Exhibit 28.2

     Amended and Restated Credit Agreement (New Credit Agreement) by and 
among Chattem, Inc., Signal Investment & Management Co. and the Lenders 
identified therein dated as of June 26, 1997.















                              AMENDED AND RESTATED
 
                                CREDIT AGREEMENT
                             (New Credit Agreement)

                                     among
 
                                 CHATTEM, INC.,
 
                                  as Borrower,
 
                        Domestic Subsidiaries of Borrower,
 
                                 as Guarantors,
 
                         THE LENDERS IDENTIFIED HEREIN,
 
                                      AND
 
                        NATIONSBANK OF TENNESSEE, N.A.,
 
                                    as Agent
 
                           DATED AS OF JUNE 26, 1997


 
                               TABLE OF CONTENTS
 
SECTION 1 DEFINITIONS AND ACCOUNTING TERMS.................................   1
     1.1 Definitions.......................................................   1
     1.2 Computation of Time Periods and Other Definitional Provisions.....  24
     1.3 Accounting Terms..................................................  24

SECTION 2 CREDIT FACILITIES................................................  25
     2.1 Revolving Loans...................................................  25
     2.2 Swingline Loan Subfacility........................................  26
     2.3 Term Loans........................................................  28
     2.4 Continuations and Conversions.....................................  29
     2.5 Minimum Amounts...................................................  30
     2.6 Notes.............................................................  30

SECTION 3 GENERAL PROVISIONS APPLICABLE TO LOANS...........................  31

     3.1 Interest..........................................................  31
     3.2 Place and Manner of Payments......................................  31
     3.3 Prepayments.......................................................  32
     3.4 Fees..............................................................  34
     3.5 Payment in full at Maturity.......................................  34
     3.6 Computations of Interest and Fees.................................  35
     3.7 Pro Rata Treatment................................................  35
     3.8 Allocation of Payments After Event of Default.....................  36
     3.9 Sharing of Payments...............................................  37
     3.10 Capital Adequacy.................................................  38
     3.11 Inability To Determine Interest Rate.............................  38
     3.12 Illegality.......................................................  39
     3.13 Requirements of Law..............................................  39
     3.14 Taxes............................................................  40
     3.15 Indemnity........................................................  42
     3.16 Replacement of Lenders...........................................  43

SECTION 4 GUARANTY.........................................................  44
     4.1 Guaranty of Payment...............................................  44
     4.2 Obligations Unconditional.........................................  44
     4.3 Modifications.....................................................  45
     4.4 Waiver of Rights..................................................  45
     4.5 Reinstatement.....................................................  46
     4.6 Remedies..........................................................  46
     4.7 Limitation of Guaranty............................................  46
     4.8 Rights of Contribution............................................  46

                                      -i-



SECTION 5 CONDITIONS PRECEDENT.............................................  47
     5.1 Closing Conditions................................................  47
     5.2 Conditions to All Extensions of Credit............................  54

SECTION 6 REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES...................................  54
     6.1 Financial Condition...............................................  54
     6.2 No Material Change................................................  55
     6.3 Organization and Good Standing....................................  55
     6.4 Due Authorization.................................................  55
     6.5 No Conflicts......................................................  55
     6.6 Consents..........................................................  56
     6.7 Enforceable Obligations...........................................  56
     6.8 No Default........................................................  56
     6.9 Ownership.........................................................  56
     6.10 Indebtedness.....................................................  56
     6.11 Litigation.......................................................  56
     6.12 Taxes............................................................  57
     6.13 Compliance with Law..............................................  57
     6.14 ERISA............................................................  57
     6.15 Subsidiaries.....................................................  58
     6.16 Use of Proceeds; Margin Stock....................................  59
     6.17 Government Regulation............................................  59
     6.18 Environmental Matters............................................  59
     6.19 Intellectual Property............................................  60
     6.20 Solvency.........................................................  61
     6.21 Investments......................................................  61
     6.22 No Financing of Corporate Takeovers..............................  61
     6.23 Location of Collateral...........................................  61
     6.24 Disclosure.......................................................  61
     6.25 Licenses, etc....................................................  61
     6.26 No Burdensome Restrictions.......................................  62
     6.27 Brokers' Fees....................................................  62
     6.28 Labor Matters....................................................  62
     6.29 Collateral Documents.............................................  62
     6.30 Related Transactions.............................................  62
     6.31 Representations and Warranties Incorporated 
          from Purchase Agreement..........................................  63
     6.32 Senior Debt......................................................  63

SECTION 7 AFFIRMATIVE COVENANTS............................................  63
     7.1 Information Covenants.............................................  63
     7.2 Preservation of Existence and Franchises..........................  67
     7.3 Books and Records.................................................  67
     7.4 Compliance with Law...............................................  67
     7.5 Payment of Taxes and Other Indebtedness...........................  67
     7.6 Insurance.........................................................  68

                                      -ii-



     7.7 Maintenance of Property...........................................  69
     7.8 Performance of Obligations........................................  69
     7.9 Collateral........................................................  69
     7.10 Use of Proceeds..................................................  69
     7.11 Audits/Inspections...............................................  69
     7.12 Financial Covenants..............................................  70
     7.13 Additional Credit Parties........................................  71
     7.14 Interest Rate Protection Agreements..............................  72
     7.15 Ownership of Subsidiaries........................................  72
     7.16 Appraisal Reports................................................  72
 
SECTION 8 NEGATIVE COVENANTS...............................................  72
     8.1 Indebtedness......................................................  72
     8.2 Liens.............................................................  73
     8.3 Nature of Business................................................  73
     8.4 Consolidation and Merger..........................................  73
     8.5 Sale or Lease of Assets...........................................  74
     8.6 Advances, Investments and Loans...................................  74
     8.7 Dividends.........................................................  74
     8.8 Transactions with Affiliates......................................  75
     8.9 Fiscal Year; Organizational Documents.............................  75
     8.10 Prepayments of Indebtedness......................................  75
     8.11 Subordinated Debt................................................  75
     8.12 Limitations......................................................  75
     8.13 Sale Leasebacks..................................................  76
     8.14 Negative Pledges.................................................  76
     8.15 Capital Expenditures.............................................  76
     8.16 Operating Leases.................................................  76
     8.17 Payment Blockage Notice..........................................  76

SECTION 9 EVENTS OF DEFAULT................................................  77
     9.1 Events of Default.................................................  77
     9.2 Acceleration; Remedies............................................  80

SECTION 10 AGENCY PROVISIONS...............................................  80
     10.1 Appointment......................................................  80
     10.2 Delegation of Duties.............................................  81
     10.3 Exculpatory Provisions...........................................  81
     10.4 Reliance on Communications.......................................  82
     10.5 Notice of Default................................................  82
     10.6 Non-Reliance on Agent and Other Lenders..........................  82
     10.7 Indemnification..................................................  83
     10.8 Agent in Its Individual Capacity.................................  83
     10.9 Successor Agent..................................................  84

                                      -iii-



SECTION 11 MISCELLANEOUS...................................................  84
     11.1 Notices..........................................................  84
     11.2 Right of Set-Off.................................................  84
     11.3 Benefit of Agreement.............................................  85
     11.4 No Waiver; Remedies Cumulative...................................  88
     11.5 Payment of Expenses; Indemnification.............................  88
     11.6 Amendments, Waivers and Consents.................................  89
     11.7 Counterparts.....................................................  90
     11.8 Headings.........................................................  90
     11.9 Defaulting Lender................................................  90
     11.10 Survival of Indemnification and Representations and Warranties..  90
     11.11 Governing Law; Venue............................................  91
     11.12 Waiver of Jury Trial............................................  91
     11.13 Time............................................................  91
     11.14 Severability....................................................  92
     11.15 Entirety........................................................  92
     11.16 Binding Effect..................................................  92

                                     -iv-



SCHEDULES
 

                 
Schedule 1.1(a)     Commitment Percentages
Schedule 1.1(b)     Existing Permitted Investments
Schedule 5.1(h)     Mortgaged Properties and Leasehold Properties
Schedule 6.10       Indebtedness
Schedule 6.11       Litigation
Schedule 6.14       ERISA Matters
Schedule 6.15       Subsidiaries
Schedule 6.18       Environmental Matters
Schedule 6.19       Intellectual Property
Schedule 6.23(a)    Real Property Locations
Schedule 6.23(b)    Personal Property Locations
Schedule 6.23(c)    Chief Executive Offices
Schedule 7.6        Insurance
Schedule 8.2        Liens
Schedule 8.8        Affiliate Transactions
Schedule 11.1       Notices

 
EXHIBITS
 

                 
Exhibit 2.1         Form of Notice of Borrowing
Exhibit 2.4         Form of Notice of Continuation/Conversion
Exhibit 2.6(a)      Form of Revolving Loan Note
Exhibit 2.6(b)      Form of Tranche A Term Loan Note
Exhibit 2.6(c)      Form of Swingline Note
Exhibit 7.1(d)      Form of Officer's Certificate
Exhibit 7.1(f)      Form of Borrowing Base Certificate
Exhibit 7.13        Form of Joinder Agreement
Exhibit 11.3        Form of Assignment Agreement

 
                                      -v-



                     AMENDED AND RESTATED CREDIT AGREEMENT
                           (New Credit Agreement)
 
    THIS AMENDED AND RESTATED CREDIT AGREEMENT (this "Credit Agreement"), is 
entered into as of June 26, 1997 among CHATTEM, INC., a Tennessee corporation 
(the "Borrower"), each of the Borrower's Domestic Subsidiaries, individually 
a "Guarantor" and collectively the "Guarantors"), the New Credit Agreement 
Lenders (as defined herein), and NATIONSBANK OF TENNESSEE, N.A., as agent for 
the New Credit Agreement Lenders (in such capacity, the "Agent").
 
                                    RECITALS
 
    WHEREAS, the Borrower, the Guarantors, the lenders party thereto and 
NationsBank of Tennessee, N.A., as Agent are currently parties to that 
certain $55 million Credit Agreement dated as of April 29, 1996 (as amended 
or modified from time to time, the "Prior New Credit Agreement"). The credit 
facilities provided pursuant to the Prior New Credit Agreement replaced and 
refinanced the credit facilities provided to the Borrower by The First 
National Bank of Chicago, as agent and certain other lenders under the credit 
agreements dated as of June 17, 1994;
 
    WHEREAS, the Borrower and the Guarantors have requested that the New 
Credit Agreement Lenders provide an amended and restated $50,000,000 credit 
facility to replace and refinance the credit facilities provided pursuant to 
the Prior New Credit Agreement, making this Credit Agreement the New Credit 
Agreement under the Indenture (as hereinafter defined); and
 
    WHEREAS, the New Credit Agreement Lenders have agreed to make the 
requested credit facility available to the Borrower on the terms and 
conditions hereinafter set forth.
 
    NOW, THEREFORE, IN CONSIDERATION of the premises and other good and 
valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which is hereby 
acknowledged, the parties hereto agree as follows:
 
                                   SECTION 1
 
                        DEFINITIONS AND ACCOUNTING TERMS
 
    1.1  DEFINITIONS.
 
    As used herein, the following terms shall have the meanings herein 
specified unless the context otherwise requires. Defined terms herein shall 
include in the singular number the plural and in the plural the singular:
 



    "Acquired Assets" means, collectively, those assets acquired under and 
pursuant to the Purchase Agreement.
 
    "Additional Credit Party" means each Person that becomes a Guarantor 
after the Closing Date, as provided in Section 7.13.
 
    "Adjusted Base Rate" means the Base Rate plus the Applicable Percentage.
 
    "Adjusted Eurodollar Rate" means the Eurodollar Rate plus the Applicable 
Percentage.
 
    "Agent" means NationsBank of Tennessee, N.A. or any successor 
administrative agent appointed pursuant to Section 10.9.
 
    "Affiliate" means, with respect to any Person, any other Person directly 
or indirectly controlling (including but not limited to all directors and 
executive officers of such Person), controlled by or under direct or indirect 
common control with such Person. A Person shall be deemed to control a 
corporation if such Person possesses, directly or indirectly, the power (i) 
to vote 10% or more of the securities having ordinary voting power for the 
election of directors of such corporation or (ii) to direct or cause 
direction of the management and policies of such corporation, whether through 
the ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise. Notwithstanding 
the foregoing, First Union Capital Partners, Inc. shall not be deemed an 
Affiliate of the Borrower.
 
    "Agency Services Address" means NationsBank of Tennessee, N.A., 
NC1-001-15-04, 101 South Tryon Street, Charlotte, North Carolina 28255, Attn: 
Agency Services, or such other address as may be identified by written notice 
from the Agent to the Borrower.
 
    "Applicable Percentage" means for Revolving Loans and Tranche A Term 
Loans, the appropriate applicable percentages corresponding to the Leverage 
Ratio in effect as of the most recent Calculation Date as shown below:
 


                                                       Applicable Percentage    Applicable Percentage
Pricing                         Leverage                   For Eurodollar           For Base Rate
 Level                           Ratio                         Loans                    Loans
- ------------------------  --------------------------   ----------------------  ----------------------
                                                                       
I                          Less Than 4.0 to 1.0                  2.25%                   1.25%
II                         Greater Than or Equal To
                           4.0 to 1.0 but Less Than
                           4.5 to 1.0                            2.50%                   1.50%
III                        Greater Than or Equal To 
                           4.5 to 1.0 but Less Than 
                           5.0 to 1.0                            2.75%                   1.75%
IV                         Greater Than or Equal To
                           5.0 to 1.0                            3.00%                   2.00%


                                       2



    The Applicable Percentage for Revolving Loans and Tranche A Term Loans 
shall, in each case, be determined and adjusted quarterly on the date (each a 
"Calculation Date") five Business Days after the date by which the Borrower 
is required to provide the officer's certificate in accordance with the 
provisions of Section 7.1(e); provided, however that (i) the initial 
Applicable Percentage for Revolving Loans and Tranche A Term Loans shall be 
based on Pricing Level IV (as shown above) and shall remain at Pricing Level 
IV until the first Calculation Date subsequent to the Closing Date and, 
thereafter, the Pricing Level shall be determined by the then current 
Leverage Ratio, and (ii) if the Borrower fails to provide the officer's 
certificate required by Section 7.1(e) on or before the most recent 
Calculation Date or fails to deliver a copy of such officer's certificate to 
the Agency Services Address as required by Section 7.1(e), the Applicable 
Percentage for Revolving Loans and Tranche A Term Loans from such Calculation 
Date shall be based on Pricing Level IV until such time that an appropriate 
officer's certificate is provided whereupon the Pricing Level shall be 
determined by the then current Leverage Ratio. Each Applicable Percentage 
shall be effective from one Calculation Date until the next Calculation Date. 
Any adjustment in the Applicable Percentage shall be applicable to all 
existing Loans as well as any new Loans made or issued.
 
    "Asset Disposition" means the disposition of any or all of the assets of 
the Borrower, or any of its Subsidiaries, whether by sale, lease, transfer or 
otherwise unless such disposition is permitted by the terms of Section 
8.5(a), (b) or (c) hereof.
 
    "Bankruptcy Code" means the Bankruptcy Code in Title 11 of the United 
States Code, as amended, modified, succeeded or replaced from time to time.
 
    "Base Rate" means, for any day, the rate per annum (rounded upwards, if 
necessary, to the nearest whole multiple of 1/100 of 1%) equal to the greater 
of (a) the Federal Funds Rate in effect on such day plus of 1% or (b) the 
Prime Rate in effect on such day. If for any reason the Agent shall have 
determined (which determination shall be conclusive absent manifest error) 
that it is unable after due inquiry to ascertain the Federal Funds Rate for 
any reason, including the inability or failure of the Agent to obtain 
sufficient quotations in accordance with the terms hereof, the Base Rate 
shall be determined without regard to clause (a) of the first sentence of 
this definition until the circumstances giving rise to such inability no 
longer exist. Any change in the Base Rate due to a change in the Prime Rate 
or the Federal Funds Rate shall be effective on the effective date of such 
change in the Prime Rate or the Federal Funds Rate, respectively.
 
    "Base Rate Loan" means any Loan bearing interest at a rate determined by 
reference to the Base Rate.
 
    "Borrower" means the Person identified as such in the heading hereof, 
together with any successors and permitted assigns.
 
    "Borrowing Base" means, as of any day, the sum, calculated in Dollars, of 
(a) 80% of Eligible Receivables plus (b) 50% of Eligible Inventory in each 
case as set forth in the most recent Borrowing Base Certificate delivered to 
the Agent and the Lenders in 

                                       3



accordance with the terms of Section 7.1(g) plus (c) $3 million during the 
period of December 1 to May 31 of each year.
 
    "Borrowing Base Certificate" means a Borrowing Base Certificate 
substantially in the form of Exhibit 7.1(g).
 
    "Business Day" means any day other than a Saturday, a Sunday, a legal 
holiday or a day on which banking institutions are authorized or required by 
law or other governmental action to close in Charlotte, North Carolina; 
provided that in the case of Eurodollar Loans, such day is also a day on 
which dealings between banks are carried on in U.S. dollar deposits in the 
London interbank market.
 
    "Calculation Date" has the meaning set forth in the definition of 
Applicable Percentage.
 
    "Capital Expenditures" means all expenditures of the Credit Parties and 
their Subsidiaries which, in accordance with GAAP, would be classified as 
capital expenditures, including, without limitation, Capital Leases.
 
    "Capital Lease" means, as applied to any Person, any lease of any 
property (whether real, personal or mixed) by that Person as lessee which, in 
accordance with GAAP, is or should be accounted for as a capital lease on the 
balance sheet of that Person.
 
    "Cash Equivalents" means (a) securities issued or directly and fully 
guaranteed or insured by the United States of America or any agency or 
instrumentality thereof (provided that the full faith and credit of the 
United States of America is pledged in support thereof) having maturities of 
not more than twelve months from the date of acquisition, (b) U.S. dollar 
denominated (or with respect to Foreign Subsidiaries, U.S. dollar denominated 
and non U.S. dollar denominated) time deposits and certificates of deposit of 
(i) any Lender or SunTrust Bank, Chattanooga, N.A., (ii) any domestic (or 
with respect to Foreign Subsidiaries, any domestic or nondomestic) commercial 
bank of recognized standing having capital and surplus in excess of 
$500,000,000 or (iii) any bank whose short-term commercial paper rating from 
S&P is at least A-1 or the equivalent thereof or from Moody's is at least P-1 
or the equivalent thereof (any such bank being an "Approved Bank"), in each 
case with maturities of not more than 270 days from the date of acquisition, 
(c) commercial paper and variable or fixed rate notes issued by any Approved 
Bank (or by the parent company thereof) or any variable rate notes issued by, 
or guaranteed by, any domestic corporation rated A-1 (or the equivalent 
thereof) or better by S&P or P-1 (or the equivalent thereof) or better by 
Moody's and maturing within six months of the date of acquisition, (d) 
repurchase agreements with a bank or trust company (including any of the 
Lenders or SunTrust Bank, Chattanooga, N.A.) or recognized securities dealer 
having capital and surplus in excess of $500,000,000 for direct obligations 
issued by or fully guaranteed by the United States of America in which the 
Borrower shall have a perfected first priority security interest (subject to 
no other Liens) and having, on the date of purchase thereof, a fair market 

                                       4



value of at least 100% of the amount of the repurchase obligations and (e) 
Investments, classified in accordance with GAAP as current assets, in money 
market investment programs registered under the Investment Company Act of 
1940, as amended, which are administered by SunTrust Bank, Chattanooga, N.A. 
or reputable financial institutions having capital of at least $500,000,000 
and the portfolios of which are limited to Investments of the character 
described in the foregoing subdivisions (a) through (d).
 
    "Change of Control" means any of the following events: either (i) a 
"person" or a "group" (within the meaning of Sections 13(d) and 14(d)(2) of 
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) (other than (A) Hamico, Inc., a 
Tennessee corporation or (B) a Person that is a member of the Board of 
Directors of the Borrower as of the Closing Date) becomes the "beneficial 
owner" (as defined in Rule 13d-3 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) 
of more than 35% of the then outstanding voting stock of the Borrower or (ii) 
a majority of the Board of Directors of the Borrower shall consist of 
individuals who are not Continuing Directors; "Continuing Director" means, as 
of any date of determination, (A) an individual who on the date two years 
prior to such determination date was a member of the Borrower's Board of 
Directors or (B) any new Director whose nomination for election by the 
Borrower's shareholders was approved by a vote of at least 75% of the 
Directors then still in office who either were Directors on the date two 
years prior to such determination date or whose nomination for election was 
previously so approved.
 
    "Closing Date" means the date hereof.
 
    "Code" means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, modified, 
succeeded or replaced from time to time.
 
    "Collateral" means all collateral referred to in and covered by the 
Collateral Documents.
 
    "Collateral Documents" means the Security Agreements, the Pledge 
Agreement, the Mortgage Documents and such other documents executed and 
delivered in connection with the attachment and perfection of the Lenders' 
security interests in the assets of the Credit Parties, including, without 
limitation, UCC financing statements and patent and trademark filings.
 
    "Commitment Fees" means the fees payable to the New Credit Agreement 
Lenders pursuant to Section 3.4(a).
 
    "Commitments" means the Revolving Committed Amount, the Swingline 
Committed Amount and the Tranche A Term Loan Committed Amount.
 
    "Credit Documents" means this Credit Agreement, the Notes, any Joinder 
Agreement, the Collateral Documents, the Fee Letter and all other related 
agreements and documents issued or delivered hereunder or thereunder or 
pursuant hereto or thereto.
 
                                       5



    "Credit Parties" means the Borrower and the Guarantors and "Credit Party" 
means any one of them.
 
    "Credit Party Obligations" means, without duplication, (a) all of the 
obligations of the Credit Parties to the New Credit Agreement Lenders and the 
Agent, whenever arising, under this Credit Agreement, the Notes, the 
Collateral Documents or any of the other Credit Documents to which the 
Borrower or any other Credit Party is a party (including, but not limited to, 
any interest accruing after the occurrence of a Bankruptcy Event with respect 
to any Credit Party, regardless of whether such interest is an allowed claim 
under the Bankruptcy Code) and (b) all liabilities and obligations owing from 
a Credit Party to any New Credit Agreement Lender, or any Affiliate of a New 
Credit Agreement Lender, arising under interest rate protection agreements, 
foreign currency exchange agreements, commodity purchase or option agreements 
or other interest or exchange rate or commodity price hedging agreements 
(collectively, the "Hedging Agreements").
 
    "Debt Issuance" means the issuance of any Indebtedness by a Credit Party 
or any of its Subsidiaries, other than Indebtedness permitted by Section 8.1.
 
    "Default" means any event, act or condition which with notice or lapse of 
time, or both, would constitute an Event of Default.
 
    "Defaulting Lender" means, at any time, any Lender that, at such time (a) 
has failed to make a Loan, Tranche A Supplemental Term Loan or Tranche B Term 
Loan or purchase a Participation Interest required pursuant to the terms of 
this Credit Agreement or Supplemental Credit Agreement, (b) has failed to pay 
to the Agent or any Lender an amount owed by such Lender pursuant to the 
terms of this Credit Agreement or Supplemental Credit Agreement or (c) has 
been deemed insolvent or has become subject to a bankruptcy or insolvency 
proceeding or to a receiver, trustee or similar official.
 
    "Domestic Subsidiaries" means all Subsidiaries of the Borrower that are 
domiciled, incorporated or organized under the laws of any state of the 
United States or the District of Columbia.
 
    "Dollars" and "$" means dollars in lawful currency of the United States 
of America.
 
    "EBIT" means, for any period, with respect to the Borrower and its 
Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis, the sum of (a) Net Income for such 
period (excluding the effect of any extraordinary or other non-recurring 
gains or losses outside of the ordinary course of business) plus (b) an 
amount which, in the determination of Net Income for such period has been 
deducted for (i) Interest Expense for such period and (ii) total Federal, 
state, foreign or other income taxes for such period, all as determined in 
accordance with GAAP.
 
                                       6



    "EBITDA" means, for any period, with respect to the Borrower and its 
Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis, the sum of (a) Net Income for such 
period (excluding the effect of any extraordinary or other non-recurring 
gains or losses outside of the ordinary course of business) plus (b) an 
amount which, in the determination of Net Income for such period has been 
deducted for (i) Interest Expense for such period, (ii) total Federal, state, 
foreign or other income taxes for such period and (iii) all depreciation, 
amortization and other non-cash charges for such period, all as determined in 
accordance with GAAP.
 
    "Effective Date" means the date on which the conditions set forth in 
Section 5.1 shall have been fulfilled (or waived in the sole discretion of 
the Lenders) and on which the initial Loans shall have been made.
 
    "Eligible Assignee" means (a) any Lender or Affiliate or subsidiary of a 
Lender and (b) any other commercial bank, financial institution or 
"accredited investor" (as defined in Regulation D of the Securities and 
Exchange Commission) reasonably acceptable to the Agent and the Borrower.
 
    "Eligible Inventory" means, as of any date of determination and without 
duplication, the lower of (a) the aggregate book value (based on a FIFO or a 
moving average cost valuation, consistently applied) or (b) fair market value 
of all raw materials and finished goods inventory owned by the Borrower, in 
either case, less appropriate reserves determined in accordance with GAAP, 
but excluding in any event (i) inventory subject to any Lien, other than 
Liens securing Credit Party Obligations, (ii) inventory which is not in good 
condition or fails to meet standards for sale or use imposed by governmental 
agencies, departments or divisions having regulatory authority over such 
goods, (iii) inventory which is not useable or saleable at prices 
approximating their cost in the ordinary course of the Borrower's business 
(including without duplication the amount of any reserves for obsolescence, 
unsalability or decline in value), (iv) inventory located outside of the 
United States, (v) inventory located at a location not owned or leased by the 
Borrower, (vi) inventory located at a location leased by the Borrower or in a 
public warehouse facility with respect to which the Agent shall not have 
received a landlord, bailee and/or warehousemen's access and lien waiver 
satisfactory to the Agent, (vii) inventory which is leased or on consignment, 
(viii) inventory consisting of packaging materials and supplies, (ix) 
inventory which consists of goods in transit, (x) inventory with respect to 
which the Agent does not have a valid and perfected first-priority security 
interest and (xi) inventory which fails to meet such other specifications and 
requirements as may from time to time be established by the Agent in its 
reasonable discretion.
 
    "Eligible Receivables" means, at any time, the aggregate book value of 
all accounts receivable, receivables, and obligations for payment created or 
arising from the sale of inventory or the rendering of services in the 
ordinary course of business (collectively, the "Receivables"), owned by or 
owing to the Borrower, net of allowances and reserves for doubtful or 
uncollectible accounts and sales adjustments consistent with the Borrower's 
internal policies and in any event in accordance with GAAP, but 

                                       7


excluding in any event (i) Receivables subject to any Lien, other than Liens 
securing Credit Party Obligations, (ii) Receivables which are more than 60 
days past due (net of reserves for bad debts in connection with any such 
Receivables), (iii) Receivables not otherwise excluded by clause (ii) above 
but owing from an account debtor having twenty percent (20%) of the balance 
owing by such account debtor to the Borrower (calculated without taking into 
account any credit balances of such account debtor) more than sixty (60) days 
past due, (iv) Receivables evidenced by notes, chattel paper or other 
instruments, unless such notes, chattel paper or instruments have been 
delivered to and are in the possession of the Agent, (v) Receivables owing by 
an account debtor which is not solvent or is subject to any bankruptcy or 
insolvency proceeding of any kind, (vi) Receivables owing by an account 
debtor located outside of the United States (unless payment for the goods 
shipped is secured by an irrevocable letter of credit in a form and from an 
institution acceptable to the Agent), (vii) Receivables which are contingent 
or subject to offset, deduction, counterclaim, dispute or other defense to 
payment, in each case to the extent of such offset, deduction, counterclaim, 
dispute or other defense, (viii) Receivables for which any direct or indirect 
Subsidiary of the Borrower or any Affiliate of the Borrower is the account 
debtor, (ix) Receivables representing a sale to the government of the United 
States of America or any subdivision thereof unless the Borrower has complied 
(to the satisfaction of the Agent), with respect to the granting of a 
security interest in such Receivable, with the Federal Assignment of Claims 
Act or other similar applicable law, (x) Receivables from any single account 
debtor and its Affiliates which otherwise constitute Eligible Receivables 
comprising more than twenty five percent (25%) of all Eligible Receivables, 
but only to the extent in excess of such twenty-five percent (25%) and (xi) 
Receivables which fail to meet such other specifications and requirements as 
may from time to time be established by the Agent in its reasonable 
discretion.
 
    "Environmental Claim" means any investigation, written notice, violation, 
written demand, written allegation, action, suit, injunction, judgment, 
order, consent decree, penalty, fine, lien, proceeding, or written claim 
(whether administrative, judicial, or private in nature) arising (a) pursuant 
to, or in connection with, an actual or alleged violation of, any 
Environmental Law, (b) in connection with any Hazardous Material, (c) from 
any assessment, abatement, removal, remedial, corrective, or other response 
action in connection with an Environmental Law or other order of a 
Governmental Authority or (d) from any actual or alleged damage, injury, 
threat, or harm to health, safety, natural resources, or the environment.
 
    "Environmental Laws" means any current or future legal requirement of any
Governmental Authority pertaining to (a) the protection of health, safety, and
the indoor or outdoor environment, (b) the conservation, management, or use of
natural resources and wildlife, (c) the protection or use of surface water and
groundwater, (d) the management, manufacture, possession, presence, use,
generation, transportation, treatment, storage, disposal, release, threatened
release, abatement, removal, remediation or handling of, or exposure to, any
hazardous or toxic substance or material or (e) pollution (including any release
to air, land, surface water, and groundwater), and includes, without limitation,
the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, 

                                       8



and Liability Act of 1980, as amended by the Superfund Amendments and 
Reauthorization Act of 1986, 42 USC 9601 et seq., Solid Waste Disposal Act, 
as amended by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976 and 
Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendment of 1984, 42 USC 6901 et seq., Federal 
Water Pollution Control Act, as amended by the Clean Water Act of 1977, 33 
USC 1251 et seq., Clean Air Act of 1966, as amended, 42 USC 7401 et seq., 
Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976, 15 USC 2601 et seq., Hazardous 
Materials Transportation Act, 49 USC App. 1801 et seq., Occupational Safety 
and Health Act of 1970, as amended, 29 USC 651 et seq., Oil Pollution Act of 
1990, 33 USC 2701 et seq., Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act 
of 1986, 42 USC 11001 et seq., National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, 42 
USC 4321 et seq., Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974, as amended, 42 USC 300(f) 
et seq., any analogous implementing or successor law, and any amendment, 
rule, regulation, order, or directive issued thereunder.
 
    "Equity Issuance" means any issuance by the Borrower to any Person of (a) 
shares of its capital stock or other equity interests, (b) any shares of its 
capital stock or other equity interests pursuant to the exercise of options 
(other than stock issued to employees and directors pursuant to employees or 
directors stock option plans) or warrants or (c) any shares of its capital 
stock or other equity interests pursuant to the conversion of any debt 
securities to equity.
 
    "ERISA" means the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as 
amended, and any successor statute thereto, as interpreted by the rules and 
regulations thereunder, all as the same may be in effect form time to time. 
References to sections of ERISA shall be construed also to refer to any 
successor sections.
 
    "ERISA Affiliate" means an entity, whether or not incorporated, which is 
under common control with any Credit Party or any of its Subsidiaries within 
the meaning of Section 4001(a)(14) of ERISA, or is a member of a group which 
includes any Credit Party or any of its Subsidiaries and which is treated as 
a single employer under Sections 414(b), (c), (m), or (o) of the Code.
 
    "Eurodollar Loan" means any Loan, Tranche A Supplemental Term Loan or 
Tranche B Term Loan bearing interest based at a rate determined by reference 
to the Eurodollar Rate.
 
