of its business;provided that the foregoing shall not prohibit any merger, consolidation, liquidation or dissolution permitted under Section 6.03.
SECTION 5.04.Payment of Obligations. The U.S. Borrower will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to, pay its obligations, including Tax liabilities, that, if not paid, could result in a Material Adverse Effect before the same shall become delinquent or in default, except where (a) the validity or amount thereof is being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings, (b) the U.S. Borrower or such Subsidiary has set aside on its books adequate reserves with respect thereto in accordance with GAAP and (c) the failure to make payment pending such contest could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
SECTION 5.05. Maintenance of Properties; Insurance. The U.S. Borrower will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to, (a) keep and maintain all property material to the conduct of its business in good working order and condition, ordinary wear and tear excepted, and (b) maintain, with financially sound and reputable insurance companies, insurance in such amounts and against such risks as are customarily maintained by companies engaged in the same or similar businesses operating in the same or similar locations.
SECTION 5.06.Books and Records; Inspection Rights. The U.S. Borrower will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to, keep proper books of record and account in which full, true and correct entries are made of all dealings and transactions in relation to its business and activities. The U.S. Borrower will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to, permit any representatives designated by the Administrative Agent or any Lender, upon reasonable prior notice, to visit and inspect its properties, to examine and make extracts from its books and records, and to discuss its affairs, finances and condition with its officers and independent accountants, all at such reasonable times and as often as reasonably requested.
SECTION 5.07. Compliance with Laws. The U.S. Borrower will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to, comply with all laws, rules, regulations and orders of any Governmental Authority applicable to it or its property, except where the failure to do so, individually or in the aggregate, could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
SECTION 5.08.Use of Proceeds and Letters of Credit. The proceeds of the Loans and Letters of Credit will be used only for general corporate purposes of the U.S. Borrower and its Subsidiaries in the ordinary course of business. No part of the proceeds of any Loan nor any Letter of Credit will be used, whether directly or indirectly, for any purpose that entails a violation of any of the Regulations of the Board, including Regulations T, U and X.
SECTION 5.09Additional Covenants. If at any time the U.S. Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries shall enter into or be a party to any instrument or agreement, including all such instruments or agreements in existence as of the date hereof and all such instruments or agreements entered into after the date hereof, relating to or amending any provisions applicable to any of its Indebtedness which in the aggregate, together with any related Indebtedness, exceeds $25,000,000, which includes covenants or defaults not substantially provided for in this Agreement or more favorable to the lender or lenders thereunder than those provided for in this Agreement, then the U.S. Borrower shall promptly so advise the Administrative Agent and the Lenders. Thereupon, if the Administrative Agent or the Required Lenders shall request, upon notice to the U.S. Borrower, the Administrative Agent and the Lenders shall enter into an amendment to this Agreement or an additional agreement (as the Administrative Agent may request), providing for substantially the same covenants and defaults as those provided for in such instrument or agreement to the extent required and as may be selected by the Administrative Agent.
ARTICLE VI
Negative Covenants
Until the Commitments have expired or terminated and the principal of and interest on each Loan and all fees payable hereunder have been paid in full and all Letters of Credit have expired or terminated and all LC Disbursements shall have been reimbursed, the U.S. Borrower covenants and agrees with the Lenders that:
SECTION 6.01.Subsidiary Indebtedness. The U.S. Borrower will not permit any Subsidiary to create, incur, assume or permit to exist any Indebtedness, except:
(a) Indebtedness created hereunder; |
(b) Indebtedness existing on the date hereof and set forth in Schedule 6.01 and extensions, renewals and replacements of any such Indebtedness that do not increase the outstanding principal amount thereof; |
(c) Indebtedness owing to the U.S. Borrower; |
(d) Guarantees of Indebtedness of the U.S. Borrower, provided that such Guarantees are also delivered with respect to the Obligations and all agreements, opinions and other documents in connection therewith, as requested by the Administrative Agent and in form and substance satisfactory to the Administrative Agent, are delivered to the Administrative Agent; and |
(e) Indebtedness not otherwise permitted by this Section 6.01 not in excess of five percent (5%) of Consolidated Total Assets in the aggregate at any time outstanding. |
SECTION 6.02.Liens. The U.S. Borrower will not, and will not permit any Subsidiary to, create, incur, assume or permit to exist any Lien on any property or asset now owned or hereafter acquired by it, or assign or sell any income or revenues (including accounts receivable) or rights in respect of any thereof, except:
| (a) Permitted Encumbrances; |
(b) Liens on any property or asset of the U.S. Borrower or any Subsidiary existing on the date hereof and set forth in Schedule 6.02;provided that (i) such Lien shall not apply to any other property or asset of the U.S. Borrower or any Subsidiary and (ii) such Lien shall secure only those obligations which it secures on the date hereof and extensions, renewals and replacements thereof that do not increase the outstanding principal amount thereof; |
(c) Liens on any asset existing at the time of the purchase or other acquisition thereof by the U.S. Borrower or any Subsidiary, provided that (i) any such Lien was not created in contemplation of such purchase or other acquisition and does not extend to any asset other than the asset so purchased or otherwise acquired and proceeds thereof, (ii) such purchase or other acquisition thereof and the Indebtedness secured by any such Lien is otherwise permitted hereunder and (iii) the outstanding principal amount of the Indebtedness secured thereby is not increased at any time; |
(d) Liens on any asset of the U.S. Borrower or any Subsidiary securing Indebtedness permitted hereunder which is incurred to finance the acquisition of such asset,provided that (i) each such Lien shall be created substantially simultaneously with the acquisition of the related asset; (ii) each such Lien does not at any time encumber any asset other than the related asset financed by such Indebtedness; (iii) the principal amount of Indebtedness secured by each such Lien is not increased; and (iv) the principal amount of Indebtedness secured by each such Lien shall at no time exceed 100% of the original purchase price of such related asset at the time acquired; |
(e) Liens on assets of Subsidiaries solely in favor of the U.S. Borrower as secured party and securing Indebtedness owing by a Subsidiary to the U.S. Borrower; and |
(f) Liens not otherwise permitted by this Section 6.02 securing Indebtedness not in excess of five percent (5%) of Consolidated Total Assets in the aggregate at any time outstanding. |
SECTION 6.03.Fundamental Changes. The U.S. Borrower will not, and will not permit any Subsidiary to, merge into or consolidate with any other Person, or permit any other Person to merge into or consolidate with it, or liquidate or dissolve, except that, if at the time thereof and immediately after giving effect thereto no Default shall have occurred and be continuing (i) any Person may merge into the U.S. Borrower in a transaction in which the U.S. Borrower is the surviving corporation, (ii) any Person may merge into any Subsidiary in a transaction in which the surviving entity is a Subsidiary, (iii) any Subsidiary may sell, transfer, lease or otherwise dispose of its assets to the U.S. Borrower or to another Subsidiary and (iv) any Subsidiary may liquidate or dissolve if the U.S. Borrower determines in good faith that such liquidation or dissolution is in the best interests of the U.S. Borrower and is not materially disadvantageous to the Lenders;provided that any such merger involving (A) a Person that is not a Wholly-Owned Subsidiary immediately prior to such merger shall not be permitted unless also permitted by Section 6.04 and (B) a Foreign Subsidiary Borrower shall result in the Foreign Subsidiary Borrower being the survivor or the survivor being a Foreign Subsidiary and assuming the obligations of such Foreign Subsidiary Borrower pursuant to documentation satisfactory to the Administrative Agent.
