UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 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): February 18, 2015

 

 

The Sherwin-Williams Company

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)

 

 

 

Ohio   1-04851   34-0526850
(State or Other Jurisdiction
of Incorporation)
  (Commission
File Number)
  (IRS Employer
Identification No.)

 

101 West Prospect Avenue

Cleveland, Ohio

  44115
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)   (Zip Code)

(216) 566-2000

(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:

 

  ¨ 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 5.03. Amendments to Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws; Change in Fiscal Year .

On February 18, 2015, the Board of Directors of The Sherwin-Williams Company approved an amendment and restatement of its Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation. The Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation became effective on February 18, 2015 upon filing of the amendment and restatement with the Ohio Secretary of State. Pursuant to the amendment and restatement, the Board of Directors eliminated the series of Serial Preferred Stock designated “ESOP Serial Preferred Stock.” No shares of ESOP Serial Preferred Stock were outstanding on that date.

The foregoing description of the amendment and restatement does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation, a copy of which is filed as Exhibit 3 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits .

 

  (d) Exhibits.

The following Exhibit is filed with this Report:

 

Exhibit
No.

  

Exhibit Description

3    Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation of The Sherwin-Williams Company, as amended through February 18, 2015 (filed herewith).

 

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SIGNATURES

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.

 

    THE SHERWIN-WILLIAMS COMPANY
February 19, 2015     By:  

/s/ Catherine M. Kilbane

      Catherine M. Kilbane
      Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary

 

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EXHIBIT INDEX

 

Exhibit
No.

  

Exhibit Description

3    Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation of The Sherwin-Williams Company, as amended through February 18, 2015 (filed herewith).

 

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Exhibit 3

 

 

 

Amended and Restated

Articles of Incorporation

of

THE SHERWIN-WILLIAMS COMPANY

 

 

As amended through

February 18, 2015

 

 

 


A MENDED AND R ESTATED

A RTICLES OF I NCORPORATION

OF

T HE S HERWIN -W ILLIAMS C OMPANY

F IRST : The name of this Company is T HE S HERWIN -W ILLIAMS C OMPANY .

S ECOND : The place where this Company shall be located and its principal business shall be transacted is the City of Cleveland in the County of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio.

T HIRD : The Company is formed for the purpose of developing, producing, manufacturing, buying, selling and generally dealing in products, goods, wares, merchandise and services of any and all kinds and doing all things necessary or incidental thereto.

F OURTH : The number of shares which the Company is authorized to have outstanding is 330,000,000 consisting of 30,000,000 shares of Serial Preferred Stock without par value (hereinafter called “Serial Preferred Stock”) and 300,000,000 shares of Common Stock, par value $1.00 each (hereinafter called “Common Stock”).

The shares of such classes shall have the following express terms:

D IVISION A

E XPRESS T ERMS OF T HE S ERIAL P REFERRED S TOCK

Section 1. The Serial Preferred Stock may be issued from time to time in one or more series. All shares of Serial Preferred Stock shall be of equal rank and shall be identical, except in respect of the matters that may be fixed by the Board of Directors as hereinafter provided, and each share of each series shall be identical with all other shares of such series, except as to the date from which dividends are cumulative. Subject to the provisions of Sections 2 to 8, both inclusive, of this Division, which provisions shall apply to all Serial Preferred Stock, the Board of Directors hereby is authorized to cause such shares to be issued in one or more series and with respect to each such series prior to the issuance thereof to fix:

(a) The designation of the series, which may be by distinguishing number, letter or title.

(b) The number of shares of the series, which number the Board of Directors may (except where otherwise provided in the creation of the series) increase or decrease (but not below the number of shares thereof then outstanding).

(c) The annual dividend rate of the series.

(d) The dates at which dividends, if declared, shall be payable, and the dates from which dividends shall be cumulative.

(e) The redemption rights and price or prices, if any, for shares of the series.

(f) The terms and amount of any sinking fund provided for the purchase or redemption of shares of the series.

(g) The amounts payable on shares of the series in the event of any voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the affairs of the Company.

