Belden 8K Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement | BDC 29 Jun 09

Exhibit 10.1

$200,000,000

BELDEN INC.
(a Delaware corporation)

9.25% Senior Subordinated Notes due 2019

PURCHASE AGREEMENT

June 24, 2009

Wachovia Capital Markets, LLC
Banc of America Securities LLC
Citigroup Global Markets Inc.
As Representatives for the several Initial Purchasers
One Wachovia Center
301 South College Street
Charlotte, North Carolina 28288

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Belden Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), proposes to issue and sell to the several purchasers named in Schedule I hereto (the “Initial Purchasers”), for whom Wachovia Capital Markets, LLC, Banc of America Securities LLC and Citigroup Global Markets Inc. are acting as Representatives (in such capacity, the “Representatives”), $200,000,000 aggregate principal amount of its 9.25% Senior Subordinated Notes due 2019 (the “Notes”), which will be unconditionally guaranteed on a senior subordinated basis as to principal, premium, if any, and interest (the “Guarantees”) by the subsidiaries of the Company named in Schedule II hereto (each individually, a “Guarantor” and collectively, the “Guarantors”). The Notes will be issued pursuant to an Indenture (the “Indenture”) dated as of the Closing Date (as defined in Section 2) among the Company, the Guarantors and U.S. Bank National Association, as Trustee (the “Trustee”). This Agreement, the Registration Rights Agreement, to be dated the Closing Date, between the Initial Purchasers, the Company and the Guarantors (the “Registration Rights Agreement”) and the Indenture are hereinafter collectively referred to as the “Transaction Documents” and the execution and delivery of the Transaction Documents and the transactions contemplated herein and therein are hereinafter referred to as the “Transactions”.

The Notes (and the related Guarantees) will be offered and sold through the Initial Purchasers without being registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), to qualified institutional buyers in compliance with the exemption from registration provided by Rule 144A under the Securities Act, and in offshore transactions in reliance on Regulation S under the Securities Act (“Regulation S”). The Initial Purchasers have advised the Company that they will offer and sell the Notes purchased by them hereunder in accordance with Section 3 hereof as soon as the Representatives deem advisable.

In connection with the sale of the Notes, the Company has prepared a preliminary offering memorandum, dated June 23, 2009 (including the information incorporated by reference therein, the “Preliminary Memorandum”), the Offering Memorandum (as defined below) and a Final Memorandum (as defined below), dated the date hereof. The Final Memorandum, the Preliminary Memorandum, and the Offering Memorandum are referred to herein as a “Memorandum”. Each Memorandum sets forth certain information concerning the Company, the Guarantors, the Notes, the Transaction Documents and the Transactions. The Company hereby confirms that it has authorized the use of the Preliminary Memorandum and the Offering

Memorandum, and any amendment or supplement thereto, in connection with the offer and sale of the Notes by the Initial Purchasers.

Prior to the time when the sales of the Notes were first made (the “Time of Sale”), the Company has prepared and delivered to the Initial Purchasers a pricing supplement (the “Pricing Supplement”) dated June 24, 2009. In connection with the sale of the Notes, the Company has prepared an electronic road show (the “Company Additional Written Information”). The Pricing Supplement together with the Preliminary Memorandum is referred to herein as the “Offering Memorandum.”

Promptly after the Time of Sale and in any event no later than the second Business Day following the Time of Sale, the Company will prepare and deliver to each Initial Purchaser a Final Offering Memorandum (including the information incorporated by reference therein, the “Final Memorandum”), which will consist of the Preliminary Offering Memorandum with such changes therein as are required to reflect the information contained in the Pricing Supplement, and from and after the time such Final Memorandum is delivered to each Initial Purchaser, all references herein to the Offering Memorandum shall be deemed to be a reference to both the Offering Memorandum and the Final Memorandum.

1.Representations and Warranties of the Company and the Guarantors. The Company and the Guarantors jointly and severally represent and warrant to, and agree with, each of the Initial Purchasers that:

(a) The Preliminary Memorandum does not contain; the Offering Memorandum at the Time of Sale will not contain; and the Final Memorandum, and any amendment or supplement thereto, as of its date and as of the Closing Date will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or, in each case, omit to state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided, however, that the representations or warranties set forth in this paragraph shall not apply to statements in or omissions from any Memorandum made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by the Initial Purchasers expressly for use therein, as specified in Section 12. The statistical and industry data included in each Memorandum are based on or derived from sources that the Company believes to be reliable and accurate in all material respects.

(b) The Company has been duly organized and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware. The Company is duly qualified to do business as a foreign corporation and is in good standing under the laws of each jurisdiction in which the conduct of its business or its ownership or leasing of property requires such qualification, except where the failure to so qualify or be in good standing would not, in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. “Material Adverse Effect” shall mean a material adverse change in or effect on (i) the business, operations, properties, assets, liabilities, earnings, condition (financial or otherwise), results of operations or management of the Company and its subsidiaries, considered as one enterprise, whether or not in the ordinary course of business, or (ii) the

ability of the Company and each Guarantor to perform its obligations under the Notes or the Transaction Documents.

(c) Each of the Company and each Guarantor has full power (corporate and other) to own or lease its properties and conduct its business as described in each Memorandum; and each of the Company and each Guarantor has full power (corporate and other) to enter into the Transaction Documents and to carry out all the terms and provisions hereof and thereof to be carried out by it.

(d) The capitalization of the Company is as set forth in the Offering Memorandum under the caption “Capitalization”. All of the issued shares of capital stock of the Company have been duly authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and nonassessable; and none of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company was issued in violation of the preemptive or other similar rights of any security holder of the Company.

(e) Each subsidiary of the Company has been duly incorporated, is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation, has the corporate power and authority to own its property and to conduct its business as described in the Offering Memorandum and is duly qualified to transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which the conduct of its business or its ownership or leasing of property requires such qualification, except to the extent that the failure to be so qualified or be in good standing would not have a Material Adverse Effect; all of the issued shares of capital stock of each subsidiary of the Company have been duly and validly authorized and issued, are fully paid and non-assessable, and are owned directly or through wholly owned subsidiaries by the Company, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities or claims, except as otherwise described in the Offering Memorandum.

(f) No subsidiary of the Company is prohibited, directly or indirectly, from paying any dividends to the Company, from making any other distribution on such subsidiary’s capital stock, from repaying to the Company any loans or advances to such subsidiary from the Company or from transferring any of such subsidiary’s property or assets to the Company or any other subsidiary of the Company, except as provided by applicable laws or regulations, by the Indenture or as disclosed in the Offering Memorandum.

(g) [Reserved.]

(h) Ernst & Young LLP, who has certified the historical consolidated financial statements included in the Offering Memorandum and delivered its report with respect to the audited historical consolidated financial statements in the Offering Memorandum, is an independent public accountant with respect to the Company within the meaning of the Securities Act and the applicable rules and regulations thereunder.

(i) The historical consolidated financial statements (including the notes thereto) of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries in the Offering Memorandum fairly present the financial position, results of operations, cash flows and changes in stockholders’ equity of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries as of the dates and

for the periods specified therein; since the date of the latest of such financial statements, there has been no change nor any development or event involving a prospective change which, individually or in the aggregate, has had or could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; such financial statements have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles consistently applied throughout the periods involved (except as otherwise expressly disclosed in the notes thereto) and comply in all material respects as to form with the applicable accounting requirements of Regulation S-X under the Securities Act (other than as provided under the heading “Securities and Exchange Commission Review” in the Offering Memorandum and the Final Memorandum); the information set forth under the captions “Offering Memorandum Summary – Summary Historical Consolidated Financial Information” in the Offering Memorandum has been fairly extracted from the financial statements of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries, fairly presents the information included therein and has been compiled on a basis consistent with that of the audited financial statements included in the Offering Memorandum.

(j) Subsequent to the respective dates as of which information is given in the Offering Memorandum, (i) none of the Company and its subsidiaries have incurred any material liability or obligation, direct or contingent, or entered into any material transaction in each case not in the ordinary course of business; (ii) the Company has not purchased any of its outstanding capital stock, and, except for regular quarterly dividends on the common stock, par value $0.01 of the Company in amounts per share that are consistent with past practice, has not declared, paid or otherwise made any dividend or distribution of any kind on any class of its capital stock; and (iii) there has not been any change in the capital stock, short-term debt or long-term debt of the Company and its subsidiaries, except as disclosed in the Offering Memorandum or as would not, in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

(k) Each of the Company and each of its subsidiaries maintains a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurances that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorizations; (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles and to maintain asset accountability; (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences.