    "Eurodollar Rate" means, for the Interest Period for each Eurodollar Loan 
comprising part of the same borrowing (including conversions, extensions and 
renewals), a per annum interest rate determined pursuant to the following 
formula:

     Eurodollar Rate = London Interbank Offered Rate
                       ------------------------------
                       1--Eurodollar Reserve Percentage
 
    "Eurodollar Reserve Percentage" means for any day, that percentage
(expressed as a decimal) which is in effect from time to time under Regulation D
of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (or any successor), as
such regulation may be 

                                       9



amended from time to time or any successor regulation, as the maximum reserve 
requirement (including, without limitation, any basic, supplemental, 
emergency, special, or marginal reserves) applicable with respect to 
Eurocurrency liabilities as that term is defined in Regulation D (or against 
any other category of liabilities that includes deposits by reference to 
which the interest rate of Eurodollar Loans is determined), whether or not 
Lender has any Eurocurrency liabilities subject to such reserve requirement 
at that time. Eurodollar Loans shall be deemed to constitute Eurocurrency 
liabilities and as such shall be deemed subject to reserve requirements 
without benefits of credits for proration, exceptions or offsets that may be 
available from time to time to a Lender. The Eurodollar Rate shall be 
adjusted automatically on and as of the effective date of any change in the 
Eurodollar Reserve Percentage.
 
    "Event of Default" has the meaning specified in Section 9.1.
 
    "Excess Cash Flow" means, with respect to any fiscal year period of the 
Borrower and its Subsidiaries, on a consolidated basis, an amount equal to 
(a) EBITDA for such period minus (b) Capital Expenditures for such period 
minus (c) cash Interest Expense for such period minus (d) Federal, state and 
other income taxes actually paid during such period minus (e) Principal 
Amortization Payments made during such period minus (f) voluntary prepayments 
made with respect to the Tranche A Term Loans, Tranche A Supplemental Term 
Loans or Tranche B Term Loans during such period minus (g) increases in 
Working Capital for such period plus (h) decreases in Working Capital for 
such period, minus (i) any cash gain from an Asset Disposition (to the extent 
included in EBITDA and paid to the Lenders as a mandatory prepayment pursuant 
to Section 3.3(b)(iii) hereof and Section 3.3(b)(iii) of the Supplemental 
Credit Agreement).
 
    "Extension of Credit" means, as to any Lender, the making of a Loan by 
such Lender (or a participation therein by a Lender).
 
    "Federal Funds Rate" means for any day the rate per annum (rounded 
upward, if necessary, to the nearest 1/100th of 1%) equal to the weighted 
average of the rates on overnight Federal funds transactions with members of 
the Federal Reserve System arranged by Federal funds brokers on such day, as 
published by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York on the Business Day next 
succeeding such day; provided that (a) if such day is not a Business Day, the 
Federal Funds Rate for such day shall be such rate on such transactions on 
the next preceding Business Day and (b) if no such rate is so published on 
such next preceding Business Day, the Federal Funds Rate for such day shall 
be the average rate quoted to the Agent on such day on such transactions as 
determined by the Agent.
 
    "Fee Letter" means that certain letter agreement, dated as of May 22, 
1997, between the Agent and the Borrower, as amended, modified, supplemented 
or replaced from time to time.
 
    "Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio" means, as of the end of each fiscal quarter of
the Borrower, for the twelve month period ending on such date, with respect to
the Borrower 

                                      10



and its Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis, the ratio of (a) EBITDA for the 
applicable period minus Capital Expenditures for the applicable period minus 
Federal, State and other income taxes paid in cash for the applicable period 
to (b) the sum of (i) cash Interest Expense for the applicable period plus 
(ii) Scheduled Funded Debt Payments for the applicable period.
 
    "Foreign Subsidiaries" means all Subsidiaries of the Borrower that are 
not Domestic Subsidiaries.
 
    "Funded Debt" means, without duplication, the sum of (a) all Indebtedness 
of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries for borrowed money, (b) all purchase 
money Indebtedness of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries, (c) the principal 
portion of all obligations of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries under Capital 
Leases, (d) commercial letters of credit and the maximum amount of all 
performance and standby letters of credit issued or bankers' acceptance 
facilities created for the account of the Borrower or any of its 
Subsidiaries, including, without duplication, all unreimbursed draws 
thereunder, (e) all Guaranty Obligations of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries 
with respect to Funded Debt of another person, (f) all Funded Debt of another 
entity secured by a Lien on any property of the Borrower or any of its 
Subsidiaries whether or not such Funded Debt has been assumed by a Borrower 
or any of its Subsidiaries, (g) all Funded Debt of any partnership or 
unincorporated joint venture to the extent the Borrower or one of its 
Subsidiaries is legally obligated or has a reasonable expectation of being 
liable with respect thereto, net of any assets of such partnership or joint 
venture and (h) the principal balance outstanding under any synthetic lease, 
tax retention operating lease, off-balance sheet loan or similar off-balance 
sheet financing product pursuant to which a Borrower or any of its 
Subsidiaries is the obligor where such transaction is considered borrowed 
money indebtedness for tax purposes but is classified as an operating lease 
in accordance with GAAP.
 
    "GAAP" means generally accepted accounting principles in the United 
States applied on a consistent basis and subject to Section 1.3.
 
    "Governmental Authority" means any Federal, state, local, provincial or 
foreign court or governmental agency, authority, instrumentality or 
regulatory body.
 
    "Guarantor" means each of the Domestic Subsidiaries of the Borrower and 
each Additional Credit Party which has executed a Joinder Agreement, together 
with their successors and assigns.
 
    "Guaranty Obligations" means, with respect to any Person, without
duplication, any obligations (other than endorsements in the ordinary course of
business of negotiable instruments for deposit or collection) guaranteeing or
intended to guarantee any Indebtedness, leases, dividends or other obligations
of any other Person in any manner, whether direct or indirect, and including
without limitation any obligation, whether or not contingent, (a) to purchase
any such Indebtedness or other obligation or any property constituting security
therefor, (b) to advance or provide funds or other support for the 

                                      11



payment or purchase of such indebtedness or obligation or to maintain working 
capital, solvency or other balance sheet condition of such other Person 
(including, without limitation, maintenance agreements, comfort letters, take 
or pay arrangements, put agreements or similar agreements or arrangements) 
for the benefit of the holder of Indebtedness of such other Person, (c) to 
lease or purchase property, securities or services primarily for the purpose 
of assuring the owner of such Indebtedness or obligation, or (d) to otherwise 
assure or hold harmless the owner of such Indebtedness or obligation against 
loss in respect thereof. The amount of any Guaranty Obligation hereunder 
shall (subject to any limitations set forth therein) be deemed to be an 
amount equal to the outstanding principal amount (or maximum principal 
amount, if larger) of the Indebtedness in respect of which such Guaranty 
Obligation is made.
 
    "Hazardous Materials" means any substance, material or waste defined or 
regulated in or under any Environmental Laws.

    "Hedging Agreements" has the meaning set forth in the definition of 
Credit Party Obligations.
 
    "Indebtedness" of any Person means, without duplication, (a) all 
obligations of such Person for borrowed money, (b) all obligations of such 
Person evidenced by bonds, debentures, notes or similar instruments, or upon 
which interest payments are customarily made, (c) all obligations of such 
Person under conditional sale or other title retention agreements relating to 
property purchased by such Person to the extent of the value of such property 
(other than customary reservations or retentions of title under agreements 
with suppliers entered into in the ordinary course of business), (d) all 
obligations, including without limitation, intercompany items, of such Person 
issued or assumed as the deferred purchase price of property or services 
purchased by such Person which would appear as liabilities on a balance sheet 
of such Person, (e) all Indebtedness of others secured by (or for which the 
holder of such Indebtedness has an existing right, contingent or otherwise, 
to be secured by) any Lien on, or payable out of the proceeds of production 
from, property owned or acquired by such Person, whether or not the 
obligations secured thereby have been assumed, (f) all Guaranty Obligations 
of such Person, (g) the principal portion of all obligations of such Person 
under (i) Capital Leases and (ii) any synthetic lease, tax retention 
operating lease, off-balance sheet loan or similar off-balance sheet 
financing product of such Person where such transaction is considered 
borrowed money indebtedness for tax purposes but is classified as an 
operating lease in accordance with GAAP (collectively, "TROLS"), (h) all 
obligations of such Person in respect of interest rate protection agreements, 
foreign currency exchange agreements, or other interest or exchange rate or 
commodity price hedging agreements, (i) the maximum amount of all performance 
and standby letters of credit issued or bankers' acceptances facilities 
created for the account of such Person and, without duplication, all drafts 
drawn thereunder (to the extent unreimbursed), (j) all preferred stock issued 
by such Person and required by the terms thereof to be redeemed, or for which 
mandatory sinking fund payments are due, by a fixed date and (k) the 
aggregate amount of uncollected accounts receivable of such Person subject at 
such time to a sale of receivables (or similar transaction) regardless of 
whether such transaction is effected without recourse to such 

                                      12



Person or in a manner that would not be reflected on the balance sheet of 
such Person in accordance with GAAP. The Indebtedness of any Person shall 
include the Indebtedness of any partnership or unincorporated joint venture 
in which such Person is legally obligated or has a reasonable expectation of 
being liable with respect thereto.
 
    "Indenture" means that certain Indenture dated as of August 3, 1994 among 
the Borrower as issuer, Signal Investment & Management Co. as guarantor and 
SouthTrust Bank of Alabama, National Association, as trustee, as the same may 
be modified, supplemented or amended from time to time.
 
    "Interest Coverage Ratio" means, as of the end of each fiscal quarter of 
the Borrower, for the twelve month period ending on such date, with respect 
to the Borrower and its Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis, the ratio of 
(a) EBIT for the applicable period to (b) cash Interest Expense for the 
applicable period.
 
    "Interest Expense" means, for any period, with respect to the Borrower 
and its Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis, all interest expense, including 
the interest component under Capital Leases, as determined in accordance with 
GAAP.
 
    "Interest Payment Date" means (a) as to Base Rate Loans other than 
Swingline Loans, the last day of each fiscal quarter of the Borrower and on 
the Revolving Loan Maturity Date or the Tranche A Term Loan Maturity Date, as 
applicable, and (b) as to Eurodollar Loans or any Swingline Loan, on the last 
day of each applicable Interest Period and on the Revolving Loan Maturity 
Date or the Tranche A Term Loan Maturity Date, as applicable.
 
    "Interest Period" means, (i) as to Eurodollar Loans, a period of one, two 
or three months' duration, as the Borrower may elect, commencing, in each 
case, on the date of the borrowing (including continuations and conversions 
thereof) and (ii) as to any Swingline Loan, a period commencing in each case 
on the date of the borrowing and ending on the date agreed to by the Borrower 
and the Swingline Lender in accordance with the provision of Section 
2.3(b)(i) (such ending date in any event to be not more than seven (7) 
Business Days from the date of borrowing); provided, however, (a) if any 
Interest Period would end on a day which is not a Business Day, such Interest 
Period shall be extended to the next succeeding Business Day (except that 
where the next succeeding Business Day falls in the next succeeding calendar 
month, then on the next preceding Business Day), (b) no Interest Period shall 
extend beyond the Revolving Loan Maturity Date or the Tranche A Term Loan 
Maturity Date, as applicable, (c) with regard to the Tranche A Term Loans, no 
Interest Period shall extend beyond any Principal Amortization Payment Date 
unless the portion of Tranche A Term Loans comprised of Base Rate Loans 
together with the portion of Tranche A Term Loans comprised of Eurodollar 
Loans with Interest Periods expiring prior to the date such Principal 
Amortization Payment is due, is at least equal to the amount of such 
Principal Amortization Payment due on such date and (d) where an Interest 
Period begins on a day for which there is no numerically corresponding day in 
the calendar month in which the 

                                      13



Interest Period is to end, such Interest Period shall end on the last 
Business Day of such calendar month.
 
    "Investment" means (a) the acquisition (whether for cash, property, 
services, assumption of Indebtedness, securities or otherwise) of assets, 
shares of capital stock, bonds, notes, debentures, partnership, joint venture 
or other ownership interests or other securities of any Person or (b) any 
deposit with, or advance, loan or other extension of credit to, any Person 
(other than deposits made in connection with the purchase of equipment or 
other assets in the ordinary course of business) or (c) any other capital 
contribution to or investment in such Person, including, without limitation, 
any Guaranty Obligation incurred for the benefit of such person.
 
    "Joinder Agreement" means a Joinder Agreement substantially in the form 
of Exhibit 7.13.
 
    "Leasehold Properties" has the meaning set forth in Section 5.1(h).
 
    "Lender" means collectively, the Supplemental Credit Lenders and the New 
Credit Agreement Lenders.
 
    "Leverage Ratio" means, as of the end of each fiscal quarter of the 
Borrower, with respect to the Borrower and its Subsidiaries on a consolidated 
basis, the ratio of (a) Funded Debt on such date to (b) EBITDA for the twelve 
month period ending on such date.
 
    "Lien" means any mortgage, pledge, hypothecation, assignment, deposit 
arrangement, security interest, encumbrance, lien (statutory or otherwise), 
preference, priority or charge of any kind (including, without limitation, 
any agreement to give any of the foregoing, any conditional sale or other 
title retention agreement, any financing or similar statement or notice filed 
under the Uniform Commercial Code as adopted and in effect in the relevant 
jurisdiction or other similar recording or notice statute, and any lease in 
the nature thereof).
 
    "Loan" or "Loans" means the Revolving Loans, the Swingline Loans and/or 
the Tranche A Term Loans (or a portion of any Revolving Loan or the Tranche A 
Term Loans), individually or collectively, as appropriate.
 
    "London Interbank Offered Rate" means, with respect to any Eurodollar 
Loan for the Interest Period applicable thereto, the rate of interest per 
annum (rounded upwards, if necessary, to the nearest 1/100 of 1%) appearing 
on Telerate Page 3750 (or any successor page) as the London interbank offered 
rate for deposits in Dollars at approximately 11:00 A.M. (London time) two 
Business Days prior to the first day of such Interest Period for a term 
comparable to such Interest Period; provided, however, if more than one rate 
is specified on Telerate Page 3750, the applicable rate shall be the 
arithmetic mean of all such rates. If, for any reason, such rate is not 
available, the term "London Interbank Offered Rate" shall mean, with respect 
to any Eurodollar Loan for 

                                      14



the Interest Period applicable thereto, the rate of interest per annum 
(rounded upwards, if necessary, to the nearest 1/100 of 1%) appearing on 
Reuters Screen LIBO Page as the London interbank offered rate for deposits in 
Dollars at approximately 11:00 A.M. (London time) two Business Days prior to 
the first day of such Interest Period for a term comparable to such Interest 
Period; provided, however, if more than one rate is specified on Reuters 
Screen LIBO Page, the applicable rate shall be the arithmetic mean of all 
such rates.
 
    "Material Adverse Effect" means a material adverse effect, after taking 
into account applicable insurance (to the extent the provider thereof has the 
financial ability to support its obligations with respect thereto and is not 
disputing same), on (a) the operations, financial condition, business or 
prospects of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole, (b) the 
ability of a Credit Party to perform its respective obligations under this 
Credit Agreement, or any of the other Credit Documents, the Supplemental 
Credit Agreement or any of the other Supplemental Credit Documents or (c) the 
validity or enforceability of this Credit Agreement, or any of the other 
Credit Documents, the Supplemental Credit Agreement or any of the other 
Supplemental Credit Documents, or the rights and remedies of the Lenders 
hereunder or thereunder taken as a whole.
 
    "Moody's" means Moody's Investors Service, Inc., or any successor or 
assignee of the business of such company in the business of rating securities.
 
    "Mortgage Documents" means the Mortgages, the Mortgage Policies and such 
other documents and agreements executed or delivered in connection with the 
Real Properties.
 
    "Mortgage Policies" has the meaning set forth in Section 5.1(h).
 
    "Mortgages" has the meaning set forth in Section 5.1(h).
 
    "Mortgaged Properties" has the meaning set forth in Section 5.1(h).
 
    "Multiemployer Plan" means a Plan covered by Title IV of ERISA which is a 
multiemployer plan as defined in Sections 3(37) or 4001(a)(3) of ERISA.
 
    "Multiple Employer Plan" means a Plan covered by Title IV of ERISA, other 
than a Multiemployer Plan, which any Credit Party or any of its Subsidiaries 
or any ERISA Affiliate and at least one employer other than a Credit Party or 
any of its Subsidiaries or any ERISA Affiliate are contributing sponsors.
 
    "NationsBank" means NationsBank of Tennessee, N.A. and its successors.
 
    "Net Cash Proceeds" means the gross cash proceeds (including cash 
actually received by way of deferred payment pursuant to a promissory note, 
receivable, or otherwise) received from an Asset Disposition, an Equity 
Issuance, a Debt Issuance or Recovery Event net of (a) transaction costs 
payable to third parties or (b) a good faith

                                      15




estimate of the taxes payable with respect to such proceeds
(including, without duplication, withholding taxes).
 
    "Net Income" means, for any period, the net income after taxes for such
period of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis, as
determined in accordance with GAAP.
 
    "Net Worth" means, as of any date, shareholders' equity or net worth of the
Borrower and its Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis, as determined in
accordance with GAAP.
 
    "New Credit Agreement Lender" means any of the Persons identified as a "New
Credit Agreement Lender" on the signature pages hereto, and any Person which may
become a Lender by way of assignment in accordance with the terms hereof,
together with their successors and permitted assigns.
 
    "Non-Excluded Taxes" has the meaning set forth in Section 3.14.
 
    "Note" or "Notes" means the Revolving Loan Notes, the Swingline Note and/or
the Tranche A Term Loan Notes, individually or collectively, as appropriate.
 
    "Notice of Borrowing" means a request by the Borrower for a Revolving Loan,
in the form of Exhibit 2.1.
 
    "Notice of Continuation/Conversion" means a request by the Borrower to
continue an existing Eurodollar Loan to a new Interest Period or to convert a
Eurodollar Loan to a Base Rate Loan or a Base Rate Loan to a Eurodollar Loan, in
the form of Exhibit 2.5.

    "Operating Lease" means, as applied to any Person, any lease (including,
without limitation, leases which may be terminated by the lessee at any time) of
any property (whether real, personal or mixed) which is not a Capital Lease
other than any such lease in which that Person is the lessor.
 
    "Participation Interest" means the Extension of Credit by a Lender by way of
the issuance of or a purchase of a participation in Swingline Loans as provided
in Section 2.2, or in any Loans as provided in Section 3.9.
 
    "PBGC" means the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation established pursuant
to Subtitle A of Title IV of ERISA and any successor thereto.
 
    "Permitted Acquisition" means the acquisition of all of the capital stock of
another Person, all or substantially all of the assets of another Person or a
brand or product line of another Person, provided that each of the following
conditions are satisfied: (v) prior to such acquisition, the Borrower shall
deliver to the Agent and Lenders evidence reasonably satisfactory to the Agent
and Required Lenders


                                       16





demonstrating that after giving effect to such acquisition on a pro forma 
basis, as if such acquisition had occurred on the first day of the twelve 
month period ending on the last day of the Borrower's most recently completed 
fiscal quarter, the Credit Parties and their Subsidiaries would have been in 
compliance with all the financial covenants set forth in Section 7.12, (w) 
simultaneously with any such acquisition, the Borrower shall have taken all 
action required under applicable law, or reasonably requested by the Agent, 
to grant to the Agent, for the benefit of the Lenders, a valid and perfected 
first-priority security interest in all the assets acquired pursuant to such 
acquisition, (x) the acquisition is consummated pursuant to a negotiated 
acquisition agreement and involves the purchase of a consumer product or 
product line similar to those manufactured, distributed or sold by the 
Borrower as of the date hereof, or of a business that manufactures, 
distributes or sells one or more consumer products or product lines, similar 
to those manufactured, distributed or sold by the Borrower as of the date 
hereof, (y) after giving effect to the acquisition, the representations and 
warranties set forth in Section 6 hereof shall be true and correct in all 
material respects on and as of the date of such acquisition with the same 
effect as though made on and as of such date, and (z) no Default or Event of 
Default exists and is continuing or would result from such acquisition.
 
    "Permitted Investments" means Investments which are (a) cash or Cash
Equivalents, (b) accounts receivable created, acquired or made in the ordinary
course of business and payable or dischargeable in accordance with customary
trade terms, (c) Investments in a Domestic Subsidiary of a Credit Party, (d)
loans to directors, officers, employees, agents, customers or suppliers in the
ordinary course of business for reasonable business expenses, not to exceed in
the aggregate $500,000.00 at any one time, (e) Investments subsequent to the
Closing Date in (i) Chattem (Canada) Inc. not to exceed $500,000.00 in the
aggregate, (ii) Chattem (U.K.) Limited not to exceed $500,000.00 in the
aggregate, and (iii) HBA Insurance, Ltd. not to exceed $500,000.00 in the
aggregate, (f) Investments in Permitted Acquisitions, including any contingency
payments associated therewith, not to exceed $5,000,000 in the aggregate during
the term of this Credit Agreement, (g) the purchase, redemption, acquisition or
retirement by the Borrower of any shares of its capital stock of any class or
any warrants or options to purchase any such shares in an amount not to exceed
$2,000,000 in the aggregate and (h) all those existing Investments of the
Borrower identified on Schedule 1.1(b) attached hereto.
 
    "Permitted Liens" means (a) Liens securing Credit Party Obligations, (b)
Liens for taxes not yet due or Liens for taxes being contested in good faith by
appropriate proceedings for which adequate reserves determined in accordance
with GAAP have been established (and as to which the property subject to any
such Lien is not yet subject to foreclosure, sale or loss on account thereof),
(c) Liens in respect of property imposed by law arising in the ordinary course
of business such as materialmen's, mechanics', warehousemen's, carrier's,
landlords' and other nonconsensual statutory Liens which are not due and payable
or, if due and payable, are being contested in good faith by appropriate
proceedings for which adequate reserves determined in accordance with GAAP have
been established (and as to which the property subject to any such Lien is not
yet subject to foreclosure, sale or loss on account thereof), (d) pledges or
deposits


                                       17



made in the ordinary course of business to secure payment of worker's 
compensation insurance, unemployment insurance, pensions or social security 
programs, (e) Liens arising from good faith deposits in connection with or to 
secure performance of tenders, bids, leases, government contracts, 
performance and return-of-money bonds and other similar obligations incurred 
in the ordinary course of business (other than obligations in respect of the 
payment of borrowed money), (f) Liens arising from good faith deposits in 
connection with or to secure performance of statutory obligations and surety 
and appeal bonds, (g) easements, rights-of-way, restrictions (including 
zoning restrictions), minor defects or irregularities in title and other 
similar charges or encumbrances not, in any material respect, impairing the 
use of the encumbered property for its intended purposes, (h) judgment Liens 
that would not constitute an Event of Default, (i) Liens in connection with 
Indebtedness allowed under Section 8.1(c), (j) Liens arising by virtue of any 
statutory or common law provision relating to banker's liens, rights of 
setoff or similar rights as to deposit accounts or other funds maintained 
with a creditor depository institution and (k) Liens existing on the date 
hereof and identified on Schedule 8.2; provided that no such Lien shall 
extend to any property other than the property subject thereto on the Closing 
Date.
 
    "Person" means any individual, partnership, joint venture, firm,
corporation, limited liability company, association, trust or other enterprise
(whether or not incorporated), or any Governmental Authority.
 
    "Plan" means any employee benefit plan (as defined in Section 3(3) of ERISA)
which is covered by ERISA and with respect to which any Credit Party or any of
its Subsidiaries or any ERISA Affiliate is (or, if such plan were terminated at
such time, would under Section 4069 of ERISA be deemed to be) an "employer"
within the meaning of Section 3(5) of ERISA.
 
    "Pledge Agreement" means the Amended and Restated Pledge Agreement, executed
and delivered by each of the applicable Credit Parties in favor of the Agent,
for the benefit of the Lenders, to secure their obligations under the Credit
Documents, as amended, modified, extended, renewed or replaced from time to
time.
 
    "Prime Rate" means the per annum rate of interest established from time to
time by the Agent as its Prime Rate. Any change in the interest rate resulting
from a change in the Prime Rate shall become effective as of 12:01 a.m. of the
Business Day on which each change in the Prime Rate is announced by the Agent.
The Prime Rate is a reference rate used by the Agent in determining interest
rates on certain loans and is not intended to be the lowest rate of interest
charged on any extension of credit to any debtor.
 
    "Principal Amortization Payment" means a principal payment on the Tranche A
Term Loan as set forth in Section 2.3(c).
 
    "Principal Amortization Payment Date" means the date a Principal
Amortization Payment is due.


                                       18





    "Purchase Agreement" means that certain Asset Purchase Agreement, as amended
and modified from time to time, by and among the Borrower, Signal, SunSource
International, Inc., a Hawaii corporation and Mindbody, Inc., a Florida
corporation, dated as of May 23, 1997.
 
    "Real Properties" means the Mortgaged Properties.
 
    "Recovery Event" means the receipt by the Borrower or any of its
Subsidiaries of any cash insurance proceeds, condemnation award payable or
indemnification payments from other third parties by reasons of theft, loss,
physical destruction or damage, taking or similar event with respect to any of
their respective property or assets.
 
    "Regulation D, G, U, or X" means Regulation D, G, U or X, respectively, of
the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System as from time to time in
effect and any successor to all or a portion thereof.
 
    "Reportable Event" means a "reportable event" as defined in Section 4043 of
ERISA with respect to which the notice requirements to the PBGC have not been
waived.
 
    "Required Lenders" means Lenders whose aggregate Credit Exposure (as
hereinafter defined) constitutes at least 67% of the Credit Exposure of all
Lenders at such time; provided, however, that if any Lender shall be a
Defaulting Lender at such time then there shall be excluded from the
determination of Required Lenders the aggregate principal amount of Credit
Exposure of such Lender at such time. For purposes of the preceding sentence,
the term "Credit Exposure" as applied to each Lender shall mean (a) at any time
prior to the termination of the Commitments, the sum of (i) the Revolving Loan
Commitment Percentage of such Lender multiplied by the Revolving Committed
Amount, plus (ii) the Tranche A Term Loan Commitment Percentage of such Lender
multiplied by the aggregate principal amount of Tranche A Term Loans outstanding
at such time, plus (iii) the Tranche A Supplemental Term Loan Commitment
Percentage of such Lender multiplied by the aggregate principal amount of
Tranche A Supplemental Term Loans outstanding at such time, plus (iv) the
Tranche B Term Loan Commitment Percentage of such Lender multiplied by the
aggregate principal amount of Tranche B Term Loans outstanding at such time and
(b) at any time after the termination of the Commitments, the sum of (i) the
principal balance of the outstanding Loans of such Lender plus (ii) the
principal balance of the outstanding Tranche A Supplemental Term Loans of such
Lender plus (iii) the principal balance of outstanding Tranche B Term Loans of
such Lender.
 
    "Requirement of Law" means, as to any Person, the articles or certificate of
incorporation and by-laws or other organizational or governing documents of such
Person, and any law, treaty, rule or regulation or final, non-appealable
determination of an arbitrator or a court or other Governmental Authority, in
each case applicable to or binding upon such Person or to which any of its
material property is subject.
 
    "Revolving Loan Commitment Percentage" means, for each New Credit Agreement
Lender, the percentage identified as its Revolving Loan Commitment


                                       19



Percentage on Schedule 1.1(a), as such percentage may be modified in 
connection with any assignment made in accordance with the provisions of 
Section 11.3.
 
    "Revolving Committed Amount" means THIRTY MILLION DOLLARS ($30,000,000) or
such lesser amount as the Revolving Committed Amount may be reduced pursuant to
Section 2.1(d) or Section 3.3.
 
    "Revolving Loans" means the Revolving Loans made to the Borrower pursuant to
Section 2.1.
 
    "Revolving Note" or "Revolving Notes" means the promissory notes of the
Borrower in favor of each of the New Credit Agreement Lenders evidencing the
Revolving Loans provided pursuant to Section 2.1, individually or collectively,
as appropriate, as such promissory notes may be amended, modified, supplemented,
extended, renewed or replaced from time to time and as evidenced in the form of
Exhibit 2.6(a).
 
    "Revolving Loan Maturity Date" means the earlier of (i) June 26, 2002 and
(ii) the date on which the Tranche A Term Loans are repaid in full.
 
    "S&P" means Standard & Poor's Ratings Group, a division of McGraw Hill,
Inc., or any successor or assignee of the business of such division in the
business of rating securities.
 
    "Scheduled Funded Debt Payments" means, as of the date of determination, for
the Borrower and its Subsidiaries, on a consolidated basis, the sum of all
scheduled payments of principal on Funded Debt for the applicable period ending
on the date of determination (including the principal component of payments due
on Capital Leases during the applicable period ending on the date of
determination); it being understood that Scheduled Funded Debt Payments shall
not include voluntary prepayments or the mandatory prepayments required pursuant
to Section 3.3.
 
    "Security Agreements" means the Amended and Restated Security Agreements,
including without limitation, a separate Security Agreement for aircraft as
amended or modified from time to time, executed and delivered by each of the
Credit Parties in favor of the Agent for the benefit of the Lenders to secure
their obligations under the Credit Documents, as such may be amended, modified,
extended, renewed, restated or replaced from time to time.

    "Senior Leverage Ratio" means as of the end of each fiscal quarter of the
Borrower, with respect to the Borrower and its Subsidiaries on a consolidated
basis, the ratio of (a) Funded Debt minus Subordinated Debt on such date to (b)
EBITDA for the twelve month period ending on such date.
 
    "Signal" means Signal Investment & Management Co., a Delaware corporation,
which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Borrower.


                                       20





    "Single Employer Plan" means any Plan which is covered by Title IV of ERISA,
but which is not a Multiemployer Plan.
 
    "Solvent" means, with respect to any Person as of a particular date, that on
such date (a) such Person is able to pay its debts and other liabilities,
contingent obligations and other commitments as they mature in the normal course
of business, (b) such Person does not intend to, and does not believe that it
will, incur debts or liabilities beyond such Person's ability to pay as such
debts and liabilities mature in their ordinary course, (c) such Person is not
engaged in a business or a transaction, and is not about to engage in a business
or a transaction, for which such Person's assets would constitute unreasonably
small capital after giving due consideration to the prevailing practice in the
industry in which such Person is engaged or is to engage, (d) the fair value of
the assets of such Person is greater than the total amount of liabilities,
including, without limitation, contingent liabilities, of such Person and (e)
the present fair saleable value of the assets of such Person is not less than
the amount that will be required to pay the probable liability of such Person on
its debts as they become absolute and matured. In computing the amount of
contingent liabilities at any time, it is intended that such liabilities will be
computed at the amount which, in light of all the facts and circumstances
existing at such time, represents the amount that can reasonably be expected to
become an actual or matured liability.
 
    "Subordinated Debt" means the Indebtedness evidenced by the Indenture or by
the guarantees thereof.
 
    "Subsidiary" means, as to any Person, (a) any corporation more than 50% of
whose stock of any class or classes having by the terms thereof ordinary voting
power to elect a majority of the directors of such corporation (irrespective of
whether or not at the time, any class or classes of such corporation shall have
or might have voting power by reason of the happening of any contingency) is at
the time owned by such Person directly or indirectly through Subsidiaries, and
(b) any partnership, association, joint venture or other entity in which such
person directly or indirectly through Subsidiaries has more than a 50% equity
interest at any time.
 
    "Supplemental Credit Agreement" means that certain Supplemental Credit
Agreement dated as of the date hereof, among the Borrower, the Guarantors,
NationsBank of Tennessee, N.A., as agent, and certain other lenders named
therein, as amended, modified, supplemented or renewed from time to time.
 
    "Supplemental Credit Documents" means the Supplemental Credit Agreement, the
Tranche A Supplemental Term Loan Notes, the Tranche B Term Loan Notes, any
Joinder Agreement, the Collateral Documents, the Fee Letter and all other
related agreements and documents issued or delivered thereunder or pursuant
thereto.
 
