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):

August 3, 201 5

 

 

 

J.B. HUNT TRANSPORT SERVICES, INC.

(EXACT NAME OF REGISTRANT AS SPECIFIED IN ITS CHARTER)

 

 

Arkansas

0-11757

71-0335111

(STATE OR OTHER JURISDICTION OF

Commission File Number

(IRS EMPLOYER

INCORPORATION OR ORGANIZATION )

 

IDENTIFICATION NO.)

 

 

615 J.B. Hunt Corporate Drive

 

 

Lowell, Arkansas

72745

(479) 820-0000

(ADDRESS OF PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICES)

(ZIP CODE)

(Registrant's telephone number)

 

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)

 

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Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

 

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Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

 

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Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

 

 
 

 

 

ITEM 8.01       OTHER EVENTS

 

On August 3, 2015, J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. (the “Company”) and J.B. Hunt Transport, Inc. (“Transport”), as guarantor, entered into an underwriting agreement (the “Agreement”) with Goldman, Sachs & Co., J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, and Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, as representatives of the several underwriters, for the issuance and sale by the Company of $350 million in aggregate principal amount of its 3.30% Senior Notes due 2022 (the “Notes”). The Company registered the offering and sale of the Notes under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, pursuant to a shelf registration statement on Form S-3ASR (File No. 333-194163). A copy of the Agreement is attached as Exhibit 1.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K.

 

The Notes were issued on August 6, 2015 pursuant to the Indenture, dated as of September 20, 2010 (as amended and supplemented, the “Base Indenture”), among the Company, Transport and U.S. Bank National Association, as Trustee (the “Trustee”), and further supplemented by the Fourth Supplemental Indenture, dated as of August 6, 2015 (the “Supplemental Indenture”), among the Company, Transport and the Trustee. The Base Indenture and Supplemental Indenture provide, among other things, that the Notes will be unsecured obligations of the Company and will rank equally with all of the Company’s existing and future senior unsecured debt. Interest is payable on the Notes semiannually in arrears on February 15 and August 15 of each year, beginning February 15, 2016. The Notes will mature on August 15, 2022.  The Company may redeem for cash some or all of the Notes at the redemption price set forth in the Supplemental Indenture.

 

The terms of the Base Indenture and Supplemental Indenture, among other things, may limit the ability of the Company to incur additional debt secured by liens; engage in sale and leaseback transactions; and merge or consolidate with, or transfer all or substantially all of its assets to, another entity. The Base Indenture and Supplemental Indenture provide for customary events of default. Copies of the Base Indenture and Fourth Supplemental Indenture are incorporated by reference or attached as Exhibits 4.1 and 4.3, respectively, to this Current Report on Form 8-K. The descriptions of the material terms of the Base Indenture, Supplemental Indenture and Notes are qualified in their entirety by reference to such exhibits.

 

ITEM 9.01.    FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND Exhibits

 

 

(d)

Exhibits.

 

1.1

Underwriting Agreement, dated as of August 3, 2015, among the Company, Transport, as guarantor, and Goldman, Sachs & Co., J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, and Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, as representatives of the several underwriters named therein

 

 

4.1

Form of Indenture by and among the Company, as issuer, Transport, as initial guarantor, and U.S. Bank National Association, as Trustee (filed as Exhibit 4.1 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-3ASR filed on September 14, 2010 and incorporated herein by reference)

 

 

4.2

Second Supplemental Indenture, dated as of March 6, 2014, among the Company, Transport, as guarantor, and U.S. Bank National Association, as Trustee (filed as Exhibit 4.2 to the Company’s 8-K filed on March 6, 2014 and incorporated herein by reference)

 

 

4.3

Fourth Supplemental Indenture, dated as of August 6, 2015, among the Company, Transport, as guarantor, and U.S. Bank National Association, as Trustee

 

 

4.4

Form of 3.30% Senior Note due 2022 (set forth as Exhibit A to the Fourth Supplemental Indenture attached as Exhibit 4.3 hereto)

 

 

5.1

Opinion of Mitchell, Williams, Selig, Gates & Woodyard, P.L.L.C.

 

 

12.1

Statement of Computation of Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges

 

 

23.1

Consent of Mitchell, Williams, Selig, Gates & Woodyard, P.L.LC. (included in Exhibit 5.1)

 

 
 

 

 

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 thereunto duly authorized, in the city of Lowell, Arkansas, on the 6th day of August, 2015.

 

 

J.B. HUNT TRANSPORT SERVICES, INC.

 

 

 

 

 

 

  BY: /s/ John N. Roberts, III
    John N. Roberts, III President and Chief Executive
    Officer (Principal Executive Officer)
     
  BY: /s/ David G. Mee
    David G. Mee, Executive Vice President, Finance and
    Administration and Chief Financial Officer
    (Principal Financial Officer)

 

Exhibit 1.1

 

 

 

J.B. HUNT TRANSPORT SERVICES, INC.

 

$350,000,000 3.30% Senior Notes due 2022

 

UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

 

August 3, 2015

 

Goldman, Sachs & Co.

200 West Street

New York, New York 10282

 

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC

383 Madison Avenue

New York, New York 10179

 

Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC

1585 Broadway

New York, New York 10036

 

As Representatives of the Several Underwriters

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc., an Arkansas corporation (the “Company”), proposes to issue and sell to the several underwriters (the “Underwriters”) named in Schedule I hereto for whom you are acting as representatives (the “Representatives”) $350,000,000 aggregate principal amount of its 3.30% Senior Notes due 2022 (the “Notes”). The respective principal amounts of the Notes to be so purchased by the several Underwriters are set forth opposite their names in Schedule I hereto. The Notes are to be issued under an indenture (the “Base Indenture”), dated as of September 20, 2010, as amended and supplemented, as supplemented by a supplemental indenture, to be dated August 6, 2015 (the “Supplemental Indenture” and, together with the Base Indenture, the “Indenture”) in each case by and among the Company, J.B. Hunt Transport, Inc., as guarantor (the “Guarantor”), and U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee (the “Trustee”). The Notes will be guaranteed on an unsecured senior basis by the Guarantor (the “Guarantees”). The term “Notes,” when used herein, includes the Guarantees where applicable.

 

As the Representatives, you have advised the Company (a) that you are authorized to enter into this Agreement on behalf of the several Underwriters, and (b) that the several Underwriters are willing, acting severally and not jointly, to purchase the principal amount of Notes set forth opposite their respective names in Schedule I.

 

 
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In consideration of the mutual agreements contained herein and of the interests of the parties in the transactions contemplated hereby, the parties hereto agree as follows:

 

1.      Representations and Warranties of the Company and the Guarantor .

 

The Company and the Guarantor, jointly and severally, represent and warrant to each of the Underwriters as follows:

 

(a)     An “automatic shelf registration statement” as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Act”), on Form S-3 (File No. 333-194163) in respect of the Notes and the Guarantees, including a form of prospectus (the “Base Prospectus”), has been prepared and filed by the Company not earlier than three years prior to the date hereof, in conformity with the requirements of the Act and the rules and regulations (the “Rules and Regulations”) of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) thereunder. The Company and the transactions contemplated by this Agreement meet the requirements of, and comply with the conditions for the use of, an automatic shelf registration statement on Form S-3 under the Act. Such registration statement, which shall be deemed to include all information omitted therefrom in reliance upon Rules 430A, 430B or 430C under the Act, is herein referred to as the “Registration Statement” and became effective under the Act upon filing with the Commission. No post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement has been filed as of the date of this Agreement. As used herein, the term “Prospectus” means the prospectus in the form first used to confirm sales of the Notes and the Guarantees and filed with the Commission pursuant to and within the time limits described in Rule 424(b) under the Act and in accordance with Section 4(a) hereof. The Base Prospectus, as supplemented by each preliminary prospectus supplement relating to the Notes and the Guarantees filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act, is herein referred to as a “Preliminary Prospectus.” Any reference herein to the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus or to the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the documents incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the Act, as of the effective date of the Registration Statement or the date of such Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus, as the case may be, and any reference to “amend,” “amendment” or “supplement” with respect to the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to include any documents incorporated by reference therein, and any supplements or amendments thereto, filed with the Commission and incorporated by reference therein prior to the termination of the offering of the Notes by the Underwriters.

 

(b)     As of the Applicable Time (as defined below) and as of the Closing Date, neither (i) the General Use Free Writing Prospectus(es) (as defined below) issued at or prior to the Applicable Time and the Statutory Prospectus (as defined below), all considered together (collectively, the “General Disclosure Package”), nor (ii) any individual Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus (as defined below), when considered together with the General Disclosure Package, included or will include any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or will omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided , however , that the Company makes no representations or warranties as to information contained in or omitted from any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus (as defined below), in reliance upon, and in conformity with, written information furnished to the Company by or on behalf of any Underwriter through the Representatives, specifically for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information is that described in Section 12. As used in this Agreement:

 

 
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“Applicable Time” means 3:10 p.m. (New York time) on the date of this Agreement.

 

“Statutory Prospectus” means the Base Prospectus, as amended and supplemented immediately prior to the Applicable Time, including any document incorporated by reference therein and any prospectus supplement deemed to be a part thereof.

 

“Issuer Free Writing Prospectus” means (a) any “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433 under the Act, relating to the Notes and the Guarantees in the form filed or required to be filed with the Commission or, if not required to be filed, in the form retained in the Company’s records pursuant to Rule 433(g) under the Act, and (b) any Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus to the extent not otherwise an “issuer free writing prospectus” as defined in Rule 433 under the Act.

 

“General Use Free Writing Prospectus” means any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is identified on Schedule II to this Agreement.

 

“Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus” means (a) any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is not a General Use Free Writing Prospectus, and (b) each electronic road show presented on July 31, 2015, whether or not an “issuer free writing prospectus” as defined in Rule 433 under the Act.

 

(c)     Each of the Company and the Guarantor has been duly organized and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its organization, with corporate power and authority to own or lease its properties and conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. The Company does not own or control, directly or indirectly, any corporation, association or other entity other than the subsidiaries listed in Exhibit 21 to the Company’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement (the “Subsidiaries”). Each of the Subsidiaries has been duly organized and is validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its organization, with all power and authority to own or lease its properties and conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. The Company and each of the Subsidiaries are duly qualified to transact business in all jurisdictions in which the conduct of their business requires such qualification, except where the failure to so qualify would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect (as defined herein). The outstanding shares of capital stock of each of the Subsidiaries have been duly authorized and validly issued, are fully paid and non-assessable and are owned by the Company or another Subsidiary free and clear of all liens, encumbrances and equities and claims; and no options, warrants or other rights to purchase, agreements or other obligations to issue or other rights to convert any obligations into shares of capital stock or ownership interests in the Subsidiaries are outstanding.

 

 
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(d)     The Company has an authorized capitalization as set forth in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus under the caption “Capitalization” (and any similar section or information contained in the General Disclosure Package). The outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company have been duly authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and non-assessable; none of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company was issued in violation of the preemptive or other similar rights of any securityholder of the Company.

 

(e)     The Commission has not issued an order preventing or suspending the use of the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the Prospectus relating to the proposed offering of the Notes, and no proceeding for that purpose or pursuant to Section 8A of the Act has been instituted or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened by the Commission. Each of the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, as of the date hereof and the Closing Date, comply or will comply as to form with the applicable requirements of the Act and the Rules and Regulations. The documents incorporated by reference in the Prospectus, at the time filed with the Commission, conformed in all respects to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (“Exchange Act”), and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder. The Registration Statement and any amendment thereto, as of its effective date and as of the Closing Date, do not and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact and do not, and will not, omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading. The Prospectus and any amendments and supplements thereto, as of its date and as of the Closing Date, do not and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact and do not, and will not, omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided , however , that the Company makes no representations or warranties as to information contained in or omitted from the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, or any such amendment or supplement, in reliance upon, and in conformity with, written information furnished to the Company by or on behalf of any Underwriter through the Representatives, specifically for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information is that described in Section 12.

 

(f)     Each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, as of its date and at all subsequent times through the completion of the public offering and sale of the Notes, did not, does not and will not include any information that conflicted, conflicts or will conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, including any document incorporated by reference, and any preliminary or other prospectus deemed to be a part thereof that has not been superseded or modified.

 

(g)     The Company has not, directly or indirectly, distributed and will not distribute any offering material in connection with the offering and sale of the Notes other than any Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus, any General Use Free Writing Prospectus and other materials, if any, permitted under the Act and consistent with Section 4(b) below. The Company will file with the Commission all Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses in the time and manner required under Rules 163(b)(2) and 433(d) under the Act.

 

 
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(h)     (i) At the time of filing the Registration Statement, (ii) at the time of the most recent amendment thereto for the purposes of complying with Section 10(a)(3) under the Act (whether such amendment was by post-effective amendment, incorporated report filed pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act or form of prospectus), (iii) at the time the Company or any person acting on its behalf (within the meaning, for this clause only, of Rule 163(c) under the Act) made any offer relating to the Notes in reliance on the exemption of Rule 163 under the Act and (iv) at the date hereof, the Company is a “well-known seasoned issuer” as defined in Rule 405 under the Act. The Company has not received from the Commission any notice pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) under the Act objecting to the use of the automatic shelf registration form.

 

(i)     (i) At the earliest time after the filing of the Registration Statement that the Company or another offering participant made a bona fide offer (within the meaning of Rule 164(h)(2) under the Act) of the Notes and (ii) as of the date hereof (with such date being used as the determination date for purposes of this clause (ii)), each of the Company and the Guarantor was not and is not an “ineligible issuer” (as defined in Rule 405 under the Act, without taking into account any determination by the Commission pursuant to Rule 405 under the Act that it is not necessary that the Company or the Guarantor be considered an ineligible issuer), including, without limitation, for purposes of Rules 164 and 433 under the Act with respect to the offering of the Notes and the Guarantees as contemplated by the Registration Statement.

 

(j)     The consolidated financial statements of the Company and the Subsidiaries, together with related notes and schedules as set forth or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, comply in all material respects with the Act, the Rules and Regulations, the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission under the Exchange Act, and present fairly the financial position and the results of operations and cash flows of the Company and the consolidated Subsidiaries, at the indicated dates and for the indicated periods. Such financial statements and related schedules have been prepared in accordance with United States generally accepted principles of accounting (“GAAP”), consistently applied throughout the periods involved, except as disclosed therein, and all adjustments necessary for a fair presentation of results for such periods have been made. The summary and selected consolidated financial and statistical data included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus presents fairly the information shown therein and such data has been compiled on a basis consistent with the financial statements presented therein and the books and records of the Company. All disclosures, if any, contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus regarding “non-GAAP financial measures” (as such term is defined by the Rules and Regulations) comply with Regulation G of the Exchange Act and Item 10 of Regulation S-K under the Act, to the extent applicable. The Company and the Subsidiaries do not have any material liabilities or obligations, direct or contingent (including any off-balance sheet obligations or any “variable interest entities” within the meaning of Financial Accounting Standards Board Interpretation No. 46), not disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. There are no financial statements (historical or pro forma) that are required to be included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus under the Act, the Rules and Regulations, the Exchange Act or the rules and regulations of the Commission under the Exchange Act that are not included as required. The interactive data in eXtensible Business Reporting Language incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus fairly presents the information called for in all material respects and has been prepared in accordance with the Commission’s rules and guidelines applicable thereto.