SECTION 6.04.Investments, Loans, Advances, Guarantees and Acquisitions. The U.S. Borrower will not, and will not permit any of its Subsidiaries to, purchase, hold or acquire (including pursuant to any merger with any Person that was not a Wholly-Owned Subsidiary prior to such merger) any Equity Interests, evidences of indebtedness or other securities (including any option, warrant or other right to acquire any of the foregoing) of, make or permit to exist any loans or advances to, Guarantee any obligations of, or make or permit to exist any investment or any other interest in, any other Person, or make any Acquisition, except:
(a) Permitted Investments;
(b) Investments, loans or advances made by the U.S. Borrower to any Wholly-Owned Subsidiary and made by any Subsidiary to the U.S. Borrower or any Wholly-Owned Subsidiary;
(c) Acquisitions, provided that: (i) before and after giving pro forma effect thereto (as of the end of the most recently ended fiscal quarter of the U.S. Borrower), no Default exists or would be caused thereby and (ii) if such Acquisition involves the acquisition of Equity Interests, the consummation of such Acquisition has been recommended by the Board of Directors and management of the target of such Acquisition; and
(d) Guarantees, investments, loans or advances not otherwise permitted by this Section 6.04 not in excess of ten percent (10%) of Consolidated Total Assets in the aggregate.
SECTION 6.05.Swap Agreements. The U.S. Borrower will not, and will not permit any of its Subsidiaries to, enter into any Swap Agreement, except (a) Swap Agreements entered into to hedge or mitigate risks to which the U.S. Borrower or any Subsidiary has actual exposure (other than those in respect of Equity Interests of the U.S. Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries), and (b) Swap Agreements entered into in order to effectively cap, collar or exchange interest rates (from fixed to floating rates, from one floating rate to another floating rate or otherwise) with respect to any interest-bearing liability or investment of the U.S. Borrower or any Subsidiary.
SECTION 6.06.Restricted Payments. The U.S. Borrower will not, and will not permit any of its Subsidiaries to, declare or make, or agree to pay or make, directly or indirectly, any Restricted Payment, except (a) the U.S. Borrower may declare and pay dividends with respect to its Equity Interests payable solely in additional shares of its common stock, (b) Subsidiaries may declare and pay dividends ratably with respect to their Equity Interests, and (c) the U.S. Borrower may make Restricted Payments with respect to its Equity Interests so long as no Default exists or would be caused thereby.
SECTION 6.07.Transactions with Affiliates. The U.S. Borrower will not, and will not permit any of its Subsidiaries to, sell, lease or otherwise transfer any property or assets to, or purchase, lease or otherwise acquire any property or assets from, or otherwise engage in any other transactions with, any of its Affiliates, except (a) in the ordinary course of business at prices and on terms and conditions not less favorable to the U.S. Borrower or such Subsidiary than could be obtained on an arm’s-length basis from unrelated third parties, (b) transactions between or among the U.S. Borrower and its Wholly-Owned Subsidiaries not involving any other Affiliate and (c) any Restricted Payment permitted by Section 6.06.
SECTION 6.08.Restrictive Agreements. The U.S. Borrower will not, and will not permit any of its Subsidiaries to, directly or indirectly, enter into, incur or permit to exist any agreement or other arrangement that prohibits, restricts or imposes any condition upon (a) the ability of the U.S. Borrower or any Subsidiary to create, incur or permit to exist any Lien upon any of its property or assets, or (b) the ability of any Subsidiary to pay dividends or other distributions with respect to any shares of its Equity Interests or to make or repay loans or advances to the U.S. Borrower or any other Subsidiary or to Guarantee Indebtedness of the U.S. Borrower or any other Subsidiary;provided that (i) the foregoing shall not apply to restrictions and conditions imposed by law or by this Agreement, (ii) the foregoing shall not apply to restrictions and conditions existing on the date hereof identified on Schedule 6.08 (but shall apply to any extension or renewal of, or any amendment or modification expanding the scope of, any such restriction or condition), (iii) clause (a) of the foregoing shall not apply to restrictions and conditions contained in any Indebtedness in excess of $25,000,000 in aggregate amount and permitted hereunder, (iv) the foregoing shall not apply to customary restrictions and conditions contained in agreements relating to the sale of a Subsidiary pending such sale, provided such restrictions and conditions apply only to the Subsidiary that is to be sold and such sale is permitted hereunder, (v) clause (a) of the foregoing shall not apply to restrictions or conditions imposed by any agreement relating to secured Indebtedness permitted by this Agreement if such restrictions or conditions apply only to the property or assets securing such Indebtedness, and (vi) clause (a) of the foregoing shall not apply to customary provisions in leases restricting the assignment thereof.
SECTION 6.09.Disposition of Assets; Etc. The U.S. Borrower will not, and will not permit any of its Subsidiaries to, sell, lease, license, transfer, assign or otherwise dispose of any of its business, assets, rights, revenues or property, real, personal or mixed, tangible or intangible, whether in one or a series of transactions, other than inventory sold in the ordinary course of business upon customary credit terms, sales of scrap or obsolete material or equipment and sales of fixed assets the proceeds of which are used to purchase other property of a similar nature of at least equivalent value within 180 days of such sale,provided,however, that this Section 6.09 shall not prohibit any such sale, lease, license, transfer, assignment or other disposition if the aggregate book value (disregarding any write-downs of such book value other than ordinary depreciation and amortization) of all of the business, assets, rights, revenues and property disposed of shall be less than: (i) in any fiscal year of the U.S. Borrower, 10% of the aggregate book value of the Consolidated Total Assets as of the end of the immediately preceding fiscal year, and (ii) cumulatively after the Effective Date, 25% of such aggregate book value of the Consolidated Total Assets as of the end of the most recent fiscal year ending prior to the Effective Date, and if, in the case of each of the foregoing clauses (i) and (ii), immediately after such transaction, no Default shall exist or shall have occurred and be continuing.
SECTION 6.10.Leverage Ratio. The U.S. Borrower will not permit the Leverage Ratio to exceed 3.0 to 1.0 as of the end of any fiscal quarter.
SECTION 6.11.Interest Coverage Ratio. The U.S. Borrower will not permit the Interest Coverage Ratio to be less than 4.0 to 1.0 as of the end of any fiscal quarter.