    "Supplemental Credit Lender" means any of the Persons identified as a
"Supplemental Credit Lender" on the signature pages to the Supplemental Credit


                                       21





Agreement, and any Person which may become a Supplemental Credit Lender by way
of assignment in accordance with the terms of the Supplemental Credit Agreement,
together with their successors and permitted assigns.
 
    "Swingline Committed Amount" shall have the meaning assigned to such term in
Section 2.2(a).
 
    "Swingline Lender" means NationsBank.
 
    "Swingline Loan" shall have the meaning assigned to such term in Section
2.2(a).
 
    "Swingline Note" means the promissory note of the Borrower in favor of the
Swingline Lender in the original principal amount of $5,000,000, as such
promissory note may be amended, modified, restated or replaced from time to
time.
 
    "Termination Event" means (a) with respect to any Plan, the occurrence of a
Reportable Event or the substantial cessation of operations (within the meaning
of Section 4062(e) of ERISA); (b) the withdrawal of any Credit Party or any of
its Subsidiaries or any ERISA Affiliate from a Multiple Employer Plan during a
plan year in which it was a substantial employer (as such term is defined in
Section 4001(a)(2) of ERISA), or the termination of a Multiple Employer Plan;
(c) the distribution of a notice of intent to terminate or the actual
termination of a Plan pursuant to Section 4041(a)(2) or 4041A of ERISA; (d) the
institution of proceedings to terminate or the actual termination of a Plan by
the PBGC under Section 4042 of ERISA; (e) any event or condition which might
reasonably constitute grounds under Section 4042 of ERISA for the termination
of, or the appointment of a trustee to administer, any Plan; or (f) the complete
or partial withdrawal of any Credit Party or any of its Subsidiaries or any
ERISA Affiliate from a Multiemployer Plan.
 
    "Term Loans" means the Tranche A Term Loans, the Tranche A Supplemental Term
Loans and the Tranche B Term Loans.
 
    "Tranche A Supplemental Term Loans" means the Tranche A Supplemental Term
Loans made to the Borrower pursuant to Section 2.1 of the Supplemental Credit
Agreement.
 
    "Tranche A Supplemental Term Loan Commitment Percentage" means, for each
Supplemental Credit Lender, the percentage identified as its Tranche A
Supplemental Term Loan Commitment Percentage on Schedule 1.1(a) of the
Supplemental Credit Agreement, as such percentage may be modified in connection
with any assignment made in accordance with the provisions of Section 11.3 of
the Supplemental Credit Agreement.
 
    "Tranche A Supplemental Term Loan Committed Amount" means TEN MILLION
DOLLARS ($10,000,000.00).
 
    "Tranche A Supplemental Term Loan Maturity Date" means June 26, 2002.


                                       22





    "Tranche A Supplemental Term Loan Note" or "Tranche A Supplemental Term Loan
Notes" means the promissory notes of the Borrower in favor of each of the
Supplemental Credit Lenders evidencing the Tranche A Supplemental Term Loans
provided pursuant to Section 2.1 of the Supplemental Credit Agreement,
individually or collectively, as appropriate, as such promissory notes may be
amended, modified, supplemented, extended, renewed or replaced from time to time
as evidenced in the form of Exhibit 2.4(a) of the Supplemental Credit Agreement.
 
    "Tranche A Term Loans" means the Tranche A Term Loans made to the Borrower
pursuant to Section 2.3(a).
 
    "Tranche A Term Loan Commitment Percentage" means, for each New Credit
Agreement Lender, the percentage identified as its Tranche A Term Loan
Commitment Percentage on Schedule 1.1(a), as such percentage may be modified in
connection with any assignment made in accordance with the provisions of Section
11.3.
 
    "Tranche A Term Loan Committed Amount" means TWENTY MILLION DOLLARS
($20,000,000.00).
 
    "Tranche A Term Loan Maturity Date" means June 26, 2002.
 
    "Tranche A Term Loan Note" or "Tranche A Term Loan Notes" means the
promissory notes of the Borrower in favor of each of the New Credit Agreement
Lenders evidencing the Tranche A Term Loans provided pursuant to Section 2.3(a),
individually or collectively, as appropriate, as such promissory notes 
may be amended, modified, supplemented, extended, renewed or replaced from time
to time as evidenced in the form of Exhibit 2.6(b).
 
    "Tranche B Term Loan Committed Amount" means THIRTY-FIVE MILLION DOLLARS
($35,000,000).
 
    "Tranche B Term Loan Commitment Percentage" means, for a Supplemental Credit
Lender, the percentage identified as its Tranche B Term Loan Commitment
Percentage on Schedule 1.1(a) of the Supplemental Credit Agreement, as such
percentage may be modified in connection with any assignment made in accordance
with the provisions of Section 11.3 of the Supplemental Credit Agreement.
 
    "Tranche B Term Loan Note" or "Tranche B Term Loan Notes" means the
promissory notes of the Borrower in favor of the Supplemental Credit Lenders
having a Tranche B Term Loan Commitment Percentage evidencing the Tranche B Term
Loans provided pursuant to Section 2.1 of the Supplemental Credit Agreement,
individually or collectively, as appropriate, as such promissory notes may be
amended, modified, supplemented, extended, renewed or replaced from time to time
as evidenced in the form of Exhibit 2.4(b) of the Supplemental Credit Agreement.


                                       23





    "Tranche B Term Loans" means, the Tranche B Term Loans made to the Borrower
pursuant to Section 2.1 of the Supplemental Credit Agreement.
 
    "TROLS" has the meaning set forth in the definition of Indebtedness.
 
    "Unused Commitment" means, for any period, the amount by which (a) the then
applicable aggregate Revolving Committed Amount exceeds (b) the daily average
sum for such period of the outstanding aggregate principal amount of all
Revolving Loans (but not including any Swingline Loans).
 
    "Working Capital" means, at any time, with respect to the Borrower and its
Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis, the excess of current assets (excluding
cash and Cash Equivalents) over current liabilities (excluding the current
portion of Funded Debt), as determined in accordance with GAAP.
 
    1.2  COMPUTATION OF TIME PERIODS AND OTHER DEFINITIONAL PROVISIONS.
 
    For purposes of computation of periods of time hereunder, the word "from"
means "from and including" and the words "to" and "until" each mean "to but
excluding." References in this Credit Agreement to "Articles", "Sections",
"Schedules" or "Exhibits" shall be to Articles, Sections, Schedules or Exhibits
of or to this Credit Agreement unless otherwise specifically provided.
 
    1.3  ACCOUNTING TERMS.
 
    Except as otherwise expressly provided herein, all accounting terms used
herein shall be interpreted, and all financial statements and certificates and
reports as to financial matters required to be delivered to the New Credit
Agreement Lenders hereunder shall be prepared, in accordance with GAAP applied
on a consistent basis. All financial statements delivered to the New Credit
Agreement Lenders hereunder shall be accompanied by a statement from the
Borrower that GAAP has not changed since the most recent financial statements
delivered by the Borrower to the New Credit Agreement Lenders or if GAAP has
changed describing such changes in detail and explaining how such changes affect
the financial statements. All calculations made for the purposes of determining
compliance with this Credit Agreement shall (except as otherwise expressly
provided herein) be made by application of GAAP applied on a basis consistent
with the most recent annual or quarterly financial statements delivered pursuant
to Section 7.1 (or, prior to the delivery of the first financial statements
pursuant to Section 7.1, consistent with the financial statements described in
Section 5.1(c)); provided, however, if (a) the Borrower shall object to
determining such compliance on such basis at the time of delivery of such
financial statements due to any change in GAAP or the rules promulgated with
respect thereto or (b) either Agent or the Required Lenders shall so object in
writing within 60 days after delivery of such financial statements (or after the
New Credit Agreement Lenders have been informed of the change in GAAP affecting
such financial statements, if later), then such calculations shall be made on a
basis consistent with the most recent financial statements delivered by the 
Borrower to the New Credit Agreement Lenders as to which no such objection shall
have been made.


                                       24





                                   SECTION 2
 
                               CREDIT FACILITIES
 
    2.1  REVOLVING LOANS.
 
    (a) Revolving Loan Commitment. Subject to the terms and conditions set forth
herein, each New Credit Agreement Lender that has a Revolving Loan Commitment
Percentage severally agrees to make revolving loans (each a "Revolving Loan" and
collectively the "Revolving Loans") to the Borrower, in Dollars, at any time and
from time to time, during the period from and including the Effective Date to
but not including the Revolving Loan Maturity Date (or such earlier date if the
Revolving Committed Amount has been terminated as provided herein); provided,
however, that (i) the sum of the aggregate amount of Revolving Loans outstanding
plus the aggregate amount of Swingline Loans outstanding shall not exceed the
lesser of (x) the Revolving Committed Amount and (y) the Borrowing Base, and
(ii) with respect to each individual New Credit Agreement Lender, such New
Credit Agreement Lender's outstanding Revolving Loans shall not exceed such New
Credit Agreement Lender's Revolving Loan Commitment Percentage of the Revolving
Committed Amount.
 
    (b) Method of Borrowing for Revolving Loans. By no later than 11:00 a.m. (i)
one Business Day prior to the date of the requested borrowing of Revolving Loans
that will be Base Rate Loans or (ii) three Business Days prior to the date of
the requested borrowing of Revolving Loans that will be Eurodollar Loans, the
Borrower shall submit a written Notice of Borrowing in the form of Exhibit 2.1
to the Agent setting forth (A) the amount requested, (B) whether such Revolving
Loans shall accrue interest at the Adjusted Base Rate or the Adjusted Eurodollar
Rate, (C) with respect to Revolving Loans that will be Eurodollar Loans, the
Interest Period applicable thereto and (D) evidence that the Borrower has
complied in all respects with Section 5.2.
 
    (c) Funding of Revolving Loans. Upon receipt of a Notice of Borrowing, the
Agent shall promptly inform the applicable New Credit Agreement Lenders as to
the terms thereof. Each such New Credit Agreement Lender shall make its
Revolving Loan Commitment Percentage of the requested Revolving Loans available
to the Agent by 1:00 p.m. on the date specified in the Notice of Borrowing by
deposit, in Dollars, of immediately available funds at the offices of the Agent
at its principal office in Charlotte, North Carolina or at such other address as
the Agent may designate in writing. The amount of the requested Revolving Loans
will then be made available to the Borrower by the Agent by crediting the
account of the Borrower on the books of such office of the Agent, to the extent
the amount of such Revolving Loans are made available to the Agent.
 
    No New Credit Agreement Lender shall be responsible for the failure or delay
by any other New Credit Agreement Lender in its obligation to make Revolving
Loans


                                       25





hereunder; provided, however, that the failure of any New Credit Agreement 
Lender to fulfill its obligations hereunder shall not relieve any other New 
Credit Agreement Lender of its obligations hereunder. Unless the Agent shall 
have been notified by any New Credit Agreement Lender prior to the date of 
any such Revolving Loan that such New Credit Agreement Lender does not intend 
to make available to the Agent its portion of the Revolving Loans to be made 
on such date, the Agent may assume that such New Credit Agreement Lender has 
made such amount available to the Agent on the date of such Revolving Loans, 
and the Agent in reliance upon such assumption, may (in its sole discretion 
but without any obligation to do so) make available to the Borrower a 
corresponding amount. If such corresponding amount is not in fact made 
available to the Agent, the Agent shall be able to recover such corresponding 
amount from such New Credit Agreement Lender. If such New Credit Agreement 
Lender does not pay such corresponding amount forthwith upon the Agent's 
demand therefor, the Agent will promptly notify the Borrower, and the 
Borrower shall immediately pay such corresponding amount to the Agent. The 
Agent shall also be entitled to recover from the New Credit Agreement Lender 
or the Borrower, as the case may be, interest on such corresponding amount in 
respect of each day from the date such corresponding amount was made 
available by the Agent to the Borrower to the date such corresponding amount 
is recovered by the Agent at a per annum rate equal to (i) from the Borrower 
at the applicable rate for such Revolving Loan pursuant to the Notice of 
Borrowing and (ii) from a New Credit Agreement Lender at the Federal Funds 
Rate.
 
    (d) Reductions of Revolving Committed Amount. Upon at least three Business
Days' notice, the Borrower shall have the right to permanently terminate or
reduce the aggregate unused amount of the Revolving Committed Amount at any time
or from time to time; provided that (i) each partial reduction shall be in an
aggregate amount at least equal to $1,000,000 and in integral multiples of
$500,000 above such amount and (ii) no reduction shall be made which would
reduce the Revolving Committed Amount to an amount less than the aggregate
amount of outstanding Revolving Loans. Any reduction in (or termination of) the
Revolving Committed Amount shall be permanent and may not be reinstated.
 
    2.2  SWINGLINE LOAN SUBFACILITY.
 
    (a) Swingline Commitment. Subject to the terms and conditions set forth
herein, the Swingline Lender, in its individual capacity, agrees to make certain
revolving credit loans to the Borrower (each a "Swingline Loan" and,
collectively, the "Swingline Loans") at any time and from time to time, during
the period from and including the Effective Date to but not including the
Revolving Loan Maturity Date for the purposes hereinafter set forth; provided,
however, (i) the aggregate amount of Swingline Loans outstanding at any time
shall not exceed FIVE MILLION DOLLARS ($5,000,000.00) (the "Swingline Committed
Amount"), and (ii) the sum of the aggregate principal amount of outstanding
Revolving Loans plus the aggregate principal amount of outstanding Swingline
Loans shall not exceed the lesser of (x) the Revolving Committed Amount and (y)
the Borrowing Base. Swingline Loans hereunder shall be made as Base Rate Loans
in


                                       26





accordance with the provisions of this Section 2.3, and may be repaid and 
reborrowed in accordance with the provisions hereof.
 
    (b) Swingline Loan Advances.
 
        (i) Notices; Disbursement. Whenever the Borrower desires a Swingline
    Loan advance hereunder it shall give written notice (or telephone notice
    promptly confirmed in writing) to the Swingline Lender not later than 11:00
    A.M. (Charlotte, North Carolina time) on the Business Day of the requested
    Swingline Loan advance. Each such notice shall be irrevocable and shall
    specify (A) that a Swingline Loan advance is requested, (B) the date of the
    requested Swingline Loan advance (which shall be a Business Day) and (C) the
    principal amount of the Swingline Loan advance requested. Each Swingline
    Loan shall be made as a Base Rate Loan and shall have such maturity date as
    the Swingline Lender and the Borrower shall agree upon receipt by the
    Swingline Lender of any such notice from the Borrower. The Swingline Lender
    shall initiate the transfer of funds representing the Swingline Loan advance
    to the Borrower by 3:00 P.M. (Charlotte, North Carolina time) on the
    Business Day of the requested borrowing.
 
        (ii) Minimum Amounts. Each Swingline Loan advance shall be in a minimum
    principal amount of $100,000 and in integral multiples of $100,000 in excess
    thereof.
 
       (iii) Repayment of Swingline Loans. The principal amount of all Swingline
    Loans shall be due and payable on the earlier of (A) the maturity date
    agreed to by the Swingline Lender and the Borrower with respect to such Loan
    (which maturity date shall not be a date more than seven (7) Business Days
    from the date of advance thereof) or (B) the Revolving Loan Maturity Date.
    The Swingline Lender may, at any time, in its sole discretion, by written
    notice to the Borrower and the New Credit Agreement Lenders, demand
    repayment of its Swingline Loans by way of a Revolving
    Loan advance, in which case the Borrower shall be deemed to have requested a
    Revolving Loan advance comprised solely of Base Rate Loans in the amount of
    such Swingline Loans; provided, however, that any such demand shall be
    deemed to have been given one Business Day prior to the Revolving Loan
    Maturity Date and on the date of the occurrence of any Event of Default
    described in Section 9.1 and upon acceleration of the indebtedness hereunder
    and the exercise of remedies in accordance with the provisions of Section
    9.2. Each New Credit Agreement Lender hereby irrevocably agrees to make its
    pro rata share of each such Revolving Loan in the amount, in the manner and
    on the date specified in the preceding sentence notwithstanding (I) the
    amount of such borrowing may not comply with the minimum amount for advances
    of Revolving Loans otherwise required hereunder, (II) whether any conditions
    specified in Section 5.2 are then satisfied, (III) whether a Default or an
    Event of Default then exists, (IV) failure of any such request or deemed
    request for Revolving Loan to be made by the time otherwise required
    hereunder, (V) whether the date of such borrowing is a date on which


                                       27





    Revolving Loans are otherwise permitted to be made hereunder or (VI) any
    termination of the Commitments relating thereto immediately prior to or
    contemporaneously with such borrowing. In the event that any Revolving Loan
    cannot for any reason be made on the date otherwise required above
    (including, without limitation, as a result of the commencement of a
    proceeding under the Bankruptcy Code with respect to the Borrower or any
    other Credit Party), then each New Credit Agreement Lender hereby agrees
    that it shall forthwith purchase (as of the date such borrowing would
    otherwise have occurred, but adjusted for any payments received from the
    Borrower on or after such date and prior to such purchase) from the
    Swingline Lender such participations in the outstanding Swingline Loans as
    shall be necessary to cause each such New Credit Agreement Lender to share
    in such Swingline Loans ratably based upon its Revolving Loan Commitment
    Percentage (determined before giving effect to any termination of the
    Commitments pursuant to Section 2.1(d)), provided that (A) all interest
    payable on the Swingline Loans shall be for the account of the Swingline
    Lender until the date as of which the respective participation is purchased
    and (B) at the time any purchase of participations pursuant to this sentence
    is actually made, the purchasing New Credit Agreement Lender shall be
    required to pay to the Swingline Lender, to the extent not paid to the
    Swingline Lender by the Borrower in accordance with the terms of subsection
    (c) below, interest on the principal amount of participation purchased for
    each day from and including the day upon which such borrowing would
    otherwise have occurred to but excluding the date of payment for such
    participation, at the rate equal to the Federal Funds Rate.
 
    (c) Interest on Swingline Loans. Subject to the provisions of Section 3.1,
each Swingline Loan shall bear interest at per annum rate equal to the Base
Rate. Interest on Swingline Loans shall be payable in arrears on each applicable
Interest Payment Date (or at such other times as may be specified herein).
 
    2.3  TERM LOANS.
 
    (a) Tranche A Term Loan. Subject to the terms and conditions set forth
herein, each New Credit Agreement Lender that has a Tranche A Term Loan
Commitment Percentage severally agrees, on the Effective Date, to make a term
loan (collectively, the "Tranche A Term Loans") to the Borrower, in Dollars, in
an amount equal to such New Credit Agreement Lender's Tranche A Term Loan
Commitment Percentage of the Tranche A Term Loan Committed Amount; provided that
the aggregate amount of such Tranche A Term Loans made on the Effective Date
shall not exceed the Tranche A Term Loan Committed Amount. Once repaid, Tranche
A Term Loans cannot be reborrowed.
 
    (b) Funding of Tranche A Term Loans. On the Effective Date, each applicable
New Credit Agreement Lender will make its Tranche A Term Loan Commitment
Percentage of the Tranche A Term Loan Committed Amount available to the Agent by
deposit, in Dollars and in immediately available funds, at the offices of the
Agent at its principal office in Charlotte, North Carolina or at such other
address as the


                                       28





Agent may designate in writing. The amount of the Tranche A Term Loans will 
then be made available to the Borrower by the Agent by crediting the account 
of the Borrower on the books of such office of the Agent, to the extent the 
amount of such Tranche A Term Loans are made available to the Agent. All
Tranche A Term Loans on the Effective Date shall be Base Rate Loans. Thereafter,
all or any portion of the Tranche A Term Loans may be converted into Eurodollar
Loans in accordance with the terms of Section 2.4.
 
    (c) Amortization. The principal amount of the Tranche A Term Loans shall be
repaid in quarterly payments in the amounts and on the dates set forth below:
 



        PRINCIPAL AMORTIZATION                   TRANCHE A TERM LOAN
        PAYMENT DATES                        PRINCIPAL AMORTIZATION PAYMENT
        ----------------------               ------------------------------
                                          
        September 30, 1997...............            $820,000.00
        December 31, 1997................            $820,000.00
        March 31, 1998...................            $820,000.00
        June 30, 1998....................            $820,000.00
        September 30, 1998...............            $820,000.00
        December 31, 1998................            $933,333.33
        March 31, 1999...................            $933,333.33
        June 30, 1999....................            $933,333.33
        September 30, 1999...............            $933,333.34
        December 31, 1999................          $1,100,000.00
        March 31, 2000...................          $1,100,000.00
        June 30, 2000....................          $1,100,000.00
        September 30, 2000...............          $1,100,000.00
        December 31, 2000................          $1,100,000.00
        March 31, 2001...................          $1,100,000.00
        June 30, 2001....................          $1,100,000.00
        September 30, 2001...............          $1,100,000.00
        December 31, 2001................          $1,100,000.00
        March 31, 2002...................          $1,100,000.00
        June 26, 2002....................          $1,166,666.67
        
        Total............................         $20,000,000.00


 
    2.4  CONTINUATIONS AND CONVERSIONS.
 
    Subject to the terms of Section 5.2, the Borrower shall have the option, on
any Business Day, to continue in existence Eurodollar Loans for a subsequent
Interest Period, to convert Base Rate Loans into Eurodollar Loans or to convert
Eurodollar Loans into Base Rate Loans; provided, however, that (a) each such
continuation or conversion must be requested by the Borrower pursuant to a
written Notice of Continuation/Conversion, in the form of Exhibit 2.4, in
compliance with the terms set forth below, (b) except as provided in Section
3.12, Eurodollar Loans may only be continued or converted into Base Rate Loans
on the last day of the Interest


                                       29





Period applicable thereto, (c) Eurodollar Loans may not be continued nor may 
Base Rate Loans be converted into Eurodollar Loans during the existence and 
continuation of a Default or Event of Default and (d) any request to extend a 
Eurodollar Loan that fails to comply with the terms hereof or any failure to 
request an extension of a Eurodollar Loan at the end of an Interest Period 
shall constitute a request for a conversion to a Base Rate Loan on the last 
day of the applicable Interest Period. Each continuation or conversion must 
be requested by the Borrower no later than 11:00 a.m. (i) one Business Day 
prior to the date for a requested conversion of a Eurodollar Loan to a Base 
Rate Loan or (ii) three Business Days prior to the date for a requested 
extension of a Eurodollar Loan or conversion of a Base Rate Loan to a 
Eurodollar Loan, in each case pursuant to a written Notice of 
Continuation/Conversion submitted to the Agent which shall set forth (A) 
whether the Loans to be continued or converted are Revolving Loans or Tranche 
A Term Loans, (B) whether the Borrower wishes to continue or convert such 
Loans and (C) if the request is to continue a Eurodollar Loan or convert a 
Base Rate Loan to a Eurodollar Loan, the Interest Period applicable thereto.

    2.5  MINIMUM AMOUNTS.
 
    Each request for a borrowing, conversion or continuation shall be subject to
the requirements that (a) each Eurodollar Loan shall be in a minimum amount of
$1,000,000 and in integral multiples of $500,000 in excess thereof, (b) each
Base Rate Loan shall be in a minimum amount of the lesser of $1,000,000 (and
integral multiples of $500,000 in excess thereof) or the remaining amount
available under the Revolving Committed Amount or the then remaining principal
balance of the Tranche A Term Loan, as applicable and (c) no more than ten
Eurodollar Loans shall, in the aggregate, be outstanding under the Supplemental
Credit Agreement and hereunder at any one time. For the purposes of this
Section, all Eurodollar Loans with the same Interest Periods shall be considered
as one Eurodollar Loan, but Eurodollar Loans with different Interest Periods,
even if they begin on the same date, shall be considered as separate Eurodollar
Loans.
 
    2.6  NOTES.
 
    (a) Revolving Loan Notes. The Revolving Loans made by each New Credit
Agreement Lender shall be evidenced by a duly executed promissory note of the
Borrower to each applicable New Credit Agreement Lender in the face amount of
its Revolving Loan Commitment Percentage of the Revolving Committed Amount in
substantially the form of Exhibit 2.6(a).
 
    (b) Tranche A Term Loan Notes. The Tranche A Term Loan made by each New
Credit Agreement Lender shall be evidenced by a duly executed promissory note of
the Borrower to each applicable New Credit Agreement Lender in the face amount
of its Tranche A Term Loan Commitment Percentage of the Tranche A Term Loan
Committed Amount in substantially the form of Exhibit 2.6(b).
 
    (c) Swingline Note. The Swingline Loans shall be evidenced by a duly
executed promissory note of the Borrower to the Swingline Lender in
substantially the 


                                       30





form of Exhibit 2.6(c) in a principal amount equal to the amount of the 
Swingline Committed Amount.
 
                                   SECTION 3
 
                     GENERAL PROVISIONS APPLICABLE TO LOANS
 
    3.1  INTEREST.
 
    (a) Interest Rate. All Base Rate Loans (including, without limitation, all
Swingline Loans) shall accrue interest at the Adjusted Base Rate and all
Eurodollar Loans shall accrue interest at the Adjusted Eurodollar Rate.
 
    (b) Default Rate of Interest. Upon the occurrence, and during the
continuance, of an Event of Default, the principal of and, to the extent
permitted by law, interest on the Loans and any other amounts owing hereunder or
under the other Credit Documents (including without limitation fees and
expenses) shall bear interest, payable on demand, at a per annum rate equal to
4% plus the rate which would otherwise be applicable (or if no rate is
applicable, then the rate for Revolving Loans that are Base Rate Loans plus four
percent (4%) per annum).
 
    (c) Interest Payments. Interest on Loans (including, without limitation, all
Swingline Loans) shall be due and payable in arrears on each Interest Payment
Date. If an Interest Payment Date falls on a date which is not a Business Day,
such Interest Payment Date shall be deemed to be the next succeeding Business
Day (subject to accrual of interest for the period of such extension), except
that in the case of Eurodollar Loans where the next succeeding Business Day
falls in the next succeeding calendar month, then on the next preceding day.
 
    3.2  PLACE AND MANNER OF PAYMENTS.

    All payments of principal, interest, fees, expenses and other amounts to be
made by a Credit Party under this Credit Agreement shall be received not later
than 2:00 p.m. on the date when due, in Dollars and in immediately available
funds, by the Agent at its offices at NationsBank Plaza, Charlotte, North
Carolina. Payments received after such time shall be deemed to have been
received on the next Business Day. The Borrower shall, at the time it makes any
payment under this Credit Agreement, specify to the Agent, the Loans, fees or
other amounts payable by the Borrower hereunder to which such payment is to be
applied (and in the event that it fails to specify, or if such application would
be inconsistent with the terms hereof, the Agent shall, subject to Section 3.7,
distribute such payment to the New Credit Agreement Lenders in such manner as
the Agent may deem appropriate). The Agent will distribute such payments to the
applicable New Credit Agreement Lenders on the date received if any such payment
is received prior to 2:00 p.m.; otherwise the Agent will distribute such payment
to the applicable Lenders on the next succeeding Business Day. Whenever any
payment hereunder shall be stated to be due on a day which is not a Business
Day, the due date thereof shall be


                                       31





extended to the next succeeding Business Day (subject to accrual of interest 
and fees for the period of such extension), except that in the case of 
Eurodollar Loans, if the extension would cause the payment to be made in the 
next following calendar month, then such payment shall instead be made on the 
next preceding Business Day.
 
    3.3  PREPAYMENTS.
 
    (a) Voluntary Prepayments. The Borrower shall have the right to prepay Loans
in whole or in part from time to time without premium or penalty; provided,
however, that (i) Eurodollar Loans may only be prepaid on three Business Days'
prior written notice to the Agent and any prepayment of Eurodollar Loans will be
subject to Section 3.15; (ii) Base Rate Loans may only be prepaid after written
notice (confirmed by a telephone call from the Borrower) to the Agent not later
than 11:00 a.m. on the Business Day of the applicable prepayment (iii) each such
partial prepayment of Loans shall be (A) in the case of Revolving Loans in the
minimum principal amount of $500,000 and integral multiples of $500,000 in
excess thereof, (B) in the case of Swingline Loans, in a minimum principal
amount of $1,000,000 and integral multiples of $1,000,000 in excess thereof and
(C) in the case of Tranche A Term Loans, in a minimum principal amount of
$1,000,000 and integral multiples of $1,000,000 in excess thereof; (iv)
voluntary prepayments with respect to the Term Loans shall be applied pro rata
between the outstanding Tranche A Term Loans, Tranche A Supplemental Term Loans
and Tranche B Term Loans (pro rata among the remaining Principal Amortization
Payments in inverse order of maturity thereof); and (v) any prepayment of
Tranche A Term Loans made within one year of the Closing Date shall be subject
to the prepayment penalty provisions of Section 3.3(d) hereof.
 
    (b) Mandatory Prepayments.
 
        (i) Revolving Committed Amount. If at any time the sum of the aggregate
    amount of Revolving Loans outstanding plus the aggregate amount of Swingline
    Loans outstanding exceeds the lesser of (x) the Revolving Committed Amount
    and (y) the Borrowing Base, the Borrower shall immediately make a principal
    payment to the Agent in the manner and in an amount necessary to be in
    compliance with Section 2.1.
 
        (ii) Excess Cash Flow. Within 10 days after the date the audited
    financial statements are required to be delivered pursuant to Section
    7.1(a), the Borrower shall make a prepayment of the Loans, Tranche A
    Supplemental Term Loans and Tranche B Term Loans in an amount equal to 75%
    of the Excess Cash Flow earned during such prior fiscal year (to be applied
    as set forth in Section 3.3(c) below).
 
       (iii) Asset Dispositions. Immediately upon receipt by the Borrower or any
    of its Subsidiaries of proceeds from any Asset Disposition, the Borrower
    shall forward 100% of the Net Cash Proceeds of such Asset Disposition to 


                                       32





    the Lenders as a prepayment of the Loans, Tranche A Supplemental Term Loans
    and Tranche B Term Loans (to be applied as set forth in Section 3.3(c) 
    below).

        (iv) Issuances of Equity. Immediately upon receipt by the Borrower or
    any of its Subsidiaries of proceeds from any Equity Issuance (other than the
    issuance of shares of capital stock of the Borrower in connection with the
    Borrower's purchase of the Acquired Assets), the Borrower shall forward 50%
    of the Net Cash Proceeds of such Equity Issuance to the Lenders as a
    prepayment of the Loans, Tranche A Supplemental Term Loans and Tranche B
    Term Loans (to be applied as set forth in Section 3.3(c) below).
 
        (v) Recovery Event. Subject to the terms and conditions of Section 7.6
    hereof, immediately upon receipt by the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries
    of proceeds from any Recovery Event, the Borrower shall forward 100% of the
    Net Cash Proceeds from such Recovery Event to the Lenders as a prepayment of
    the Loans, Tranche A Supplemental Term Loans and Tranche B Term Loans (to be
    applied as set forth in Section 3.3(c) below).
 
        (vi) Debt Issuances. Immediately upon receipt by the Borrower or any of
    its Subsidiaries of proceeds from any Debt Issuance, the Borrower shall
    prepay the Loans, the Tranche A Supplemental Term Loans and the Tranche B
    Term Loans in an aggregate amount equal to 100% of the Net Cash Proceeds of
    such Debt Issuance to the Lenders (such prepayment to be applied as set
    forth in Section 3.3(c) below).
 