 

 
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(k)     Ernst & Young LLP, who have certified certain of the financial statements filed with the Commission as part of, or incorporated by reference in, the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, is an independent registered public accounting firm with respect to the Company and the Subsidiaries within the meaning of the Act and the applicable Rules and Regulations and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (the “PCAOB”).

 

(l)     There is and has been no failure on the part of the Company or any of the Company’s directors or officers, in their capacities as such, to comply in all material respects with any provision of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and the rules and regulations promulgated in connection therewith.

 

(m)     There is no action, suit, claim or proceeding pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened against the Company or any of the Subsidiaries before any court or administrative agency or otherwise which if determined adversely to the Company or any of the Subsidiaries would either (i) have, individually or in the aggregate, a material adverse effect on the earnings, business, management, properties, assets, rights, operations, condition (financial or otherwise) or prospects of the Company and of the Subsidiaries taken as a whole or (ii) prevent the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby (the occurrence of any such effect or any such prevention described in the foregoing clauses (i) and (ii) being referred to as a “Material Adverse Effect”), except as set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

 

(n)     The Company and the Subsidiaries have good and marketable title to all of the properties and assets reflected in the consolidated financial statements hereinabove described or described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, subject to no lien, mortgage, pledge, charge or encumbrance of any kind except those reflected in such financial statements or described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or which would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. The Company and the Subsidiaries occupy their leased properties under valid and binding leases conforming in all material respects to the description thereof set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

 

(o)     The Company and the Subsidiaries have filed all federal, state, local and foreign tax returns which have been required to be filed and have paid all taxes indicated by such returns and all assessments received by them or any of them to the extent that such taxes have become due. All tax liabilities have been adequately provided for in the financial statements of the Company, and the Company does not know of any actual or proposed additional material tax assessments.

 

 
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(p)     Since the date of the most recent financial statements of the Company included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there has not been any material adverse change or any development involving a prospective material adverse change in or affecting the earnings, business, management, properties, assets, rights, operations, condition (financial or otherwise), or prospects of the Company and the Subsidiaries taken as a whole, whether or not occurring in the ordinary course of business, and there has not been any material transaction entered into or any material transaction that is probable of being entered into by the Company or the Subsidiaries, other than transactions in the ordinary course of business and changes and transactions described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. The Company and the Subsidiaries have no material contingent obligations which are not disclosed in the Company’s financial statements which are included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

 

(q)     Neither the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries is or with the giving of notice or lapse of time or both, will be, (i) in violation of its certificate or articles of incorporation, by-laws, certificate of formation, limited liability agreement, partnership agreement or other organizational documents or (ii) in violation of or in default under any agreement, lease, contract, indenture or other instrument or obligation to which it is a party or by which it, or any of its properties, is bound, except solely with respect to this clause (ii), for any such violation or default that would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. The execution and delivery of this Agreement and the Indenture and the consummation of the transactions herein and therein contemplated and the fulfillment of the terms hereof and thereof (including, without limitation, the issuance and sale of the Notes (including the Guarantees) to the Underwriters) will not conflict with or result in a breach of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any Subsidiary is a party or by which the Company or any Subsidiary or any of their respective properties is bound, or of the certificate or articles of incorporation or by-laws of the Company or any Subsidiary or any law, order, rule or regulation, judgment, order, writ or decree applicable to the Company or any Subsidiary of any court or of any government, regulatory body or administrative agency or other governmental body having jurisdiction.

 

(r)     The execution and delivery of, and the performance by each of the Company and the Guarantor of its obligations under, this Agreement have been duly and validly authorized by all necessary corporate action on the part of the Company and the Guarantor, and this Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by the Company and the Guarantor.

 

 
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(s)     Each of the Company and the Guarantor has all requisite corporate power and authority to execute, deliver and perform each of its obligations under the Notes and the Guarantees. The Notes (including the Guarantees), when issued, will be in the form contemplated by the Indenture. The Notes have been duly and validly authorized by the Company and, when executed by the Company and authenticated by the Trustee in accordance with the provisions of the Indenture and when delivered to and paid for by the Underwriters in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, will constitute valid and legally binding obligations of the Company, entitled to the benefits of the Indenture, and enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms, except that the enforcement thereof may be subject to (i) bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent conveyance, reorganization, moratorium or other similar laws now or hereafter in effect relating to creditors’ rights generally, and (ii) general principles of equity and the discretion of the court before which any proceeding therefor may be brought (collectively, the “Enforceability Exceptions”); and the Guarantees have been duly authorized by the Guarantor and, when the Notes have been duly executed, authenticated, issued and delivered as provided in the Indenture and paid for as provided herein, will be valid and legally binding obligations of the Guarantor, enforceable against the Guarantor in accordance with their terms, subject to the Enforceability Exceptions, and will be entitled to the benefits of the Indenture.

 

(t)     Each of the Company and the Guarantor has all requisite corporate power and authority to execute, deliver and perform its obligations under the Indenture. The Base Indenture has been duly qualified under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended (the “Trust Indenture Act”). The Base Indenture has been duly and validly authorized, executed and delivered by each of the Company and the Guarantor and (assuming the due authorization, execution and delivery by the Trustee) constitutes a valid and legally binding agreement of the Company and the Guarantor, enforceable against the Company and the Guarantor in accordance with its terms, except that the enforcement thereof may be subject to the Enforceability Exceptions. The Supplemental Indenture has been duly and validly authorized by each of the Company and the Guarantor and, on the Closing Date, will be duly executed and delivered by the Company and the Guarantor and (assuming the due authorization, execution and delivery by the Trustee) will constitute a valid and legally binding agreement of the Company and the Guarantor, enforceable against the Company and the Guarantor in accordance with its terms, except that the enforcement thereof may be subject to the Enforceability Exceptions.

 

(u)     The Notes (including the Guarantees) and the Indenture will conform in all material respects to the descriptions thereof in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and will be in substantially the respective forms filed or incorporated by reference, as the case may be, as exhibits to the Registration Statement.

 

(v)     The statements under the caption “Certain Material United States Federal Income Tax Considerations” in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, to the extent that they constitute matters of law, summaries of legal matters, legal proceedings or legal conclusions, are correct in all material respects.

 

(w)     Each approval, consent, order, authorization, designation, declaration or filing by or with any regulatory, administrative or other governmental body necessary in connection with the execution and delivery by the Company and the Guarantor of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions herein contemplated (except such additional steps as may be required by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”) or such additional steps as may be necessary to qualify the Notes for public offering by the Underwriters under state securities or Blue Sky laws) has been obtained or made and is in full force and effect.

 

 
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(x)     The Company and each of the Subsidiaries holds all material licenses, certificates and permits from governmental authorities which are necessary to the conduct of their businesses; the Company and the Subsidiaries each own or possess the right to use all patents, patent rights, trademarks, trade names, service marks, service names, copyrights, license rights, know-how (including trade secrets and other unpatented and unpatentable proprietary or confidential information, systems or procedures) and other intellectual property rights (“Intellectual Property”) necessary to carry on their business in all material respects. Neither the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries has infringed (except as would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect), and none of the Company or the Subsidiaries have received notice of conflict with, any Intellectual Property of any other person or entity. The Company has taken all reasonable steps necessary to secure interests in such Intellectual Property from its contractors. There are no outstanding options, licenses or agreements of any kind relating to the Intellectual Property of the Company that are required to be described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and are not described in all material respects. The Company is not a party to or bound by any options, licenses or agreements with respect to the Intellectual Property of any other person or entity that are required to be set forth in the Prospectus and are not so described in all material respects. None of the technology employed by the Company has been obtained or is being used by the Company in violation of any contractual obligation binding on the Company or any of its officers, directors or employees or otherwise in violation of the rights of any persons, except as would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. The Company has not received any written or oral communications alleging that the Company has violated, infringed or conflicted with, or, by conducting its business as set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, would violate, infringe or conflict with, any of the Intellectual Property of any other person or entity. The Company knows of no infringement by others of Intellectual Property owned by or licensed to the Company.

 

(y)     Neither the Company, nor to the Company’s knowledge, any of its affiliates, has taken or may take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to cause or result in, or which has constituted or which might reasonably be expected to constitute, the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Notes.

 

(z)     Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is or, after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Notes and the Guarantees contemplated hereunder and the application of the net proceeds from such sale as described in the Prospectus, will be an “investment company” within the meaning of such term under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.

 

 
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(aa)     The Company and its Subsidiaries maintain systems of “internal control over financial reporting” (as defined in Rule 13a-15(f) of the Exchange Act) that comply with the requirements of the Exchange Act and have been designed by, or under the supervision of, their respective principal executive and principal financial officers, or persons performing similar functions, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with GAAP, including, but not limited to, internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorizations; (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP and to maintain asset accountability; (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences; and (v) the interactive data in eXtensible Business Reporting Language incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus fairly presents the information called for in all material respects and is prepared in accordance with the Commission’s rules and guidelines applicable thereto. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there has been no material weakness in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting and there has been no change in internal control over financial reporting that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. The Company’s auditors and the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors of the Company have been advised of: (i) all significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal controls over financial reporting which have adversely affected or are reasonably likely to adversely affect the Company’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and (ii) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the Company’s internal controls over financial reporting.

 

(bb)     The Company has established and maintains an effective system of “disclosure controls and procedures” (as defined in Rules 13a-14(c) and 15d-14(c) under the Exchange Act) that complies with the requirements of the Exchange Act; the Company’s “disclosure controls and procedures” are reasonably designed to ensure that all information (both financial and non-financial) required to be disclosed by the Company in the reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the Exchange Act, and that all such information is accumulated and communicated to the Company’s management as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure and to make the certifications of the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of the Company required under the Exchange Act with respect to such reports.

 

(cc)     The statistical, industry-related and market-related data included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus are based on or derived from sources which the Company reasonably and in good faith believes are reliable and accurate, and such data agree with the sources from which they are derived.

 

(dd)     The operations of the Company and its Subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in compliance with applicable financial record-keeping and reporting requirements of the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, applicable money laundering statutes and applicable rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines issued, administered or enforced by any governmental body (collectively, the “Money Laundering Laws”), and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company or any of its Subsidiaries with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened.

 

 
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(ee)     (i) Neither the Company nor, to the Company’s knowledge, any director, officer, agent, employee or affiliate of the Company is (A) currently subject to any sanctions administered by the federal government of the United States of America (including, without limitation, the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Treasury Department (“OFAC”)), the United Nations Security Council, the European Union, the United Kingdom (including, without limitation, Her Majesty’s Treasury), or other relevant sanctions authority with jurisdiction over the Company or any of its Subsidiaries (collectively, “Sanctions”) or (B) located, organized or resident in a country or territory that is the subject of Sanctions (including, without limitation, Burma/Myanmar, Cuba, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Sudan and Syria); (ii) the Company will not directly or indirectly use the proceeds of the offering, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any Subsidiary, joint venture partner or other person or entity, (A) to fund or facilitate any activities or business of or with any individual or entity or in any country or territory that, at the time of such funding or facilitation, is the subject of Sanctions; or (B) in any other manner that will result in a violation of Sanctions by any individual or entity (including any individual or entity participating in the offering of the Notes, whether as underwriter, advisor, investor or otherwise); and (iii) for the past five years, the Company and its Subsidiaries have not knowingly engaged in, are not now knowingly engaged in, and will not knowingly engage in, any dealings or transactions with any individual or entity, or in any country or territory, that, at the time of the dealing or transaction, is or was the subject of Sanctions.

 

(ff)     The Company and each of the Subsidiaries carry, or are covered by, insurance in such amounts and covering such risks as is adequate for the conduct of their respective businesses and the value of their respective properties and as is customary for companies engaged in similar businesses.

 

(gg)     No labor dispute with the employees of the Company or any Subsidiary exists or, to the knowledge of the Company, is imminent, and the Company is not aware of any existing or imminent labor disturbance by the employees of any of its or any Subsidiary’s principal suppliers, manufacturers, customers or contractors, which, in either case, would result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

 
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(hh)     (i) Each employee benefit plan, within the meaning of Section 3(3) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”), for which the Company or any member of its “Controlled Group” (defined as any trade or business which together with the Company would be treated as under common control for purposes of Title IV of ERISA or Section 414 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”)) would have any liability (each, a “Plan”) has been maintained in compliance with its terms and the requirements of any applicable statutes, orders, rules and regulations, including but not limited to ERISA and the Code, except for noncompliance that could not reasonably be expected to result in material liability to the Company or its Subsidiaries; (ii) no prohibited transaction, within the meaning of Section 406 of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code, has occurred with respect to any Plan (excluding transactions effected pursuant to a statutory or administrative exemption) that could reasonably be expected to result in a material liability to the Company or its Subsidiaries; (iii) for each Plan that is subject to the funding rules of Section 412 of the Code or Section 302 of ERISA, the minimum funding standard of Section 412 of the Code or Section 302 of ERISA, as applicable, has been satisfied (without taking into account any waiver thereof or extension of any amortization period) and is reasonably expected to be satisfied in the future (without taking into account any waiver thereof or extension of any amortization period); (iv) the fair market value of the assets of each Plan exceeds the present value of all benefits accrued under such Plan (determined based on those assumptions used to fund such Plan); (v) no “reportable event” (within the meaning of Section 4043(c) of ERISA) has occurred or is reasonably expected to occur that either has resulted, or could reasonably be expected to result, in material liability to the Company or its Subsidiaries; (vi) neither the Company nor any member of the Controlled Group has incurred, nor reasonably expects to incur, any liability under Title IV of ERISA (other than contributions to the Plan or premiums to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (“PBGC”), in the ordinary course and without default) in respect of a Plan (including a “multiemployer plan,” within the meaning of Section 4001(a)(3) of ERISA) and; (vii) there is no pending audit or investigation by the Internal Revenue Service, the U.S. Department of Labor, the PBGC or any other governmental agency or any foreign regulatory agency with respect to any Plan that could reasonably be expected to result in material liability to the Company or its Subsidiaries.

 

(ii)     Neither the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries is in violation of any statute, rule, regulation, decision or order of any governmental agency or body or any court, domestic or foreign, relating to the use, disposal or release of hazardous or toxic substances or relating to the protection or restoration of the environment or human exposure to hazardous or toxic substances (collectively, “environmental laws”), owns or operates any real property contaminated with any substance that is subject to environmental laws, is liable for any off-site disposal or contamination pursuant to any environmental laws, or is subject to any claim relating to any environmental laws, which violation, contamination, liability or claim would, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; and the Company is not aware of any pending investigation which might lead to such a claim.

 

(jj)     There are no relationships or related-party transactions involving the Company or any of the Subsidiaries or any other person required to be described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus under the Act, the Rules and Regulations, the Exchange Act or the rules and regulations of the Commission under the Exchange Act which have not been described as required.

 

(kk)     Neither the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries has made any contribution or other payment to any official of, or candidate for, any federal, state or foreign office in violation of any law, which violation is required to be disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus under the Act, the Rules and Regulations, the Exchange Act or the rules and regulations of the Commission under the Exchange Act.

 

(ll)     No Subsidiary of the Company is currently prohibited, directly or indirectly, from paying any dividends to the Company, from making any other distribution on such Subsidiary’s capital stock, from repaying to the Company any loans or advances to such Subsidiary from the Company or from transferring any of such Subsidiary’s property or assets to the Company or any other Subsidiary of the Company.