ARTICLE VII
Events of Default
If any of the following events (“Events of Default”) shall occur:
(a) any Borrower shall fail to pay any principal of any Loan or any reimbursement obligation in respect of any LC Disbursement when and as the same shall become due and payable, whether at the due date thereof or at a date fixed for prepayment thereof or otherwise; |
(b) any Borrower shall fail to pay any interest on any Loan or any fee or any other amount (other than an amount referred to in clause (a) of this Article) payable under this Agreement, when and as the same shall become due and payable, and such failure shall continue unremedied for a period of three Business Days; |
(c) any representation or warranty made or deemed made by or on behalf of the U.S. Borrower or any Subsidiary in or in connection with this Agreement or any amendment or modification hereof or waiver hereunder, or in any report, certificate, financial statement or other document furnished pursuant to or in connection with this Agreement or any amendment or modification hereof or waiver hereunder, shall prove to have been incorrect in any material respect when made or deemed made; |
(d) any Borrower shall fail to observe or perform any covenant, condition or agreement contained in Section 5.02, 5.03 (with respect to any Borrower’s existence) or 5.08 or in Article VI (other than Section 6.07); |
(e) any Borrower shall fail to observe or perform any covenant, condition or agreement contained in this Agreement (other than those specified in clause (a), (b) or (d) of this Article) or any other Loan Document, and such failure shall continue unremedied for a period of 30 days after notice thereof from the Administrative Agent to the U.S. Borrower (which notice will be given at the request of any Lender); |
(f) the U.S. Borrower or any Subsidiary shall fail to make any payment (whether of principal or interest and regardless of amount) in respect of any Material Indebtedness, when and as the same shall become due and payable (after giving effect to any applicable grace periods); |
(g) any event or condition occurs that results in any Material Indebtedness becoming due prior to its scheduled maturity or that enables or permits (with or without the giving of notice, the lapse of time or both) the holder or holders of any Material Indebtedness or any trustee or agent on its or their behalf to cause any Material Indebtedness to become due, or to require the prepayment, repurchase, redemption or defeasance thereof, prior to its scheduled maturity;provided that this clause (g) shall not apply to secured Indebtedness that becomes due as a result of the voluntary sale or transfer of the property or assets securing such Indebtedness; |
(h) an involuntary proceeding shall be commenced or an involuntary petition shall be filed seeking (i) liquidation, reorganization or other relief in respect of the U.S. Borrower or any Subsidiary or its debts, or of a substantial part of its assets, under any Federal, state or foreign bankruptcy, insolvency, receivership or similar law now or hereafter in effect or (ii) the appointment of a receiver, trustee, custodian, sequestrator, conservator or similar official for the U.S. Borrower or any Subsidiary or for a substantial part of its assets, and, in any such case, such proceeding or petition shall continue undismissed for 60 days or an order or decree approving or ordering any of the foregoing shall be entered; |
(i) the U.S. Borrower or any Subsidiary shall (i) voluntarily commence any proceeding or file any petition seeking liquidation, reorganization or other relief under any Federal, state or foreign bankruptcy, insolvency, receivership or similar law now or hereafter in effect, (ii) consent to the institution of, or fail to contest in a timely and appropriate manner, any proceeding or petition described in clause (h) of this Article, (iii) apply for or consent to the appointment of a receiver, trustee, custodian, sequestrator, conservator or similar official for the U.S. Borrower or any Subsidiary or for a substantial part of its assets, (iv) file an answer admitting the material allegations of a petition filed against it in any such proceeding, (v) make a general assignment for the benefit of creditors or (vi) take any action for the purpose of effecting any of the foregoing; |
(j) the U.S. Borrower or any Subsidiary shall become unable, admit in writing its inability or fail generally to pay its debts as they become due; |
(k) one or more judgments for the payment of money in an aggregate Dollar Equivalent amount in excess of $5,000,000 shall be rendered against the U.S. Borrower, any Subsidiary or any combination thereof and the same shall remain undischarged for a period of 30 consecutive days during which execution shall not be effectively stayed, or any action shall be legally taken by a judgment creditor to attach or levy upon any assets of the U.S. Borrower or any Subsidiary to enforce any such judgment; |
| (l) an ERISA Event shall have occurred that, in the opinion of the Required Lenders, when taken together with all other ERISA Events that have occurred, could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect; |
(m) Any Loan Document shall fail to remain in full force or effect or any action shall be taken to discontinue or to assert the invalidity or unenforceability of any Loan Document, or any Borrower shall deny that it has any further liability under any Loan Document to which it is a party, or shall give notice to such effect; or |
(n) a Change in Control shall occur; |
then, and in every such event (other than an event with respect to any Borrower described in clause (h) or (i) of this Article), and at any time thereafter during the continuance of such event, the Administrative Agent may, and at the request of the Required Lenders shall, by notice to the U.S. Borrower, take either or both of the following actions, at the same or different times: (i) terminate the Commitments, and thereupon the Commitments shall terminate immediately, and (ii) declare the Loans then outstanding to be due and payable in whole (or in part, in which case any principal not so declared to be due and payable may thereafter be declared to be due and payable), and thereupon the principal of the Loans so declared to be due and payable, together with accrued interest thereon and all fees and other obligations of the Borrowers accrued hereunder, shall become due and payable immediately, without presentment, demand, protest or other notice of any kind, all of which are hereby waived by the Borrowers; and in case of any event with respect to any Borrower described in clause (h) or (i) of this Article, the Commitments shall automatically terminate and the principal of the Loans then outstanding, together with accrued interest thereon and all fees and other obligations of the Borrowers accrued hereunder, shall automatically become due and payable, without presentment, demand, protest or other notice of any kind, all of which are hereby waived by the Borrowers.
ARTICLE VIII
The Agents
SECTION 8.01.Appointment. (a) In order to expedite the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, (i) Bank One is hereby appointed to act as Administrative Agent and an Issuing Bank, (ii) Wells Fargo is hereby appointed to act as Syndication Agent and (iii) Standard Federal Bank, N.A. and Wachovia Bank, National Association, are hereby appointed to act as Documentation Agents. Each of the Lenders, each assignee of any such Lender and each Ancillary Lender hereby irrevocably authorizes the Administrative Agent to take such actions on behalf of such Lender, assignee or Ancillary Lender and to exercise such powers as are specifically delegated to the Administrative Agent by the terms and provisions hereof and of the other Loan Documents, together with such actions and powers as are reasonably incidental thereto. The Administrative Agent is hereby expressly authorized by the Lenders, each Ancillary Lender and each Issuing Bank, without hereby limiting any implied authority, (a) to receive on behalf of the Lenders and such Issuing Bank all payments of principal of and interest on the Loans, all payments in respect of LC Disbursements and all other amounts due to the Lenders and such Issuing Bank hereunder, and promptly to distribute to each Lender or such Issuing Bank its proper share of each payment so received; (b) to give notice on behalf of each of the Lenders and each of the Ancillary Lenders of any Event of Default specified in this Agreement of which the Administrative Agent has actual knowledge acquired in connection with the performance of its duties as Administrative Agent hereunder; and (c) to distribute to each Lender and each Ancillary Lender copies of all notices, financial statements and other materials delivered by any Borrower pursuant to this Agreement as received by the Administrative Agent.
(b) Neither the Agents nor any of their respective directors, officers, employees or agents shall be liable as such for any action taken or omitted by any of them except for its or his own gross negligence or willful misconduct, or be responsible for any statement, warranty or representation herein or the contents of any document delivered in connection herewith, or be required to ascertain or to make any inquiry concerning the performance or observance by the Borrowers or any other Borrower of any of the terms, conditions, covenants or agreements contained in any Loan Document. The Agents shall not be responsible to the Lenders or any Ancillary Lender for the due execution, genuineness, validity, enforceability or effectiveness of this Agreement or any other Loan Documents or other instruments or agreements.
The Agents shall in all cases be fully protected in acting, or refraining from acting, in accordance with written instructions signed by the Required Lenders and, except as otherwise specifically provided herein, such instructions and any action or inaction pursuant thereto shall be binding on all the Lenders and all the Ancillary Lenders. Each Agent shall, in the absence of knowledge to the contrary, be entitled to rely on any instrument or document believed by it in good faith to be genuine and correct and to have been signed or sent by the proper person or persons. Neither the Agents nor any of their respective directors, officers, employees or agents shall have any responsibility to any Borrower or any other Borrower or any other party hereto on account of the failure, delay in performance or breach by, or as a result of information provided by, any Lender, Ancillary Lender or Issuing Bank of any of its obligations hereunder or to any Lender, Ancillary Lender or Issuing Bank on account of the failure of or delay in performance or breach by any other Lender, Ancillary Lender or Issuing Bank or any Borrower or any other Borrower of any of their respective obligations hereunder or under any other Loan Document or in connection herewith or therewith. Each Agent may execute any and all duties hereunder by or through agents or employees and shall be entitled to rely upon the advice of legal counsel selected by it with respect to all matters arising hereunder and shall not be liable for any action taken or suffered in good faith by it in accordance with the advice of such counsel.