    (c) Application of Prepayments. All amounts required to be paid pursuant to
Section 3.3(b)(i) shall be applied first to Revolving Loans and second to
Swingline Loans. All amounts required to be paid pursuant to Section 3.3(b)(ii),
(iii), (iv), (v) and (vi) above shall be applied, first pro rata among the
outstanding Tranche A Term Loans, the Tranche A Supplemental Term Loans and
Tranche B Term Loans (which amounts shall then be applied to the remaining
Principal Amortization Payments due with respect to the Tranche A Term Loans,
the Tranche A Supplemental Term Loans and Tranche B Term Loans in inverse order
of maturity thereof), second to the Revolving Loans (with a corresponding
reduction in the Revolving Committed Amount) and third to Swingline Loans (with
a corresponding reduction in the Revolving Committed Amount). One or more
holders of the Tranche B Term Loans may decline to accept a mandatory prepayment
under Sections 3.3(b)(ii), (iii), (iv), (v) or (vi) with respect to the Tranche
B Term Loans (to the extent there is sufficient Tranche A Term Loans and Tranche
A Supplemental Term Loans outstanding to be paid with such prepayment) in which
case such declined prepayments shall be allocated pro rata among the Tranche A
Term Loans and Tranche A Supplemental Term Loans and among the Tranche B Term
Loans held by Lenders accepting such prepayments; provided, however, a Lender
declining to accept a mandatory prepayment shall be required to make such
election to decline with respect to the Tranche B Term Loan of such Lender.
Within the parameters of the application set forth above, prepayments shall be
applied first to Base Rate Loans and then to Eurodollar Loans in direct order of
Interest Period maturities. All prepayments hereunder shall be subject to
Section 3.15.


                                       33





    (d) Prepayment Penalty. In the event the Borrower voluntarily elects to
prepay the Tranche A Term Loan within one year following the Closing Date as
permitted by Section 3.3(a) hereof and such prepayment is made with the proceeds
of any other Indebtedness, the Borrower shall be obligated to pay a prepayment
fee equal to one-half percent (1/2%) of the principal amount prepaid; provided,
however, the prepayment fee referred to in this Section 3.3(d) shall not apply
to any voluntary prepayment made with any part of the fifty percent (50%)
portion of proceeds from an Equity Issuance that the Borrower is permitted to
retain pursuant to Section 3.3(b)(iv) hereof. After one year from the Closing
Date, the Borrower may prepay the Tranche A Term Loan without a prepayment
penalty or fee.
 
    3.4  FEES.
 
    (a) Commitment Fees. In consideration of the Revolving Committed Amount 
being made available by the New Credit Agreement Lenders hereunder, the 
Borrower agrees to pay to the Agent, for the pro rata benefit of each 
applicable New Credit Agreement Lender (based on each New Credit Agreement 
Lender's Revolving Loan Commitment Percentage of the Revolving Committed 
Amount), a fee equal to one-half of one percent (.5%) per annum on the Unused 
Commitment (the "Commitment Fees"). The accrued Commitment Fees shall 
commence to accrue on the Closing Date and shall be due and payable in 
arrears on the last Business Day of each fiscal quarter of the Borrower (as 
well as on the Revolving Loan Maturity Date and on any date that the 
Revolving Committed Amount is reduced) for the immediately preceding fiscal 
quarter (or portion thereof), beginning with the first of such dates to occur 
after the Closing Date.
 
    (b) Administrative Fees. The Borrower agrees to pay to the Agent, for its
own account, an annual fee as agreed to between the Borrower and the Agent in
the Fee Letter.
 
    3.5  PAYMENT IN FULL AT MATURITY.
 
    (a) On the Revolving Loan Maturity Date, the entire outstanding principal
balance of all Revolving Loans, together with accrued but unpaid interest and
all other sums owing with respect thereto, shall be due and payable in full,
unless accelerated sooner pursuant to Section 9.
 
    (b) On the Tranche A Term Loan Maturity Date, the entire outstanding
principal balance of all Tranche A Term Loans, together with accrued but unpaid
interest and all other sums owing with respect thereto, shall be due and payable
in full, unless accelerated sooner pursuant to Section 9.


                                       34





    3.6  COMPUTATIONS OF INTEREST AND FEES.
 
    (a) Except for Base Rate Loans, in which case interest shall be computed on
the basis of a 365 or 366 day year as the case may be (unless the Base Rate is
determined by reference to the Federal Funds Rate), all computations of interest
and fees hereunder shall be made on the basis of the actual number of days
elapsed over a year of 360 days. Interest shall accrue from and include the date
of borrowing (or continuation or conversion) but exclude the date of payment.
 
    (b) It is the intent of the New Credit Agreement Lenders and the Credit
Parties to conform to and contract in strict compliance with applicable usury
law from time to time in effect. All agreements between the New Credit Agreement
Lenders and the Borrower are hereby limited by the provisions of this paragraph
which shall override and control all such agreements, whether now existing or
hereafter arising and whether written or oral. In no way, nor in any event or
contingency (including but not limited to prepayment or acceleration of the
maturity of any obligation), shall the interest taken, reserved, contracted for,
charged, or received under this Credit Agreement, under the Notes or otherwise,
exceed the maximum nonusurious amount permissible under applicable law. If, from
any possible construction of any of the Credit Documents or any other document,
interest would otherwise be payable in excess of the maximum nonusurious amount,
any such construction shall be subject to the provisions of this paragraph and
such documents shall be automatically reduced to the maximum nonusurious amount
permitted under applicable law, without the necessity of execution of any
amendment or new document. If any New Credit Agreement Lender shall ever receive
anything of value which is characterized as interest on the Loans under
applicable law and which would, apart from this provision, be in excess of the
maximum lawful amount, an amount equal to the amount which would have been
excessive interest shall, without penalty, be applied to the reduction of the
principal amount owing on the Loans and not to the payment of interest, or
refunded to the Borrower or the other payor thereof if and to the extent such
amount which would have been excessive exceeds such unpaid principal amount of
the Loans. The right to demand payment of the Loans or any other indebtedness
evidenced by any of the Credit Documents does not include the right to receive
any interest which has not otherwise accrued on the date of such demand, and the
New Credit Agreement Lenders do not intend to charge or receive any unearned
interest in the event of such demand. All interest paid or agreed to be paid to
the New Credit Agreement Lenders with respect to the Loans shall, to the extent
permitted by applicable law, be amortized, prorated, allocated, and spread
throughout the full stated term (including any renewal or extension) of the
Loans so that the amount of interest on account of such indebtedness does not
exceed the maximum nonusurious amount permitted by applicable law.
 
    3.7  PRO RATA TREATMENT.

    Except to the extent otherwise provided herein, each Loan borrowing, each
Tranche A Supplemental Term Loan borrowing, each Tranche B Term Loan 
borrowing, each payment or prepayment of principal of any Loan, Tranche A 
Supplemental Term Loan, or Tranche B Term


                                       35






Loan, each payment of fees (other than the Administrative Fees retained by 
the Agent for its own account), each reduction of the Revolving Committed 
Amount, and each conversion or continuation of any Loan, Tranche A 
Supplemental Term Loan or the Tranche B Term Loan, shall be allocated pro 
rata among the relevant Lenders in accordance with the respective Revolving 
Loan Commitment Percentages, Tranche A Term Loan Commitment Percentages, 
Tranche A Supplemental Term Loan Commitment Percentages, and Tranche B Term 
Loan Commitment Percentages, as applicable, of such Lenders (or, if the 
Commitments, Tranche A Supplemental Term Loan Committed Amount or Tranche B 
Term Loan Committed Amount of such Lenders have expired or been terminated, 
in accordance with the respective principal amounts of their outstanding 
Loans, Tranche A Supplemental Term Loans, Tranche B Term Loans and 
Participation Interests of such Lenders); provided that, if any Lender shall 
have failed to pay its applicable pro rata share of any Loan, Tranche A 
Supplemental Term Loan or Tranche B Term Loan then any amount to which such 
Lender would otherwise be entitled pursuant to this Section shall instead be 
payable to the Agent; provided further, that in the event any amount paid to 
any Lender pursuant to this Section is rescinded or must otherwise be 
returned by the Agent, each Lender shall, upon the request of the Agent, 
repay to the Agent the amount so paid to such Lender, with interest for the 
period commencing on the date such payment is returned by the Agent until the 
date the Agent receives such repayment at a rate per annum equal to, during 
the period to but excluding the date two Business Days after such request, 
the Federal Funds Rate, and thereafter, the Base Rate plus four percent (4%) 
per annum.
 
    3.8  ALLOCATION OF PAYMENTS AFTER EVENT OF DEFAULT.
 
    Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Credit Agreement or the
Supplemental Credit Agreement, after the occurrence and during the continuance
of an Event of Default, all amounts collected or received by an Agent or any
Lender on account of amounts outstanding under any of the Credit Documents or
any of the Supplemental Credit Documents or in respect of the Collateral shall
be paid over or delivered as follows:
 
        FIRST, to the payment of all reasonable out-of-pocket costs and expenses
    (including without limitation reasonable attorneys' fees) of the Agent in
    connection with enforcing the rights of the Lenders under the Credit
    Documents and the Supplemental Credit Lenders under the Supplemental Credit
    Documents and any protective advances made by the Agent with respect to the
    Collateral under or pursuant to the terms of the Collateral Documents;
 
        SECOND, to payment of any fees owed to an Agent in its capacity as
    Agent;
 
        THIRD, to the payment of all reasonable out-of-pocket costs and
    expenses, (including, without limitation, reasonable attorneys' fees) of
    each of the Lenders in connection with enforcing its rights under the Credit
    Documents and the Supplemental Credit Documents;
 
        FOURTH, to the payment of all accrued fees and interest payable to (i)
    the New Credit Agreement Lenders hereunder and (ii) the Supplemental Credit
    Lenders under the Supplemental Credit Agreement;

                                       36



        FIFTH, to the payment of the outstanding principal amount of the Loans,
    Tranche A Supplemental Term Loans and Tranche B Term Loans, and to any
    principal amounts outstanding under Hedging Agreements, pro rata, as set
    forth below;
 
        SIXTH, to all other obligations which shall have become due and payable
    under the Credit Documents and Supplemental Credit Documents, pro rata, and
    not repaid pursuant to clauses "FIRST" through "FIFTH" above; and
 
        SEVENTH, to the payment of the surplus, if any, to whomever may be
    lawfully entitled to receive such surplus.
 
    In carrying out the foregoing, (a) amounts received shall be applied in the
numerical order provided until exhausted prior to application to the next
succeeding category and (b) each of the Lenders shall receive an amount equal to
its pro rata share (based on the proportion that the then outstanding Loans,
outstanding Tranche A Supplemental Term Loans, outstanding Tranche B Term Loans
and obligations under Hedging Agreements held by such Lender bears to the
aggregate then outstanding Loans, outstanding Tranche A Supplemental Term Loans,
outstanding Tranche B Term Loans and obligations under Hedging Agreements) of
amounts available to be applied pursuant to clauses "THIRD", "FOURTH," "FIFTH,"
and "SIXTH" above.
 
    3.9  SHARING OF PAYMENTS.
 
    The New Credit Agreement Lenders agree among themselves that, except to 
the extent otherwise provided herein, in the event that any Lender shall 
obtain payment in respect of any Loan, Tranche A Supplemental Term Loan or 
Tranche B Term Loan, or any other obligation owing to such Lender under this 
Credit Agreement or the Supplemental Credit Agreement through the exercise of 
a right of setoff, banker's lien or counterclaim, or pursuant to a secured 
claim under Section 506 of the Bankruptcy Code or other security or interest 
arising from, or in lieu of, such secured claim, received by such Lender 
under any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar law or 
otherwise, or by any other means, in excess of its pro rata share of such 
payment as provided for in this Credit Agreement, such Lender shall promptly 
purchase from the other Lenders for cash an interest in such Loans, Tranche A 
Supplemental Term Loans or Tranche B Term Loans, and other obligations in 
such amounts, and make such other adjustments from time to time, as shall be 
equitable to the end that all Lenders and Supplemental Credit Lenders share 
such payment in accordance with their respective ratable shares as provided 
for in this Credit Agreement and the Supplemental Credit Agreement. The New 
Credit Agreement Lenders further agree among themselves that if payment to a 
New Credit Agreement Lender or Supplemental Credit Lender obtained by such 
New Credit Agreement Lender or Supplemental Credit Lender through the 
exercise of a right of setoff, banker's lien, counterclaim or other event as 
aforesaid shall be rescinded or must otherwise be restored, each Lender which 
shall have shared the benefit of such payment shall, by repurchase of the 
interest theretofore sold, return its share of that benefit (together with 
its share of any accrued interest payable with respect thereto) to each 
Lender or Supplemental Credit Lender whose payment shall have been rescinded 
or otherwise restored. The Borrower agrees that any Lender so purchasing such 
an interest may, to the fullest extent permitted by law, exercise all rights 
of payment, including setoff, banker's lien or counterclaim,

                                      37



with respect to such interest as fully as if such Lender were a holder of 
such Loan, Tranche A Supplemental Term Loan or Tranche B Term Loans or other 
obligation in the amount of such interest. Except as otherwise expressly 
provided in this Credit Agreement, if any Lender or the Agent shall fail to 
remit to the Agent or any other Lender an amount payable by such Lender or 
the Agent to the Agent or such other Lender pursuant to this Credit Agreement 
or the Supplemental Credit Agreement on the date when such amount is due, 
such payments shall be made together with interest thereon for each date from 
the date such amount is due until the date such amount is paid to the Agent 
or such other Lender at a rate per annum equal to the Federal Funds Rate. If 
under any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar law, any Lender 
receives a secured claim in lieu of a setoff to which this Section 3.9 
applies, such Lender shall, to the extent practicable, exercise its rights in 
respect of such secured claim in a manner consistent with the rights of the 
Lenders under this Section 3.9 to share in the benefits of any recovery on 
such secured claim.


    3.10  CAPITAL ADEQUACY.

    If, after the date hereof, any New Credit Agreement Lender has determined 
that the adoption or the becoming effective of, or any change in, or any 
change by any Governmental Authority, central bank or comparable agency 
charged with the interpretation or administration thereof in the 
interpretation or administration of, any applicable law, rule or regulation 
regarding capital adequacy, or compliance by such New Credit Agreement Lender 
with any request or directive regarding capital adequacy (whether or not 
having the force of law) of any such authority, central bank or comparable 
agency, has or would have the effect of reducing the rate of return on such 
New Credit Agreement Lender's capital or assets as a consequence of its 
commitments or obligations hereunder to a level below that which such New 
Credit Agreement Lender could have achieved but for such adoption, 
effectiveness, change or compliance (taking into consideration such New 
Credit Agreement Lender's policies with respect to capital adequacy), then, 
upon notice from such New Credit Agreement Lender to the Borrower, the 
Borrower shall be obligated to pay to such New Credit Agreement Lender such 
additional amount or amounts as will compensate such New Credit Agreement 
Lender for such reduction. Each determination by any such New Credit 
Agreement Lender of amounts owing under this Section shall, absent manifest 
error, be conclusive and binding on the parties hereto.
 
    3.11  INABILITY TO DETERMINE INTEREST RATE.
 
    If prior to the first day of any Interest Period, the Agent shall have 
determined (which determination shall be conclusive and binding upon the 
Borrower) that, by reason of circumstances affecting the relevant market, 
adequate and reasonable means do not exist for ascertaining the Eurodollar 
Rate for such Interest Period, the Agent shall promptly give telecopy or 
telephonic notice thereof to the Borrower and the New Credit Agreement 
Lenders. If such notice is given (a) any Eurodollar Loans requested to be 
made on the first day of such Interest Period shall be made as Base Rate 
Loans, (b) any Loans that were to have been converted on the first day of 
such Interest Period to or continued as Eurodollar Loans shall be converted 
to or continued as Base Rate Loans and (c) any outstanding Eurodollar Loans 
shall be converted, on the first day of such Interest Period, to Base Rate 
Loans. Until such notice has been withdrawn

                                       38



by the Agent, no further Eurodollar Loans shall be made or continued as such, 
nor shall the Borrower have the right to convert Base Rate Loans to 
Eurodollar Loans.

    3.12  ILLEGALITY.

    Notwithstanding any other provision herein, if the adoption of or any change
in any Requirement of Law or in the interpretation or application thereof
occurring after the Closing Date shall make it unlawful for any New Credit
Agreement Lender to make or maintain Eurodollar Loans as contemplated by this
Credit Agreement, (a) such New Credit Agreement Lender shall promptly give
written notice of such circumstances to the Borrower and the Agent (which notice
shall be withdrawn whenever such circumstances no longer exist), (b) the
commitment of such New Credit Agreement Lender hereunder to make Eurodollar
Loans, continue Eurodollar Loans as such and convert a Base Rate Loan to
Eurodollar Loans shall forthwith be canceled and, until such time as it shall no
longer be unlawful for such New Credit Agreement Lender to make or maintain
Eurodollar Loans, such New Credit Agreement Lender shall then have a commitment
only to make a Base Rate Loan when a Eurodollar Loan is requested and (c) such
New Credit Agreement Lender's Loans then outstanding as Eurodollar Loans, if
any, shall be converted automatically to Base Rate Loans on the respective last
days or the then current Interest Periods with respect to such Loans or within
such earlier period as required by law. If any such conversion of a Eurodollar
Loan occurs on a day which is not the last day of the then current Interest
Period with respect thereto, the Borrower shall pay to such New Credit Agreement
Lender such amounts, if any, as may be required pursuant to Section 3.15.

    3.13  REQUIREMENTS OF LAW.

    If the adoption of or any change in any Requirement of Law or in the
interpretation or application thereof applicable to any New Credit Agreement
Lender, or compliance by any New Credit Agreement Lender with any request or
directive (whether or not having the force of law) from any central bank or
other Governmental Authority, in each case made subsequent to the Closing Date
(or, if later, the date on which such New Credit Agreement Lender becomes a New
Credit Agreement Lender):

        (a) shall subject such New Credit Agreement Lender to any tax of any 
    kind whatsoever with respect to any Eurodollar Loans made by it or its 
    obligation to make Eurodollar Loans, or change the basis of taxation of 
    payments to such New Credit Agreement Lender in respect thereof (except 
    for Non-Excluded Taxes covered by Section 3.14 (including Non-Excluded 
    Taxes imposed solely by reason of any failure of such New Credit Agreement
    Lender to comply with its obligations under Section 3.14(b)) and changes
    in taxes measured by or imposed upon the overall net income, or franchise
    tax (imposed in lieu of such net income tax), of such New Credit Agreement
    Lender or its applicable lending office, branch, or any affiliate 
    thereof);
 
                                      39



        (b) shall impose, modify or hold applicable any reserve, special
    deposit, compulsory loan or similar requirement against assets held by,
    deposits or other liabilities in or for the account of, advances, loans
    or other extensions of credit by, or any other acquisition of funds by,
    any office of such New Credit Agreement Lender which is not otherwise
    included in the determination of the Eurodollar Rate hereunder; or
 
        (c) shall impose on such New Credit Agreement Lender any other
    condition (excluding any tax of any kind whatsoever);

and the result of any of the foregoing is to increase the cost to such New 
Credit Agreement Lender, by an amount which such New Credit Agreement Lender 
reasonably deems to be material, of making, converting into, continuing or 
maintaining Eurodollar Loans or to reduce any amount receivable hereunder in 
respect thereof, then, in any such case, upon notice to the Borrower from 
such New Credit Agreement Lender, through the Agent, in accordance herewith, 
the Borrower shall be obligated to promptly pay such New Credit Agreement 
Lender, upon its demand, any additional amounts necessary to compensate such 
New Credit Agreement Lender for such increased cost or reduced amount 
receivable, provided that, in any such case, the Borrower may elect to 
convert the Eurodollar Loans made by such New Credit Agreement Lender 
hereunder to Base Rate Loans by giving the Agent at least one Business Day's 
notice of such election, in which case the Borrower shall promptly pay to 
such New Credit Agreement Lender, upon demand, without duplication, such 
amounts, if any, as may be required pursuant to Section 3.15. If any New 
Credit Agreement Lender becomes entitled to claim any additional amounts 
pursuant to this Section 3.13, it shall provide prompt notice thereof to the 
Borrower, through the Agent, certifying (x) that one of the events described 
in this Section 3.13 has occurred and describing in reasonable detail the 
nature of such event, (y) as to the increased cost or reduced amount 
resulting from such event and (z) as to the additional amount demanded by 
such New Credit Agreement Lender and a reasonably detailed explanation of the 
calculation thereof. Such a certificate as to any additional amounts payable 
pursuant to this Section 3.13 submitted by such New Credit Agreement Lender, 
through the Agent, to the Borrower shall be conclusive and binding on the 
parties hereto in the absence of manifest error. This covenant shall survive 
the termination of this Credit Agreement and the payment of the Loans and all 
other amounts payable hereunder.
 
    3.14  TAXES.
 
        (a) Except as provided below in this Section 3.14, all payments made
    by the Borrower under this Credit Agreement and any Notes shall be made
    free and clear of, and without deduction or withholding for or on account
    of, any present or future income, stamp or other taxes, levies, imposts, 
    duties, charges, fees, deductions or withholdings, now or hereafter 
    imposed, levied, collected, withheld or assessed by any court, or 
    governmental body, agency or other official, excluding taxes measured by 
    or imposed upon the overall net income of any New Credit Agreement Lender 
    or its applicable lending office, or any branch or affiliate thereof, and 
    all franchise taxes, branch taxes, taxes on doing business or taxes on the 
    overall capital or net worth of any New Credit Agreement Lender or its 
    applicable lending office, or any branch or affiliate thereof, in each 
    case imposed in lieu of net income taxes: (i) by the jurisdiction under 
    the laws of

                                       40


    which such New Credit Agreement Lender, applicable lending office, branch 
    or affiliate is organized or is located, or in which its principal 
    executive office is located, or any nation within which such jurisdiction 
    is located or any political subdivision thereof; or (ii) by reason of any 
    connection between the jurisdiction imposing such tax and such New Credit 
    Agreement Lender, applicable lending office, branch or affiliate other 
    than a connection arising solely from such New Credit Agreement Lender 
    having executed, delivered or performed its obligations, or received 
    payment under or enforced, this Credit Agreement or any Notes. If any 
    such non-excluded taxes, levies, imposts, duties, charges, fees, 
    deductions or withholdings ("Non-Excluded Taxes") are required to be 
    withheld from any amounts payable to the Agent or any New Credit Agreement 
    Lender hereunder or under any Notes, (A) the amounts so payable to the 
    Agent or such Lender shall be increased to the extent necessary to yield 
    to an Agent or such New Credit Agreement Lender (after payment of all 
    Non-Excluded Taxes) interest or any such other amounts payable hereunder 
    at the rates or in the amounts specified in this Credit Agreement and any 
    Notes, provided, however, that the Borrower shall be entitled to deduct 
    and withhold any Non-Excluded Taxes and shall not be required to increase 
    any such amounts payable to any New Credit Agreement Lender that is not 
    organized under the laws of the United States of America or a state 
    thereof if such Lender fails to comply with the requirements of paragraph 
    (b) of this Section 3.14 whenever any Non-Excluded Taxes are payable by 
    the Borrower, and (B) as promptly as possible thereafter the Borrower 
    shall send to the Agent for its own account or for the account of such New 
    Credit Agreement Lender, as the case may be, a certified copy of an 
    original official receipt received by the Borrower showing payment thereof.
    If the Borrower fails to pay any Non-Excluded Taxes when due to the 
    appropriate taxing authority or fails to remit to the Agent the required 
    receipts or other required documentary evidence, the Borrower shall 
    indemnify the Agent and the New Credit Agreement Lenders for any 
    incremental taxes, interest or penalties that may become payable by the 
    Agent or any New Credit Agreement Lender as a result of any such failure. 
    The agreements in this subsection shall survive the termination of this 
    Credit Agreement and the payment of the Loans and all other amounts payable
    hereunder.

        (b) Each New Credit Agreement Lender that is not incorporated under 
    the laws of the United States of America or a state thereof shall:

            (i)(A) on or before the date of any payment by the Borrower under 
        this Credit Agreement or Notes to such New Credit Agreement Lender, 
        deliver to the Borrower and the Agent (x) two duly completed copies
        of United States Internal Revenue Service Form 1001 or 4224, or 
        successor applicable form, as the case may be, certifying that it is 
        entitled to receive payments under this Credit Agreement and any Notes 
        without deduction or withholding of any United States federal income 
        taxes and (y) an Internal Revenue Service Form W-8 or W-9, or successor
        applicable form, as the case may be, certifying that it is entitled to 
        an exemption from United States backup withholding tax;
 
            (B) deliver to the Borrower and the Agent two further copies of 
        any such form or certification on or before the date that any such 
        form or certification
                                       41



        expires or becomes obsolete and after the occurrence of any event 
        requiring a change in the most recent form previously delivered by it 
        to the Borrower; and

            (C) obtain such extensions of time for filing and complete such 
        forms or certifications as may reasonably be requested by the 
        Borrower or the Agent; or
 
            (ii) in the case of any such New Credit Agreement Lender that is 
        not a "bank" within the meaning of Section 881(c)(3)(A) of the 
        Internal Revenue Code, (A) represent to the Borrower (for the benefit 
        of the Borrower and the Agent) that it is not a bank within the 
        meaning of Section 881(c)(3)(A) of the Internal Revenue Code, (B) 
        agree to furnish to the Borrower, on or before the date of any 
        payment by the Borrower, with a copy to the Agent, two accurate and 
        complete original signed copies of Internal Revenue Service
        Form W-8, or successor applicable form certifying to such New Credit
        Agreement Lender's legal entitlement at the date of such certificate 
        to an exemption from U.S. withholding tax under the provisions of 
        Section 881(c) of the Internal Revenue Code with respect to payments 
        to be made under this Credit Agreement and any Notes (and to deliver 
        to the Borrower and the Agent two further copies of such form on or 
        before the date it expires or becomes obsolete and after the 
        occurrence of any event requiring a change in the most recently 
        provided form and, if necessary, obtain any extensions of time
        reasonably requested by the Borrower or the Agent for filing and 
        completing such forms), and (C) agree, to the extent legally entitled 
        to do so, upon reasonable request by the Borrower, to provide to the 
        Borrower (for the benefit of the Borrower and the Agent) such other 
        forms as may be reasonably required in order to establish the legal 
        entitlement of such Lender to an exemption from withholding with 
        respect to payments under this Credit Agreement and any Notes.
 
    Notwithstanding the above, if any change in treaty, law or regulation has
    occurred after the date such Person becomes a New Credit Agreement Lender
    hereunder which renders all such forms inapplicable or which would prevent 
    such New Credit Agreement Lender from duly completing and delivering any 
    such form with respect to it and such New Credit Agreement Lender so 
    advises the Borrower and the Agent then such New Credit Agreement Lender 
    shall be exempt from such requirements. Each Person that shall become a 
    New Credit Agreement Lender or a participant of a New Credit Agreement 
    Lender pursuant to Section 11.3 shall, upon the effectiveness of the 
    related transfer, be required to provide all of the forms, certifications 
    and statements required pursuant to this subsection (b); provided that in 
    the case of a participant of a New Credit Agreement Lender, the 
    obligations of such participant of a New Credit Agreement Lender pursuant 
    to this subsection (b) shall be determined as if the participant of a
    New Credit Agreement Lender were a New Credit Agreement Lender except that 
    such participant of a New Credit Agreement Lender shall furnish all such 
    required forms, certifications and statements to the New Credit Agreement 
    Lender from which the related participation shall have been purchased.

    3.15  INDEMNITY.

                                       42



    The Borrower promises to indemnify each New Credit Agreement Lender and to
hold each New Credit Agreement Lender harmless from any loss or expense which
such Lender may sustain or incur (other than through such New Credit Agreement
Lender's gross negligence or willful misconduct) as a consequence of (a) default
by the Borrower in making a borrowing of, conversion into or continuation of
Eurodollar Loans after the Borrower has given a notice requesting the same in
accordance with the provisions of this Credit Agreement, (b) default by the
Borrower in making any prepayment of a Eurodollar Loan after the Borrower has
given a notice thereof in accordance with the provisions of this Credit
Agreement and (c) the making of a prepayment of Eurodollar Loans on a day which
is not the last day of an Interest Period with respect thereto. Such
indemnification may include an amount equal to (i) the amount of interest which
would have accrued on the amount so prepaid, or not so borrowed, converted or
continued, for the period from the date of such prepayment or of such failure to
borrow, convert or continue to the last day of the applicable Interest Period
(or, in the case of a failure to borrow, convert or continue, the Interest
Period that would have commenced on the date of such failure) in each case at
the applicable rate of interest for such Eurodollar Loans provided for herein
(excluding, however, the Applicable Percentage included therein, if any) minus
(ii) the amount of interest (as reasonably determined by such New Credit
Agreement Lender) which would have accrued to such New Credit Agreement Lender
on such amount by placing such amount on deposit for a comparable period with
leading banks in the interbank Eurodollar market. The agreements in this Section
shall survive the termination of this Credit Agreement and the payment of the
Loans and all other amounts payable hereunder.
 
    3.16  REPLACEMENT OF LENDERS.
 
    If any New Credit Agreement Lender delivers a notice to the Borrower 
pursuant to Sections 3.10, 3.13 or 3.14, then the Borrower shall have the 
right, if no Default or Event of Default then exists, to either (i) replace 
such New Credit Agreement Lender (the "Replaced Lender") with one or more 
additional banks or financial institutions (collectively, the "Replacement 
Lender"), provided that (A) at the time of any replacement pursuant to this 
Section 3.16, the Replacement Lender shall enter into one or more assignment 
agreements substantially in the form of Exhibit 11.3 pursuant to, and in 
accordance with the terms of, Section 11.3(b) (and with all fees payable 
pursuant to said Section 11.3(b) to be paid by the Replacement Lender) 
pursuant to which the Replacement Lender shall acquire all of the rights and 
obligations of the Replaced Lender hereunder and, in connection therewith, 
shall pay to the Replaced Lender in respect thereof an amount equal to the 
sum of (a) the principal of, and all accrued interest on, all outstanding 
Loans of the Replaced Lender, and (b) all accrued, but theretofore unpaid, 
fees owing to the Replaced Lender pursuant to Section 3.4, and (B) all 
obligations of the Borrower owing to the Replaced Lender (including all 
obligations, if any, owing pursuant to Section 3.10, 3.13 or 3.14, but 
excluding those obligations specifically described in clause (A) above in 
respect of which the assignment purchase price has been, or is concurrently 
being paid) shall be paid in full to such Replaced Lender concurrently with 
such replacement or (ii) if a Replacement Lender is not located within 60 
days of such notice, terminate the Commitments and repay the Loans, Tranche A 
Supplemental Term Loans and Tranche B Term Loans in full within 120 days of 
receipt of such notice without incurring any prepayment penalty under Section 
3.3(d).

                                       43


                                   SECTION 4

                                    GUARANTY

    4.1  GUARANTY OF PAYMENT.
 
    Subject to Section 4.7 below, each of the Guarantors hereby, jointly and
severally, unconditionally guarantees to each New Credit Agreement Lender, each
Affiliate of New Credit Agreement Lender that enters into a Hedging Agreement
and the Agent the prompt payment of the Credit Party Obligations in full when
due (whether at stated maturity, as a mandatory prepayment, by acceleration or
otherwise). The Guarantors additionally, jointly and severally, unconditionally
guarantee to each New Credit Agreement Lender the timely performance of all
other obligations under the Credit Documents and Hedging Agreements. This
Guaranty is a guaranty of payment and not of collection and is a continuing
guaranty and shall apply to all Credit Party Obligations whenever arising.
 
