AMENDMENT NO. 17 TO CREDIT AGREEMENT
THIS AMENDMENT NO. 17 TO CREDIT AGREEMENT (this "Amendment") is entered into as of September 30, 2021, by and among the Lenders identified on the signature pages hereof (such Lenders, together with their respective successors and permitted assigns, are referred to hereinafter each individually as a "Lender" and collectively as the "Lenders"), BANK OF AMERICA, N.A. ("New Lender"), WELLS FARGO CAPITAL FINANCE, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, as administrative agent for the Lenders (in such capacity, "Agent"), REG SERVICES GROUP, LLC, an Iowa limited liability company ("REG Services"), and REG MARKETING & LOGISTICS GROUP, LLC, an Iowa limited liability company ("REG Marketing"; together REG Services and REG Marketing are each referred to herein as a "Borrower", and jointly and severally as the "Borrowers").
WHEREAS, Borrowers, Agent, and the Lenders (other than New Lender) are parties to that certain Credit Agreement dated as of December 23, 2011 (as amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, the "Credit Agreement"); and
WHEREAS, Borrowers have requested that Agent and Lenders agree to amend the Credit Agreement in certain respects, and Agent and the Lenders are willing to do so, subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein.
NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and mutual agreements herein contained, the parties hereto agree as follows:
1.Defined Terms. Unless otherwise defined herein, capitalized terms used herein shall have the meanings ascribed to such terms in the Credit Agreement.
2.Amendments to Credit Agreement: Subject to the satisfaction of the conditions set forth in Section 5 below, and in reliance upon the representations and warranties of Borrowers set forth in Section 6 below, the Credit Agreement and Schedules C-1, 1.1, 5.1 and 5.2 thereto are each hereby amended and replaced in each case, as set forth in the restated copies of the Credit Agreement and Schedules C-1, 1.1, 5.1 and 5.2 to the Credit Agreement attached hereto as Exhibit A.
3.Continuing Effect. Except as expressly set forth in Section 2 of this Amendment, nothing in this Amendment shall constitute a modification or alteration of the terms, conditions or covenants of the Credit Agreement or any other Loan Document, or a waiver of any other terms or provisions thereof, and the Credit Agreement and the other Loan Documents shall remain unchanged and shall continue in full force and effect, in each case as amended hereby.
4.Reaffirmation and Confirmation. Each Borrower hereby ratifies, affirms, acknowledges and agrees that the Credit Agreement and the other Loan Documents represent the valid, enforceable and collectible obligations of Borrowers, and further acknowledges that there are no existing claims, defenses, personal or otherwise, or rights of setoff whatsoever with respect to the Credit Agreement or any other Loan Document. Each Borrower hereby agrees that this Amendment in no way acts as a release or relinquishment of the Liens and rights securing
payments of the Obligations. The Liens and rights securing payment of the Obligations are hereby ratified and confirmed by each Borrower in all respects.
5.Conditions to Effectiveness. This Amendment shall become effective upon the satisfaction of each of the following conditions precedent, each in form and substance acceptable to Agent:
(a)Agent shall have received a fully executed copy of this Amendment and the Disclosure Letter in form and substance acceptable to Agent, together with such other documents, agreements, opinions and instruments as Agent may require or reasonably request;
(b)Borrowers shall have paid all fees to Agent and the Lenders required under the Loan Documents; and
(c)No Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing on the date hereof or as of the date of the effectiveness of this Amendment.
6.Representations and Warranties. In order to induce Agent and Lenders to enter into this Amendment, Borrowers hereby jointly and severally represent and warrant to Agent and Lenders that, after giving effect to this Amendment:
(a)All representations and warranties contained in the Credit Agreement and the other Loan Documents are true and correct in all material respects (except that such materiality qualifier shall not be applicable to any representations and warranties that already are qualified or modified by materiality in the text thereof) on and as of the date of this Amendment, in each case as if then made, other than representations and warranties that expressly relate solely to an earlier date;
(b)No Default or Event of Default has occurred and is continuing; and
(c)This Amendment and the Credit Agreement, as modified hereby, constitute legal, valid and binding obligations of each Borrower and are enforceable against each Borrower in accordance with their respective terms.
7.Joinder; Reallocation.
(a)On the date hereof, New Lender (i) hereby joins the Credit Agreement as a Lender and shall have the rights and obligations of a Lender under the Loan Documents; (ii) represents and warrants that it is legally authorized to enter into this Amendment and the Credit Agreement; (iii) confirms that it has received copies of the Credit Agreement and the other Loan Documents, together with copies of the financial statements referred to therein and such other documents and information as it has deemed appropriate to make its own credit analysis and decision to enter into this Amendment; (iv) agrees that it will, independently and without reliance upon Agent, or any other Lender, based upon such documents and information as it shall deem appropriate at the time, continue to make its own credit decisions in taking or not taking any action under the Loan Documents; (v) appoints and authorizes the Agent to take such action as agent on its behalf and to exercise such powers under the Loan Documents as are delegated to Agent by the terms thereof, together with such powers as are reasonably incidental thereto; and (vi) agrees that it will perform in accordance with their terms all of the obligations which by the terms of the Loan Documents are required to be performed by it as a Lender;.
(b)New Lender and each other Lender agrees to make settlement payments to Agent as provided in the Credit Agreement, such that after giving effect to the making of such settlement payments, each Lender's share of the outstanding Revolver Usage shall equal its Pro Rata Share. Nothing contained herein shall constitute a novation of any Obligation.
8.Miscellaneous.
(a)Expenses. Borrowers jointly and severally agree to pay on demand all Lender Group Expenses of Agent (including, without limitation, the fees and expenses of outside counsel for Agent) in connection with the preparation, negotiation, execution, delivery and administration of this Amendment and all other instruments or documents provided for herein or delivered or to be delivered hereunder or in connection herewith. All obligations provided herein shall survive any termination of this Amendment and the Credit Agreement as modified hereby.
(b)Governing Law. This Amendment shall be a contract made under and governed by the internal laws of the State of California. The choice of law and venue, jury trial waiver and California judicial reference provisions set forth in Section 12 of the Credit Agreement are incorporated herein by reference and shall apply in all respects to this Amendment.
(c)Counterparts. This Amendment may be executed in any number of counterparts, and by the parties hereto on the same or separate counterparts, and each such counterpart, when executed and delivered, shall be deemed to be an original, but all such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same Amendment. Delivery of an executed counterpart of this Amendment by facsimile or other electronic delivery shall be equally effective as delivery of an original executed counterpart of this Amendment.
9.Release.
(a)In consideration of the agreements of Agent and Lenders contained herein and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged, each Borrower and each other Loan Party (by its execution and delivery of the attached Consent and Reaffirmation), on behalf of itself and its successors, assigns, and other legal representatives, hereby absolutely, unconditionally and irrevocably releases, remises and forever discharges Agent and Lenders, and their successors and assigns, and their present and former shareholders, affiliates, subsidiaries, divisions, predecessors, directors, officers, attorneys, employees, agents and other representatives (Agent, each Lender and all such other Persons being hereinafter referred to collectively as the "Releasees" and individually as a "Releasee"), of and from all demands, actions, causes of action, suits, covenants, contracts, controversies, agreements, promises, sums of money, accounts, bills, reckonings, damages and any and all other claims, counterclaims, defenses, rights of set‑off, demands and liabilities whatsoever (individually, a "Claim" and collectively, "Claims") of every name and nature, known or unknown, suspected or unsuspected, both at law and in equity, which any such Loan Party or any of their respective successors, assigns, or other legal representatives may now or hereafter own, hold, have or claim to have against the Releasees or any of them for, upon, or by reason of any circumstance, action, cause or thing whatsoever in relation to, or in any way in connection with any of the Credit Agreement, or any of the other Loan Documents or transactions thereunder or related thereto which arises at any time on or prior to the day and date of this Amendment.
(b)Each Borrower and each other Loan Party (by its execution and delivery of the attached Consent and Reaffirmation) warrants, represents and agrees that it is fully aware of California Civil Code Section 1542, which provides as follows:
SEC. 1542. GENERAL RELEASE. A GENERAL RELEASE DOES NOT EXTEND TO CLAIMS THAT THE CREDITOR OR RELEASING PARTY DOES NOT KNOW OR SUSPECT TO EXIST IN HIS OR HER FAVOR AT THE TIME OF EXECUTING THE RELEASE AND THAT, IF KNOWN BY HIM OR HER, WOULD HAVE MATERIALLY AFFECTED HIS OR HER SETTLEMENT WITH THE DEBTOR OR RELEASED PARTY.
Each Borrower and each other Loan Party (by its execution and delivery of the attached Consent and Reaffirmation) hereby expressly waives the provisions of California Civil Code Section 1542, and any rights they may have to invoke the provisions of that statute now or in the future with respect to the Claims being released pursuant to this Section 9. In connection with the foregoing waiver and relinquishment, each Borrower and each other Loan Party (by its execution and delivery of the attached Consent and Reaffirmation) acknowledges that they are aware that they or their attorneys or others may hereafter discover claims or facts in addition to or different from those which the parties now know or believe to exist with respect to the subject matter of the Claims being released hereunder, but that it is nevertheless the intention of each Borrower and each other Loan Party (by its execution and delivery of the attached Consent and Reaffirmation) to fully, finally and forever settle, release, waive and discharge all of the Claims which are being released pursuant to this Section 9. The release given herein shall remain in effect as a full and complete general release, notwithstanding the discovery or existence of any such additional or different claims or facts.
(c)Each Borrower and each other Loan Party (by its execution and delivery of the attached Consent and Reaffirmation) understands, acknowledges and agrees that the release set forth above may be pleaded as a full and complete defense and may be used as a basis for an injunction against any action, suit or other proceeding which may be instituted, prosecuted or attempted in breach of the provisions of such release.
(d)Each Borrower and each other Loan Party (by its execution and delivery of the attached Consent and Reaffirmation) agrees that no fact, event, circumstance, evidence or transaction which could now be asserted or which may hereafter be discovered shall affect in any manner the final, absolute and unconditional nature of the release set forth above.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Amendment to be executed by their respective officers thereunto duly authorized and delivered as of the date first above written.
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REG SERVICES GROUP, LLC,
an Iowa limited liability company
By: /s/ Todd Robinson
Name: Todd Robinson
Title: Treasurer
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REG MARKETING & LOGISTICS GROUP, LLC, an Iowa limited liability company
By: /s/ Todd Robinson
Name: Todd Robinson
Title: Treasurer
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WELLS FARGO CAPITAL FINANCE, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, as Agent and as a Lender
By: /s/ Barry Felker
Name: Barry Felker
Title: Authorized Signatory
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FIFTH THIRD BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, as a Lender
By: /s/ Patrick Lingrosso
Name: Patrick Lingrosso
Title: Vice President
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BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., as a Lender
By: /s/ Jack McAllister
Name: Jack McAllister
Title: Vice President
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CONSENT AND REAFFIRMATION
Renewable Energy Group, Inc., a Delaware corporation ("Parent"), as a Guarantor, REG Houston, LLC, a Texas limited Liability company, as a Plant Loan Party, REG Geismar, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, as a Plant Loan Party, REG Albert Lea, LLC, an Iowa limited liability company, as a Plant Loan Party, REG New Boston, LLC, an Iowa limited liability company, as a Plant Loan Party, and REG Seneca, LLC, an Iowa limited liability company, as a Plant Loan Party (each of the foregoing, a "Loan Party") hereby (i) acknowledges receipt of a copy of the foregoing Amendment No. 17 to Credit Agreement (terms defined therein and used, but not otherwise defined, herein shall have the meanings assigned to them therein); (ii) consents to each Borrower's execution and delivery thereof; (iii) agrees to be bound thereby, including Section 9 of the foregoing Amendment No. 17 to Credit Agreement; and (iv) affirms that nothing contained therein shall modify in any respect whatsoever any Loan Documents to which the undersigned is a party and reaffirms that each such Loan Document is and shall continue to remain in full force and effect (except as set forth in the foregoing Amendment No. 17 to Credit Agreement). Although each Loan Party has been informed of the matters set forth herein and has acknowledged and agreed to same, each Loan Party understands that Agent and Lenders have no obligation to inform such Loan Party of such matters in the future or to seek such Loan Party's acknowledgment or agreement to future consents, amendments or waivers, and nothing herein shall create such a duty.
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RENEWABLE ENERGY GROUP, INC.,
a Delaware corporation, as a Guarantor
By: /s/ Craig Bealmear
Name: Craig Bealmear
Title: Chief Financial Officer
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REG HOUSTON, LLC, a Texas limited liability company, as a Plant Loan Party
By: /s/ Todd Robinson
Name: Todd Robinson
Title: Treasurer
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REG GEISMAR, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, as a Plant Loan Party
By: /s/ Todd Robinson
Name: Todd Robinson
Title: Treasurer
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REG ALBERT LEA, LLC, an Iowa limited liability company, as a Plant Loan Party
By: /s/ Todd Robinson
Name: Todd Robinson
Title: Treasurer
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REG NEW BOSTON, LLC, an Iowa limited liability company, as a Plant Loan Party
By: /s/ Todd Robinson
Name: Todd Robinson
Title: Treasurer
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REG SENECA, LLC, an Iowa limited liability company, as a Plant Loan Party
By: /s/ Todd Robinson
Name: Todd Robinson
Title: Treasurer
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EXHIBIT A Restated Credit Agreement and Schedules C-1, 1.1, 5.1 and 5.2
See attached.
CREDIT AGREEMENT
by and among
REG SERVICES GROUP, LLC
and
REG MARKETING & LOGISTICS GROUP, LLC
as Borrowers,
THE LENDERS THAT ARE SIGNATORIES HERETO
as the Lenders,
WELLS FARGO CAPITAL FINANCE, LLC
as the Agent,
WELLS FARGO CAPITAL FINANCE, LLC,
FIFTH THIRD BANK
and
BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.
as Joint Lead Arrangers,
and
WELLS FARGO CAPITAL FINANCE, LLC,
FIFTH THIRD BANK
and
BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.
as Joint Book Runners
Dated as of December 23, 2011
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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EXHIBITS AND SCHEDULES
Exhibit A-1 Form of Assignment and Acceptance
Exhibit B-1 Form of Borrowing Base Certificate
Exhibit B-2 Form of Bank Product Letter Agreement
Exhibit C-1 Form of Compliance Certificate
Schedule C-1 Commitments
Schedule 1.1 Definitions
Schedule 3.1 Conditions Precedent
Schedule 5.1 Financial Reporting
Schedule 5.2 Collateral Reporting
CREDIT AGREEMENT
THIS CREDIT AGREEMENT (this "Agreement"), is entered into as of December 23, 2011, by and among the lenders identified on the signature pages hereof (each of such lenders, together with their respective successors and permitted assigns, are referred to hereinafter as a "Lender", as that term is hereinafter further defined), WELLS FARGO CAPITAL FINANCE, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, as administrative agent for the Lenders (in such capacity, together with its successors and assigns in such capacity, "Agent"), WELLS FARGO CAPITAL FINANCE, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., and FIFTH THIRD BANK, as joint lead arrangers (in such capacity, together with their successors and assigns in such capacity, the "Joint Lead Arrangers"), WELLS FARGO CAPITAL FINANCE, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., and FIFTH THIRD BANK, as joint book runners (in such capacity, together with their successors and assigns in such capacity, the "Joint Book Runners"), REG SERVICES GROUP, LLC, an Iowa limited liability company ("REG Services"), and REG MARKETING & LOGISTICS GROUP, LLC, an Iowa limited liability company ("REG Marketing"; together with REG Services, are referred to hereinafter each individually as a "Borrower", and individually and collectively, jointly and severally, as the "Borrowers").
The parties agree as follows:
1.DEFINITIONS AND CONSTRUCTION.
1.1.Definitions. Capitalized terms used in this Agreement shall have the meanings specified therefor on Schedule 1.1.
1.2.Accounting Terms. All accounting terms not specifically defined herein shall be construed in accordance with GAAP; provided, however, that if Administrative Borrower notifies Agent that Borrowers request an amendment to any provision hereof to eliminate the effect of any Accounting Change occurring after the Closing Date or in the application thereof on the operation of such provision (or if Agent notifies Administrative Borrower that the Required Lenders request an amendment to any provision hereof for such purpose), regardless of whether any such notice is given before or after such Accounting Change or in the application thereof, then Agent and Borrowers agree that they will negotiate in good faith amendments to the provisions of this Agreement that are directly affected by such Accounting Change with the intent of having the respective positions of the Lenders and Borrowers after such Accounting Change conform as nearly as possible to their respective positions as of the date of this Agreement and, until any such amendments have been agreed upon and agreed to by the Required Lenders, the provisions in this Agreement shall be calculated as if no such Accounting Change had occurred. When used herein, the term "financial statements" shall include the notes and schedules thereto. Whenever the term "Borrower" or "Borrowers" is used in respect of a financial covenant or a related definition, it shall be understood to mean Borrowers and their Subsidiaries (to the extent such Subsidiaries are Designated Loan Parties) on a combined basis, unless the context clearly requires otherwise.
1.3.Code. Any terms used in this Agreement that are defined in the Code shall be construed and defined as set forth in the Code unless otherwise defined herein; provided, however, that to the extent that the Code is used to define any term herein and such term is defined differently in different Articles of the Code, the definition of such term contained in Article 9 of the Code shall govern.