(l) This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and each Guarantor.

(m) The Indenture and the Registration Rights Agreement have been duly authorized by the Company and each Guarantor and, on the Closing Date, will have been duly executed and delivered by the Company and each Guarantor, and will constitute the legal, valid and binding obligations of the Company and each Guarantor, enforceable against the Company and each Guarantor in accordance with their respective terms,

except as the enforcement thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or similar laws affecting enforcement of creditors’ rights generally and except as enforcement thereof is subject to general principles of equity (regardless of whether enforcement is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law); and the Indenture and the Registration Rights Agreement will conform in all material respects to the description thereof in the Offering Memorandum.

(n) On the Closing Date, the Indenture will conform to the requirements of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended (the “Trust Indenture Act”), and to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) applicable to an indenture that is qualified thereunder.

(o) The Notes have been duly authorized and, on the Closing Date, when executed and authenticated in the manner provided for in the Indenture and delivered to and paid for by the Initial Purchasers as provided in this Agreement, will constitute the legal, valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms, except as the enforcement thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or similar laws affecting enforcement of creditors’ rights generally and except as enforcement thereof is subject to general principles of equity (regardless of whether enforcement is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law), and will be entitled to the benefits of the Indenture and the Registration Rights Agreement; the Guarantees have been duly authorized and, on the Closing Date, upon the due issuance and delivery of the related Notes and the due endorsement of the Guarantees thereon, will have been duly executed, endorsed and delivered and will constitute valid and legally binding obligations of each of the Guarantors, and will be entitled to the benefits of the Indenture; the Exchange Notes (as defined in the Registration Rights Agreement) have been duly authorized and, when executed and authenticated in the manner provided for in the Registration Rights Agreement and the Indenture, will constitute the legal, valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms, except as the enforcement thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or similar laws affecting enforcement of creditors’ rights generally and except as enforcement thereof is subject to general principles of equity (regardless of whether enforcement is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law), and will be entitled to the benefits of the Indenture and the Registration Rights Agreement; and the Notes and the Exchange Notes will conform in all material respects to the descriptions thereof in the Offering Memorandum.

(p) The execution, delivery and performance by the Company and each Guarantor of this Agreement and the other Transaction Documents, the issuance and sale of the Notes and the compliance by the Company and each Guarantor with all of the provisions of the Notes, the Indenture, the Registration Rights Agreement and this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby will not: (i) violate or conflict with the certificate of incorporation or by-laws of the Company or any of its subsidiaries; (ii) conflict with, result in a breach or violation of, or constitute a default under, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust or loan agreement, stockholders’ agreement or any other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of its

subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is bound or any of their respective properties are subject, or any statute, rule or regulation or any judgment, order or decree of any governmental authority or court or any arbitrator applicable to the Company or any of its subsidiaries, except in the case of this clause (ii) for such conflicts, breaches, violations or defaults that would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; or (iii) (assuming, as to matters of fact, the accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Initial Purchasers contained herein) require the consent, approval, authorization, order, registration or filing or qualification with, any governmental authority or court, or body or arbitrator having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its subsidiaries, except (x) such as may be required by the securities or Blue Sky laws of the various states in connection with the offer or sale of the Notes and by Federal and state securities laws with respect to the obligations of the Company and the Guarantors under the Registration Rights Agreement or (y) where the failure to obtain such consents, approvals, authorizations, orders, registrations, filings or qualifications would not, in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

(q) No legal or governmental proceedings or investigations are pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or to which any of the properties of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject, other than proceedings accurately described in the Preliminary Memorandum and the Offering Memorandum and such proceedings or investigations that would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect.

(r) There are no relationships, direct or indirect, between or among the Company or any of its subsidiaries, on the one hand, and the respective directors, officers, stockholders, customers or suppliers of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, on the other hand, that would be required by the Securities Act to be disclosed in a prospectus were the Notes being issued and sold in a public offering registered on Form S-1 under the Securities Act that are not so disclosed in the Offering Memorandum; and there are no contracts or other documents that would be required by the Securities Act to be disclosed in a prospectus were the Notes being issued and sold in a public offering registered on Form S-1 under the Securities Act that are not so disclosed in the Offering Memorandum.

(s) Each of the Company and each Guarantor is not now nor after giving effect to the issuance of the Notes and the execution, delivery and performance of the Transaction Documents and the consummation of the transactions contemplated thereby or described in the Preliminary Memorandum or the Offering Memorandum, will be (in each case on a consolidated basis) (i) insolvent, (ii) left with unreasonably small capital with which to engage in its anticipated business or (iii) incurring debts or other obligations beyond its ability to pay such debts or obligations as they become due.

(t) The Company and its Affiliates (as defined in Rule 501(b) of Regulation D under the Securities Act (“Regulation D”)) have not distributed and, prior to the later of (i) the Closing Date and (ii) the completion of the distribution of the Notes, will not

distribute any offering material in connection with the offering and sale of the Notes other than the Preliminary Memorandum, the Offering Memorandum or any amendment or supplement thereto.

(u) The Company and its subsidiaries have not sustained, since the date of the latest audited historical consolidated financial statements included in the Offering Memorandum (exclusive of any amendment or supplement thereto), any loss or interference with its business or properties from fire, explosion, flood, accident or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor dispute or court or governmental action, order or decree (whether domestic or foreign) otherwise than as set forth in the Offering Memorandum (exclusive of any amendment or supplement thereto) or, in each case, as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

(v) The statements set forth in the Offering Memorandum under the caption “Description of Notes”, insofar as they purport to constitute a summary of the terms of the Notes, and under the captions “Description of Certain Indebtedness”, “Certain United States Federal Income Tax Considerations”, and “Exchange Offer; Registration Rights”, insofar as they purport to summarize the provisions of the laws and documents referred to therein, fairly and accurately summarize the subject matter thereof in all material respects.

(w) The Company and its subsidiaries have good and marketable title in fee simple to all items of real property and good and marketable title to all personal property owned by each of them, free and clear of any pledge, lien, encumbrance, security interest or other defect or claim of any third party, except as (x) set forth in the Offering Memorandum or (y) to the extent the failure to have such title or the existence of such pledges, liens, encumbrances, security interests or other defects or claims would not, in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect and would not materially interfere with the use thereof by the Company and its subsidiaries. Any property leased by the Company and its subsidiaries is held under valid, subsisting and enforceable leases, and there is no default under any such lease or any other event that with notice or lapse of time or both would constitute a default thereunder, except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

(x) No “prohibited transaction” (as defined in Section 406 of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, including the regulations and published interpretations thereunder (“ERISA”), or Section 4975 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time (the “Code”)) or “accumulated funding deficiency” (as defined in Section 302 of ERISA) or any of the events set forth in Section 4043(c) of ERISA (other than events with respect to which the 30-day notice requirement under Section 4043 of ERISA has been waived) has occurred, exists or is reasonably expected to occur with respect to any employee benefit plan (as defined in Section 3(3) of ERISA) which the Company or any of its subsidiaries maintains, contributes to or has any obligation to contribute to, or with respect to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries has any liability, direct or indirect, contingent or otherwise (a “Plan”), except in

each case as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; each Plan is in compliance in all material respects with applicable law, including ERISA and the Code; none of the Company or any of its subsidiaries has incurred or expects to incur liability under Title IV of ERISA with respect to the termination of, or withdrawal from, any Plan; and each Plan that is intended to be qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code is so qualified in all material respects and nothing has occurred, whether by action or failure to act, which could reasonably be expected to cause the loss of such qualification.

(y) Except as disclosed in each Memorandum, no labor dispute with the employees of the Company or any of its subsidiaries exists or, to the Company’s knowledge, is imminent or is threatened which, individually or in the aggregate, could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

(z) No proceedings for a merger, consolidation, liquidation or dissolution of the Company or any Guarantor or a sale of all or a material part of the assets of the Company and its subsidiaries; and, other than as disclosed in the Offering Memorandum, no probable material acquisition by the Company or any Guarantor is pending or contemplated.