    4.2  OBLIGATIONS UNCONDITIONAL.
 
    The obligations of the Guarantors hereunder are absolute and 
unconditional, irrespective of the value, genuineness, validity, regularity 
or enforceability of any of the Credit Documents or the Hedging Agreements, 
or any other agreement or instrument referred to therein, to the fullest 
extent permitted by applicable law, irrespective of any other circumstance 
whatsoever which might otherwise constitute a legal or equitable discharge or 
defense of a surety or guarantor. Each Guarantor agrees that this Guaranty 
may be enforced by the New Credit Agreement Lenders without the necessity at 
any time of resorting to or exhausting any other security or collateral and 
without the necessity at any time of having recourse to the Notes or any 
other of the Credit Documents or any collateral, if any, hereafter securing 
the Credit Party Obligations or otherwise and each Guarantor hereby waives 
the right to require the New Credit Agreement Lenders to proceed against the 
Borrower or any other Person (including a co-guarantor) or to require the New 
Credit Agreement Lenders to pursue any other remedy or enforce any other 
right. Each Guarantor further agrees that it shall have no right of 
subrogation, indemnity, reimbursement or contribution against the Borrower or 
any other Guarantor of the Credit Party Obligations for amounts paid under 
this Guaranty until such time as the New Credit Agreement Lenders (and any 
Affiliates of New Credit Agreement Lenders entering into Hedging Agreements) 
have been paid in full, all Commitments under the Credit Agreement have been 
terminated and no Person or Governmental Authority shall have any right to 
request any return or reimbursement of funds from the New Credit Agreement 
Lenders in connection with monies received under the Credit Documents. Each 
Guarantor further agrees that nothing contained herein shall prevent the New 
Credit Agreement Lenders from suing on the Notes or any of the other Credit 
Documents or any of the Hedging Agreements or foreclosing its security 
interest in or Lien on any collateral, if any, securing the Credit Party 
Obligations or from exercising any other rights available to it under this 
Credit Agreement, the Notes, any other of the Credit Documents, or any other 
instrument of security, if any, and the exercise of any of the aforesaid 
rights and the completion of any foreclosure proceedings shall not constitute 
a discharge of any

                                       44


of any Guarantor's obligations hereunder; it being the purpose and intent of 
each Guarantor that its Guarantor's obligations hereunder shall be absolute, 
independent and unconditional under any and all circumstances. Neither any 
Guarantor's obligations under this Guaranty nor any remedy for the 
enforcement thereof shall be impaired, modified, changed or released in any 
manner whatsoever by an impairment, modification, change, release or 
limitation of the liability of the Borrower or by reason of the bankruptcy or 
insolvency of the Borrower. Each Guarantor waives any and all notice of the 
creation, renewal, extension or accrual of any of the Credit Party 
Obligations and notice of or proof of reliance by the Agent or any New Credit 
Agreement Lender upon this Guarantee or acceptance of this Guarantee. The 
Credit Party Obligations, and any of them, shall conclusively be deemed to 
have been created, contracted or incurred, or renewed, extended, amended or 
waived, in reliance upon this Guarantee. All dealings between the Borrower 
and any of the Guarantors, on the one hand, and the Agent and the New Credit 
Agreement Lenders, on the other hand, likewise shall be conclusively presumed 
to have been had or consummated in reliance upon this Guarantee.
 
    4.3  MODIFICATIONS.
 
    Each Guarantor agrees that (a) all or any part of the security now or
hereafter held for the Credit Party Obligations, if any, may be exchanged,
compromised or surrendered from time to time; (b) the New Credit Agreement
Lenders shall not have any obligation to protect, perfect, secure or insure any
such security interests, liens or encumbrances now or hereafter held, if any,
for the Credit Party Obligations or the properties subject thereto; (c) the time
or place of payment of the Credit Party Obligations may be changed or extended,
in whole or in part, to a time certain or otherwise, and may be renewed or
accelerated, in whole or in part; (d) the Borrower and any other party liable
for payment under the Credit Documents may be granted indulgences generally; (e)
any of the provisions of the Notes or any of the other Credit Documents may be
modified, amended or waived; (f) any party (including any co-guarantor) liable
for the payment thereof may be granted indulgences or be released; and (g) any
deposit balance for the credit of the Borrower or any other party liable for the
payment of the Credit Party Obligations or liable upon any security therefor may
be released, in whole or in part, at, before or after the stated, extended or
accelerated maturity of the Credit Party Obligations, all without notice to or
further assent by the Guarantor, which shall remain bound thereon,
notwithstanding any such exchange, compromise, surrender, extension, renewal,
acceleration, modification, indulgence or release.
 
    4.4  WAIVER OF RIGHTS.
 
    Each Guarantor expressly waives: (a) notice of acceptance of this 
Guaranty by the New Credit Agreement Lenders and of all extensions of credit 
to the Borrower by the Lenders; (b) presentment and demand for payment or 
performance of any of the Credit Party Obligations; (c) protest and notice of 
dishonor or of default (except as specifically required in the Credit 
Agreement) with respect to the Credit Party Obligations or with respect to 
any security therefor; (d) notice of the New Credit Agreement Lenders 
obtaining, amending, substituting for, releasing, waiving or modifying any 
security interest, lien or encumbrance, if any, hereafter securing the Credit 
Party Obligations, or the New Credit Agreement Lenders' subordinating, 
compromising, discharging or releasing such security interests, liens or 
encumbrances, if any; (e)

                                       45


all other notices to which the Guarantor might otherwise be entitled; and (f) 
demand for payment under this Guaranty.
 
    4.5  REINSTATEMENT.
 
    The obligations of the Guarantors under this Section 4 shall be 
automatically reinstated if and to the extent that for any reason any payment 
by or on behalf of any Person in respect of the Credit Party Obligations is 
rescinded or must be otherwise restored by any holder of any of the Credit 
Party Obligations, whether as a result of any proceedings in bankruptcy or 
reorganization or otherwise, and each Guarantor agrees that it will indemnify 
the Agent and each Lender on demand for all reasonable costs and expenses 
(including, without limitation, reasonable fees of counsel) incurred by an 
Agent or such New Credit Agreement Lender in connection with such rescission 
or restoration, including any such costs and expenses incurred in defending 
against any claim alleging that such payment constituted a preference, 
fraudulent transfer or similar payment under any bankruptcy, insolvency or 
similar law.
 
    4.6  REMEDIES.
 
    The Guarantors agree that, as between the Guarantors, on the one hand, and
the Agent and the New Credit Agreement Lenders, on the other hand, the Credit
Party Obligations may be declared to be forthwith due and payable as provided in
Section 9 (and shall be deemed to have become automatically due and payable in
the circumstances provided in Section 9) notwithstanding any stay, injunction or
other prohibition preventing such declaration (or preventing such Credit Party
Obligations from becoming automatically due and payable) as against any other
Person and that, in the event of such declaration (or such Credit Party
Obligations being deemed to have become automatically due and payable), such
Credit Party Obligations (whether or not due and payable by any other Person)
shall forthwith become due and payable by the Guarantors. The Guarantors
acknowledge and agree that their obligations hereunder are secured in accordance
with the terms of the Security Agreements and the other Collateral Documents and
that the New Credit Agreement Lenders may exercise their remedies thereunder in
accordance with their terms.
 
    4.7  LIMITATION OF GUARANTY.
 
    Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary contained herein or in any of
the Credit Documents, to the extent the obligations of any Guarantor shall be
adjudicated to be invalid or unenforceable for any reason (including, without
limitation, because of any applicable state or federal law relating to
fraudulent conveyances or transfers) then the obligations of such Guarantor
hereunder shall be limited to the maximum amount that is permissible under
applicable law (whether federal or state and including, without limitation, the
Bankruptcy Code).
 
    4.8  RIGHTS OF CONTRIBUTION.
 
    The Guarantors hereby agree, as among themselves, that if any Guarantor
shall become an Excess Funding Guarantor (as defined below), each other
Guarantor shall, on demand of such Excess Funding Guarantor (but subject to the
next sentence hereof), pay to such Excess Funding

                                       46


Guarantor an amount equal to such Guarantor's Pro Rata Share (as defined 
below and determined, for this purpose, without reference to the properties, 
assets, liabilities and debts of such Excess Funding Guarantor) of such 
Excess Payment (as defined below). The payment obligation of any Guarantor to 
any Excess Funding Guarantor under this Section 4.8 shall be subordinate and 
subject in right of payment to the prior payment in full of the obligations 
of such Guarantor under the other provisions of this Section 4, and such 
Excess Funding Guarantor shall not exercise any right or remedy with respect 
to such excess until payment and satisfaction in full of all of such 
obligations. For purposes hereof, (i) "Excess Funding Guarantor" shall mean, 
in respect of any obligations arising under the other provisions of this 
Section 4 (hereafter, the "Guaranteed Obligations"), a Guarantor that has 
paid an amount in excess of its Pro Rata Share of the Guaranteed Obligations; 
(ii) "Excess Payment" shall mean, in respect of any Guaranteed Obligations, 
the amount paid by an Excess Funding Guarantor in excess of its Pro Rata 
Share of such Guaranteed Obligations; and (iii) "Pro Rata Share", for the 
purposes of this Section 4.8, shall mean, for any Guarantor, the ratio 
(expressed as a percentage) of (a) the amount by which the aggregate present 
fair saleable value of all of its assets and properties exceeds the amount of 
all debts and liabilities of such Guarantor (including contingent, 
subordinated, unmatured, and unliquidated liabilities, but excluding the 
obligations of such Guarantor hereunder) to (b) the amount by which the 
aggregate present fair saleable value of all assets and other properties of 
the Borrower and all of the Guarantors exceeds the amount of all of the debts 
and liabilities (including contingent, subordinated, unmatured, and 
unliquidated liabilities, but excluding the obligations of the Borrower and 
the Guarantors hereunder) of the Borrower and all of the Guarantors, all as 
of the Closing Date (if any Guarantor becomes a party hereto subsequent to 
the Closing Date, then for the purposes of this Section 4.8 such subsequent 
Guarantor shall be deemed to have been a Guarantor as of the Closing Date and 
the information pertaining to, and only pertaining to, such Guarantor as of 
the date such Guarantor became a Guarantor shall be deemed true as of the 
Closing Date).

                                   SECTION 5

                              CONDITIONS PRECEDENT

    5.1  CLOSING CONDITIONS.

    The obligation of the New Credit Agreement Lenders to enter into this Credit
Agreement and make the initial Extension of Credit is subject to satisfaction of
the following conditions (in form and substance acceptable to the Lenders in
their sole discretion):
 
        (a) Executed Credit Documents. Receipt by the Agent of duly executed 
    copies of: (i) this Credit Agreement; (ii) the Notes; (iii) the Collateral 
    Documents and (iv) all other Credit Documents.
 
        (b) Corporate Documents. Receipt by the Agent of the following:
 
            (i) Charter Documents. Copies of the articles or certificates of
        incorporation or other charter documents of each Credit Party 
        certified to be true

                                       47


        and complete as of a recent date by the appropriate Governmental
        Authority of the state or other jurisdiction of its incorporation and
        certified by a secretary or assistant secretary of such Credit Party 
        to be true and correct as of the Effective Date.
 
            (ii) Bylaws. A copy of the bylaws of each Credit Party certified 
        by a secretary or assistant secretary of such Credit Party to be true 
        and correct as of the Effective Date.
 
            (iii) Resolutions. Copies of resolutions of the Board of Directors 
        of each Credit Party approving and adopting the Credit Documents to 
        which it is a party, the transactions contemplated therein and 
        authorizing execution and delivery thereof, certified by a secretary 
        or assistant secretary of such Credit Party to be true and correct and 
        in force and effect as of the Effective Date.
 
            (iv) Good Standing. Copies of (A) certificates of good standing,
        existence or its equivalent with respect to each Credit Party 
        certified as of a recent date by the appropriate Governmental 
        Authorities of the state or other jurisdiction of incorporation and 
        each other jurisdiction in which the failure to so qualify and be in 
        good standing would have a Material Adverse Effect on the business or 
        operations of a Credit Party in such jurisdiction and (B) to the 
        extent available, a certificate indicating payment of all corporate 
        franchise taxes certified as of a recent date by the appropriate
        governmental taxing authorities.
 
            (v) Incumbency. An incumbency certificate of each Credit Party 
        certified by a secretary or assistant secretary to be true and correct 
        as of the Effective Date.
 
        (c) Financial Statements. Receipt by the Agent and the Lenders of (i) 
    the consolidated financial statements of SunSource International, Inc. 
    ("SunSource") and its Subsidiaries for the fiscal year ending December 31, 
    1995, together with comparative form figures for fiscal year 1994, 
    including balance sheets and income and cash flow statements, in each case 
    audited by nationally recognized independent public accountants and 
    containing an unqualified opinion of such firm that such statements 
    present fairly, in all material respects, the consolidated financial 
    position and results of operations of SunSource and its Subsidiaries, and 
    are prepared in conformity with GAAP, (ii) unaudited consolidated 
    financial statements of SunSource and its Subsidiaries for the fiscal year 
    ending December 31, 1996, including balance sheets and income and cash 
    flow statements (which statements have been certified as being true and 
    correct by SunSource in the Purchase Agreement), (iii) with respect to 
    the Acquired Assets, company-prepared statements (which statements have 
    been certified as being true and correct by SunSource in the Purchase 
    Agreement) as to sales, gross profit and advertising cost analysis for 
    the last three complete fiscal years ended December 31, 1996 and interim 
    financial statements for the period ended March 31, 1997 and the comparable
    period of the prior year, (iv) the unaudited consolidated financial 
    statements of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries for fiscal quarter ending 
    May 31, 1997, including balance

                                       48



    sheets and income and cash flow statements, accompanied by a certificate 
    of the chief financial officer of the Borrower to the effect that such 
    unaudited financial statements fairly present in all material respects 
    the consolidated financial condition of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries 
    and have been prepared in conformity with GAAP, (v) a satisfactory 
    proforma consolidated balance sheet of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries 
    as of the Closing Date giving effect to the acquisition of the Acquired 
    Assets and the transactions contemplated by the Purchase Agreement and 
    reflecting estimated purchase price accounting adjustments, prepared by 
    nationally recognized independent accountants, (vi) satisfactory 
    projections (the "Projections") for each twelve month period through the 
    twelve month period ending seven (7) years from the Closing Date and 
    (vii) company prepared quarterly consolidated financial statements of the 
    Borrower and its Subsidiaries for the projected first year following the 
    Closing Date giving effect to the acquisition of the Acquired Assets, 
    (viii) a Borrower-prepared report containing information as to brand sales 
    and advertising cost analysis for the fiscal years ending December 31, 
    1994, 1995 and 1996 and (ix) such other information relating to the 
    Acquired Assets as the Agent may reasonably require in connection with 
    the structuring and syndication of credit facilities of the type described 
    herein.
 
        (d) Opinion of Counsel. Receipt by the Lenders of an opinion, or 
    opinions (which shall cover, among other things, authority, legality, 
    validity, binding effect, enforceability and attachment and perfection of 
    liens), satisfactory to the Agent, addressed to the Agent on behalf of the 
    Lenders and dated as of the Effective Date, from legal counsel to the 
    Credit Parties.
 
        (e) Audit. Receipt by the Agent of a field examination, in form and
    substance satisfactory to the Agent, of the accounts receivable, inventory,
    payables, controls and systems of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries 
    (including the Acquired Assets).
 
        (f) Appraisal Report. Receipt by the Lenders of asset appraisal reports 
    with respect to the five principal brands included in the Acquired Assets 
    in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Agent.
 
        (g) Personal Property Collateral. The Agent shall have received, in 
    form and substance satisfactory to the Agent:
 
            (i) searches of Uniform Commercial Code ("UCC") filings in the
        jurisdiction of the chief executive office of each Credit Party and 
        each jurisdiction where any Collateral is located or where a filing 
        would need to be made in order to perfect the Lenders' security 
        interest in the Collateral, copies of the financing statements on 
        file in such jurisdictions and evidence that no Liens exist other 
        than Permitted Liens;
 
            (ii) to the extent not previously received by the Agent, duly 
        executed UCC financing statements for each appropriate jurisdiction 
        as is necessary, in the Agent's sole discretion, to perfect the 
        Lenders' security interest in the Collateral;

                                       49

 
            (iii) to the extent not previously received by the Agent, searches 
        of ownership of intellectual property in the appropriate governmental 
        offices and such patent/trademark/copyright filings as requested by 
        the Agent in order to perfect the Agent's security interest in the 
        Collateral;
 
            (iv) to the extent not previously received by the Agent, all stock
        certificates evidencing the stock pledged to the Agent pursuant to the
        Pledge Agreement, together with duly executed in blank undated stock 
        powers attached thereto;
 
            (v) to the extent not previously received by the Agent, all 
        instruments and chattel paper in the possession of a Credit Party 
        together with allonges or assignments as may be necessary or 
        appropriate to perfect the Lenders' security interest in the 
        Collateral; and
 
            (vi) to the extent not previously received by the Agent, all 
        material contracts or agreements to which a Credit Party is a party 
        including, without limitation, the Purchase Agreement together with 
        assignments and third party consents as may be necessary or appropriate 
        to perfect the Lenders' security interest in the Collateral.
 
        (h) Real Property Collateral. The Agent shall have received, in form 
    and substance satisfactory to the Agent:
 
            (i) to the extent not previously received by the Agent, fully 
        executed and notarized mortgages, deeds of trust or deeds to secure 
        debt (each a "Mortgage" and collectively the "Mortgages") encumbering 
        the fee interest of the Credit Parties in each real property asset 
        owned by a Credit Party set forth on Schedule 5.1(h) (each a "Mortgaged
        Property" and collectively the "Mortgaged Properties"), together with 
        such UCC-1 financing statements as the Agent shall deem appropriate 
        with respect to each such Mortgaged Property;
 
            (ii) an opinion of counsel (which counsel shall be satisfactory 
        to the Agent) in the state in which each Mortgaged Property is located 
        with respect to the enforceability of the form of Mortgage and 
        sufficiency of the form of UCC-1 financing statements to be recorded 
        or filed in such state and such other matters as the Agent may request,
        in form and substance satisfactory to the Agent;
 
           (iii) to the extent not previously received by the Agent, in the 
        case of each leasehold estate of the Credit Parties set forth on 
        Schedule 5.1(h) (each a "Leasehold Property" and collectively the 
        "Leasehold Properties"), such estoppel letters, consents and waivers 
        from the landlords of such real property as may be reasonably required 
        by the Agent, which estoppel letters shall be in form and substance 
        reasonably satisfactory to the Agent;

                                       50

 
            (iv) to the extent not previously received by the Agent, ALTA 
        mortgagee title insurance policies (the "Mortgage Policies") issued by 
        title insurers satisfactory to the Agent (the "Title Insurance 
        Company"), in amounts satisfactory to the Agent with respect to all 
        Real Properties, assuring the Agent that the applicable Mortgages, 
        as applicable, create valid and enforceable first priority mortgage 
        liens on the respective Real Properties, free and clear of all defects 
        and encumbrances except Permitted Liens which Mortgage Policies shall 
        be in form and substance satisfactory to the Agent and containing 
        such endorsements as shall be satisfactory to the Agent and for any 
        other matters that the Agent may request, and shall provide for
        affirmative insurance and such reinsurance as the Agent may request, 
        all of the foregoing in form and substance satisfactory to the Agent;
 
            (v) to the extent not previously received by the Agent, 
        certification from a registered engineer or land surveyor in a form 
        reasonably satisfactory to the Agent or other evidence acceptable to 
        the Agent that none of the improvements on the Real Properties are 
        located within any area designated by the Director of the Federal 
        Emergency Management Agency as a "special flood hazard" area or if 
        any improvements on the Mortgaged Properties are located within a 
        "special flood hazard" area, evidence of a flood insurance policy 
        from a company and in an amount satisfactory to the Agent for the 
        applicable portion of the premises, naming the Agent for the benefit 
        of the Lenders, as mortgagee;
 
            (vi) to the extent not previously received by the Agent, evidence
        satisfactory to the Agent that each of the Real Properties, and the 
        uses of the Real Properties, are in compliance with all applicable 
        laws, regulations and ordinances including without limitation health 
        and environmental protection laws, erosion control ordinances, storm 
        drainage control laws, doing business and/or licensing laws, zoning 
        laws (the evidence submitted as to zoning should include the zoning 
        designation made for each of the Real Properties, the permitted uses 
        of each such Real Properties under such zoning designation and zoning 
        requirements as to parking, lot size, ingress, egress and building 
        setbacks) and laws regarding access and facilities for disabled 
        persons including, but not limited to, the federal Architectural
        Barriers Act, the Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988, the 
        Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act 
        of 1990.
 
        (i) Availability. After giving effect to the initial Loans made on the
    Effective Date, the lesser of (x) the Revolving Committed Amount or (y) the
    Borrowing Base shall be at least $3,000,000 in excess of the sum of the
    aggregate amount of the Revolving Loans outstanding plus the aggregate 
    amount of Swingline Loans outstanding.
 
        (j) Evidence of Insurance. To the extent not previously received by the
    Agent, receipt by the Agent of copies of insurance policies or certificates
    of insurance of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries evidencing liability and 
    casualty insurance meeting the requirements set forth in the Credit 
    Documents, including, but not limited to, naming the Agent as sole loss 
    payee on behalf of the Lenders.

                                       51


        (k) Corporate Structure. The corporate capital and ownership structure 
    of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries (after giving effect to the purchase 
    of the Acquired Assets) shall be satisfactory in form and substance to 
    the Agent.
 
        (l) Certain Consents. Receipt by the Agent of evidence that (i) all
    governmental, shareholder and material third party consents (including, 
    without limitation, Hart-Scott-Rodino clearance), (ii) evidence 
    satisfactory to the Agent that the consent of any manufacturers is not 
    required and (iii) written consent, if necessary in the sole discretion 
    of the Agent, of any existing lenders or bondholders and approvals 
    necessary or desirable in connection with the acquisition of the Acquired 
    Assets and the related financings and other transactions contemplated 
    hereby and expiration of all applicable waiting periods without any action 
    being taken by any authority that could reasonably be likely to restrain, 
    prevent or impose any material adverse conditions on the acquisition of 
    the Acquired Assets or such other transactions or that could reasonably 
    be likely to seek or threaten any of the foregoing, and no law or
    regulation shall be applicable which in the judgment of the Agent could
    reasonably be likely to have such effect.
 
        (m) Material Adverse Effect. There shall not have occurred a change 
    since November 30, 1996 that has had or could reasonably be expected to 
    have a Material Adverse Effect, including specifically without limitation 
    any such change resulting from any matter not disclosed in the Purchase 
    Agreement or resulting from a change in status of any matter disclosed in 
    the Purchase Agreement (including matters related to litigation, tax, 
    accounting, labor, insurance and pension liabilities).
 
        (n) Litigation. There shall not exist any (i) order, decree, judgment,
    ruling or injunction which restrains the consummation of the acquisition 
    of the Acquired Assets in the manner contemplated by the Purchase 
    Agreement or (ii) pending or threatened action, suit, investigation or 
    proceeding which if adversely determined against the Borrower or any of 
    its Subsidiaries would have or would reasonably be expected to have a 
    Material Adverse Effect.
 
        (o) Other Indebtedness. Receipt by the Agent of evidence that after the
    acquisition of the Acquired Assets, the Borrower and its Subsidiaries shall
    have no borrowed money Indebtedness other than (i) the Indebtedness under 
    the Credit Documents and Supplemental Credit Documents, (ii) the 
    Subordinated Debt and (iii) other indebtedness disclosed on Schedule 6.10 
    attached hereto.
 
        (p) Solvency Opinion. Receipt by the Lenders of an opinion from an
    independent auditor or appraiser acceptable to the Agent in usual and 
    customary form as to the financial condition, solvency and related matters 
    of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries, in each case after giving effect to 
    the acquisition of the Acquired Assets and the initial borrowings under 
    the Credit Documents and Supplemental Credit Documents.

                                       52


        (q) Purchase Agreement. There shall not have been any material 
    modification, amendment, supplement or waiver to the Purchase Agreement 
    without the prior written consent of the Lenders, including, but not 
    limited to, any modification, amendment, supplement or waiver relating 
    to the amount or type of consideration to be paid in connection with the 
    acquisition of the Acquired Assets and the contents of all disclosure 
    schedules and exhibits, and the acquisition of the Acquired Assets shall 
    have been consummated in accordance with the terms of the Purchase 
    Agreement and all applicable law and the aggregate cash amount paid in
    connection with such acquisition at the Closing Date shall not exceed $29
    million. Receipt by the Agent of the final Purchase Agreement, together 
    with all exhibits and schedules thereto, certified by an officer of the 
    Borrower.
 
        (r) Change in Market. The absence of any material adverse change in the
    market for syndicated bank credit facilities similar in nature to the
    transactions described herein or a material disruption of, or a material 
    adverse change in, financial, banking or capital market conditions.
 
        (s) Officer's Certificate. The Agent shall have received a certificate 
    or certificates executed by the chief financial officer of the Borrower as 
    of the Effective Date stating that (A) the Borrower and each of the 
    Borrower's Subsidiaries are in compliance with all existing financial 
    obligations, (B) all governmental, shareholder and third party consents 
    and approvals, if any, with respect to the Credit Documents and 
    Supplemental Credit Documents and the transactions contemplated thereby 
    have been obtained, (C) no action, suit, investigation or proceeding is 
    pending or threatened in any court or before any arbitrator or governmental
    instrumentality that purports to effect the Borrower, any of the Borrower's
    Subsidiaries or any transaction contemplated by the Credit Documents or 
    the Supplemental Credit Documents, or could have or might be reasonably 
    expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, (D) the transactions
    contemplated by the Purchase Agreement have been consummated in accordance 
    with the terms thereof, (E) the Projections (as defined in Section 5.1(c)) 
    were prepared in good faith and using reasonable assumptions and (F) 
    immediately after giving effect to this Credit Agreement, the Supplemental 
    Credit Agreement, the other Credit Documents, the Supplemental Credit 
    Documents and all the transactions contemplated herein or therein to occur 
    on such date, (1) the Borrower and each of the Borrower's Subsidiaries is 
    Solvent, (2) no Default or Event of Default exists, (3) all representations
    and warranties contained herein, in the other Credit Documents and the 
    Supplemental Credit Documents are true and correct in all material 
    respects, and (4) the Credit Parties are in compliance with each of the 
    financial covenants set forth in Section 7.12.
 
        (t) Fees and Expenses. Payment by the Credit Parties of all fees and
    expenses owed by them to the Lenders and the Agent, including, without
    limitation, payment to the Agent of the fees set forth in the Fee Letter.
 
        (u) Accountant Certificate. Receipt from Arthur Andersen of a 
    calculation satisfactory to the Agent calculating the Fixed Charge Coverage
    Ratio (as defined in the Indenture) at an amount of at least 2.0 to 1.0 
    after giving effect to the acquisition of the Acquired Assets and the 
    incurrence of Indebtedness related thereto.

                                       53



        (v) Other. Receipt by the Lenders of such other documents, instruments,
    agreements or information as reasonably requested by any Lender, including,
    but not limited to (after giving effect to the purchase of the Acquired 
    Assets), information regarding litigation, tax, accounting, labor, 
    insurance, pension liabilities (actual or contingent), real estate leases, 
    material contracts, debt agreements, property ownership and contingent 
    liabilities of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries.
 
    5.2  CONDITIONS TO ALL EXTENSIONS OF CREDIT.
 
    In addition to the conditions precedent stated elsewhere herein, the New
Credit Agreement Lenders shall not be obligated to make, continue or convert
Loans unless:
 
        (a) Notice. The Borrower shall have delivered (i) in the case of any new
    Revolving Loan, a Notice of Borrowing, duly executed and completed, by the
    time specified in Section 2.1 and (ii) in the case of any continuation or
    conversion of a Loan, a duly executed and completed Notice of
    Continuation/Conversion by the time specified in Section 2.2;
 
        (b) Representations and Warranties. The representations and warranties
    made by the Credit Parties in any Credit Document and any Supplemental
    Credit Document are true and correct in all material respects at and as if
    made as of such date;
 
        (c) No Default. No Default or Event of Default shall exist or be
    continuing either prior to or after giving effect thereto;
 
        (d) No Material Adverse Effect. There shall not have occurred any
    Material Adverse Effect; and
 
        (e) Availability. Immediately after giving effect to the making of such
    Loan (and the application of the proceeds thereof), the sum of the Revolving
    Loans outstanding plus Swingline Loans outstanding shall not exceed the
    Revolving Commitment Amount.
 
    The delivery of each Notice of Borrowing and each Notice of
Extension/Conversion shall constitute a representation and warranty by the
Borrower of the correctness of the matters specified in subsections (b), (c),
(d) and (e) above.
 
                                   SECTION 6
 
                         REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES
 
    The Credit Parties hereby represent to the Agent and each New Credit
Agreement Lender that:
 
    6.1  FINANCIAL CONDITION.

                                       54


    The financial statements delivered to the Lenders pursuant to Section
5.1(c)(iv), (a) have been prepared in accordance with GAAP and (b) present
fairly (on the basis disclosed in the footnotes to such financial statements)
the consolidated and consolidating (as applicable) financial condition, results
of operations and cash flows of the Credit Parties and their Subsidiaries as of
such date and for such periods. Since November 30, 1996, there has been no sale,
transfer or other disposition by the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries of any
material part of the business or property of the Borrower or any of its
Subsidiaries, and no purchase or other acquisition by any of them of any
business or property (including any capital stock of any other Person) material
in relation to the consolidated financial condition of the Borrower and its
Subsidiaries, in each case, which, is not reflected in the foregoing financial
statements or in the notes thereto.
 
    6.2  NO MATERIAL CHANGE.
 
    Since November 30, 1996, (a) there has been no development or event relating
to or affecting Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries which has had or would be
reasonably expected to have a Material Adverse Effect and (b) no dividends or
other distributions have been declared, paid or made upon the capital stock or
other equity interest in Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries nor, except as
otherwise permitted under this Credit Agreement, has any of the capital stock or
other equity interest in a Credit Party been redeemed, retired, purchased or
otherwise acquired for value.
 
    6.3  ORGANIZATION AND GOOD STANDING.
 
    The Borrower and each of its Subsidiaries (a) is a corporation duly
incorporated, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the State
(or other jurisdiction) of its incorporation, (b) is duly qualified and in good
standing as a foreign corporation authorized to do business in every
jurisdiction where the failure to be so qualified would have a Material Adverse
Effect and (c) has the requisite corporate power and authority to own its
properties and to carry on its business as now conducted and as proposed to be
conducted.
 
    6.4  DUE AUTHORIZATION.
 
    Each Credit Party (a) has the requisite corporate power and authority to 
execute, deliver and perform this Credit Agreement and the other Credit 
Documents to which it is a party and to incur the obligations herein and 
therein provided for and (b) is duly authorized to, and has been authorized 
by all necessary corporate action, to execute, deliver and perform this 
Credit Agreement and the other Credit Documents to which it is a party.
 
    6.5  NO CONFLICTS.
 
    Neither the execution and delivery of the Credit Documents, nor the
consummation of the transactions contemplated therein, nor performance of and
compliance with the terms and provisions thereof by such Credit Party will (a)
violate or conflict with any provision of its articles or certificate of
incorporation or bylaws, (b) violate, contravene or materially conflict with any
Requirement of Law or any other law, regulation (including, without limitation,

                                       55


Regulation U or Regulation X), order, writ, judgment, injunction, decree 
or permit applicable to it, (c) violate, contravene or conflict with 
contractual provisions of, or cause an event of default under, any 
indenture, loan agreement, mortgage, deed of trust, contract or other 
agreement or instrument to which it is a party or by which it may be 
bound, the violation of which could have or might be reasonably expected 
to have a Material Adverse Effect, or (d) result in or require the 
creation of any Lien (other than those contemplated in or created in 
connection with the Credit Documents) upon or with respect to its 
properties.
 
    6.6  CONSENTS.
 
    No consent, approval, authorization or order of, or filing, 
registration or qualification with, any court or Governmental Authority 
or third party in respect of a Credit Party is required in connection 
with the execution, delivery or performance of this Credit Agreement or 
any of the other Credit Documents by a Credit Party, or if required, 
such consent, approval and authorization has been obtained.
 