 

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(h) Whether the shares of the series shall be convertible into Common Stock, and, if so, the conversion price or prices, any adjustments thereof, and all other terms and conditions upon which such conversion may be made.

(i) Restrictions (in addition to those set forth in Sections 6(b) and 6(c) of this Division) on the issuance of shares of the same series or of any other class or series.

The Board of Directors is authorized to adopt from time to time amendments to the Articles of Incorporation fixing, with respect to each such series, the matters described in clauses (a) to (i), both inclusive, of this Section 1.

Section 2. The holders of Serial Preferred Stock of each series, in preference to the holders of Common Stock and of any other class of shares ranking junior to the Serial Preferred Stock, shall be entitled to receive out of any funds legally available and when and as declared by the Board of Directors dividends in cash at the rate for such series fixed in accordance with the provisions of Section 1 of this Division and no more, payable quarterly on the dates fixed for such series. Such dividends shall be cumulative, in the case of shares of each particular series, from and after the date or dates fixed with respect to such series. No dividends may be paid upon or declared or set apart for any of the Serial Preferred Stock for any quarterly dividend period unless at the same time a like proportionate dividend for the same quarterly dividend period, ratably in proportion to the respective annual dividend rates fixed therefor, shall be paid upon or declared or set apart for all Serial Preferred Stock of all series then issued and outstanding and entitled to receive such dividend.

Section 3. In no event so long as any Serial Preferred Stock shall be outstanding shall any dividends, except a dividend payable in Common Stock or other shares ranking junior to the Serial Preferred Stock, be paid or declared or any distribution be made except as aforesaid on the Common Stock or any other shares ranking junior to the Serial Preferred Stock, nor shall any Common Stock or any other shares ranking junior to the Serial Preferred Stock be purchased, retired or otherwise acquired by the Company (except out of the proceeds of the sale of Common Stock or other shares ranking junior to the Serial Preferred Stock received by the Company subsequent to August 31, 1966):

(a) Unless all accrued and unpaid dividends on Serial Preferred Stock, including the full dividends for the current quarterly dividend period, shall have been declared and paid or a sum sufficient for payment thereof set apart; and

(b) Unless there shall be no arrearages with respect to the redemption of Serial Preferred Stock of any series from any sinking fund provided for shares of such series in accordance with the provisions of Section 1 of this Division.

Section 4. (a) Subject to the express terms of each series and to the provisions of Section 6(b)(iii) of this Division A, the Company may from time to time redeem all or any part of the Serial Preferred Stock of any series at the time outstanding (i) at the option of the Board of Directors at the applicable redemption price for such series fixed in accordance with the provisions of Section 1 of this Division, or (ii) in fulfillment of the requirements of any sinking fund provided for shares of such series at the applicable sinking fund redemption price, fixed in accordance with the provisions of Section 1 of this Division, together in each case with accrued and unpaid dividends to the redemption date.

(b) Notice of every such redemption shall be mailed, postage prepaid, to the holders of record of the Serial Preferred Stock to be redeemed at their respective addresses then appearing on the books of the Company, not less than thirty (30) days nor more than sixty (60) days prior to the date fixed for such redemption. At any time before or after notice has been given as above provided, the Company may deposit the aggregate redemption price of the shares of Serial Preferred Stock to be redeemed with any bank or trust company in Cleveland, Ohio, or New York, New York, having capital and surplus of more than Five Million Dollars ($5,000,000), named in such notice, and direct that such amount be paid to the respective holders of the shares of Serial Preferred Stock so to be redeemed, in amounts equal to the redemption price of all shares of Serial Preferred Stock so to be redeemed, on surrender of the stock certificate or certificates held by such holders. Upon the making of such deposit such holders shall cease to be shareholders with respect to such shares, and after such notice shall have been given and such deposit shall have been made such holders shall have no interest in or claim against the Company with respect to such shares except only to receive

 

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such money from such bank or trust company without interest or the right to exercise, before the redemption date, any unexpired privileges of conversion. In case less than all of the outstanding shares of Serial Preferred Stock are to be redeemed, the Company shall select by lot the shares so to be redeemed in such manner as shall be prescribed by its Board of Directors.