SECTION 8.02.Nature of Duties. The Lenders and the Ancillary Lenders hereby acknowledge that no Agent shall be under any duty to take any discretionary action permitted to be taken by it pursuant to the provisions of this Agreement unless it shall be requested in writing to do so by the Required Lenders. The Lenders and the Ancillary Lenders further acknowledge and agree that so long as an Agent shall make any determination to be made by it hereunder or under any other Loan Document in good faith, such Agent shall have no liability in respect of such determination to any person. Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary elsewhere in this Agreement, no Agent shall have any duties or responsibilities, except those expressly set forth herein, or any fiduciary relationship with any Lender, and no implied covenants, functions, responsibilities, duties, obligations or liabilities shall be read into the Loan Documents or otherwise exist against any Agent. Each Lender recognizes and agrees that any Lender designated as a Documentation Agent, co-agent or other similar title shall have no duties or responsibilities under this Agreement or any other Loan Document, or any fiduciary relationship with any Lender, and shall have no functions, responsibilities, duties, obligations or liabilities for acting as such hereunder.
SECTION 8.03.Resignation by the Agents. Subject to the appointment and acceptance of a successor Agent as provided below, any Agent may resign at any time by notifying the Lenders and the U.S. Borrower. Upon any such resignation, the Required Lenders shall have the right to appoint a successor with the consent of the U.S. Borrower (not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed). If no successor shall have been so appointed by the Required Lenders and approved by the U.S. Borrower and shall have accepted such appointment within 45 days after the retiring Agent gives notice of its resignation, then the retiring Agent may, on behalf of the Lenders and the Ancillary Lenders with the consent of the U.S. Borrower (not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed), appoint a successor Agent which shall be a bank with an office in New York, New York and an office in London, England (or a bank having an Affiliate with such an office) having a combined capital and surplus having a Dollar Equivalent that is not less than $500,000,000 or an Affiliate of any such bank. Upon the acceptance of any appointment as Agent hereunder by a successor bank, such successor shall succeed to and become vested with all the rights, powers, privileges and duties of the retiring Agent and the retiring Agent shall be discharged from its duties and obligations hereunder. After the Agent’s resignation hereunder, the provisions of this Article and Section 9.05 shall continue in effect for its benefit in respect of any actions taken or omitted to be taken by it while it was acting as Agent.
SECTION 8.04.Each Agent in its Individual Capacity. With respect to the Loans made by it hereunder and Ancillary Facilities made available by it, each Agent in its individual capacity and not as Agent shall have the same rights and powers as any other Lender and may exercise the same as though it were not an Agent, and the Agents and their Affiliates may accept deposits from, lend money to and generally engage in any kind of business with any Borrower or any of the Subsidiaries or other Affiliates thereof as if it were not an Agent.
SECTION 8.05.Indemnification. Each Lender and each Ancillary Lender agrees (a) to reimburse the Agents, on demand, in the amount of its pro rata share (based on its Commitments hereunder (or if such Commitments shall have expired or been terminated, in accordance with the respective principal amounts of its applicable outstanding Loans or participations in LC Disbursements, as applicable)) of any reasonable expenses incurred for the benefit of the Lenders and Ancillary Lenders by the Agents, including counsel fees and compensation of agents and employees paid for services rendered on behalf of the Lenders and Ancillary Lenders, which shall not have been reimbursed by the U.S. Borrower and (b) to indemnify and hold harmless each Agent and any of its directors, officers, employees or agents, on demand, in the amount of such pro rata share, from and against any and all liabilities, Taxes, obligations, losses, damages, penalties, actions, judgments, suits, costs, expenses or disbursements of any kind or nature whatsoever which may be imposed on, incurred by or asserted against it in its capacity as Agent or any of them in any way relating to or arising out of this Agreement or any other Loan Document or any action taken or omitted by it or any of them under this Agreement or any other Loan Document, to the extent the same shall not have been reimbursed by the U.S. Borrower, provided that no Lender shall be liable to an Agent for any portion of such liabilities, obligations, losses, damages, penalties, actions, judgments, suits, costs, expenses or disbursements resulting from the gross negligence or wilful misconduct of such Agent or any of its directors, officers, employees or agents.
SECTION 8.06.Lack of Reliance on Agents. Each Lender and each Ancillary Lender acknowledges that it has, independently and without reliance upon the Agents, any Lender or any Ancillary Lender and based on such documents and information as it has deemed appropriate, made its own credit analysis and decision to enter into this Agreement. Each Lender and each Ancillary Lender also acknowledges that it will, independently and without reliance upon the Agents, any other Lender or any Ancillary Lender and based on such documents and information as it shall from time to time deem appropriate, continue to make its own decisions in taking or not taking action under or based upon this Agreement or any other Loan Document, any related agreement or any document furnished hereunder or thereunder.
SECTION 8.07.Designation of Affiliates for Foreign Currency Loans. The Administrative Agent shall be permitted from time to time to designate one of its Affiliates to perform the duties to be performed by the Administrative Agent hereunder with respect to Loans and Borrowings denominated in Foreign Currencies. The provisions of this Article VIII shall apply to any such Affiliate mutatis mutandis.
ARTICLE IX
Miscellaneous
SECTION 9.01.Notices. (a) Except in the case of notices and other communications expressly permitted to be given by telephone (and subject to paragraph (b) below), all notices and other communications provided for herein shall be in writing and shall be delivered by hand or overnight courier service, mailed by certified or registered mail or sent by telecopy, as follows:
(i) if to a Borrower, to it at 855 East Main Street, P.O. Box 302, Zeeland, Michigan, 49464-0302, Attention of Joseph M. Nowicki, treasurer and vice president, investor relations (Telecopy No. 616-654-5044; e-mail: joe_nowicki@hermanmiller.com); |
(ii) if to the Administrative Agent, to Bank One, NA, Loan and Agency Services Group, 131 S. Dearborn St., Chicago, Illinois, 60670, Attention of Michele M. Molina (Telecopy No. (312) 325-5260; e-mail: large_corporate_ agency@bankone.com) and, in the case of any Loan denominated in a Foreign Currency, to the London Administrative Office; |
(iii) if to the Issuing Bank other than the Administrative Agent, to it at the address or telecopy number set forth separately in writing to the Administrative Agent; and |
(iv) if to any other Lender, to it at its address (or telecopy number) set forth in its Administrative Questionnaire. |
(b) Notices and other communications to the Lenders hereunder may be delivered or furnished by electronic communications pursuant to procedures approved by the Administrative Agent; provided that the foregoing shall not apply to notices pursuant to Article II unless otherwise agreed by the Administrative Agent and the applicable Lender. The Administrative Agent or any Borrower may, in its discretion, agree to accept notices and other communications to it hereunder by electronic communications pursuant to procedures approved by it; provided that approval of such procedures may be limited to particular notices or communications. |
(c) Any party hereto may change its address or telecopy number for notices and other communications hereunder by notice to the other parties hereto. All notices and other communications given to any party hereto in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement shall be deemed to have been given on the date of receipt. |
SECTION 9.02.Waivers; Amendments. (a) No failure or delay by any Agent, Issuing Bank or any Lender in exercising any right or power hereunder shall operate as a waiver thereof, nor shall any single or partial exercise of any such right or power, or any abandonment or discontinuance of steps to enforce such a right or power, preclude any other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right or power. The rights and remedies of the Agents, the Issuing Banks and the Lenders hereunder are cumulative and are not exclusive of any rights or remedies that they would otherwise have. No waiver of any provision of this Agreement or consent to any departure by any Borrower therefrom shall in any event be effective unless the same shall be permitted by paragraph (b) of this Section, and then such waiver or consent shall be effective only in the specific instance and for the purpose for which given. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the making of a Loan or issuance of a Letter of Credit shall not be construed as a waiver of any Default, regardless of whether the Agent, Lender or Issuing Bank may have had notice or knowledge of such Default at the time.