    6.7  ENFORCEABLE OBLIGATIONS.
 
    This Credit Agreement and the other Credit Documents have been duly 
executed and delivered and constitute legal, valid and binding 
obligations of each Credit Party enforceable against such Credit Party 
in accordance with their respective terms, except as may be limited by 
bankruptcy or insolvency laws or similar laws affecting creditors' 
rights generally or by general equitable principles.
 
    6.8  NO DEFAULT.
 
    Neither the Borrower nor any of its Subsidiaries is in default in 
any respect under any contract, lease, loan agreement, indenture, 
mortgage, security agreement or other agreement or obligation to which 
it is a party or by which any of its properties is bound which default 
would have or would be reasonably expected to have a Material Adverse 
Effect. No Default or Event of Default has occurred or exists except as 
previously disclosed to the New Credit Agreement Lenders.
 
    6.9  OWNERSHIP.
 
    The Borrower and each of its Subsidiaries is the owner of and has 
good and marketable title to all of its assets and none of such assets 
are subject to any Lien other than Permitted Liens.
 
    6.10  INDEBTEDNESS.
 
    The Borrower and its Subsidiaries have no Indebtedness except (a) as 
disclosed in the financial statements referenced in Section 6.1, (b) as 
set forth on Schedule 6.10 and (c) as otherwise permitted by this Credit 
Agreement.
 
    6.11  LITIGATION.

                                       56



    Except as disclosed in Schedule 6.11, there are no actions, suits or 
legal, equitable, arbitration or administrative proceedings, pending or, 
to the knowledge of any Credit Party, threatened against the Borrower or 
any of its Subsidiaries which, if adversely determined, would have or 
would be reasonably expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
 
    6.12  TAXES.
 
    Each of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries has filed, or caused to be 
filed, all tax returns (federal, state, local and foreign) required to 
be filed and paid (a) all amounts of taxes shown thereon to be due 
(including interest and penalties) and (b) all other taxes, fees, 
assessments and other governmental charges (including mortgage recording 
taxes, documentary stamp taxes and intangibles taxes) owing by it, 
except for such taxes (i) which are not yet delinquent or (ii) that are 
being contested in good faith and by proper proceedings, and against 
which adequate reserves are being maintained in accordance with GAAP. No 
Credit Party is aware of any proposed tax assessments against it, any of 
its Subsidiaries or any other Credit Party.
 
    6.13  COMPLIANCE WITH LAW.
 
    Each of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries is in compliance with all 
Requirements of Law and all other laws, rules, regulations, orders and 
decrees (including without limitation Environmental Laws) applicable to 
it, or to its properties, unless such failure to comply would not have 
or would not be reasonably expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. 
No Requirement of Law would be reasonably expected to cause a Material 
Adverse Effect.
 
    6.14  ERISA.
 
    Except as set forth on Schedule 6.14 or except as would not result 
in a Material Adverse Effect:
 
        (a) During the five-year period prior to the date on which this
    representation is made or deemed made: (i) no Termination Event has
    occurred, and, to the best knowledge of the Credit Parties, no event or
    condition has occurred or exists as a result of which any Termination Event
    could reasonably be expected to occur, with respect to any Plan; (ii) no
    "accumulated funding deficiency," as such term is defined in Section 302 of
    ERISA and Section 412 of the Code, whether or not waived, has occurred with
    respect to any Plan; (iii) each Plan has been maintained, operated, and
    funded in compliance with its own terms and in material compliance with the
    provisions of ERISA, the Code, and any other applicable federal or state
    laws; and (iv) no lien in favor or the PBGC or a Plan has arisen or is
    reasonably likely to arise on account of any Plan.
 
        (b) The actuarial present value of all "benefit liabilities" under each
    Single Employer Plan (determined within the meaning of Section 401(a)(2) of
    the Code, utilizing the actuarial assumptions used to fund such Plans),
    whether or not vested, did not, as of the last annual valuation date prior
    to the date on which this representation is made or deemed made, exceed the
    current value of the assets of such Plan allocable to such accrued
    liabilities.

                                       57



        (c) Neither the Borrower, nor any of its Subsidiaries nor any ERISA
    Affiliate has incurred, or, to the best knowledge of the Credit Parties, are
    reasonably expected to incur, any withdrawal liability under ERISA to any
    Multiemployer Plan or Multiple Employer Plan. Neither the Borrower, nor any
    of its Subsidiaries nor any ERISA Affiliate has received any notification
    that any Multiemployer Plan is in reorganization (within the meaning of
    Section 4241 of ERISA), is insolvent (within the meaning of Section 4245 of
    ERISA), or has been terminated (within the meaning of Title IV of ERISA),
    and no Multiemployer Plan is, to the best knowledge of the Credit Parties,
    reasonably expected to be in reorganization, insolvent, or terminated.
 
        (d) No prohibited transaction (within the meaning of Section 406 of
    ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code) or breach of fiduciary responsibility has
    occurred with respect to a Plan which has subjected or may subject the
    Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries or any ERISA Affiliate to any liability
    under Sections 406, 409, 502(i), or 502(l) of ERISA or Section 4975 of the
    Code, or under any agreement or other instrument pursuant to which the
    Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries or any ERISA Affiliate has agreed or is
    required to indemnify any person against any such liability.
 
        (e) The present value (determined using actuarial and other assumptions
    which are reasonable with respect to the benefits provided and the employees
    participating) of the liability of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries and
    each ERISA Affiliate for post-retirement welfare benefits to be provided
    to their current and former employees under Plans which are welfare
    benefit plans (as defined in Section 3(1) of ERISA), net of all assets
    under all such Plans allocable to such benefits, are reflected on the
    Financial Statements in accordance with FAS 106.
 
        (f) Each Plan which is a welfare plan (as defined in Section 3(1) of
    ERISA) to which Sections 601-609 of ERISA and Section 4980B of the Code
    apply has been administered in compliance in all material respects with such
    sections.
 
    6.15  SUBSIDIARIES.
 
    Set forth on Schedule 6.15 is a complete and accurate list of all
Subsidiaries of each Credit Party. Information on Schedule 6.15 includes
jurisdiction of incorporation, the number of shares of each class of capital
stock or other equity interests outstanding, the number and percentage of
outstanding shares of each class owned (directly or indirectly) by such Credit
Party; and the number and effect, if exercised, of all outstanding options,
warrants, rights of conversion or purchase and all other similar rights with
respect thereto. The outstanding capital stock and other equity interests of all
such Subsidiaries is validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable and is owned
by each such Credit Party, directly or indirectly, free and clear of all Liens
(other than those arising under or contemplated in connection with the Credit
Documents and Supplemental Credit Documents). Other than as set forth in
Schedule 6.15, neither any Credit Party nor any Subsidiary thereof has
outstanding any securities convertible into or exchangeable for its capital
stock nor does any such Person have outstanding any rights to subscribe for or
to purchase or any options for the purchase of, or any agreements providing for

                                       58



the issuance (contingent or otherwise) of, or any calls, commitments or 
claims of any character relating to its capital stock.
 
    6.16  USE OF PROCEEDS; MARGIN STOCK.
 
    The proceeds of the Loans hereunder will be used solely for the purposes 
specified in Section 7.10. None of the proceeds of the Loans will be used for 
the purpose of purchasing or carrying any "margin stock" as defined in 
Regulation U, Regulation X or Regulation G, or for the purpose of reducing or 
retiring any Indebtedness which was originally incurred to purchase or carry 
"margin stock" or any "margin security" or for any other purpose which might 
constitute this transaction a "purpose credit" within the meaning of 
Regulation U, Regulation X, Regulation G or Regulation T. None of the Credit 
Parties owns any "margin stock".
 
    6.17  GOVERNMENT REGULATION.
 
    No Credit Party is subject to regulation under the Public Utility Holding 
Company Act of 1935, the Federal Power Act, the Investment Company Act of 
1940 or the Interstate Commerce Act, each as amended. In addition, no Credit 
Party is (a) an "investment company" registered or required to be registered 
under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, or controlled by such a 
company, or (b) a "holding company," or a "Subsidiary company" of a "holding 
company," or an "affiliate" of a "holding company" or of a "Subsidiary" or a 
"holding company," within the meaning of the Public Utility Holding Company 
Act of 1935, as amended. No director, executive officer or principal 
shareholder of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries is a director, 
executive officer or principal shareholder of any Lender. For the purposes 
hereof the terms "director", "executive officer" and "principal shareholder" 
(when used with reference to any Lender) have the respective meanings 
assigned thereto in Regulation O issued by the Board of Governors of the 
Federal Reserve System.
 
    6.18  ENVIRONMENTAL MATTERS.
 
    (a) Except as set forth on Schedule 6.18.
 
        (i) each of the Real Properties and all operations at the Real
    Properties are in compliance with all applicable Environmental Laws, and
    there is no violation of any Environmental Law with respect to the Real
    Properties or the businesses operated by the Borrower or any of its
    Subsidiaries (the "Businesses"), and there are no conditions relating to
    the Businesses or Real Properties that could give rise to liability under
    any applicable Environmental Laws.
 
        (ii) None of the Real Properties contains, or has previously contained,
    any Hazardous Materials at, on or under the Real Properties in amounts or
    concentrations that, if released, constitute or constituted a violation of,
    or could give rise to liability under, Environmental Laws.
 
       (iii) Neither the Borrower nor any of its Subsidiaries has received any
    written or oral notice of, or inquiry from any Governmental Authority    
    regarding, 

                                       59



    any violation, alleged violation, non-compliance, liability or potential
    liability regarding Hazardous Materials or compliance with Environmental
    Laws with regard to any of the Real Properties, Leasehold Properties or
    the Businesses, nor does the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries have
    knowledge or reason to believe that any such notice is being threatened.
 
        (iv) Hazardous Materials have not been transported or disposed of from
    the Real Properties, or generated, treated, stored or disposed of at, on or
    under any of the Real Properties or any other location, in each case by, or
    on behalf or with the permission of, the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries
    in a manner that would reasonably be expected to give rise to liability
    under any applicable Environmental Law.
 
        (v) No judicial proceeding or governmental or administrative action is
    pending or, to the knowledge of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries,
    threatened, under any Environmental Law to which the Borrower or any of its
    Subsidiaries is or will be named as a party, nor are there any consent
    decrees or other decrees, consent orders, administrative orders or other
    orders, or other administrative or judicial requirements outstanding under
    any Environmental Law with respect to the Borrower or any of its
    Subsidiaries, the Real Properties or the Businesses.
 
        (vi) There has been no release or threat of release of Hazardous
    Materials at or from the Real Properties or arising from or related to the
    operations (including, without limitation, disposal) of the Borrower or any
    of its Subsidiaries in connection with the Real Properties or otherwise in
    connection with the Businesses.
 
       (vii) Neither the Borrower nor any of its Subsidiaries has assumed any
    liability of any Person (other than another Credit Party) under any
    Environmental Law.
 
    (b) The Borrower has adopted procedures that are designed to (i) ensure 
that each Credit Party and their Subsidiaries, any of their operations and 
each of the properties owned or leased by each Credit Party and their 
Subsidiaries remains in compliance with applicable Environmental Laws and 
(ii) minimize any liabilities or potential liabilities that each Credit Party 
and their Subsidiaries, any of their operations and each of the properties 
owned or leased by each Credit Party and their Subsidiaries may have under 
applicable Environmental Laws.
 
    6.19  INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY.
 
    The Borrower and each of its Subsidiaries owns, or has the legal right to 
use, all trademarks, tradenames, copyrights, technology, know-how and 
processes (the "Intellectual Property") necessary for each of them to conduct 
its business as currently conducted except for those the failure to own or 
have such legal right to use would not have or be reasonably expected

                                       60



to have a Material Adverse Effect. Set forth on Schedule 6.19 is a list of 
all Intellectual Property owned by the Borrower and its Subsidiaries or that 
the Borrower or one of its Subsidiaries has the right to use (which list 
shall identify the Person that owns or has the right to use each such item of 
Intellectual Property). Except as provided on Schedule 6.19, no claim has 
been asserted and is pending by any Person challenging or questioning the use 
of any such Intellectual Property or the validity or effectiveness of any 
such Intellectual Property, nor does any Credit Party know of any such claim, 
and to the Credit Parties' knowledge the use of such Intellectual Property by 
the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries does not infringe on the rights of 
any Person, except for such claims and infringements that in the aggregate, 
would not have or be reasonably expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
 
    6.20  SOLVENCY.
 
    Each Credit Party is and, after consummation of the transactions 
contemplated by this Credit Agreement and the Supplemental Credit Agreement, 
will be Solvent.
 
    6.21  INVESTMENTS.
 
    All Investments of the Borrower and each of its Subsidiaries are either 
Permitted Investments or otherwise permitted by the terms of this Credit 
Agreement.
 
    6.22  NO FINANCING OF CORPORATE TAKEOVERS.
 
    No proceeds of the Loans hereunder have been or will be used to acquire, 
directly or indirectly, any security in any transaction which is subject to 
Sections 13 or 14 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended 
(including, without limitation, Sections 13(d) and 14(d) thereof) or to 
refinance any Indebtedness used to acquire any such securities.
 
    6.23  LOCATION OF COLLATERAL.
 
    Set forth on Schedule 6.23(a) is a list of all Real Properties and 
Leasehold Properties with street address, county and state where located. Set 
forth on Schedule 6.23(b) is a list of all locations where any personal 
property of a Credit Party is located, including county and state where 
located. Set forth on Schedule 6.23(c) is the chief executive office and 
principal place of business of each Credit Party.
 
    6.24  DISCLOSURE.
 
    Neither this Credit Agreement nor any financial statements delivered to 
the New Credit Agreement Lenders nor any other document, certificate or 
statement furnished to the New Credit Agreement Lenders by or on behalf of 
any Credit Party in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby 
contains any untrue statement of a material fact or omits to state a material 
fact necessary in order to make the statements contained therein or herein 
not misleading.

    6.25 Licenses, etc.

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    The Borrower and each of its Subsidiaries has obtained and holds in full 
force and effect, all franchises, licenses, permits, certificates, 
authorizations, qualifications, accreditations, easements, rights of way and 
other rights, consents and approvals which are necessary for the operation of 
their respective businesses as presently conducted.
 
    6.26  NO BURDENSOME RESTRICTIONS.
 
    Neither the Borrower nor any Subsidiary of the Borrower is a party to any 
agreement or instrument or subject to any other obligation or any charter or 
corporate restriction or any provision of any applicable law, rule or 
regulation which, individually or in the aggregate, would have or be 
reasonably expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
 
    6.27  BROKERS' FEES.
 
    No Credit Party has any obligation to any Person in respect of any 
finder's, broker's, investment banking or other similar fee in connection 
with any of the transactions contemplated under the Credit Documents.
 
    6.28  LABOR MATTERS.
 
    There are no collective bargaining agreements or Multiemployer Plans 
covering the employees of the Borrower or any Subsidiary of the Borrower and 
none of such Persons has suffered any strikes, walkouts, work stoppages or 
other material labor difficulty within the last five years.
 
    6.29  COLLATERAL DOCUMENTS.
 
    The Collateral Documents create valid security interests in, and first 
Liens on, the Collateral purported to be covered thereby, which security 
interests and Liens are and will remain perfected security interests and 
Liens, prior to all other Liens other than Permitted Liens. Each of the 
representations and warranties made by the Borrower and its Subsidiaries in 
the Collateral Documents is true and correct.
 
    6.30  RELATED TRANSACTIONS.
 
    The closing of the acquisition of the Acquired Assets will occur 
simultaneously with the making of the initial Loans hereunder and under the 
Supplemental Credit Agreement and no party has waived, without the consent of 
the Required Lenders, any condition precedent to their obligations to close 
as set forth in the Purchase Agreement. True and complete copies of the 
Purchase Agreement have been delivered to each of the New Credit Agreement 
Lenders, together with a true and complete copy of each document to be 
delivered at the closing of the acquisition of the Acquired Assets.

                                       62



    6.31  REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES INCORPORATED FROM PURCHASE AGREEMENT.
 
    As of the Closing Date, each of the representations and warranties made 
in the Purchase Agreement by each of the parties thereto is true and correct 
in all material respects, and such representations and warranties are hereby 
incorporated herein by reference with the same effect as though set forth in 
their entirety herein, as qualified therein.
 
    6.32  SENIOR DEBT.
 
    (a) The Loans are Senior Debt under Article 10.02 of the Indenture, 
meaning New Credit Agreement Lenders shall have all of the rights and 
privileges of a holder of Senior Debt under the Indenture including, but not 
limited to, the rights set forth in Article 10 of the Indenture, and (b) this 
Credit Agreement is the New Credit Agreement (as defined in the Indenture).
 
                                   SECTION 7
 
                             AFFIRMATIVE COVENANTS
 
    Each Credit Party hereby covenants and agrees that so long as this Credit 
Agreement is in effect and until the Loans, together with interest, fees and 
other obligations hereunder, have been paid in full and the Commitments 
hereunder shall have terminated:
 
    7.1  INFORMATION COVENANTS.
 
    The Borrower will furnish, or cause to be furnished, to the Agent:
 
    (a) Annual Financial Statements. As soon as available, and in any event 
within 120 days after the close of each fiscal year of the Borrower, a 
consolidated and consolidating balance sheet and income statement of the 
Borrower and its Subsidiaries, as of the end of such fiscal year, together 
with related consolidated and consolidating statements of operations and 
retained earnings and of cash flows for such fiscal year, setting forth in 
comparative form consolidated figures for the preceding fiscal year, all such 
financial information described above to be in reasonable form and detail and 
audited by independent certified public accountants of recognized national 
standing reasonably acceptable to the Agent and whose opinion shall be to the 
effect that such financial statements have been prepared in accordance with 
GAAP (except for changes with which such accountants concur) and shall not be 
limited as to the scope of the audit or qualified in any manner.
 
    (b) Quarterly Financial Statements. As soon as available, and in any 
event within 45 days after the close of each fiscal quarter of the Borrower 
(other than the fourth fiscal quarter, in which case 120 days after the end 
thereof) a consolidated balance sheet and income statement of the Borrower 
and its Subsidiaries, as of the end of such fiscal quarter, together with 
related consolidated statements of operations and retained earnings and of 
cash flows for such fiscal quarter in each case setting forth in comparative 
form

                                       63



consolidated figures for the corresponding period of the preceding fiscal 
year, all such financial information described above to be in reasonable form 
and detail and reasonably acceptable to the Agent, and accompanied by a 
certificate of the chief financial officer of the Borrower to the effect that 
such quarterly financial statements fairly present in all material respects 
the financial condition of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries and have been 
prepared in accordance with GAAP, subject to changes resulting from audit and 
normal year-end audit adjustments.
 
    (c) Monthly Financial Statements. As soon as available and in any event 
within 20 days after the end of each month of the Borrower (other than the 
last month of the first three fiscal quarters in which case 45 days after the 
end thereof), a consolidated balance sheet and income statement of the 
Borrower and its Subsidiaries as at the end of such month together with (i) 
related consolidated statements of operations and retained earnings for such 
month in each case setting forth in comparative form consolidated figures for 
the corresponding period of the preceding fiscal year and (ii) a separate 
income statement for each Foreign Subsidiary (and such other financial 
information as reasonably requested by the Agent or the Required Lenders), 
all such financial information described above to be in reasonable form and 
detail and reasonably acceptable to the Agent, and accompanied by a 
certificate of the chief financial officer of the Borrower to the effect that 
such monthly financial statements fairly present in all material respects the 
financial condition of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries and have been 
prepared in accordance with GAAP, subject to changes resulting from audit and 
normal year-end audit adjustments.
 
    (d) Officer's Certificate. At the time of delivery of the financial 
statements provided for in Sections 7.1(a) and 7.1(b) above, a certificate of 
the chief financial officer of the Borrower substantially in the form of 
Exhibit 7.1(d), (i) demonstrating compliance with the financial covenants 
contained in Section 7.12 by calculation thereof as of the end of each such 
fiscal period and (ii) stating that no Default or Event of Default exists, or 
if any Default or Event of Default does exist, specifying the nature and 
extent thereof and what action the Borrower proposes to take with respect 
thereto. The Borrower shall also deliver a copy of such certificate to the 
Agency Services Address.
 
    (e) Annual Business Plan and Budgets. At least 60 days after the end of 
each fiscal year of the Borrower, beginning with the fiscal year ending 
November 30, 1997, an annual business plan and budget of the Borrower and its 
Subsidiaries containing, among other things, pro forma financial statements 
for the next fiscal year.
 
    (f) Borrowing Base Certificate. Within 20 days after the end of each 
calendar month, a Borrowing Base Certificate as of the end of the immediately 
preceding month, substantially in the form of Exhibit 7.1(f) and certified by 
the chief financial officer of the Borrower to be true and correct as of such 
date.
 
    (g) Compliance With Certain Provisions of the Credit Agreement. Within 
120 days after the end of each fiscal year of the Borrower, the Borrower 
shall deliver a certificate, containing information regarding (i) the 
calculation of Excess Cash Flow and

                                       64



(ii) the amount of any Asset Dispositions, Debt Issuances, Equity Issuances 
and Recovery Events that were made during the prior fiscal year.
 
    (h) Accountant's Certificate. Within the period for delivery of the 
annual financial statements provided in Section 7.1(a), a certificate of the 
accountants conducting the annual audit stating that they have reviewed this 
Credit Agreement and stating further whether, in the course of their audit, 
they have become aware of any Default or Event of Default and, if any such 
Default or Event of Default exists, specifying the nature and extent thereof.
 
    (i) Auditor's Reports. Promptly upon receipt thereof, a copy of any 
"management letter" submitted by independent accountants to the Borrower or 
any of its Subsidiaries in connection with any annual, interim or special 
audit of the books of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries.
 
    (j) Reports. Promptly upon transmission or receipt thereof, (a) copies of 
any filings and registrations with, and reports to or from, the Securities 
and Exchange Commission, or any successor agency, and copies of all financial 
statements, proxy statements, notices and reports as the Borrower or any of 
its Subsidiaries shall send to its shareholders generally or to a holder of 
any Indebtedness owed by the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries in its 
capacity as such a holder and (b) upon the written request of the Agent, all 
reports and written information to and from the United States Environmental 
Protection Agency, or any state or local agency responsible for environmental 
matters, the United States Occupational Health and Safety Administration, or 
any state or local agency responsible for health and safety matters, or any 
successor agencies or authorities concerning environmental, health or safety 
matters.
 
    (k) Notices. Upon a Credit Party obtaining knowledge thereof, such Credit 
Party will give written notice to the Agent immediately of (a) the occurrence 
of an event or condition consisting of a Default or Event of Default, 
specifying the nature and existence thereof and what action the Borrower 
proposes to take with respect thereto, and (b) the occurrence of any of the 
following with respect to the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries (i) the 
pendency or commencement of any litigation, arbitral or governmental 
proceeding against the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries which if adversely 
determined would have or would be reasonably expected to have a Material 
Adverse Effect, or (ii) the institution of any proceedings against the 
Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries with respect to, or the receipt of notice 
by such Person of potential liability or responsibility for violation, or 
alleged violation of any federal, state or local law, rule or regulation, 
including but not limited to, Environmental Laws, the violation of which 
would have or would be reasonably expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
 
    (l) ERISA. Upon any of the Credit Parties or any ERISA Affiliate 
obtaining knowledge thereof, Borrower will give written notice to the Agent 
and each of the New Credit Agreement Lenders promptly (and in any event 
within five Business Days) of: (i) any event or condition, including, but not 
limited to, any Reportable Event, that constitutes, or might reasonably lead 
to, a Termination Event; (ii) with respect to any

                                       65

  

Multiemployer Plan, the receipt of notice as prescribed in ERISA or otherwise 
of any withdrawal liability assessed against the Borrower or any of its ERISA 
Affiliates, or of a determination that any Multiemployer Plan is in 
reorganization or insolvent (both within the meaning of Title IV of ERISA); 
(iii) the failure to make full payment on or before the due date (including 
extensions) thereof of all amounts which the Borrower or any of its 
Subsidiaries or ERISA Affiliate is required to contribute to each Plan 
pursuant to its terms and as required to meet the minimum funding standard 
set forth in ERISA and the Code with respect thereto; or (iv) any change in 
the funding status of any Plan that could have a Material Adverse Effect; 
together, with a description of any such event or condition or a copy of any 
such notice and a statement by the principal financial officer of the 
Borrower briefly setting forth the details regarding such event, condition, 
or notice, and the action, if any, which has been or is being taken or is 
proposed to be taken by the Credit Parties with respect thereto. Promptly 
upon request, the Borrower shall furnish the Agent and each of the Lenders 
with such additional information concerning any Plan as may be reasonably 
requested, including, but not limited to, copies of each annual report/return 
(Form 5500 series), as well as all schedules and attachments thereto required 
to filed with the Department of Labor and/or the Internal Revenue Service 
pursuant to ERISA and the Code, respectively, for each "plan year" (within 
the meaning of Section 3(39) of ERISA).
 
    (m) Environmental.
 
        (i) Upon the reasonable written request of the Agent, the Borrower will
    furnish or cause to be furnished to the Agent, at the Borrower's expense, an
    environmental assessment of reasonable scope, form and depth, (including,
    where appropriate, invasive soil or groundwater sampling) by a consultant
    reasonably acceptable to the Agent as to the nature and extent of the
    presence of any Hazardous Materials on any property owned, leased or
    operated by the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries and as to the compliance
    by the Borrower and each of its Subsidiaries with Environmental Laws. If the
    Borrower fails to deliver such an environmental report within seventy-five
    (75) days after receipt of such written request then the Agent may arrange
    for same, and the Borrower hereby grants to the Agent and its
    representatives access to the Real Properties and a license to undertake
    such an assessment (including, where appropriate, invasive soil or
    groundwater sampling). The reasonable cost of any assessment arranged for
    by the Agent pursuant to this provision will be payable by the Borrower
    on demand and added to the obligations secured by the Collateral Documents.
 
        (ii) The Borrower and each of its Subsidiaries will conduct and complete
    all investigations, studies, sampling, and testing and all remedial,
    removal, and other actions necessary to address all Hazardous Materials on,
    from, or affecting any real property owned or leased by the Borrower or its
    Subsidiaries to the extent necessary to be in compliance with all
    Environmental Laws and all other applicable federal, state, and local laws,
    regulations, rules and policies and with the orders and directives of all
    Governmental Authorities exercising

                                       66



    jurisdiction over such real property to the extent any failure would have
    or be reasonably expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
 
        (n) Star Report. At the time of delivery of the financial statements
    provided for in Section 7.1(b) above, a company-prepared report containing
    information as to brand sales and advertising cost analysis for the fiscal
    quarter of the Borrower most recently ending.
 
        (o) Other Information. With reasonable promptness upon any such
    request, such other information regarding the business, properties or
    financial condition of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries as the Agent
    or the Required Lenders may reasonably request.
 
    7.2  PRESERVATION OF EXISTENCE AND FRANCHISES.
 
    Each of the Credit Parties will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries 
to, do all things necessary to preserve and keep in full force and effect in 
all material respects its existence, rights, franchises and authority.
 
    7.3  BOOKS AND RECORDS.
 
    Each of the Credit Parties will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries 
to, keep complete and accurate books and records of its transactions in 
accordance with good accounting practices on the basis of GAAP (including the 
establishment and maintenance of appropriate reserves).
 
    7.4  COMPLIANCE WITH LAW.
 
    Each of the Credit Parties will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries 
to, comply with all laws, rules, regulations and orders, and all applicable 
restrictions imposed by all Governmental Authorities, applicable to it and 
its property (including, without limitation, Environmental Laws) if 
noncompliance with any such law, rule, regulation, order or restriction would 
have or reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
 
    7.5  PAYMENT OF TAXES AND OTHER INDEBTEDNESS.
 
    Each of the Credit Parties will, and will cause its Subsidiaries to, pay 
and discharge (a) all taxes, assessments and governmental charges or levies 
imposed upon it, or upon its income or profits, or upon any of its 
properties, before they shall become delinquent, (b) all lawful claims 
(including claims for labor, materials and supplies) which, if unpaid, might 
give rise to a Lien upon any of its properties, and (c) except as prohibited 
hereunder, all of its other Indebtedness as it shall become due; provided, 
however, that a Credit Party or its Subsidiary shall not be required to pay 
any such tax, assessment, charge, levy, claim or Indebtedness which is being 
contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings and as to which adequate 
reserves therefor have been established in accordance with GAAP, unless the 
failure to make any such payment (i) would give rise to an immediate right to 
foreclose on a Lien securing such amounts or (ii) would have a Material 
Adverse Effect.

                                       67


 
    7.6  INSURANCE.
 
    Each of the Credit Parties will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries 
to, at all times maintain in full force and effect insurance (including 
worker's compensation insurance, liability insurance, casualty insurance and 
business interruption insurance) in such amounts, covering such risks and 
liabilities and with such deductibles or self-insurance retentions as are in 
accordance with normal industry practice. All liability policies shall have 
each New Credit Agreement Lender as an additional insured and all casualty 
policies shall have the Agent, on behalf of the Lenders, as loss payee.
 
    In the event there occurs any material loss, damage to or destruction of 
the Collateral of any Credit Party or any part thereof, such Credit Party 
shall promptly give written notice thereof to the Agent generally describing 
the nature and extent of such damage or destruction. Subsequent to any loss, 
damage to or destruction of the Collateral of any Credit Party or any part 
thereof, such Credit Party, whether or not the insurance proceeds, if any, 
received on account of such damage or destruction shall be sufficient for 
that purpose, at such Credit Party's cost and expense, will promptly repair 
or replace the Collateral of such Credit Party so lost, damaged or destroyed; 
provided, however, that such Credit Party shall not be obligated to repair or 
replace any Collateral so lost, damaged or destroyed to the extent the 
failure to make such repair or replacement (a) is desirable to the proper 
conduct of the business of such Credit Party in the ordinary course and 
otherwise is in the best interest of such Credit Party and (b) would not 
materially impair the rights and benefits of the Agent or the New Credit 
Agreement Lenders under this Credit Agreement or any other Credit Document. 
In the event a Credit Party shall receive any insurance proceeds, as a result 
of any loss, damage or destruction, in a net amount in excess of $100,000, 
such Credit Party will immediately pay over such proceeds to the Agent as 
cash collateral for the Credit Party Obligations. The Agent agrees to release 
such insurance proceeds to such Credit Party for replacement or restoration 
of the portion of the Collateral of such Credit Party lost, damaged or 
destroyed if, (A) within 120 days from the date the Agent receives such 
insurance proceeds, the Agent has received written application for such 
release from such Credit Party together with evidence reasonably satisfactory 
to it that the Collateral lost, damaged or destroyed has been or will be 
replaced or restored to its condition (or by Collateral having a value at 
least equal to the condition of the asset subject to the loss, damage or 
destruction) immediately prior to the loss, destruction or other event giving 
rise to the payment of such insurance proceeds and (B) on the date of such 
release no Default or Event of Default exists. If the conditions in the 
preceding sentence are not met, the Agent shall, on the first Business Day 
subsequent to the date 120 days after it received such insurance proceeds, 
apply such insurance proceeds as a mandatory prepayment of the Credit Party 
Obligations for application in accordance with the terms of Section 3.3(b)(v) 
and Section 3.3(c). All insurance proceeds shall be subject to the security 
interest of the New Credit Agreement Lenders under the Collateral Documents.
 
    The present insurance coverage of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries is 
outlined as to carrier, policy number, expiration date, type and amount on 
Schedule 7.6, as Schedule 7.6 may be amended from time to time by written 
notice to the Agent.

                                       68

 

    7.7  MAINTENANCE OF PROPERTY.
 
    Each of the Credit Parties will, and will cause its Subsidiaries to, 
maintain and preserve its properties and equipment in good repair, working 
order and condition, normal wear and tear excepted, and will make, or cause 
to be made, in such properties and equipment from time to time all repairs, 
renewals, replacements, extensions, additions, betterments and improvements 
thereto as may be needed or proper, to the extent and in the manner customary 
for companies in similar businesses.
 
