UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, DC 20549
 
FORM 8-K
 
CURRENT REPORT
 
PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D) OF THE
SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
 
Date of report (Date of earliest event reported) January 11, 2012 (January 4, 2012)
 
SMTC CORPORATION
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)
 
Delaware
(State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation)
 
   
0-31051
98-0197680
(Commission File Number)
(IRS Employer Identification No.)
 
   
635 Hood Road Markham, Ontario, Canada
L3R 4N6
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)
(Zip Code)
 
(905) 479-1810
(Registrant’s Telephone Number, Including Area Code)

 
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):
 
¨
Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)
¨
Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)
¨
Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))
¨
Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))
 
 
 

 
Item 1.01.
Entry Into a Definitive Material Agreement.
 
On January 5, 2012, SMTC Corporation (the “Company”) entered into an agreement with Red Oak Partners, LLC, whereby Red Oak agreed to limit its voting rights in certain instances.
 
Under the terms of the agreement, with respect to any vote regarding the approval of the purchase of the majority of SMTC's assets or shares in a transaction in which Red Oak is part of the buying group, Red Oak will limit its votes to the same number of votes to which SMTC’s next largest stockholder  (after Red Oak) is entitled, with the balance of the SMTC shares hold by Red Oak voted in the same proportion as all of all other shares of SMTC were voted for or against the transaction (excluding from this calculation the shares held by Red Oak).  The agreement and its voting restrictions shall remain in effect so long as (a) Red Oak remains the largest shareholder of SMTC, (b) the NOL Plan remains in effect and Red Oak's ownership stake exceeds the Plan's limit, and (c) a Red Oak employee is serving or has served on SMTC's Board of Directors in the prior six months. Red Oak has not requested any compensation or rights in return for giving-up these and other voting rights, and has agreed to extend this Agreement without any termination date provided none of the termination events in (a), (b) and (c) has occurred.
 
The foregoing summary of the agreement does not purport to be complete and is subject to, and qualified in its entirety by, the full text of the agreement attached to this Current Report on Form 8-K as Exhibit 10.1 and incorporated herein by reference.
 
Item 3.03
Material Modification to the Rights of Security Holders.
 
(a)   
Please see the disclosure set forth under Item 5.03, which is incorporated by reference into this Item 3.03
 
(b)  
The Board of Directors has recommended that the definition of “Expiration Date” in the SMTC Tax Benefits Preservation Plan be amended to eliminate the right of the Board to extend the plan in the Board’s discretion without stockholder approval.  This proposed amendment to the SMTC Tax Benefits Preservation Plan will be included among the proposals for stockholder approval at SMTC’s 2012 annual meeting of stockholders.
 

Item 5.03
Amendments to Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws
 
  SMTC’s Board of Directors adopted changes to SMTC’s Bylaws and recommended that the stockholders of SMTC approval certain amendments to the Certificate of Incorporation.  The Bylaw amendments and proposed Certificate of Incorporation amendments include the following:
 
 
·          Special meetings may now be called up to twice per year by holders of 10% or more of shares outstanding. Previously, shareholders were unable to call special meetings;
 
·          Shareholders are no longer limited to the number of Directors they may nominate for election to the Board. Previously, shareholders were limited to nominating three Directors;
 
·          Removal of a stakeholder clause; and
 
·          Modifications to the description of officers and titles that allows for two Chief Executive Officers and Presidents.

The proposed amendments to SMTC’s Certificate of Incorporation will be included among the proposals for stockholder approval at SMTC’s 2012 annual meeting of stockholders.  The amended Bylaws and the Form of Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation which will be included among the proposals for stockholder approval at SMTC’s 2012 annual meeting of stockholders are attached hereto as Exhibits 10.2 and 10.3 respectively and are incorporated herein by reference.
 
 
Item 8.01
Other Events.
 
On January 5, 2012, the Company issued a press release announcing the changes to the Corporate Charter and Bylaws, and the agreement with Red Oak Partners. A copy of the press release is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1 and is incorporated herein by reference.
 
Item 9.01.
Financial Statements and Exhibits.
 
(d)
Exhibits
 
10.1
  
Agreement, dated January 5, 2012 by and among SMTC Corporation and Red Oak Partners, LLC.
     
10.2
 
Second Amended and Restated By-laws of SMTC Corporation, adopted January 4, 2012.
     
10.3
 
Form of Fifth Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (to be submitted for stockholder approval at SMTC’s 2012 Annual Meeting of Stockholders).
     
99.1
  
Press Release of SMTC Corporation dated January 5, 2012.
 
 
 

 
SIGNATURE
 
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
 
         
   
SMTC CORPORATION
     
Date: January 11, 2012
 
By:
 
/s/    Alex Walker
   
Name:
 
Alex Walker
   
Title:
 
Chief Executive Officer
 
 
 

 
EXHIBIT INDEX
 
     
Exhibit
No.
  
Description
   
10.1
  
Agreement, dated January 5, 2012 by and among SMTC Corporation and Red Oak Partners, LLC.
10.2
 
Second Amended and Restated By-laws of SMTC Corporation, adopted January 4, 2012.
10.3
 
Form of Fifth Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (to be submitted for stockholder approval at SMTC’s 2012 Annual Meeting of Stockholders).
99.1
  
Press Release of SMTC Corporation dated January 5, 2012.

Exhibit 10.1
 
 
STOCKHOLDER AGREEMENT
 
STOCKHOLDER AGREEMENT, dated as of January 5, 2012 (this “Agreement”), by and between Red Oak Partners, LLC (“Red Oak”), and SMTC Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”).
 
WHEREAS, as of the date hereof, Red Oak collectively owns of record and beneficially shares of capital stock of the Company representing approximately 15.5% of the outstanding voting securities of the Company (such shares, or any other voting or equity securities of the Company hereafter acquired by Red Oak prior to the termination of this Agreement, being referred to herein collectively as the “Shares”); and
 
WHEREAS, the Company has adopted a Tax Benefits Preservation Plan with a triggering threshold of 4.9% ownership of common stock to protect against any potential limitation of its ability to use its net operating loss carryforwards (“NOLs”) and to avoid an “Ownership Change,” as defined in Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code.
 
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing and the mutual covenants and agreements contained herein, and intending to be legally bound hereby, the parties hereby agree, severally and not jointly, as follows:
 
Section 1.                       Voting of Shares .
 
(a)           For purposes of this Agreement, (i)  “Sale Transaction” means a sale or transfer of more than fifty percent (50%) of the assets or shares outstanding of the Company on a consolidated basis or any merger (or similar transaction) that requires approval of the Company’s stockholders and results in a change of control of the Company; (ii) “Red Oak Offer” means a proposed Sale Transaction in which the proposed acquirer is Red Oak or any entity or group in which Red Oak, Red Oak Partners Holdings, David Sandberg has any material direct economic interest; and (iii) “Excess Shares” means the number of Shares determined by subtracting the greater of (x) 4.9% of the outstanding shares of Company capital stock or (y) the number of shares of Company capital stock held by the Company’s next largest stockholder (after Red Oak), from the total number of Shares.
 
(b)           Red Oak covenants and agrees that if, within the six months prior to the date of a stockholder vote to approve a Red Oak Offer, either: (i) a Red Oak employee, partner, member, manager or officer is or has served as an observer or member of the Board of Directors of the Company; or (ii) a Tax Benefits Preservation Plan (or other NOL rights plan) is in existence during such six month period that has the effect of limiting the ability of stockholders who own less than five percent (5%) of the Company’s outstanding shares of capital stock to increase their holdings to a percentage in excess of  4.9% exists; Red Oak shall vote the Excess Shares pro rata in accordance with the aggregate voting of Company shares held by parties other than Red Oak or any entity or group which includes Red Oak. The provisions in this Section 1(b) shall only apply if at the time of the record date to approve such Red Oak Offer,  Red Oak is the stockholder holding the largest number of shares of Company capital stock
 
(c)           Red Oak hereby irrevocably grants to, and appoints, the Company, and any individual designated in writing by the Company, and each of them individually, as Red Oak’s
 
 
 

 
proxy and attorney-in-fact (with full power of substitution), for and in its name, place and stead, to vote the Excess Shares at any meeting of the stockholders of the Company called with respect to a Red Oak Offer.  Except as otherwise provided for herein, Red Oak hereby (i) affirms that the irrevocable proxy is coupled with an interest and may under no circumstances be revoked, (ii) ratifies and confirms all that the proxies appointed hereunder may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof and (iii) affirms that such irrevocable proxy is executed and intended to be irrevocable in accordance with the provisions of Section 212(e) of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware.  Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Agreement, the irrevocable proxy granted hereunder shall automatically terminate upon the termination of this Agreement.
 
Section 2.                       Representations and Warranties .  Each party hereby represents and warrants to the other with respect to itself as follows:
 
(a)            Power, Binding Agreement . Each party has the legal capacity and all requisite power and authority to enter into and perform all of its obligations under this Agreement. This Agreement has been duly and validly executed and delivered by each party and constitutes a valid and binding obligation of such party, enforceable against such party in accordance with its terms.
 