 

 
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(mm)     Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, agent, employee or affiliate of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries has: (i) used any Company funds for any unlawful contribution, gift, entertainment or other unlawful expense relating to political activity; (ii) made any direct or indirect unlawful payment to any foreign or domestic government official or employee from Company funds; or (iii) taken any action, directly or indirectly, that would result in a violation by such Persons of (A) the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (the “FCPA”), including, without limitation, making use of the mails or any means or instrumentality of interstate commerce corruptly in furtherance of an offer, payment, promise to pay or authorization of the payment of any money, or other property, gift, promise to give, or authorization of the giving of anything of value to any “foreign official” (as such term is defined in the FCPA) or any foreign political party or official thereof or any candidate for foreign political office, in contravention of the FCPA, or (B) the Bribery Act 2010 of the United Kingdom; and the Company, its Subsidiaries and, to the knowledge of the Company, its affiliates have conducted their businesses in compliance with the FCPA and have instituted and maintain policies and procedures designed to ensure, and which are reasonably expected to continue to ensure, continued compliance therewith.

 

2.      Purchase, Sale and Delivery of the Notes .

 

On the basis of the representations, warranties, agreements and covenants herein contained and subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Company agrees to issue and sell to the Underwriters, and the Underwriters, acting severally and not jointly, agree to purchase, the Notes in the respective principal amounts set forth on Schedule I hereto from the Company at 99.126% of their principal amount.

 

Notes that the Underwriters have agreed to purchase hereunder, and in such denomination or denominations and registered in such name or names as the Underwriters request upon notice to the Company at least 36 hours prior to the Closing Date, shall be delivered by or on behalf of the Company to the Underwriters, against payment by or on behalf of the Underwriters of the purchase price therefor by wire transfer (same day funds), to such account or accounts as the Company shall specify prior to the Closing Date, or by such means as the parties hereto shall agree prior to the Closing Date. Such delivery of and payment for the Notes shall be made at the offices of Sidley Austin llp , 787 Seventh Avenue, New York, New York at 10:00 A.M., New York time, on August 6, 2015, or at such other place, time or date as the Underwriters, on the one hand, and the Company, on the other hand, may agree upon, such time and date of delivery against payment being herein referred to as the “Closing Date.” The Company will make such Notes available for inspection by the Underwriters at least 24 hours prior to the Closing Date.

 

 
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3.      Offering by the Underwriters .

 

It is understood that the several Underwriters are to make a public offering of the Notes as soon as the Representatives deem it advisable to do so. The Notes are to be initially offered to the public at the initial public offering price set forth in the Prospectus. The Representatives may from time to time thereafter change the public offering price and other selling terms.

 

4.      Covenants of the Company and the Guarantor .

 

The Company and the Guarantor, jointly and severally, covenant and agree with the several Underwriters that:

 

(a)     The Company will (i) prepare and timely file with the Commission under Rule 424(b) (without reliance on Rule 424(b)(8)) under the Act a Prospectus in a form approved by the Representatives containing information previously omitted at the time of effectiveness of the Registration Statement in reliance on Rule 430A, 430B or 430C under the Act, (ii) not file any amendment to the Registration Statement or distribute an amendment or supplement to the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or document incorporated by reference therein of which the Representatives shall not previously have been advised and furnished with a copy or to which the Representatives shall have reasonably objected in writing or which is not in compliance with the Rules and Regulations and (iii) file on a timely basis all reports and any definitive proxy or information statements required to be filed by the Company with the Commission subsequent to the date of the Prospectus and during the Prospectus Delivery Period (as defined below).

 

(b)     The Company will (i) not make any offer relating to the Notes that would constitute an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or that would otherwise constitute a “free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 405 under the Act) required to be filed by the Company with the Commission under Rule 433 under the Act unless the Representatives approve its use in writing prior to first use (each, a “Permitted Free Writing Prospectus”); provided that the prior written consent of the Representatives hereto shall be deemed only to have been given in respect of the Issuer Free Writing Prospectus(es) included in Schedule II hereto, (ii) treat each Permitted Free Writing Prospectus as an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, (iii) comply with the requirements of Rules 163, 164 and 433 under the Act applicable to any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, including the requirements relating to timely filing with the Commission, legending and record keeping and (iv) not take any action that would result in an Underwriter or the Company being required to file with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Act a free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of such Underwriter that such Underwriter otherwise would not have been required to file thereunder.

 

(c)     The Company will prepare a final term sheet (the “Final Term Sheet”) reflecting the final terms of the Notes, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives, and shall file such Final Term Sheet as an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus pursuant to Rule 433 under the Act prior to the close of business two business days after the date hereof; provided that the Company shall provide the Representatives with copies of any such Final Term Sheet a reasonable amount of time prior to such proposed filing and will not use or file any such document to which the Representatives or counsel to the Underwriters shall reasonably object.

 

 
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(d)     The Company will advise the Representatives promptly (i) when any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement or new registration statement relating to the Notes and the Guarantees shall have become effective, or any supplement to the Prospectus shall have been filed, (ii) of the receipt of any comments from the Commission relating to the Registration Statement, (iii) of any request of the Commission for amendment of the Registration Statement or the filing of a new registration statement or any amendment or supplement to the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or any document incorporated by reference therein or otherwise deemed to be a part thereof or for any additional information, and (iv) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or such new registration statement or any order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the Prospectus, or of the institution of any proceedings for that purpose or pursuant to Section 8A of the Act. The Company will use its best efforts to prevent the issuance of any such order and to obtain as soon as possible the lifting thereof, if issued.

 

(e)     If at any time during the Prospectus Delivery Period the Company receives from the Commission a notice pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) under the Act or otherwise ceases to be eligible to use the automatic shelf registration statement form, the Company will (i) promptly notify the Representatives, (ii) promptly file a new registration statement or post-effective amendment on the proper form relating to the Notes and the Guarantees, in a form satisfactory to the Representatives, (iii) use its best efforts to cause such registration statement or post-effective amendment to be declared effective as soon as practicable (if such filing is not otherwise effective immediately pursuant to Rule 462 under the Act), and (iv) promptly notify the Representatives of such effectiveness. The Company will take all other action necessary or appropriate to permit the public offering and sale of the Notes and the Guarantees to continue as contemplated in the Registration Statement that was the subject of the notice under Rule 401(g)(2) under the Act or for which the Company has otherwise become ineligible. References herein to the Registration Statement relating to the Notes and the Guarantees shall include such new registration statement or post-effective amendment, as the case may be.

 

(f)     If immediately prior to the third anniversary (the “Renewal Deadline”) of the initial effective date of the Registration Statement, any of the Notes remain unsold by the Underwriters, the Company will, prior to the Renewal Deadline, file, if it has not already done so and is eligible to do so, a new automatic shelf registration statement relating to the Notes, in a form satisfactory to the Representatives. If the Company is no longer eligible to file an automatic shelf registration statement, the Company will, prior to the Renewal Deadline, if it has not already done so, file a new shelf registration statement relating to the Notes, in a form satisfactory to the Representatives, and will use its best efforts to cause such registration statement to be declared effective within 180 days after the Renewal Deadline. The Company will take all other action necessary or appropriate to permit the public offering and sale of the Notes to continue as contemplated in the expired registration statement. References herein to the Registration Statement shall include such new automatic shelf registration statement or such new shelf registration statement, as the case may be.

 

 
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(g)     The Company agrees to pay the required filing fees to the Commission relating to the Notes within the time required by Rule 456(b)(1) under the Act without regard to the proviso therein and otherwise in accordance with Rules 456(b) and 457(r) under the Act.

 

(h)     The Company will cooperate with the Representatives in endeavoring to qualify the Notes and the Guarantees for sale under the securities laws of such jurisdictions as the Representatives may reasonably have designated in writing and will make such applications, file such documents, and furnish such information as may be reasonably required for that purpose; provided the Company shall not be required to qualify as a foreign corporation or to file a general consent to service of process in any jurisdiction where it is not now so qualified or required to file such a consent. The Company will, from time to time, prepare and file such statements, reports, and other documents as are or may be required to continue such qualifications in effect for so long a period as the Representatives may reasonably request for distribution of the Notes.

 

(i)     The Company will deliver to, or upon the order of, the Representatives, from time to time, as many copies of any Preliminary Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus as the Representatives may reasonably request. The Company will deliver to, or upon the order of, the Representatives during the period when delivery of a Prospectus (or, in lieu thereof, the notice referred to under Rule 173(a) under the Act) is required under the Act (the “Prospectus Delivery Period”), as many copies of the Prospectus in final form, or as thereafter amended or supplemented, as the Representatives may reasonably request. The Company will deliver to the Representatives, at or before the Closing Date, such number of copies of the Registration Statement (including such number of copies of the exhibits filed therewith that may reasonably be requested), including documents incorporated by reference therein, and of all amendments thereto, as the Representatives may reasonably request.

 

(j)     The Company will comply with the Act, the Rules and Regulations, the Exchange Act and the Trust Indenture Act, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, so as to permit the completion of the distribution of the Notes as contemplated in this Agreement and the Prospectus. If during the Prospectus Delivery Period any event shall occur as a result of which, in the judgment of the Company or in the reasonable opinion of the Underwriters, it becomes necessary to amend or supplement the Prospectus in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances existing at the time the Prospectus is delivered to a purchaser, not misleading, or, if it is necessary at any time to amend or supplement the Prospectus to comply with any law, the Company promptly will either (i) prepare and file with the Commission an appropriate amendment to the Registration Statement or supplement to the Prospectus or (ii) prepare and file with the Commission an appropriate filing under the Exchange Act which shall be incorporated by reference in the Prospectus so that the Prospectus as so amended or supplemented will not, in the light of the circumstances when it is so delivered, be misleading, or so that the Prospectus will comply with applicable law.

 

 
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(k)     If the General Disclosure Package is being used to solicit offers to buy the Notes at a time when the Prospectus is not yet available to prospective purchasers and any event shall occur as a result of which, in the judgment of the Company or in the reasonable opinion of the Underwriters, it becomes necessary to amend or supplement the General Disclosure Package in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances, not misleading, or to make the statements therein not conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement then on file, or if it is necessary at any time to amend or supplement the General Disclosure Package to comply with any applicable law, the Company promptly will either (i) prepare, file with the Commission (if required) and furnish to the Underwriters and any dealers an appropriate amendment or supplement to the General Disclosure Package or (ii) prepare and file with the Commission an appropriate filing under the Exchange Act which shall be incorporated by reference in the General Disclosure Package so that the General Disclosure Package as so amended or supplemented will not, in the light of the circumstances, be misleading or conflict with the Registration Statement then on file, or so that the General Disclosure Package will comply with applicable law.

 

(l)     The Company will make generally available to its securityholders, as soon as it is practicable to do so, but in any event not later than 15 months after the effective date of the Registration Statement (as defined in Rule 158(c) under the Act), an earnings statement (which need not be audited) in reasonable detail, complying with the requirements of Section 11(a) of the Act and Rule 158 thereunder and will advise you in writing when such statement has been so made available.

 

(m)     During the period beginning on the date hereof and continuing to the date that is 90 days after the Closing Date, without the prior written consent of each of the Representatives, the Company will not offer, sell, contract to sell or otherwise dispose of, except as provided hereunder, any securities of the Company (or guaranteed by the Company) or the Guarantor (or guaranteed by the Guarantor) that are substantially similar to the Notes.

 

(n)     The Company shall apply the net proceeds of its sale of the Notes as set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

 

(o)     The Company shall not invest, or otherwise use, the proceeds received by the Company from its sale of the Notes in such a manner as would require the Company or any of the Subsidiaries to register as an investment company under the 1940 Act.

 

(p)     The Company will not take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to cause or result in, or that has constituted or might reasonably be expected to constitute, the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any securities of the Company.

 

 
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5.      Costs and Expenses .

 

The Company will pay all costs, expenses and fees incident to the performance of the obligations of the Company under this Agreement, including, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the following: accounting fees of the Company; the fees and disbursements of counsel for the Company; any roadshow expenses; the cost of printing and delivering to, or as requested by, the Underwriters copies of the Registration Statement, Preliminary Prospectuses, the Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses, the Prospectus, this Agreement, the Indenture, the Blue Sky survey and any supplements or amendments thereto; the filing fees of the Commission; any fees payable in connection with the rating of the Notes; the costs and expenses (including, without limitation, any damages or other amounts payable in connection with legal or contractual liability) associated with the reforming of any contracts for sale of the Notes made by the Underwriters caused by a breach of the representation in Section 1(b); the expenses, including the fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters, incurred in connection with the qualification of the Notes and Guarantees under State securities or Blue Sky laws; and the fees and expenses of the Trustee, including fees and expenses of counsel for the Trustee. The Company shall not, however, be required to pay for any of the Underwriters’ expenses (other than those related to qualification under FINRA regulations and State securities or Blue Sky laws) except that, if this Agreement shall not be consummated because the conditions in Section 6 hereof are not satisfied, or because this Agreement is terminated by the Representatives pursuant to Section 10 hereof, or by reason of any failure, refusal or inability on the part of the Company to perform any undertaking or satisfy any condition of this Agreement or to comply with any of the terms hereof on its part to be performed, unless such failure, refusal or inability is due primarily to the default or omission of any Underwriter, the Company shall reimburse the several Underwriters for reasonable out-of-pocket expenses, including fees and disbursements of counsel, reasonably incurred in connection with investigating, marketing and proposing to market the Notes or in contemplation of performing their obligations hereunder; but the Company shall not in any event be liable to any of the several Underwriters for damages on account of loss of anticipated profits from the sale by them of the Notes.

 

6.      Conditions of Obligations of the Underwriters .

 

The several obligations of the Underwriters to purchase the Notes on the Closing Date are subject to the accuracy, as of the date hereof, as the Applicable Time and as of the Closing Date, of the representations and warranties of the Company and the Guarantor contained herein, and to the performance by each of the Company and the Guarantor of its covenants and obligations hereunder and to the following additional conditions:

 

(a)     The Registration Statement and all post-effective amendments thereto shall have become effective and the Prospectus and each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus required shall have been filed as required by Rules 424(b) (without reliance on Rule 424(b)(8)), 430A, 430B, 430C or 433 under the Act, as applicable, within the time period prescribed by, and in compliance with, the Rules and Regulations, and any request of the Commission for additional information (to be included in the Registration Statement or otherwise) shall have been disclosed to the Representatives and complied with to their reasonable satisfaction. No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, as amended from time to time, shall have been issued and no proceedings for that purpose or pursuant to Section 8A under the Act shall have been taken or, to the knowledge of the Company, shall be contemplated or threatened by the Commission and no injunction, restraining order or order of any nature by a federal or state court of competent jurisdiction shall have been issued as of the Closing Date which would prevent the issuance of the Notes.