If the holders of shares of Serial Preferred Stock which shall have been called for redemption shall not, within six years after such deposit, claim the amount deposited for the redemption thereof, any such bank or trust company shall, upon demand, pay over to the Company such unclaimed amounts and thereupon such bank or trust company and the Company shall be relieved of all responsibility in respect thereof and to such holders.

(c) Any shares of Serial Preferred Stock which are redeemed by the Company pursuant to the provisions of this Section 4 and any shares of Serial Preferred Stock which are purchased and delivered in satisfaction of any sinking fund requirements provided for shares of such series and any shares of Serial Preferred Stock which are converted in accordance with the express terms thereof shall be cancelled and not reissued. Any shares of Serial Preferred Stock otherwise acquired by the Company shall resume the status of authorized and unissued shares of Serial Preferred Stock without serial designation.

Section 5. (a) The holders of Serial Preferred Stock of any series shall, in case of voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the affairs of the Company, be entitled to receive in full out of the assets of the Company, including its capital, before any amount shall be paid or distributed among the holders of the Common Stock or any other shares ranking junior to the Serial Preferred Stock the amounts fixed with respect to the shares of such series in accordance with Section 1 of this Division, plus in any event an amount equal to all dividends accrued and unpaid thereon to the date of payment of the amount due pursuant to such liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the affairs of the Company. In case the net assets of the Company legally available therefor are insufficient to permit the payment upon all outstanding shares of Serial Preferred Stock of the full preferential amount to which they are respectively entitled, then such net assets shall be distributed ratably upon outstanding shares of Serial Preferred Stock in proportion to the full preferential amount to which each such share is entitled.

After payment to holders of Serial Preferred Stock of the full preferential amounts as aforesaid, holders of Serial Preferred Stock as such shall have no right or claim to any of the remaining assets of the Company.

(b) The merger or consolidation of the Company into or with any other corporation, or the merger of any other corporation into it, or the sale, lease or conveyance of all or substantially all the property or business of the Company, shall not be deemed to be a dissolution, liquidation or winding up, voluntary or involuntary, for the purposes of this Section 5.

Section 6. (a) The holders of Serial Preferred Stock shall be entitled to one vote for each share of such stock upon all matters presented to the shareholders; and, except as otherwise provided herein or required by law, the holders of Serial Preferred Stock and the holders of Common Stock shall vote together as one class on all matters. No adjustment of the voting rights of the holders of Serial Preferred Stock shall be made in the event of an increase or decrease in the number of shares of Common Stock authorized or issued or in the event of a stock split or combination of the Common Stock or in the event of a stock dividend on any class of stock payable solely in Common Stock, and none of the foregoing actions shall be deemed to affect adversely the voting powers, rights or preferences of Serial Preferred Stock within the meaning and for the purpose of this Division A.

If, and so often as, the Company shall be in default in the payment of dividends in an amount equivalent to six (6) quarterly dividends (whether or not consecutive) on any series of Serial Preferred Stock at the time outstanding, whether or not earned or declared, the holders of Serial Preferred Stock of all series, voting separately as a class and in addition to all other rights to vote for Directors, shall be entitled to elect, as herein provided, two (2) members of the Board of Directors of the Company; provided, however, that the holders of shares of Serial Preferred Stock shall not have or exercise such special class voting rights except at meetings of the shareholders for the election of Directors at which the holders of not less than thirty-five per cent (35%) of the outstanding shares of Serial Preferred Stock of all series then outstanding are present in person or by proxy; and provided further that the special class voting rights provided for herein when the same shall have become vested shall remain so vested until all accrued and unpaid dividends on the Serial Preferred Stock of all series then outstanding shall have been paid, whereupon the holders of Serial Preferred Stock shall be divested of their special class voting rights in respect of subsequent elections of Directors, subject to the revesting of such special class voting rights in the event hereinabove specified in this paragraph.