(b)            No Conflicts .  The execution and delivery of this Agreement do not, and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby will not, conflict with or result in any violation of, or default (with or without notice or lapse of time, or both) under, or give rise to a right of termination, cancellation or acceleration of any obligation or to loss of a material benefit under, any provision of any loan or credit agreement, note, bond, mortgage, indenture, lease, or other agreement, instrument, permit, concession, franchise, license, judgment, order, decree, statute, law, ordinance, rule or regulation applicable to the Company, Red Oak, the Shares or any of either party’s properties or assets.  Except as expressly contemplated hereby, Red Oak is not a party to, and the Shares are not subject to or bound in any manner by, any contract or agreement relating to the Shares, including without limitation, any voting agreement, option agreement, purchase agreement, stockholders’ agreement, partnership agreement or voting trust.
 
Section 3.                       Termination .  This Agreement shall terminate upon the earlier of (a) such date as Red Oak is no longer the stockholder owning the largest number of shares of the Company’s outstanding capital stock; (b) the Shares constitute less than 4.9% of the outstanding shares of Company capital stock; (c) the Tax Benefits Preservation Plan (or other NOL rights plan) which was implemented while this Agreement is in place is not in effect; (d) the date six months after a Red Oak employee, partner, member, manager or officer is or has served as an observer or member of the Board of Directors of the Company; ; or (e) a written agreement of the parties to terminate this Agreement; provided that no such termination of this Agreement shall relieve any party of liability for a willful breach hereof prior to termination.
 
Section 4.                       Specific Performance . The parties hereto agree that irreparable damage would occur in the event any provision of this Agreement was not performed in accordance with the terms hereof and that the parties shall be entitled to specific performance of the terms hereof, in addition to any other remedy at law or in equity.
 
 
2

 
Section 5.                       Fiduciary Duties .  Red Oak is signing this Agreement solely in its capacity as an owner of its respective Shares, and nothing herein shall prohibit, prevent or preclude any Red Oak designee from taking or not taking any action in his or her capacity as an officer or director of the Company.
 
Section 6.                       Miscellaneous .
 
(a)            Entire Agreement .  This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersedes all prior agreements and understandings, both written and oral, between the parties with respect thereto. This Agreement may not be amended, modified or rescinded except by an instrument in writing signed by each of the parties hereto.
 
(b)            Severability .  If any term or other provision of this Agreement is invalid, illegal or incapable of being enforced by any rule of law, or public policy, all other conditions and provisions of this Agreement shall nevertheless remain in full force and effect. Upon such determination that any term or other provision is invalid, illegal or incapable of being enforced, the parties hereto shall negotiate in good faith to modify this Agreement so as to effect the original intent of the parties as closely as possible to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law in a mutually acceptable manner in order that the terms of this Agreement remain as originally contemplated to the fullest extent possible.
 
(c)            Governing Law .  This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware without regard to the principles of conflicts of law thereof.
 
(d)            Counterparts .  This Agreement may be executed in counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original and all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument.
 
(e)            Notices .  All notices and other communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed duly delivered (i) four business days after being sent by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid, or (ii) one business day after being sent for next business day delivery, fees prepaid, via a reputable nationwide overnight courier service, in each case to the intended recipient as set forth below:
 
(i)           if to Red Oak, to:
 
Red Oak Partners, LLC
304 Park Avenue South, 11th Floor
New York, NY 10010
Fax: 646-390-6784
Attn: David Sandberg, Portfolio Manager
 
 
3

 
 (ii)           if to the Company to:
 
SMTC Corporation
635 Hood Road
Markham, Ontario, Canada L3R 4N6
Fax: 905-479-1877
Attn:  Alex Walker, Chief Executive Officer
 
(f)            No Third Party Beneficiaries .  This Agreement is not intended, and shall not be deemed, to confer any rights or remedies upon any person other than the parties hereto and their respective successors and permitted assigns, to create any agreement of employment with any person or to otherwise create any third-party beneficiary hereto.
 
(g)            Assignment .  Neither this Agreement nor any of the rights, interests or obligations under this Agreement may be assigned or delegated, in whole or in part, by operation of law or otherwise by any of the parties hereto without the prior written consent of the other parties, and any such assignment without such prior written consent shall be null and void.  Subject to the preceding sentence, this Agreement shall be binding upon, inure to the benefit of, and be enforceable by, the parties hereto and their respective successors and permitted assigns.
 
(h)            Interpretation . When reference is made in this Agreement to an Article or a Section, such reference shall be to an Article or Section of this Agreement, unless otherwise indicated.  The headings contained in this Agreement are for convenience of reference only and shall not affect in any way the meaning or interpretation of this Agreement.  The language used in this Agreement shall be deemed to be the language chosen by the parties hereto to express their mutual intent, and no rule of strict construction shall be applied against any party.  Whenever the context may require, any pronouns used in this Agreement shall include the corresponding masculine, feminine or neuter forms, and the singular form of nouns and pronouns shall include the plural, and vice versa.  Any reference to any federal, state, local or foreign statute or law shall be deemed also to refer to all rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, unless the context requires otherwise.  Whenever the words “include”, “includes” or “including” are used in this Agreement, they shall be deemed to be followed by the words “without limitation”. No summary of this Agreement prepared by the parties shall affect in any way the meaning or interpretation of this Agreement.
 
(i)            Submission to Jurisdiction .  Each of the parties to this Agreement (a) consents to submit itself to the personal jurisdiction of any state or federal court sitting in the State of Delaware in any action or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or any of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, (b) agrees that all claims in respect of such action or proceeding may be heard and determined in any such court, (c) agrees that it will not attempt to deny or defeat such personal jurisdiction by motion or other request for leave from any such court and (d) agrees not to bring any action or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or any of the transaction contemplated by this Agreement in any other court.  Each of the parties hereto waives any defense of inconvenient forum to the maintenance of any action or proceeding so brought and waives any bond, surety or other security that might be required of any other party with respect thereto.  Any party hereto may make service on another party by sending or delivering a copy of the process to the party to be served at the address and in the manner provided for the giving of notices in Section 6(e).  Nothing in this Section, however, shall affect the right of any party to serve legal process in any other manner permitted by law.
 
 
4

 
(j)            WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL .   EACH OF THE COMPANY AND RED OAK HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES ALL RIGHTS TO TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY ACTION, PROCEEDING OR COUNTERCLAIM (WHETHER BASED ON CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE) ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY OR THE ACTIONS OF THE PARENT, THE COMPANY OR RED OAK IN THE NEGOTIATION, ADMINISTRATION, PERFORMANCE AND ENFORCEMENT OF THIS AGREEMENT.
 
[Signature Page to follow.]
 
 
5

 
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each of the parties hereto has caused this Agreement to be signed individually or by its respective duly authorized officer as of the date first written above.
 
COMPANY:
 
SMTC CORPORATION
 
By:/s/ Claude Germain
Name:  Claude Germain
Title:    Chief Executive Officer and President

 
RED OAK PARTNERS, LLC
 
By: /s/ David Sandberg
Name:   David Sandberg
Title:     Managing Member
 
 
 
 
6

 
Exhibit 10.2
 
SECOND AMENDED AND RESTATED
 
BY-LAWS
 
OF
 
SMTC CORPORATION
 

 
ARTICLE 1 - OFFICES
 
1.1   Registered Offices .  The registered office of SMTC Corporation (the “Corporation”) in the State of Delaware shall be located at 1013 Centre Road, in the City of Wilmington, County of New Castle. The name of the Corporation’s registered agent at such address shall be Corporation Service Company. The registered office and/or registered agent of the Corporation may be changed from time to time by action of the Board of Directors.
 
1.2   Other offices .  The Corporation may also have offices at such other places both within and without the State of Delaware as the Board of Directors may from time to time determine or the business of the Corporation may require.
 
1.3   Books .  The books of the Corporation may be kept within or without of the State of Delaware as the Board of Directors may from time to time determine or the business of the Corporation may require.
 
ARTICLE 2 - STOCKHOLDERS
 
2.1   Place of Meetings .  All meetings of stockholders shall be held at such place within or without the State of Delaware as may be designated from time to time by the Board of Directors or a Chief Executive Officer (or, if there is no Chief Executive Officer, a President) or, if not so designated, at the registered office of the Corporation.
 
2.2   Annual Meeting .  The annual meeting of stockholders for the election of directors and for the transaction of such other business as may properly be brought before the meeting shall be held within six months after the end of each fiscal year on a date to be fixed by the Board of Directors or a Chief Executive Officer (or, if there is no Chief Executive Officer, a President), unless that day be a legal holiday at the place where the meeting is to be held, in which case the meeting shall be held at the same hour on the next succeeding day not a legal holiday, or at such other date and time as shall be fixed by the Board of Directors or a Chief Executive Officer (or, if there is no Chief Executive Officer, a President) and stated in the notice of the meeting. If no annual meeting is held in accordance with the foregoing provisions, the Board of Directors shall cause the meeting to be held as soon thereafter as convenient. If no annual meeting is held in accordance with the foregoing provisions, a special meeting may be held in lieu of the annual meeting, and any action taken at that special meeting shall have the same effect as if it had been taken at the annual meeting, and in such case all references in these By-Laws to the annual meeting of stockholders shall be deemed to refer to such special meeting.
 