(aa) The Company and each of its subsidiaries owns or otherwise possesses adequate rights to use all material patents, trademarks, service marks, trade names and copyrights, all applications and registrations for each of the foregoing, and all other material proprietary rights and confidential information necessary to conduct their respective businesses as currently conducted; none of the Company or any of its subsidiaries has received any notice, or is otherwise aware, of any infringement of or conflict with the rights of any third party with respect to any of the foregoing, which infringement or conflict, if the subject of an unfavorable decision, would, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect or materially interfere with the use by the Company and its subsidiaries thereof.

(bb) The Company and each of its subsidiariesis insured by insurers of recognized financial responsibility against such losses and risks and in such amounts and with such deductibles as are prudent in the business in which it is engaged; and none of the Company or any of its subsidiarieshas any reason to believe that it will not be able to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such coverage expires or to obtain similar coverage from similar insurers as may be necessary to continue their respective businesses at a cost that would not have a Material Adverse Effect.

(cc) Each of the Company and each of its subsidiaries has complied with all laws, ordinances, regulations and orders applicable to the Company and its subsidiaries, and their respective businesses, and none of the Company or any of its subsidiaries has received any notice to the contrary; and each of the Company and its subsidiaries possesses all certificates, authorizations, permits, licenses, approvals, orders and franchises (collectively, “Licenses”) necessary to conduct their respective businesses in the manner and to the full extent now operated or proposed to be operated as described in the Offering Memorandum, in each case issued by the appropriate federal, state, local or foreign

governmental or regulatory authorities (collectively, the “Agencies”), except where the failure to so comply or to possess such Licenses would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. The Licenses are in full force and effect and no proceeding has been instituted or, to the Company’s knowledge, is threatened or contemplated which in any manner affects or calls into question the validity or effectiveness thereof, except where such invalidity or ineffectiveness thereof would not, in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. The Licenses contain no restrictions, except for restrictions applicable to the cable and connectivity products industry generally, that are materially burdensome to the Company.

(dd) The operation of the business of the Company and its subsidiaries in the manner and to the full extent now operated or proposed to be operated as described in the Offering Memorandum is in accordance with the Licenses, and all orders, rules and regulations of the Agencies, and no event has occurred which permits (nor has an event occurred which with notice or lapse of time or both would permit) the revocation or termination of any necessary Licenses or which might result in any other impairment of the rights of the Company therein or thereunder, and each of the Company and each of its subsidiaries is in compliance with all statutes, orders, rules and regulations of the Agencies relating to or affecting its operations, except where the failure to so comply or the revocation or termination would not, in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

(ee) There is and has been no failure on the part of the Company or any of the Company’s directors or officers, in their capacities as such, to comply in all material respects with any provision of the Sarbanes Oxley Act of 2002 and the rules and regulations promulgated in connection therewith (the “Sarbanes Oxley Act”), including Section 402 related to loans and Sections 302 and 906 related to certifications.

(ff) (i) Each of the Company and each of its subsidiaries is and has been in compliance with all applicable laws, statutes, ordinances, rules, regulations, orders, judgments, decisions, decrees, standards, and requirements relating to: human health and safety; pollution; management, disposal or release of any chemical substance, product or waste; and protection, cleanup, remediation or corrective action relating to the environment or natural resources (“Environmental Law”);

(ii) Each of the Company and each of its subsidiaries has obtained and is in compliance with the conditions of all permits, authorizations, licenses, approvals and variances necessary under any Environmental Law for the continued conduct in the manner now conducted of their respective businesses (“Environmental Permits”);

(iii) There are no past or present conditions or circumstances, including but not limited to pending changes in any Environmental Law or Environmental Permits, that are likely to interfere with the conduct of the business of the Company and its subsidiaries in the manner now conducted or which would interfere with compliance with any Environmental Law or Environmental Permits; and

(iv) There are no past or present conditions or circumstances at, or arising out of, their respective businesses, assets and properties of the Company and each of its subsidiaries or any business, assets or properties formerly leased, operated or owned by the Company or any of its subsidiaries, including but not limited to on-site or off-site disposal or release of any chemical substance, product or waste, which may give rise to: (i) liabilities or obligations for any cleanup, remediation or corrective action under any Environmental Law; (ii) claims arising under any Environmental Law for personal injury, property damage, or damage to natural resources; (iii) liabilities or obligations incurred by the Company or its subsidiaries to comply with any Environmental Law; or (iv) fines or penalties arising under any Environmental Law;

except in each case for any noncompliance or conditions or circumstances that, singly or in the aggregate, would not result in a Material Adverse Effect or as disclosed in the Offering Memorandum.

(gg) (i) Neither the Company nor any Guarantor is in violation of its certificate of incorporation or its bylaws, and (ii) no default or breach exists, and no event has occurred that, with notice or lapse of time or both, would constitute a default in the due performance and observation of any term, covenant or condition of any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, lease, loan agreement, stockholders’ agreement or any other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is bound or to which any of their respective properties are subject, except in the case of clause (ii) would not, in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

(hh) Each of the Company and each of its subsidiaries has filed all foreign, federal, state and local tax returns that are required to be filed or has requested extensions thereof and has paid all taxes required to be paid by it and any other assessment, fine or penalty levied against it, to the extent that any of the foregoing is due and payable, except for any such assessment, fine or penalty that is currently being contested in good faith and for which the Company and its subsidiaries retains adequate reserves or as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

(ii) Except as disclosed in the Offering Memorandum, there are no contracts, agreements or understandings between the Company or any of its subsidiaries and any person granting such person the right to require the Company or any of its subsidiaries to file a registration statement under the Securities Act or to require the Company to include any securities held by any person in any registration statement filed by the Company under the Securities Act.

(jj) Neither the Company nor any Guarantor is, nor after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Notes and the application of the proceeds thereof as described in the Offering Memorandum will be, an “investment company”, or a company “controlled” by an “investment company”, within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”).

(kk) Within the preceding six months, none of the Company or any of its Affiliates has, directly or through any agent, made offers or sales of any security of the Company, or solicited offers to buy or otherwise negotiated in respect of any securities of the Company of the same or a similar class as the Notes, other than the Notes offered or sold to the Initial Purchasers hereunder.

(ll) None of the Company or any of its Affiliates has, directly or through any person acting on its or their behalf (other than the Initial Purchasers, as to which no statement is made), offered, solicited offers to buy or sold the Notes by any form of general solicitation or general advertising (within the meaning of Regulation D) or in any manner involving a public offering within the meaning of Section 4(2) of the Securities Act.

(mm) None of the Company, any of its Affiliates, nor any person acting on its or their behalf (other than the Initial Purchasers, as to which no statement is made), has engaged in any directed selling efforts with respect to the Notes, and each of them has complied with the offering restrictions requirement of Regulation S under the Securities Act (“Regulation S”). Terms used in this paragraph have the meanings given to them by Regulation S.

(nn) None of the Company or any of its Affiliates has taken, directly or indirectly, any action designed to cause or result in, or which has constituted or which might reasonably be expected to cause or result in, stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Notes; nor has the Company or any of its Affiliates paid or agreed to pay to any person any compensation for soliciting another to purchase any securities of the Company (except as contemplated by this Agreement).

(oo) The Notes satisfy the eligibility requirements of Rule 144A(d)(3) under the Securities Act.

(pp) Assuming the accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Initial Purchasers in Section 3 hereof and compliance by the Initial Purchasers with the procedures set forth in Section 3 hereof, it is not necessary in connection with the offer, sale and delivery of the Notes to the Initial Purchasers in the manner contemplated by this Agreement and disclosed in each Memorandum to register the Notes or the related Guarantees under the Securities Act or to qualify the Indenture under the Trust Indenture Act.

(qq) None of the Transactions (including, without limitation, the use of proceeds from the sale of the Notes) will violate or result in a violation of Section 7 of the Exchange Act or any regulation promulgated thereunder, including, without limitation, Regulations T, U and X of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.

(rr) There are, and during the last 12 months there have been, no material disputes between the Company and any of its ten largest suppliers (as measured by dollar volume of goods purchased by the Company) (“Material Suppliers”) or ten largest customers (as measured by dollar volume of goods sold by the Company) (“Material Customers”). The Company’s relations with its Material Suppliers and Material Customers

are, in the Company’s reasonable belief, good; and the Company has received no notice, and is not otherwise aware, of any anticipated material dispute with any of its Material Suppliers and Material Customers, or that (i) any Material Supplier intends to cease or materially reduce its supply to the Company or (ii) any Material Customer intends to cease or materially reduce its purchases from the Company.