1.4.Construction. Unless the context of this Agreement or any other Loan Document clearly requires otherwise, references to the plural include the singular, references to the singular include the plural, the terms "includes" and "including" are not limiting, and the term "or" has, except where otherwise indicated, the inclusive meaning represented by the phrase "and/or." The words "hereof," "herein," "hereby," "hereunder," and similar terms in this Agreement or any other Loan Document refer to this Agreement or such other Loan Document, as the case may be, as a whole and not to any particular provision of this Agreement or such other Loan Document, as the case may be. Section, subsection, clause, schedule, and exhibit references herein are to this Agreement unless otherwise specified. Any reference in this Agreement or in any other Loan Document to any agreement, instrument, or document shall include all alterations, amendments, changes, extensions, modifications, renewals, replacements, substitutions, joinders, and supplements, thereto and thereof, as applicable (subject to any restrictions on such alterations, amendments, changes, extensions, modifications, renewals, replacements, substitutions, joinders, and supplements set forth herein). The words "asset" and "property" shall be construed to have the same meaning and effect and to refer to any and all tangible and intangible assets and properties. Any reference herein or in any other Loan Document to the satisfaction, repayment, or payment in full of the Obligations shall mean (a) the payment or repayment in full in immediately available funds of (i) the principal amount of, and interest accrued and unpaid with respect to, all outstanding Loans, together with the payment of any premium applicable to the repayment of the Loans, if any, (ii) all Lender Group Expenses that have accrued and are unpaid regardless of whether demand has been made therefor, and (iii) all fees or charges that have accrued hereunder or under any other Loan Document (including the Letter of Credit Fee and the Unused Line Fee) and are unpaid, (b) in the case of contingent reimbursement obligations with respect to Letters of Credit, providing Letter of Credit Collateralization, (c) in the case of obligations with respect to Bank Products (other than Hedge Obligations), providing Bank Product Collateralization, (d) if requested by Agent, the receipt by Agent of cash collateral in order to secure any other contingent Obligations for which a claim or demand for payment has been made to Agent or any other member of the Lender Group on or prior to such time that are reasonably expected to result in any loss, cost, damage, or expense (including attorneys' fees and legal expenses), such cash collateral to be in such amount as Agent reasonably determines is appropriate to secure such contingent Obligations, (e) the payment or repayment in full in immediately available funds of all other outstanding Obligations (including the payment of any termination amount then applicable (or which would or could become applicable as a result of the repayment of the other Obligations) under Hedge Agreements provided by Hedge Providers) other than (i) unasserted contingent indemnification Obligations, (ii) any Bank Product Obligations (other than Hedge Obligations) that, at such time, are allowed by the applicable Bank Product Provider to remain outstanding without being required to be repaid or cash collateralized, and (iii) any Hedge Obligations that, at such time, are allowed by the applicable Hedge Provider to remain outstanding without being required to be repaid, and
(f) the termination of all of the Commitments of the Lenders. Any reference herein to any Person shall be construed to include such Person's successors and assigns. Any requirement of a writing contained herein or in any other Loan Document shall be satisfied by the transmission of a Record.
1.5.Time References. Unless the context of this Agreement or any other Loan Document clearly requires otherwise, all references to time of day refer to Central standard time or Central daylight saving time, as in effect in Chicago, Illinois on such day. For purposes of the computation of a period of time from a specified date to a later specified date, unless otherwise expressly provided, the word "from" means "from and including" and the words "to" and "until" each means "to and including"; provided, that with respect to a computation of fees or interest payable to Agent or any Lender, such period shall in any event consist of at least one full day.
1.6.Schedules and Exhibits. All of the schedules and exhibits attached to this Agreement and the Disclosure Letter shall be deemed incorporated herein by reference.
1.7.Divisions. For all purposes under the Loan Documents, in connection with any division or plan of division under Delaware law (or any comparable event under a different jurisdiction's laws): (a) if any asset, right, obligation or liability of any Person becomes the asset, right, obligation or liability of a different Person, then it shall be deemed to have been transferred from the original Person to the subsequent Person, and (b) if any new Person comes into existence, such new Person shall be deemed to have been organized on the first date of its existence by the holders of its Equity Interests at such time.
1.8.Rates. The interest rate on LIBOR Rate Loans may be determined by reference to the Daily One Month LIBOR, which is derived from the London interbank offered rate. The London interbank offered rate is intended to represent the rate at which contributing banks may obtain short-term borrowings from each other in the London interbank market. On March 5, 2021, ICE Benchmark Administration ("IBA"), the administrator of the London interbank offered rate, and the Financial Conduct Authority (the "FCA"), the regulatory supervisor of IBA, announced in public statements (the "Announcements") that the final publication or representativeness date for the London interbank offered rate for Dollars for: (a) 1-week and 2-month tenor settings will be December 31, 2021 and (b) overnight, 1-month, 3-month, 6-month and 12-month tenor settings will be June 30, 2023. No successor administrator for IBA was identified in such Announcements. As a result, it is possible that immediately after such dates, the London interbank offered rate for such tenors may no longer be available or may no longer be deemed a representative reference rate upon which to determine the interest rate on LIBOR Rate Loans. There is no assurance that the dates set forth in the Announcements will not change or that IBA or the FCA will not take further action that could impact the availability, composition or characteristics of any London interbank offered rate. Public and private sector industry initiatives have been and continue, as of the date hereof, to be underway to implement new or alternative reference rates to be used in place of the London interbank offered rate. In the event that the London interbank offered rate or any other then-current Benchmark is no longer available or in certain other circumstances set forth in Section 2.12(c), such Section 2.12(c) provides a mechanism for determining an alternative rate of interest. Agent will notify Administrative Borrower, pursuant to Section 2.12(c), of any change to the reference rate upon
which the interest rate on LIBOR Rate Loans is based. However, Agent does not warrant or accept any responsibility for, and shall not have any liability with respect to, (i) the continuation of, administration of, submission of, calculation of or any other matter related to the London interbank offered rate or other rates in the definition of "Daily One Month LIBOR" or with respect to any alternative, successor or replacement rate thereto (including any then-current Benchmark or any Benchmark Replacement), including whether the composition or characteristics of any such alternative, successor or replacement rate (including any Benchmark Replacement), as it may or may not be adjusted pursuant to Section 2.12(c), will be similar to, or produce the same value or economic equivalence of, the Daily One Month LIBOR or any other Benchmark, or have the same volume or liquidity as did the London interbank offered rate or any other Benchmark prior to its discontinuance or unavailability, or (ii) the effect, implementation or composition of any Benchmark Replacement Conforming Changes. Agent and its Affiliates or other related entities may engage in transactions that affect the calculation of a Benchmark, any alternative, successor or replacement rate (including any Benchmark Replacement) or any relevant adjustments thereto and such transactions may be adverse to a Borrower. Agent may select information sources or services in its discretion to ascertain any Benchmark, any component definition thereof or rates referenced in the definition thereof, in each case pursuant to the terms of this Agreement, and shall have no liability to any Borrower, any Lender or any other person or entity for damages of any kind, including direct or indirect, special, punitive, incidental or consequential damages, costs, losses or expenses (whether in tort, contract or otherwise and whether at law or in equity), for any error or calculation of any such rate (or component thereof) provided by any such information source or service.
1.9.Limited Conditionality.
(a)For purposes of determining pro forma compliance with any basket (but not, for the avoidance of doubt, the satisfaction of conditions to the making of a credit extension) based on (a) a financial ratio (other than Availability)1, (b) EBITDA, (c) net tangible assets, (d) whether a default or event of default has occurred and is continuing, or (e) the accuracy of any representation or warranty contained in this Agreement, in each case in connection with the consummation of an acquisition, or similar investment that the Borrowers or one or more of their subsidiaries are contractually committed to consummate (it being understood that such commitment may be subject to conditions precedent, which conditions precedent may be amended, satisfied or waived in accordance with the terms of the applicable agreement) whose consummation is not conditioned on the availability of, or on obtaining, third party financing (any such acquisition, restricted payment or investment, a “Limited Conditionality Transaction”), the date of determination shall, at the option of the Borrowers (the exercise of such option, a “LC Election”), be the time the definitive agreements for such acquisition or investment are entered into (the “LC Test Date”) after giving pro forma effect to such acquisition or investment and the other transactions to be entered into in connection therewith (including any incurrence of indebtedness and the use of proceeds thereof) as if they occurred at the beginning of the applicable test period, and, for the avoidance of doubt, if any of such ratios or amounts are exceeded as a result of fluctuations in such ratio or amount (including due to fluctuations in EBITDA of the Borrowers or the person subject to such acquisition or investment) after the
1 Note that Availability already carved out of this provision
applicable LC Test Date and at or prior to the consummation of the relevant transaction or action, such ratios will not be deemed to have been exceeded as a result of such fluctuations solely for purposes of determining whether the relevant transaction or action is permitted to be consummated or taken under any basket; provided that if the Borrowers elect to have such determinations occur at the time of entry into such definitive agreement, the Limited Conditionality Transaction and the indebtedness to be incurred (and any associated liens) and the use of proceeds thereof (and the consummation of any acquisition or investment) shall be deemed incurred and/or applied at the time of such election (until such time as the indebtedness is actually incurred or the applicable acquisition agreement is terminated without actually consummating the applicable acquisition) and outstanding thereafter for purposes of pro forma compliance with any other basket based on (a) EBITDA, (b) consolidated net tangible assets or (c) financial ratio, as the case may be.
(b)If the Borrowers have made an LC Election for any Limited Conditionality Transaction, then in connection with any calculation of any basket availability in connection with the consummation of any subsequent acquisition, restricted payment or similar investment that the Borrowers or one or more of its subsidiaries is contractually committed to consummate (each, a “Subsequent Transaction”) following the relevant LC Test Date and prior to the earlier of the date on which such Limited Condition Transaction is consummated or the date that the definitive agreement for such Limited Condition Transaction is terminated or expires without consummation of such Limited Condition Transaction, for purposes of determining whether such Subsequent Transaction is permitted under this Agreement, any such basket shall be required to be satisfied on a pro forma basis both (a) assuming such Limited Condition Transaction and other transactions in connection therewith (including any incurrence of Indebtedness and the use of proceeds thereof) have been consummated, and (b) assuming such Limited Condition Transaction and other transactions in connection therewith (including any incurrence of indebtedness and the use of proceeds thereof) have not been consummated.
2.LOANS AND TERMS OF PAYMENT.
2.1.Revolver Advances.
(a)Subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, and during the term of this Agreement, each Lender with a Revolver Commitment agrees (severally, not jointly or jointly and severally) to make revolving loans ("Advances") to Borrowers in an amount at any one time outstanding not to exceed the lesser of:
(i)such Lender's Revolver Commitment, or
(ii)such Lender's Pro Rata Share of an amount equal to the lesser of:
(A)the Maximum Revolver Amount less the sum of (1) the Letter of Credit Usage at such time, plus (2) the principal amount of Swing Loans outstanding at such time, and
(B)the Borrowing Base at such time less the sum of (1) the Letter of Credit Usage at such time, plus (2) the principal amount of Swing Loans outstanding at such time.
(b)Amounts borrowed pursuant to this Section 2.1 may be repaid and, subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, reborrowed at any time during the term of this Agreement. The outstanding principal amount of the Advances, together with interest accrued and unpaid thereon, shall be due and payable on the Maturity Date or, if earlier, on the date on which they are declared due and payable pursuant to the terms of this Agreement.
(c)Anything to the contrary in this Section 2.1 notwithstanding, Agent shall have the right (but not the obligation) to establish, increase, reduce, eliminate, or otherwise adjust reserves from time to time against the Borrowing Base in such amounts, and with respect to such matters, as Agent in its Permitted Discretion shall deem necessary or appropriate, including (i) reserves in an amount equal to the Bank Product Reserve Amount, and (ii) reserves with respect to (A) sums that any Loan Party is required to pay under this Agreement or any other Loan Document (such as taxes, assessments, insurance premiums, or, in the case of leased assets, rents or other amounts payable under such leases) and has failed to pay when due, and (B) amounts owing by any Secured Loan Party to any Person to the extent secured by a Lien on, or trust over, any of the Collateral (other than a Permitted Lien which is a permitted purchase money Lien or the interest of a lessor under a Capital Lease or a Lien subject to the Intercreditor Agreement), which Lien or trust, in the Permitted Discretion of Agent likely would have a priority superior to Agent's Liens (such as Liens or trusts in favor of landlords, processors, warehousemen, carriers, custom brokers, freight forwarders, mechanics, materialmen, laborers, or suppliers, or Liens or trusts for ad valorem, excise, sales, or other taxes where given priority under applicable law) in and to such item of the Collateral. Without limiting the foregoing, Agent may establish a reserve for any leased location at which Collateral is included in the Borrowing Base and for which Agent has not received a Collateral Access Agreement. Any reserve established by Agent shall have a reasonable relationship to the event, condition, other circumstance, or fact that is the basis for such reserve and shall not be duplicative of any other reserve established and currently maintained.
2.2.[Intentionally Omitted].
2.3.Borrowing Procedures and Settlements.
(a)Procedure for Borrowing. Each Borrowing shall be made by a written request by an Authorized Person delivered to Agent (which may be delivered through Agent's electronic platform or portal) and received by Agent no later than 1:00 p.m. (i) on the Business Day that is the requested Funding Date in the case of a request for a Swing Loan, and (ii) on the Business Day that is one Business Day prior to the requested Funding Date in the case of all other requests, specifying (A) the amount of such Borrowing, and (B) the requested Funding Date (which shall be a Business Day); provided, that Agent may, in its sole discretion, elect to accept as timely requests that are received later than 1:00 p.m. on the applicable Business Day. All Borrowing requests which are not made on-line via Agent's electronic platform or portal shall be subject to (and unless Agent elects otherwise in the exercise of its sole discretion, such
Borrowings shall not be made until the completion of) Agent's authentication process (with results satisfactory to Agent) prior to the funding of any such requested Advance.
(b)Making of Swing Loans. In the case of a request for an Advance and so long as either (i) the aggregate amount of Swing Loans made since the last Settlement Date, minus the amount of Collections or payments applied to Swing Loans since the last Settlement Date, plus the amount of the requested Advance does not exceed 10% of the Maximum Revolver Amount, or (ii) Swing Lender, in its sole discretion, shall agree to make a Swing Loan notwithstanding the foregoing limitation, Swing Lender shall make an Advance in the amount of such requested Borrowing (any such Advance made solely by Swing Lender pursuant to this Section 2.3(b) being referred to as a "Swing Loan" and such Advances being referred to as "Swing Loans") available to Borrowers on the Funding Date applicable thereto by transferring immediately available funds to the Designated Account. Anything contained herein to the contrary notwithstanding, the Swing Lender may, but shall not be obligated to, make Swing Loans at any time that one or more of the Lenders is a Defaulting Lender. Each Swing Loan shall be deemed to be an Advance hereunder and shall be subject to all the terms and conditions (including Section 3) applicable to other Advances, except that all payments on any Swing Loan shall be payable to Swing Lender solely for its own account. Subject to the provisions of Section 2.3(d)(ii), Swing Lender shall not make and shall not be obligated to make any Swing Loan if Swing Lender has actual knowledge that (i) one or more of the applicable conditions precedent set forth in Section 3 will not be satisfied on the requested Funding Date for the applicable Borrowing, or (ii) the requested Borrowing would exceed the Availability on such Funding Date. Swing Lender shall not otherwise be required to determine whether the applicable conditions precedent set forth in Section 3 have been satisfied on the Funding Date applicable thereto prior to making any Swing Loan. The Swing Loans shall be secured by Agent's Liens, constitute Advances and Obligations hereunder, and bear interest at the Applicable Rate.
(c)Making of Loans.
(i)In the event that Swing Lender is not obligated to make a Swing Loan, then after receipt of a request for a Borrowing pursuant to Section 2.3(a)(i), Agent shall notify the Lenders by telecopy, telephone, email, or other electronic form of transmission, of the requested Borrowing; such notification to be sent on the Business Day that is at least one Business Day prior to the requested Funding Date. If Agent has notified the Lenders of a requested Borrowing on the Business Day that is one Business Day prior to the Funding Date, then each Lender shall make the amount of such Lender's Pro Rata Share of the requested Borrowing available to Agent in immediately available funds, to Agent's Account, not later than 12:00 p.m. on the Business Day that is the requested Funding Date. After Agent's receipt of the proceeds of such Advances from the Lenders, Agent shall make the proceeds thereof available to Borrowers on the applicable Funding Date by transferring immediately available funds equal to such proceeds received by Agent to the Designated Account; provided, that subject to the provisions of Section 2.3(d)(ii), no Lender shall have an obligation to make any Advance, if (1) one or more of the applicable conditions precedent set forth in Section 3 will not be satisfied on the requested Funding Date for the applicable Borrowing unless such condition has been waived, or (2) the requested Borrowing would exceed the Availability on such Funding Date.