(b) Neither this Agreement nor any provision hereof may be waived, amended or modified except pursuant to an agreement or agreements in writing entered into by the Borrowers and the Required Lenders or by the Borrowers and the Administrative Agent with the consent of the Required Lenders;provided that no such agreement shall (i) increase the Commitment of any Lender without the written consent of such Lender directly affected thereby, (ii) reduce the principal amount of any Loan or LC Disbursement or reduce the rate of interest thereon, or reduce any fees payable hereunder, without the written consent of each Lender directly affected thereby, (iii) postpone the scheduled date of payment of the principal amount of any Loan or LC Disbursement, or any interest thereon, or any fees payable hereunder, or reduce the amount of, waive or excuse any such payment, or postpone the scheduled date of expiration of any Commitment, without the written consent of each Lender directly affected thereby, (iv) change Section 2.18(b) or (c) in a manner that would alter the pro rata sharing of payments required thereby, without the written consent of each Lender directly affected thereby, or (v) change any of the provisions of this Section or the definition of “Required Lenders” or any other provision hereof specifying the number or percentage of Lenders required to waive, amend or modify any rights hereunder or make any determination or grant any consent hereunder, without the written consent of each Lender directly affected thereby;providedfurther that no such agreement shall amend, modify or otherwise affect the rights or duties of the Administrative Agent, any other Agent, any Issuing Bank or the Swingline Lender hereunder without the prior written consent of the Administrative Agent, such other Agent, such Issuing Bank or the Swingline Lender, as the case may be.
SECTION 9.03.Expenses; Indemnity; Damage Waiver. (a) The U.S. Borrower shall pay (i) all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the Administrative Agent and its Affiliates, including the reasonable fees, charges and disbursements of counsel for the Administrative Agent, in connection with the syndication of the credit facilities provided for herein, the preparation and administration of this Agreement or any amendments, modifications or waivers of the provisions hereof (whether or not the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby shall be consummated), (ii) all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the Issuing Bank in connection with the issuance, amendment, renewal or extension of any Letter of Credit or any demand for payment thereunder and (iii) all out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the Agents, the Issuing Banks or any Lender, including the fees, charges and disbursements of any counsel for any Agent, Issuing Bank or Lender, in connection with the enforcement or protection of its rights in connection with this Agreement, including its rights under this Section, or in connection with the Loans made or Letters of Credit issued hereunder, including all such out-of-pocket expenses incurred during any workout, restructuring or negotiations in respect of such Loans or Letters of Credit.
(b) The U.S. Borrower shall indemnify each Agent, Issuing Bank and Lender, and each Related Party of any of the foregoing Persons (each such Person being called an “Indemnitee”) against, and hold each Indemnitee harmless from, any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities and related expenses, including the fees, charges and disbursements of any counsel for any Indemnitee, incurred by or asserted against any Indemnitee arising out of, in connection with, or as a result of (i) the execution or delivery of this Agreement or any agreement or instrument contemplated hereby, the performance by the parties hereto of their respective obligations hereunder or the consummation of the Transactions or any other transactions contemplated hereby, (ii) any Loan or Letter of Credit or the use of the proceeds therefrom (including any refusal by the Issuing Bank to honor a demand for payment under a Letter of Credit if the documents presented in connection with such demand do not strictly comply with the terms of such Letter of Credit), (iii) any actual or alleged presence or release of Hazardous Materials on or from any property owned or operated by the U.S. Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, or any Environmental Liability related in any way to the U.S. Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, or (iv) any actual or prospective claim, litigation, investigation or proceeding relating to any of the foregoing, whether based on contract, tort or any other theory and regardless of whether any Indemnitee is a party thereto;providedthat such indemnity shall not, as to any Indemnitee, be available to the extent that such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or related expenses are determined by a court of competent jurisdiction by final and nonappealable judgment to have resulted from the gross negligence or wilful misconduct of such Indemnitee.
(c) To the extent that the U.S. Borrower fails to pay any amount required to be paid by it to any Agent, Issuing Bank or Swingline Lender under paragraph (a) or (b) of this Section, each Lender severally agrees to pay to such Agent, Issuing Bank or Swingline Lender, as the case may be, such Lender’s Applicable Percentage (determined as of the time that the applicable unreimbursed expense or indemnity payment is sought) of such unpaid amount;provided that the unreimbursed expense or indemnified loss, claim, damage, liability or related expense, as the case may be, was incurred by or asserted against an Agent, Issuing Bank or Swingline Lender in its capacity as such.
(d) To the extent permitted by applicable law, the Borrowers shall not assert, and hereby waives, any claim against any Indemnitee, on any theory of liability, for special, indirect, consequential or punitive damages (as opposed to direct or actual damages) arising out of, in connection with, or as a result of, this Agreement or any agreement or instrument contemplated hereby, the Transactions, any Loan or Letter of Credit or the use of the proceeds thereof.
(e) All amounts due under this Section shall be payable promptly after written demand therefor.
SECTION 9.04.Successors and Assigns. (a) The provisions of this Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns permitted hereby (including any Affiliate of the Issuing Bank that issues any Letter of Credit), except that (i) the Borrowers may not assign or otherwise transfer any of their rights or obligations hereunder without the prior written consent of each Lender (and any attempted assignment or transfer by any Borrower without such consent shall be null and void), provided that any merger of any Foreign Subsidiary Borrower with other Subsidiaries shall not be deemed an assignment provided that the resulting entity assumes all Obligations of such Foreign Subsidiary Borrower in a manner acceptable to the Administrative Agent, and (ii) no Lender may assign or otherwise transfer its rights or obligations hereunder except in accordance with this Section. Nothing in this Agreement, expressed or implied, shall be construed to confer upon any Person (other than the parties hereto, their respective successors and assigns permitted hereby (including any Affiliate of any Issuing Bank that issues any Letter of Credit or Swingline Lender that makes any Swingline Loan), Participants (to the extent provided in paragraph (c) of this Section) and, to the extent expressly contemplated hereby, the Related Parties of each of the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank and the Lenders) any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or by reason of this Agreement.
(b)(i) Subject to the conditions set forth in paragraph (b)(ii) below, any Lender may assign to one or more assignees all or a portion of its rights and obligations under this Agreement (including all or a portion of its Commitment and the Loans at the time owing to it) with the prior written consent (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld) of:
(A) the U.S. Borrower,provided that no consent of the U.S. Borrower shall be required for an assignment to a Lender, an Affiliate of a Lender, an Approved Fund or, if an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, any other assignee; and |
(B) the Administrative Agent. |
(ii) Assignments shall be subject to the following additional conditions:
(A) except in the case of an assignment to a Lender or an Affiliate of a Lender or an assignment of the entire remaining amount of the assigning Lender’s Commitment or Loans of any Class, the amount of the Commitment or Loans of the assigning Lender subject to each such assignment (determined as of the date the Assignment and Assumption with respect to such assignment is delivered to the Administrative Agent) shall not be less than $5,000,000 unless each of the U.S. Borrower and the Administrative Agent otherwise consent,provided that no such consent of the U.S. Borrower shall be required if an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing; |
(B) each partial assignment shall be made as an assignment of a proportionate part of all the assigning Lender’s rights and obligations under this Agreement,provided that this clause shall not be construed to prohibit the assignment of a proportionate part of all the assigning Lender’s rights and obligations in respect of one Class of Commitments or Loans; |
(C) the parties to each assignment shall execute and deliver to the Administrative Agent an Assignment and Assumption, together with a processing and recordation fee of $3,500; and |
(D) the assignee, if it shall not be a Lender, shall deliver to the Administrative Agent an Administrative Questionnaire. |
For the purposes of this Section 9.04(b), the term “Approved Fund” has the following meaning:
“Approved Fund” means any Person (other than a natural person) that is engaged in making, purchasing, holding or investing in bank loans and similar extensions of credit in the ordinary course of its business and that is administered or managed by (a) a Lender, (b) an Affiliate of a Lender or (c) an entity or an Affiliate of an entity that administers or manages a Lender.