(ss) Except as disclosed in the Offering Memorandum, there are no agreements, arrangements or understandings that will require the payment of any commissions, fees or other remuneration to any investment banker, broker, finder, consultant or intermediary in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

(tt) The Company does not intend to treat any of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents as being a “reportable transaction” (within the meaning of Treasury Regulation Section 1.6011-4). In the event the Company determines to take any action inconsistent with such intention, it will promptly notify the Representatives thereof. If the Company so notifies the Representatives, the Company acknowledges that one or more of the Initial Purchasers may treat their purchase and resale of Notes as part of a transaction that is subject to Treasury Regulation Section 301.6112-1, and such Initial Purchaser or Initial Purchasers, as applicable, will maintain the lists and other records required by such Treasury Regulation.

(uu) There are no stamp or other issuance or transfer taxes or duties or other similar fees or charges required to be paid in connection with the execution and delivery of this Agreement or the issuance or sale by the Company of the Notes.

(vv) None of the Company, its subsidiaries or, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, agent, employee or Affiliate of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is aware of or has taken any action, directly or indirectly, that would result in a violation by such Persons of Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (the “FCPA”), including, without limitation, making use of the mails or any means or instrumentality of interstate commerce corruptly in furtherance of an offer, payment, promise to pay or authorization of the payment of any money, or other property, gift, promise to give, or authorization of the giving of anything of value to any “foreign official” (as such term is defined in the FCPA) or any foreign political party or official thereof or any candidate for foreign political office, in contravention of the FCPA; and the Company, its subsidiaries and, to the knowledge of the Company, its Affiliates have conducted their businesses in compliance with the FCPA and have instituted and maintain policies and procedures designed to ensure, and which are reasonably expected to continue to ensure, continued compliance therewith.

(ww) The operations of the Company and its subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in compliance with applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements of the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, the money laundering statutes of all jurisdictions, the U.S. PATRIOT Act, the rules and regulations thereunder, and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any governmental agency (collectively, the “Money Laundering Laws”) and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or

governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company or any of its subsidiaries with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened.

(xx) None of the Company, any of its subsidiaries or, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, agent, employee or Affiliate of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is currently subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of the Treasury (“OFAC”); and the Company will not directly or indirectly use the proceeds of the offering of the Notes, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiary, joint venture partner or other person or entity, for the purpose of financing the activities of any person currently subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by OFAC.

Each certificate signed by any officer of the Company or the Guarantors and delivered to the Initial Purchasers or their counsel shall be deemed to be a representation and warranty by the Company or the Guarantors, as the case may be, to the Initial Purchasers as to the matters covered thereby.

2.Purchase, Sale and Delivery of the Notes. On the basis of the representations, warranties, agreements and covenants herein contained and subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Company agrees to issue and sell $200,000,000 aggregate principal amount of Notes, and each of the Initial Purchasers, severally and not jointly, agrees to purchase from the Company the principal amount of Notes set forth opposite the name of such Initial Purchaser inSchedule Ihereto at the purchase price set forth onSchedule IIIhereto (the “Purchase Price”). One or more certificates in definitive form or global form, as instructed by the Representatives for the Notes that the Initial Purchasers have severally agreed to purchase hereunder, and in such denomination or denominations and registered in such name or names as the Representatives request upon notice to the Company not later than one full business day prior to the Closing Date (as defined below), shall be delivered by or on behalf of the Company to the Representatives for the respective accounts of the Initial Purchasers, with any transfer taxes payable in connection with the transfer of the Notes to the Initial Purchasers duly paid, against payment by or on behalf of the Initial Purchasers of the Purchase Price therefor by wire transfer in Federal or other funds immediately available to the account of the Company. Such delivery of and payment for the Notes shall be made at the offices of Kirkland & Ellis LLP (“Counsel for the Issuer”), 601 Lexington Avenue, New York, New York 10022 at 10:00 A.M., New York City time, on June 29, 2009, or at such other place, time or date as the Representatives and the Company may agree upon, such time and date of delivery against payment being herein referred to as the “Closing Date”. The Company will make such certificate or certificates for the Notes available for examination by the Initial Purchasers at the New York, New York offices of Counsel for the Issuer not later than 10:00 A.M., New York City time on the business day prior to the Closing Date.

3.Offering of the Notes and the Initial Purchasers’ Representations and Warranties. Each of the Initial Purchasers, severally and not jointly, represents and warrants to and agrees with the Company and the Guarantors that:

(a) It is a qualified institutional buyer as defined in Rule 144A under the Securities Act (a “QIB”).

(b) It will solicit offers for such Notes only from, and will offer such Notes only to, persons that it reasonably believes to be (A) in the case of offers inside the United States, QIBs (B) in the case of offers outside the United States, to persons other than U.S. persons (“foreign purchasers”, which term shall include dealers or other professional fiduciaries in the United States acting on a discretionary basis for foreign beneficial owners (other than an estate or trust)) in reliance upon Regulation S under the Securities Act that, in each case, in purchasing such Notes are deemed to have represented and agreed as provided in the Offering Memorandum under the caption “Notice to Investors”.

(c) It will not offer or sell the Notes using any form of general solicitation or general advertising (within the meaning of Regulation D) or in any manner involving a public offering within the meaning of Section 4(2) under the Securities Act.

(d) With respect to offers and sales outside the United States:

(i) at or prior to the confirmation of any sale of any Notes sold in reliance on Regulation S, it will have sent to each distributor, dealer or other person receiving a selling concession, fee or other remuneration that purchases Notes from it during the distribution compliance period (as defined in Regulation S) a confirmation or notice substantially to the following effect:

“The Notes covered hereby have not been registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. persons, (i) as part of their distribution at any time; or (ii) otherwise until 40 days after the later of the commencement of the offering of the Notes and June 29, 2009, except in either case in accordance with Regulation S or Rule 144A under the Securities Act. Terms used above have the meanings given to them by Regulation S.”; and

(ii) such Initial Purchaser has offered the Notes and will offer and sell the Notes (A) as part of its distribution at any time and (B) otherwise until 40 days after the later of the commencement of the offering and the Closing Date, only in accordance with Rule 903 of Regulation S or as otherwise permitted in Section 3(b); accordingly, such Initial Purchaser has not engaged nor will engage in any directed selling efforts (within the meaning of Regulation S) with respect to the Notes, and such Initial Purchaser has complied and will comply with the offering restrictions requirements of Regulation S.

Terms used in this Section 3(d) have the meanings given to them by Regulation S.

4.Covenants of the Company. The Company covenants and agrees with the Initial Purchasers that:

(a) The Company will prepare the Offering Memorandum in the form approved by the Representatives and will not amend or supplement the Offering Memorandum or the Final Memorandum without first furnishing to the Representatives a copy of such proposed amendment or supplement and will not use or file any amendment or supplement to which the Representatives may reasonably object.

(b) The Company will furnish to the Initial Purchasers and to Counsel for the Initial Purchasers concurrently with the Time of Sale and during the period referred to in paragraph (c) below, without charge, as many copies of the Offering Memorandum and any amendments and supplements thereto as they reasonably may request.

(c) At any time prior to the completion of the distribution of the Notes by the Initial Purchasers, if any event occurs or condition exists as a result of which the Offering Memorandum, as then amended or supplemented, would include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, or if it should be necessary to amend or supplement the Offering Memorandum, to comply with applicable law, the Company will promptly (i) notify the Initial Purchasers of the same; (ii) subject to the requirements of paragraph (a) of this Section 4, prepare and provide to the Initial Purchasers, at its own expense, an amendment or supplement to the Offering Memorandum, so that the statements in the Offering Memorandum as so amended or supplemented will not, in the light of the circumstances when the Offering Memorandum, is delivered to a purchaser, be misleading or so that the Offering Memorandum, as amended or supplemented, will comply with applicable law; and (iii) supply any supplemented or amended Offering Memorandum, to the Initial Purchasers and Counsel for the Initial Purchasers, without charge, in such quantities as may be reasonably requested.