 

(b)     The Representatives shall have received on the Closing Date the opinion of Mitchell, Williams, Selig, Gates & Woodyard, P.L.L.C., counsel for the Company, dated the Closing Date, addressed to the Underwriters (and stating that it may be relied upon by counsel to the Underwriters), to the effect that:

 

 
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(i)     The Company has been duly organized and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of Arkansas, with corporate power and authority to own or lease its properties and conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement; the Guarantor has been duly organized and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of Georgia, with corporate power and authority to own or lease its properties and conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus; the Company and the Guarantor are duly qualified to transact business in all jurisdictions in which the conduct of their business requires such qualification, except where the failure to so qualify would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; and the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Guarantor have been duly authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and non-assessable and are owned, directly or indirectly, by the Company; and, to such counsel’s knowledge, the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Guarantor is owned free and clear of all liens, encumbrances and equities and claims, and no options, warrants or other rights to purchase, agreements or other obligations to issue or other rights to convert any obligations into any shares of capital stock or of ownership interests in the Guarantor are outstanding.

 

(ii)     The authorized capitalization of the Company is as set forth under the caption “Capitalization” in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus (and any similar section or information contained in the General Disclosure Package); the authorized shares of the Company’s capital stock have been duly authorized; the outstanding shares of the Company’s capital stock have been duly authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and non-assessable.

 

(iii)     Except as described in or contemplated by the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there are no outstanding securities of the Company convertible or exchangeable into or evidencing the right to purchase or subscribe for any shares of capital stock of the Company and there are no outstanding or authorized options, warrants or rights of any character obligating the Company to issue any shares of its capital stock or any securities convertible or exchangeable into or evidencing the right to purchase or subscribe for any shares of such stock; and except as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, no holder of any securities of the Company or any other person has the right, contractual or otherwise, which has not been satisfied or effectively waived, to cause the Company to sell or otherwise issue to it, or to permit it to underwrite the sale of, any of the Notes or the right to have any Notes or other securities of the Company included in the Registration Statement or the right, as a result of the filing of the Registration Statement, to require registration under the Act of any securities of the Company.

 

(iv)     The Registration Statement has become effective under the Act and, to the knowledge of such counsel, no stop order proceedings with respect thereto and no proceeding for that purpose or pursuant to Section 8A of the Act have been instituted or are pending or threatened under the Act.

 

 
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(v)     The Registration Statement, the Prospectus and each amendment or supplement thereto and document incorporated by reference therein comply as to form in all material respects with the requirements of the Act, the Exchange Act or the Trust Indenture Act, as applicable and the applicable rules and regulations thereunder (except that such counsel need express no opinion as to the financial statements and related schedules contained or incorporated by reference therein). The conditions for the use of an automatic shelf registration statement on Form S-3, set forth in the General Instructions thereto, have been satisfied.

 

(vi)     The statements under the caption “Certain Material United States Federal Income Tax Considerations” in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, to the extent that it constitutes matters of law, summaries of legal matters, legal proceedings or legal conclusions, have been reviewed by such counsel and are correct in all material respects.

 

(vii)     Such counsel does not know of any contracts or documents required to be filed as exhibits to or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement or described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus which are not so filed, incorporated by reference or described as required, and such contracts and documents as are summarized in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus are fairly summarized in all material respects.

 

(viii)     Such counsel knows of no material legal or governmental proceedings pending or threatened against the Company or any of the Subsidiaries except as set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

 

(ix)     The execution and delivery of this Agreement and the Indenture and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby (including, without limitation, the issuance and sale of the Notes to the Underwriters) do not and will not (a) violate any of the terms or provisions of the charter or by-laws of the Company or the Guarantor, or (b) result in a breach of, or default under, any of the terms or provisions of any material indenture, mortgage, deed of trust or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of the Subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of the Subsidiaries may be bound, and which has been filed by the Company with the Commission. Such counsel is not aware of any material agreements or instruments of the type described under (b) of the preceding sentence, other than as have been filed by the Company with the Commission.

 

(x)     No approval, consent, order, authorization, designation, declaration or filing by or with any regulatory, administrative or other governmental body is necessary in connection with the execution and delivery of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions herein contemplated (other than as may be required by FINRA or as required by State securities and Blue Sky laws as to which such counsel need express no opinion) except such as have been obtained or made, specifying the same.

 

(xi)     Neither the Company nor the Guarantor is, and neither the Company nor the Guarantor will be, as a result of the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and application of the net proceeds therefrom as described in the Prospectus, required to register as an investment company under the 1940 Act.

 

(xii)     Any required filing of each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus pursuant to Rule 433 under the Act has been made within the time period required by Rule 433(d) under the Act.

 

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

 

(xiv)     Each of the Company and the Guarantor has all requisite corporate power and authority to execute, deliver and perform each of its obligations under the Indenture, the Notes and the Guarantees; the Indenture has been qualified under the Trust Indenture Act; the Indenture has been duly and validly authorized, executed and delivered by each of the Company and the Guarantor and (assuming the due authorization, execution and delivery by the Trustee) constitutes a valid and legally binding agreement of the Company and the Guarantor, enforceable against the Company and the Guarantor in accordance with its terms, except that the enforcement thereof may be subject to the Enforceability Exceptions.

 

(xv)     The Notes and the Guarantees are in the form contemplated by the Indenture. The Notes have each been duly and validly authorized by the Company and, when duly executed and delivered by the Company and paid for by the Underwriters in accordance with the terms of this Agreement (assuming the due authorization, execution and delivery of the Indenture by the Trustee and due authentication and delivery of the Notes by the Trustee in accordance with the Indenture), will constitute the valid and legally binding obligations of the Company, entitled to the benefits of the Indenture, and enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms, except that the enforcement thereof may be subject to the Enforceability Exceptions; and the Guarantees have been duly authorized by the Guarantor and, when the Notes have been duly executed, authenticated, issued and delivered as provided in the Indenture and paid for as provided herein, will be valid and legally binding obligations of the Guarantor, enforceable against the Guarantor in accordance with their terms, subject to the Enforceability Exceptions, and will be entitled to the benefits of the Indenture.

 

(xvi)     The Indenture, the Notes and the Guarantees conform in all material respects to the descriptions thereof contained in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

 

In addition to the matters set forth above, such opinion shall also include a statement to the effect that nothing has come to the attention of such counsel which leads them to believe that (i) the Registration Statement, as of its effective date, contained an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, (ii) the General Disclosure Package, as of the Applicable Time, contained an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading and (iii) the Prospectus, or any supplement thereto, as of its date and as of the Closing Date, contained or contains an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or omits to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading (except that such counsel need express no view as to financial statements and related schedules and other financial data therein). With respect to such statement, Mitchell, Williams, Selig, Gates & Woodyard, P.L.L.C. may state that their belief is based upon the procedures set forth therein, but is without independent check and verification.

 

 
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(c)     The Representatives shall have received on the Closing Date the opinion of Sidley Austin LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives.

 

(d)     The Representatives shall have received, on each of the date hereof and the Closing Date, a letter dated the date hereof and the Closing Date, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives, of Ernst & Young LLP confirming that they are an independent registered public accounting firm with respect to the Company and the Subsidiaries within the meaning of the Act and the applicable Rules and Regulations and the PCAOB and stating that in their opinion the financial statements and schedules examined by them and included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus comply in form in all material respects with the applicable accounting requirements of the Act and the related Rules and Regulations; and containing such other statements and information as is ordinarily included in accountants’ “comfort letters” to underwriters with respect to the financial statements and certain financial and statistical information contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

 

(e)     The Representatives shall have received on the Closing Date a certificate or certificates of the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer of the Company to the effect that, as of the Closing Date, each of them severally represents as follows:

 

(i)     The Registration Statement has become effective under the Act and no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or no order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the Prospectus has been issued, and no proceedings for such purpose or pursuant to Section 8A of the Act have been taken or are, to his or her knowledge, contemplated or threatened by the Commission;

 

(ii)     The representations and warranties of the Company and the Guarantor contained in Section 1 hereof are true and correct as of the Closing Date;

 

(iii)     All filings required to have been made pursuant to Rules 424(b), 430A, 430B or 430C under the Act have been made as and when required by such rules;

 

(iv)     He or she has carefully examined the General Disclosure Package and any individual Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus and, in his or her opinion, as of the Applicable Time, the statements contained in the General Disclosure Package and any individual Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus did not contain any untrue statement of a material fact, and such General Disclosure Package and any individual Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus, when considered together with the General Disclosure Package, did not omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading;

 

 
22

 

 

(v)     He or she has carefully examined the Registration Statement and, in his or her opinion, as of the effective date of the Registration Statement, the Registration Statement and any amendments thereto did not contain any untrue statement of a material fact and did not omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading, and since the effective date of the Registration Statement, no event has occurred which should have been set forth in a supplement to or an amendment of the Prospectus which has not been so set forth in such supplement or amendment;

 

(vi)     He or she has carefully examined the Prospectus and, in his or her opinion, as of its date and the Closing Date, the Prospectus and any amendments and supplements thereto did not contain any untrue statement of a material fact and did not omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; and

 

(vii)     Since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and Prospectus, there has not been any material adverse change in or affecting (i) the earnings, business, management, properties, assets, rights, operations, condition (financial or otherwise) or prospects of the Company and of the Subsidiaries taken as a whole, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business, or (ii) the ability of the Company and the Guarantor to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby.

 

(f)     The Representatives shall have been furnished with such further certificates and documents confirming the representations and warranties, covenants and conditions contained herein and related matters as the Representatives may reasonably have requested.

 

(g)     Subsequent to the earlier of (i) the Applicable Time and (ii) the execution and delivery of this Agreement, (A) no downgrading shall have occurred in the rating of the Notes or any other debt securities or preferred stock of or guaranteed by the Company or any Subsidiary by any “nationally recognized statistical rating organization”, as such term is defined in Section 3(a)(62) of the Exchange Act, and (B) no such organization shall have publicly announced that it has under surveillance or review, or has changed its outlook with respect to, its rating of the Notes or of any other debt securities or preferred stock of or guaranteed by the Company or any Subsidiary (other than an announcement with positive implications of a possible upgrading).

 

The opinions and certificates mentioned in this Agreement shall be deemed to be in compliance with the provisions hereof only if they are in all material respects satisfactory to the Representatives and to Sidley Austin llp , counsel for the Underwriters.

 

If any of the conditions hereinabove provided for in this Section 6 shall not have been fulfilled when and as required by this Agreement to be fulfilled, the obligations of the Underwriters hereunder may be terminated by the Representatives by notifying the Company of such termination in writing or by telegram at or prior to the Closing Date. In such event, the Company and the Underwriters shall not be under any obligation to each other (except to the extent provided in Sections 5 and 7 hereof).

 

 
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7.      Indemnification .

 

(a)     The Company and the Guarantor, jointly and severally, agree:

 

(1)     to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter and its affiliates and each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of either Section 15 of the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities to which such Underwriter or affiliate or any such controlling person may become subject under the Act or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions or proceedings in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of any material fact contained in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, (ii) with respect to the Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement thereto, the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading or (iii) with respect to any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact necessary to make the statements therein not misleading in the light of the circumstances under which they were made; provided , however , that the Company and the Guarantor will not be liable in any such case to the extent that any such loss, claim, damage or liability arises out of or is based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement, or omission or alleged omission made in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the Prospectus, or such amendment or supplement, in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company through the Representatives specifically for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 12; and

 

(2)     to reimburse each Underwriter, each Underwriter’s affiliates and each such controlling person upon demand for any legal or other out-of-pocket expenses reasonably incurred by such Underwriter or affiliate or such controlling person in connection with investigating or defending any such loss, claim, damage, liability, action or proceeding or in responding to a subpoena or governmental inquiry related to the offering of the Notes, whether or not such Underwriter, affiliate or controlling person is a party to any action or proceeding. In the event that it is finally judicially determined that the Underwriters were not entitled to receive payments for legal and other expenses pursuant to this subparagraph, the Underwriters will promptly return all sums that had been advanced pursuant hereto. This indemnity agreement will be in addition to any liability which the Company or the Guarantor may otherwise have.

 

 
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(b)     Each Underwriter severally and not jointly will indemnify and hold harmless the Company and the Guarantor, each of their respective directors, each of their respective officers who have signed the Registration Statement and each person, if any, who controls the Company or the Guarantor within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities to which the Company or the Guarantor or any such director, officer or controlling person may become subject under the Act or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions or proceedings in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of any material fact contained in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, (ii) with respect to the Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement thereto, the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading or (iii) with respect to any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, the omission or the alleged omission to state therein a material fact necessary to make the statements therein not misleading in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, and will reimburse any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by the Company, the Guarantor or any such director, officer or controlling person in connection with investigating or defending any such loss, claim, damage, liability, action or proceeding; provided , however , that each Underwriter will be liable in each case to the extent, but only to the extent, that such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission has been made in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the Prospectus or such amendment or supplement, in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company through the Representatives specifically for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 12. This indemnity agreement will be in addition to any liability which such Underwriter may otherwise have.

 

(c)     In case any proceeding (including any governmental investigation) shall be instituted involving any person in respect of which indemnity may be sought pursuant to this Section 7, such person (the “indemnified party”) shall promptly notify the person against whom such indemnity may be sought (the “indemnifying party”) in writing. No indemnification provided for in Section 7(a) or (b) shall be available to any party who shall fail to give notice as provided in this Section 7(c) if the party to whom notice was not given was unaware of the proceeding to which such notice would have related and was materially prejudiced by the failure to give such notice, but the failure to give such notice shall not relieve the indemnifying party or parties from any liability which it or they may have to the indemnified party for contribution or otherwise than on account of the provisions of Section 7(a) or (b). In case any such proceeding shall be brought against any indemnified party and it shall notify the indemnifying party of the commencement thereof, the indemnifying party shall be entitled to participate therein and, to the extent that it shall wish, jointly with any other indemnifying party similarly notified, to assume the defense thereof, with counsel reasonably satisfactory to such indemnified party and shall pay as incurred the fees and disbursements of such counsel related to such proceeding. In any such proceeding, any indemnified party shall have the right to retain its own counsel at its own expense. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the indemnifying party shall pay as incurred (or within 30 days of presentation) the fees and expenses of the counsel retained by the indemnified party in the event (i) the indemnifying party and the indemnified party shall have mutually agreed to the retention of such counsel, (ii) the named parties to any such proceeding (including any impleaded parties) include both the indemnifying party and the indemnified party and representation of both parties by the same counsel would be inappropriate due to actual or potential differing interests between them or (iii) the indemnifying party shall have failed to assume the defense and employ counsel acceptable to the indemnified party within a reasonable period of time after notice of commencement of the action. Such firm shall be designated in writing by such Underwriter or affiliate or any such controlling person in the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 7(a) and by the Company in the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 7(b). The indemnifying party shall not be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent but if settled with such consent or if there be a final judgment for the plaintiff, the indemnifying party agrees to indemnify the indemnified party from and against any loss or liability by reason of such settlement or judgment. In addition, the indemnifying party will not, without the prior written consent of the indemnified party, settle or compromise or consent to the entry of any judgment in any pending or threatened claim, action or proceeding of which indemnification may be sought hereunder (whether or not any indemnified party is an actual or potential party to such claim, action or proceeding) unless such settlement, compromise or consent (i) includes an unconditional release of each indemnified party from all liability arising out of such claim, action or proceeding and (ii) does not include a statement as to or an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act, by or on behalf of any indemnified party.