(iii) Subject to acceptance and recording thereof pursuant to paragraph (b)(iv) of this Section, from and after the effective date specified in each Assignment and Assumption the assignee thereunder shall be a party hereto and, to the extent of the interest assigned by such Assignment and Assumption, have the rights and obligations of a Lender under this Agreement, and the assigning Lender thereunder shall, to the extent of the interest assigned by such Assignment and Assumption, be released from its obligations under this Agreement (and, in the case of an Assignment and Assumption covering all of the assigning Lender’s rights and obligations under this Agreement, such Lender shall cease to be a party hereto but shall continue to be entitled to the benefits of Sections 2.15, 2.16, 2.17 and 9.03). Any assignment or transfer by a Lender of rights or obligations under this Agreement that does not comply with this Section 9.04 shall be treated for purposes of this Agreement as a sale by such Lender of a participation in such rights and obligations in accordance with paragraph (c) of this Section.
(iv) The Administrative Agent, acting for this purpose as an agent of the Borrowers, shall maintain at one of its offices a copy of each Assignment and Assumption delivered to it and a register for the recordation of the names and addresses of the Lenders, and the Commitment of, and principal amount of the Loans and LC Disbursements owing to, each Lender pursuant to the terms hereof from time to time (the “Register”). The entries in the Register shall be conclusive, and the Borrowers, the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank and the Lenders may treat each Person whose name is recorded in the Register pursuant to the terms hereof as a Lender hereunder for all purposes of this Agreement, notwithstanding notice to the contrary. The Register shall be available for inspection by the Borrowers, the Issuing Bank and any Lender, at any reasonable time and from time to time upon reasonable prior notice.
(v) Upon its receipt of a duly completed Assignment and Assumption executed by an assigning Lender and an assignee, the assignee’s completed Administrative Questionnaire (unless the assignee shall already be a Lender hereunder), the processing and recordation fee referred to in paragraph (b) of this Section and any written consent to such assignment required by paragraph (b) of this Section, the Administrative Agent shall accept such Assignment and Assumption and record the information contained therein in the Register;provided that if either the assigning Lender or the assignee shall have failed to make any payment required to be made by it pursuant to Section 2.05(c), 2.06(d) or (e), 2.07(b), 2.18(d) or 9.03(c), the Administrative Agent shall have no obligation to accept such Assignment and Assumption and record the information therein in the Register unless and until such payment shall have been made in full, together with all accrued interest thereon. No assignment shall be effective for purposes of this Agreement unless it has been recorded in the Register as provided in this paragraph.
(c)(i) Any Lender may, without the consent of any Borrower, the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank or the Swingline Lender, sell participations to one or more banks or other entities (a “Participant”) in all or a portion of such Lender’s rights and obligations under this Agreement (including all or a portion of its Commitment and the Loans owing to it);provided that (A) such Lender’s obligations under this Agreement shall remain unchanged, (B) such Lender shall remain solely responsible to the other parties hereto for the performance of such obligations and (C) the Borrowers, the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank and the other Lenders shall continue to deal solely and directly with such Lender in connection with such Lender’s rights and obligations under this Agreement. Any agreement or instrument pursuant to which a Lender sells such a participation shall provide that such Lender shall retain the sole right to enforce this Agreement and to approve any amendment, modification or waiver of any provision of this Agreement;provided that such agreement or instrument may provide that such Lender will not, without the consent of the Participant, agree to any amendment, modification or waiver described in the first proviso to Section 9.02(b) that affects such Participant. Subject to paragraph (c)(ii) of this Section, the Borrowers agree that each Participant shall be entitled to the benefits of Sections 2.15, 2.16 and 2.17 to the same extent as if it were a Lender and had acquired its interest by assignment pursuant to paragraph (b) of this Section. To the extent permitted by law, each Participant also shall be entitled to the benefits of Section 9.08 as though it were a Lender, provided such Participant agrees to be subject to Section 2.18(c) as though it were a Lender.
(ii) A Participant shall not be entitled to receive any greater payment under Section 2.15 or 2.17 than the applicable Lender would have been entitled to receive with respect to the participation sold to such Participant, unless the sale of the participation to such Participant is made with the U.S. Borrower’s prior written consent. A Participant that would be a Foreign Lender if it were a Lender shall not be entitled to the benefits of Section 2.17 unless the U.S. Borrower is notified of the participation sold to such Participant and such Participant agrees, for the benefit of the Borrowers, to comply with Section 2.17(e) as though it were a Lender.
(d) Any Lender may at any time pledge or assign a security interest in all or any portion of its rights under this Agreement to secure obligations of such Lender, including without limitation any pledge or assignment to secure obligations to a Federal Reserve Bank, and this Section shall not apply to any such pledge or assignment of a security interest;provided that no such pledge or assignment of a security interest shall release a Lender from any of its obligations hereunder or substitute any such pledgee or assignee for such Lender as a party hereto.
SECTION 9.05.Survival. All covenants, agreements, representations and warranties made by the Borrowers herein and in the certificates or other instruments delivered in connection with or pursuant to this Agreement shall be considered to have been relied upon by the other parties hereto and shall survive the execution and delivery of this Agreement and the making of any Loans and issuance of any Letters of Credit, regardless of any investigation made by any such other party or on its behalf and notwithstanding that the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank or any Lender may have had notice or knowledge of any Default or incorrect representation or warranty at the time any credit is extended hereunder, and shall continue in full force and effect as long as the principal of or any accrued interest on any Loan or any fee or any other amount payable under this Agreement is outstanding and unpaid or any Letter of Credit is outstanding and so long as the Commitments have not expired or terminated. The provisions of Sections 2.15, 2.16, 2.17 and 9.03 and Article VIII shall survive and remain in full force and effect regardless of the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby, the repayment of the Loans, the expiration or termination of the Letters of Credit and the Commitments or the termination of this Agreement or any provision hereof.
SECTION 9.06.Counterparts; Integration; Effectiveness. This Agreement may be executed in counterparts (and by different parties hereto on different counterparts), each of which shall constitute an original, but all of which when taken together shall constitute a single contract. This Agreement and any separate letter agreements with respect to fees payable to the Administrative Agent constitute the entire contract among the parties relating to the subject matter hereof and supersede any and all previous agreements and understandings, oral or written, relating to the subject matter hereof. Except as provided in Section 4.01, this Agreement shall become effective when it shall have been executed by the Administrative Agent and when the Administrative Agent shall have received counterparts hereof which, when taken together, bear the signatures of each of the other parties hereto, and thereafter shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns. Delivery of an executed counterpart of a signature page of this Agreement by telecopy shall be effective as delivery of a manually executed counterpart of this Agreement.
SECTION 9.07.Severability. Any provision of this Agreement held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any jurisdiction shall, as to such jurisdiction, be ineffective to the extent of such invalidity, illegality or unenforceability without affecting the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions hereof; and the invalidity of a particular provision in a particular jurisdiction shall not invalidate such provision in any other jurisdiction.