(d) The Company will (i) qualify the Notes and the Guarantees for sale by the Initial Purchasers under the laws of such jurisdictions as the Representatives may reasonably designate and (ii) maintain such qualifications for so long as required for the sale of the Notes by the Initial Purchasers;provided,however, that the Company shall not be required to qualify as a foreign corporation or to take any action that would subject it to general service of process or subject itself to taxation in any jurisdiction where it is not presently qualified or so subject. The Company will promptly advise the Initial Purchasers of the receipt by the Company of any notification with respect to the suspension of the qualification of the Notes for sale in any jurisdiction or the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for such purpose.

(e) At any time prior to the completion of the distribution of the Notes by the Initial Purchasers, (x) the Company will deliver to the Initial Purchasers such additional information concerning the business and financial condition of the Company as the Initial Purchasers may from time to time reasonably request and (y) whenever it or any of its subsidiaries publishes or makes available to the public (by filing with any regulatory authority or securities exchange or by publishing a press release or otherwise) any information that would reasonably be expected to be material in the context of the issuance of the Notes under this Agreement, shall promptly notify the Initial Purchasers as to the nature

of such information or event. At any time prior to the first anniversary of the Closing Date, the Company will notify the Initial Purchasers of (i) any decrease in the rating of the Notes or any other debt securities of the Company by any nationally recognized statistical rating organization (as defined in Rule 436(g)(2) under the Securities Act) or (ii) any notice or public announcement given of any intended or potential decrease in any such rating or that any such securities rating agency has under surveillance or review, with possible negative implications, its rating of the Notes, as soon as reasonably practicable after the Company becomes aware of any such decrease, notice or public announcement.

(f) The Company will not, will not permit any of its subsidiaries to, and will use commercially reasonable effort not to permit its Affiliates to, resell any of the Notes that have been acquired by any of them, other than pursuant to an effective registration statement under the Securities Act or in accordance with Rule 144 under the Securities Act.

(g) Except as contemplated in the Registration Rights Agreement, none of the Company or any of its Affiliates, nor any person acting on its or their behalf (other than the Initial Purchasers or any of their respective Affiliates, as to which no statement is made) will, directly or indirectly, make offers or sales of any security, or solicit offers to buy any security, under circumstances that would require the registration of the Notes under the Securities Act.

(h) None of the Company or any of its Affiliates, nor any person acting on its or their behalf (other than the Initial Purchasers or any of their respective Affiliates, as to which no statement is made), will solicit any offer to buy or offer to sell the Notes by means of any form of general solicitation or general advertising (within the meaning of Regulation D) or in any manner involving a public offering within the meaning of Section 4(2) of the Securities Act.

(i) None of the Company or any of its Affiliates, nor any person acting on its or their behalf (other than the Initial Purchasers or any of their respective Affiliates, as to which no statement is made), will engage in any directed selling efforts (within the meaning of Regulation S) with respect to the Notes, and each of them will comply with the offering restrictions requirements of Regulation S.

(j) None of the Company or any of its Affiliates, nor any person acting on its or their behalf (other than the Initial Purchasers or any of their respective Affiliates, as to which no statement is made), will sell, offer for sale or solicit offers to buy or otherwise negotiate in respect of any securities of the same or a similar class as the Notes, other than the Notes offered or sold to the Initial Purchasers hereunder in a manner which would require the registration under the Securities Act of the Notes.

(k) So long as any of the Notes are “restricted securities” within the meaning of Rule 144(a)(3) under the Securities Act, at any time that the Company is not then subject to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, the Company will provide at its expense to each holder of the Notes and to each prospective purchaser (as designated by such

holder) of the Notes, upon the request of such holder or prospective purchaser, any information required to be provided by Rule 144A(d)(4) under the Securities Act. (This covenant is intended to be for the benefit of the holders, and the prospective purchasers designated by such holders from time to time, of the Notes.)

(l) The Company will apply the net proceeds from the sale of the Notes as set forth under “Use of Proceeds” in the Offering Memorandum.

(m) Until completion of the distribution, neither the Company nor any of its Affiliates will take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to cause or result in, or which has constituted or which might reasonably be expected to cause or result in, stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Notes.

(n) For so long as any Notes are outstanding, the Company and its subsidiaries will conduct its operations in a manner that will not subject the Company or any subsidiary to registration as an investment company under the Investment Company Act.

(o) Each Note will bear a legend substantially to the following effect until such legend shall no longer be necessary or advisable because the Notes are no longer subject to the restrictions on transfer described therein:

THIS NOTE (OR ITS PREDECESSOR) EVIDENCED HEREBY WAS ORIGINALLY ISSUED IN A TRANSACTION EXEMPT FROM REGISTRATION UNDER SECTION 5 OF THE UNITED STATES SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE “SECURITIES ACT”). THIS NOTE HAS NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT, AND ACCORDINGLY, MAY NOT BE OFFERED, SOLD, PLEDGED OR OTHERWISE TRANSFERRED EXCEPT PURSUANT TO AN EFFECTIVE REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER, OR AN EXEMPTION FROM THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF, THE SECURITIES ACT, IN ACCORDANCE WITH ANY APPLICABLE SECURITIES LAWS OF ANY STATE OF THE UNITED STATES OR ANY OTHER JURISDICTION AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH TRANSFER RESTRICTIONS CONTAINED IN THE INDENTURE UNDER WHICH THIS NOTE WAS ISSUED AND THE OFFERING MEMORANDUM PURSUANT TO WHICH THIS NOTE WAS ORIGINALLY SOLD. THE HOLDER OF THE NOTE WILL, AND EACH SUBSEQUENT HOLDER IS REQUIRED TO, NOTIFY A PROPOSED TRANSFEREE OF THE NOTICE OF THE RESALE RESTRICTIONS APPLICABLE TO THE NOTE.

(p) The Company will not, directly or indirectly, offer, sell, contract to sell or otherwise dispose of any debt securities of the Company or warrants to purchase debt securities of the Company substantially similar to the Notes (other than the Notes offered pursuant to this Agreement) for a period of 90 days after the date hereof, without the prior written consent of Wachovia Capital Markets, LLC and Banc of America Securities LLC.

(q) The Company will, promptly after it has notified the Representatives of any intention by the Company to treat the Transactions as being a “reportable transaction” (within the meaning of Treasury Regulation Section 1.6011-4), deliver a duly completed copy of IRS Form 8886 or any successor form to the Representatives.

(r) Each of the Company and each Guarantor acknowledges and agrees that the Initial Purchasers are acting solely in the capacity of an arm’s length contractual counterparty to the Company and each Guarantor with respect to the offering of the Notes and the Guarantees contemplated hereby (including in connection with determining the terms of the offering) and not as a financial advisor or a fiduciary to, or an agent of, the Company, any Guarantor or any other person. Additionally, no Initial Purchaser is advising the Company, any Guarantor or any other person as to any legal, tax, investment, accounting or regulatory matters in any jurisdiction. Each of the Company and each Guarantor shall consult with its own advisors concerning such matters and shall be responsible for making its own independent investigation and appraisal of the transactions contemplated hereby, and the Initial Purchasers shall have no responsibility or liability to the Company or any Guarantor with respect thereto. Any review by the Initial Purchasers of the Company, any Guarantor, the transactions contemplated hereby or other matters relating to such transactions will be performed solely for the benefit of the Initial Purchasers and shall not be on behalf of the Company or any Guarantor.

5.Expenses. (a) Whether or not the transactions contemplated in this Agreement are consummated or this Agreement is terminated, the Company and the Guarantors will pay or cause to be paid all expenses incident to the performance of its obligations under this Agreement, including: (i) the fees, disbursements and expenses of the Company’s counsel and the Company’s accountants in connection with the issuance and sale of the Notes and all other fees or expenses in connection with the preparation of each Memorandum and all amendments and supplements thereto, including all printing costs associated therewith, and the delivering of copies thereof to the Initial Purchasers, in the quantities herein above specified, (ii) all costs and expenses related to the transfer and delivery of the Notes to the Initial Purchasers, including any transfer or other taxes payable thereon, (iii) the cost of producing any Blue Sky or legal investment memorandum in connection with the offer and sale of the Notes under state securities laws and all expenses in connection with the qualification of the Notes for offer and sale under state securities laws as provided in Section 4(d) hereof, including filing fees and the reasonable fees and disbursements of Counsel for the Initial Purchasers in connection with such qualification and in connection with the Blue Sky or legal investment memorandum, (iv) any fees charged by rating agencies for the rating of the Notes, (v) the costs and charges of the Trustee and any transfer agent, registrar or depositary, (vi) the cost of the preparation, issuance and delivery of the Notes, (vii) all costs and expenses relating to investor presentations, including any “road show” presentations undertaken in connection with the marketing of the offering of the Notes, including, without limitation, expenses associated with the production of road show slides and graphics, fees and expenses of any consultants engaged in connection with the road show presentations, travel and lodging expenses of the representatives and officers of the Company and any such consultants, and the cost of any aircraft chartered in connection with the road show (other than the travel and lodging expenses of the Initial Purchasers, which shall be borne by the Initial Purchasers), and (viii) all other costs and expenses incident to the performance of the obligations of

the Company hereunder for which provision is not otherwise made in this Section. It is understood, however, that except as provided in Section 5(b) of this Agreement, the Initial Purchasers will pay all of their costs and expenses, including fees and disbursements of their counsel, transfer taxes payable on resale of any of the Notes by them and any advertising expenses connected with any offers they may make.