 
 

 
2.3   Special Meeting .  Special meetings of stockholders may be called at any time by only the Chairman of the Board of Directors, a Chief Executive Officer (or, if there is no Chief Executive Officer, a  President) or by the Board of Directors of the Corporation pursuant to a resolution adopted by the affirmative vote of a majority of the total number of directors then in office, and (up to twice in any calendar year) shall also be called by the President or Secretary at the request in writing of a majority of the Board of Directors or the holders of not less than ten percent (10%) of the outstanding capital stock of the Corporation entitled to vote. Such written request shall state the purpose or purposes of the proposed meeting. Upon receipt of such written request, the President or Secretary shall call a special meeting of stockholders to be held at the offices of the Corporation or at a location, at the Corporation’s discretion, that is reasonable and convenient, at such date and time as the President or Secretary may fix, such meeting to be held not less than ten (10) nor more than sixty (60) days after the receipt of such written request.  Any business transacted at any special meeting of stockholders shall be limited to matters relating to the purpose or purposes stated in the notice of meeting.
 
2.4   Notice of Meetings .  Except as otherwise provided by law, written notice of each meeting of stockholders, whether annual or special, shall be given not less than ten (10) nor more than sixty (60) days before the date of the meeting to each stockholder entitled to vote at such meeting. The notices of all meetings shall state the place, date and hour of the meeting. The notice of a special meeting shall state, in addition, the purpose or purposes for which the meeting is called. If mailed, notice is given when deposited in the United States mail, postage prepaid, directed to the stockholder at his or her address as it appears on the records of the Corporation.
 
2.5   Voting List .  The officer who has charge of the stock ledger of the Corporation shall prepare, at least ten (10) days before every meeting of stockholders, a complete list of the stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting, arranged in alphabetical order, and showing the address of each stockholder and the number of shares registered in the name of each stockholder. Such list shall be open to the examination of any stockholder, for any purpose germane to the meeting, during ordinary business hours, for a period of at least ten (10) days prior to the meeting, at a place within the city where the meeting is to be held. The list shall also be produced and kept at the time and place of the meeting during the whole time of the meeting, and may be inspected by any stockholder who is present.
 
2.6   Quorum .  Except as otherwise provided by law, the Certificate of Incorporation or these By-Laws, the holders of a majority of the shares of the capital stock of the Corporation issued and outstanding and entitled to vote at the meeting, present in person or represented by proxy, shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.
 
2.7   Adjournments .  Any meeting of stockholders may be adjourned to any other time and to any other place at which a meeting of stockholders may be held under these By-Laws by a majority of the stockholders present or represented at the meeting and entitled to vote, although less than a quorum, or, if no stockholder is present, by any officer entitled to preside at or to act as Secretary of such meeting. It shall not be necessary to notify any stockholder of any adjournment of less than thirty (30) days if the time and place of the adjourned meeting are announced at the meeting at which adjournment is taken, unless after the adjournment a new
 
 
-2-

 
record date is fixed for the adjourned meeting. At the adjourned meeting, the Corporation may transact any business which might have been transacted at the original meeting.
 
2.8   Voting and Proxies .  Except as otherwise provided by the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, the Certificate of Incorporation or these By-Laws, each stockholder shall have one vote for each share of capital stock entitled to vote and held of record by such stockholder. Each stockholder of record entitled to vote at a meeting of stockholders may vote in person or may authorize another person or persons to vote or act for him or her by written proxy executed by the stockholder or his or her authorized agent and delivered to the Secretary of the Corporation. No such proxy shall be voted or acted upon after three years from the date of its execution, unless the proxy expressly provides for a longer period.
 
2.9   Proxy Representation . Every stockholder may authorize another person or persons to act for him or her by proxy in all matters in which a stockholder is entitled to participate, whether by waiving notice of any meeting, objecting to or voting or participating at a meeting, or expressing consent or dissent without a meeting. The delivery of a proxy on behalf of a stockholder consistent with telephonic or electronically transmitted instructions obtained pursuant to procedures of the Corporation reasonably designed to verify that such instructions have been authorized by such stockholder shall constitute execution and delivery of the proxy by or on behalf of the stockholder. No proxy shall be voted or acted upon after three years from its date unless such proxy provides for a longer period. A duly executed proxy shall be irrevocable if it states that it is irrevocable and, if, and only as long as, it is coupled with an interest sufficient in law to support an irrevocable power. A proxy may be made irrevocable regardless of whether the interest with which it is coupled is an interest in the stock itself or an interest in the Corporation generally. The authorization of a proxy may but need not be limited to specified action, provided, however, that if a proxy limits its authorization to a meeting or meetings of stockholders, unless otherwise specifically provided such proxy shall entitle the holder thereof to vote at any adjourned session but shall not be valid after the final adjournment thereof. A proxy purporting to be authorized by or on behalf of a stockholder, if accepted by the Corporation in its discretion, shall be deemed valid unless challenged at or prior to its exercise, and the burden of proving invalidity shall rest on the challenger.
 
2.10   Action at Meeting .  When a quorum is present at any meeting, a plurality of the votes properly cast for election to any office shall elect to such office and a majority of the votes properly cast upon any question other than an election to an office shall decide the question, except when a larger vote is required by law, by the Certificate of Incorporation or by these By-laws. No ballot shall be required for any election unless requested by a stockholder present or represented at the meeting and entitled to vote in the election.
 
2.11   Nomination of Directors .  Only persons who are nominated in accordance with the following procedures shall be eligible for election as directors. The nomination for election to the Board of Directors of the Corporation at a meeting of stockholders may be made by the Board of Directors or by any stockholder of the Corporation entitled to vote for the election of directors at such meeting who complies with the notice procedures set forth in this Section 2.11; provided , however , that a stockholder may not nominate more than three (3) candidates annually. Such nominations, other than those made by or on behalf of the Board of Directors,
 
 
-3-

 
shall be made by notice in writing delivered or mailed by first class United States mail, postage prepaid, to the Secretary, and received at the principal executive offices of the Corporation not less than sixty (60) days nor more than ninety (90) days prior to the anniversary date of the immediately preceding annual meeting of stockholders; provided , however , that if the annual meeting is not held within thirty (30) days before or after such anniversary date, then such nomination shall have been delivered to or mailed and received by the Secretary not later than the close of business on the 10th day following the date on which the notice of the meeting was mailed or such public disclosure was made, whichever occurs first. Such notice shall set forth (a) as to each proposed nominee (i) the name, age, business address and, if known, residence address of each such nominee, (ii) the principal occupation or employment of each such nominee, (iii) the number of shares of stock of the Corporation which are beneficially owned by each such nominee, and (iv) any other information concerning the nominee that must be disclosed as to nominees in proxy solicitations pursuant to Regulation 14A under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, including such person’s written consent to be named as a nominee and to serve as a director if elected; and (b) as to the stockholder giving the notice (i) the name and address, as they appear on the Corporation’s books, of such stockholder and (ii) the class and number of shares of the Corporation which are beneficially owned by such stockholder (and evidence of such ownership if not also held of record by such stockholder). The Corporation may require any proposed nominee or nominating stockholder to furnish such other information as may reasonably be required by the Corporation to determine the eligibility of a proposed nominee to serve as a director of the Corporation.
 
The chairman of the meeting may, if the facts warrant, determine and declare to the meeting that a nomination was not made in accordance with the foregoing procedure, and if he or she should so determine, he or she shall so declare to the meeting and the defective nomination shall be disregarded.
 
2.12   Notice of Business at Annual Meetings .  At an annual meeting of the stockholders, only such business shall be conducted as shall have been properly brought before the meeting. To be properly brought before an annual meeting, business must be (a) specified in the notice of meeting (or any supplement thereto) given by or at the direction of the Board of Directors, (b) otherwise properly brought before the meeting by or at the direction of the Board of Directors, (c) otherwise properly brought before an annual meeting by a stockholder. For business to be properly brought before an annual meeting by a stockholder, if such business relates to the election of directors of the Corporation, the procedures in Section 2.11 must be complied with. If such business relates to any other matter, the stockholder must have given timely notice thereof in writing to the Secretary. To be timely, a stockholder’s notice must be delivered to or mailed and received at the principal executive offices of the Corporation not less than sixty (60) days nor more than ninety (90) days prior to the anniversary date of the immediately preceding annual meeting of stockholders; provided , however , that if the annual meeting is not held within thirty (30) days before or after such anniversary date, then for the notice by the stockholder to be timely it must be so received not later than the close of business on the 10th day following the date on which the notice of the meeting was mailed or such public disclosure was made, whichever occurs first. A stockholder’s notice to the Secretary shall set forth as to each matter the stockholder proposes to bring before the annual meeting (a) a brief description of the business desired to be brought before the annual meeting and the reasons for
 
 
-4-

 
conducting such business at the annual meeting, (b) the name and address, as they appear on the Corporation’s books, of the stockholder proposing such business, (c) the class and number of shares of the Corporation which are beneficially owned by the stockholder and (d) any material interest of the stockholder in such business. Notwithstanding anything in these By-Laws to the contrary, no business shall be conducted at any annual meeting except in accordance with the procedures set forth in this Section 2.12, except that any stockholder proposal which complies with Rule 14a-8 of the proxy rules, or any successor provision, promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and is to be included in the Corporation’s proxy statement for an annual meeting of stockholders shall be deemed to comply with the requirements of this Section 2.12.
 