 

 
25

 

 

(d)     To the extent the indemnification provided for in this Section 7 is unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party under Section 7(a) or (b) above in respect of any losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions or proceedings in respect thereof) referred to therein, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified party as a result of such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions or proceedings in respect thereof) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company and the Guarantor on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other from the offering of the Notes. If, however, the allocation provided by the immediately preceding sentence is not permitted by applicable law then each indemnifying party shall contribute to such amount paid or payable by such indemnified party in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only such relative benefits but also the relative fault of the Company and the Guarantor on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions or proceedings in respect thereof), as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company and the Guarantor on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other shall be deemed to be in the same proportion as the total net proceeds from the offering (before deducting expenses) received by the Company bear to the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by the Underwriters, in each case as set forth in the table on the cover page of the Prospectus. The relative fault shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company and the Guarantor on the one hand or the Underwriters on the other and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.

 

 
26

 

 

The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contributions pursuant to this Section 7(d) were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to above in this Section 7(d). The amount paid or payable by an indemnified party as a result of the losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions or proceedings in respect thereof) referred to above in this Section 7(d) shall be deemed to include any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim. Notwithstanding the provisions of this subsection (d), (i) no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the underwriting discounts and commissions applicable to the Notes purchased by such Underwriter, and (ii) no person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. The Underwriters’ obligations in this Section 7(d) to contribute are several in proportion to their respective underwriting obligations and not joint.

 

(e)     In any proceeding relating to the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the Prospectus or any supplement or amendment thereto, each party against whom contribution may be sought under this Section 7 hereby consents to the jurisdiction of any court having jurisdiction over any other contributing party, agrees that process issuing from such court may be served upon it by any other contributing party and consents to the service of such process and agrees that any other contributing party may join it as an additional defendant in any such proceeding in which such other contributing party is a party.

 

(f)     Any losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses for which an indemnified party is entitled to indemnification or contribution under this Section 7 shall be paid by the indemnifying party to the indemnified party as such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses are incurred. The indemnity and contribution agreements contained in this Section 7 and the representations and warranties of the Company set forth in this Agreement shall remain operative and in full force and effect, regardless of (i) any investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter, its directors or officers or any person controlling any Underwriter, the Company, its directors or officers or any persons controlling the Company, (ii) acceptance of any Notes and payment therefor hereunder, and (iii) any termination of this Agreement. A successor to any Underwriter, its directors or officers or any person controlling any Underwriter, or to the Company, its directors or officers, or any person controlling the Company, shall be entitled to the benefits of the indemnity, contribution and reimbursement agreements contained in this Section 7.

 

 
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8.      Default by Underwriters .

 

If on the Closing Date any Underwriter shall fail to purchase and pay for the principal amount of the Notes which such Underwriter has agreed to purchase and pay for on such date (otherwise than by reason of any default on the part of the Company), you, as Representatives of the Underwriters, shall use your reasonable efforts to procure within 36 hours thereafter one or more of the other Underwriters, or any others, to purchase from the Company such principal amounts as may be agreed upon, and upon the terms set forth herein, of the Notes which the defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters failed to purchase. If during such 36 hours you, as such Representatives, shall not have procured such other Underwriters, or any others, to purchase the principal amount of the Notes agreed to be purchased by the defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters, then (a) if the aggregate principal amount of the Notes with respect to which such default shall occur does not exceed 10% of the aggregate principal amount of the Notes to be purchased on the Closing Date, the other Underwriters shall be obligated, severally, in proportion to the respective principal amounts of the Notes which they are obligated to purchase hereunder, to purchase the Notes which such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters failed to purchase, or (b) if the aggregate principal amount of the Notes with respect to which such default shall occur exceeds 10% of the aggregate principal amount of the Notes to be purchased on the Closing Date, the Company or you as the Representatives of the Underwriters will have the right, by written notice given within the next 36-hour period to the parties to this Agreement, to terminate this Agreement without liability on the part of the non-defaulting Underwriters or of the Company, except to the extent provided in Sections 5 and 7 hereof. In the event of a default by any Underwriter or Underwriters, as set forth in this Section 8, the Closing Date may be postponed for such period, not exceeding seven days, as you, as Representatives, may determine in order that the required changes in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or in the Prospectus or in any other documents or arrangements may be effected. The term “Underwriter” includes any person substituted for a defaulting Underwriter. Any action taken under this Section 8 shall not relieve any defaulting Underwriter from liability in respect of any default of such Underwriter under this Agreement.

 

9.      Notices .

 

All communications hereunder shall be in writing and, except as otherwise provided herein, will be mailed, delivered, telecopied or telegraphed and confirmed as follows: if to the Underwriters, to Goldman, Sachs & Co., 200 West Street, New York, New York 10282, Facsimile: (212) 902-9316, Attention: Registration Department; J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, 383 Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10179, Attention: High Grade Syndicate Desk – 3rd Floor and Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, 1585 Broadway, 29th Floor, New York, New York 10036, Attention: Investment Grade Syndicate Desk, with a copy to the Legal Department; if to the Company or the Guarantor, to J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc., 615 J.B. Hunt Corporate Drive, Lowell, Arkansas 72745, Attention: Kevin L. Bracy with a copy to Mitchell, Williams, Selig, Gates & Woodyard, P.L.L.C., 425 West Capitol Avenue, Suite 1800, Little Rock, Arkansas 72201, Attention: Walter E. May, Esq. and C. Douglas Buford, Jr., Esq.

 

 
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10.      Termination .

 

This Agreement may be terminated by you by notice to the Company (a) at any time prior to the Closing Date if any of the following has occurred: (i) since the execution hereof or since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Prospectus (exclusive of any amendments or supplements thereto), the Registration Statement or the General Disclosure Package, any material adverse change or any development involving a prospective material adverse change in or affecting the earnings, business, management, properties, assets, rights, operations, condition (financial or otherwise) or prospects of the Company and the Subsidiaries taken as a whole, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business, or (ii) since the execution hereof (A) any outbreak or escalation of hostilities or declaration of war or national emergency or other national or international calamity or crisis if the effect of such outbreak, escalation, declaration, emergency, calamity or crisis on the financial markets of the United States would, in your judgment, make it impracticable or inadvisable to market the Notes or to enforce contracts for the sale of the Notes, (B) any material change in economic or political conditions, if the effect of such change on the financial markets of the United States would, in your judgment, make it impracticable or inadvisable to market the Notes or to enforce contracts for the sale of the Notes, (C) suspension of trading in securities generally on the New York Stock Exchange, NYSE Amex Equities or the Nasdaq Stock Market or limitation on prices (other than limitations on hours or numbers of days of trading) for securities on any of such exchanges, (D) the enactment, decree or other promulgation of any statute, regulation, rule or order of any court or other governmental authority which in your opinion materially and adversely affects or may materially and adversely affect the business or operations of the Company, (E) the declaration of a banking moratorium by United States or New York State authorities, (F) any downgrading, or placement on any watch list for possible downgrading, in the rating of any of the Company’s or the Guarantor’s debt securities or any securities guaranteed by either of them by any “nationally recognized statistical rating organization” (as defined in Section 3(a)(62) of the Exchange Act), (G) the suspension of trading of the Company’s common stock by the Nasdaq Global Select Market, the Commission, or any other governmental authority or (H) the taking of any action by any governmental body or agency in respect of its monetary or fiscal affairs which in your reasonable opinion has a material adverse effect on the securities markets in the United States; or (b) as provided in Sections 6 and 8 of this Agreement.

 

11.      Successors .

 

This Agreement has been and is made solely for the benefit of the Underwriters and the Company and the Guarantor and their respective successors, executors, administrators, heirs and assigns, and the affiliates, officers, directors and controlling persons referred to herein, and no other person will have any right or obligation hereunder. No purchaser of any of the Notes from any Underwriter shall be deemed a successor or assign merely because of such purchase.

 

12.      Information Provided by Underwriters .

 

The Company and the Underwriters acknowledge and agree that the only information furnished or to be furnished by any Underwriter to the Company for inclusion in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the Prospectus consists of the information set forth (a) in the first and second sentences of the third paragraph under the caption “Underwriting” in the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus and (b) in the third sentence of the sixth paragraph under the caption “Underwriting” in the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus.

 

 
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13.      No Advisory or Fiduciary Responsibility .

 

Each of the Company and the Guarantor acknowledges and agrees that (i) the purchase and sale of the Notes pursuant to this Agreement is an arm’s-length commercial transaction among the Company and the Guarantor, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other, (ii) in connection therewith and with the process leading to such transaction each Underwriter is acting solely as a principal and not the agent or fiduciary of the Company or the Guarantor, (iii) no Underwriter has assumed an advisory or fiduciary responsibility in favor of the Company or the Guarantor with respect to the offering contemplated hereby or the process leading thereto (irrespective of whether such Underwriter has advised or is currently advising the Company or the Guarantor on other matters) or any other obligation to the Company or the Guarantor except the obligations expressly set forth in this Agreement and (iv) each of the Company and the Guarantor has consulted its own legal and financial advisors to the extent it deemed appropriate. Each of the Company and the Guarantor agrees that it will not claim that any Underwriter has rendered advisory services of any nature or respect, or owes a fiduciary or similar duty to the Company or the Guarantor, in connection with such transaction or the process leading thereto.

 

14.      Counterparts .

 

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

 

15.      Survival Clause .

 

The reimbursement, indemnification and contribution agreements contained in this Agreement and the representations, warranties and covenants in this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect regardless of (a) any termination of this Agreement, (b) any investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter or controlling person thereof, or by or on behalf of the Company or the Guarantor or their respective directors or officers and (c) delivery of and payment for the Notes under this Agreement.

 

16.      Governing Law .

 

This Agreement shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the law of the State of New York, including, without limitation, Section 5-1401 of the New York General Obligations Law.

 

[ Signature Pages Follow ]

 

 
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If the foregoing letter is in accordance with your understanding of our agreement, please sign and return to us the enclosed duplicates hereof, whereupon it will become a binding agreement among the Company, the Guarantor and the several Underwriters in accordance with its terms.

 

 

 

Very truly yours,

 

 

 

 

J.B. HUNT TRANSPORT SERVICES, INC.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Kevin L. Bracy

 

 

Name: Kevin L. Bracy

 

 

Title: Treasurer

 

 

 

 

 

 

  J.B. HUNT TRANSPORT, INC., as Guarantor
     
  By: /s/ Kevin L. Bracy
    Name: Kevin L. Bracy
    Title: Treasurer

 

 

 

[ Signature Page to J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. Underwriting Agreement ]

 

 
 

 

 

The foregoing Underwriting Agreement
is hereby confirmed and accepted as of
the date first above written.

GOLDMAN, SACHS & CO.

J.P. MORGAN SECURITIES LLC

MORGAN STANLEY & CO. LLC

 


As Representatives of the several
Underwriters listed on Schedule I

 

GOLDMAN, SACHS & CO.



By: /s/ Ryan Gilliam                                        
Name: Ryan Gilliam

Title: Vice President

 

 

J.P. MORGAN SECURITIES LLC

 

 

By: /s/ Stephen L. Sheiner                             
Name: Stephen L. Sheiner

Title: Executive Director

 

 

MORGAN STANLEY & CO. LLC

 

By: /s/ Yurij Slyz                                              
Name: Yurij Slyz

Title: Executive Director

 

 

 

[ Signature Page to J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. Underwriting Agreement ]

 

 
 

 

 

SCHEDULE I

 

 

Schedule of Underwriters

 

Underwriter

 

Aggregate Principal
Amount of Notes
to be Purchased

 
         

Goldman, Sachs & Co.

  $ 112,000,000  

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC

    101,500,000  

Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC

    101,500,000  

BB&T Capital Markets, a division of BB&T Securities, LLC

    17,500,000  

SunTrust Robinson Humphrey, Inc.

    17,500,000  

Total

  $ 350,000,000  

 

 
 

 

 

SCHEDULE II

 

Final Term Sheet relating to Notes filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433 under the 1933 Act

 

Exhibit 4.3

 

 

 

 

FOURTH SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE

 

Dated as of August 6, 2015

 

Supplementing that Certain

 

INDENTURE

 

Dated as of September 20, 2010

 

Among

 

J.B. HUNT TRANSPORT SERVICES, INC.,

as Issuer

 

J.B. HUNT TRANSPORT, INC.,

as Guarantor

 

and

 

U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION,

as Trustee

 

 

 

3.30% SENIOR NOTES DUE 2022

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

Page

 

ARTICLE I. DEFINITIONS  

2
     

SECTION 1.1.

Certain Terms Defined in the Indenture .

2

     

SECTION 1.2.

Definitions .

2

     

ARTICLE II. FORM AND TERMS OF THE NOTES  

5
     

SECTION 2.1.

Form and Dating .

5

     

SECTION 2.2.

Certain Terms of the Notes .

6

     

SECTION 2.3.

Optional Redemption .

7

     

SECTION 2.4.

Repurchase of Notes Upon a Change of Control Trigger Event .

8

     

SECTION 2.5.

Limitation on Liens .

9

     

SECTION 2.6.

Limitation on Sale and Leaseback Transactions .

9

     

ARTICLE III. GUARANTEE

9
     

SECTION 3.1.

Applicability of Guarantee .

9

     

SECTION 3.2.

Additional Guarantors .

10

     

SECTION 3.3.

No Discharge or Diminishment of Guarantee .

10

     

SECTION 3.4.

Continued Effectiveness .

11

     

SECTION 3.5.

Release of Guarantor .

11

     

SECTION 3.6.

Limitation of Guarantor’s Liability .

11

     

ARTICLE IV. MISCELLANEOUS

12
     

SECTION 4.1.

Relationship with Indenture .

12

     

SECTION 4.2.

Trust Indenture Act Controls .

12

     

SECTION 4.3.

Governing Law .

12

     

SECTION 4.4.

Multiple Counterparts .

12

     

SECTION 4.5.

Severability .

12

 

 

 

 

SECTION 4.6.

Ratification .

12

     

SECTION 4.7.

Effectiveness .

13

     

EXHIBIT A— Form of 3.30% Senior Note due 2022

A-1

 

 
ii 

 

 

FOURTH SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE

 

This Fourth Supplemental Indenture, dated as of August 6, 2015 (the “Fourth Supplemental Indenture”), among J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc., a corporation duly organized and existing under the laws of the State of Arkansas (the “Company,” which term includes any successor Person under the Indenture hereinafter referred to), J.B. Hunt Transport, Inc., a corporation duly organized and existing under the laws of the State of Georgia (herein called the “Initial Guarantor”), and U.S. Bank National Association, a national banking association, as Trustee hereunder (herein called the “Trustee”), supplements that certain Indenture, dated as of September 20, 2010, among the Company, the Initial Guarantor and the Trustee (as amended and supplemented from time to time, the “Indenture”).

 

RECITALS OF THE COMPANY

 

WHEREAS, the Company has duly authorized the execution and delivery of the Indenture to provide for the issuance from time to time of its unsecured debentures, notes or other evidences of indebtedness to be issued in one or more series as provided for in the Indenture;

 

WHEREAS, the Guarantor has duly authorized the execution and delivery of the Indenture in order to fully and unconditionally guarantee the Company’s obligations under the Indenture;

 

WHEREAS, the Indenture provides that the Securities shall be in the form as may be established by or pursuant to a Board Resolution and set forth in an Officers’ Certificate or as may be established in one or more supplemental indentures thereto, in each case with such appropriate insertions, omissions, substitutions, and other variations as are required or permitted by the Indenture; and

 

WHEREAS, the Company and the Trustee have agreed that the Company shall issue and deliver, and the Trustee shall authenticate, a series of Securities designated as the Company’s “3.30% Senior Notes due 2022” (hereinafter called the “Notes”) pursuant to the terms of this Fourth Supplemental Indenture and substantially in the form as herein set forth, with such appropriate insertions, omissions, substitutions and other variations as are required or permitted by the Indenture and this Fourth Supplemental Indenture.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, for and in consideration of the premises stated herein and the purchase of the Notes by the Holders thereof, the parties hereto hereby enter into this Fourth Supplemental Indenture, for the equal and proportionate benefit of all Holders of the Notes, as follows:

 

 
 

 

 

ARTICLE I.