 

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In the event of default entitling the holders of Serial Preferred Stock to elect two (2) Directors as above specified, a special meeting of the shareholders for the purpose of electing such Directors shall be called by the Secretary of the Company upon written request of, or may be called by, the holders of record of at least ten per cent (10%) of the shares of Serial Preferred Stock of all series at the time outstanding, and notice thereof shall be given in the same manner as that required for the annual meeting of shareholders; provided, however, that the Company shall not be required to call such special meeting if the annual meeting of shareholders shall be held within ninety (90) days after the date of receipt of the foregoing written request from the holders of Serial Preferred Stock. At any meeting at which the holders of Serial Preferred Stock shall be entitled to elect Directors, the holders of thirty-five per cent (35%) of the then outstanding shares of Serial Preferred Stock of all series, present in person or by proxy, shall be sufficient to constitute a quorum, and the vote of the holders of a majority of such shares so present at any such meeting at which there shall be such a quorum shall be sufficient to elect the members of the Board of Directors which the holders of Serial Preferred Stock are entitled to elect as hereinabove provided.

(b) The vote or consent of the holders of at least two-thirds of the shares of Serial Preferred Stock at the time outstanding, given in person or by proxy either in writing or at a meeting called for the purpose at which the holders of Serial Preferred Stock shall vote separately as a class, shall be necessary to effect any one or more of the following (but so far as the holders of Serial Preferred Stock are concerned, such action may be effected with such vote or consent):

(i) Any amendment, alteration or repeal of any of the provisions of the Articles of Incorporation or of the Regulations of the Company which affects adversely the voting powers, rights or preferences of the holders of Serial Preferred Stock; provided, however, that, for the purpose of this clause (i) only, neither the amendment of the Articles of Incorporation so as to authorize or create, or to increase the authorized or outstanding amount of, Serial Preferred Stock or of any shares of any class ranking on a parity with or junior to the Serial Preferred Stock, nor the amendment of the provisions of the Regulations so as to increase the number of Directors of the Company shall be deemed to affect adversely the voting powers, rights or preferences of the holders of Serial Preferred Stock; and provided further, that if such amendment, alteration or repeal affects adversely the rights or preferences of one or more but not all series of Serial Preferred Stock at the time outstanding, only the vote or consent of the holders of at least two-thirds of the number of the shares at the time outstanding of the series so affected shall be required;

(ii) The authorization or creation of, or the increase in the authorized amount of, any shares of any class, or any security convertible into shares of any class, ranking prior to the Serial Preferred Stock; or

(iii) The purchase or redemption (for sinking fund purposes or otherwise) of less than all of the Serial Preferred Stock then outstanding except in accordance with a stock purchase offer made to all holders of record of Serial Preferred Stock, unless all dividends upon all Serial Preferred Stock then outstanding for all previous quarterly dividend periods shall have been declared and paid or funds therefore set apart and all accrued sinking fund obligations applicable thereto shall have been complied with.

This Section 6(b) shall not apply to, and the class or series vote specified therein shall not be required for the approval of, any action which is part of or effected in connection with the consolidation of the Company with or its merger into any other corporation, so long as the class vote specified by Section 6(c) of this Division is obtained in any case in which such class vote is required under clause (ii) of said Section 6(c).

(c) The vote or consent of the holders of at least a majority of the shares of Serial Preferred Stock at the time outstanding, given in person or by proxy either in writing or at a meeting called for the purpose at which the holders of Serial Preferred Stock shall vote separately as a class, shall be necessary to effect any one or more of the following (but so far as the holders of Serial Preferred Stock are concerned, such action may be effected with such vote or consent):

(i) The sale, lease or conveyance by the Company of all or substantially all of its property or business; or

 

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(ii) The consolidation of the Company with or its merger into any other corporation unless the corporation resulting from such consolidation or merger will have after such consolidation or merger no class of shares either authorized or outstanding ranking prior to or on a parity with the Serial Preferred Stock except the same number of shares ranking prior to or on a parity with the Serial Preferred Stock and having the same rights and preferences as the shares of the Company authorized and outstanding immediately preceding such consolidation or merger, and each holder of Serial Preferred Stock immediately preceding such consolidation or merger shall receive the same number of shares, with the same rights and preferences, of the resulting corporation; or

(iii) The authorization of any shares ranking on a parity with the Serial Preferred Stock or an increase in the authorized number of shares of Serial Preferred Stock.