(ii)Unless Agent receives notice from a Lender prior to 11:30 a.m. on the Business Day that is the requested Funding Date relative to a requested Borrowing as to which Agent has notified the Lenders of a requested Borrowing that such Lender will not make available as and when required hereunder to Agent for the account of Borrowers the amount of that Lender's Pro Rata Share of the Borrowing, Agent may assume that each Lender has made or will make such amount available to Agent in immediately available funds on the Funding Date and Agent may (but shall not be so required), in reliance upon such assumption, make available to Borrowers a corresponding amount. If, on the requested Funding Date, any Lender shall not have remitted the full amount that it is required to make available to Agent in immediately available funds and if Agent has made available to Borrowers such amount on the requested Funding Date, then such Lender shall make the amount of such Lender's Pro Rata Share of the requested Borrowing available to Agent in immediately available funds, to Agent's Account, no later than 12:00 p.m. on the Business Day that is the first Business Day after the requested Funding Date (in which case, the interest accrued on such Lender's portion of such Borrowing for the Funding Date shall be for Agent's separate account). If any Lender shall not remit the full amount that it is required to make available to Agent in immediately available funds as and when required hereby and if Agent has made available to Borrowers such amount, then that Lender shall be obligated to immediately remit such amount to Agent, together with interest at the Defaulting Lender Rate for each day until the date on which such amount is so remitted. A notice submitted by Agent to any Lender with respect to amounts owing under this Section 2.3(c)(ii) shall be conclusive, absent manifest error. If the amount that a Lender is required to remit is made available to Agent, then such payment to Agent shall constitute such Lender's Advance for all purposes of this Agreement. If such amount is not made available to Agent on the Business Day following the Funding Date, Agent will notify Administrative Borrower of such failure to fund and, upon demand by Agent, Borrowers shall pay such amount to Agent for Agent's account, together with interest thereon for each day elapsed since the date of such Borrowing, at a rate per annum equal to the Applicable Rate.
(d)Protective Advances and Optional Overadvances.
(i)Any contrary provision of this Agreement or any other Loan Document notwithstanding but subject to Section 2.3(d)(iv), Agent hereby is authorized by Borrowers and the Lenders, from time to time in Agent's sole discretion, (A) after the occurrence and during the continuance of a Default or an Event of Default, or (B) at any time that any of the other applicable conditions precedent set forth in Section 3 are not satisfied, to make Advances to, or for the benefit of, Borrowers on behalf of the Lenders that Agent, in its Permitted Discretion deems necessary or desirable (1) to preserve or protect the Collateral, or any portion thereof, or (2) to enhance the likelihood of repayment of the Obligations (other than the Bank Product Obligations) (any of the Advances described in this Section 2.3(d)(i) shall be referred to as "Protective Advances"). Notwithstanding the foregoing, the aggregate amount of all Protective Advances outstanding at any one time shall not exceed 10% of the Maximum Revolver Amount. Agent's authorization to make Protective Advances may be revoked at any time by the Required Lenders delivering written notice of such revocation to Agent and Borrowers. Any such revocation shall become effective prospectively upon Agent's receipt thereof.
(ii)Any contrary provision of this Agreement or any other Loan Document notwithstanding but subject to Section 2.3(d)(iv), the Lenders hereby authorize Agent or Swing Lender, as applicable, and either Agent or Swing Lender, as applicable, may, but is not obligated to, knowingly and intentionally, continue to make Advances (including Swing Loans) to Borrowers notwithstanding that an Overadvance exists or would be created thereby, so long as (A) after giving effect to such Advances, the outstanding Revolver Usage does not exceed the Borrowing Base by more than 10% of the Maximum Revolver Amount, and (B) after giving effect to such Advances, the outstanding Revolver Usage (except for and excluding amounts charged to the Loan Account for interest, fees, or Lender Group Expenses) does not exceed the Maximum Revolver Amount. In the event Agent obtains actual knowledge that the Revolver Usage exceeds the amounts permitted by the immediately foregoing provisions, regardless of the amount of, or reason for, such excess, Agent shall notify the Lenders as soon as practicable (and prior to making any (or any additional) intentional Overadvances (except for and excluding amounts charged to the Loan Account for interest, fees, or Lender Group Expenses) unless Agent determines that prior notice would result in imminent harm to the Collateral or its value, in which case Agent may make such Overadvances and provide notice as promptly as practicable thereafter), and the Lenders with Revolver Commitments thereupon shall, together with Agent, jointly determine the terms of arrangements that shall be implemented with Borrowers intended to reduce, within a reasonable time, the outstanding principal amount of the Advances to Borrowers to an amount permitted by the preceding sentence. In such circumstances, if any Lender with a Revolver Commitment objects to the proposed terms of reduction or repayment of any Overadvance, the terms of reduction or repayment thereof shall be implemented according to the determination of the Required Lenders. The foregoing provisions are meant for the benefit of the Lenders and Agent and are not meant for the benefit of Borrowers (which shall continue to be bound by the provisions of Section 2.5, it being understood that Required Lenders may, without the consent of Borrowers, waive any of the restrictions and limitations in respect of Overadvances set forth in this clause (ii). Each Lender with a Revolver Commitment shall be obligated to settle with Agent as provided in Section 2.3(e) (or Section 2.3(g), as applicable) for the amount of such Lender's Pro Rata Share of any unintentional Overadvances by Agent reported to such Lender, any intentional Overadvances made as permitted under this Section 2.3(d)(ii), and any Overadvances resulting from the charging to the Loan Account of interest, fees, or Lender Group Expenses. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the authority of Agent and Swing Lender to make Overadvances pursuant to the terms of this Section 2.3(d)(ii) shall be revoked upon the written direction by Required Lenders to Agent.
(iii)Each Protective Advance and each Overadvance (each, an "Extraordinary Advance") shall be deemed to be an Advance hereunder, except that no Extraordinary Advance shall be eligible to be a LIBOR Rate Loan. Prior to Settlement of any Extraordinary Advance, all payments with respect thereto, including interest thereon, shall be payable to Agent solely for its own account. Each Revolving Lender shall be obligated to settle with Agent as provided in Section 2.3(e) (or Section 2.3(g), as applicable) for the amount of such Lender's Pro Rata Share of any Extraordinary Advance. The Extraordinary Advances shall be repayable on demand, secured by Agent's Liens, constitute Obligations hereunder, and bear interest at the Applicable Rate. The provisions of this Section 2.3(d) are for the exclusive benefit
of Agent, Swing Lender, and the Lenders and are not intended to benefit Borrowers (or any other Loan Party) in any way.
(iv)Notwithstanding anything contained in this Agreement or any other Loan Document to the contrary, no Extraordinary Advance may be made by Agent if such Extraordinary Advance would cause the aggregate Revolver Usage to exceed the Maximum Revolver Amount or any Lender's Pro Rata Share of the Revolver Usage to exceed such Lender's Revolver Commitments; provided that Agent may make Extraordinary Advances in excess of the foregoing limitations so long as such Extraordinary Advances that cause the aggregate Revolver Usage to exceed the Maximum Revolver Amount or a Lender's Pro Rata Share of the Revolver Usage to exceed such Lender's Revolver Commitments are for Agent's sole and separate account and not for the account of any Lender. No Lender shall have an obligation to settle with Agent for such Extraordinary Advances that cause the aggregate Revolver Usage to exceed the Maximum Revolver Amount or a Lender's Pro Rata Share of the Revolver Usage to exceed such Lender's Revolver Commitments as provided in Section 2.3(e) (or Section 2.3(g), as applicable).
(e)Settlement. It is agreed that each Lender's funded portion of the Advances is intended by the Lenders to equal, at all times, such Lender's Pro Rata Share of the outstanding Advances. Such agreement notwithstanding, Agent, Swing Lender, and the other Lenders agree (which agreement shall not be for the benefit of Borrowers) that in order to facilitate the administration of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents, settlement among the Lenders as to the Advances, the Swing Loans, and the Protective Advances shall take place on a periodic basis in accordance with the following provisions:
(i)Agent shall request settlement ("Settlement") with the Lenders on a weekly basis, or on a more frequent basis if so determined by Agent (1) on behalf of Swing Lender, with respect to the outstanding Swing Loans, (2) for itself, with respect to the outstanding Extraordinary Advances, and (3) with respect to Loan Parties' Collections or payments received, as to each by notifying the Lenders by telecopy, telephone, or other similar form of transmission, of such requested Settlement, no later than 4:00 p.m. on the Business Day immediately prior to the date of such requested Settlement (the date of such requested Settlement being the "Settlement Date"). Such notice of a Settlement Date shall include a summary statement of the amount of outstanding Advances, Swing Loans and Extraordinary Advances for the period since the prior Settlement Date. Subject to the terms and conditions contained herein (including Section 2.3(g)): (y) if the amount of the Advances (including Swing Loans and Extraordinary Advances) made by a Lender that is not a Defaulting Lender exceeds such Lender's Pro Rata Share of the Advances (including Swing Loans and Extraordinary Advances) as of a Settlement Date, then Agent shall, by no later than 2:00 p.m. on the Settlement Date, transfer in immediately available funds to a Deposit Account of such Lender (as such Lender may designate), an amount such that each such Lender shall, upon receipt of such amount, have as of the Settlement Date, its Pro Rata Share of the Advances (including Swing Loans and Extraordinary Advances), and (z) if the amount of the Advances (including Swing Loans and Extraordinary Advances) made by a Lender is less than such Lender's Pro Rata Share of the Advances (including Swing Loans and Extraordinary Advances) as of a Settlement Date, such Lender shall no later than 2:00 p.m. on the Settlement Date transfer in immediately available funds to Agent's Account, an amount such that each such Lender shall, upon transfer of such
amount, have as of the Settlement Date, its Pro Rata Share of the Advances (including Swing Loans and Extraordinary Advances). Such amounts made available to Agent under clause (z) of the immediately preceding sentence shall be applied against the amounts of the applicable Swing Loans or Extraordinary Advances and, together with the portion of such Swing Loans or Extraordinary Advances representing Swing Lender's Pro Rata Share thereof, shall constitute Advances of such Lenders. If any such amount is not made available to Agent by any Lender on the Settlement Date applicable thereto to the extent required by the terms hereof, Agent shall be entitled to recover for its account such amount on demand from such Lender together with interest thereon at the Defaulting Lender Rate.
(ii)In determining whether a Lender's balance of the Advances, Swing Loans and Extraordinary Advances is less than, equal to, or greater than such Lender's Pro Rata Share of the Advances, Swing Loans and Extraordinary Advances as of a Settlement Date, Agent shall, as part of the relevant Settlement, apply to such balance the portion of payments actually received in good funds by Agent with respect to principal, interest, fees payable by Borrowers and allocable to the Lenders hereunder, and proceeds of Collateral.
(iii)Between Settlement Dates, Agent, to the extent Extraordinary Advances or Swing Loans are outstanding, may pay over to Agent or Swing Lender, as applicable, any Collections or payments received by Agent, that in accordance with the terms of this Agreement would be applied to the reduction of the Advances, for application to the Extraordinary Advances or Swing Loans. Between Settlement Dates, Agent, to the extent no Extraordinary Advances or Swing Loans are outstanding, may pay over to Swing Lender any Collections or payments received by Agent, that in accordance with the terms of this Agreement would be applied to the reduction of the Advances, for application to Swing Lender's Pro Rata Share of the Advances. If, as of any Settlement Date, Collections or payments of Loan Parties received since the then immediately preceding Settlement Date have been applied to Swing Lender's Pro Rata Share of the Advances other than to Swing Loans, as provided for in the previous sentence, Swing Lender shall pay to Agent for the accounts of the Lenders, and Agent shall pay to the Lenders (other than a Defaulting Lender if Agent has implemented the provisions of Section 2.3(g)), to be applied to the outstanding Advances of such Lenders, an amount such that each such Lender shall, upon receipt of such amount, have, as of such Settlement Date, its Pro Rata Share of the Advances. During the period between Settlement Dates, Swing Lender with respect to Swing Loans, Agent with respect to Extraordinary Advances, and each Lender with respect to the Advances other than Swing Loans and Extraordinary Advances, shall be entitled to interest at the applicable rate or rates payable under this Agreement on the daily amount of funds employed by Swing Lender, Agent, or the Lenders, as applicable.
(iv)Anything in this Section 2.3(e) to the contrary notwithstanding, in the event that a Lender is a Defaulting Lender, Agent shall be entitled to refrain from remitting settlement amounts to the Defaulting Lender and, instead, shall be entitled to elect to implement the provisions set forth in Section 2.3(g).
(f)Notation. Agent, as a non-fiduciary agent for Borrowers, shall maintain a register showing the principal amount of the Advances owing to each Lender, including the Swing Loans owing to Swing Lender, and Extraordinary Advances owing to Agent, and the
interests therein of each Lender, from time to time and such register shall, absent manifest error, conclusively be presumed to be correct and accurate.
(g)Defaulting Lenders.
(i)Agent shall not be obligated to transfer to a Defaulting Lender any payments made by any Borrower to Agent for the Defaulting Lender's benefit or any Collections or proceeds of Collateral that would otherwise be remitted hereunder to the Defaulting Lender, and, in the absence of such transfer to the Defaulting Lender, Agent shall transfer any such payments (A) first, to Swing Lender to the extent of any Swing Loans that were made by Swing Lender and that were required to be, but were not, paid by the Defaulting Lender, (B) second, to the Issuing Lender, to the extent of the portion of a Letter of Credit Disbursement that was required to be, but was not, paid by the Defaulting Lender, (C) third, to each non-Defaulting Lender ratably in accordance with their Commitments (but, in each case, only to the extent that such Defaulting Lender's portion of an Advance (or other funding obligation) was funded by such other non-Defaulting Lender), (D) to a suspense account maintained by Agent, the proceeds of which shall be retained by Agent and may be made available to be re-advanced to or for the benefit of Borrowers as if such Defaulting Lender had made its portion of Advances (or other funding obligations) hereunder, and (E) from and after the date on which all other Obligations have been paid in full, to such Defaulting Lender in accordance with tier (L) of Section 2.4(b)(ii). Subject to the foregoing, Agent may hold and, in its discretion, re-lend to Borrowers for the account of such Defaulting Lender the amount of all such payments received and retained by Agent for the account of such Defaulting Lender. Solely for the purposes of voting or consenting to matters with respect to the Loan Documents (including the calculation of Pro Rata Share in connection therewith) and for the purpose of calculating the fee payable under Section 2.10(b), such Defaulting Lender shall be deemed not to be a "Lender" and such Lender's Commitment shall be deemed to be zero. The provisions of this Section 2.3(g) shall remain effective with respect to such Defaulting Lender until the earlier of (y) the date on which all of the non-Defaulting Lenders, Agent, Issuing Lender, and Borrowers shall have waived, in writing, the application of this Section 2.3(g) to such Defaulting Lender, or (z) the date on which such Defaulting Lender makes payment of all amounts that it was obligated to fund hereunder, pays to Agent all amounts owing by Defaulting Lender in respect of the amounts that it was obligated to fund hereunder, and, if requested by Agent, provides adequate assurance of its ability to perform its future obligations hereunder. The operation of this Section 2.3(g) shall not be construed to increase or otherwise affect the Commitment of any Lender, to relieve or excuse the performance by such Defaulting Lender or any other Lender of its duties and obligations hereunder, or to relieve or excuse the performance by Borrowers of their duties and obligations hereunder to Agent, Issuing Lender, or to the Lenders other than such Defaulting Lender. Any failure by a Defaulting Lender to fund amounts that it was obligated to fund hereunder shall constitute a material breach by such Defaulting Lender of this Agreement and shall entitle Borrowers, at their option, upon written notice to Agent, to arrange for a substitute Lender to assume the Commitment of such Defaulting Lender, such substitute Lender to be reasonably acceptable to Agent. In connection with the arrangement of such a substitute Lender, the Defaulting Lender shall have no right to refuse to be replaced hereunder, and agrees to execute and deliver a completed form of Assignment and Acceptance in favor of the substitute Lender (and agrees that it shall be deemed to have executed and delivered such document if it fails to do so) subject only
to being paid its share of the outstanding Obligations (other than Bank Product Obligations, but including (1) all interest, fees, and other amounts that may be due and payable in respect thereof, and (2) an assumption of its Pro Rata Share of its participation in the Letters of Credit); provided, however, that any such assumption of the Commitment of such Defaulting Lender shall not be deemed to constitute a waiver of any of the Lender Groups' or any Borrower's rights or remedies against any such Defaulting Lender arising out of or in relation to such failure to fund. In the event of a direct conflict between the priority provisions of this Section 2.3(g) and any other provision contained in this Agreement or any other Loan Document, it is the intention of the parties hereto that such provisions be read together and construed, to the fullest extent possible, to be in concert with each other. In the event of any actual, irreconcilable conflict that cannot be resolved as aforesaid, the terms and provisions of this Section 2.3(g) shall control and govern.