DEFINITIONS

 

 

SECTION 1.1.

Certain Terms Defined in the Indenture .

 

For purposes of this Fourth Supplemental Indenture, all capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the meanings ascribed to such terms in the Indenture, as amended and supplemented hereby.

 

 

SECTION 1.2.

Definitions .

 

For the benefit of the Holders of the Notes, Section 1.1 of the Indenture shall be amended by adding or substituting, as applicable, the following new definitions:

 

“Business Day” means any day other than a Saturday, Sunday or other day on which banking institutions in The City of New York are authorized or obligated by law, regulation or executive order to close.

 

“Change of Control” means the occurrence of any of the following after the date of issuance of the Notes:

 

 

(1)

the direct or indirect sale, lease, transfer, conveyance or other disposition (other than by way of merger or consolidation), in one or a series of related transactions, of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole to any “person” or “group” (as those terms are used in Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act) other than to the Company or one of its subsidiaries;

 

 

(2)

the consummation of any transaction (including, without limitation, any merger or consolidation) the result of which is that any “person” or “group” (as those terms are used in Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act) becomes the “beneficial owner” (as defined in Rules 13d-3 and 13d-5 under the Exchange Act), directly or indirectly, of the Company’s Voting Stock representing more than 50% of the voting power of its outstanding Voting Stock;

 

 

(3)

the Company consolidates with, or merges with or into, any person (as that term is used in Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act), or any person consolidates with, or merges with or into, the Company, in any such event pursuant to a transaction in which any of the Company’s outstanding Voting Stock or Voting Stock of such other person is converted into or exchanged for cash, securities or other property, other than any such transaction where the Company’s Voting Stock outstanding immediately prior to such transaction constitutes, or is converted into or exchanged for, Voting Stock representing more than 50% of the voting power of the Voting Stock of the surviving person immediately after giving effect to such transaction;

 

 

(4)

the first day on which a majority of the Company’s Board of Directors are not Continuing Directors; or

 

 
2

 

 

 

(5)

the adoption of a plan relating to the Company’s liquidation, dissolution or winding up.

 

“Change of Control Triggering Event” means, with respect to the Notes, the rating on the Notes is lowered and the rating assigned to the Notes by each of the Rating Agencies is below Investment Grade, on any date during the period (the “Trigger Period”) commencing 60 days prior to the first public announcement by the Company of any Change of Control (or pending Change of Control) and ending 60 days following consummation of such Change of Control (which Trigger Period will be extended following consummation of a Change of Control for so long as any Rating Agency has publicly announced that it is considering a possible ratings change). For purposes of this definition and the application of the related provisions of Section 2.4,

 

 

(1)

if a Rating Agency is not providing a rating for the Notes at the commencement of any Trigger Period, the Notes will be deemed to have ceased to be rated Investment Grade by such Rating Agency during that Trigger Period, and

 

 

(2)

notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this definition, no Change of Control Triggering Event will be deemed to have occurred in connection with any particular Change of Control unless and until such Change of Control has actually been consummated.

 

“Comparable Treasury Issue” means the United States Treasury security selected by an Independent Investment Banker that would be utilized, at the time of selection and in accordance with customary financial practice, in pricing new issues of corporate debt securities of comparable maturity to the remaining term of the Notes to be redeemed.

 

“Comparable Treasury Price” means, with respect to any Redemption Date, (A) the average of the Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations for such Redemption Date, after excluding the highest and lowest such Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations, or (B) if the Trustee obtains fewer than five such Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations, the average of all Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations obtained.

 

“Continuing Directors” means, as of any date of determination, any member of the Board of Directors of the Company who (1) was a member of the Board of Directors of the Company on the date of the prospectus supplement pursuant to which the Notes were offered; or (2) was nominated for election or elected to the Board of Directors of the Company with the approval of at least a majority of the Continuing Directors who were members of the Board of Directors of the Company at the time of such nomination or election (either by a specific vote or by approval of the Company’s proxy statement in which such member was named as a nominee for election as a director, without objection to such nomination).

 

“Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

 

“Existing Credit Facility” means that certain Credit Agreement, dated as of August 12, 2011, among the Company, the Initial Guarantor and the lenders and agents from time to time party thereto, as amended, restated, supplemented, replaced, refinanced or otherwise modified from time to time.

 

 
3

 

 

“Guarantor” means each of the Initial Guarantor and any Additional Guarantor as guarantor of the Notes.

 

“Global Notes” means, individually and collectively, each of the Notes in the form of global Securities issued to the Depositary or its nominee, substantially in the form of Exhibit A.

 

“Independent Investment Banker” means one of the Reference Treasury Dealers appointed by the Company.

 

“Investment Grade” means a rating of Baa3 or better by Moody’s (or its equivalent under any successor rating category of Moody’s) and a rating of BBB- or better by S&P (or its equivalent under any successor rating category of S&P), and the equivalent investment grade credit rating from any replacement rating agency or rating agencies selected by the Company under the circumstances permitting the Company to select a replacement agency and in the manner for selecting a replacement agency, in each case as set forth in the definition of “Rating Agency.”

 

“Moody’s” means Moody’s Investors Service, Inc., a subsidiary of Moody’s Corporation, and its successors.

 

“Rating Agency” means each of Moody’s and S&P; provided , that if any of Moody’s or S&P ceases to provide rating services to issuers or investors, the Company may appoint another “nationally recognized statistical rating organization” within the meaning of Rule 15c3-1(c)(2)(vi)(F) under the Exchange Act as a replacement for such Rating Agency; provided , that the Company shall give written notice of such appointment to the Trustee.

 

“Reference Treasury Dealer” means each of Goldman, Sachs & Co., J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC or their respective affiliates which are Primary Treasury Dealers and two other nationally recognized investment banking firms that are Primary Treasury Dealers specified from time to time by the Company, except that if any of the foregoing ceases to be a primary U.S. government securities dealer in The City of New York (a “Primary Treasury Dealer”), the Company shall be required to designate as a substitute another nationally recognized investment banking firm, or an affiliate thereof, that is a Primary Treasury Dealer.

 

“Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations” means, with respect to each Reference Treasury Dealer and any Redemption Date, the average, as determined by the Trustee, of the bid and asked prices for the Comparable Treasury Issue (expressed in each case as a percentage of its principal amount) quoted in writing to the Trustee by the Reference Treasury Dealers at 3:30 p.m. New York City time on the third Business Day preceding such Redemption Date.

 

“S&P” means Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., and its successors.

 

“Treasury Rate” means, with respect to any Redemption Date, the rate per annum equal to the semiannual equivalent yield to maturity (computed as of the second Business Day immediately preceding such Redemption Date) of the Comparable Treasury Issue, assuming a price for the Comparable Treasury Issue (expressed as a percentage of its principal amount) equal to the Comparable Treasury Price for such Redemption Date.

 

 
4

 

 

“Voting Stock” of any specified person (as that term is used in Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act) as of any date means the capital stock of such person that, at such date, is entitled to vote generally in the election of the board of directors of such person.

 

ARTICLE II.

FORM AND TERMS OF THE NOTES

 

 

SECTION 2.1.

Form and Dating .

 

The Notes and the Trustee’s certificate of authentication shall be substantially in the form of Exhibit A attached hereto. The Notes shall be executed on behalf of the Company by two of the officers of the Company specified in Section 303 of the Indenture. The Notes may have notations, legends or endorsements required by law, stock exchange rules or usage. Each Note shall be dated the date of its authentication. The Notes and any beneficial interest in the Notes shall be in minimum denominations of $2,000 and integral multiples of $1,000 in excess thereof.

 

The terms and notations contained in the Notes shall constitute, and are hereby expressly made, a part of the Indenture as supplemented by this Fourth Supplemental Indenture and the Company and the Trustee, by their execution and delivery of this Fourth Supplemental Indenture, expressly agree to such terms and provisions and to be bound thereby.

 

(a)      Global Notes . The Notes designated herein shall be issued initially in the form of one or more fully registered global Securities, which shall be deposited on behalf of the purchasers of the Notes represented thereby with The Depository Trust Company, New York, New York (the “Depositary”) and registered in the name of Cede & Co., the Depositary’s nominee, duly executed by the Company, authenticated by the Trustee and with Guarantees endorsed thereon as hereinafter provided. The aggregate principal amount of outstanding Notes may from time to time be increased or decreased by adjustments made on the records of the Trustee and the Depositary or its nominee as hereinafter provided.

 

The Global Notes may not be transferred except by the Depositary or its nominee, in whole and not in part, to another nominee of the Depositary or to a successor of the Depositary or its nominee. Upon the occurrence of the events specified in Section 305 of the Indenture in relation thereto, the Company shall execute, and the Trustee shall, upon receipt of a Company Order for authentication, authenticate and deliver, Notes in definitive form in an aggregate principal amount equal to the principal amount of the Global Notes in exchange for such Global Note, which the Depositary will distribute to its participants.

 

(b)      Book-Entry Provisions . This Section 2.1(b) shall apply only to the Global Notes deposited with or on behalf of the Depositary.

 

The Company shall execute and the Trustee shall, in accordance with this Section 2.1(b), authenticate and deliver the Global Notes that shall be registered in the name of the Depositary or the nominee of the Depositary and shall be delivered by the Trustee to the Depositary or pursuant to the Depositary’s instructions.

 

 
5

 

 

Participants of the Depositary shall have no rights either under the Indenture or with respect to any Global Notes held on their behalf by the Depositary or under such Global Notes. The Depositary shall be treated by the Company, the Trustee and any agent of the Company or the Trustee as the absolute owner of such Global Note for all purposes under the Indenture. Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing herein shall prevent the Company or the Trustee from giving effect to any written certification, proxy or other authorization furnished by the Depositary or impair, as between the Depositary and its participants, the operation of customary practices of such Depositary governing the exercise of the rights of an owner of a beneficial interest in the Global Notes.

 

(c)      Definitive Notes . Notes issued in certificated form shall be substantially in the form of Exhibit A attached hereto, but without including the text referred to therein as applying only to Global Notes. Except as provided above in subsection (a), owners of beneficial interests in the Global Notes will not be entitled to receive physical delivery of certificated Notes.

 

(d)      Transfer and Exchange of the Notes . The transfer and exchange of beneficial interests in the Global Notes shall be effected through the Depositary, in accordance with the Indenture and the procedures of the Depositary therefor. Beneficial interests in the Global Notes may be transferred to Persons who take delivery thereof in the form of a beneficial interest in the Global Notes.

 

(e)      Paying Agent . The Company appoints the Trustee as the initial agent of the Company for the payment of the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest on the Notes and the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee in the Borough of Manhattan, the City of New York, be and hereby is, designated as the office or agency where the Notes may be presented for payment and where notices to or demands upon the Company in respect of the Notes and the Indenture pursuant to which the Notes are to be issued may be served.

 

 

SECTION 2.2.

Certain Terms of the Notes .

 

The following terms relating to the Notes are hereby established:

 

(a)      Title . The Notes shall constitute a series of Securities having the title “3.30% Senior Note s due 20 22.”

 

(b)      Principal Amount . The aggregate principal amount of the Notes that may be initially authenticated and delivered under the Indenture (except for Notes authenticated and delivered upon registration of, transfer of, or in exchange for, or in lieu of, other Notes pursuant to Sections 304, 305, 306, 905 or 1107 of the Indenture or upon repayment of Notes in part pursuant to Section 2.4 hereof) shall be $350,000,000. The Company may from time to time, without notice to, or the consent of, the Holders of the Notes, issue and sell additional Securities (“Additional Securities”) ranking equally and ratably with the Notes in all respects (other than the issue price, the issue date and the payment of interest accruing prior to the issue date), provided that such Securities are fungible with the previously issued Notes for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Any such Additional Securities shall be consolidated and form a single series with the Notes for all purposes under the Indenture, including voting.

 

 
6

 

 

(c)      Maturity Date . The entire outstanding principal of the Notes shall be payable on August 15, 2022.

 

(d)      Interest Rate . The rate at which the Notes shall bear interest shall be 3.30% per annum; the date from which interest shall accrue on the Notes shall be August 6, 2015, or the most recent Interest Payment Date to which interest has been paid or provided for; the Interest Payment Dates for the Notes shall be February 15 and August 15 of each year, beginning February 15, 2016; the interest so payable, and punctually paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date, will be paid, in immediately available funds, to the Persons in whose names the Notes (or one or more Predecessor Securities) is registered at the close of business on the Regular Record Date for such interest, which shall be February 1 or August 1 (whether or not a Business Day), as the case may be, next preceding such Interest Payment Date. Any such interest not punctually paid or duly provided for shall forthwith cease to be payable to the respective Holders on such Regular Record Date, and such defaulted interest may be paid to the Persons in whose names the Notes (or one or more Predecessor Securities) is registered at the close of business on a Special Record Date for the payment of such defaulted interest to be fixed by the Trustee, notice whereof shall be given to Holders of Notes not less than 10 days prior to such special record date, or may be paid at any time in any other lawful manner not inconsistent with requirements of any securities exchange on which the Notes may be listed, and upon such notice as may be required by such exchange, all as more fully provided in said Indenture. Payment of principal of, and premium, if any, and interest on, the Notes will be made at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee or such other office or agency of the Company as may be designated for such purpose, in such coin or currency of the United States of America as at the time of payment is legal tender for payment of public and private debts; provided , however , that each installment of interest, premium, if any, and principal on the Notes may at the Company’s option be paid in immediately available funds by transfer to an account maintained by the payee located in the United States.

 

(e)      Currency . The currency of denomination of the Notes is United States Dollars. Payment of principal of and interest and premium, if any, on the Notes will be made in United States Dollars.

 

 

SECTION 2.3.

Optional Redemption .

 

(a)      The provisions of Article Eleven of the Indenture shall apply to the Notes.

 

(b)      At any time and from time to time, the Notes will be redeemable, as a whole or in part, at the Company’s option, on not less than 30 nor more than 60 days’ prior written notice mailed to the registered address of each Holder of the Notes, at a Redemption Price to be determined in accordance with the terms of this Section 2.3(b). If the Notes are redeemed prior to June 15, 20 22, the Redemption Price for the Notes to be redeemed will equal the greater of (i) 100% of principal amount of the Notes to be redeemed, or (ii) the sum of the present values of the remaining scheduled payments of principal and interest thereon that would be due after the related Redemption Date but for such redemption (exclusive of unpaid interest, if any, accrued to, but not including, the Redemption Date) discounted to such Redemption Date on a semiannual basis (assuming a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months) at the Treasury Rate plus 25 basis points, plus, in either case, unpaid interest, if any, accrued to, but not including, the Redemption Date, subject to the rights of Holders of Notes on a Regular Record Date to receive interest due on the related Interest Payment Date. If the Notes are redeemed on or after June 15, 20 22, the Redemption Price for the Notes to be redeemed will equal 100% of principal amount of the Notes to be redeemed plus unpaid interest, if any, accrued to, but not including, the Redemption Date.