Section 7. If the shares of any series of Serial Preferred Stock shall be convertible into Common Stock, then upon conversion of shares of such series the stated capital of the Common Stock issued upon such conversion shall be the aggregate par value of the shares so issued having par value, or, in the case of shares without par value, shall be an amount equal to the stated capital represented by each share of Common Stock outstanding at the time of such conversion multiplied by the number of shares of Common Stock issued upon such conversion. The stated capital of the Company shall be correspondingly increased or reduced to reflect the difference between the stated capital of the shares of Serial Preferred Stock so converted and the stated capital of the Common Stock issued upon such conversion.

Section 8. The holders of Serial Preferred Stock shall have no preemptive right to purchase or have offered to them for purchase any shares or other securities of the Company, whether now or hereafter authorized.

Section 9. For the purpose of this Division A:

Whenever reference is made to shares “ranking prior to the Serial Preferred Stock” or “on a parity with the Serial Preferred Stock”, such reference shall mean and include all shares of the Company in respect of which the rights of the holders thereof as to the payment of dividends or as to distributions in the event of a voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the affairs of the Company are given preference over, or rank on an equality with (as the case may be) the rights of the holders of Serial Preferred Stock; and whenever reference is made to shares “ranking junior to the Serial Preferred Stock”, such reference shall mean and include all shares of the Company in respect of which the rights of the holders thereof as to the payment of dividends and as to distributions in the event of a voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the affairs of the Company are junior and subordinate to the rights of the holders of Serial Preferred Stock.

D IVISION A-1

C UMULATIVE R EDEEMABLE S ERIAL P REFERRED S TOCK

Section 1. There is established hereby a series of Serial Preferred Stock that shall be designated “Cumulative Redeemable Serial Preferred Stock” (hereinafter sometimes called this “Series” or the “Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock”) and that shall have the terms set forth in this Division A-1.

Section 2. The number of shares of this Series shall be 3,000,000.

Section 3. (a) The holders of record of shares of Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock shall be entitled to receive, when and as declared by the Board of Directors in accordance with the terms hereof, out of funds legally available for the purpose, cumulative quarterly dividends payable in cash on the first day of January, April, July and October in each year (each such date being referred to herein as a “Quarterly Dividend Payment Date”), commencing on the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date after the first issuance of a share of Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock or fraction of a share of Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock, in an amount per share (rounded to the nearest cent) equal to the lesser of (i) $750 per share or (ii) subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth, 100 times the aggregate per share amount of all cash dividends, and 100 times the aggregate per share amount (payable in kind) of all non-cash dividends or other distributions (other than a

 

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dividend payable in shares of Common Stock, or a subdivision of the outstanding Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise)), declared on the Common Stock since the immediately preceding Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, or, with respect to the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, since the first issuance of any share of Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock or fraction of a share of Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock. In the event the Company shall at any time declare or pay any dividend on the Common Stock payable in Common Stock, or effect a subdivision or combination or consolidation of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise than by payment of a dividend in Common Stock) into a greater or lesser number of shares of Common Stock, then in each such case the amount to which holders of shares of Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock were entitled immediately prior to such event under clause (ii) of the preceding sentence shall be adjusted by multiplying such amount by a fraction the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event.