(b) If the sale of the Notes provided for herein is not consummated because any condition to the obligations of the Initial Purchasers set forth in Section 6 hereof is not satisfied, because this Agreement is terminated pursuant to Section 10 hereof or because of any failure, refusal or inability on the part of the Company to perform all obligations and satisfy all conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied hereunder other than by reason of a default by any of the Initial Purchasers, the Company will reimburse the Initial Purchasers upon demand for all reasonable and documented out-of-pocket expenses (including reasonable counsel fees and disbursements) that shall have been incurred by them in connection with the proposed purchase and sale of the Notes;provided,however, that the obligations of the Company under this Section 5(b) shall be in addition to, and not in place of, the provisions for expense reimbursement set forth in the Engagement Letter.

6.Conditions to the Initial Purchasers’ Obligations. The obligations of the several Initial Purchasers to purchase and pay for the Notes shall be subject to the accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Company in Section 1 hereof, in each case as of the date hereof and as of the Closing Date, as if made on and as of the Closing Date, to the accuracy of the statements of the Company’s officers made pursuant to the provisions hereof, to the performance by the Company of its covenants and agreements hereunder and to the following additional conditions:

(a) The Initial Purchasers shall have received (i) an opinion, dated the Closing Date, of Kirkland & Ellis, LLP, counsel for the Company, (ii) an opinion, dated the Closing Date, of Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt, Washington counsel for the Company, and (iii) an opinion, dated the Closing Date, of Kevin L. Bloomfield, internal counsel for the Company, in each case in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Initial Purchasers.

(b) The Initial Purchasers shall have received an opinion, dated the Closing Date, of Cahill Gordon& Reindel LLP, Counsel for the Initial Purchasers, with respect to the issuance and sale of the Notes and such other related matters as the Initial Purchasers may reasonably require, and the Company shall have furnished to such counsel such documents as it may reasonably request for the purpose of enabling it to pass upon such matters.

(c) The Initial Purchasers shall have received on each of the date hereof and the Closing Date a letter, dated the date hereof or the Closing Date, as the case may be, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Initial Purchasers and Counsel for the Initial Purchasers, from Ernst & Young LLP, independent public accountants, containing statements and information of the type ordinarily included in accountants’ “comfort letters” to underwriters with respect to the historical consolidated financial statements and certain financial information contained in the Offering Memorandum; provided that the

letter shall use a “cut-off date” within three days of the date of such letter and that their procedures shall extend to financial information in the Final Memorandum not contained in the Preliminary Memorandum. References to the Offering Memorandum in this paragraph (c) with respect to either letter referred to above shall include any amendment or supplement thereto at the date of such letter.

(d) (i) None of the Company nor any of its subsidiaries, shall have sustained, since the date of the latest audited historical consolidated financial statements included in the Offering Memorandum (exclusive of any amendment or supplement thereto), any loss or interference with their respective businesses or properties from fire, explosion, flood, accident or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor dispute or court or governmental action, order or decree (whether domestic or foreign) otherwise than as set forth in the Offering Memorandum (exclusive of any amendment or supplement thereto); and (ii) since the respective dates as of which information is given in each Memorandum, there shall not have been any change in the capital stock or long-term debt of the Company and its subsidiaries, considered as one enterprise, or any change in or effect on or any development having a prospective change in or effect on the business, operations, properties, assets, liabilities, earnings, condition (financial or otherwise), results of operations or management of the Company and its subsidiaries, considered as one enterprise, whether or not in the ordinary course of business, otherwise than as set forth in each such Memorandum (exclusive of any amendment or supplement thereto), the effect of which, in any such case described in clause (i) or (ii), is, in the sole judgment of the Representatives, so material and adverse as to make it impracticable or inadvisable to market the Notes on the terms and in the manner described in the Offering Memorandum (exclusive of any amendment or supplement thereto).

(e) None of the information set forth in the sections of the Offering Memorandum entitled “Use of Proceeds” and “Offering Memorandum Summary—Recent Developments” shall have changed, if the effect of any such change, individually or in the aggregate, in the sole judgment of the Representatives makes it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the offering or the delivery of the Notes on the terms and in the manner described in the Offering Memorandum, exclusive of any amendment or supplement thereto.

(f) The Initial Purchasers shall have received certificates dated the Closing Date and in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Initial Purchasers, of (i) the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer of the Company and (ii) each Guarantor: as to the accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Company and the Guarantors in this Agreement at and as of the Closing Date; that the Company and or the applicable Guarantor(s), as the case may be, have performed all covenants and agreements and satisfied all conditions on its or their part to be performed or satisfied at or prior to the Closing Date; and as to the matters set forth in Sections 6(d) (in the case of the certificate from the Company’s officers only) and 6(e).

(g) The Notes shall have received initial ratings by Standard & Poor’s and Moody’s, and, subsequent to the date hereof, there shall not have been any decrease in

the rating of the Notes or any of the Company’s other debt securities by any “nationally recognized statistical rating agency”, as that term is defined by the Commission for purposes of Rule 436(g)(2) under the Securities Act, and no such organization shall have publicly announced that it has under surveillance or review its ratings of the Notes or any of the Company’s other debt securities or any notice or public announcement given of any intended or potential decrease in any such rating or that any such securities rating agency has under surveillance or review, with possible negative implications, its rating of the Notes.

(h) The Notes shall be eligible for clearance and settlement through the Depository Trust Company.

(i) On or before the Closing Date, the Initial Purchasers and Counsel for the Initial Purchasers shall have received such further certificates, documents or other information as they may have reasonably requested from the Company.

7.Conditions to the Company’s Obligations. The obligation of the Company to issue and sell the Notes to the Initial Purchasers shall be subject to the satisfaction or waiver, on or prior to the Closing Date, of all material conditions to effectiveness of the Fourth Amendment to Credit Agreement by and among the Company, the guarantor parties thereto and Wachovia Bank, National Association, as administrative agent, other than the issuance of the Notes and application of the net proceeds thereof as described in the section of the Offering Memorandum entitled “Use of Proceeds.”

If the conditions specified in this Section 7 are not satisfied when and as required to be satisfied, this Agreement may be terminated by the Company by notice to the Initial Purchasers at any time prior to the Closing Date, in accordance with Section 13, which termination pursuant to this Section 7 shall be without liability of any party to any other party except as provided in Sections 5 and 8 hereof.

8.Indemnification and Contribution. (a) The Company and each Guarantor, jointly and severally, agree to indemnify and hold harmless each Initial Purchaser, its affiliates, directors and officers and each person, if any, who controls (within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act) any Initial Purchaser against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities, joint or several, to which such Initial Purchaser or such other person may become subject, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of any material fact contained in the Preliminary Memorandum, the Pricing Supplement, any Company Additional Written Information or the Final Memorandum or any amendment or supplement thereto; or (ii) the omission or alleged omission to state in the Preliminary Memorandum, the Pricing Supplement, any Company Additional Written Information or the Final Memorandum or any amendment or supplement thereto a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances in which they were made, not misleading, and will reimburse, as incurred, each Initial Purchaser and each such other person for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such Initial Purchaser or such other person in connection with investigating, defending against or appearing as a third-party witness in connection with any such loss, claim, damage, liability or action;provided,however, that the Company and the

Guarantors will not be liable in any such case to the extent that any such loss, claim, damage or liability arises out of or is based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made in any Preliminary Memorandum, the Pricing Supplement, any Company Additional Written Information or the Final Memorandum or any amendment or supplement thereto, in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by such Initial Purchaser through the Representatives specifically for use therein as set forth in Section 12 hereof.