 

 
7

 

 

(c)      On and after any Redemption Date for the Notes, interest will cease to accrue on the Notes or any portion thereof called for redemption, unless the Company defaults in the payment of the redemption price. Prior to any Redemption Date for the Notes, the Company shall deposit with a Paying Agent, or the Trustee, funds sufficient to pay the Redemption Price of the Notes to be redeemed on such date. If less than all of the Notes are to be redeemed, the Notes to be redeemed will be selected by the Trustee by such method as the Trustee deems fair and appropriate in accordance with methods generally used at the time of selection by fiduciaries in similar circumstances.

 

 

SECTION 2.4.

Repurchase of Notes Upon a Change of Control Trigger Event .

 

(a)      Upon the occurrence of a Change of Control Triggering Event with respect to the Notes, unless the Company has exercised its option to redeem the Notes in whole as described in Section 2.3, each Holder of the Notes shall have the right to require the Company to purchase all or a portion of such Holder’s Notes pursuant to the offer required by this Section 2.4 (the “Change of Control Offer”), at a purchase price equal to 101% of the principal amount thereof plus unpaid interest, if any, accrued to the repurchase date (the “Change of Control Repurchase Price”), subject to the rights of Holders of the Notes on the relevant Regular Record Date to receive interest due on the relevant Interest Payment Date.

 

(b)      Within 30 days following the date of the occurrence of the Change of Control Triggering Event, or, at the Company’s option, prior to any Change of Control but after the public announcement of the pending Change of Control, the Company shall send, by first class mail, a written notice to each Holder of the Notes, with a copy to the Trustee, which notice shall govern the terms of the Change of Control Offer. Such notice shall state, among other things, the repurchase date, which must be no earlier than 30 days nor later than 60 days from the date such notice is mailed, other than as may be required by law (the “Change of Control Repurchase Date”). Such notice, if mailed prior to the date of consummation of the Change of Control, shall state that the Change of Control Offer is conditioned on the Change of Control being consummated on or prior to the Change of Control Repurchase Date.

 

 
8

 

 

(c)      On the Change of Control Repurchase Date, the Company shall, to the extent lawful:

 

(1)      accept or cause a third party to accept for repurchase all Notes or portions of Notes properly tendered pursuant to the Change of Control Offer ;

 

(2)      deposit or cause a third party to deposit with the Paying Agent an amount equal to the Change of Control Repurchase Price in respect of all the Notes or portions of the Notes properly tendered ; and

 

(3)      deliver or cause to be delivered to the Trustee the Notes properly accepted together with an Officers’ Certificate stating the aggregate principal amount of Notes or portions of Notes being repurchased and that all conditions precedent to the Change of Control Offer and to the repurchase by the Company of Notes pursuant to the Change of Control Offer have been complied with .

 

(d)      The Company shall not be required to make a Change of Control Offer with respect to the Notes if a third party makes such an offer in the manner, at the times and otherwise in compliance with the requirements for such an offer made by the Company and such third party purchases all the Notes properly tendered and not withdrawn under its offer.

 

(e)      The Company shall comply in all material respects with the requirements of Rule 14e-1 under the Exchange Act, and any other securities laws and regulations thereunder to the extent those securities laws and regulations are applicable in connection with the repurchase of the Notes as a result of a Change of Control Triggering Event. To the extent that the provisions of any such securities laws or regulations conflict with the Change of Control Offer provisions of the Notes, the Company shall comply with those securities laws and regulations and shall not be deemed to have breached the Company’s obligations under the Change of Control Offer provisions of the Notes by virtue of any such conflict.

 

 

SECTION 2.5.

Limitation on Liens .

 

The provisions of Section 1008 of the Indenture are applicable to the Notes.

 

 

SECTION 2.6.

Limitation on Sale and Leaseback Transactions .

 

The provisions of Section 1009 of the Indenture are applicable to the Notes.

 

ARTICLE III.

GUARANTEE

 

 

SECTION 3.1.

Applicability of Guarantee .

 

The provisions of Article Sixteen of the Indenture shall be applicable to the Notes. The Initial Guarantor and, if required in accordance with the provisions of Section 3.2, any Additional Guarantors, shall guarantee the Notes on the terms set forth in Article Sixteen of the Indenture, subject to the provisions of this Article III.

 

 
9

 

 

 

SECTION 3.2.

Additional Guarantors .

 

(a)      If, after the date of the Indenture, any Subsidiary of the Company that is not then a Guarantor guarantees, becomes a borrower or guarantor under, or grants any lien to secure any obligations pursuant to, the Existing Credit Facility, then in any such case such Subsidiary shall become a Guarantor (each such additional Guarantor, an “Additional Guarantor”) by executing a supplemental indenture and delivering it to the Trustee promptly (but in any event, within two Business Days of the date on which it guaranteed or incurred such indebtedness or granted such lien, as the case may be).

 

(b)      Notwithstanding the preceding paragraph, any Guarantee by a Guarantor that was issued pursuant to this Section 3.2 solely as a result of its guarantee or incurrence of, or granting of a lien in respect of, any such indebtedness shall be automatically and unconditionally released upon the release or discharge of the guarantee that resulted in the creation of such Subsidiary’s Guarantee (or upon such Subsidiary ceasing to be a borrower or the release of liens granted by such Subsidiary, as the case may be), except a discharge or release as a result of payment under such guarantee, or of the refinancing or replacement of any such indebtedness that is guaranteed or incurred by such Guarantor.

 

 

SECTION 3.3.

No Discharge or Diminishment of Guarantee .

 

For purposes of the Notes, Section 1605 of the Indenture is replaced in its entirety by the following:

 

“Subject to Section 3.5 of this Fourth Supplemental Indenture, the obligations of each of the Guarantors hereunder shall not be subject to any reduction, limitation, termination, impairment or for any reason (other than the payment in full in cash of the Obligations), including any claim of waiver, release, surrender, alteration or compromise of any of the Obligations, and shall not be subject to any defense or setoff, counterclaim, recoupment or termination whatsoever by reason of the invalidity, illegality or unenforceability of the Obligations or otherwise. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the obligations of each of the Guarantors hereunder shall not be discharged or impaired or otherwise affected by the failure of the Trustee or any Holder of the Notes to assert any claim or demand or to enforce any remedy under this Fourth Supplemental Indenture, the Indenture or the Notes, any other guarantee or any other agreement, by any waiver or modification of any provision thereof, by any default, failure or delay, willful or otherwise, in the performance of the Obligations, or by any other act or omission or delay to do any other act that may or might in any manner or to any extent vary the risk of any Guarantor or that would otherwise operate as a discharge of any Guarantor as a matter of law or equity (other than the payment in full in cash of all the Obligations).”

 

 
10

 

 

 

SECTION 3.4.

Continued Effectiveness .

 

For purposes of the Notes, Section 1607 of the Indenture is replaced in its entirety by the following:

 

“Subject to Section 3.5 of this Fourth Supplemental Indenture, each of the Guarantors further agrees that its Guarantee hereunder shall continue to be effective or be reinstated, as the case may be, if at any time payment, or any part thereof, of principal of or interest on any Obligation is rescinded or must otherwise be restored by the Trustee or any Holder of the Notes upon the bankruptcy or reorganization of the Company or otherwise.”

 

 

SECTION 3.5.

Release of Guarantor .

 

For purposes of the Notes, subparagraph (1) of Section 1611 of the Indenture is replaced in its entirety by the following:

 

“(1)     A Guarantor shall, upon the occurrence of any of the following events, be automatically and unconditionally released and discharged from all obligations under the Indenture, this Fourth Supplemental Indenture and its Guarantee without any action required on the part of the Trustee or any Holder:

 

(a)     upon written notice by the Company to the Trustee, at any time such Guarantor is not a borrower or guarantor under, and has not granted any then-existing lien to secure any obligations pursuant to, the Existing Credit Facility, except where resulting from a discharge or release as a result of payment under such guarantee; or

 

(b)     upon the occurrence of the circumstances described in Section 3.2(b) hereof, of which the Company shall promptly notify the Trustee in writing.”

 

 

SECTION 3.6.

Limitation of Guarantor’s Liability .

 

For purposes of the Notes, Section 1612 of the Indenture is modified to add the following paragraph as the second paragraph of such Section:

 

“The Guarantee is expressly limited so that in no event, including the acceleration of the maturity of the Securities, shall the amount paid or agreed to be paid in respect of interest on the Securities (or fees or other amounts deemed payment for the use of funds) exceed the maximum permissible amount under applicable law, as in effect on the date hereof and as subsequently amended or modified to allow a greater amount of interest (or fees or other amounts deemed payment for the use of funds) to be paid under the Guarantee. If for any reason the amount in respect of interest (or fees or other amounts deemed payment for the use of funds) required by the Guarantee exceeds such maximum permissible amount, the obligation to pay interest under the Guarantee (or fees or other amounts deemed payment for the use of funds) shall be automatically reduced to such maximum permissible amount and any amounts collected by any Holder of any Security in excess of the permissible amount shall be automatically applied to reduce the outstanding principal on such Security.”

 

 
11

 

 

ARTICLE IV.

MISCELLANEOUS

 

 

SECTION 4.1.

Relationship with Indenture .

 

The terms and provisions contained in the Indenture will constitute, and are hereby expressly made, a part of this Fourth Supplemental Indenture. However, to the extent any provision of the Indenture conflicts with the express provisions of this Fourth Supplemental Indenture, the provisions of this Fourth Supplemental Indenture will govern and be controlling.

 

 

SECTION 4.2.

Trust Indenture Act Controls .

 

If any provision of this Fourth Supplemental Indenture limits, qualifies or conflicts with another provision which is required to be included in this Fourth Supplemental Indenture by the TIA, the required provision shall control. If any provision of this Fourth Supplemental Indenture modifies or excludes any provision of the TIA which may be so modified or excluded, the latter provision shall be deemed to apply to this Fourth Supplemental Indenture as so modified or to be excluded, as the case may be.

 

 

SECTION 4.3.

Governing Law .

 

This Fourth Supplemental Indenture, the Notes and the Guarantees shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York without regard to conflicts of law principles of such State other than New York General Obligations Law Section 5-1401.

 

 

SECTION 4.4.

Multiple Counterparts .

 

The parties may sign multiple counterparts of this Fourth Supplemental Indenture. Each signed counterpart shall be deemed an original, but all of them together represent one and the same Fourth Supplemental Indenture.

 

 

SECTION 4.5.

Severability .

 

Each provision of this Fourth Supplemental Indenture shall be considered separable and if for any reason any provision which is not essential to the effectuation of the basic purpose of this Fourth Supplemental Indenture or the Notes shall be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby and a Holder shall have no claim therefor against any party hereto.

 

 

SECTION 4.6.

Ratification .

 

The Indenture, as supplemented and amended by this Fourth Supplemental Indenture, is in all respects ratified and confirmed. The Indenture and this Fourth Supplemental Indenture shall be read, taken and construed as one and the same instrument. All provisions included in this Fourth Supplemental Indenture supersede any conflicting provisions included in the Indenture unless not permitted by law. The Trustee accepts the trusts created by the Indenture, as supplemented by this Fourth Supplemental Indenture, and agrees to perform the same upon the terms and conditions of the Indenture, as supplemented by this Fourth Supplemental Indenture.

 

 
12

 

 

 

SECTION 4.7.

Effectiveness .

 

The provisions of this Fourth Supplemental Indenture shall become effective as of the date hereof.

 

[ Remainder of page intentionally left blank. ]

 

 
13

 

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Fourth Supplemental Indenture to be duly executed as of the date first above written.

 

 

J.B. HUNT TRANSPORT SERVICES, INC.

 

 

 

 

 

 

  By: /s/ David G. Mee
    Name: David G. Mee
    Title: Chief Financial Officer
     
     
     
  J.B. HUNT TRANSPORT, INC.
     
     
  By: /s/ Kevin L. Bracy
    Name: Kevin L. Bracy
    Title: Treasurer
     
     
     
  U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION ,
  as Trustee
     
     
  By: /s/ Jack Ellerin
    Name: Jack Ellerin
    Title: Vice President

 

 

[ Signature Page to Fourth Supplemental Indenture ]

 

 

 

 

EXHIBIT A

 

Form of 3.30% Senior Note due 20 22

 

[Include the following legend on each Note that is a Global Note:

 

THIS NOTE IS A GLOBAL SECURITY WITHIN THE MEANING OF THE INDENTURE HEREINAFTER REFERRED TO AND IS REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF THE DEPOSITARY OR A NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY. THIS NOTE IS EXCHANGEABLE FOR NOTES REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF A PERSON OTHER THAN THE DEPOSITARY OR ITS NOMINEE ONLY IN THE LIMITED CIRCUMSTANCES DESCRIBED IN THE INDENTURE, AND MAY NOT BE TRANSFERRED EXCEPT AS A WHOLE BY THE DEPOSITARY TO A NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY, BY A NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY TO THE DEPOSITARY OR ANOTHER NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY OR BY THE DEPOSITARY OR ANY SUCH NOMINEE TO A SUCCESSOR DEPOSITARY OR A NOMINEE OF SUCH A SUCCESSOR DEPOSITARY.]

 

J.B. HUNT TRANSPORT SERVICES, INC.

 

3.30% Senior Note due 20 22

 

REGISTERED
No. R-1

PRINCIPAL AMOUNT: $350,000,000

   

CUSIP: 445658CE5

 
   

J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc., an Arkansas corporation (herein called the “Company,” which term includes any successor Person under the Indenture hereinafter referred to), for value received, hereby promises to pay to Cede & Co., or registered assigns, the principal sum of $350,000,000 on August 15, 20 22 (the “Maturity Date”) (except to the extent redeemed or repaid prior to the Maturity Date) and to pay interest thereon from August 6 , 2015 (the “Original Issue Date”) or from the most recent Interest Payment Date to which interest has been paid or duly provided for semi-annually at the rate of 3.30 % per annum, on February 15 and August 15 (each such date, an “Interest Payment Date”), commencing February 15 , 2016, until the principal hereof is paid or made available for payment.

 

Payment of Interest . The interest so payable, and punctually paid or made available for payment, on any Interest Payment Date, will, as provided in the Indenture, be paid, in immediately available funds, to the Person in whose name this Note (or one or more Predecessor Securities) is registered at the close of business on February 1 or August 1 (whether or not a Business Day, as defined in the Fourth Supplemental Indenture referred to herein), as the case may be, next preceding such Interest Payment Date (the “Regular Record Date”). Any such interest not punctually paid or duly provided for (“Defaulted Interest”) will forthwith cease to be payable to the Holder on such Regular Record Date, and such Defaulted Interest may be paid to the Person in whose name this Note (or one or more Predecessor Securities) is registered at the close of business on a special record date (the “Special Record Date”) for the payment of such Defaulted Interest to be fixed by the Trustee, notice whereof shall be given to Holders of Notes not less than 10 days prior to such Special Record Date, or may be paid at any time in any other lawful manner not inconsistent with requirements of any securities exchange on which the Notes may be listed, and upon such notice as may be required by such exchange, all as more fully provided in said Indenture.