(b) Dividends shall begin to accrue and be cumulative on outstanding shares of Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock from the Quarterly Dividend Payment Date next preceding the date of issue of such shares of Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock, unless the date of issue of such shares is prior to the record date for the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, in which case dividends on such shares shall begin to accrue from the date of issue of such shares, or unless the date of issue is a Quarterly Dividend Payment Date or is a date after the record date for the determination of holders of shares of Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock entitled to receive a quarterly dividend and before such Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, in either of which events such dividends shall begin to accrue and be cumulative from such Quarterly Dividend Payment Date. Accrued but unpaid dividends shall not bear interest. No dividends shall be paid upon or declared and set apart for any Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock for any dividend period unless at the same time a dividend for the same dividend period, ratably in proportion to the respective annual dividend rates fixed therefor, shall be paid upon or declared and set apart for all Serial Preferred Stock of all series then outstanding and entitled to receive such dividend. The Board of Directors may fix a record date for the determination of holders of Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock entitled to receive payment of a dividend or distribution declared thereon, which record date shall be no more than 40 days prior to the date fixed for the payment thereof.

Section 4. Subject to the provisions of Section 6(b)(iii) of Division A and in accordance with Section 4 of Division A, shares of the Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock shall be redeemable from time to time at the option of the Board of Directors of the Company, as a whole or in part, at any time at a redemption price per share equal to one hundred times the then applicable Purchase Price as defined in that certain Rights Agreement, dated as of April 23, 1997 between the Company and KeyBank National Association (the “Rights Agreement”), as the same may be from time to time amended in accordance with its terms, which Purchase Price is $110 as of April 23, 1997, subject to adjustment from time to time as provided in the Rights Agreement. Copies of the Rights Agreement are available from the Company upon request. In case less than all of the outstanding shares of Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock are to be redeemed, the Company shall select by lot the shares so to be redeemed in such manner as shall be prescribed by its Board of Directors.

Section 5. (a) In the event of any voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the affairs of the Company (hereinafter referred to as a “Liquidation”), no distribution shall be made to the holders of shares of stock ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon Liquidation) to the Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock, unless, prior thereto, the holders of shares of Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock shall have received at least an amount per share equal to one hundred times the then applicable Purchase Price as defined in the Rights Agreement, as the same may be from time to time amended in accordance with its terms (which Purchase Price is $110 as of April 23, 1997), subject to adjustment from time to time as provided in the Rights Agreement, plus an amount equal to accrued and unpaid dividends and distributions thereon, whether or not earned or declared, to the date of such payment, provided that the holders of shares of Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock shall be entitled to receive at least an aggregate amount per share, subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth, equal to 100 times the aggregate amount to be distributed per share to holders of Common Stock (the “Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock Liquidation Preference”).

(b) In the event, however, that the net assets of the Company are not sufficient to pay in full the amount of the Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock Liquidation Preference and the liquidation preferences of all other series of Serial Preferred Stock, if any, which rank on a parity with the Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock as to distribution of assets in Liquidation, all shares of this Series and of such other series of Serial Preferred Stock shall share ratably in the distribution of assets (or proceeds thereof) in Liquidation in proportion to the full amounts to which they are respectively entitled.

 

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(c) In the event the Company shall at any time declare or pay any dividend on the Common Stock payable in Common Stock, or effect a subdivision or combination or consolidation of the outstanding Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise than by payment of a dividend in Common Stock) into a greater or lesser number of shares of Common Stock, then in each such case the amount to which holders of Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock were entitled immediately prior to such event pursuant to the proviso set forth in paragraph 5(a) above, shall be adjusted by multiplying such amount by a fraction the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event.

(d) The merger or consolidation of the Company into or with any other corporation, or the merger of any other corporation into it, or the sale, lease or conveyance of all or substantially all the property or business of the Company, shall not be deemed to be a Liquidation for the purposes of this Section 5.

Section 6. The Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock shall not be convertible into Common Stock.

D IVISION B

E XPRESS T ERMS OF THE C OMMON S TOCK

The Common Stock shall be subject to the express terms of the Serial Preferred Stock and any series thereof. Each share of Common Stock shall be equal to every other share of Common Stock. The holders of shares of Common Stock shall be entitled to one vote for each share of such stock upon all matters presented to the shareholders. The holders of shares of Common Stock shall have no preemptive rights to purchase or have offered to them for purchase any shares of Common Stock which at any time shall be required for issuance in fulfillment of the provisions of any series of the Company’s Serial Preferred Stock.