(ii)If any Swing Loan or Letter of Credit is outstanding at the time that a Lender becomes a Defaulting Lender then:
(A)such Defaulting Lender's Swing Loan Exposure and Letter of Credit Exposure shall be reallocated among the Non-Defaulting Lenders in accordance with their respective Pro Rata Shares but only to the extent (x) the sum of all Non-Defaulting Lenders' Pro Rata Share of Revolver Usage plus such Defaulting Lender's Swing Loan Exposure and Letter of Credit Exposure does not exceed the total of all Non-Defaulting Lenders' Revolver Commitments and (y) the conditions set forth in Section 3.2 are satisfied at such time;
(B)if the reallocation described in clause (A) above cannot, or can only partially, be effected, Borrowers shall within one Business Day following notice by Agent (x) first, prepay such Defaulting Lender's Swing Loan Exposure (after giving effect to any partial reallocation pursuant to clause (A) above), and (y) second, cash collateralize such Defaulting Lender's Letter of Credit Exposure (after giving effect to any partial reallocation pursuant to clause (A) above), pursuant to a cash collateral agreement to be entered into in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to Agent, for so long as such Letter of Credit Exposure is outstanding; provided, that Borrowers shall not be obligated to cash collateralize any Defaulting Lender's Letter of Credit Exposure if such Defaulting Lender is also Issuing Lender;
(C)if Borrowers cash collateralize any portion of such Defaulting Lender's Letter of Credit Exposure pursuant to this Section 2.3(g)(ii), Borrowers shall not be required to pay any Letter of Credit Fees to Agent for the account of such Defaulting Lender pursuant to Section 2.6(b) with respect to such cash collateralized portion of such Defaulting Lender's Letter of Credit Exposure during the period such Letter of Credit Exposure is cash collateralized;
(D)to the extent the Letter of Credit Exposure of the Non-Defaulting Lenders is reallocated pursuant to this Section 2.3(g)(ii), then the Letter of Credit Fees payable to the Non-Defaulting Lenders pursuant to Section 2.6(b) shall be adjusted in accordance with such Non-Defaulting Lenders' Letter of Credit Exposure;
(E)to the extent any Defaulting Lender's Letter of Credit Exposure is neither cash collateralized nor reallocated pursuant to this Section 2.3(g)(ii), then,
without prejudice to any rights or remedies of Issuing Lender or any Lender hereunder, all Letter of Credit Fees that would have otherwise been payable to such Defaulting Lender under Section 2.6(b) with respect to such portion of such Letter of Credit Exposure shall instead be payable to Issuing Lender until such portion of such Defaulting Lender's Letter of Credit Exposure is cash collateralized or reallocated;
(F)so long as any Lender is a Defaulting Lender, the Swing Lender shall not be required to make any Swing Loan and Issuing Lender shall not be required to issue, amend, or increase any Letter of Credit, in each case, to the extent (x) the Defaulting Lender's Pro Rata Share of such Swing Loans or Letter of Credit cannot be reallocated pursuant to this Section 2.3(g)(ii), or (y) the Swing Lender or Issuing Lender, as applicable, has not otherwise entered into arrangements reasonably satisfactory to the Swing Lender or Issuing Lender, as applicable, and Borrowers to eliminate the Swing Lender's or Issuing Lender's risk with respect to the Defaulting Lender's participation in Swing Loans or Letters of Credit; and
(G)Agent may release any cash collateral provided by Borrowers pursuant to this Section 2.3(g)(ii) to Issuing Lender and Issuing Lender may apply any such cash collateral to the payment of such Defaulting Lender's Pro Rata Share of any Letter of Credit Disbursement that is not reimbursed by Borrowers pursuant to Section 2.11(d). Subject to Section 17.16, no reallocation hereunder shall constitute a waiver or release of any claim of any party hereunder against a Defaulting Lender arising from that Lender having become a Defaulting Lender, including any claim of a Non-Defaulting Lender as a result of such Non-Defaulting Lender's increased exposure following such reallocation.
(h)Independent Obligations. All Advances (other than Swing Loans and Extraordinary Advances) shall be made by the Lenders contemporaneously and in accordance with their Pro Rata Shares. It is understood that (i) no Lender shall be responsible for any failure by any other Lender to perform its obligation to make any Advance (or other extension of credit) hereunder, nor shall any Commitment of any Lender be increased or decreased as a result of any failure by any other Lender to perform its obligations hereunder, and (ii) no failure by any Lender to perform its obligations hereunder shall excuse any other Lender from its obligations hereunder.
2.4.Payments; Reductions of Commitments; Prepayments.
(a)Payments by Borrowers.
(i)Except as otherwise expressly provided herein, all payments by Borrowers shall be made to Agent's Account for the account of the Lender Group and shall be made in immediately available funds, no later than 3:30 p.m. on the date specified herein; provided that, for the avoidance of doubt, any payments deposited into a Controlled Account shall be deemed not to be received by Agent on any Business Day unless immediately available funds have been credited to Agent's Account prior to 3:30 p.m. on such Business Day. Any payment received by Agent in immediately available funds in Agent's Account later than 3:30 p.m. shall be deemed to have been received (unless Agent, in its sole discretion, elects to
credit it on the date received) on the following Business Day and any applicable interest or fee shall continue to accrue until such following Business Day.
(ii)Unless Agent receives notice from Administrative Borrower prior to the date on which any payment is due to the Lenders that Borrowers will not make such payment in full as and when required, Agent may assume that Borrowers have made (or will make) such payment in full to Agent on such date in immediately available funds and Agent may (but shall not be so required), in reliance upon such assumption, distribute to each Lender on such due date an amount equal to the amount then due such Lender. If and to the extent Borrowers do not make such payment in full to Agent on the date when due, each Lender severally shall repay to Agent on demand such amount distributed to such Lender, together with interest thereon at the Defaulting Lender Rate for each day from the date such amount is distributed to such Lender until the date repaid.
(b)Apportionment and Application.
(i)So long as no Application Event has occurred and is continuing and except as otherwise provided herein, in Sections 2.11(g) and 2.13(a) and with respect to Defaulting Lenders, all principal and interest payments received by Agent shall be apportioned ratably among the Lenders (according to the unpaid principal balance of the Obligations to which such payments relate held by each Lender) and all payments of fees and expenses received by Agent (other than fees or expenses that are for Agent's separate account or for the separate account of the Issuing Lender) shall be apportioned ratably among the Lenders having a Pro Rata Share of the type of Commitment or Obligation to which a particular fee or expense relates. All payments to be made hereunder by Borrowers shall be remitted to Agent and, subject to Section 2.4(b)(iv) and Section 2.4(e), all such payments, and all proceeds of Collateral received by Agent, shall be applied, so long as no Application Event has occurred and is continuing, to reduce the balance of the Advances outstanding and, thereafter, to Borrowers (to be wired to the Designated Account) or such other Person entitled thereto under applicable law.
(ii)At any time that an Application Event has occurred and is continuing, subject to the terms of the Intercreditor Agreement, and except as otherwise provided herein with respect to Defaulting Lenders, all payments remitted to Agent and all proceeds of Collateral received by Agent shall be applied as follows:
(A)first, to pay any Lender Group Expenses (including cost or expense reimbursements) or indemnities then due to Agent under the Loan Documents, until paid in full,
(B)second, to pay any fees or premiums then due to Agent under the Loan Documents until paid in full,
(C)third, to pay interest due in respect of all Protective Advances until paid in full,
(D)fourth, to pay the principal of all Protective Advances until paid in full,
(E)fifth, ratably, to pay any Lender Group Expenses (including cost or expense reimbursements) or indemnities then due to any of the Lenders under the Loan Documents, until paid in full,
(F)sixth, ratably, to pay any fees or premiums then due to any of the Lenders under the Loan Documents until paid in full,
(G)seventh, to pay interest accrued in respect of the Swing Loans until paid in full,
(H)eighth, to pay the principal of all Swing Loans until paid in full,
(I)ninth, ratably, to pay interest accrued in respect of the Advances (other than Protective Advances) until paid in full,
(J)tenth, ratably (i) to pay the principal of all Advances until paid in full, (ii) to Agent, to be held by Agent, for the benefit of Issuing Lender (and for the ratable benefit of each of the Lenders that have an obligation to pay to Agent, for the account of the Issuing Lender, a share of each Letter of Credit Disbursement), as cash collateral in an amount up to 105% of the Letter of Credit Usage (to the extent permitted by applicable law, such cash collateral shall be applied to the reimbursement of any Letter of Credit Disbursement as and when such disbursement occurs and, if a Letter of Credit expires undrawn, the cash collateral held by Agent in respect of such Letter of Credit shall, to the extent permitted by applicable law, be reapplied pursuant to this Section 2.4(b)(ii), beginning with tier (A) hereof), and (iii) up to the amount of the aggregate Bank Product Reserves then existing, to Agent, to be held by Agent, for the ratable benefit of each of the Bank Product Providers (such ratable benefit for any Bank Product Provider to be calculated by dividing the amount of the aggregate Bank Product Reserves then existing for Bank Products provided by such Bank Product Provider by the amount of the aggregate Bank Product Reserves then existing for all Bank Products) as cash collateral (which cash collateral may be released by Agent to the applicable Bank Product Provider and applied by such Bank Product Provider to the payment or reimbursement of any amounts due and payable with respect to Bank Product Obligations owed to the applicable Bank Product Provider (for which a Bank Product Reserve was established and then exists up to the amount of such Bank Product Reserve) as and when such amounts first become due and payable and, if and at such time as all such Bank Product Obligations are paid or otherwise satisfied in full, the cash collateral held by Agent in respect of such Bank Product Obligations shall be reapplied pursuant to this Section 2.4(b)(ii), beginning with tier (A) hereof,
(K)eleventh, to pay any other Obligations other than Obligations owed to Defaulting Lenders (including being paid, ratably, to the Bank Product Providers on account of all amounts then due and payable in respect of Bank Product Obligations, with any balance to be paid to Agent, to be held by Agent, for the ratable benefit of the Bank Product Providers, as cash collateral (which cash collateral may be released by Agent to the applicable Bank Product Provider and applied by such Bank Product Provider to the payment or reimbursement of any amounts due and payable with respect to Bank Product
Obligations owed to the applicable Bank Product Provider as and when such amounts first become due and payable and, if and at such time as all such Bank Product Obligations are paid or otherwise satisfied in full, the cash collateral held by Agent in respect of such Bank Product Obligations shall be reapplied pursuant to this Section 2.4(b)(ii), beginning with tier (A) hereof),
(L)twelfth, ratably to pay any Obligations owed to Defaulting Lenders; and
(M)thirteenth, to Borrowers (to be wired to the Designated Account) or such other Person entitled thereto under applicable law.
(iii)Agent promptly shall distribute to each Lender, pursuant to the applicable wire instructions received from each Lender in writing, such funds as it may be entitled to receive, subject to a Settlement delay as provided in Section 2.3(e).
(iv)In each instance, so long as no Application Event has occurred and is continuing, Section 2.4(b)(i) shall not apply to any payment made by any Borrower to Agent and specified by such Borrower to be for the payment of specific Obligations then due and payable (or prepayable) under any provision of this Agreement or any other Loan Document.
(v)For purposes of Section 2.4(b)(ii), "paid in full" of a type of Obligation means payment in cash or immediately available funds of all amounts owing on account of such type of Obligation, including interest accrued after the commencement of any Insolvency Proceeding, default interest, interest on interest, and expense reimbursements, irrespective of whether any of the foregoing would be or is allowed or disallowed in whole or in part in any Insolvency Proceeding.
(vi)In the event of a direct conflict between the priority provisions of this Section 2.4 and any other provision contained in this Agreement or any other Loan Document, it is the intention of the parties hereto that such provisions be read together and construed, to the fullest extent possible, to be in concert with each other. In the event of any actual, irreconcilable conflict that cannot be resolved as aforesaid, if the conflict relates to the provisions of Section 2.3(g) and this Section 2.4, then the provisions of Section 2.3(g) shall control and govern, and if otherwise, then the terms and provisions of this Section 2.4 shall control and govern.
(c)Reduction of Revolver Commitments. The Revolver Commitments shall terminate on the Maturity Date. Borrowers may reduce the Revolver Commitments, without premium or penalty, to an amount (which may be zero) not less than the sum of (A) the Revolver Usage as of such date, plus (B) the principal amount of all Advances not yet made as to which a request has been given by Borrowers under Section 2.3(a), plus (C) the amount of all Letters of Credit not yet issued as to which a request has been given by Borrowers pursuant to Section 2.11(a). Each such reduction shall be in an amount which is not less than $5,000,000 (unless the Revolver Commitments are being reduced to zero and the amount of the Revolver Commitments in effect immediately prior to such reduction are less than $5,000,000), shall be made by providing not less than 3 Business Days prior written notice to Agent and shall
be irrevocable, provided, however, that, if any such notice relating to a proposed reduction in the Revolver Commitments to zero in connection with a payment in full of the Obligations indicates that such reduction is conditioned on the consummation of a refinancing or the consummation of a Specified Transaction, such notice may be revoked if such financing or Specified Transaction is not consummated on or before the date of the proposed reduction (in which case, a new notice shall be required to be sent in connection with any subsequent reduction to zero). Once reduced, the Revolver Commitments may not be increased. Each such reduction of the Revolver Commitments shall reduce the Revolver Commitments of each Lender proportionately in accordance with its ratable share thereof. In connection with any reduction in the Revolver Commitments prior to the Maturity Date, if any Loan Party or any of its Subsidiaries owns any Margin Stock (other than Equity Interests of Parent owned by Parent), Borrowers shall deliver to Agent an updated Form U-1 (with sufficient additional originals thereof for each Lender), duly executed and delivered by the Borrowers, together with such other documentation as Agent shall reasonably request, in order to enable Agent and the Lenders to comply with any of the requirements under Regulations T, U or X of the Federal Reserve Board.
(d)Optional Prepayments. Borrowers may prepay the principal of any Advance at any time in whole or in part, without premium or penalty.
(e)Mandatory Prepayments.
(i)Borrowing Base. If, at any time, (A) the Revolver Usage on such date exceeds (B) the lesser of (x) the Borrowing Base, or (y) the Maximum Revolver Amount, then Borrowers shall promptly, but in any event within 1 Business Days (or immediately during the existence of an Event of Default), prepay the Obligations in accordance with Section 2.4(f) in an aggregate amount equal to the amount of such excess.
(ii)Dispositions. During the period in which an Activation Instruction (as defined in the Security Agreement) has been issued and not rescinded, within 1 Business Day of the date of receipt by any Secured Loan Party of the Net Cash Proceeds of any voluntary or involuntary sale or disposition by any Secured Loan Party of Accounts or Inventory (including casualty losses or condemnations with respect to such Accounts or Inventory but excluding sales or dispositions of (x) Accounts or Inventory which qualify as Permitted Dispositions under clauses (a), (b), (c), (d), (e), (i), (j), (k), (l), (m) or (n) of the definition of Permitted Dispositions and (y) for the avoidance of doubt, Notes Priority Collateral), such Borrower shall prepay the outstanding principal amount of the Obligations in accordance with Section 2.4(f) in an amount equal to 100% of such Net Cash Proceeds (including condemnation awards and payments in lieu thereof) received by such Person in connection with such sales or dispositions. Nothing contained in this Section 2.4(e)(ii) shall permit any Secured Loan Party to sell or otherwise dispose of any assets other than in accordance with Section 6.4.
(f)Application of Payments. Each prepayment pursuant to Section 2.4(e) shall, (A) so long as no Application Event shall have occurred and be continuing, be applied, first, to the outstanding principal amount of the Advances (without any reduction in the Maximum Revolver Amount), until paid in full, and second, solely to the extent necessary to eliminate any Overadvance resulting from the Letter of Credit Usage exceeding the Borrowing
Base or to cash collateralize a Defaulting Lender's exposure with respect to Letters of Credit, to cash collateralize the Letters of Credit in an amount equal to 105% of the then extant Letter of Credit Usage (without any reduction in the Maximum Revolver Amount), and (B) if an Application Event shall have occurred and be continuing, be applied in the manner set forth in Section 2.4(b)(ii).
2.5.Promise to Pay; Promissory Notes.
(a)Borrowers agree to pay the Lender Group Expenses on the earlier of (i) the first day of the month following the date on which the applicable Lender Group Expenses were first incurred, or (ii) 5 Business Days after the date on which demand therefor is made by Agent (it being acknowledged and agreed that any charging of such costs, expenses or Lender Group Expenses to the Loan Account pursuant to the provisions of Section 2.6(d) shall be deemed to constitute a demand for payment thereof for the purposes of this subclause (ii)). Borrowers promise to pay all of the Obligations (including principal, interest, premiums, if any, fees, costs, and expenses (including Lender Group Expenses)) in full on the Maturity Date or, if earlier, on the date on which the Obligations (other than the Bank Product Obligations) become due and payable pursuant to the terms of this Agreement. Borrowers agree that their obligations contained in the first sentence of this Section 2.5(a) shall survive payment or satisfaction in full of all other Obligations.
(b)Any Lender may request that any portion of its Commitments or the Loans made by it be evidenced by one or more promissory notes. In such event, Borrowers shall execute and deliver to such Lender the requested promissory notes payable to such Lender (or its registered assigns) in a form furnished by Agent and reasonably satisfactory to Borrowers. Thereafter, the portion of the Commitments and Loans evidenced by such promissory notes and interest thereon shall at all times be represented by one or more promissory notes in such form payable such Lender or its registered assigns.
2.6.Interest Rates and Letter of Credit Fee: Rates, Payments, and Calculations.
(a)Interest Rates. Except as provided in Section 2.6(c) and Section 2.12, all Obligations (except for undrawn Letters of Credit) shall bear interest at the Applicable Rate.
(b)Letter of Credit Fee. Borrowers shall pay Agent (for the ratable benefit of the Lenders with a Revolver Commitment), a Letter of Credit fee (in addition to the charges, commissions, fees, and costs set forth in Section 2.11(k)) which shall accrue at a per annum rate equal to the LIBOR Rate Margin times the Daily Balance of the undrawn amount of all outstanding Letters of Credit.
(c)Default Rate. Upon the occurrence and during the continuation of an Event of Default and at the election of the Required Lenders,
(i)all Obligations (except for undrawn Letters of Credit) shall bear interest on the Daily Balance thereof at a per annum rate equal to 2 percentage points above the per annum rate otherwise applicable thereunder, and
(ii)the Letter of Credit fee provided for in Section 2.6(b) shall be increased to 2 percentage points above the per annum rate otherwise applicable hereunder.