The chairman of the meeting shall, if the facts warrant, determine and declare to the meeting that business was not properly brought before the meeting in accordance with the provisions of this Section 1.12, and if he or she should so determine, the chairman shall so declare to the meeting and any such business not properly brought before the meeting shall not be transacted.
 
2.13   Action without Meeting .  For so long as this Corporation shall have a class of stock registered pursuant to the provisions of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, stockholders may not take any action by written consent in lieu of a meeting.
 
2.14   Organization .  The Chairman of the Board, or in his or her absence a President shall call meetings of the stockholders to order, and act as chairman of such meeting; provided , however , that the Board of Directors may appoint any stockholder to act as chairman of any meeting in the absence of the Chairman of the Board. The Secretary of the Corporation shall act as secretary at all meetings of the stockholders; provided , however , that in the absence of the Secretary at any meeting of the stockholders, the acting chairman may appoint any person to act as secretary of the meeting.
 
ARTICLE 3 - DIRECTORS
 
3.1   General Powers .  The business and affairs of the Corporation shall be managed by or under the direction of a Board of Directors, who may exercise all of the powers of the Corporation except as otherwise provided by law, the Certificate of Incorporation or these By-Laws. In the event of a vacancy in the Board of Directors, the remaining directors, except as otherwise provided by law, may exercise the powers of the full Board of Directors until the vacancy is filled.
 
3.2   Number; Election and Qualification .  The number of directors which shall constitute the whole Board of Directors shall be determined by resolution of the Board of Directors, but in no event shall be less than three. The directors shall be elected at the annual meeting of stockholders by such stockholders as have the right to vote on such election. The directors need not be stockholders of the Corporation.
 
3.3   Terms of Office .  Except as otherwise provided in the Certificate of Incorporation or these By-Laws, each director shall serve for a term ending on the date of the annual meeting following the annual meeting at which such director was elected; provided , however , that the
 
 
-5-

 
term of each director shall be subject to the election and qualification of his or her successor and to his or her earlier death, resignation or removal.
 
3.4   Vacancies .  Any vacancy in the Board of Directors, however occurring, including a vacancy resulting from an enlargement of the Board of Directors, shall be filled only by vote of a majority of the directors then in office, although less than a quorum, or by a sole remaining director. A director elected to fill a vacancy shall be elected for the unexpired term of his or her predecessor in office.
 
3.5   Resignation .  Any director may resign by delivering his or her written resignation to the Corporation at its principal office or to a President or Secretary. Such resignation shall be effective upon receipt unless it is specified to be effective at some other time or upon the happening of some other event.
 
3.6   Regular Meetings .  The regular meetings of the Board of Directors may be held without notice at such time and place, either within or without the State of Delaware, as shall be determined from time to time by the Board of Directors; provided , that any director who is absent when such a determination is made shall be given notice of the determination. A regular meeting of the Board of Directors may be held without notice immediately after and at the same place as the annual meeting of stockholders.
 
3.7   Special Meetings .  Special meetings of the Board of Directors may be held at any time and place, within or without the State of Delaware, designated in a call by the Chairman of the Board of Directors, a Chief Executive Officer (or if there is no Chief Executive Officer, a President), two or more directors or by one director in the event that there is only a single director in office.
 
3.8   Notice of Special Meetings .  Notice of any special meeting of the Board of Directors shall be given to each director by the Secretary or by the officer or one of the directors calling the meeting. The notice shall be duly given to each director (i) by giving notice to such director in person or by telephone at least twenty four (24) hours in advance of the meeting, (ii) by sending a telegram, telecopy, or telex, or delivering written notice by hand, to his or her last known business or home address at least twenty four (24) hours in advance of the meeting, or (iii) by mailing written notice to his or her last known business or home address at least seventy two (72) hours in advance of the meeting. A notice or waiver of notice of a special meeting of the Board of Directors need not specify the purposes of the meeting.
 
3.9   Meetings by Telephone Conference Calls .  The Board of Directors or any members of any committee of the Board of Directors designated by the directors may participate in a meeting of the Board of Directors or such committee by means of conference telephone, video conference or other communications equipment by means of which all persons participating in the meeting can hear each other. Participation by such means shall constitute presence in person at such meeting.
 
3.10   Quorum .  A majority of the total number of the whole Board of Directors shall constitute a quorum at all meetings of the Board of Directors. In the event one or more of the directors shall be disqualified to vote at any meeting, then the required quorum shall be reduced
 
 
-6-

 
by one for each such director so disqualified; provided , however , that in no case shall less than one-third (1/3) of the number of directors so fixed constitute a quorum. In the absence of a quorum at any such meeting, a majority of the directors present may adjourn the meeting from time to time without further notice, other than announcement at the meeting, until a quorum shall be present.
 
3.11   Action at Meeting .  At any meeting of the Board of Directors at which a quorum is present, the vote of a majority of those present shall be sufficient to take any action, unless a different vote is specified by law, the Certificate of Incorporation or these By-Laws.
 
3.12   Action by Consent .  Any action required or permitted to be taken at any meeting of the Board of Directors or of any committee of the Board of Directors may be taken without a meeting, if all members of the Board or committee, as the case may be, consent to the action in writing, and the written consents are filed with the minutes of proceedings of the Board of Directors or committee of the Board of Directors, as applicable.
 
3.13   Removal .  The directors of the Corporation may not be removed without cause and may be removed for cause only by the affirmative vote of the holders of seventy-five percent (75%) of the shares of the capital stock of the Corporation issued and outstanding and entitled to vote generally in the election of directors cast at a meeting of the stockholders called for that purpose.
 
3.14   Committees .  The Board of Directors may, by resolution passed by a majority of the whole Board, designate one or more committees, each committee to consist of one or more of the directors of the Corporation. The Board of Directors may designate one or more directors as alternate members of any committee, who may replace any absent or disqualified member at any meeting of the committee. In the absence or disqualification of a member of a committee, the member or members of the committee present at any meeting and not disqualified from voting, whether or not he, she or they constitute a quorum, may unanimously appoint another member of the Board of Directors to act at the meeting in the place of any such absent or disqualified member. Any such committee, to the extent provided in the resolution of the Board of Directors and subject to the provisions of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, shall have and may exercise all the powers and authority of the Board of Directors in the management of the business and affairs of the Corporation and may authorize the seal of the Corporation to be affixed to all papers which may require it. Each such committee shall keep minutes and make such reports as the Board of Directors may from time to time request. Except as the Board of Directors may otherwise determine, any committee may make rules for the conduct of its business, but unless otherwise provided by the directors or in such rules, its business shall be conducted as nearly as possible in the same manner as is provided in these By-Laws for the Board of Directors.
 
3.15   Compensation of Directors .  The directors may be paid such compensation for their services and such reimbursement for expenses of attendance at meetings as the Board of Directors may from time to time determine. No such payment shall preclude any director from serving the Corporation or any of its parent or subsidiary corporations in any other capacity and receiving compensation for such service.
 
 
-7-

 
ARTICLE 4 - OFFICERS
 
4.1   Enumeration .  The officers of the Corporation shall consist of one Chief Executive Officer or two Co-Chief Executive Officers (each of whom shall be considered a Chief Executive Officer for purposes of these By-Laws), one President or two Co-Presidents (each of whom shall be considered a President for purposes of these By-Laws), a Chief Financial Officer, a Secretary and a Treasurer. The Board of Directors may appoint other officers with such titles and powers as it may deem appropriate, including, without limitation one or more Vice Presidents and one or more Controllers.
 
4.2   Election .  The Chief Executive Officer or Co-Chief Executive Officers, as the case may be, President or Co-Presidents, as the case may be, Chief Financial Officer, Secretary and Treasurer shall be elected annually by the Board of Directors at its first meeting following the annual meeting of stockholders. Other officers may be appointed by the Board of Directors at such meeting or at any other meeting.
 
4.3   Qualification .  No officer need be a stockholder of the Corporation. Any two or more offices may be held by the same person.
 
4.4   Tenure .  Except as otherwise provided by law, by the Certificate of Incorporation or by these By-Laws, each officer shall hold office until his or her successor is elected and qualified, unless a different term is specified in the vote choosing or appointing him or her, or until his or her earlier death, resignation or removal.
 
4.5   Resignation and Removal .  Any officer may resign by delivering his or her written resignation to the Corporation at its principal office or to a Chief Executive Officer or the Secretary. Such resignation shall be effective upon receipt unless it is specified to be effective at some other time or upon the happening of some other event. Any officer may be removed at any time, with or without cause, by vote of a majority of the entire number of directors then in office.
 
Except as the Board of Directors may otherwise determine, no officer who resigns or is removed shall have any right to any compensation as an officer for any period following his or her resignation or removal, or any right to damages on account of such removal, whether his of her compensation be by the month or by the year or otherwise, unless such compensation is expressly provided in a duly authorized written agreement with the Corporation.
 