 

 
A-1 

 

 

Place of Payment . Payment of principal, premium, if any, and interest on this Note will be made at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee or such other office or agency of the Company as may be designated for such purpose, in such coin or currency of the United States of America as at the time of payment is legal tender for payment of public and private debts; provided , however , that each installment of interest, premium, if any, and principal on this Note may at the Company’s option be paid in immediately available funds by transfer to an account maintained by the payee located in the United States.

 

Time of Payment . In any case where any Interest Payment Date, the Maturity Date or any date fixed for redemption or repayment of the Notes shall not be a Business Day, then (notwithstanding any other provision of the Indenture or this Note), payment of principal, premium, if any, or interest, if any, need not be made on such date, but may be made on the next succeeding Business Day with the same force and effect as if made on such Interest Payment Date, the Maturity Date or the date so fixed for redemption or repayment, as the case may be, and no interest shall accrue in respect of the delay.

 

General . This Note is one of a duly authorized issue of Securities of the Company, issued and to be issued in one or more series under an indenture (as amended and supplemented from time to time, the “Base Indenture”), dated as of September 20, 2010, among the Company, the Initial Guarantor and U.S. Bank National Association (herein called the “Trustee,” which term includes any successor trustee under the Indenture with respect to the series of which this Note is a part), as supplemented by a Fourth Supplemental Indenture thereto, dated as of August 6, 2015 (the “Fourth Supplemental Indenture” and, together with the Base Indenture, the “Indenture”), among the Company, the Initial Guarantor and the Trustee. Reference is hereby made to the Indenture for a statement of the respective rights, limitations of rights, duties and immunities thereunder of the Company, the Trustee and the Holders of the Securities, and of the terms upon which the Securities are, and are to be, authenticated and delivered. This Note is one of a duly authorized series of Securities designated as “3.30% Senior Notes due 2022” (collectively, the “Notes”), initially limited in aggregate principal amount to $350,000,000.

 

Further Issuance . The Company may from time to time, without notice to, or the consent of, the Holders of the Notes, issue and sell additional Securities (“Additional Securities”) ranking equally and ratably with the Notes in all respects (other than the issue price, the issue date and the payment of interest accruing prior to the issue date), provided that such Securities are fungible with the previously issued Notes for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Any such Additional Securities shall be consolidated and form a single series with the Notes for all purposes under the Indenture, including voting.

 

 
A-2 

 

 

Events of Default . If an Event of Default with respect to the Notes shall have occurred and be continuing, the principal of the Notes may be declared due and payable in the manner and with the effect provided in the Indenture.

 

Sinking Fund . The Notes are not subject to any sinking fund.

 

Optional Redemption . The Notes will be redeemable at any time, at the option of the Company, in whole or from time to time in part, upon not less than 30 nor more than 60 days’ prior written notice, on any date prior to their Maturity at a redemption price, calculated in accordance with the terms of the Fourth Supplemental Indenture, which includes accrued interest thereon, if any, to, but not including, the Redemption Date. In the case of any partial redemption, selection of the Notes for redemption will be made by the Trustee by such methods, as the Trustee shall deem fair and appropriate in accordance with methods generally used at the time of selection by fiduciaries in similar circumstances. If any Note is to be redeemed in part only, the notice of redemption relating to such Note shall state the portion of the principal amount thereof to be redeemed. A new Note in principal amount equal to the unredeemed portion hereof will be issued in the name of the Holder hereof upon cancellation of this Note.

 

Repurchase upon a Change of Control Triggering Event . Upon the occurrence of a Change of Control Triggering Event with respect to the Notes, unless the Company has exercised its option to redeem the Notes in whole as described under “—Optional Redemption,” the Company shall be required to make an offer to repurchase the Notes on the terms set forth in the Fourth Supplemental Indenture.

 

Defeasance and Covenant Defeasance . The Indenture contains provisions for defeasance at any time of (a) the entire indebtedness of the Company on this Note and (b) certain restrictive covenants and the related Events of Default which provisions apply to this Note.

 

Modification and Waivers; Obligations of the Company Absolute . The Indenture permits, with certain exceptions as therein provided, the amendment thereof and the modification of the rights and obligations of the Company and the Initial Guarantor and the rights of the Holders of the Securities. Such amendment may be effected under the Indenture at any time by the Company and the Trustee with the consent of the Holders of not less than a majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding Notes affected thereby. The Indenture also contains provisions permitting the Holders of not less than a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Securities at the time outstanding, on behalf of the Holders of all outstanding Securities, to waive compliance by the Company with certain provisions of the Indenture. Furthermore, provisions in the Indenture permit the Holders of not less than a majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding Securities of individual series to waive on behalf of all of the Holders of Securities of such individual series certain past defaults under the Indenture and their consequences. Any such consent or waiver shall be conclusive and binding upon the Holder of this Note and upon all future Holders of this Note and of any Note issued upon the registration of transfer hereof or in exchange hereof or in lieu hereof, whether or not notation of such consent or waiver is made upon this Note.

 

 
A-3 

 

 

No reference herein to the Indenture and no provision of this Note or of the Indenture shall alter or impair the obligation of the Company, which is absolute and unconditional, to pay the principal of and interest on this Note at the time, place, and rate, and in the coin or currency, herein prescribed.

 

Limitation on Suits . As set forth in, and subject to, the provisions of the Indenture, no Holder of any Note will have any right to institute any proceeding with respect to the Indenture or for any remedy thereunder, unless such Holder shall have previously given to the Trustee written notice of a continuing Event of Default with respect to the Notes, the Holders of not less than 25% in principal amount of the outstanding Notes shall have made written request, and offered reasonable indemnity, to the Trustee to institute such proceedings as trustee, and the Trustee shall not have received from the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Notes a direction inconsistent with such request and shall have failed to institute such proceeding within 60 days; provided , however , that such limitations do not apply to a suit instituted by the Holder hereof for the enforcement of payment of the principal of or interest on this Note on or after the respective due dates expressed herein.

 

Authorized Denominations . The Notes are issuable only in registered form without coupons in denominations of $2,000 or any integral multiple of $1,000 in excess thereof.

 

Registration of Transfer or Exchange . As provided in the Indenture and subject to certain limitations herein and therein set forth, the transfer of this Note is registrable in the register of the Notes maintained by the Registrar upon surrender of this Note for registration of transfer, at the office or agency of the Company in any place where the principal of and interest on this Note are payable, duly endorsed by, or accompanied by a written instrument of transfer in form satisfactory to the Company and the Registrar, duly executed by the Holder hereof or his attorney duly authorized in writing, and thereupon one or more new Notes, of authorized denominations and for the same aggregate principal amount, will be issued to the designated transferee or transferees.

 

As provided in the Indenture and subject to certain limitations herein and therein set forth, the Notes are exchangeable for a like aggregate principal amount of Notes of different authorized denominations, as requested by the Holders surrendering the same.

 

No service charge shall be made for any such registration of transfer or exchange, but the Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge payable in connection therewith.

 

Prior to due presentment of this Note for registration of transfer, the Company, the Trustee and any agent of the Company or the Trustee may treat the Holder as the owner hereof for all purposes, whether or not this Note be overdue, and neither the Company, the Trustee nor any such agent shall be affected by notice to the contrary.

 

Guarantee . Payment of this Note is fully and unconditionally guaranteed by the Initial Guarantor and any Additional Guarantors that become and continue to be Guarantors pursuant to the Indenture. In the event that there shall be more than one Guarantor of the Notes, such Guarantors shall guarantee the Notes on a joint and several basis. Guarantors may be released from their obligations under the Indenture and their Guarantees under the circumstances specified in the Indenture.

 

 
A-4 

 

 

Defined Terms . All terms used in this Note, which are defined in the Indenture and are not otherwise defined herein, shall have the meanings assigned to them in the Indenture.

 

Governing Law . The Indenture, the Notes and the Guarantees shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York without regard to conflicts of law principles of such State other than New York General Obligations Law Section 5-1401.

 

Unless the certificate of authentication hereon has been executed by the Trustee by manual signature, this Note shall not be entitled to any benefit under the Indenture or be valid or obligatory for any purpose.

 

 
A-5

 

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this instrument to be duly executed.

 

Dated: August 6, 2015

 
 

J.B. HUNT TRANSPORT SERVICES, INC.

   
   
 

By:

 
   

Name:

   

Title:

Attest:

   
     
     

By:

     
 

Name:

   
 

Title:

   

 

 

 
A-6

 

 

TRUSTEE’S CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICATION

 

This is one of the Securities of the series designated therein referred to in the within-mentioned Indenture.

 

 

U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION,
as Trustee

   
   
 

By:

 
     
     

Dated: August 6, 2015

   

 

 

 
A-7 

 

 

ASSIGNMENT

 

FOR VALUE RECEIVED, the undersigned hereby sell(s), assign(s) and transfer(s) unto

 


 


 

PLEASE INSERT SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER OR OTHER IDENTIFYING NUMBER OF ASSIGNEE

 

 

 


 


(Please print or typewrite name and address,

including postal zip code, of assignee)

 

the within Note and all rights thereunder, and hereby irrevocably constitutes and appoints

 


 


 


 

to transfer said Note on the books of the Trustee, with full power of substitution in the premises.

 

Dated:__________________

 

 

NOTICE: The signature to this assignment must correspond with the name as written upon the face of the within Note in every particular, without alteration or enlargement or any change whatsoever.

 

 

 

________________________________

Signature Guarantee

 

 

 
A-8

 

 

NOTATION OF GUARANTEES

 

For value received, the Initial Guarantor has fully and unconditionally guaranteed, to the extent set forth in the Indenture, among the Company, the Initial Guarantor and the Trustee and subject to the provisions in the Indenture and the terms of the Notes, (a) the due and punctual payment in full when due of the principal of, premium, if any, and interest on the Notes and all other amounts due and payable under the Indenture and the Notes by the Company and (b) in case of any extension of time of payment or renewal of any Obligations (with or without notice to the Initial Guarantor), that the same will be promptly paid in full when due or performed in accordance with the terms of the extension or renewal, whether at Stated Maturity, by acceleration or otherwise. The obligations of the Guarantor to the Holders of Notes and to the Trustee pursuant to the Guarantees and the Indenture are expressly set forth in Article Sixteen of the Indenture and Article III of the Fourth Supplemental Indenture thereto establishing the terms of the Notes and reference is hereby made to the Indenture and Fourth Supplemental Indenture thereto for the precise terms of the Guarantee, including provisions for the release thereof. Each Holder of a Note, by accepting the same, (a) agrees to and shall be bound by such provisions and (b) appoints the Trustee attorney-in-fact of such Holder for the purpose of such provisions. The Initial Guarantor hereby agrees that its Guarantees of the Notes set forth in the Indenture and Article III of the Fourth Supplemental Indenture shall remain in full force and effect notwithstanding any failure to endorse on any Note this notation of the Guarantees.

 

 

J.B. HUNT TRANSPORT, INC.

 

 

 

 

 

 

  By:  
    Name:
    Title:

 

 

A-9

Exhibit 5.1

 

 

 

J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc.

615 J.B. Hunt Corporate Drive

Lowell, Arkansas 72745-0130

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

We have acted as counsel to J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc., an Arkansas corporation (the “Company”), and J.B. Hunt Transport, Inc., a Georgia corporation (the “Guarantor”), in connection with the registration by the Company under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Act”), of: (i) one or more series of debt securities (the “Debt Securities”) and (ii) guarantees of the Debt Securities (the “Guarantees”) by the Guarantor, pursuant to the registration statement on Form S-3, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) on February 26, 2014, Registration No. 333-194163 (the “Registration Statement”). As described in the Registration Statement, the Debt Securities and Guarantees may be issued from time to time in one or more offerings. This opinion is issued with respect to an offering of Debt Securities on the date hereof, consisting of $350,000,000 face amount of 3.30% Notes due 2022, issued by the Company (the “Notes”), and the related Guarantee issued by the Guarantor (the “Note Guarantee”), as described in a prospectus supplement dated August 3, 2015 (the “Prospectus Supplement”).

 

 

Mitchell, Williams, Selig, Gates & Woodyard, P.L.L.C.|Attorneys at Law

MitchellWilliamsLaw.com

 

 
 

 

 

J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc.

August 6, 2015

Page 2

 

We have reviewed such corporate records, certificates and other documents, and such questions of law, as we have considered necessary or appropriate for the purposes of this opinion. We have assumed that all signatures are genuine, that all documents submitted to us as originals are authentic and that all copies of documents submitted to us conform to the originals. We have relied as to certain matters on information obtained from public officials, officers of the Company and the Guarantor, and other sources believed by us to be responsible.

 

Based upon the foregoing, we are of the opinion that when, as and if the Notes have been duly executed by the Company and authenticated by the trustee in accordance with the applicable supplemental indenture and the Notes have been duly issued and delivered against payment therefor as contemplated in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus Supplement, then, upon the happening of such events, the Notes and the related Note Guarantee will constitute the valid and binding obligations of the Company and the Guarantor, respectively, enforceable against the Company and the Guarantor, respectively, in accordance with their terms, subject to bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent transfer, reorganization, moratorium and other laws of general applicability relating to or affecting creditors’ rights and to general equity principles.

 

We do not express any opinion herein on any laws other than the law of the State of Arkansas, the law of the State of New York, the Georgia Business Corporation Code, and the federal law of the United States of America.

 

We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Current Reports on Form 8-K of the Company and the Guarantor filed the date hereof, and to its incorporation by reference into the Registration Statement. We also hereby consent to the reference to our firm under the heading “Legal Matters” in the Prospectus Supplement. In giving such consent, we do not thereby admit that we are in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Act or the rules and regulations of the Commission.

 

 

Very truly yours,

 

 

 

/s/ Mitchell, Williams, Selig, Gates & Woodyard, p.l.l.c.

 

 

 

MITCHELL, WILLIAMS, SELIG
  GATES & WODDYARD, P.L.L.C.

 

 

Exhibit 12.1

 

 

 

J. B. Transport Services, Inc.

 

Statement of Computation of Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges

 
                                                 
   

6 Mos Ended

                                         
   

June 30, 2015

   

2014

   

2013

   

2012

   

2011

   

2010

 

Net Earnings

  $ 195,350,984     $ 374,791,927     $ 342,381,695     $ 310,354,165     $ 257,005,995     $ 199,616,898  

Taxes

    120,240,267       229,808,698       211,186,120       194,286,754       158,726,770       120,077,045  

Interest Expense

    13,410,858       27,027,858       23,208,851       25,559,320       28,508,449       28,006,299  

Estimated interest within rental expenses

    4,777,504       9,783,813       8,292,877       6,871,705       6,188,121       5,459,276  

Adjusted Earnings

    333,779,613       641,412,296       585,069,543       537,071,944       450,429,335       353,159,518  
                                                 

Interest Expense

    13,410,858       27,027,858       23,208,851       25,559,320       28,508,449       28,006,299  

Estimated interest within rental expenses

    4,777,504       9,783,813       8,292,877       6,871,705       6,188,121       5,459,276  

Fixed Charges

  $ 18,188,362     $ 36,811,671     $ 31,501,728     $ 32,431,025     $ 34,696,570     $ 33,465,575  
                                                 

Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio

    18.35       17.42       18.57       16.56       12.98       10.55