(d)Payment. Except to the extent provided to the contrary in Section 2.10, Section 2.11(k) or Section 2.12(a), (i) all interest and all other fees payable hereunder or under any of the other Loan Documents (other than Letter of Credit Fees) shall be due and payable, in arrears, on the first day of each month, (ii) all Letter of Credit Fees payable hereunder, and all fronting fees and all commissions, other fees, charges and expenses provided for in Section 2.11(k) shall be due and payable, in arrears, on the first Business Day of each month, and (iii) all costs and expenses payable hereunder or under any of the other Loan Documents, and all other Lender Group Expenses shall be due and payable on (x) with respect to Lender Group Expenses outstanding as of the Closing Date, the Closing Date, and (y) otherwise, the earlier of (A) the first day of the month following the date on which the applicable costs, expenses, or Lender Group Expenses were first incurred, or (B) 5 Business Days after the date on which demand therefor is made by Agent (it being acknowledged and agreed that any charging of such costs, expenses or Lender Group Expenses to the Loan Account pursuant to the provisions of the following sentence shall be deemed to constitute a demand for payment thereof for the purposes of this subclause (y)). Borrowers hereby authorize Agent, from time to time without prior notice to Borrowers, to charge to the Loan Account (A) on the first day of each month, all interest accrued during the prior month on the Advances hereunder, (B) on the first Business Day of each month, all Letter of Credit Fees accrued or chargeable hereunder during the prior month, (C) as and when incurred or accrued, all fees and costs provided for in Section 2.10(a) or (c), (D) on the first day of each month, the Unused Line Fee accrued during the prior month pursuant to Section 2.10(b), (E) as and when due and payable, all other fees payable hereunder or under any of the other Loan Documents, (F) on the Closing Date and thereafter as and when incurred or accrued, all other Lender Group Expenses, and (G) as and when due and payable all other payment obligations payable under any Loan Document or any Bank Product Agreement (including any amounts due and payable to the Bank Product Providers in respect of Bank Products). All amounts (including interest, fees, costs, expenses, Lender Group Expenses, or other amounts payable hereunder or under any other Loan Document or under any Bank Product Agreement) charged to the Loan Account shall thereupon constitute Advances hereunder, shall constitute Obligations hereunder, and shall initially accrue interest at the Applicable Rate.
(e)Computation. All interest and fees chargeable under the Loan Documents shall be computed on the basis of a 360 day year, in each case, for the actual number of days elapsed in the period during which the interest or fees accrue. In the event the Base Rate is changed from time to time hereafter, the rates of interest hereunder based upon the Base Rate automatically and immediately shall be increased or decreased by an amount equal to such change in the Base Rate.
(f)Intent to Limit Charges to Maximum Lawful Rate. In no event shall the interest rate or rates payable under this Agreement, plus any other amounts paid in connection herewith, exceed the highest rate permissible under any law that a court of competent jurisdiction shall, in a final determination, deem applicable. Each Borrower and the Lender Group, in executing and delivering this Agreement, intend legally to agree upon the rate or rates of interest and manner of payment stated within it; provided, however, that, anything contained
herein to the contrary notwithstanding, if such rate or rates of interest or manner of payment exceeds the maximum allowable under applicable law, then, ipso facto, as of the date of this Agreement, Borrowers are and shall be liable only for the payment of such maximum amount as is allowed by law, and payment received from Borrowers in excess of such legal maximum, whenever received, shall be applied to reduce the principal balance of the Obligations to the extent of such excess.
2.7.Crediting Payments. The receipt of any payment item by Agent shall not be required to be considered a payment on account unless such payment item is a wire transfer of immediately available funds made to Agent's Account or unless and until such payment item is honored when presented for payment. Should any payment item not be honored when presented for payment, then Borrowers shall be deemed not to have made such payment. Anything to the contrary contained herein notwithstanding, any payment item shall be deemed received by Agent only if it is received into Agent's Account on a Business Day on or before 3:30 p.m. If any payment item is received into Agent's Account on a non-Business Day or after 3:30 p.m. on a Business Day (unless Agent, in its sole discretion, elects to credit it on the date received), it shall be deemed to have been received by Agent as of the opening of business on the immediately following Business Day.
2.8.Designated Account. Agent is authorized to make the Advances, and Issuing Lender is authorized to issue the Letters of Credit, under this Agreement based upon telephonic or other instructions received from anyone purporting to be an Authorized Person or, without instructions, if pursuant to Section 2.6(d). Borrowers agree to establish and maintain the Designated Account with the Designated Account Bank for the purpose of receiving the proceeds of the Advances requested by Borrowers and made by Agent or the Lenders hereunder. Unless otherwise agreed by Agent and Borrowers, any Advance or Swing Loan requested by Borrowers and made by Agent or the Lenders hereunder shall be made to the Designated Account.
2.9.Maintenance of Loan Account; Statements of Obligations. Agent shall maintain an account on its books in the name of Borrowers (the "Loan Account") on which Borrowers will be charged with all Advances (including Extraordinary Advances and Swing Loans) made by Agent, Swing Lender, or the Lenders to Borrowers or for Borrowers' account, the Letters of Credit issued or arranged by Issuing Lender for Borrowers' account, and with all other payment Obligations hereunder or under the other Loan Documents, including, accrued interest, fees and expenses, and Lender Group Expenses. In accordance with Section 2.7, the Loan Account will be credited with all payments received by Agent from Borrowers or for Borrowers' account. Agent shall make available to Borrowers monthly statements regarding the Loan Account, including the principal amount of the Advances, interest accrued hereunder, fees accrued or charged hereunder or under the other Loan Documents, and a summary itemization of all charges and expenses constituting Lender Group Expenses accrued hereunder or under the other Loan Documents, and each such statement, absent manifest error, shall be conclusively presumed to be correct and accurate and constitute an account stated between Borrowers and the Lender Group unless, within 30 days after Agent first makes such a statement available to Borrowers, Borrowers shall deliver to Agent written objection thereto describing the error or errors contained in such statement.
2.10.Fees. Borrowers shall pay to Agent,
(a)for the account of Agent, as and when due and payable under the terms of the Fee Letter, the fees set forth in the Fee Letter.
(b)for the ratable account of those Lenders with Revolver Commitments, on the first day of each month from and after the Closing Date up to the first day of the month prior to the Payoff Date and on the Payoff Date, an unused line fee in an amount equal to 0.25% per annum times the result of (i) the aggregate amount of the Revolver Commitments, less (ii) the average Daily Balance of the Revolver Usage during the immediately preceding month (or portion thereof) (the "Unused Line Fee").
(c)audit, appraisal, and valuation fees and charges, as and when incurred or chargeable, as follows (i) a fee of $1,000 per day, per auditor, plus out-of-pocket expenses for each financial audit of Borrowers performed by personnel employed by Agent, (ii) if implemented, a fee of $1,000 per day, per applicable individual, plus out of pocket expenses for the establishment of electronic collateral reporting systems, and (iii) the actual charges paid or incurred by Agent if it elects to employ the services of one or more third Persons to perform financial audits of Loan Parties, to establish electronic collateral reporting systems, to appraise the Collateral, or any portion thereof, or to assess Loan Parties' business valuation; provided, that so long as no Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, Borrowers shall not be obligated to reimburse Agent for more than 1 financial examination during any calendar year (increasing to 2 financial examinations during any calendar year if Availability is less than or equal to 15% of the Maximum Revolver Amount for a period of five consecutive Business Days during such calendar year) or more than 1 appraisal of the Collateral during any calendar year (increasing to 2 appraisals during any calendar year if Availability is less than or equal to 15% of the Maximum Revolver Amount for a period of five consecutive Business Days during such calendar year).
2.11.Letters of Credit.
(a)Subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, upon the request of Borrower made in accordance herewith, and prior to the Maturity Date, Issuing Lender agrees issue L/Cs for the account of Borrower or to purchase participations or execute indemnities or reimbursement obligations (each such undertaking, an "L/C Undertaking") with respect to letters of credit issued by an Underlying Issuer (as of the Restatement Effective Date, the prospective Underlying Issuer is to be Wells Fargo) for the account of Borrower. By submitting a request to Issuing Lender for the issuance of a Letter of Credit, Borrower shall be deemed to have requested that (x) Issuing Lender issue the requested Letter of Credit or (y) in the case in which WFCF is the Issuing Lender, that an Underlying Issuer issue the requested Letter of Credit (and, in such case, to have requested WFCF to issue a L/C Undertaking with respect to such requested Letter of Credit). Each request for the issuance of a Letter of Credit, or the amendment, renewal, or extension of any outstanding Letter of Credit, shall be (i) irrevocable, unless otherwise consented to in writing by Issuing Lender, and shall be made in writing by an Authorized Person, (ii) delivered to Agent and Issuing Lender via telefacsimile or other electronic method of transmission reasonably acceptable to Agent and Issuing Lender and reasonably in advance of
the requested date of issuance, amendment, renewal, or extension, and (iii) subject to Issuing Lender's authentication procedures with results satisfactory to Issuing Lender. Each such request shall be in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to Issuing Lender and (i) shall specify (A) the amount of such Letter of Credit, (B) the date of issuance, amendment, renewal, or extension of such Letter of Credit, (C) the proposed expiration date of such Letter of Credit, (D) the name and address of the beneficiary of the Letter of Credit, and (E) such other information (including, the conditions to drawing, and, in the case of an amendment, renewal, or extension, identification of the Letter of Credit to be so amended, renewed, or extended) as shall be necessary to prepare, amend, renew, or extend such Letter of Credit, and (ii) shall be accompanied by such Issuer Documents as Agent or Issuing Lender or Underlying Issuer may request or require, to the extent that such requests or requirements are consistent with the Issuer Documents that Issuing Lender or Underlying Issuer generally requests for Letters of Credit in similar circumstances. Issuing Lender's records of the content of any such request will be conclusive. Anything contained herein to the contrary notwithstanding, Issuing Lender may, but shall not be obligated to, issue a Letter of Credit that supports the obligations of Borrower or one of their Subsidiaries in respect of (x) a lease of real property, or (y) an employment contract.
(b)Issuing Lender shall have no obligation to issue a Letter of Credit if any of the following would result after giving effect to the requested issuance:
(i)the Letter of Credit Usage would exceed $75,000,000, or
(ii)the Letter of Credit Usage would exceed the Maximum Revolver Amount less the outstanding amount of Advances (including Swing Loans), or
(iii)the Letter of Credit Usage would exceed the Borrowing Base at such time less the outstanding principal balance of the Advances (inclusive of Swing Loans) at such time.
(c)In the event there is a Defaulting Lender as of the date of any request for the issuance of a Letter of Credit, the Issuing Lender shall not be required to issue or arrange for such Letter of Credit or any applicable L/C Undertaking to the extent (i) the Defaulting Lender's Letter of Credit Exposure with respect to such Letter of Credit or any applicable L/C Undertaking may not be reallocated pursuant to Section 2.3(c)(iv), or (ii) the Issuing Lender has not otherwise entered into arrangements reasonably satisfactory to it and Borrower to eliminate the Issuing Lender's risk with respect to the participation in such Letter of Credit or any applicable L/C Undertaking of the Defaulting Lender, which arrangements may include Borrower cash collateralizing such Defaulting Lender's Letter of Credit Exposure in accordance with Section 2.3(c)(iv). Additionally, Issuing Lender shall have no obligation to issue a Letter of Credit or a L/C Undertaking in respect of a Letter of Credit if (A) any order, judgment, or decree of any Governmental Authority or arbitrator shall, by its terms, purport to enjoin or restrain Issuing Lender from issuing such Letter of Credit or a L/C Undertaking or Underlying Issuer from issuing such Letter of Credit, or any law applicable to Issuing Lender or any request or directive (whether or not having the force of law) from any Governmental Authority with jurisdiction over Issuing Lender shall prohibit or request that Issuing Lender or Underlying Issuer refrain from the issuance of letters of credit generally or such Letter of Credit or L/C
Undertaking in particular, (B) the issuance of such Letter of Credit would violate one or more policies of Issuing Lender applicable to letters of credit generally, or (C) if amounts demanded to be paid under any Letter of Credit will or may not be in Dollars.
(d)Any Issuing Lender (other than Wells Fargo or any of its Affiliates) shall notify Agent in writing no later than the Business Day prior to the Business Day on which such Issuing Lender issues any Letter of Credit. In addition, each Issuing Lender (other than Wells Fargo or any of its Affiliates) shall, on the first Business Day of each week, submit to Agent a report detailing the daily undrawn amount of each Letter of Credit or L/C Undertakings issued by such Issuing Lender during the prior calendar week. Each Letter of Credit shall be in form and substance reasonably acceptable to Issuing Lender and, if applicable, Underlying Issuer, including the requirement that the amounts payable thereunder must be payable in Dollars. If Issuing Lender makes a payment under a Letter of Credit or L/C Undertakings, Borrower shall pay to Agent an amount equal to the applicable Letter of Credit Disbursement on the Business Day such Letter of Credit Disbursement is made and, in the absence of such payment, the amount of the Letter of Credit Disbursement immediately and automatically shall be deemed to be an Advance hereunder (notwithstanding any failure to satisfy any condition precedent set forth in Section 3) and, initially, shall bear interest at the Applicable Rate. If a Letter of Credit Disbursement is deemed to be an Advance hereunder, Borrower's obligation to pay the amount of such Letter of Credit Disbursement to Issuing Lender shall be automatically converted into an obligation to pay the resulting Advance. Promptly following receipt by Agent of any payment from Borrower pursuant to this paragraph, Agent shall distribute such payment to Issuing Lender or, to the extent that Lenders have made payments pursuant to Section 2.11(e) to reimburse Issuing Lender, then to such Lenders and Issuing Lender as their interests may appear.
(e)Promptly following receipt of a notice of a Letter of Credit Disbursement pursuant to Section 2.11(d), each Lender agrees to fund its Pro Rata Share of any Advance deemed made pursuant to Section 2.11(d) on the same terms and conditions as if Borrower has requested the amount thereof as an Advance and Agent shall promptly pay to Issuing Lender the amounts so received by it from the Lenders. By the issuance of a Letter of Credit or L/C Undertaking (or an amendment, renewal, or extension of a Letter of Credit or L/C Undertaking) and without any further action on the part of Issuing Lender or the Lenders, Issuing Lender shall be deemed to have granted to each Lender, and each Lender shall be deemed to have purchased, a participation in each Letter of Credit or L/C Undertaking issued by Issuing Lender, in an amount equal to its Pro Rata Share of such Letter of Credit or L/C Undertaking, and each such Lender agrees to pay to Agent, for the account of Issuing Lender, such Lender's Pro Rata Share of any Letter of Credit Disbursement made by Issuing Lender under the applicable Letter of Credit or L/C Undertaking. In consideration and in furtherance of the foregoing, each Lender hereby absolutely and unconditionally agrees to pay to Agent, for the account of Issuing Lender, such Lender's Pro Rata Share of each Letter of Credit Disbursement made by Issuing Lender and not reimbursed by Borrower on the date due as provided in Section 2.11(d), or of any reimbursement payment that is required to be refunded (or that Agent or Issuing Lender elects, based upon the advice of counsel, to refund) to Borrower for any reason. Each Lender acknowledges and agrees that its obligation to deliver to Agent, for the account of Issuing Lender, an amount equal to its respective Pro Rata Share of each Letter of Credit Disbursement pursuant to this Section 2.11(e) shall be absolute and unconditional and such remittance shall be
made notwithstanding the occurrence or continuation of an Event of Default or Default or the failure to satisfy any condition set forth in Section 3. If any such Lender fails to make available to Agent the amount of such Lender's Pro Rata Share of a Letter of Credit Disbursement as provided in this Section, such Lender shall be deemed to be a Defaulting Lender and Agent (for the account of Issuing Lender) shall be entitled to recover such amount on demand from such Lender together with interest thereon at the Defaulting Lender Rate until paid in full.
(f)Each Borrower agrees to indemnify, defend and hold harmless each member of the Lender Group (including Issuing Lender and its branches, Affiliates, and correspondents) and each such Person's respective directors, officers, employees, attorneys and agents (each, including Issuing Lender, a "Letter of Credit Related Person") (to the fullest extent permitted by law) from and against any and all claims, demands, suits, actions, investigations, proceedings, liabilities, fines, costs, penalties, and damages, and all reasonable fees and disbursements of attorneys, experts, or consultants and all other costs and expenses actually incurred in connection therewith or in connection with the enforcement of this indemnification (as and when they are incurred and irrespective of whether suit is brought), which may be incurred by or awarded against any Letter of Credit Related Person (other than Taxes, which shall be governed by Section 16) (the "Letter of Credit Indemnified Costs"), and which arise out of or in connection with, or as a result of this Agreement, any Letter of Credit, any Issuer Document, or any Drawing Document referred to in or related to any Letter of Credit, or any action or proceeding arising out of any of the foregoing (whether administrative, judicial or in connection with arbitration); in each case, including that resulting from the Letter of Credit Related Person's own negligence; provided, that such indemnity shall not be available to any Letter of Credit Related Person claiming indemnification to the extent that such Letter of Credit Indemnified Costs may be finally determined in a final, non-appealable judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction to have resulted from the gross negligence or willful misconduct of the Letter of Credit Related Person claiming indemnity. This indemnification provision shall survive termination of this Agreement and all Letters of Credit.