4.6   Vacancies .  The Board of Directors may fill any vacancy occurring in any office for any reason and may, in its discretion, leave unfilled for such period as it may determine any offices other than those of Chief Executive Officer or Co-Chief Executive Officer, as the case may be, President or Co-President, as the case may be, Secretary and Treasurer. Each such successor shall hold office for the unexpired term of his or her predecessor and until his or her successor is elected and qualified, or until his or her earlier death, resignation or removal.
 
4.7   Chairman of the Board .  The Board of Directors may appoint a Chairman of the Board. If the Board of Directors appoints a Chairman of the Board, he or she shall perform such duties and possess such powers as are assigned to him or her by the Board of Directors.
 
 
-8-

 
4.8   Chief Executive Officer .  The Chief Executive Officer or the Co-Chief Executive Officers shall, subject to the direction of the Board of Directors, have general charge and supervision of the business of the Corporation. Unless otherwise provided by the Board of Directors, a Chief Executive Officer shall preside at all meetings of the stockholders and, if a Chief Executive Officer is a director and subject to the provisions of Section 4.7, at all meetings of the Board of Directors. A Chief Executive Officer shall perform such other duties and possess such other powers as the Board of Directors may from time to time prescribe.
 
4.9   President .  A President shall perform such duties and possess such powers as the Board of Directors or a Chief Executive Officer may from time to time prescribe. In the event of the absence, inability or refusal to act of all Chief Executive Officers, a President shall perform the duties of a Chief Executive Officer and when so performing shall have all the powers of and be subject to all the restrictions upon the office of Chief Executive Officer.
 
4.10   Chief Financial Officer .  The Chief Financial Officer shall perform such duties and possess such powers as the Board of Directors or a Chief Executive Officer may from time to time prescribe. The Chief Financial Officer shall have the custody of the corporate funds and securities; shall keep full and accurate all books and accounts of the Corporation as shall be necessary or desirable in accordance with applicable law or generally accepted accounting principles; shall deposit all monies and other valuable effects in the name and to the credit of the Corporation as may be ordered by the Chairman of the Board or the Board of Directors; shall cause the funds of the Corporation to be disbursed when such disbursements have been duly authorized, taking proper vouchers for such disbursements; and shall render to the Board of Directors, at its regular meeting or when the Board of Directors so requires, an account of the Corporation.
 
4.11   Vice Presidents .  Any Vice President shall perform such duties and possess such powers as the Board of Directors, a Chief Executive Officer or a President may from time to time prescribe. The Board of Directors may assign to any Vice President the title of Executive Vice President, Senior Vice President or any other such title.
 
4.12   Controllers .  Any Controller shall perform such duties and possess such powers as the Board of Directors, a Chief Executive Officer or any Vice President may from time to time prescribe. The Board of Directors may assign to any Controller the title of Assistant Controller or any other such title.
 
4.13   Secretary .  The Secretary shall perform such duties and possess such powers as the Board of Directors or a Chief Executive Officer may from time to time prescribe. In addition, the Secretary shall perform such duties and have such powers as are incident to the office of the Secretary, including without limitation the duty and power to give notices of all meetings of stockholders and special meetings of the Board of Directors, to attend all meetings of stockholders and the Board of Directors and keep a record of the proceedings, to maintain a stock ledger and prepare lists of stockholders and their addresses as required, to be custodian of corporate records and the corporate seal and to affix and attest to the same on documents.
 
 
-9-

 
In the event of the absence, inability or refusal to act of the Secretary at any meeting of stockholders or directors, the person presiding at the meeting shall designate a temporary secretary to keep a record of the meeting.
 
4.14   Treasurer .  The Treasurer shall perform such duties and possess such powers as the Board of Directors, a Chief Executive Officer or the Chief Financial Officer may from time to time prescribe. In addition, the Treasurer shall perform such duties and have such powers as are incident to the office of Treasurer, including without limitation the duty and power to keep and be responsible for all funds and securities of the Corporation, to deposit funds of the Corporation in depositories selected in accordance with these By-Laws, to disburse such funds as ordered by the Board of Directors, to make proper accounts of such funds, and to render as required by the Board of Directors statements of all such transactions and of the financial condition of the Corporation. Unless the Board of Directors has designated another officer as Chief Financial Officer, the Treasurer shall be the Chief Financial Officer of the Corporation.
 
In the event of the absence, inability or refusal to act of the Treasurer, the Board of Directors shall appoint a temporary treasurer, who shall perform the duties and exercise the powers of the Treasurer.
 
4.15   Other Officers, Assistant Officers and Agents .  Officers, assistant officers and agents, if any, other than those whose duties are provided for in these By-laws, shall have such authority and perform such duties as may from time to time be prescribed by resolution of the Board of Directors.
 
4.16   Salaries .  Officers of the Corporation shall be entitled to such salaries, compensation or reimbursement as shall be fixed or allowed from time to time by the Board of Directors.
 
ARTICLE 5 - CAPITAL STOCK
 
5.1   Issuance of Stock .  Unless otherwise voted by the stockholders and subject to the provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation, the whole or any part of any unissued balance of the authorized capital stock of the Corporation or the whole or any part of any unissued balance of the authorized capital stock of the Corporation held in its treasury may be issued, sold, transferred or otherwise disposed of by vote of the Board of Directors in such manner, for such consideration and on such terms as the Board of Directors may determine.
 
5.2   Certificates of Stock .  Every holder of stock of the Corporation shall be entitled to have a certificate, in such form as may be prescribed by law and by the Board of Directors, certifying the number and class of shares owned by him or her in the Corporation. Each such certificate shall be signed by, or in the name of the Corporation by, the Chairman of the Board of Directors, a Chief Executive Officer or a President, and the Treasurer or the Secretary of the Corporation. Any or all of the signatures on the certificate may be a facsimile.
 
Each certificate for shares of stock which are subject to any restriction on transfer pursuant to the Certificate of Incorporation, the By-Laws, applicable securities laws or any agreement among any number of stockholders or among such holders and the Corporation shall
 
 
-10-

 
have conspicuously noted on the face or back of the certificate either the full text of the restriction or a statement of the existence of such restriction.
 
5.3   Transfers .  Except as otherwise established by rules and regulations adopted by the Board of Directors, and subject to applicable law, shares of stock may be transferred on the books of the Corporation by the surrender to the Corporation or its transfer agent of the certificate representing such shares properly endorsed or accompanied by a written assignment or power of attorney properly executed, and with such proof of authority or the authenticity of signature as the Corporation or its transfer agent may reasonably require. Except as may be otherwise required by law, by the Certificate of Incorporation or by these By-Laws, the Corporation shall be entitled to treat the record holder of stock as shown on its books as the owner of such stock for all purposes, including the payment of dividends and the right to vote with respect to such stock, regardless of any transfer, pledge or other disposition of such stock, until the shares have been transferred on the books of the Corporation in accordance with the requirements of these By-Laws.
 
5.4   Lost, Stolen or Destroyed Certificates .  The Corporation may issue a new certificate of stock in place of any previously issued certificate alleged to have been lost, stolen, or destroyed, upon such terms and conditions as the Board of Directors may prescribe, including the presentation of reasonable evidence of such loss, theft or destruction and the giving of such indemnity as the Board of Directors may require for the protection of the Corporation or any transfer agent or registrar.
 
5.5   Record Date .  The Board of Directors may fix in advance a date as a record date for the determination of the stockholders entitled to notice of or to vote at any meeting of stockholders, or entitled to receive payment of any dividend or other distribution or allotment of any rights in respect of any change, conversion or exchange of stock, or for the purpose of any other lawful action. Such record date shall not be more than sixty (60) nor less than ten (10) days before the date of such meeting, nor more than sixty (60) days prior to any other action to which such record date relates.
 
If no record date is fixed, the record date for determining stockholders entitled to notice of or to vote at a meeting of stockholders shall be at the close of business on the day before the day on which notice is given, or, if notice is waived, at the close of business on the day before the day on which the meeting is held. The record date for determining stockholders for any other purpose shall be at the close of business on the day on which the Board of Directors adopts the resolution relating to such purpose.
 
A determination of stockholders of record entitled to notice of or to vote at a meeting of stockholders shall apply to any adjournment of the meeting; provided, however, that the Board of Directors may fix a new record date for the adjourned meeting.
 
5.6   Dividends .  Subject to limitations contained in the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, the Certificate of Incorporation and these By-laws, the Board of Directors may declare and pay dividends upon the shares of capital stock of the Corporation, which
 
 
-11-

 
dividends may be paid either in cash, in property or in shares of the capital stock of the Corporation.
 
ARTICLE 6 - GENERAL PROVISIONS
 
6.1   Fiscal Year .  Except as from time to time otherwise designated by the Board of Directors, the fiscal year of the Corporation shall begin on the first day of January in each year and end on the last day of December in each year.
 