SECTION 9.08.Right of Setoff. If an Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, each Lender and each of its Affiliates is hereby authorized at any time and from time to time, to the fullest extent permitted by law, to set off and apply any and all deposits (general or special, time or demand, provisional or final) at any time held and other obligations at any time owing by such Lender or Affiliate to or for the credit or the account of any Borrower against any of and all the obligations of such Borrower now or hereafter existing under this Agreement held by such Lender, irrespective of whether or not such Lender shall have made any demand under this Agreement and although such obligations may be unmatured. The rights of each Lender under this Section are in addition to other rights and remedies (including other rights of setoff) which such Lender may have.
SECTION 9.09.Governing Law; Jurisdiction; Consent to Service of Process. (a) This Agreement shall be construed in accordance with and governed by the law of the State of Michigan.
(b) Each Borrower hereby irrevocably and unconditionally submits, for itself and its property, to the nonexclusive jurisdiction of any Court of the State of Michigan and any court of the United States District Court sitting in Michigan, and any appellate court from any thereof, in any action or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement, or for recognition or enforcement of any judgment, and each of the parties hereto hereby irrevocably and unconditionally agrees that all claims in respect of any such action or proceeding may be heard and determined in such Michigan State court or, to the extent permitted by law, in such Federal court. Each of the parties hereto agrees that a final judgment in any such action or proceeding shall be conclusive and may be enforced in other jurisdictions by suit on the judgment or in any other manner provided by law. Nothing in this Agreement shall affect any right that the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank or any Lender may otherwise have to bring any action or proceeding relating to this Agreement against any Borrower or its properties in the courts of any jurisdiction.
(c) Each Borrower hereby irrevocably and unconditionally waives, to the fullest extent it may legally and effectively do so, any objection which it may now or hereafter have to the laying of venue of any suit, action or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement in any court referred to in paragraph (b) of this Section. Each of the parties hereto hereby irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by law, the defense of an inconvenient forum to the maintenance of such action or proceeding in any such court.
(d) Each party to this Agreement irrevocably consents to service of process in the manner provided for notices in Section 9.01. Nothing in this Agreement will affect the right of any party to this Agreement to serve process in any other manner permitted by law.
SECTION 9.10.WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL. EACH PARTY HERETO HEREBY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ANY RIGHT IT MAY HAVE TO A TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY LEGAL PROCEEDING DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY (WHETHER BASED ON CONTRACT, TORT OR ANY OTHER THEORY). EACH PARTY HERETO (A) CERTIFIES THAT NO REPRESENTATIVE, AGENT OR ATTORNEY OF ANY OTHER PARTY HAS REPRESENTED, EXPRESSLY OR OTHERWISE, THAT SUCH OTHER PARTY WOULD NOT, IN THE EVENT OF LITIGATION, SEEK TO ENFORCE THE FOREGOING WAIVER AND (B) ACKNOWLEDGES THAT IT AND THE OTHER PARTIES HERETO HAVE BEEN INDUCED TO ENTER INTO THIS AGREEMENT BY, AMONG OTHER THINGS, THE MUTUAL WAIVERS AND CERTIFICATIONS IN THIS SECTION.
SECTION 9.11.Headings. Article and Section headings and the Table of Contents used herein are for convenience of reference only, are not part of this Agreement and shall not affect the construction of, or be taken into consideration in interpreting, this Agreement.
SECTION 9.12.Confidentiality. Each of the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank and the Lenders agrees to maintain the confidentiality of the Information (as defined below), except that Information may be disclosed (a) to its and its Affiliates’ directors, officers, employees and agents, including accountants, legal counsel and other advisors (it being understood that the Persons to whom such disclosure is made will be informed of the confidential nature of such Information and instructed to keep such Information confidential), (b) to the extent requested by any regulatory authority, (c) to the extent required by applicable laws or regulations or by any subpoena or similar legal process, (d) to any other party to this Agreement, (e) in connection with the exercise of any remedies hereunder or any suit, action or proceeding relating to this Agreement or the enforcement of rights hereunder, (f) subject to an agreement containing provisions substantially the same as those of this Section, to (i) any assignee of or Participant in, or any prospective assignee of or Participant in, any of its rights or obligations under this Agreement or (ii) any actual or prospective counterparty (or its advisors) to any swap or derivative transaction relating to any Borrower and its obligations, (g) with the consent of the U.S. Borrower or (h) to the extent such Information (i) becomes publicly available other than as a result of a breach of this Section or (ii) becomes available to the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank or any Lender on a nonconfidential basis from a source other than a Borrower. For the purposes of this Section, “Information” means all information received from any Borrower relating to the U.S. Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries or their business, other than any such information that is available to the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank or any Lender on a nonconfidential basis prior to disclosure by a Borrower. Any Person required to maintain the confidentiality of Information as provided in this Section shall be considered to have complied with its obligation to do so if such Person has exercised the same degree of care to maintain the confidentiality of such Information as such Person would accord to its own confidential information.
SECTION 9.13.Interest Rate Limitation. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, if at any time the interest rate applicable to any Loan, together with all fees, charges and other amounts which are treated as interest on such Loan under applicable law (collectively the “Charges”), shall exceed the maximum lawful rate (the “Maximum Rate”) which may be contracted for, charged, taken, received or reserved by the Lender holding such Loan in accordance with applicable law, the rate of interest payable in respect of such Loan hereunder, together with all Charges payable in respect thereof, shall be limited to the Maximum Rate and, to the extent lawful, the interest and Charges that would have been payable in respect of such Loan but were not payable as a result of the operation of this Section shall be cumulated and the interest and Charges payable to such Lender in respect of other Loans or periods shall be increased (but not above the Maximum Rate therefor) until such cumulated amount, together with interest thereon at the Federal Funds Effective Rate to the date of repayment, shall have been received by such Lender.
SECTION 9.14.USA PATRIOT Act. Each Lender that is subject to the requirements of the USA Patriot Act (Title III of Pub. L. 107-56 (signed into law October 26, 2001)) (the “Act”) hereby notifies each Borrower that pursuant to the requirements of the Act, it is required to obtain, verify and record information that identifies each Borrower, which information includes the name and address of each Borrower and other information that will allow such Lender to identify each Borrower in accordance with the Act.
SECTION 9.15.Conversion of Currencies. (a) If, for the purpose of obtaining judgment in any court, it is necessary to convert a sum owing hereunder in one currency into another currency, each party hereto (including any Foreign Subsidiary Borrower) agrees, to the fullest extent that it may effectively do so, that the rate of exchange used shall be that at which in accordance with normal banking procedures in the relevant jurisdiction the first currency could be purchased with such other currency on the Business Day immediately preceding the day on which final judgment is given.
(b) The obligations of each Borrower in respect of any sum due to any party hereto or any holder of the obligations owing hereunder (the “Applicable Creditor”) shall, notwithstanding any judgment in a currency (the “Judgment Currency”) other than the currency in which such sum is stated to be due hereunder (the “Agreement Currency”), be discharged only to the extent that, on the Business Day following receipt by the Applicable Creditor of any sum adjudged to be so due in the Judgment Currency, the Applicable Creditor may in accordance with normal banking procedures in the relevant jurisdiction purchase the Agreement Currency with the Judgment Currency; if the amount of the Agreement Currency so purchased is less than the sum originally due to the Applicable Creditor in the Agreement Currency, such Borrower agrees, as a separate obligation and notwithstanding any such judgment, to indemnify the Applicable Creditor against such loss. The obligations of the Borrowers contained in this Section 9.17 shall survive the termination of this Agreement and the payment of all other amounts owing hereunder.