(g)The liability of Issuing Lender (or any other Letter of Credit Related Person) under, in connection with or arising out of any Letter of Credit (or pre-advice) or L/C Undertaking, regardless of the form or legal grounds of the action or proceeding, shall be limited to direct damages suffered by Borrower that are caused by Issuing Lender's gross negligence or willful misconduct in (i) honoring a presentation under a Letter of Credit that on its face does not at least substantially comply with the terms and conditions of such Letter of Credit, (ii) failing to honor a presentation under a Letter of Credit that strictly complies with the terms and conditions of such Letter of Credit, or (iii) retaining Drawing Documents presented under a Letter of Credit. Borrower's aggregate remedies against Issuing Lender and any Letter of Credit Related Person for wrongfully honoring a presentation under any Letter of Credit or wrongfully retaining honored Drawing Documents shall in no event exceed the aggregate amount paid by Borrower to Issuing Lender in respect of the honored presentation in connection with such Letter of Credit under Section 2.11(d), plus the Applicable Rate. Borrower shall take action to avoid and mitigate the amount of any damages claimed against Issuing Lender or any other Letter of Credit Related Person, including by enforcing its rights against the beneficiaries of the Letters of Credit. Any claim by Borrower under or in connection with any Letter of Credit shall be reduced by an amount equal to the sum of (x) the demonstrable amount (if any) saved by Borrower as a direct
result of the breach or alleged wrongful conduct complained of, and (y) the amount (if any) of the loss that would have been avoided had Borrower taken all reasonable steps to mitigate any loss, and in case of a claim of wrongful dishonor, by specifically and timely authorizing Issuing Lender and/or or Underlying Issuer to effect a cure.
(h)Borrower is responsible for the final text of the Letter of Credit as issued by Issuing Lender or Underlying Issuer, irrespective of any assistance Issuing Lender or Underlying Issuer may provide such as drafting or recommending text or by Issuing Lender's or Underlying Issuer's use or refusal to use text submitted by Borrower. Borrower understands that the final form of any Letter of Credit may be subject to such revisions and changes as are deemed necessary or appropriate by Issuing Lender or Underlying Issuer, and Borrower hereby consents to such revisions and changes not materially different from the application executed in connection therewith. Borrower is solely responsible for the suitability of the Letter of Credit for Borrower's purposes. If Borrower requests Issuing Lender or Underlying Issuer to issue a Letter of Credit for an affiliated or unaffiliated third party (an "Account Party"), (i) such Account Party shall have no rights against Issuing Lender or Underlying Issuer; (ii) Borrower shall be responsible for the application and obligations under this Agreement; and (iii) communications (including notices) related to the respective Letter of Credit shall be among Issuing Lender or Underlying Issuer and Borrower. Borrower will examine the copy of the Letter of Credit and any other documents sent by Issuing Lender in connection therewith and shall promptly notify Issuing Lender and Underlying Issuer (not later than three (3) Business Days following Borrower's receipt of documents from Issuing Lender) of any non-compliance with Borrower's instructions and of any discrepancy in any document under any presentment or other irregularity. Borrower understands and agrees that neither Issuing Lender or Underlying Issuer is required to extend the expiration date of any Letter of Credit for any reason. With respect to any Letter of Credit containing an "automatic amendment" to extend the expiration date of such Letter of Credit, Issuing Lender and Underlying Issuer, each in its sole and absolute discretion, may give notice of nonrenewal of such Letter of Credit and, if Borrower does not at any time want the then current expiration date of such Letter of Credit to be extended, Borrower will so notify Agent and Issuing Lender and Underlying Issuer at least 30 calendar days before Issuing Lender or Underlying Issuer is required to notify the beneficiary of such Letter of Credit or any advising bank of such non-extension pursuant to the terms of such Letter of Credit.
(i)Borrower's reimbursement and payment obligations under this Section 2.11 are absolute, unconditional and irrevocable and shall be performed strictly in accordance with the terms of this Agreement under any and all circumstances whatsoever, including:
(i)any lack of validity, enforceability or legal effect of any Letter of Credit, any Issuer Document, any L/C Undertaking, this Agreement, or any Loan Document, or any term or provision therein or herein;
(ii)payment against presentation of any draft, demand or claim for payment under any Drawing Document that does not comply in whole or in part with the terms of the applicable Letter of Credit or which proves to be fraudulent, forged or invalid in any respect or any statement therein being untrue or inaccurate in any respect, or which is signed,
issued or presented by a Person or a transferee of such Person purporting to be a successor or transferee of the beneficiary of such Letter of Credit;
(iii)Issuing Lender or Underlying Issuer or any of its branches or Affiliates being the beneficiary of any Letter of Credit;
(iv)Issuing Lender or any correspondent or Underlying Issuer honoring a drawing against a Drawing Document up to the amount available under any Letter of Credit even if such Drawing Document claims an amount in excess of the amount available under the Letter of Credit;
(v)the existence of any claim, set-off, defense or other right that any Loan Party or any of its Subsidiaries may have at any time against any beneficiary or transferee beneficiary, any assignee of proceeds, Issuing Lender, Underlying Issuer or any other Person;
(vi)Issuing Lender or any correspondent honoring a drawing upon receipt of an electronic presentation under a Letter of Credit requiring the same, regardless of whether the original Drawing Documents arrive at Issuing Lender's counters or are different from the electronic presentation;
(vii)any other event, circumstance or conduct whatsoever, whether or not similar to any of the foregoing that might, but for this Section 2.11(i), constitute a legal or equitable defense to or discharge of, or provide a right of set-off against, Borrower's or any of its Subsidiaries' reimbursement and other payment obligations and liabilities, arising under, or in connection with, any Letter of Credit, whether against Issuing Lender, Underlying Issuer, the beneficiary or any other Person; or
(viii)the fact that any Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing;
provided, that subject to Section 2.11(g) above, the foregoing shall not release Issuing Lender or Underlying Issuer from such liability to Borrower as may be finally determined in a final, non-appealable judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction against Issuing Lender or Underlying Issuer following reimbursement or payment of the obligations and liabilities, including reimbursement and other payment obligations, of Borrower to Issuing Lender arising under, or in connection with, this Section 2.11 or any Letter of Credit or L/C Undertaking.
(j) Without limiting any other provision of this Agreement, Issuing Lender, Underlying Issuer and each other Letter of Credit Related Person (if applicable) shall not be responsible to Borrower for, and Issuing Lender's and Underlying Issuer's rights and remedies against Borrower and the obligation of Borrower to reimburse Issuing Lender and Underlying Issuer for each drawing under each Letter of Credit and L/C Undertaking shall not be impaired by:
(i)honor of a presentation under any Letter of Credit that on its face substantially complies with the terms and conditions of such Letter of Credit, even if the Letter of Credit requires strict compliance by the beneficiary;
(ii)honor of a presentation of any Drawing Document that appears on its face to have been signed, presented or issued (A) by any purported successor or transferee of any beneficiary or other Person required to sign, present or issue such Drawing Document or (B) under a new name of the beneficiary;
(iii)acceptance as a draft of any written or electronic demand or request for payment under a Letter of Credit, even if nonnegotiable or not in the form of a draft or notwithstanding any requirement that such draft, demand or request bear any or adequate reference to the Letter of Credit;
(iv)the identity or authority of any presenter or signer of any Drawing Document or the form, accuracy, genuineness or legal effect of any Drawing Document (other than Issuing Lender's or Underlying Issuer's determination that such Drawing Document appears on its face substantially to comply with the terms and conditions of the Letter of Credit);
(v)acting upon any instruction or request relative to a Letter of Credit or requested Letter of Credit that Issuing Lender and/or Underlying Issuer in good faith believes to have been given by a Person authorized to give such instruction or request;
(vi)any errors, omissions, interruptions or delays in transmission or delivery of any message, advice or document (regardless of how sent or transmitted) or for errors in interpretation of technical terms or in translation or any delay in giving or failing to give notice to Borrower;
(vii)any acts, omissions or fraud by, or the insolvency of, any beneficiary, any nominated person or entity or any other Person or any breach of contract between any beneficiary and Borrower or any of the parties to the underlying transaction to which the Letter of Credit relates;
(viii)assertion or waiver of any provision of the ISP or UCP that primarily benefits an issuer of a letter of credit, including any requirement that any Drawing Document be presented to it at a particular hour or place;
(ix)payment to any presenting bank (designated or permitted by the terms of the applicable Letter of Credit) claiming that it rightfully honored or is entitled to reimbursement or indemnity under Standard Letter of Credit Practice applicable to it;
(x)acting or failing to act as required or permitted under Standard Letter of Credit Practice applicable to where Issuing Lender or Underlying Issuer has issued, confirmed, advised or negotiated such Letter of Credit, as the case may be;
(xi)honor of a presentation after the expiration date of any Letter of Credit notwithstanding that a presentation was made prior to such expiration date and dishonored by Issuing Lender or Underlying Issuer, as applicable, if subsequently Issuing Lender or Underlying Issuer, as applicable, or any court or other finder of fact determines such presentation should have been honored;
(xii)dishonor of any presentation that does not strictly comply or that is fraudulent, forged or otherwise not entitled to honor; or
(xiii)(xiii) honor of a presentation that is subsequently determined by Issuing Lender or Underlying Issuer, as applicable, to have been made in violation of international, federal, state or local restrictions on the transaction of business with certain prohibited Persons.
(k)Borrower shall pay immediately upon demand to Agent for the account of Issuing Lender as non-refundable fees, commissions, and charges (it being acknowledged and agreed that any charging of such fees, commissions, and charges to the Loan Account pursuant to the provisions of Section 2.6(d) shall be deemed to constitute a demand for payment thereof for the purposes of this Section 2.11(k)): (i) to the extent the Issuing Lender is Agent or Wells Fargo, a fronting fee which shall be imposed by Issuing Lender equal to 0.25% per annum times the average amount of the Letter of Credit Usage during the immediately preceding quarter (or if an Event of Default has occurred, month) (or portion thereof), plus (ii) any and all other customary commissions, fees and charges then in effect imposed by, and any and all expenses incurred by, Issuing Lender or Underlying Issuer, or by any adviser, confirming institution or entity or other nominated person, relating to Letters of Credit, at the time of issuance of any Letter of Credit and upon the occurrence of any other activity with respect to any Letter of Credit (including transfers, assignments of proceeds, amendments, drawings, renewals or cancellations).
(l)If by reason of (x) any Change in Law, or (y) compliance by Issuing Lender, Underlying Issuer or any other member of the Lender Group with any direction, request, or requirement (irrespective of whether having the force of law) of any Governmental Authority or monetary authority including, Regulation D of the Board of Governors as from time to time in effect (and any successor thereto):
(i)any reserve, deposit, or similar requirement is or shall be imposed or modified in respect of any Letter of Credit or L/C Undertaking issued or caused to be issued hereunder or hereby, or any Loans or obligations to make Loans hereunder or hereby, or
(ii)there shall be imposed on Issuing Lender, Underlying Issuer or any other member of the Lender Group any other condition regarding any Letter of Credit, L/C Undertaking, Loans, or obligations to make Loans hereunder,
and the result of the foregoing is to increase, directly or indirectly, the cost to Issuing Lender, Underlying Issuer or any other member of the Lender Group of issuing, making, participating in, or maintaining any Letter of Credit or L/C Undertaking or to reduce the amount receivable in respect thereof, then, and in any such case, Agent may, at any time within a reasonable period after the additional cost is incurred or the amount received is reduced, notify Borrower, and Borrower shall pay within 30 days after demand therefor, such amounts as Agent may specify to be necessary to compensate Issuing Lender or any other member of the Lender Group for such additional cost or reduced receipt, together with interest on such amount from the date of such demand until payment in full thereof at the Applicable Rate; provided, that (A) Borrower shall not be required to provide any compensation pursuant to this Section 2.11(l) for any such
amounts incurred more than 180 days prior to the date on which the demand for payment of such amounts is first made to Borrower, and (B) if an event or circumstance giving rise to such amounts is retroactive, then the 180-day period referred to above shall be extended to include the period of retroactive effect thereof. The determination by Agent of any amount due pursuant to this Section 2.11(l), as set forth in a certificate setting forth the calculation thereof in reasonable detail, shall, in the absence of manifest or demonstrable error, be final and conclusive and binding on all of the parties hereto.
(m)Each standby Letter of Credit shall expire not later than the date that is 12 months after the date of the issuance of such Letter of Credit; provided, that any standby Letter of Credit may provide for the automatic extension thereof for any number of additional periods each of up to one year in duration; provided further, that with respect to any Letter of Credit which extends beyond the Maturity Date, Letter of Credit Collateralization shall be provided therefor on or before the date that is five Business Days prior to the Maturity Date. Each commercial Letter of Credit shall expire on the earlier of (i) 120 days (or such longer period of time as may be agreed by the Issuing Lender and Underlying Issuer) after the date of the issuance of such commercial Letter of Credit and (ii) five Business Days prior to the Maturity Date.
(n)If (i) any Event of Default shall occur and be continuing, or (ii) subject to Section 2.4(f), Availability shall at any time be less than zero, then on the Business Day following the date when the Administrative Borrower receives notice from Agent or the Required Lenders (or, if the maturity of the Obligations has been accelerated, Lenders with Letter of Credit Exposure representing greater than 50% of the total Letter Credit Exposure) demanding Letter of Credit Collateralization pursuant to this Section 2.11(n) upon such demand, Borrower shall provide Letter of Credit Collateralization with respect to the then existing Letter of Credit Usage. If Borrower fails to provide Letter of Credit Collateralization as required by this Section 2.11(n), the Lenders may (and, upon direction of Agent, shall) advance, as Advances the amount of the cash collateral required pursuant to the Letter of Credit Collateralization provision so that the then existing Letter of Credit Usage is cash collateralized in accordance with the Letter of Credit Collateralization provision (whether or not the Revolver Commitments have terminated, an Overadvance exists or the conditions in Section 3 are satisfied).
(o)Unless otherwise expressly agreed by Issuing Lender and Borrower when a Letter of Credit is issued, (i) the rules of the ISP shall apply to each standby Letter of Credit, and (ii) the rules of the UCP shall apply to each commercial Letter of Credit.
(p)Issuing Lender shall be deemed to have acted with due diligence and reasonable care if Issuing Lender's conduct is in accordance with Standard Letter of Credit Practice or in accordance with this Agreement.
(q)In the event of a direct conflict between the provisions of this Section 2.11 and any provision contained in any Issuer Document, it is the intention of the parties hereto that such provisions be read together and construed, to the fullest extent possible, to be in concert with each other. In the event of any actual, irreconcilable conflict that cannot be resolved as aforesaid, the terms and provisions of this Section 2.11 shall control and govern.
(r)The provisions of this Section 2.11 shall survive the termination of this Agreement and the repayment in full of the Obligations with respect to any Letters of Credit or L/C Undertakings that remain outstanding.
(s)At Borrower's costs and expense, Borrower shall execute and deliver to Issuing Lender such additional certificates, instruments and/or documents and take such additional action as may be reasonably requested by Issuing Lender to enable Issuing Lender to issue any Letter of Credit pursuant to this Agreement and related Issuer Document, to protect, exercise and/or enforce Issuing Lenders' rights and interests under this Agreement or to give effect to the terms and provisions of this Agreement or any Issuer Document. Borrower irrevocably appoints Issuing Lender as its attorney-in-fact and authorizes Issuing Lender, without notice to Borrower, to execute and deliver ancillary documents and letters customary in the letter of credit business that may include but are not limited to advisements, indemnities, checks, bills of exchange and issuance documents. The power of attorney granted by the Borrower is limited solely to such actions related to the issuance, confirmation or amendment of any Letter of Credit and to ancillary documents or letters customary in the letter of credit business. This appointment is coupled with an interest.
2.12.Special Provisions Applicable to Daily One Month LIBOR.
(a)The Daily One Month LIBOR may be adjusted by Agent with respect to any Lender on a prospective basis to take into account any additional or increased costs to such Lender of maintaining or obtaining any eurodollar deposits or increased costs (other than Taxes which shall be governed by Section 16), in each case, due to changes in applicable law, including any Changes in Law and changes in the reserve requirements imposed by the Board of Governors, which additional or increased costs would increase the cost of funding or maintaining loans bearing interest at the Daily One Month LIBOR. In any such event, the affected Lender shall give Borrowers and Agent notice of such a determination and adjustment and Agent promptly shall transmit the notice to each other Lender and, upon its receipt of the notice from the affected Lender, Borrowers may, by notice to such affected Lender (A) require such Lender to furnish to Borrowers a statement setting forth in reasonable detail the basis for adjusting such Daily One Month LIBOR and the method for determining the amount of such adjustment, or (B) repay the LIBOR Rate Loans of such Lender with respect to which such adjustment is made (together with any amounts due under Section 2.12(b)(ii)).
(b)Subject to the provisions set forth in Section 2.12(c) below, in the event that any change in market conditions or any Change in Law shall at any time after the date hereof, in the reasonable opinion of any Lender, make it unlawful or impractical for such Lender to fund or maintain LIBOR Rate Loans or to continue such funding or maintaining, or to determine or charge interest rates at the Daily One Month LIBOR, such Lender shall give notice of such changed circumstances to Agent and Borrowers and Agent promptly shall transmit the notice to each other Lender and (y) interest upon the LIBOR Rate Loans of such Lender thereafter shall accrue interest at the rate then applicable to Base Rate Loans, and (z) interest based on the Daily One Month LIBOR shall not be available until such Lender determines that it would no longer be unlawful or impractical to do so.
(c) Benchmark Replacement Setting.