(b) Each Initial Purchaser, severally and not jointly, will indemnify and hold harmless the Company and the Guarantors and their respective affiliates, directors, officers, and each person, if any, who controls any of the Company or the Guarantors within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities to which the Company, the Guarantors, any such affiliates, directors or officers or such controlling person may become subject, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of any material fact contained in the Preliminary Memorandum or any amendment or supplement thereto, or (ii) the omission or alleged omission to state in the Preliminary Memorandum, the Pricing Supplement, any Company Additional Written Information or the Final Memorandum or any amendment or supplement thereto a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, in each case to the extent, but only to the extent, that such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission was made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by the Initial Purchasers through the Representatives specifically for use therein as set forth in Section 12 hereof and, subject to the limitation set forth immediately preceding this clause, will reimburse as incurred, any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by the Company or the Guarantors or any such affiliates, directors or officers or such controlling person in connection with investigating, defending against or appearing as a third-party witness in connection with, any such loss, claim, damage, liability or action in respect thereof.

(c) Promptly after receipt by any person to whom indemnity may be available under this Section 8 (the “indemnified party”) of notice of the commencement of any action, such indemnified party will, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against any person from whom indemnity may be sought under this Section 8 (the “indemnifying party”), notify such indemnifying party in writing of the commencement thereof; but the failure so to notify such indemnifying party will not relieve such indemnifying party from (i) any liability which it may have under this Section 8 to the extent it is not materially prejudiced (through the forfeiture of substantive rights or defenses) as a proximate result of the failure or (ii) any other liability which it may have to such indemnified party. In case any such action is brought against any indemnified party, and such indemnified party notifies the relevant indemnifying party of the commencement thereof, such indemnifying party will be entitled to participate therein and, to the extent that it may wish, to assume the defense thereof, jointly with any other indemnifying party similarly notified, with counsel reasonably satisfactory to such indemnified party;provided,however, that if the named parties in any such action (including impleaded parties) include both the indemnified party and the indemnifying party and the indemnified party shall have concluded, based on advice of outside counsel, that there may be one or more legal defenses

available to it and/or other indemnified parties which are different from or additional to those available to the indemnifying party or that representation of both parties by the same counsel would be inappropriate due to actual or potential differing interests between them, the indemnifying party shall not have the right to direct the defense of such action on behalf of such indemnified party or parties and such indemnified party or parties shall have the right to select separate counsel to defend such action on behalf of such indemnified party or parties. After notice from an indemnifying party to an indemnified party of its election so to assume the defense thereof and approval by such indemnified party of counsel appointed to defend such action, such indemnifying party will not be liable to such indemnified party under this Section 8 for any legal or other expenses, other than reasonable costs of investigation, subsequently incurred by such indemnified party in connection with the defense thereof, unless (i) such indemnified party shall have employed separate counsel in accordance with the proviso to the immediately preceding sentence (it being understood, however, that in connection with such action the indemnifying party shall not be liable for the reasonable expenses of more than one separate counsel (in addition to one local counsel in any jurisdiction) for any indemnified person in any one action or separate but substantially similar actions in the same jurisdiction arising out of the same general allegations or circumstances) or (ii) such indemnifying party does not promptly retain counsel reasonably satisfactory to such indemnified party or (iii) such indemnifying party has authorized the employment of counsel for such indemnified party at the expense of the indemnifying party. After such notice from an indemnifying party to an indemnified party, such indemnifying party will not be liable for the costs and expenses of any settlement of such action effected by such indemnified party without the written consent of such indemnifying party. Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, if at any time an indemnified party shall have requested an indemnifying party to reimburse the indemnified party for fees and expenses of counsel as contemplated by (i), (ii) or (iii) of the third sentence of this paragraph, the indemnifying party agrees that it shall be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent if (x) such settlement is entered into more than 30 days after receipt by such indemnifying party of the aforesaid request and (y) such indemnifying party shall not have reimbursed the indemnified party in accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement. An indemnifying party will not, without the prior written consent of the indemnified party, settle or compromise or consent to the entry of any judgment in any pending or threatened claim, action, suit or proceeding in respect of which indemnification may be sought hereunder (whether or not the indemnified party or any other person that may be entitled to indemnification hereunder is a party to such claim, action, suit or proceeding) unless such settlement, compromise or consent includes an unconditional release of the indemnified party and such other persons from all liability arising out of such claim, action, suit or proceeding and does not contain any statement as to or finding of fault, culpability or failure to act by or on behalf of any indemnified party.

(d) (i) In circumstances in which the indemnity agreement provided for in the preceding paragraphs of this Section 8 is unavailable or insufficient, for any reason, to hold harmless an indemnified party in respect of any losses, claims, damages or liabilities (including, without limitation, any legal or other expenses incurred in connection with defending or investigating any action or claim) (or actions in respect thereof) (“Losses”), the Company and the Guarantors, on the one hand, and the Initial Purchasers, on the other, in order to provide for just and equitable contribution, agree to contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified party as a result of such Losses to which the Company and the Guarantors, on the one hand, and

the Initial Purchasers, on the other, may be subject, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company and the Guarantors, on the one hand, and the Initial Purchasers, on the other, from the offering of the Notes or (ii) if the allocation provided by the foregoing clause (i) is unavailable for any reason, not only such relative benefits but also the relative fault of the Company and the Guarantors, on the one hand, and the Initial Purchasers, on the other, in connection with the statements or omissions or alleged statements or omissions that resulted in such Losses. The relative benefits received by the Company and the Guarantors, on the one hand, and the Initial Purchasers, on the other, shall be deemed to be in the same proportion as the total proceeds from the offering (before deducting expenses, but, for the avoidance of doubt, net of the Initial Purchasers’ discounts) received by the Company bear to the total discounts and commissions received by the Initial Purchasers from the Company in connection with the purchase of the Notes hereunder as set forth in the Final Memorandum. The relative fault of the parties shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company, the Guarantors or the Initial Purchasers, the parties’ intent, relative knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission, and any other equitable considerations appropriate in the circumstances. The Company, the Guarantors and the Initial Purchasers agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution were determined by pro rata allocation or by any other method of allocation (even if the Initial Purchasers were treated as one entity for such purpose) that does not take into account the equitable considerations referred to above. Notwithstanding any other provision of this paragraph (d), no Initial Purchaser shall be obligated to make contributions hereunder that in the aggregate exceed the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by such Initial Purchaser from the Company in connection with the purchase of the Notes hereunder, and no person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. The Initial Purchasers’ respective obligations to contribute hereunder are several in proportion to their respective obligations to purchase Notes as set forth on Schedule I hereto and not joint. For purposes of this paragraph (d), each person, if any, who controls an Initial Purchaser within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act and each other person listed in Section 8(a) hereof shall have the same rights to contribution as such Initial Purchaser, and each affiliate, director or officer of the Company or any Guarantor and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, shall have the same rights to contribution as the Company and the Guarantors.

(e) The obligations of the Company and the Guarantors under this Section 8 shall be in addition to any obligations or liabilities which the Company and the Guarantors may otherwise have and the obligations of the respective Initial Purchasers under this Section 8 shall be in addition to any obligations or liabilities which the Initial Purchasers may otherwise have.

9.Survival. The respective representations, warranties, agreements, covenants, indemnities and other statements of the Company, the Guarantors, their respective officers, and the several Initial Purchasers set forth in this Agreement or made by or on behalf of them, respectively, pursuant to this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect, regardless of (i) any investigation made by or on behalf of the Company, the Guarantors, their respective

officers or directors or any controlling person referred to in Section 8 hereof or any Initial Purchaser and (ii) delivery of and payment for the Notes. The respective agreements, covenants, indemnities and other statements set forth in Sections 5, 8, 9, 13, 14, 15 and 16 hereof shall remain in full force and effect, regardless of any termination or cancellation of this Agreement.