ARTICLE X
Collection Allocation Mechanism
SECTION 10.01.Implementation of CAM. (a) On the CAM Exchange Date, (i) the Commitments and the Ancillary Commitments shall automatically and without further act be terminated as provided in Article VII, (ii) the principal amount of each Loan denominated in a Foreign Currency shall, automatically and with no further action required, be converted into the Dollar Equivalent, determined using the Exchange Rates calculated as of the CAM Exchange Date, of such amount and on and after such date all amounts accruing and owed to any Lender in respect of such Obligations shall accrue and be payable in Dollars at the rates otherwise applicable hereunder and (iii) each Lender shall automatically and without further act (and without regard to the provisions of Section 9.04) immediately be deemed to have acquired participations in the Swingline Loans, Revolving Loans, Ancillary Loans and Letters of Credit (including each Reserve Account established pursuant to Section 10.02 below, but excluding the Competitive Loans) in an amount equal to such Lender’s CAM Percentage. Each Lender shall make payments to the Applicable Agent for such participations, and the Applicable Agent shall distribute such payments to the appropriate Lender, in such manner and pursuant to such procedures determined by the Administrative Agent. Each Lender and each Borrower hereby consents and agrees to the CAM Exchange, and each Lender agrees that the CAM Exchange shall be binding upon its successors and assigns and any person that acquires a participation in its interests in any Advance. Each Borrower agrees from time to time to execute and deliver to the Administrative Agent all such promissory notes and other instruments and documents as the Administrative Agent shall reasonably request to evidence and confirm the respective interests of the Lenders after giving effect to the CAM Exchange, and each Lender agrees to surrender any promissory notes originally received by it in connection with its Loans (other than Competitive Loans) hereunder to the Administrative Agent against delivery of any promissory notes evidencing its interests in the Loans and Ancillary Loans so executed and delivered; provided, however, that the failure of any Borrower to execute or deliver or of any Lender to accept any such promissory note, instrument or document shall not affect the validity or effectiveness of the CAM Exchange.
(b) As a result of the CAM Exchange, upon and after the CAM Exchange Date, each payment received by the Applicable Agent pursuant to any Loan Document in respect of the Revolving Credit Exposures and the Ancillary Facility Exposures shall be distributed to the Lenders pro rata in accordance with their respective CAM Percentages. Any direct payment received by a Lender upon or after the CAM Exchange Date, including by way of set-off, in respect of any Revolving Credit Exposure or Ancillary Facility Exposure shall be paid over to the Applicable Agent for distribution to the Lenders in accordance herewith.
SECTION 10.02.Letters of Credit. (a) In the event that on the CAM Exchange Date any Letter of Credit shall be outstanding and undrawn in whole or in part, or any LC Disbursement shall not have been reimbursed either by the U.S. Borrower or with the proceeds of a Borrowing, each Lender shall promptly pay over to the Administrative Agent, in immediately available funds, an amount equal to such Lender’s CAM Percentage of such undrawn face amount or (to the extent it has not already done so) such unreimbursed drawing, as applicable, together with interest thereon from the CAM Exchange Date to the date on which such amount shall be paid to the Administrative Agent at the rate that would be applicable at the time to an ABR Revolving Loan in a principal amount equal to such undrawn face amount or unreimbursed drawing, as applicable. The Administrative Agent shall establish a separate account (each, a “Reserve Account”) or accounts for each Lender for the amounts received with respect to each such Letter of Credit pursuant to the preceding sentence. The Administrative Agent shall deposit in each Lender’s Reserve Account such Lender’s CAM Percentage of the amounts received from the Lenders as provided above. The Administrative Agent shall have sole dominion and control over each Reserve Account, and the amounts deposited in each Reserve Account shall be held in such Reserve Account until withdrawn as provided in paragraph (b), (c), (d) or (e) below. The Administrative Agent shall maintain records enabling it to determine the amounts paid over to it and deposited in the Reserve Accounts in respect of each Letter of Credit and the amounts on deposit in respect of each Letter of Credit attributable to each Lender’s CAM Percentage. The amounts held in each Lender’s Reserve Account shall be held as a reserve against the LC Exposures, shall be the property of such Lender, shall not constitute Loans to or give rise to any claim of or against any Borrower and shall not give rise to any obligation on the part of the U.S. Borrower to pay interest to such Lender, it being agreed that the reimbursement obligations in respect of Letters of Credit shall arise only at such times as drawings are made thereunder, as provided in Section 2.06.
(b) In the event that after the CAM Exchange Date any drawing shall be made in respect of a Letter of Credit, the Administrative Agent shall, at the request of the applicable Issuing Bank withdraw from the Reserve Account of each Lender any amounts, up to the amount of such Lender’s CAM Percentage of such drawing deposited in respect of such Letter of Credit and remaining on deposit and deliver such amounts to such Issuing Bank in satisfaction of the reimbursement obligations of the Lenders under Section 2.06(d) (but not of the U.S. Borrower under Section 2.06(e)). In the event that any Lender shall default on its obligation to pay over any amount to the Administrative Agent as provided in this Section 10.02, the applicable Issuing Bank shall have a claim against such Lender to the same extent as if such Lender had defaulted on its obligations under Section 2.06(d), but shall have no claim against any other Lender in respect of such defaulted amount, notwithstanding the exchange of interests in the applicable Borrower’s reimbursement obligations pursuant to Section 10.01. Each other Lender shall have a claim against such defaulting Lender for any damages sustained by it as a result of such default, including, in the event that such Letter of Credit shall expire undrawn, its CAM Percentage of the defaulted amount.
(c) In the event that after the CAM Exchange Date any Letter of Credit shall expire undrawn, the Administrative Agent shall withdraw from the Reserve Account of each Lender the amount remaining on deposit therein in respect of such Letter of Credit and distribute such amount to such Lender.
(d) With the prior written approval of the Administrative Agent (not to be unreasonably withheld), any Lender may withdraw the amount held in its Reserve Account in respect of the undrawn amount of any Letter of Credit. Any Lender making such a withdrawal shall be unconditionally obligated, in the event there shall subsequently be a drawing under such Letter of Credit, to pay over to the Administrative Agent, for the account of the Issuing Bank, on demand, its CAM Percentage of such drawing.
(e) Pending the withdrawal by any Lender of any amounts from its Reserve Account as contemplated by the above paragraphs, the Administrative Agent will, at the direction of such Lender and subject to such rules as the Administrative Agent may prescribe for the avoidance of inconvenience, invest such amounts in Permitted Investments. Each Lender that has not withdrawn its amounts in its Reserve Account as provided in paragraph (d) above shall have the right, at intervals reasonably specified by the Administrative Agent, to withdraw the earnings on investments so made by the Administrative Agent with amounts in its Reserve Account and to retain such earnings for its own account.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be duly executed by their respective authorized officers as of the day and year first above written.
| HERMAN MILLER INC. By /s/ Elizabeth A. Nickels Title: Chief Financial Officer By /s/ Joseph M. Nowicki Title: Treasurer and Vice President, Investor Relations |
| BANK ONE, NA, as a Lender and as Administrative Agent By /s/ James M. Sumoski Title: Director |
| WELLS FARGO BANK, N.A., as a Lender and as Syndication Agent By /s/ Peter Gates Title: Vice President |
| STANDARD FEDERAL BANK, N.A., as a Lender and a Documentation Agent By /s/ Joel Brandt Title: Vice President |
| WACHOVIA BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, as a Lender and a Documentation Agent By /s/ Aaron Headley Title: Associate |
| BANK OF AMERICA, N.A. By /s/ Sharon Burke Haros Title: Vice President |
| THE HUNTINGTON NATIONAL BANK By /s/ John P. Norkus Title: Commercial Portfolio Manager - Senior |