    7.8  PERFORMANCE OF OBLIGATIONS.
 
    Each of the Credit Parties will, and will cause its Subsidiaries to, 
perform in all material respects all of its obligations under the terms of 
all material agreements, indentures, mortgages, security agreements or other 
debt instruments to which it is a party or by which it is bound.
 
    7.9  COLLATERAL.
 
    If, subsequent to the Closing Date, a Credit Party shall (a) acquire or 
lease any real property or (b) acquire any intellectual property, securities 
instruments, chattel paper or other personal property required to be 
delivered to the Agent as Collateral hereunder or under any of the Collateral 
Documents, the Borrower shall immediately notify the Agent of same. Each 
Credit Party shall take such action (including, but not limited to, the 
actions set forth in Sections 5.1(g) and (h)), as requested by the Agent and 
at its own expense, to ensure that the Lenders have a first priority 
perfected Lien in all owned real property (and in such leased real property 
as requested by the Agent or the Required Lenders) and all personal property 
of the Credit Parties (whether now owned or hereafter acquired), subject only 
to Permitted Liens. Each Credit Party shall adhere to the covenants regarding 
the location of personal property as set forth in the Security Agreements.
 
    7.10  USE OF PROCEEDS.
 
    The Credit Parties will use proceeds of the Loans solely (a) to refinance 
on the Closing Date the existing Indebtedness of the Borrower under the Prior 
New Credit Agreement, (b) to provide working capital and (c) for general 
corporate purposes.

    7.11 Audits/Inspections.
 
    Upon reasonable notice and during normal business hours, each Credit Party
will, and will cause its Subsidiaries to, permit representatives appointed by
the Agent or any Lender, including, without limitation, independent accountants,
agents, attorneys and appraisers to visit and inspect such Credit Party's (or
its Subsidiary's) property, including its books and records, its accounts
receivable and inventory, its facilities and its other business assets, and to
make photocopies or photographs thereof and to write down and record any
information such representative obtains and shall permit the Agent or its
representatives to investigate and verify the accuracy of information provided
to the Lenders and to discuss all such matters with the officers, employees and
representatives of the Credit Parties and their Subsidiaries. The Credit

                                       69




Parties agree that the Agent, and its representatives, may conduct an annual 
audit of the Collateral, at the expense of the Borrower.
 
    7.12  FINANCIAL COVENANTS.
 
         (a) Interest Coverage Ratio. The Interest Coverage Ratio, as of the
    end of each fiscal quarter, shall be greater than or equal to:
 
             (i) From the Effective Date to and including August 31, 1997,
         1.25 to 1.0;
 
             (ii) From September 1, 1997 to and including August 31, 1998,
         1.30 to 1.0; and
 
             (iii) From September 1, 1998 and thereafter, 1.40 to 1.0.
 
    (b) Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio. The Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio, as of 
the end of each fiscal quarter, shall be greater than or equal to:
 
             (i)   From the Effective Date to and including August 31, 1998,
                   1.10 to 1.0; and
 
             (ii)  From September 1, 1998 and thereafter, 1.20 to 1.0.
 
    (c) Leverage Ratio. The Leverage Ratio, as of the end of each fiscal 
quarter, shall be less than or equal to:
 
             (i)   From the Effective Date to and including August 31, 1997,
                   6.50 to 1.0;
 
             (ii)  From September 1, 1997 to and including May 31, 1998,
                   6.0 to 1.0;
 
             (iii) From June 1, 1998 to and including August 31, 1998,
                   5.50 to 1.0;
 
             (iv)  From September 1, 1998 to and including May 31, 1999,
                   5.0 to 1.0; and
 
             (v)   From June 1, 1999 and thereafter, 4.50 to 1.0.
 
    (d) Senior Leverage Ratio. The Senior Leverage Ratio, as of the end of 
each fiscal quarter, shall be less than or equal to:
 
             (i)   From the Effective Date to and including August 31, 1997,
                   4.0 to 1.0;
 
                                       70


             (ii)  From September 1, 1997 to and including May 31, 1998,
                   3.25 to 1.0;
 
             (iii) From June 1, 1998 to and including August 31, 1998,
                   3.0 to 1.0; and
 
             (iv)  From September 1, 1998 and thereafter, 2.50 to 1.0.
 
    (e) Net Worth. At all times Net Worth shall be no less than negative 
Three Million ($3,000,000) increased on a cumulative basis by an amount equal 
to, (i) as of the last day of each fiscal quarter, 50% of Net Income for the 
fiscal quarter then ended (without deductions for any losses) plus (ii) 100% 
of the Net Cash Proceeds from any Equity Issuance subsequent to the Closing 
Date (other than the issuance of shares of capital stock of the Borrower in 
connection with the Borrower's purchase of the Acquired Assets).
 
    (f) Appraised Brand Value. As of the end of each fiscal quarter of the 
Borrower, with respect to the Borrower and its Subsidiaries on a consolidated 
basis, the most recent appraised value of all brands or product lines of the 
Borrower and its Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis on such date shall be 
greater than or equal to 110% of Funded Debt on such date.
 
    7.13  ADDITIONAL CREDIT PARTIES.
 
    At the time any Person becomes a Subsidiary of a Credit Party, the 
Borrower shall so notify the Agent and promptly thereafter (but in any event 
within 30 days after the date thereof) shall cause such Person to (a) if it 
is a Domestic Subsidiary, execute a Joinder Agreement in substantially the 
same form as Exhibit 7.13, (b) cause all of the capital stock of such Person 
(if such Person is a Domestic Subsidiary) or 65% of the capital stock of such 
Person (if such Person is a Foreign Subsidiary) to be delivered to the Agent 
(together with undated stock powers signed in blank) and pledged to the Agent 
pursuant to an appropriate pledge agreement in substantially the form of the 
Pledge Agreement and otherwise in a form acceptable to the Agent, (c) if such 
Person is a Domestic Subsidiary, pledge all of its assets to the Lenders 
pursuant to a security agreement in substantially the form of the Security 
Agreements and otherwise in a form acceptable to the Agent, (d) if such 
Person has any Subsidiaries, (i) deliver all of the capital stock of such 
Domestic Subsidiaries and 65% of the capital stock of such Foreign 
Subsidiaries (together with undated stock powers signed in blank) to the 
Agent and (ii) execute a pledge agreement in substantially the form of the 
Pledge Agreement and otherwise in a form acceptable to the Agent, (e) if such 
Person owns or leases any real property in the United States of America, 
execute any and all necessary mortgages, deeds of trust, deeds to secure 
debt, leasehold mortgages, collateral assignments of leaseholds or other 
appropriate real estate collateral documentation in a form acceptable to the 
Agent and (f) deliver such other documentation as the Agent may reasonably 
request in connection with the foregoing, including, without limitation, 
appropriate UCC-1 financing statements, real estate title insurance policies, 
environmental reports, landlord waivers, certified resolutions and other 
organizational and authorizing documents of such Person and favorable 
opinions of counsel to such Person (which

                                       71




shall cover, among other things, the legality, validity, binding effect and 
enforceability of the documentation referred to above), all in form, content 
and scope reasonably satisfactory to the Agent.
 
    7.14  INTEREST RATE PROTECTION AGREEMENTS.
 
    The Borrower shall, within 30 days of the Closing Date, have in place 
interest rate protection agreements, in form and substance acceptable to the 
Agent, protecting against fluctuations in interest rates which agreements 
shall provide coverage for a period of three (3) years, and in a notional 
amount of at least fifty percent (50%) of the outstanding principal amount of 
the Term Loans.
 
    7.15  OWNERSHIP OF SUBSIDIARIES.
 
    The Borrower shall at all times own 100% of the capital stock of its 
Subsidiaries (other than to the extent necessary for Chattem (U.K.) Limited 
and HBA Insurance Limited to qualify for incorporation in their respective 
countries of incorporation, any nominal qualifying shares owned by any 
necessary governmental authorities) and may not sell, transfer or otherwise 
dispose of any shares of capital stock of any of its Subsidiaries.
 
    7.16  APPRAISAL REPORTS.
 
    The Borrower and its Subsidiaries shall provide the Agent, upon the 
request of the Agent and at the expense of the Borrower, with asset appraisal 
reports with respect to the real and personal property of the Borrower and 
its Subsidiaries including, without limitation, appraisals of brand values 
(provided, however, the Borrower shall not be required to pay for more than 
one appraisal of brand values per year). In the event the Agent needs more 
than one asset appraisal report of the real and personal property of the 
Borrower and its Subsidiaries during any year, the Agent shall have the right 
to pay and arrange for such report.
 
                                   SECTION 8
 
                               NEGATIVE COVENANTS
 
    Each Credit Party hereby covenants and agrees that so long as this Credit 
Agreement is in effect and until the Loans, together with interest, fees and 
other obligations hereunder, have been paid in full and the Commitments 
hereunder shall have terminated:
 
    8.1  INDEBTEDNESS.
 
    No Credit Party will, nor will it permit any of its Subsidiaries to, 
contract, create, incur, assume or permit to exist any Indebtedness, except:
 
         (a) Indebtedness arising under this Credit Agreement, the other
    Credit Documents and the Supplemental Credit Documents;
 
                                       72



         (b) the Subordinated Debt;
 
         (c) Indebtedness existing as of the Closing Date as referenced in
      Section 6.10 (and renewals, refinancings or extensions thereof on
      terms and conditions no more favorable, in the aggregate, to such
      Person than such existing Indebtedness and in a principal amount not
      in excess of that outstanding as of the date of such renewal,
      refinancing or extension);
 
         (d) Indebtedness owing by one Credit Party to another Credit Party;
 
         (e) purchase money Indebtedness (including Capital Leases) incurred
    by the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries to finance the purchase of fixed
    assets; provided that (i) the total of all such Indebtedness for all such
    Persons taken together shall not exceed an aggregate principal amount of
    $2,000,000.00 at any one time outstanding (including any such Indebtedness
    referred to in subsection (c) above); (ii) such Indebtedness when incurred
    shall not exceed the purchase price of the asset(s) financed; and (iii)
    no such Indebtedness shall be refinanced for a principal amount in excess
    of the principal balance outstanding thereon at the time of such
    refinancing;
 
        (f) obligations of the Credit Parties evidenced by the interest rate
    protection agreements referred to in Section 7.14; and
 
         (g) Indebtedness incurred by Foreign Subsidiaries not to exceed
    $500,000.00, in the aggregate, at any one time outstanding (including
    any such Indebtedness referred to in subsection (c) above).
 
    8.2  LIENS.
 
    No Credit Party will, nor will it permit its Subsidiaries to, contract, 
create, incur, assume or permit to exist any Lien with respect to any of its 
property or assets of any kind (whether real or personal, tangible or 
intangible), whether now owned or after acquired, except for Permitted Liens.
 
    8.3  NATURE OF BUSINESS.

    No Credit Party will, nor will it permit its Subsidiaries to, alter the 
character of its business from that conducted as of the Closing Date or 
engage in any business other than the business conducted as of the Closing 
Date, which with respect to Signal shall be limited to the ownership of 
trademarks and tradenames for the purpose of licensing such trademarks and 
tradenames to the Borrower.
 
    8.4  CONSOLIDATION AND MERGER.
 
    No Credit Party will, nor will it permit its Subsidiaries to, enter into 
any transaction of merger or consolidation or liquidate, wind up or dissolve 
itself (or suffer any liquidation or

                                       73


 

dissolution); provided that notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this 
Section 8.4, the following actions may be taken if (a) the Agent is given 
prior written notice of such action, and the Credit Parties execute and 
deliver such documents, instruments and certificates as the Agent may request 
in order to maintain the perfection and priority of the Liens on the assets 
of the Credit Parties and (b) after giving effect thereto no Default or Event 
of Default exists:
 
        (i) any Credit Party may be merged or consolidated with or into the
    Borrower or any Credit Party (other than the Borrower) may be merged or
    consolidated with or into any other Credit Party; provided that if such
    transaction shall be between the Borrower and another Credit Party, the
    Borrower shall be the continuing or surviving corporation; and
 
        (ii) any Foreign Subsidiary may merge or consolidate with any other
    Foreign Subsidiary.
 
    8.5  SALE OR LEASE OF ASSETS.
 
    No Credit Party will, nor will it permit any of its Subsidiaries to, 
convey, sell, lease, transfer or otherwise dispose of, in one transaction or 
a series of transactions, all or any part of its business or assets whether 
now owned or hereafter acquired, including, without limitation, inventory, 
receivables, real property, leasehold interests, equipment and securities 
other than (a) any inventory or other assets sold, leased or disposed of (or 
simultaneously replaced with like goods) in the ordinary course of business, 
(b) obsolete, idle or worn-out assets no longer used or useful in its 
business, (c) the sale, lease or transfer or other disposal by a Credit Party 
other than the Borrower of any or all of its assets to the Borrower or to any 
other Credit Party, or (d) sales of product lines (or the right to produce a 
consumer product or products) provided that the dispositions permitted under 
this subparagraph (d) during the term of this Credit Agreement shall be 
limited to product lines (or the right to produce a consumer product or 
products) having sales for the twelve-month period ending on the fiscal 
quarter ending immediately preceding the sale in an aggregate amount of 
$4,000,000 or less.

    8.6 Advances, Investments and Loans.
 
    No Credit Party will, nor will it permit any of its Subsidiaries to, make 
any Investments except for Permitted Investments.
 
    8.7  DIVIDENDS.
 
    No Credit Party will, nor will it permit any of its Subsidiaries to, 
directly or indirectly, (a) declare or pay any dividends (whether cash or 
otherwise) or make any other distribution upon any shares of its capital 
stock of any class other than the payment of dividends by the Subsidiaries of 
the Borrower to the Borrower or (b) other than Permitted Investments 
purchase, redeem or otherwise acquire or retire or make any provisions for 
redemption, acquisition or retirement of any shares of its capital stock of 
any class or any warrants or options to purchase any such shares.

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    8.8  TRANSACTIONS WITH AFFILIATES.
 
    Except as set forth on Schedule 8.8, no Credit Party will, nor will it 
permit its Subsidiaries to, enter into any transaction or series of 
transactions, whether or not in the ordinary course of business, with any 
officer, director, shareholder, Subsidiary or Affiliate other than on terms 
and conditions substantially as favorable as would be obtainable in a 
comparable arm's-length transaction with a Person other than an officer, 
director, shareholder, Subsidiary or Affiliate.
 
    8.9  FISCAL YEAR; ORGANIZATIONAL DOCUMENTS.
 
    No Credit Party will, nor will it permit any of its Subsidiaries to, 
change its fiscal year or materially change its articles or certificate of 
incorporation or its bylaws without the prior written consent of the Required 
Lenders.
 
    8.10  PREPAYMENTS OF INDEBTEDNESS.
 
    No Credit Party will, nor will it permit any of its Subsidiaries to, (a) 
amend or modify (or permit the amendment or modification of) any of the terms 
of any Indebtedness if such amendment or modification would add or change any 
terms in a manner adverse to the Lenders, including but not limited to, 
shortening final maturity or average life to maturity of such Indebtedness or 
requiring any payment to be made sooner than originally scheduled or 
increasing the interest rate applicable thereto or change any subordination 
provision thereof, (b) during the existence of a Default or Event of Default, 
or if a Default or Event of Default would be caused as a result thereof make 
(or give any notice with respect thereto) any voluntary or optional payment 
or prepayment or redemption or acquisition for value of (including, without 
limitation, by way of depositing money or securities with the trustee with 
respect thereto before due for the purpose of paying when due), refund, 
refinance or exchange of any other Indebtedness.
 
    8.11  SUBORDINATED DEBT.
 
    No Credit Party will (a) make or offer to make any principal payments 
with respect to the Subordinated Debt, (b) redeem or offer to redeem any of 
the Subordinated Debt, or (c) deposit any funds intended to discharge or 
defease any or all of the Subordinated Debt. The Subordinated Debt may not be 
amended or modified in any material manner without the prior written consent 
of the Required Lenders, it being specifically understood and agreed that no 
amendment to Article 4 or Article 10 of the Indenture shall be made without 
the prior written consent of the Required Lenders.
 
    8.12  LIMITATIONS.
 
    No Credit Party will, nor will it permit any of its Subsidiaries to, 
directly or indirectly, create or otherwise cause, incur, assume, suffer or 
permit to exist or become effective any consensual encumbrance or restriction 
of any kind on the ability of any such Person to (a) pay dividends or make 
any other distribution on any of such Person's capital stock, (b) pay any 
Indebtedness owed to the Borrower or any other Credit Party, (c) make loans 
or advances to any

                                       75


other Credit Party, (c) make loans or advances to any other Credit Party or 
(d) transfer any of its property to any other Credit Party, except for 
encumbrances or restrictions existing under or by reason of (i) customary 
non-assignment provisions in any lease governing a leasehold interest, (ii) 
this Credit Agreement, the other Credit Documents and the Supplemental Credit 
Documents and (iii) the Indenture.
 
    8.13  SALE LEASEBACKS.
 
    No Credit Party will, nor will it permit any of its Subsidiaries to, 
directly or indirectly become or remain liable as lessee or as guarantor or 
other surety with respect to any lease, of any property (whether real or 
personal or mixed), whether now owned or hereafter acquired, (a) which such 
Credit Party or Subsidiary has sold or transferred or is to sell or transfer 
to any other Person other than a Credit Party or (b) which such Credit Party 
or Subsidiary intends to use for substantially the same purpose as any other 
property which has been sold or is to be sold or transferred by such Credit 
Party or Subsidiary to any Person in connection with such lease.
 
    8.14  NEGATIVE PLEDGES.
 
    Other than as set forth in Section 4.12 of the Indenture, none of the 
Credit Parties will, nor will it permit any of its Subsidiaries to, enter 
into, assume or become subject to any agreement prohibiting or otherwise 
restricting the creation or assumption of any Lien upon its properties or 
assets, whether now owned or hereafter acquired, or requiring the grant of 
any security for such obligation if security is given for some other 
obligation.
 
    8.15  CAPITAL EXPENDITURES.
 
    The Credit Parties and their Subsidiaries will not make Capital 
Expenditures, in any fiscal year, that would exceed $3,500,000.00 in the 
aggregate.
 
    8.16  OPERATING LEASES.
 
    Neither the Borrower nor any of its Subsidiaries shall create, incur, 
assume or permit to exist obligations under Operating Leases which require 
aggregate annual payments in excess of $1,500,000.00.
 
    8.17  PAYMENT BLOCKAGE NOTICE.
 
    The Borrower (i) covenants and agrees that it will not give the Payment 
Blockage Notice (as defined in the Indenture) without the consent of the 
Required Lenders and (ii) hereby designates and appoints the Agent, as 
attorney-in-fact of the Borrower, irrevocably and with full power of 
substitution, to deliver any Payment Blockage Notice that the Borrower has 
the right to deliver pursuant to the terms of the Indenture; provided that 
the foregoing appointment shall terminate at such time as the Loans, together 
with interest, fees and other obligations hereunder, have been paid in full 
and the Commitments hereunder shall have terminated.

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                                   SECTION 9
 
                               EVENTS OF DEFAULT
 
    9.1  EVENTS OF DEFAULT.
 
    An Event of Default shall exist upon the occurrence of any of the 
following specified events (each an "Event of Default"):
 
    (a) Payment. Any Credit Party shall:
 
        (i) default in the payment when due of any principal of any of the
    Loans; or
 
        (ii) default, and such default shall continue for three or more 
    days, in the payment when due of any interest on the Loans or of 
    any fees or other amounts owing hereunder, under any of the other 
    Credit Documents or in connection herewith.
 
    (b) Representations. Any representation, warranty or statement made or
deemed to be made by any Credit Party herein, in any of the other Credit
Documents, or in any statement or certificate delivered or required to be
delivered pursuant hereto or thereto shall prove untrue in any material respect
on the date as of which it was made or deemed to have been made.
 
    (c) Covenants. Any Credit Party shall:
 
        (i) default in the due performance or observance of any term, covenant
    or agreement contained in Sections 7.2, 7.4, 7.5, 7.6, 7.9, 7.10, 7.12,
    7.13, 7.14, 7.15, 7.16 or 8.1 through 8.17 inclusive; or
 
        (ii) default in the due performance or observance by it of any term,
    covenant or agreement contained in Section 7.1 and such default shall
    continue unremedied for a period of five Business Days after the earlier of
    an officer of a Credit Party becoming aware of such default or notice
    thereof given by the Agent; or
 
       (iii) default in the due performance or observance by it of any term,
    covenant or agreement (other than those referred to in subsections (a), (b)
    or (c)(i) or (ii) of this Section 9.1) contained in this Credit Agreement
    and such default shall continue unremedied for a period of at least 30 days
    after the earlier of an officer of a Credit Party becoming aware of such
    default or notice thereof given by the Agent.
 
    (d) Other Credit Documents. (i) Any Credit Party shall default in the due 
performance or observance of any term, covenant or agreement in any of the 
other Credit 

                                       77



Documents and such default shall continue unremedied for a period of at least 
30 days after the earlier of an officer of a Credit Party becoming aware of 
such default or notice thereof given by the Agent, or (ii) any Credit 
Document shall fail to be in full force and effect or to give the Agent 
and/or the New Credit Agreement Lenders the security interests, liens, 
rights, powers and privileges purported to be created thereby.
 
    (e) Guaranties. The guaranty given by the Credit Parties hereunder or by 
any Additional Credit Party hereafter or any provision thereof shall cease to 
be in full force and effect, or any guarantor thereunder or any Person acting 
by or on behalf of such guarantor shall deny or disaffirm such Guarantor's 
obligations under such guaranty.
 
    (f) Bankruptcy, etc. The occurrence of any of the following with respect 
to the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries (i) a court or governmental agency 
having jurisdiction in the premises shall enter a decree or order for relief 
in respect of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries in an involuntary case 
under any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar law now or 
hereafter in effect, or appoint a receiver, liquidator, assignee, custodian, 
trustee, sequestrator or similar official of any of the Borrower or any of 
its Subsidiaries or for any substantial part of its property or ordering the 
winding up or liquidation of its affairs; or (ii) an involuntary case under 
any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar law now or hereafter 
in effect is commenced against the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries and 
such petition remains unstayed and in effect for a period of 60 consecutive 
days; or (iii) the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries shall commence a 
voluntary case under any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar 
law now or hereafter in effect, or consent to the entry of an order for 
relief in an involuntary case under any such law, or consent to the 
appointment or taking possession by a receiver, liquidator, assignee, 
custodian, trustee, sequestrator or similar official of such Person or any 
substantial part of its property or make any general assignment for the 
benefit of creditors; or (iv) the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries shall 
admit in writing its inability to pay its debts generally as they become due 
or any action shall be taken by such Person in furtherance of any of the 
aforesaid purposes.
 
    (g) Defaults under Other Agreements. With respect to any Indebtedness 
(other than Indebtedness outstanding under this Credit Agreement) of the 
Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries in a principal amount in excess of 
$500,000.00, including, without limitation, the Subordinated Debt and any 
indebtedness under the Supplemental Credit Agreement (i) a Credit Party shall 
(A) default in any payment (beyond the applicable grace period with respect 
thereto, if any) with respect to any such Indebtedness, or (B) default (after 
giving effect to any applicable grace period) in the observance or 
performance of any term, covenant or agreement relating to such Indebtedness 
or contained in any instrument or agreement evidencing, securing or relating 
thereto, or any other event or condition shall occur or condition exist, the 
effect of which default or other event or condition is to cause, or permit, 
the holder or holders of such Indebtedness (or trustee or agent on behalf of 
such holders) to cause (determined without regard to whether any notice or 
lapse of time is required) any such Indebtedness to become due prior to its 
stated maturity; or (ii) any such Indebtedness shall be declared due and 

                                       78



payable, or required to be prepaid other than by a regularly scheduled 
required prepayment, prior to the stated maturity thereof.
 
    (h) Judgments. One or more judgments, orders, or decrees shall be entered
against any one or more of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries involving a
liability of $500,000.00 or more, in the aggregate, (to the extent not paid or
covered by insurance provided by a carrier who has acknowledged coverage) and
such judgments, orders or decrees shall continue unsatisfied, undischarged and
unstayed for a period ending on the first to occur of (i) the last day on which
such judgment, order or decree becomes final and unappealable or (ii) 30 days.
 
    (i) ERISA. Any of the following events or conditions: (A) any 
"accumulated funding deficiency," as such term is defined in Section 302 of 
ERISA and Section 412 of the Code, whether or not waived, shall exist with 
respect to any Plan, or any lien shall arise on the assets of the Borrower or 
any of their Subsidiaries or any ERISA Affiliate in favor of the PBGC or a 
Plan; (B) a Termination Event shall occur with respect to a Single Employer 
Plan, which is, in the reasonable opinion of the Agent, likely to result in 
the termination of such Plan for purposes of Title IV of ERISA; (C) a 
Termination Event shall occur with respect to a Multiemployer Plan or 
Multiple Employer Plan, which is, in the reasonable opinion of the Agent, 
likely to result in (i) the termination of such Plan for purposes of Title IV 
of ERISA, or (ii) the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries or any ERISA 
Affiliate incurring any liability in connection with a withdrawal from, 
reorganization of (within the meaning of Section 4241 of ERISA), or 
insolvency or (within the meaning of Section 4245 of ERISA) such Plan; or (D) 
any prohibited transaction (within the meaning of Section 406 of ERISA or 
Section 4975 of the Code) or breach of fiduciary responsibility shall occur 
which may subject the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries or any ERISA 
Affiliate to any liability under Sections 406, 409, 502(i), or 502(l) of 
ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code, or under any agreement or other instrument 
pursuant to which the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries or any ERISA 
Affiliate has agreed or is required to indemnify any person against any such 
liability.
 
    (j) Ownership. There shall occur a Change of Control.
 
    (k) Subordinated Debt. (i) Any holder of the Subordinated Debt alleges (or
any Governmental Authority with applicable jurisdiction determines) that the New
Credit Agreement Lenders or Supplemental Credit Lenders are not holders of
Senior Debt (as defined in the Indenture) or (ii) the subordination provisions
in the Indenture shall, in whole or in part, terminate, cease to be effective or
cease to be legally valid, binding and enforceable against any holder of the
Subordinated Debt.
 
    (l) Business. The Borrower commences to engage in any material respect in a
line of business or activity other than the business of manufacturing and
marketing of brand name over-the-counter pharmaceuticals, dietary supplements,
functional toiletries and cosmetics.

                                     79



 
    (m) Indenture/Change of Control. There shall occur (i) a Change of 
Control (as defined in the Indenture) under the Indenture or (ii) a Change of 
Control Triggering Event (as defined in the Indenture) under the Indenture.
 
    9.2  ACCELERATION; REMEDIES.
 
    Upon the occurrence of an Event of Default, and at any time thereafter
unless and until such Event of Default has been waived in writing by the
Required Lenders (or the Lenders as may be required hereunder), the Agent shall,
upon the request and direction of the Required Lenders, by written notice to the
Borrower, take any of the following actions:
 
        (a) Termination of Commitments. Declare the Commitments terminated
    whereupon the Commitments shall be immediately terminated.
 
        (b) Acceleration of Loans. Declare the unpaid principal of and any
    accrued interest in respect of all Loans and any and all other indebtedness
    or obligations of any and every kind owing by a Credit Party to any of the
    Lenders hereunder to be due whereupon the same shall be immediately due and
    payable without presentment, demand, protest or other notice of any kind,
    all of which are hereby waived by the Credit Parties.
 
        (c) Enforcement of Rights. Enforce any and all rights and interests
    created and existing under the Credit Documents, including, without
    limitation, all rights and remedies existing under the Collateral Documents,
    all rights and remedies against a Guarantor and all rights of set-off.
 
    Notwithstanding the foregoing, if an Event of Default specified in Section
9.1(f) shall occur, then the Commitments shall automatically terminate and all
Loans, all accrued interest in respect thereof, all accrued and unpaid fees and
other indebtedness or obligations owing to the Lenders hereunder shall
immediately become due and payable without the giving of any notice or other
action by the Agent or the Lenders, which notice or other action is expressly
waived by the Credit Parties.

    Notwithstanding the fact that enforcement powers reside primarily with the
Agent, each Lender has a separate right of payment and shall be considered a
separate "creditor" holding a separate "claim" within the meaning of Section
101(5) of the Bankruptcy Code or any other insolvency statute.
 
                                   SECTION 10
 
                               AGENCY PROVISIONS
 
    10.1  APPOINTMENT.
 
    Each New Credit Agreement Lender hereby designates and appoints NationsBank
of Tennessee, N.A. as Agent of such New Credit Agreement Lender to act as
specified herein and

                                     80




the other Credit Documents, and each such New Credit Agreement Lender hereby 
authorizes the Agent, as the agent for such New Credit Agreement Lender, to 
take such action on its behalf under the provisions of this Credit Agreement 
and the other Credit Documents and to exercise such powers and perform such 
duties as are expressly delegated by the terms hereof and of the other Credit 
Documents, together with such other powers as are reasonably incidental 
thereto. Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary elsewhere herein and 
in the other Credit Documents, the Agent shall not have any duties or 
responsibilities, except those expressly set forth herein and therein, or any 
fiduciary relationship with any New Credit Agreement Lender, and no implied 
covenants, functions, responsibilities, duties, obligations or liabilities 
shall be read into this Credit Agreement or any of the other Credit 
Documents, or shall otherwise exist against the Agent. The provisions of this 
Section are solely for the benefit of the Agent and the New Credit Agreement 
Lenders and none of the Credit Parties shall have any rights as a third party 
beneficiary of the provisions hereof. In performing its functions and duties 
under this Credit Agreement and the other Credit Documents, the Agent shall 
act solely as the agent of the New Credit Agreement Lenders and does not 
assume and shall not be deemed to have assumed any obligation or relationship 
of agency or trust with or for any Credit Party.
 
    10.2  DELEGATION OF DUTIES.
 
    The Agent may execute any of its duties hereunder or under the other Credit
Documents by or through agents or attorneys-in-fact and shall be entitled to
advice of counsel concerning all matters pertaining to such duties. The Agent
shall not be responsible for the negligence or misconduct of any agents or
attorneys-in-fact selected by it with reasonable care.
 
    10.3  EXCULPATORY PROVISIONS.
 
    Neither the Agent nor any of its officers, directors, employees, agents, 
attorneys-in-fact or affiliates shall be (a) liable for any action lawfully 
taken or omitted to be taken by it or such Person under or in connection 
herewith or in connection with any of the other Credit Documents (except for 
its or such Person's own gross negligence or willful misconduct) or (b) 
responsible in any manner to any of the New Credit Agreement Lenders for any 
recitals, statements, representations or warranties made by any of the Credit 
Parties contained herein or in any of the other Credit Documents or in any 
certificate, report, document, financial statement or other written or oral 
statement referred to or provided for in, or received by the Agent under or 
in connection herewith or in connection with the other Credit Documents, or 
enforceability or sufficiency therefor of any of the other Credit Documents, 
or for any failure of the Borrower to perform its obligations hereunder or 
thereunder. The Agent shall not be responsible to any New Credit Agreement 
Lender for the effectiveness, genuineness, validity, enforceability, 
collectibility or sufficiency of this Credit Agreement, or any of the other 
Credit Documents or for any representations, warranties, recitals or 
statements made herein or therein or made by the Borrower or any Credit Party 
in any written or oral statement or in any financial or other statements, 
instruments, reports, certificates or any other documents in connection 
herewith or therewith furnished or made by the Agent to the New Credit 
Agreement Lenders or by or on behalf of the Credit Parties to the Agent or 
any New Credit Agreement Lender or be required to ascertain or inquire as to 
the performance or observance of any of the terms, conditions, provisions, 
covenants or agreements contained herein or therein or as to the use of the 
proceeds

                                     81




of the Loans or of the existence or possible existence of any Default or 
Event of Default or to inspect the properties, books or records of the Credit 
Parties. The Agent is not a trustee for the New Credit Agreement Lenders and 
owes no fiduciary duty to the Lenders.
 