F IFTH : No holders of any class of shares of the Company shall have any preemptive right to purchase or have offered to them for purchase any shares or other securities of the Company, whether now or hereafter authorized.

S IXTH : (A) Notwithstanding any provision of the Ohio Revised Code now or hereafter in force requiring for any purpose the vote, consent, waiver or release of the holders of shares entitling them to exercise two-thirds, or any other proportion, of the voting power of the Company or of any class or classes of shares thereof, such action, unless otherwise expressly required by statute or by the Articles of the Company, may be taken by the vote, consent, waiver or release of the holders of shares entitling them to exercise a majority of the voting power of the Company or of such class or classes.

(B) The affirmative vote (i) of the holders of shares entitling them to exercise two-thirds of the voting power of the Company, and (ii) of the holders of two-thirds of the shares of Common Stock at the time outstanding, given in person or by proxy at a meeting called for the purpose at which the holders of Common Stock shall vote separately as a class, shall be necessary:

(a) to approve (i) the sale, exchange, lease, transfer or other disposition by the Company of all, or substantially all, of its assets or business to a related corporation or an affiliate of a related corporation, or (ii) the consolidation of the Company with or its merger into a related corporation or an affiliate of a related corporation, or (iii) the merger into the Company of a related corporation or an affiliate of a related corporation, or (iv) a combination or majority share acquisition in which the Company is the acquiring corporation and its voting shares are issued or transferred to a related corporation or an affiliate of a related corporation or to shareholders of a related corporation or an affiliate of a related corporation; or

(b) to approve any agreement, contract or other arrangement with a related corporation providing for any of the transactions described in subparagraph (a) above; or

(c) to effect any amendment of the Articles of the Company which changes the provisions of this Paragraph (B).

 

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For the purpose of this Paragraph (B), (i) a “related corporation” in respect of a given transaction shall be any corporation which, together with its affiliates and associated persons, owns of record or beneficially, directly or indirectly, more than 5% of the shares of any outstanding class of stock of the Company entitled to vote upon such transaction, as of the record date used to determine the shareholders of the Company entitled to vote upon such transaction; (ii) an “affiliate” of a related corporation shall be any individual, joint venture, trust, partnership or corporation which, directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls, or is controlled by, or is under common control with, the related corporation; (iii) an “associated person” of a related corporation shall be any officer or director or any beneficial owner, directly or indirectly, of 10% or more of any class of equity security, of such related corporation or any of its affiliates; (iv) the terms “combination”, “majority share acquisition” and “acquiring corporation” shall have the same meaning as that contained in Section 1701.01 of the Ohio General Corporation Law or any similar provision hereafter enacted.

The determination of the Board of Directors of the Company, based on information known to the Board of Directors and made in good faith, shall be conclusive as to whether any corporation is a related corporation as defined in this Paragraph (B).

S EVENTH : The Company may from time to time, pursuant to authorization by the Board of Directors and without action by the shareholders, purchase or otherwise acquire shares of the Company of any class or classes in such manner, upon such terms and in such amounts as the Board of Directors shall determine; subject, however, to such limitation or restriction, if any, as is contained in the express terms of any class of shares of the Company outstanding at the time of the purchase or acquisition in question.

E IGHTH : (A) Each nominee for director shall be elected by the vote of the majority of the votes cast with respect to that nominee’s election at any meeting held for the election of directors at which a quorum is present, provided, however, that if the number of nominees for director exceeds the number of directors to be elected, the nominees receiving the greatest number of votes (up to the number of directors to be elected) shall be elected. For purposes of this paragraph, a “majority of the votes cast” means that the number of shares voted “for” a nominee’s election exceeds the number of shares voted “against” that nominee’s election.

(B) No shareholder of the Company may cumulate his voting power.

N INTH : These Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation shall supersede and take the place of the heretofore existing Articles of Incorporation of the Company and all amendments thereto.

 

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