6.2   Corporate Seal .  The corporate seal shall be in such form as shall be approved by the Board of Directors.
 
6.3   Waiver of Notice .  Whenever any notice whatsoever is required to be given by law, by the Certificate of Incorporation or by these By-Laws, a waiver of such notice either in writing signed by the person entitled to such notice or such person’s duly authorized attorney, or by telegraph, cable or any other available method, whether before, at or after the time stated in such waiver, or by the appearance of such person at such meeting in person or by proxy, shall be deemed equivalent to such notice. Any member of the Board of Directors or any committee thereof who is present at a meeting shall be conclusively presumed to have waived notice of such meeting except when such member attends for the express purpose of objecting at the beginning of the meeting to the transaction of any business because the meeting is not lawfully called or convened. Such member shall be conclusively presumed to have assented to any action taken unless his or her dissent shall be entered in the minutes of the meeting or unless his or her written dissent to such action shall be filed with the person acting as the secretary of the meeting before the adjournment thereof or shall be forwarded by registered mail to the Secretary of the Corporation immediately after the adjournment of the meeting. Such right to dissent shall not apply to any member who voted in favor of such action.
 
6.4   Voting of Securities .  Except as the directors may otherwise designate, a Chief Executive Officer or Treasurer may waive notice of, and act as, or appoint any person or persons to act as, proxy or attorney-in-fact for this Corporation (with or without power of substitution) at, any meeting of stockholders or shareholders of any other Corporation or organization, the securities of which may be held by this Corporation.
 
6.5   Evidence of Authority .  A certificate by the Secretary, or a temporary secretary, as to any action taken by the stockholders, directors, a committee or any officer or representative of the Corporation shall, as to all persons who rely on the certificate in good faith, be conclusive evidence of such action.
 
6.6   Certificate of Incorporation .  All references in these By-Laws to the Certificate of Incorporation shall be deemed to refer to the Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation, as amended or restated and in effect from time to time.
 
6.7   Transactions with Interested Parties .  No contract or transaction between the Corporation and one or more of the directors or officers, or between the Corporation and any other Corporation, partnership, association, or other organization in which one or more of the directors or officers are directors or officers, or have a financial interest, shall be void or voidable
 
 
-12-

 
solely for this reason, or solely because the director or officer is present at or participates in the meeting of the Board of Directors or a committee of the Board of Directors which authorizes the contract or transaction or solely because his, her or their votes are counted for such purpose, if:
 
(1)   The material facts as to his, her or their relationship or interest and as to the contract or transaction are disclosed or are known to the Board of Directors or the committee, and the Board of Directors or committee of the Board of Directors in good faith authorizes the contract or transaction by the affirmative votes of a majority of the disinterested directors, even though the disinterested directors be less than a quorum;
 
(2)   The material facts as to his, her or their relationship or interest and as to the contract or transaction are disclosed or are known to the stockholders entitled to vote thereon, and the contract or transaction is specifically approved in good faith by vote of the stockholders; or
 
(3)   The contract or transaction is fair as to the Corporation as of the time it is authorized, approved or ratified by the Board of Directors, a committee of the Board of Directors, or the stockholders.
 
Common or interested directors may be counted in determining the presence of a quorum at a meeting of the Board of Directors or of a committee which authorizes the contract or transaction.
 
6.8   Severability . Any determination that any provision of these By-Laws is for any reason inapplicable, illegal or ineffective shall not affect or invalidate any other provision of these By-Laws.
 
6.9   Pronouns .  All pronouns used in these By-Laws shall be deemed to refer to the masculine, feminine or neuter, singular or plural, as the identity of the person or persons may require.
 
6.10   Contracts .  In addition to the powers otherwise granted to officers pursuant to Article 4 hereof, the Board of Directors may authorize any officer or officers, or any agent or agents, of the Corporation to enter into any contract or to execute and deliver any instrument in the name of and on behalf of the Corporation, and such authority may be general or confined to specific instances.
 
6.11   Loans .  The Corporation may lend money to, or guarantee any obligation of, or otherwise assist any officer or other employee of the Corporation or of its subsidiaries, including any officer or employee who is a Director of the Corporation or its subsidiaries, whenever, in the judgment of the Directors, such loan, guaranty or assistance may reasonably be expected to benefit the Corporation. The loan, guaranty or other assistance may be with or without interest, and may be unsecured, or secured in such manner as the Board of Directors shall approve, including, without limitation, a pledge of shares of stock of the Corporation. Nothing in this section shall be deemed to deny, limit or restrict the powers of guaranty or warranty of the Corporation at common law or under any statute.
 
 
-13-

 
6.12   Inspection of Books and Records .  The Board of Directors shall have power from time to time to determine to what extent and at what times and places and under what conditions and regulations the accounts and books of the Corporation, or any of them, shall be open to the inspection of the stockholders; and no stockholder shall have any right to inspect any account or book or document of the Corporation, except as conferred by the laws of the State of Delaware, unless and until authorized so to do by resolution of the Board of Directors or of the stockholders of the Corporation.
 
6.13   Section Headings .  Section headings in these By-laws are for convenience of reference only and shall not be given any substantive effect in limiting or otherwise construing any provision herein.
 
6.14   Inconsistent Provisions .  In the event that any provision of these By-laws is or becomes inconsistent with any provision of the Restated Certificate of Incorporation, the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware or any other applicable law, the provision of these By-laws shall not be given any effect to the extent of such inconsistency but shall otherwise be given full force and effect.
 
ARTICLE 7 - AMENDMENTS
 
These By-Laws may be altered, amended or repealed or new By-Laws may be adopted by (a) the affirmative vote of a majority of the directors present at any regular or special meeting of the Board of Directors at which a quorum is present or (b) by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the shares of the capital stock of the Corporation issued and outstanding.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
-14-

 
Exhibit 10.3
 
SMTC CORPORATION
FORM OF FIFTH AMENDED AND RESTATED CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION
 
ARTICLE I
 
The name of the Corporation is “SMTC Corporation”.
 
ARTICLE II
 
The registered office of this corporation in the State of Delaware is located at 1013 Centre Road, in the City of Wilmington, County of New Castle. The name of its registered agent at such address is Corporation Service Company.
 
ARTICLE III
 
The purpose of this Corporation is to engage in any lawful act or activity for which corporations may be organized under the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “ DGCL ”).
 
ARTICLE IV
 
The total number of shares of all classes of stock which the Corporation shall have authority to issue is 31,000,000 shares, consisting of (i) 26,000,000 shares of Common Stock, $0.01 par value per share (“ Common Stock ”), and (ii) 5,000,000 shares of Preferred Stock, $0.01 par value per share (“ Preferred Stock ”).
 
The following is a statement of the designations and the powers, privileges and rights, and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof in respect of each class of capital stock of the Corporation.
 
 
1.
Common Stock.
 
 
A.
General . Subject to the powers, preferences and rights of any Preferred Stock, including any series thereof, having any preference or priority over, or rights superior to, the Common Stock and except as otherwise provided by law and this Article, the holders of the Common Stock shall have and possess all powers and voting and other rights pertaining to the stock of the corporation and each share of Common Stock shall be entitled to one vote. Except as otherwise provided by the DGCL or this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, the holders of record of Common Stock shall share ratably in all dividends payable in cash, stock or otherwise and other distributions, whether in respect of liquidation or dissolution (voluntary or involuntary) or otherwise. The holders of the Common Stock shall have no preemptive rights to subscribe for any shares of any class of stock of this Corporation whether now or hereafter authorized.
 
 
B.
Voting . The holders of the Common Stock are entitled to one vote for each share of Common Stock held at all meetings of stockholders. There shall be no cumulative voting.
 
 
C.
Number . The number of authorized shares of Common Stock may be increased or decreased (but not below the number of shares thereof then outstanding) by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the stock of the Corporation entitled to vote, irrespective of the provisions of Section 242(b)(2) of the DGCL.
 
 
D.
Dividends . Dividends may be declared and paid on the Common Stock from funds lawfully available therefor as and when determined by the Board of Directors and subject to any preferential dividend rights of any then outstanding Preferred Stock.
 
 
E.
Liquidation . Upon the dissolution or liquidation of the Corporation, whether voluntary or involuntary, holders of Common Stock will be entitled to receive all assets of the Corporation available for distribution to its stockholders, subject to any preferential rights of any then outstanding Preferred Stock.
 
 
2.
Preferred Stock.
 
Preferred Stock may be issued from time to time in one or more series, each of such series to have such terms as stated or expressed herein and in the resolution or resolutions providing for the issue of such series adopted by the Board of Directors of the Corporation as hereinafter provided. Any shares of Preferred Stock which may be redeemed, purchased or acquired by the Corporation may be reissued except as otherwise provided by law or this
 
 
 

 
Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation. Different series of Preferred Stock shall not be construed to constitute different classes of shares for the purposes of voting by classes unless expressly provided in the resolution or resolutions providing for the issue of such series adopted by the Board of Directors as hereinafter provided.
 
Authority is hereby expressly granted to the Board of Directors from time to time to issue the Preferred Stock in one or more series, and in connection with the creation of any such series, by resolution or resolutions providing for the issue of the shares thereof, to determine and fix such voting powers, full or limited, or no voting powers, and such designations, preferences and relative participating, optional or other special rights, and qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof, including without limitation thereof, dividend rights, conversion rights, redemption privileges and liquidation preferences, as shall be stated and expressed in such resolutions, all to the full extent now or hereafter permitted by the DGCL. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the resolutions providing for issuance of any series of Preferred Stock may provide that such series shall be superior or rank equally or be junior to the Preferred Stock of any other series to the extent permitted by law and this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation. Except as otherwise provided in this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, no vote of the holders of the Preferred Stock or Common Stock shall be a prerequisite to the designation or issuance of any shares of any series of the Preferred Stock authorized by and complying with the conditions of this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, the right to have such vote being expressly waived by all present and future holders of the capital stock of the Corporation.
 