    10.4  RELIANCE ON COMMUNICATIONS.
 
    The Agent shall be entitled to rely, and shall be fully protected in
relying, upon any note, writing, resolution, notice, consent, certificate,
affidavit, letter, cablegram, telegram, telecopy, telex or teletype message,
statement, order or other document or conversation believed by it to be genuine
and correct and to have been signed, sent or made by the proper Person or
Persons and upon advice and statements of legal counsel (including, without
limitation, counsel to any of the Credit Parties, independent accountants and
other experts selected by the Agent with reasonable care). The Agent may deem
and treat the New Credit Agreement Lenders as the owner of its interests
hereunder for all purposes unless a written notice of assignment, negotiation or
transfer thereof shall have been filed with the Agent in accordance with Section
11.3(b). The Agent shall be fully justified in failing or refusing to take any
action under this Credit Agreement or under any of the other Credit Documents
unless it shall first receive such advice or concurrence of the Required Lenders
as it deems appropriate or it shall first be indemnified to its satisfaction by
the Lenders against any and all liability and expense which may be incurred by
it by reason of taking or continuing to take any such action. The Agent shall in
all cases be fully protected in acting, or in refraining from acting, hereunder
or under any of the other Credit Documents in accordance with a request of the
Required Lenders (or to the extent specifically provided in Section 11.6, all
the Lenders) and such request and any action taken or failure to act pursuant
thereto shall be binding upon all the Lenders (including their successors and
assigns).
 
    10.5  NOTICE OF DEFAULT.
 
    The Agent shall not be deemed to have knowledge or notice of the occurrence
of any Default or Event of Default hereunder unless the Agent has received
notice from a Lender or a Credit Party referring to the Credit Document,
describing such Default or Event of Default and stating that such notice is a
"notice of default." In the event that the Agent receives such a notice, the
Agent shall give prompt notice thereof to the Lenders. The Agent shall take such
action with respect to such Default or Event of Default as shall be reasonably
directed by the Required Lenders.
 
    10.6  NON-RELIANCE ON AGENT AND OTHER LENDERS.
 
    Each New Credit Agreement Lender expressly acknowledges that neither the
Agent nor any of its officers, directors, employees, agents, attorneys-in-fact
or affiliates has made any representations or warranties to it and that no act
by the Agent or any affiliate thereof hereinafter taken, including any review of
the affairs of any Credit Party, shall be deemed to constitute any
representation or warranty by the Agent to any New Credit Agreement Lender. Each
New Credit Agreement Lender represents to the Agent that it has, independently
and without reliance upon the Agent or any other New Credit Agreement Lender,
and based on such documents and information as it has deemed appropriate, made
its own appraisal of and investigation into the

                                     82




business, assets, operations, property, financial and other conditions, 
prospects and creditworthiness of the Credit Parties and made its own 
decision to make its Loans hereunder and enter into this Credit Agreement. 
Each Lender also represents that it will, independently and without reliance 
upon the Agent or any other New Credit Agreement Lender, and based on such 
documents and information as it shall deem appropriate at the time, continue 
to make its own credit analysis, appraisals and decisions in taking or not 
taking action under this Credit Agreement, and to make such investigation as 
it deems necessary to inform itself as to the business, assets, operations, 
property, financial and other conditions, prospects and creditworthiness of 
the Credit Parties. Except for notices, reports and other documents expressly 
required to be furnished to the New Credit Agreement Lenders by the Agent 
hereunder, the Agent shall not have any duty or responsibility to provide any 
New Credit Agreement Lender with any credit or other information concerning 
the business, operations, assets, property, financial or other conditions, 
prospects or creditworthiness of the Credit Parties which may come into the 
possession of the Agent or any of its officers, directors, employees, agents, 
attorneys-in-fact or affiliates.
 
    10.7  INDEMNIFICATION.
 
    The Lenders agree to indemnify the Agent in its capacity as such (to the
extent not reimbursed by the Borrower and without limiting the obligation of the
Borrower to do so), ratably according to their respective percentage of the
Commitments (or if the Commitments have expired or been terminated, in
accordance with the respective principal amounts of outstanding Loans and
Participation Interest of the New Credit Agreement Lenders), from and against
any and all liabilities, obligations, losses, damages, penalties, actions,
judgments, suits, costs, expenses or disbursements of any kind whatsoever which
may at any time (including without limitation at any time following payment in
full of the Credit Party Obligations) be imposed on, incurred by or asserted
against the Agent in its capacity as such in any way relating to or arising out
of this Credit Agreement or the other Credit Documents or any documents
contemplated by or referred to herein or therein or the transactions
contemplated hereby or thereby or any action taken or omitted by the Agent under
or in connection with any of the foregoing; provided that no New Credit
Agreement Lender shall be liable for the payment of any portion of such
liabilities, obligations, losses, damages, penalties, actions, judgments, suits,
costs, expenses or disbursements resulting from the gross negligence or willful
misconduct of the Agent. If any indemnity furnished to the Agent for any purpose
shall, in the opinion of the Agent, be insufficient or become impaired, the
Agent may call for additional indemnity and cease, or not commence, to do the
acts indemnified against until such additional indemnity is furnished. The
agreements in this Section shall survive the payment of the Credit Party
Obligations and all other amounts payable hereunder and under the other Credit
Documents.
 
    10.8  AGENT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY.
 
    The Agent and its affiliates may make loans to, accept deposits from and
generally engage in any kind of business with the Borrower or any other Credit
Party as though the Agent were not the Agent hereunder. With respect to the
Loans made and all obligations owing to it, the Agent shall have the same rights
and powers under this Credit Agreement as any New Credit Agreement Lender and
may exercise the same as though it were not the Agent, and the terms

                                     83




"New Credit Agreement Lender" and "New Credit Agreement Lenders" shall 
include the Agent in its individual capacity.
 
    10.9  SUCCESSOR AGENT.
 
    The Agent may, at any time, resign upon 20 days written notice to the New
Credit Agreement Lenders. Upon any such resignation, the Required Lenders shall
have the right to appoint a successor Agent. If no successor Agent shall have
been so appointed by the Required Lenders, and shall have accepted such
appointment, within 45 days after the notice of resignation, then the retiring
Agent shall select a successor Agent provided such successor is a New Credit
Agreement Lender hereunder or a commercial bank organized under the laws of the
United States of America or of any State thereof and has a combined capital and
surplus of at least $400,000,000. Upon the acceptance of any appointment as the
Agent hereunder by a successor, such successor Agent shall thereupon succeed to
and become vested with all the rights, powers, privileges and duties of the
retiring Agent, and the retiring Agent shall be discharged from its duties and
obligations as an Agent, as appropriate, under this Credit Agreement and the
other Credit Documents and the provisions of this Section 10.9 shall inure to
its benefit as to any actions taken or omitted to be taken by it while it was
the Agent under this Credit Agreement.
 
                                   SECTION 11
 
                                 MISCELLANEOUS
 
    11.1  NOTICES.
 
    Except as otherwise expressly provided herein, all notices and other
communications shall have been duly given and shall be effective (a) when
delivered, (b) when transmitted via telecopy (or other facsimile device) to the
number set out below, (c) the Business Day following the day on which the same
has been delivered prepaid to a reputable national overnight air courier
service, or (d) the third Business Day following the day on which the same is
sent by certified or registered mail, postage prepaid, in each case to the
respective parties at the address or telecopy numbers set forth on Schedule
11.1, or at such other address as such party may specify by written notice to
the other parties hereto.
 
    11.2  RIGHT OF SET-OFF.
 
    In addition to any rights now or hereafter granted under applicable law or
otherwise, and not by way of limitation of any such rights, upon the occurrence
of an Event of Default and the commencement of remedies described in Section
9.2, each New Credit Agreement Lender is authorized at any time and from time to
time, without presentment, demand, protest or other notice of any kind (all of
which rights being hereby expressly waived), to set-off and to appropriate and
apply any and all deposits (general or special) and any other indebtedness at
any time held or owing by such New Credit Agreement Lender (including, without
limitation branches, agencies or Affiliates of such New Credit Agreement Lender
wherever located) to or

                                     84




for the credit or the account of any Credit Party against obligations and 
liabilities of such Credit Party to the New Credit Agreement Lenders 
hereunder, under the Notes, the other Credit Documents or otherwise, 
irrespective of whether the Agent or the New Credit Agreement Lenders shall 
have made any demand hereunder and although such obligations, liabilities or 
claims, or any of them, may be contingent or unmatured, and any such set-off 
shall be deemed to have been made immediately upon the occurrence of an Event 
of Default even though such charge is made or entered on the books of such 
Lender subsequent thereto. The Credit Parties hereby agree that any Person 
purchasing a participation in the Loans and Commitments hereunder pursuant to 
Section 11.3(c) or 3.9 may exercise all rights of set-off with respect to its 
participation interest as fully as if such Person were a New Credit Agreement 
Lender hereunder.
 
    11.3  BENEFIT OF AGREEMENT.
 
    (a) Generally. This Credit Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the
benefit of and be enforceable by the respective successors and assigns of the
parties hereto; provided that none of the Credit Parties may assign and transfer
any of its interests without the prior written consent of the Lenders; and
provided further that the rights of each New Credit Agreement Lender to
transfer, assign or grant participations in its rights and/or obligations
hereunder shall be limited as set forth in this Section 11.3. Notwithstanding
the above, nothing herein shall restrict, prevent or prohibit any New Credit
Agreement Lender from (i) pledging its Loans hereunder to a Federal Reserve Bank
in support of borrowings made by such Lender from such Federal Reserve Bank, or
(ii) granting assignments or participation in such Lender's Loans and/or
Commitments hereunder to its parent company and/or to any Affiliate of such New
Credit Agreement Lender or to any existing New Credit Agreement Lender or
Affiliate thereof.
 
    (b) Assignments. Each New Credit Agreement Lender may, with the prior 
written consent of the Borrower and the Agent (provided that no consent of 
the Borrower shall be required during the existence and continuation of an 
Event of Default), which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld or 
delayed, assign all or a portion of its rights and obligations hereunder 
pursuant to an assignment agreement substantially in the form of Exhibit 11.3 
to one or more Eligible Assignees; provided that (i) any such assignment 
shall be in a minimum aggregate amount of $5,000,000 of the Loans and Tranche 
A Supplemental Term Loans of such New Credit Agreement Lender or Commitments 
and Tranche A Supplemental Term Loan Committed Amount of such New Credit 
Agreement Lender and in integral multiples of $1,000,000 above such amount 
(or the remaining amount of Loans and Tranche A Supplemental Term Loans or 
Commitments and Tranche A Supplemental Term Loan Committed Amount held by 
such New Credit Agreement Lender), (ii) each such assignment shall be of a 
constant, not varying, percentage of all of the assigning New Credit 
Agreement Lender's rights and obligations under the Loans or Commitment being 
assigned and (iii) unless otherwise agreed to by the Borrower and the Agent, 
such New Credit Agreement Lender proposing to assign all or a portion of its 
Tranche A Term Loan Committed Amount or Revolving Committed Amount shall be 
required to assign to such Eligible Assignee or Assignees (to the extent held 
by such New Credit Agreement Lender) an identical percentage of the Tranche A 
Term Loan Committed Amount, the Revolving Committed Amount and the Tranche A

                                     85




Supplemental Term Loan Committed Amount of such New Credit Agreement Lender. 
Any assignment hereunder shall be effective upon (i) satisfaction of the 
conditions set forth above, (ii) delivery to the Agent of a duly executed 
assignment agreement together with a transfer fee of $3,500 payable to the 
Agent for its own account and (iii) the recordation of an appropriate entry 
with respect to such assignment in the Register pursuant to this Section 
11.3. Upon the effectiveness of any such assignment, the assignee shall 
become a "New Credit Agreement Lender" for all purposes of this Credit 
Agreement and the other Credit Documents and, to the extent of such 
assignment, the assigning New Credit Agreement Lender shall be relieved of 
its obligations hereunder to the extent of the Loans and Commitment 
components being assigned. Along such lines the Borrower agrees that upon 
notice of any such assignment and surrender of the appropriate Note or Notes, 
it will promptly provide to the assigning New Credit Agreement Lender and to 
the assignee separate promissory notes in the amount of their respective 
interests substantially in the form of the original Note or Notes (but with 
notation thereon that it is given in substitution for and replacement of the 
original Note or Notes or any replacement notes thereof).
 
    By executing and delivering an assignment agreement in accordance with this
Section 11.3(b), the assigning New Credit Agreement Lender thereunder and the
assignee thereunder shall be deemed to confirm to and agree with each other and
the other parties hereto as follows: (i) such assigning New Credit Agreement
Lender warrants that it is the legal and beneficial owner of the interest being
assigned thereby free and clear of any adverse claim; (ii) except as set forth
in clause (i) above, such assigning New Credit Agreement Lender makes no
representation or warranty and assumes no responsibility with respect to any
statements, warranties or representations made in or in connection with this
Credit Agreement, any of the other Credit Documents or any other instrument or
document furnished pursuant hereto or thereto, or the execution, legality,
validity, enforceability, genuineness, sufficiency or value of this Credit
Agreement, any of the other Credit Documents or any other instrument or document
furnished pursuant hereto or thereto or the financial condition of any Credit
Party or the performance or observance by any Credit Party of any of its
obligations under this Credit Agreement, any of the other Credit Documents or
any other instrument or document furnished pursuant hereto or thereto; (iii)
such assignee represents and warrants that it is legally authorized to enter
into such assignment agreement; (iv) such assignee confirms that it has received
a copy of this Credit Agreement, the other Credit Documents and such other
documents and information as it has deemed appropriate to make its own credit
analysis and decision to enter into such assignment agreement; (v) such assignee
will independently and without reliance upon the Agent, such assigning New
Credit Agreement Lender or any other New Credit Agreement Lender, and based on
such documents and information as it shall deem appropriate at the time,
continue to make its own credit decisions in taking or not taking action under
this Credit Agreement and the other Credit Documents; (vi) such assignee
appoints and authorizes the Agent to take such action on its behalf and to
exercise such powers under this Credit Agreement or any other Credit Document as
are delegated to the Agent by the terms hereof or thereof, together with such
powers as are reasonably incidental thereto; and (vii) such assignee agrees that
it will perform in accordance with

                                     86




their terms all the obligations which by the terms of this Credit Agreement 
and the other Credit Documents are required to be performed by it as a New 
Credit Agreement Lender.
 
    (c) Participations. Each New Credit Agreement Lender may sell, transfer,
grant or assign participations in all or any part of such New Credit Agreement
Lender's interests and obligations hereunder; provided that (i) such selling New
Credit Agreement Lender shall remain a "New Credit Agreement Lender" for all
purposes under this Credit Agreement (such selling New Credit Agreement Lender's
obligations under the Credit Documents remaining unchanged) and the participant
shall not constitute a New Credit Agreement Lender hereunder, (ii) no such
participant shall have, or be granted, rights to approve any amendment or waiver
relating to this Credit Agreement or the other Credit Documents except to the
extent any such amendment or waiver would (A) reduce the principal of or rate of
interest on or fees in respect of any Loans in which the participant is
participating, (B) postpone the date fixed for any payment of principal
(including extension of the Revolving Loan Maturity Date or Tranche A Term Loan
Maturity Date or the date of any mandatory prepayment), interest or fees in
which the participant is participating, or (C) release all or substantially all
of the collateral or guaranties (except as expressly provided in the Credit
Documents) supporting any of the Loans or Commitments in which the participant
is participating, (iii) sub-participations by the participant (except to an
Affiliate, parent company or Affiliate of a parent company of the participant)
shall be prohibited, (iv) any such participations shall be in a minimum
aggregate amount of $5,000,000 of the Loans and Tranche A Supplemental Term
Loans of such New Credit Agreement Lender or Commitments and Tranche A
Supplemental Term Loan Committed Amount of such New Credit Agreement Lender and
in integral multiples of $1,000,000 in excess thereof and (v) unless otherwise
agreed to by the Borrower and the Agent, such selling New Credit Agreement
Lender proposing to grant or assign a participation in the Tranche A Term Loan
Committed Amount or Revolving Committed Amount shall be required to grant or
assign a participation to such participant, in like percentage, of the Revolving
Committed Amount, the Tranche A Term Loan Committed Amount and the Tranche A
Supplemental Term Loan Committed Amount, as applicable, of such New Credit
Agreement Lender. In the case of any such participation, the participant shall
not have any rights under this Credit Agreement or the other Credit Documents
(the participant's rights against the selling New Credit Agreement Lender in
respect of such participation to be those set forth in the participation
agreement with such New Credit Agreement Lender creating such participation) and
all amounts payable by the Borrower hereunder shall be determined as if such New
Credit Agreement Lender had not sold such participation; provided, however, that
such participant shall be entitled to receive additional amounts under Section
3.15 to the same extent that the New Credit Agreement Lender from which such
participant acquired its participation would be entitled to the benefit of such
cost protection provisions.
 
    (d) Registration. The Agent, acting for this purpose solely on behalf of the
Borrower, shall maintain a register (the "Register") for the recordation of the
names and addresses of the Lenders and the principal amount of the Loans owing
to each New Credit Agreement Lender from time to time. The entries in the
Register shall be conclusive, in the absence of manifest error, and the
Borrower, the Agent and the New

                                     87




Credit Agreement Lenders shall treat each Person whose name is recorded in 
the Register as the owner of a Loan or other obligation hereunder for all 
purposes of this Credit Agreement and the other Credit Documents, 
notwithstanding notice to the contrary. Any assignment of any Loan or other 
obligation hereunder shall be effective only upon appropriate entries with 
respect thereto being made in the Register. The Register shall be available 
for inspection by the Borrower or any New Credit Agreement Lender at any 
reasonable time and from time to time upon reasonable prior notice.
 
    11.4  NO WAIVER; REMEDIES CUMULATIVE.
 
    No failure or delay on the part of the Agent or any New Credit Agreement 
Lender in exercising any right, power or privilege hereunder or under any 
other Credit Document and no course of dealing between the Borrower or any 
Credit Party and the Agent or any New Credit Agreement Lender shall operate 
as a waiver thereof; nor shall any single or partial exercise of any right, 
power or privilege hereunder or under any other Credit Document preclude any 
other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right, power 
or privilege hereunder or thereunder. The rights and remedies provided herein 
are cumulative and not exclusive of any rights or remedies which the Agent or 
any New Credit Agreement Lender would otherwise have. No notice to or demand 
on any Credit Party in any case shall entitle any Credit Party to any other 
or further notice or demand in similar or other circumstances or constitute a 
waiver of the rights of the Agent or the New Credit Agreement Lenders to any 
other or further action in any circumstances without notice or demand.
 
    11.5  PAYMENT OF EXPENSES; INDEMNIFICATION.
 
    The Credit Parties agree to: (a) pay all reasonable out-of-pocket costs and
expenses of (i) the Agent in connection with the negotiation, preparation,
execution and delivery and administration of this Credit Agreement and the other
Credit Documents and the documents and instruments referred to therein
(including, without limitation, the reasonable fees and expenses of Moore & Van
Allen, special counsel to the Agent and the fees and expenses of counsel for the
Agent in connection with collateral or foreign issues), and any amendment,
waiver or consent relating hereto and thereto including, but not limited to, any
such amendments, waivers or consents resulting from or related to any work-out,
renegotiation or restructure relating to the performance by the Credit Parties
under this Credit Agreement and (ii) the Agent and the New Credit Agreement
Lenders in connection with enforcement of the Credit Documents and the documents
and instruments referred to therein (including, without limitation, in
connection with any such enforcement, the reasonable fees and disbursements of
counsel for the Agent and each of the New Credit Agreement Lenders) and (b)
indemnify each New Credit Agreement Lender, its officers, directors, employees,
representatives and agents from and hold each of them harmless against any and
all losses, liabilities, claims, damages or expenses incurred by any of them as
a result of, or arising out of, or in any way related to, or by reason of, any
investigation, litigation or other proceeding (whether or not any New Credit
Agreement Lender is a party thereto) related to (i) the entering into and/or
performance of any Credit Document or the use of proceeds of any Loans
(including other extensions of credit) hereunder or the consummation of any
other transactions contemplated in any Credit Document, including, without
limitation, the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel incurred in
connection with any such investigation,

                                     88




litigation or other proceeding (but excluding any such losses, liabilities, 
claims, damages or expenses to the extent incurred by reason of gross 
negligence or willful misconduct on the part of the Person to be 
indemnified), (ii) any Environmental Claim and (iii) any claims for 
Non-Excluded Taxes. 

11.6 AMENDMENTS, WAIVERS AND CONSENTS.
 
    Neither this Credit Agreement, nor any other Credit Document, nor any of the
terms hereof or thereof may be amended, changed, waived, discharged or
terminated unless such amendment, change, waiver, discharge or termination is in
writing and signed by the Required Lenders and the Credit Parties; provided that
no such amendment, change, waiver, discharge or termination shall
 
    (a) without the consent of each Lender affected thereby,
 
        (i) extend the final maturity of any Loan or extend or waive any
    Principal Amortization Payment of any Loan or any portion thereof,
 
        (ii) reduce the rate or extend the time of payment of interest (other
    than as a result of waiving the applicability of any post-default increase
    in interest rates) thereon or fees hereunder,
 
       (iii) reduce or waive the principal amount of any Loan,
 
        (iv) increase the Commitment of a Lender over the amount thereof in
    effect (it being understood and agreed that a waiver of any Default or Event
    of Default or mandatory reduction in the Commitments shall not constitute a
    change in the terms of any Commitment of any Lender),
 
        (v) release all or substantially all of the Collateral securing the
    Credit Party Obligations hereunder (provided that the Agent may, without
    consent from any other Lender, release any Collateral that is sold or
    transferred by a Credit Party in conformance with Section 8.5),
 
        (vi) release the Borrower or substantially all of the other Credit
    Parties from its obligations under the Credit Documents,
 
       (vii) amend, modify or waive any provision of this Section or Section
    3.7, 3.9, 3.10, 3.11, 3.12, 3.13, 3.14, 3.15, 9.1(a), 11.2, 11.3 or 11.5,
 
      (viii) reduce any percentage specified in, or otherwise modify, the
    definition of Required Lenders, or
 
        (ix) consent to the assignment or transfer by the Borrower (or another
    Credit Party) of any of its rights and obligations under (or in respect of)
    the Credit Documents except as permitted thereby; and

                                     89





    (b) without the consent of Lenders holding in the aggregate more than 50% of
the outstanding Tranche A Term Loans, extend the time for or the amount or the
manner of application of proceeds of any mandatory prepayment required by
Section 3.3(b)(ii), (iii), (iv), (v) or (vi) hereof. No provision of Section 10
may be amended without the consent of the Agent.
 
    (c) Notwithstanding the above, the right to deliver a Payment Blockage
Notice (as defined in the Indenture) shall reside solely with the Agent, and the
Agent shall deliver such Payment Blockage Notice only upon the direction of the
Required Lenders.
 
    (d) Notwithstanding the fact that the consent of all the Lenders is required
in certain circumstances as set forth above, (x) each Lender is entitled to vote
as such Lender sees fit on any bankruptcy reorganization plan that affects the
Loans and each Lender acknowledges that the provisions of Section 1126(c) of the
Bankruptcy Code supersedes the unanimous consent provisions set forth herein and
(y) the Required Lenders may consent to allow a Credit Party to use cash
collateral in the context of a bankruptcy or insolvency proceeding.
 
    11.7  COUNTERPARTS.
 
    This Credit Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of
which where so executed and delivered shall be an original, but all of which
shall constitute one and the same instrument. It shall not be necessary in
making proof of this Credit Agreement to produce or account for more than one
such counterpart.
 
    11.8  HEADINGS.
 
    The headings of the sections and subsections hereof are provided for
convenience only and shall not in any way affect the meaning or construction of
any provision of this Credit Agreement.
 
    11.9  DEFAULTING LENDER.
 
    Each New Credit Agreement Lender understands and agrees that if such New
Credit Agreement Lender is a Defaulting Lender then it shall not be entitled to
vote on any matter requiring the consent of the Required Lenders or to object to
any matter requiring the consent of all the Lenders; provided, however, that all
other benefits and obligations under the Credit Documents shall apply to such
Defaulting Lender.
 
    11.10  SURVIVAL OF INDEMNIFICATION AND REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES.
 
    All indemnities set forth herein and all representations and warranties made
herein shall survive the execution and delivery of this Credit Agreement, the
making of the Loans, the repayment of the Loans and other obligations and the
termination of the Commitments hereunder.

                                     90



 
    11.11  GOVERNING LAW; VENUE.
 
    (a) THIS CREDIT AGREEMENT AND THE OTHER CREDIT DOCUMENTS AND THE RIGHTS 
AND OBLIGATIONS OF THE PARTIES HEREUNDER AND THEREUNDER SHALL BE GOVERNED BY 
AND CONSTRUED AND INTERPRETED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF 
TENNESSEE. Any legal action or proceeding with respect to this Credit 
Agreement or any other Credit Document may be brought in the courts of the 
State of North Carolina or the State of Tennessee or of the United States for 
the Western District of North Carolina or the Eastern District of Tennessee 
and, by execution and delivery of this Credit Agreement, each Credit Party 
hereby irrevocably accepts for itself and in respect of its property, 
generally and unconditionally, the jurisdiction of such courts. Each Credit 
Party further irrevocably consents to the service of process out of any of 
the aforementioned courts in any such action or proceeding by the mailing of 
copies thereof by registered or certified mail, postage prepaid, to it at the 
address for notices pursuant to Section 11.1, such service to become 
effective 30 days after such mailing. Nothing herein shall affect the right 
of a Lender to serve process in any other manner permitted by law or to 
commence legal proceedings or to otherwise proceed against a Credit Party in 
any other jurisdiction.
 
    (b) Each Credit Party hereby irrevocably waives any objection which it may
now or hereafter have to the laying of venue of any of the aforesaid actions or
proceedings arising out of or in connection with this Credit Agreement or any
other Credit Document brought in the courts referred to in subsection (a) hereof
and hereby further irrevocably waives and agrees not to plead or claim in any
such court that any such action or proceeding brought in any such court has been
brought in an inconvenient forum.
 
    11.12  WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL.
 
    EACH OF THE PARTIES TO THIS AGREEMENT HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES ALL RIGHT TO
TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY ACTION, PROCEEDING OR COUNTERCLAIM ARISING OUT OF OR
RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT, ANY OF THE OTHER CREDIT DOCUMENTS OR THE
TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY.
 
    11.13  TIME.
 
    All references to time herein shall be references to Eastern Standard Time
or Eastern Daylight Time, as the case may be, unless specified otherwise.

                                     91



 
    11.14  SEVERABILITY.
 
    If any provision of any of the Credit Documents is determined to be illegal,
invalid or unenforceable, such provision shall be fully severable and the
remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect and shall be
construed without giving effect to the illegal, invalid or unenforceable
provisions.
 
    11.15  ENTIRETY.
 
    This Credit Agreement together with the other Credit Documents represent the
entire agreement of the parties hereto and thereto, and supersede all prior
agreements and understandings, oral or written, if any, including any commitment
letters or correspondence relating to the Credit Documents or the transactions
contemplated herein and therein.
 
    11.16  BINDING EFFECT.
 
    This Credit Agreement shall become effective at such time when all of the
conditions set forth in Section 5.1 have been satisfied or waived by the Lenders
and it shall have been executed by the Borrower, the Guarantors and the Agent,
and the Agent shall have received copies hereof (telefaxed or otherwise) which,
when taken together, bear the signatures of each New Credit Agreement Lender,
and thereafter this Credit Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the
benefit of the Borrower, the Guarantors, the Agent and each New Credit Agreement
Lender and their respective successors and assigns.
 
                [REMAINDER OF PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK]

                                     92




     Each of the parties hereto has caused a counterpart of this Credit 
Agreement to be duly executed and delivered as of the date first above 
written.

BORROWER:
                                    CHATTEM, INC.,
                                    a Tennessee corporation



                                    By:    /s/ Robert E. Bosworth
                                           --------------------------------
                                    Name:  Robert E. Bosworth
                                           --------------------------------
                                    Title: EVP and CEO
                                           --------------------------------



GUARANTOR:
                                    SIGNAL INVESTMENT & MANAGEMENT CO.,
                                    a Delaware corporation



                                    By:    /s/ Robert E. Bosworth
                                           --------------------------------
                                    Name:  Robert E. Bosworth
                                           --------------------------------
                                    Title: PRES.
                                           --------------------------------



NEW CREDIT AGREEMENT
LENDERS:
                                    NATIONSBANK OF TENNESSEE, N.A.,
                                    individually in its capacity as a New
                                    Credit Agreement Lender and in its
                                    capacity as Agent



                                    By:    /s/ Thomas E. Wilson
                                           --------------------------------
                                    Name:  Thomas E. Wilson
                                           --------------------------------
                                    Title: EVP
                                           --------------------------------





Signature page to Amended and Restated Credit Agreement dated June 26, 1997 
among Chattem, Inc., as Borrower, each of the Borrower's Domestic 
Subsidiaries, as Guarantors, the New Credit Agreement Lenders, and 
NationsBank of Tennessee, N.A., as agent for the New Credit Agreement Lenders.

                                       THE FIRST NATIONAL BANK OF CHICAGO

                                       By: /s/ David T. McNeely
                                       ----------------------------------

                                       Name: David T. McNeely
                                       ----------------------------------

                                       Title: Authorized Agent
                                       ----------------------------------

                                       CREDITANSTALT BANKVEREIN

                                       By:
                                       ----------------------------------

                                       Name:
                                       ----------------------------------

                                       Title:
                                       ----------------------------------

                                       FIRST AMERICAN NATIONAL BANK

                                       By:
                                       ----------------------------------

                                       Name:
                                       ----------------------------------

                                       Title:
                                       ----------------------------------





Signature page to Amended and Restated Credit Agreement dated June 26, 1997 
among Chattem, Inc., as Borrower, each of the Borrower's Domestic 
Subsidiaries, as Guarantors, the New Credit Agreement Lenders, and 
NationsBank of Tennessee, N.A., as agent for the New Credit Agreement Lenders.

                                       THE FIRST NATIONAL BANK OF CHICAGO

                                       By: ------------------------------

                                       Name: ----------------------------

                                       Title: ---------------------------



                                       CREDITANSTALT BANKVEREIN

By: /s/ Robert M. Biringer             By: /s/ W. Craig Stamm
   -----------------------------           ------------------------------
Name: Robert M. Biringer               Name: W. Craig Stamm
     ---------------------------             ----------------------------
Title:  Executive Vice-President       Title: Senior Associate
       -------------------------              ---------------------------


                                       FIRST AMERICAN NATIONAL BANK

                                       By: ------------------------------

                                       Name: ----------------------------

                                       Title: ---------------------------

                        


Signature page to Amended and Restated Credit Agreement dated June 26, 1997 
among Chattem, Inc., as Borrower, each of the Borrower's Domestic 
Subsidiaries, as Guarantors, the New Credit Agreement Lenders, and 
NationsBank of Tennessee, N.A., as agent for the New Credit Agreement Lenders

                                     THE FIRST NATIONAL BANK OF CHICAGO

                                     By: 
                                         --------------------------------
                                     Name: 
                                           ------------------------------
                                     Title: 
                                            -----------------------------

                                     CREDITANSTALT BANKVEREIN

                                     By: 
                                         --------------------------------
                                     Name: 
                                           ------------------------------
                                     Title: 
                                            -----------------------------

                                     FIRST AMERICAN NATIONAL BANK

                                     By: /s/ Mary E. Buckner
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                                     Name: MARY E. BUCKNER
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                                     Title: VICE-PRESIDENT
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