10.Termination. (a) The Representatives may terminate this Agreement with respect to the Notes by notice to the Company at any time on or prior to the Closing Date in the event that the Company shall have failed, refused or been unable to perform in any material respect all obligations and satisfy in any material respect all conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied hereunder at or prior thereto or if, at or prior to the Closing Date (i) trading in securities generally on the New York Stock Exchange, the NASDAQ National Market or in the over-the-counter market, or trading in any securities of the Company on any exchange or in the over-the-counter market, shall have been suspended or minimum or maximum prices shall have been established on any such exchange or market; (ii) there has been a material disruption in commercial banking or securities settlement, payment or clearance services in the United States; (iii) a banking moratorium shall have been declared by New York, North Carolina or United States authorities or (iv) there shall have been (A) an outbreak or escalation of hostilities between the United States and any foreign power, (B) an outbreak or escalation of any other insurrection or armed conflict involving the United States, (C) the occurrence of any other calamity or crisis involving the United States or (D) any change in general economic, political or financial conditions which has an effect on the U.S. financial markets or the international financial markets that, in the case of any event described in this clause (iv), in the sole judgment of the Representatives, makes it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the offer, sale and delivery of the Notes as disclosed in the Preliminary Memorandum or the Offering Memorandum, exclusive of any amendment or supplement thereto.

(b) Termination of this Agreement pursuant to this Section 10 shall be without liability of any party to any other party except as provided in Sections 5 and 8 hereof.

11.Defaulting Initial Purchasers. If, on the Closing Date, any Initial Purchaser defaults in the performance of its obligations under this Agreement, the non-defaulting Initial Purchasers shall be obligated to purchase the Notes that such defaulting Initial Purchaser or Initial Purchasers agreed but failed to purchase on the Closing Date (the “Remaining Notes”) in the respective proportions that the principal amount of the Notes set opposite the name of each non-defaulting Initial Purchaser in Schedule I hereto bears to the total number of the Notes set opposite the names of all the non-defaulting Initial Purchasers in Schedule I hereto;provided,however, that the non-defaulting Initial Purchasers shall not be obligated to purchase any of the Notes on the Closing Date if the total amount of Notes which the defaulting Initial Purchaser or Initial Purchasers agreed but failed to purchase on such date exceeds 10% of the total amount of Notes to be purchased on the Closing Date, and no non-defaulting Initial Purchaser shall be obligated to purchase more than 110% of the amount of Notes that it agreed to purchase on the Closing Date pursuant to this Agreement. If the foregoing maximums are exceeded, the non-defaulting Initial Purchasers, or those other purchasers satisfactory to the Initial Purchasers who so agree, shall have the right, but not the obligation, to purchase, in such proportion as may be agreed upon among them, all the Remaining Notes. If the non-defaulting Initial Purchasers or other Initial Purchasers satisfactory to the Initial Purchasers do not elect to purchase the Remaining

Notes, this Agreement shall terminate without liability on the part of any non-defaulting Initial Purchaser or the Company, except that the Company will continue to be liable for the payment of expenses to the extent set forth herein.

Nothing contained in this Agreement shall relieve a defaulting Initial Purchaser of any liability it may have to the Company for damages caused by its default. If other purchasers are obligated or agree to purchase the Notes of a defaulting or withdrawing Initial Purchaser, the Company or the Representatives may postpone the Closing Date for up to five full business days in order to effect any changes in the Transaction Documents or in any other document or arrangement that, in the opinion of counsel for the Company or Counsel for the Initial Purchasers, may be necessary.

12.Information Supplied by Initial Purchasers. The statements set forth in (i) the penultimate sentence in the third paragraph, (ii) the second sentence of the sixth paragraph, (iii) the seventh paragraph and (iv) the eighth paragraph under the heading “Plan of Distribution” in the Preliminary Memorandum and the Offering Memorandum, to the extent such statements relate to the Initial Purchasers, constitute the only information furnished by the Initial Purchasers to the Company for the purposes of Sections 1(a) and 8 hereof.

13.Notices. All communications hereunder shall be in writing and, if sent to any of the Initial Purchasers, shall be delivered or sent by mail, telex or facsimile transmission and confirmed in writing to Wachovia Capital Markets, LLC, One Wachovia Center, 301 South College Street, Charlotte, North Carolina 28288-0604, Attention: High Yield Capital Markets, with a copy to Cahill Gordon & Reindel LLP, 80 Pine Street, New York, New York 10005, Attention: Luis Penalver and if sent to the Company or any Guarantor, shall be delivered or sent by mail, telex or facsimile transmission and confirmed in writing to the Company at Belden Inc, 7701 Forsyth Boulevard, Suite 800, St. Louis, Missouri 63105, Attention: Kevin L. Bloomfield, with a copy to Kirkland & Ellis LLP, 601 Lexington Avenue, New York, New York 10022-4611, Attention: Andrew E. Nagel.

14.Successors. This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and shall be binding upon the several Initial Purchasers, the Company and the Guarantors and their respective successors and legal representatives, and nothing expressed or mentioned in this Agreement is intended or shall be construed to give any other person any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or in respect of this Agreement, or any provisions herein contained, this Agreement and all conditions and provisions hereof being intended to be and being for the sole and exclusive benefit of the several Initial Purchasers, the Company and the Guarantors and their respective successors and legal representatives, and for the benefit of no other person, except that (i) the indemnities of the Company contained in Section 8 of this Agreement shall also be for the benefit of any person or persons who control any Initial Purchaser within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act and (ii) the indemnities of the Initial Purchasers contained in Section 8 of this Agreement shall also be for the benefit of the affiliates, directors and officers of the Company and the Guarantors, and any person or persons who control the Company or the Guarantors within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act. No purchaser of Notes from any Initial Purchaser shall be deemed a successor to such Initial Purchaser because of such purchase.

15.Applicable Law. This Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of New York without giving effect to any conflicts of law provisions that would apply the laws of another jurisdiction.

16.Consent to Jurisdiction and Service of Process; Waiver of Jury Trial. (a) All judicial proceedings arising out of or relating to this Agreement may be brought in any state or federal court of competent jurisdiction in the State of New York, which jurisdiction is exclusive, and the Company and the Guarantors hereby consent to the jurisdiction of such courts.

(b) Each party agrees that any service of process or other legal summons in connection with any Proceeding may be served on it by mailing a copy thereof by registered mail, or a form of mail substantially equivalent thereto, postage prepaid, addressed to the served party at its address as provided for in Section 13 hereof. Nothing in this Section shall affect the right of the parties to serve process in any other manner permitted by law.

(c) Each of the Company and the Guarantors hereby waives all right to trial by jury in any proceeding (whether based upon contract, tort or otherwise) in any way arising out of or relating to this Agreement. Each of the Company and the Guarantors agrees that a final judgment in any such proceeding brought in any such court shall be conclusive and binding upon it and may be enforced in any other courts in the jurisdiction of which it is or may be subject, by suit upon such judgment.

17.Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument.

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If the foregoing correctly sets forth our understanding, please indicate your acceptance thereof in the space provided below for that purpose, whereupon this letter shall constitute an agreement binding the Company, the Guarantors and the Initial Purchasers.


Very truly yours, BELDEN INC.
By:	/s/ Kevin L. Bloomfield
	Name:	Kevin L. Bloomfield
	Title:	Senior Vice President, Secretary and General Counsel


BELDEN WIRE & CABLE COMPANY BELDEN CDT NETWORKING, INC. NORDX CDT CORP. THERMAX/CDT, INC. BELDEN HOLDINGS, INC. BELDEN TECHNOLOGIES, INC. CDT INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS INC. BELDEN 1993, INC.
By:	/s/ Stephen H. Johnson
	Name:	Stephen H. Johnson
	Title:	Treasurer

Accepted as of the date hereof.

WACHOVIA CAPITAL MARKETS, LLC
BANC OF AMERICA SECURITIES LLC
CITIGROUP GLOBAL MARKETS INC.

Acting on behalf of themselves and as Representatives
of the several Initial Purchasers listed onSchedule I

WACHOVIA CAPITAL MARKETS, LLC


By:		/s/ Jacob Petkovich
		Name: Jacob Petkovich
		Title: Director

BANC OF AMERICA SECURITIES LLC


By:		/s/ Andrew Gordon
		Name: Andrew Gordon
		Title: Principal

CITIGROUP GLOBAL MARKETS INC.


By:		/s/ James M. Walsh
		Name: James M. Walsh
		Title: Managing Director

S-III-1

Belden (BDC) 8-KEntry into a Material Definitive Agreement