ARTICLE V
 
The Corporation shall have a perpetual existence.
 
ARTICLE VI
 
In furtherance of and not in limitation of the powers conferred by statute, the Board of Directors is expressly authorized to adopt, amend or repeal the By-Laws of this Corporation, subject to the right of the stockholders entitled to vote with respect thereto to alter and repeal the By-Laws adopted or amended by the Board of Directors.
 
ARTICLE VII
 
Except to the extent that the DGCL prohibits the elimination or limitation of liability of directors for breaches of fiduciary duty, no director of the Corporation shall be personally liable to the Corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for any breach of fiduciary duty as a director, notwithstanding any provision of law imposing such liability. No amendment to or repeal of this provision shall apply to or have any effect on the liability or alleged liability of any director of the Corporation for or with respect to any acts or omissions of such director occurring prior to such amendment.
 
ARTICLE VIII
 
 
1.
Indemnification . The Corporation shall, to the maximum extent permitted under the DGCL and except as set forth below, indemnify, hold harmless and, upon request, advance expenses to each person (and the heirs, executors or administrators of such person) who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative, by reason of the fact that he or she is or was, or has agreed to become, a director or officer of the Corporation, or is or was serving, or has agreed to serve, at the request of the Corporation, as a director, officer or trustee of, or in a similar capacity with, another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, including any employee benefit plan (any such person being referred to hereafter as an “ Indemnitee ”), or by reason of any action alleged to have been taken or omitted in such capacity, against all expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by him or her or on his or her behalf in connection with such action, suit or proceeding and any appeal therefrom, if he or she acted in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in, or not opposed to, the best interests of the Corporation, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe his or her conduct was unlawful. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Article, the Corporation shall not indemnify an Indemnitee seeking indemnification in connection with any action, suit, proceeding, claim or counterclaim, or part thereof, initiated by the Indemnitee unless the initiation thereof was approved by the Board of Directors of the Corporation.
 
 
2

 
 
2.
Advance of Expenses . Notwithstanding any other provisions, this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, the By-Laws of the Corporation, or any agreement, vote of stockholder or disinterested directors, or arrangement to the contrary, the Corporation shall advance payment of expenses incurred by an Indemnitee in advance of the final disposition of any matter only upon receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf of the Indemnitee to repay all amounts so advanced in the event that it shall ultimately be determined that the Indemnitee is not entitled to be indemnified by the Corporation as authorized in this Article. Such undertaking may be accepted without reference to the financial ability of the Indemnitee to make such repayment.
 
 
3.
Subsequent Amendment . No amendment, termination or repeal of this Article or of the relevant provisions of the DGCL or any other applicable laws shall affect or diminish in any way the rights of any Indemnitee to indemnification under the provisions hereof with respect to any action, suit, proceeding or investigation arising out of or relating to any actions, transactions or facts occurring prior to the final adoption of such amendment, termination or repeal.
 
 
4.
Other Rights . The Corporation may, to the extent authorized from time to time by its Board of Directors, grant indemnification rights to other employees or agents of the Corporation or other persons serving the Corporation and such rights may be equivalent to, or greater or less than, those set forth in this Article.
 
 
5.
Reliance . Persons who after the date of the adoption of this provision become or remain directors or officers of the Corporation or who, while a director or officer of the Corporation, become or remain a director, officer, employee or agent of a subsidiary, shall be conclusively presumed to have relied on the rights to indemnity, advance of expenses and other rights contained in this Article in entering into or continuing such service. The rights to indemnification and to the advance of expenses conferred in this Article shall apply to claims made against an indemnitee arising out of acts or omissions which occurred or occur both prior and subsequent to the adoption hereof.
 
 
6.
Merger or Consolidation . If the Corporation is merged into or consolidated with another corporation and the Corporation is not the surviving corporation, the surviving corporation shall assume the obligations of the Corporation under this Article with respect to any action, suit, proceeding or investigation arising out of or relating to any actions, transactions or facts occurring prior to the date of such merger or consolidation.
 
 
7.
Insurance . The Corporation shall have power to purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of any person who is or was, or has agreed to become, a director, officer, employee or agent of the Corporation, or is or was serving, or has agreed to serve, at the request of the Corporation as a director, officer, employee, agent or trustee of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, including any employee benefit plan, against all expenses (including attorney’s fees) judgments, fines or amounts paid in settlement incurred by such person in any such capacity or arising out of his or her status as such, whether or not the Corporation would have the power to indemnify him or her against such expenses under the DGCL.
 
 
8.
Savings Clause . If this Article or any portion hereof shall be invalidated on any ground by any court of competent jurisdiction, then the Corporation shall nevertheless indemnify each Indemnitee as to any expenses, including attorneys’ fees, judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement in connection with any action, suit, proceeding or investigation, whether civil, criminal or administrative, including an action by or in the right of the Corporation, to the fullest extent permitted by any applicable portion of this Article that shall not have been invalidated and to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law.
 
ARTICLE IX
 
The Corporation reserves the right to amend, alter, change or repeal any provision contained in this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, in the manner now or hereafter prescribed by statute and this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, and all rights conferred upon stockholders herein are granted subject to this reservation.
 
ARTICLE X
 
This Article is inserted for the management of the business and for the conduct of the affairs of the Corporation.
 
 
3

 
 
1.
Number of Directors . The number of directors of the Corporation shall not be less than three. The exact number of directors within the limitations specified in the preceding sentence shall be fixed from time to time by, or in the manner provided in, the By-Laws of the Corporation.
 
     
 
 
2.
Election of Directors . Elections of directors need not be by written ballot except as and to the extent provided in the By-Laws of the Corporation.
 
 
3.
Terms of Office . Except as provided in Section 6 of this Article X, each director shall serve for a term ending on the date of the annual meeting following the annual meeting at which such director was elected; provided, however, that the term of each director shall be subject to the election and qualification of his or her successor and to his or her earlier death, resignation or removal.
 
 
 
4.
Removal . The directors of the Corporation may not be removed without cause and may be removed for cause only by the affirmative vote of the holders of at least seventy-five percent (75%) of the shares of the capital stock of the Corporation issued and outstanding and entitled to vote generally in the election of directors cast at a meeting of the stockholders called for that purpose, notwithstanding the fact that a lesser percentage may be specified by law.
 
 
5.
Vacancies . Any vacancy in the Board of Directors, however occurring, including a vacancy resulting from an enlargement of the Board, shall be filled only by vote of a majority of the directors then in office, although less than a quorum, or by a sole remaining director. A director elected to fill a vacancy shall be elected for the unexpired term of his or her predecessor in office, and a director chosen to fill a position resulting from an increase in the number of directors shall hold office until the next election of the class for which such director shall have been chosen, subject to the election and qualification of his or her successor and to his or her earlier death, resignation or removal.
 
 
6.
Stockholder Nominations and Introduction of Business, Etc . Advance notice of stockholder nominations for election of directors and other business to be brought by stockholders before either an annual or special meeting of stockholders shall be given in the manner provided by the By-Laws of this Corporation.
 
ARTICLE XI
 
 
1.
Dividends . The Board of Directors shall have authority from time to time to set apart out of any assets of the Corporation otherwise available for dividends a reserve or reserves as working capital or for any other purpose or purposes, and to abolish or add to any such reserve or reserves from time to time as said board may deem to be in the interest of the Corporation; and said Board shall likewise have power to determine in its discretion, except as herein otherwise provided, what part of the assets of the Corporation available for dividends in excess of such reserve or reserves shall be declared in dividends and paid to the stockholders of the Corporation.
 
 
2.
Issuance of Stock . The shares of all classes of stock of the Corporation may be issued by the Corporation from time to time for such consideration as from time to time may be fixed by the Board of Directors of the Corporation, provided that shares of stock having a par value shall not be issued for a consideration less than such par value, as determined by the Board. At any time, or from time to time, the Corporation may grant rights or options to purchase from the Corporation any shares of its stock of any class or classes to run for such period of time, for such consideration, upon such terms and conditions, and in such form as the Board of Directors may determine. The Board of Directors shall have authority, as provided by law, to determine that only a part of the consideration which shall be received by the Corporation for the shares of its stock which it shall issue from time to time, shall be capital; provided, however, that, if all the shares issued shall be shares having a par value, the amount of the part of such consideration so determined to be capital shall be equal to the aggregate par value of such shares. The excess, if any, at any time, of the total net assets of the Corporation over the amount so determined to be capital, as aforesaid, shall be surplus. All classes of stock of the Corporation shall be and remain at all times nonassessable.
 
The Board of Directors is hereby expressly authorized, in its discretion, in connection with the issuance of any obligations or stock of the Corporation (but without intending hereby to limit its general power so to do in other cases), to grant rights or options to purchase stock of the Corporation of any class upon such
 
 
4

 
terms and during such period as the Board of Directors shall determine, and to cause such rights to be evidenced by such warrants or other instruments as it may deem advisable.
 