(i)Benchmark Replacement. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in any Loan Document, if a Benchmark Transition Event or an Early Opt-in Election, as applicable, and its related Benchmark Replacement Date have occurred prior to the Reference Time in respect of any setting of the then-current Benchmark, then (a) if a Benchmark Replacement is determined in accordance with clause (a) or (b) of the definition of “Benchmark Replacement” for such Benchmark Replacement Date, such Benchmark Replacement will replace such Benchmark for all purposes under any Loan Document in respect of such Benchmark setting and subsequent Benchmark settings without any amendment to, or further action or consent of any other party to, any Loan Document and (b) if a Benchmark Replacement is determined in connection with an Early Opt-in Election, such Benchmark Replacement will replace such Benchmark for all purposes under any Loan Document in respect of any Benchmark setting at or after 5:00 p.m. on the fifth Business Day after the date notice of such Benchmark Replacement is provided to Lenders without any amendment to any Loan Document, or further action or consent of any other party to, any Loan Document, so long as Agent has not received, by such time, written notice of objection to such Benchmark Replacement from Lenders comprising the Required Lenders.
(ii)Benchmark Replacement Conforming Changes. In connection with the implementation of a Benchmark Replacement, Agent will have the right to make Benchmark Replacement Conforming Changes from time to time and, notwithstanding anything to the contrary in any Loan Document, any amendments implementing such Benchmark Replacement Conforming Changes will become effective without any further action or consent of any Loan Party.
(iii)Notices; Standards for Decisions and Determinations. Agent will promptly notify Administrative Borrower and the Lenders of (a) any occurrence of a Benchmark Transition Event or an Early Opt-in Election, as applicable, and its related Benchmark Replacement Date, (b) the implementation of any Benchmark Replacement, and (c) the effectiveness of any Benchmark Replacement Conforming Changes. Any determination, decision or election that may be made by Agent pursuant to this Section 2.12(c), including any determination with respect to a tenor, rate or adjustment or of the occurrence or non-occurrence of an event, circumstance or date and any decision to take or refrain from taking any action or any selection, will be conclusive and binding absent manifest error and may be made in Agent’s Permitted Discretion and without consent from any Loan Party
(iv)London Interbank Offered Rate Benchmark Transition Event. On March 5, 2021, the ICE Benchmark Administration (the "IBA"), the administrator of the London interbank offered rate, and the Financial Conduct Authority, the regulatory supervisor of the IBA, announced in public statements (the "Announcements") that the final publication or representativeness date for Dollars for (a) 1-week and 2-month London interbank offered rate tenor settings will be December 31, 2021 and (b) overnight, 1-month, 3-month, 6-month and 12-month London interbank offered rate tenor settings will be June 30, 2023. No successor administrator for the IBA was identified in such Announcements. The parties hereto agree and acknowledge that the Announcements resulted in the occurrence of a Benchmark Transition
Event with respect to the London interbank offered rate pursuant to the terms of the Loan Documents and that any obligation of Agent to notify any parties of such Benchmark Transition Event pursuant to clause (iii) of this Section 2.12(c) shall be deemed satisfied.
(d)No Requirement of Matched Funding. Anything to the contrary contained herein notwithstanding, neither Agent, nor any Lender, nor any of their Participants, is required actually to acquire eurodollar deposits to fund or otherwise match fund any Obligation as to which interest accrues at the Daily One Month LIBOR.
2.13.Capital Requirements.
(a)If, after the date hereof, any Lender determines that (i) the adoption of or change in any law, rule, regulation or guideline regarding capital or reserve requirements for banks or bank holding companies, or any change in the interpretation, implementation, or application thereof by any Governmental Authority charged with the administration thereof, or (ii) compliance by such Lender or its parent bank holding company with any guideline, request or directive of any such entity regarding capital adequacy (whether or not having the force of law), has the effect of reducing the return on such Lender's or such holding company's capital as a consequence of such Lender's Commitments hereunder to a level below that which such Lender or such holding company could have achieved but for such adoption, change, or compliance (taking into consideration such Lender's or such holding company's then existing policies with respect to capital adequacy and assuming the full utilization of such entity's capital) by any amount deemed by such Lender to be material ("Change in Law"), then such Lender may notify Administrative Borrower and Agent thereof; provided, that notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and all requests, rules, regulations, guidelines or directives thereunder or issued in connection therewith shall be deemed to be a Change in Law enacted after the Closing Date regardless of the date actually enacted, adopted or issued. Following receipt of such notice, Borrowers agree to pay such Lender on demand the amount of such reduction of return of capital as and when such reduction is determined, payable within 30 days after presentation by such Lender of a statement in the amount and setting forth in reasonable detail such Lender's calculation thereof and the assumptions upon which such calculation was based (which statement shall be deemed true and correct absent manifest error). In determining such amount, such Lender may use any reasonable averaging and attribution methods. Failure or delay on the part of any Lender to demand compensation pursuant to this Section shall not constitute a waiver of such Lender's right to demand such compensation; provided that no Borrower shall be required to compensate a Lender pursuant to this Section for any reductions in return incurred more than 180 days prior to the date that such Lender notifies Administrative Borrower of such law, rule, regulation or guideline giving rise to such reductions and of such Lender's intention to claim compensation therefor; provided further that if such claim arises by reason of the adoption of or change in any law, rule, regulation or guideline that is retroactive, then the 180-day period referred to above shall be extended to include the period of retroactive effect thereof.
(b)If any Lender requests additional amounts under Section 2.13(a) (any such Lender, an "Affected Lender"), then such Affected Lender shall use reasonable efforts to promptly designate a different one of its lending offices or to assign its rights and obligations
hereunder to another of its offices or branches, if (i) in the reasonable judgment of such Affected Lender, such designation or assignment would eliminate or reduce amounts payable pursuant to Section 2.13(a) and (ii) in the reasonable judgment of such Affected Lender, such designation or assignment would not subject it to any material unreimbursed cost or expense and would not otherwise be materially disadvantageous to it. Borrowers agree to pay all reasonable out-of-pocket costs and expenses incurred by such Affected Lender in connection with any such designation or assignment. If, after such reasonable efforts, such Affected Lender does not so designate a different one of its lending offices or assign its rights to another of its offices or branches so as to eliminate Borrowers' obligation to pay any future amounts to such Affected Lender pursuant to Section 2.13(a) (without prejudice to any amounts then due to such Affected Lender under Section 2.13(a)) may, unless prior to the effective date of any such assignment the Affected Lender withdraws its request for such additional amounts under Section 2.13(a), may seek a substitute Lender reasonably acceptable to Agent to purchase the Obligations owed to such Affected Lender and such Affected Lender's Commitments hereunder (a "Replacement Lender"), and if such Replacement Lender agrees to such purchase, such Affected Lender shall assign to the Replacement Lender its Obligations and Commitments, pursuant to an Assignment and Acceptance Agreement, and upon such purchase by the Replacement Lender, such Replacement Lender shall be deemed to be a "Lender" for purposes of this Agreement and such Affected Lender shall cease to be a "Lender" for purposes of this Agreement.
2.14.Joint and Several Liability of Borrowers.
(a)Each Borrower is accepting joint and several liability hereunder and under the other Loan Documents in consideration of the financial accommodations to be provided by the Lender Group under this Agreement, for the mutual benefit, directly and indirectly, of each Borrower and in consideration of the undertakings of the other Borrowers to accept joint and several liability for the Obligations.
(b)Each Borrower, jointly and severally, hereby irrevocably and unconditionally accepts, not merely as a surety but also as a co-debtor, joint and several liability with the other Borrowers, with respect to the payment and performance of all of the Obligations (including any Obligations arising under this Section 2.14), it being the intention of the parties hereto that all the Obligations shall be the joint and several obligations of each Borrower without preferences or distinction among them.
(c)If and to the extent that any Borrower shall fail to make any payment with respect to any of the Obligations as and when due or to perform any of the Obligations in accordance with the terms thereof, then in each such event the other Borrowers will make such payment with respect to, or perform, such Obligation until such time as all of the Obligations are paid in full.
(d)The Obligations of each Borrower under the provisions of this Section 2.14 constitute the absolute and unconditional, full recourse Obligations of each Borrower enforceable against each Borrower to the full extent of its properties and assets, irrespective of the validity, regularity or enforceability of the provisions of this Agreement (other than this Section 2.14(d)) or any other circumstances whatsoever.
(e)Except as otherwise expressly provided in this Agreement, each Borrower hereby waives notice of acceptance of its joint and several liability, notice of any Advances or Letters of Credit issued under or pursuant to this Agreement, notice of the occurrence of any Default, Event of Default, or of any demand for any payment under this Agreement, notice of any action at any time taken or omitted by Agent or Lenders under or in respect of any of the Obligations, any requirement of diligence or to mitigate damages and, generally, to the extent permitted by applicable law, all demands, notices and other formalities of every kind in connection with this Agreement (except as otherwise provided in this Agreement). Each Borrower hereby assents to, and waives notice of, any extension or postponement of the time for the payment of any of the Obligations, the acceptance of any payment of any of the Obligations, the acceptance of any partial payment thereon, any waiver, consent or other action or acquiescence by Agent or Lenders at any time or times in respect of any default by any Borrower in the performance or satisfaction of any term, covenant, condition or provision of this Agreement, any and all other indulgences whatsoever by Agent or Lenders in respect of any of the Obligations, and the taking, addition, substitution or release, in whole or in part, at any time or times, of any security for any of the Obligations or the addition, substitution or release, in whole or in part, of any Borrower. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, each Borrower assents to any other action or delay in acting or failure to act on the part of any Agent or Lender with respect to the failure by any Borrower to comply with any of its respective Obligations, including, without limitation, any failure strictly or diligently to assert any right or to pursue any remedy or to comply fully with applicable laws or regulations thereunder, which might, but for the provisions of this Section 2.14 afford grounds for terminating, discharging or relieving any Borrower, in whole or in part, from any of its Obligations under this Section 2.14, it being the intention of each Borrower that, so long as any of the Obligations hereunder remain unsatisfied, the Obligations of each Borrower under this Section 2.14 shall not be discharged except by performance and then only to the extent of such performance. The Obligations of each Borrower under this Section 2.14 shall not be diminished or rendered unenforceable by any winding up, reorganization, arrangement, liquidation, reconstruction or similar proceeding with respect to any other Borrower or any Agent or Lender.
(f)Each Borrower represents and warrants to Agent and Lenders that such Borrower is currently informed of the financial condition of Borrowers and of all other circumstances which a diligent inquiry would reveal and which bear upon the risk of nonpayment of the Obligations. Each Borrower further represents and warrants to Agent and Lenders that such Borrower has read and understands the terms and conditions of the Loan Documents. Each Borrower hereby covenants that such Borrower will continue to keep informed of Borrowers' financial condition and of all other circumstances which bear upon the risk of nonpayment or nonperformance of the Obligations.
(g)The provisions of this Section 2.14 are made for the benefit of Agent, each member of the Lender Group, each Bank Product Provider, and their respective successors and assigns, and may be enforced by it or them from time to time against any or all Borrowers as often as occasion therefor may arise and without requirement on the part of Agent, any member of the Lender Group, any Bank Product Provider, or any of their successors or assigns first to marshal any of its or their claims or to exercise any of its or their rights against any Borrower or to exhaust any remedies available to it or them against any Borrower or to resort to any other
source or means of obtaining payment of any of the Obligations hereunder or to elect any other remedy. The provisions of this Section 2.14 shall remain in effect until all of the Obligations shall have been paid in full or otherwise fully satisfied. If at any time, any payment, or any part thereof, made in respect of any of the Obligations, is rescinded or must otherwise be restored or returned by Agent or any Lender upon the insolvency, bankruptcy or reorganization of any Borrower, or otherwise, the provisions of this Section 2.14 will forthwith be reinstated in effect, as though such payment had not been made.
(h)Each Borrower hereby agrees that it will not enforce any of its rights of contribution or subrogation against any other Borrower with respect to any liability incurred by it hereunder or under any of the other Loan Documents, any payments made by it to Agent or Lenders with respect to any of the Obligations or any collateral security therefor until such time as all of the Obligations have been paid in full in cash. Any claim which any Borrower may have against any other Borrower with respect to any payments to any Agent or any member of the Lender Group hereunder or under any of the Bank Product Agreements are hereby expressly made subordinate and junior in right of payment, without limitation as to any increases in the Obligations arising hereunder or thereunder, to the prior payment in full in cash of the Obligations and, in the event of any insolvency, bankruptcy, receivership, liquidation, reorganization or other similar proceeding under the laws of any jurisdiction relating to any Borrower, its debts or its assets, whether voluntary or involuntary, all such Obligations shall be paid in full in cash before any payment or distribution of any character, whether in cash, securities or other property, shall be made to any other Borrower therefor.
2.15.Accordion.
(a)At any time during the period from and after the Seventeenth Amendment Effective Date through but excluding the date that is the 5th year anniversary of the Seventeenth Amendment Effective Date, at the option of Borrowers (but subject to the conditions set forth in clause (b) below), the Revolver Commitments and the Maximum Revolver Amount may be increased by an amount in the aggregate for all such increases of the Revolver Commitments and the Maximum Revolver Amount not to exceed the Available Revolver Increase Amount (each such increase, an "Increase"). Borrowers may invite any Lender, any Affiliate of Lender or any other prospective lender who is reasonably satisfactory to Agent to become a Lender in connection with a proposed Increase. Any Increase shall be in an amount of at least $10,000,000 and integral multiples of $10,000,000 in excess thereof. In no event may the Revolver Commitments and the Maximum Revolver Amount be increased pursuant to this Section 2.15 on more than three (3) occasions in the aggregate for all such Increases. Additionally, for the avoidance of doubt, it is understood and agreed that in no event shall the aggregate amount of the Increases to the Revolver Commitments exceed $100,000,000.
(b)Each of the following shall be conditions precedent to any Increase of the Revolver Commitments and the Maximum Revolver Amount in connection therewith:
(i)Agent has obtained the commitment of one or more Lenders, Affiliates of a Lender or other prospective lenders (reasonably satisfactory to Agent and Borrowers) to provide the applicable Increase and any such Lenders (or prospective
lenders), Borrowers, and Agent have signed a joinder agreement to this Agreement (an "Increase Joinder"), in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to Agent, to which such Lenders (or prospective lenders), Borrowers, and Agent are party,
(ii)each of the conditions precedent set forth in Section 3.2 are satisfied,
(iii)in connection with any Increase, if any Loan Party or any of its Subsidiaries owns or will acquire any Margin Stock (other than Equity Interests in Parent owned or acquired by Parent), Borrowers shall deliver to Agent an updated Form U-1 (with sufficient additional originals thereof for each Lender), duly executed and delivered by the Borrowers, together with such other documentation as Agent shall reasonably request, in order to enable Agent and the Lenders to comply with any of the requirements under Regulations T, U or X of the Federal Reserve Board,
(iv)subject to Section 1.9, Borrowers have delivered to Agent updated pro forma Projections (after giving effect to the applicable Increase) for Borrowers evidencing compliance on a pro forma basis with Section 7 for the 12 fiscal months (assuming a Covenant Testing Period is in effect) immediately following the proposed date of the applicable Increase (or, to the extent provided in Section 1.9, LC Test Date),
(v)Borrowers shall have reached agreement with the Lenders (or prospective lenders) agreeing to the increased Revolver Commitments with respect to the interest margins applicable to Advances to be made pursuant to the increased Revolver Commitments (which interest margins may be higher than or equal to the interest margins applicable to Advances set forth in this Agreement immediately prior to the date of the increased Revolver Commitments (the date of the effectiveness of the increased Revolver Commitments and the Maximum Revolver Amount, the "Increase Date")) and shall have communicated the amount of such interest margins to Agent. Any Increase Joinder may, with the consent of Agent, Borrowers and the Lenders or prospective lenders agreeing to the proposed Increase, effect such amendments to this Agreement and the other Loan Documents as may be necessary or appropriate to effectuate the provisions of this Section 2.15 (including any amendment necessary to effectuate the interest margins for the Advances to be made pursuant to the increased Revolver Commitments); provided, that, anything to the contrary contained herein notwithstanding, if the interest margin that is to be applicable to the Advances to be made pursuant to the increased Revolver Commitments are higher than the interest margin applicable to the Advances hereunder immediately prior to the applicable Increase Date (the amount by which the interest margin is higher, the "Excess"), then the interest margin applicable to the Advances immediately prior to the Increase Date shall be increased by the amount of the Excess, effective on the applicable Increase Date, and without the necessity of any action by any party hereto, and
(vi)at Agent's discretion, completion of Agent's business and legal due diligence, the results of which must be satisfactory to Agent.
(c)Unless otherwise specifically provided herein, all references in this Agreement and any other Loan Document to Advances shall be deemed, unless the context otherwise requires, to include Advances made pursuant to the increased Revolver Commitments and Maximum Revolver Amount pursuant to this Section 2.15.
(d)Each of the Lenders having a Revolver Commitment prior to the Increase Date (the "Pre-Increase Revolver Lenders") shall assign to any Lender which is acquiring a new or additional Revolver Commitment on the Increase Date (the "Post-Increase Revolver Lenders"), and such Post-Increase Revolver Lenders shall purchase from each Pre-Increase Revolver Lender, at the principal amount thereof, such interests in the Advances and participation interests in Letters of Credit on such Increase Date as shall be necessary in order that, after giving effect to all such assignments and purchases, such Advances and participation interests in Letters of Credit will be held by Pre-Increase Revolver Lenders and Post-Increase Revolver Lenders ratably in accordance with their Pro Rata Share after giving effect to such increased Revolver Commitments.