 
3.
Inspection of Books and Records . The Board of Directors shall have power from time to time to determine to what extent and at what times and places and under what conditions and regulations the accounts and books of the Corporation, or any of them, shall be open to the inspection of the stockholders; and no stockholder shall have any right to inspect any account or book or document of the Corporation, except as conferred by the laws of the State of Delaware, unless and until authorized so to do by resolution of the Board of Directors or of the stockholders of the Corporation.
 
 
4.
Location of Meetings, Books and Records . Except as otherwise provided in the By-laws, the stockholders of the Corporation and the Board of Directors may hold their meetings and have an office or offices outside of the State of Delaware and, subject to the provisions of the laws of said State, may keep the books of the Corporation outside of said State at such places as may, from time to time, be designated by the Board of Directors or by the By-laws of this Corporation.
 
ARTICLE XII
 
At any time during which a class of capital stock of this Corporation is registered under Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 or any similar successor statute, stockholders of the Corporation may not take any action by written consent in lieu of a meeting.
 
ARTICLE XIII
 
Special meetings of stockholders may be called at any time by only the Chairman of the Board of Directors, a  Chief Executive Officer (or, if there is no Chief Executive Officer, a President) or by the Board of Directors of the Corporation pursuant to a resolution adopted by the affirmative vote of a majority of the total number of directors then in office, and (up to twice in any calendar year) shall also be called by the President or Secretary at the request in writing of a majority of the Board of Directors or the holders of not less than ten percent (10%) of the outstanding capital stock of the Corporation entitled to vote. Such written request shall state the purpose or purposes of the proposed meeting. Upon receipt of such written request, the President or Secretary shall call a special meeting of stockholders to be held at the offices of the Corporation or at a location, at the Corporation’s discretion, that is reasonable and convenient, at such date and time as the President or Secretary may fix, such meeting to be held not less than ten (10) nor more than sixty (60) days after the receipt of such written request.  Any business transacted at any special meeting of stockholders shall be limited to matters relating to the purpose or purposes stated in the notice of meeting.
 
ARTICLE XIV
 
The Board of Directors of this Corporation, when evaluating any offer of another party to make a tender or exchange offer for any equity security of the Corporation, shall, in connection with the exercise of its judgment in determining what is in the best interests of the Corporation as a whole, be authorized to give due consideration to any such factors as the Board of Directors determines to be relevant, including without limitation: (i) the interests of the stockholders of the Corporation; (ii) whether the proposed transaction might violate federal or state laws; and (iii) not only the consideration being offered in the proposed transaction, in relation of the then current market price for the outstanding capital stock of the Corporation, but also to the market price for the capital stock of the Corporation over a period of years, the estimated price that might be achieved in a negotiated sale of the Corporation as a whole or in part or through orderly liquidation, the premiums over market price for the securities of other corporations in similar transactions, current political, economic and other factors bearing on securities prices and the Corporation’s financial condition and future prospects.
 
In connection with any such evaluation, the Board of Directors is authorized to conduct such investigations and to engage in such legal proceedings as the Board of Directors may determine.
 
ARTICLE XV
 
The Corporation expressly elects to be governed by Section 203 of the DGCL.
 
 
 
 
 
 
5  

 
Exhibit 99.1
 
 
SMTC Adopts Shareholder Friendly Policies, Announces Standstill Agreement With Red Oak Partners, LLC
 
TORONTO, Jan. 5, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SMTC Corporation (Nasdaq:SMTX) (TSX:SMX) ("SMTC"), a recognized global electronics manufacturing services provider, today announced changes to its Charter and Bylaws aimed at improving shareholder rights, and an agreement with its largest shareholder, Red Oak Partners, LLC to limit its voting rights in certain circumstances.
 
Charter and Bylaw Changes
 
After retaining a leading provider of shareholder corporate governance solutions to recommend ways to make its policies more shareholder friendly, SMTC's Board of Directors adopted changes to its Charter and Bylaws including:
 
·  
Special meetings may now be called up to twice per year by holders of 10% or more of shares outstanding. Previously, shareholders were unable to call special meetings;
 
·  
Shareholders are no longer limited to the number of Directors they may nominate for election to the Board. Previously, shareholders were limited to nominating three Directors;
 
·  
SMTC's Tax benefits preservation shareholder rights plan ("Net Operating Loss Plan," or "NOL plan") may no longer be extended at the Board's discretion – in the future an extension will require shareholder approval;
 
·  
Removal of a stakeholder clause considered poor policy by governance experts and which impeded SMTC's singular focus on shareholder value.
 
Additional details are provided in SMTC's 8K, which is expected to be filed in the next few days.
 
Standstill Agreement with Red Oak Partners
 
SMTC and its largest shareholder, Red Oak Partners, LLC ("Red Oak") reached an agreement whereby Red Oak agreed to limit its voting rights in certain instances.
 
According to the agreement, Red Oak will vote those shares it owns, in excess of the next largest shareholder, with the consensus of all shareholders (excluding Red Oak) on any vote regarding the approval of the purchase of the majority of SMTC's assets or shares where Red Oak is part of the buying group so long as (a) Red Oak remains the largest shareholder of SMTC, (b) the NOL Plan remains in effect and Red Oak's ownership stake exceeds the Plan's limit, and (c) a Red Oak employee is serving or has served on SMTC's Board of Directors in the prior six months. Red Oak has not requested any compensation or rights in return for giving-up these and other voting rights, and has agreed to extend this Agreement without any termination date provided terms (a), (b) and (c) are met.
 
Stated David Sandberg, Chairman of SMTC's Board of Directors and Red Oak's Founder and Managing Member, "This agreement makes it more difficult for Red Oak, as SMTC"s largest shareholder, to ever acquire SMTC at a value which the majority of other shareholders do not agree with because, per the terms of the agreement, any voting advantage Red Oak would have over the next largest shareholder would be lost in such a scenario. Red Oak is a deep value investor which supports transparency, good governance, and the best interests of shareholders, and strongly believes that insiders should not potentially enrich themselves or benefit at the expense of shareholders or shareholder value. Red Oak has agreed to limiting its voting rights to remove potential conflicts of interest and ensure that it is fully aligned with shareholders towards achieving optimal shareholder value."
 
Continued Mr. Sandberg, "Our Board has taken a position to be as transparent and shareholder friendly as possible, and the actions announced today reflect this effort and culminate a 3 ½ year process during which a significant improvement in SMTC's governance has occurred, including: de-staggering a 3-class board and now holding annual elections; reinstating shareholder rights to nominate directors (which had previously been taken away by the prior Board); removing preferential voting rights to certain insiders so that all shareholder votes are equal; significantly upgrading the composition of the Board of Directors; establishing Director and senior management compensation as well as public company and audit costs to levels more appropriate for a company the size of SMTC; establishing minimum CEO and Director share ownership requirements; and appointing new senior leadership which is driving improved performance." 
 
Stated Alex Walker and Claude Germain, Co-CEOs of SMTC and members of the Board of Directors, "We believe the governance changes made and the agreement reached with Red Oak mark an important milestone for SMTC as we've ensured a level of shareholder responsiveness and transparency not previously seen at this Company. We look forward to reporting future results and continuing to build shareholder value going forward."
 
About SMTC Corporation:   SMTC Corporation, founded in 1985, is a mid-size provider of end-to-end electronics manufacturing services (EMS) including PCBA production, systems integration and comprehensive testing services, enclosure fabrication, as well as product design, sustaining engineering and supply chain management services. SMTC facilities span a broad footprint in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and China, with more than 1,000 full time employees. SMTC services extend over the entire electronic product life cycle from the development and introduction of new products through to the growth, maturity and end-of-life phases. SMTC offers fully integrated contract manufacturing services with a distinctive approach to global original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and emerging technology companies primarily within industrial, computing, communication and medical market segments.
 
SMTC is a public company incorporated in Delaware with its shares traded on the Nasdaq National Market System under the symbol SMTX and on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol SMX. For further information on SMTC Corporation, please visit our website at www.smtc.com (http://www.smtc.com/)
 
The SMTC Corporation logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=9800 
 
Note for Investors: The statements contained in this release that are not purely historical are forward-looking statements which involve risk and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements. These statements may be identified by their use of forward-looking terminology such as "believes," "expect," "may," "should," "would," "will," "intends," "plans," "estimates," "anticipates" and similar words, and include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the expectations, intentions or strategies of SMTC Corporation. For these statements, we claim the protection of the safe harbor for forward-looking statements provisions contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Risks and uncertainties that may cause future results to differ from forward-looking statements include the challenges of managing quickly expanding operations and integrating acquired companies, fluctuations in demand for customers' products and changes in customers' product sources, competition in the EMS industry, component shortages, and others discussed in the Company's most recent filings with securities regulators in the United States and Canada. The forward-looking statements contained in this release are made as of the date hereof and the Company assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements.
 
CONTACT:   Alex Walker
President and Co- Chief Executive Officer, SMTC Corporation
(905) 413.1190
Email:  investorrelations@smtc.com