(e)The Advances, Revolver Commitments, and Maximum Revolver Amount established pursuant to this Section 2.15 shall constitute Advances, Revolver Commitments, and Maximum Revolver Amount under, and shall be entitled to all the benefits afforded by, this Agreement and the other Loan Documents, and shall, without limiting the foregoing, benefit equally and ratably from the security interests created by the Loan Documents. Borrowers shall deliver to Agent such agreements, certificates, documents and opinions as Agent shall reasonably request in connection with any Increase, and shall take any actions reasonably required by Agent to ensure and demonstrate that the Liens and security interests granted by the Loan Documents continue to be perfected under the Code or otherwise after giving effect to the establishment of any such new Revolver Commitments and Maximum Revolver Amount.
3.CONDITIONS; TERM OF AGREEMENT.
3.1.Conditions Precedent to the Initial Extension of Credit. The obligation of each Lender to make its initial extension of credit provided for hereunder is subject to the fulfillment, to the satisfaction of Agent and each Lender, of each of the conditions precedent set forth on Schedule 3.1 (the making of such initial extension of credit by a Lender being conclusively deemed to be its satisfaction or waiver of the conditions precedent).
3.2.Conditions Precedent to all Extensions of Credit. The obligation of the Lender Group (or any member thereof) to make any Advances hereunder (or to extend any other credit hereunder) at any time shall be subject to the following conditions precedent:
(a)the representations and warranties of each Loan Party contained in this Agreement or in the other Loan Documents shall be true and correct in all material respects (except that such materiality qualifier shall not be applicable to any representations and warranties that already are qualified or modified by materiality in the text thereof) on and as of the date of such extension of credit, as though made on and as of such date (except to the extent that such representations and warranties relate solely to an earlier date);
(b)no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing on the date of such extension of credit, nor shall either result from the making thereof, and
(c)if on the date of such extension of credit (i) a Covenant Trigger Event has not yet occurred and (ii) the Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio is less than 1.0 to 1.0, as evidenced by the calculation included in the Compliance Certificate most recently delivered pursuant to Schedule 5.1 of this Agreement, Availability shall be not less than 7.5% of the Maximum Revolver Amount after giving effect to such extension of credit.
In the event Borrowers have a negative loan balance and no Obligations (other than Letters of Credit and Bank Product Obligations) are outstanding, and one or more of the conditions provided in this Section 3.2 are not satisfied, Borrowers may nevertheless request a Borrowing in the amount of such negative loan balance less such amounts as Agent elects to retain as Letter of Credit Collateralization, Bank Product Collateralization and cash collateral to secure any contingent Obligations which may be reasonably asserted.
3.3.Maturity. This Agreement shall continue in full force and effect for a term ending on September 30, 2026 (the "Maturity Date"). The foregoing notwithstanding, the Lender Group, upon the election of the Required Lenders, shall have the right to terminate its obligations under this Agreement immediately and without notice upon the occurrence and during the continuation of an Event of Default.
3.4.Effect of Maturity. On the Maturity Date, all commitments of the Lender Group to provide additional credit hereunder shall automatically be terminated and all of the Obligations immediately shall become due and payable without notice or demand and Borrowers shall be required to repay all of the Obligations in full. No termination of the obligations of the Lender Group (other than payment in full of the Obligations and termination of the Commitments) shall relieve or discharge any Loan Party of its duties, obligations, or covenants hereunder or under any other Loan Document and Agent's Liens in the Collateral shall continue to secure the Obligations and shall remain in effect until all Obligations have been paid in full and the Commitments have been terminated. When all of the Obligations have been paid in full and the Lender Group's obligations to provide additional credit under the Loan Documents have been terminated irrevocably, Agent will, at Borrowers' sole expense, execute and deliver any termination statements, lien releases, discharges of security interests, and other similar discharge or release documents (and, if applicable, in recordable form) as are reasonably necessary to release, as of record, Agent's Liens and all notices of security interests and liens previously filed by Agent.
3.5.Early Termination by Borrowers. Borrowers have the option, at any time upon 5 Business Days prior written notice to Agent, to terminate this Agreement and terminate the Commitments hereunder by repaying to Agent all of the Obligations in full.
4.REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES.
In order to induce the Lender Group to enter into this Agreement, each Borrower makes the following representations and warranties to the Lender Group which shall be true,
correct, and complete, in all material respects (except that such materiality qualifier shall not be applicable to any representations and warranties that already are qualified or modified by materiality in the text thereof), as of the Closing Date, and shall be true, correct, and complete, in all material respects (except that such materiality qualifier shall not be applicable to any representations and warranties that already are qualified or modified by materiality in the text thereof), as of the date of the making of each Advance (or other extension of credit) made thereafter, as though made on and as of the date of such Advance (or other extension of credit) (except to the extent that such representations and warranties relate solely to an earlier date) and such representations and warranties shall survive the execution and delivery of this Agreement:
4.1.Due Organization and Qualification; Subsidiaries.
(a)Each Loan Party (i) is duly organized and existing and in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its organization, (ii) is qualified to do business in any state where the failure to be so qualified could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Change, and (iii) has all requisite power and authority to own and operate its properties, to carry on its business as now conducted and as proposed to be conducted, to enter into the Loan Documents to which it is a party and to carry out the transactions contemplated thereby.
(b)Set forth on Schedule 4.1(b) to the Disclosure Letter is a complete and accurate description of the authorized capital Stock of each Borrower, by class, and, as of the Seventeenth Amendment Effective Date, a description of the number of shares of each such class that are issued and outstanding. Other than as described on Schedule 4.1(b) to the Disclosure Letter, there are no subscriptions, options, warrants, or calls relating to any shares of any Borrower's capital Stock, including any right of conversion or exchange under any outstanding security or other instrument. No Borrower is subject to any obligation (contingent or otherwise) to repurchase or otherwise acquire or retire any shares of its capital Stock or any security convertible into or exchangeable for any of its capital Stock.
(c)Set forth on Schedule 4.1(c) to the Disclosure Letter (as such Schedule may be updated from time to time to reflect changes resulting from transactions permitted under this Agreement), is a complete and accurate list of the Designated Loan Parties' direct and indirect Subsidiaries, showing: (i) the number of shares of each class of common and preferred Stock authorized for each of such Subsidiaries, and (ii) the number and the percentage of the outstanding shares of each such class owned directly or indirectly by such Loan Party. All of the outstanding capital Stock of each such Subsidiary has been validly issued and is fully paid and non-assessable.
(d)Except as set forth on Schedule 4.1(c) to the Disclosure Letter, there are no subscriptions, options, warrants, or calls relating to any shares of Designated Loan Parties' Subsidiaries' capital Stock, including any right of conversion or exchange under any outstanding security or other instrument. Neither any Designated Loan Party nor any of their Subsidiaries are subject to any obligation (contingent or otherwise) to repurchase or otherwise acquire or retire any shares of any Loan Party's Subsidiaries' capital Stock or any security convertible into or exchangeable for any such capital Stock.
4.2.Due Authorization; No Conflict.
(a)As to each Loan Party, the execution, delivery, and performance by such Loan Party of the Loan Documents to which it is a party have been duly authorized by all necessary action on the part of such Loan Party.
(b)As to each Loan Party, the execution, delivery, and performance by such Loan Party of the Loan Documents to which it is a party do not and will not (i) violate any material provision of federal, state, or local law or regulation applicable to any Loan Party, the Governing Documents of any Loan Party, or any order, judgment, or decree of any court or other Governmental Authority binding on any Loan Party, (ii) conflict with, result in a breach of, or constitute (with due notice or lapse of time or both) a default under any material agreement of any Loan Party or its Subsidiaries where any such conflict, breach or default would individually or in the aggregate reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Change, (iii) result in or require the creation or imposition of any Lien of any nature whatsoever upon any assets of any Loan Party, other than Permitted Liens, or (iv) require any approval of any holder of Equity Interests of a Loan Party or any approval or consent of any Person under any material agreement of any Loan Party, other than consents or approvals that have been obtained and that are still in force and effect and except, in the case of material agreements, for consents or approvals, the failure to obtain would not individually or in the aggregate reasonably be expected to cause a Material Adverse Change.
4.3.Governmental Consents. The execution, delivery, and performance by each Loan Party of the Loan Documents to which such Loan Party is a party and the consummation of the transactions contemplated by the Loan Documents do not and will not require any registration with, consent, or approval of, or notice to, or other action with or by, any Governmental Authority, other than registrations, consents, approvals, notices, or other actions that have been obtained and that are still in force and effect and except for filings and recordings with respect to the Collateral to be made, or otherwise delivered to Agent for filing or recordation, as of the Closing Date.
4.4.Binding Obligations; Perfected Liens.
(a)Each Loan Document has been duly executed and delivered by each Loan Party that is a party thereto and is the legally valid and binding obligation of such Loan Party, enforceable against such Loan Party in accordance with its respective terms, except as enforcement may be limited by equitable principles or by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium, or similar laws relating to or limiting creditors' rights generally.
(b)Agent's Liens are validly created, perfected in the manner and to the extent required by the Security Agreements, and first priority Liens, subject only to Permitted Liens which are either (u) non-consensual (including as a result of any operation of law), (v) permitted purchase money Liens, (w) the interests of lessors under Capital Leases, (x) Liens in Notes Priority Collateral, (y) Liens on cash and Cash Equivalents (other than cash and Cash Equivalents subject to a Control Agreement), or (z) Liens on amounts credited to any Excluded Account.
4.5.Title to Assets; No Encumbrances. Each of the Designated Loan Parties has (a) good, sufficient and legal title to (in the case of fee interests in Real Property), (b) valid leasehold interests in (in the case of leasehold interests in real or personal property), and (c) good and marketable title to (in the case of all other personal property), all of their respective assets reflected in their most recent financial statements delivered pursuant to Section 5.1, in each case except for assets disposed of since the date of such financial statements to the extent permitted hereby. All of such assets are free and clear of Liens except for Permitted Liens. Each of the Plant Loan Parties has good and marketable title to all of their respective Inventory and Accounts reflected in their most recent financial statements delivered pursuant to Section 5.1, in each case except for such assets disposed of since the date of such financial statements to the extent permitted hereby. All of such assets are free and clear of Liens except for Permitted Liens.
4.6.Jurisdiction of Organization; Location of Chief Executive Office; Organizational Identification Number; Commercial Tort Claims.
(a)The name of (within the meaning of Section 9-503 of the Code) and jurisdiction of organization of each Loan Party is set forth on Schedule 4.6(a) to the Disclosure Letter (as such Schedule may be updated from time to time to reflect changes resulting from transactions permitted under this Agreement).
(b)The chief executive office of each Loan Party is located at the address indicated on Schedule 4.6(b) to the Disclosure Letter (as such Schedule may be updated from time to time to reflect changes resulting from transactions permitted under this Agreement).
(c)Each Loan Party's tax identification numbers and organizational identification numbers, if any, are identified on Schedule 4.6(c) to the Disclosure Letter (as such Schedule may be updated from time to time to reflect changes resulting from transactions permitted under this Agreement).
(d)As of the Seventeenth Amendment Effective Date, no Designated Loan Party holds any commercial tort claims that exceed $100,000 in amount, except as set forth on Schedule 4.6(d) to the Disclosure Letter.
4.7.Litigation.
(a)Except as set forth on Schedule 4.7 to the Disclosure Letter, there are no actions, suits, or proceedings pending or, to the knowledge of Borrowers, after due inquiry, threatened in writing against a Loan Party that either individually or in the aggregate could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Change.
(b)Schedule 4.7 to the Disclosure Letter sets forth a complete and accurate description, with respect to each of the actions, suits, or proceedings that, as of the Seventeenth Amendment Effective Date, is pending or, to the knowledge of Borrowers, after due inquiry, threatened against a Loan Party, of (i) the parties to such actions, suits, or proceedings, (ii) the nature of the dispute that is the subject of such actions, suits, or proceedings, (iii) the status, as of the Seventeenth Amendment Effective Date, with respect to such actions, suits, or proceedings,
and (iv) whether any liability of the Loan Parties' in connection with such actions, suits, or proceedings is covered by insurance.
4.8.Compliance with Laws. No Secured Loan Party (a) is in violation of any applicable laws, rules, regulations, executive orders, or codes (including Environmental Laws) that, individually or in the aggregate, could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Change, or (b) is subject to or in default with respect to any final judgments, writs, injunctions, decrees, rules or regulations of any court or any federal, state, municipal or other governmental department, commission, board, bureau, agency or instrumentality, domestic or foreign, that, individually or in the aggregate, could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Change.
4.9.No Material Adverse Change. All historical financial statements relating to the Loan Parties that have been delivered by any of the Borrowers to Agent have been prepared in accordance with GAAP (except, in the case of unaudited financial statements, for the lack of footnotes and being subject to year-end audit adjustments) and present fairly in all material respects, the Loan Parties' consolidated financial condition as of the date thereof and results of operations for the period then ended. Since December 31, 2010, no event, circumstance, or change has occurred that has or could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Change with respect to the Loan Parties.
4.10.Fraudulent Transfer.
(a)Each Loan Party is Solvent.
(b)No transfer of property is being made by any Loan Party and no obligation is being incurred by any Loan Party in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or the other Loan Documents with the intent to hinder, delay, or defraud either present or future creditors of such Loan Party.
4.11.Employee Benefits. No Secured Loan Party nor any of their ERISA Affiliates maintains or contributes to any Benefit Plan.
4.12.Environmental Condition. Except as set forth on Schedule 4.12 to the Disclosure Letter, (a) to Borrowers' knowledge, no Secured Loan Party's properties or assets has ever been used by a Secured Loan Party, or by previous owners or operators, in the disposal of, or to produce, store, handle, treat, release, or transport, any Hazardous Materials, where such disposal, production, storage, handling, treatment, release or transport was in violation, in any material respect, of any applicable Environmental Law, (b) to Borrowers' knowledge, after due inquiry, no Secured Loan Party's properties or assets has ever been designated or identified in any manner pursuant to any environmental protection statute as a Hazardous Materials disposal site, (c) no Secured Loan Party has received notice that a Lien arising under any Environmental Law has attached to any revenues or to any Real Property owned or operated by a Secured Loan Party, and (d) no Secured Loan Party nor any of their respective facilities or operations is subject to any outstanding written order, consent decree, or settlement agreement with any Person relating to any Environmental Law or Environmental Liability that, in each case of clauses (a)
through (d), individually or in the aggregate, could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Change.
4.13.Intellectual Property. Each Secured Loan Party owns, or hold licenses in, all trademarks, trade names, copyrights, patents, and licenses that are necessary to the conduct of its business as currently conducted, and attached hereto as Schedule 4.13 to the Disclosure Letter (as updated from time to time) is a true, correct, and complete listing of (a) all material trademarks, trade names, copyrights, patents, and licenses as to which any Designated Loan Party is the owner or is an exclusive licensee and (b) all federally registered trademarks of any Plant Loan Party; provided, however, that Borrowers may amend Schedule 4.13 to the Disclosure Letter to add additional intellectual property so long as such amendment occurs by written notice to Agent not less than 90 days after the date on which the applicable Secured Loan Party acquires any such property after the Closing Date at the time that Borrowers provide Compliance Certificate pursuant to Section 5.1.
4.14.Leases. Each Secured Loan Party enjoys peaceful and undisturbed possession under all leases material to their business and to which it is a party or under which it is operating, and, subject to Permitted Protests, all of such material leases are valid and subsisting and no material default by the applicable Secured Loan Party exists under any of them.
4.15.Deposit Accounts and Securities Accounts. Set forth on Schedule 4.15 to the Disclosure Letter (as updated pursuant to the provisions of the Security Agreement from time to time) is a listing of all of the Designated Loan Parties' Deposit Accounts and Securities Accounts, including, with respect to each bank or securities intermediary (a) the name and address of such Person, and (b) the account numbers of the Deposit Accounts or Securities Accounts maintained with such Person.
4.16.Complete Disclosure. All factual information taken as a whole (other than forward-looking information and projections and information of a general economic nature and general information about Borrowers' industry) furnished by or on behalf of a Loan Party in writing to Agent or any Lender (including all information contained in the Schedules hereto, the Disclosure Letter or in the other Loan Documents) for purposes of or in connection with this Agreement or the other Loan Documents, and all other such factual information taken as a whole (other than forward-looking information and projections and information of a general economic nature and general information about Borrowers' industry) hereafter furnished by or on behalf of a Loan Party in writing to Agent or any Lender will be, true and accurate, in all material respects, on the date as of which such information is dated or certified and not incomplete by omitting to state any fact necessary to make such information (taken as a whole) not misleading in any material respect at such time in light of the circumstances under which such information was provided. The Projections delivered to Agent on December 14, 2011 represent, and as of the date on which any other Projections are delivered to Agent, such additional Projections represent, Borrowers' good faith estimate, on the date such Projections are delivered, of the Loan Parties' future performance for the periods covered thereby based upon assumptions believed by Borrowers to be reasonable at the time of the delivery thereof to Agent (it being understood that such Projections are subject to uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are beyond the
control of the Loan Parties, that no assurances can be given that such Projections will be realized, and that actual results may differ in a material manner from such Projections).
4.17.[Intentionally Omitted].
4.18.Patriot Act. To the extent applicable, each Loan Party is in compliance, in all material respects, with the (a) Trading with the Enemy Act, as amended, and each of the foreign assets control regulations of the United States Treasury Department (31 CFR, Subtitle B, Chapter V, as amended) and any other enabling legislation or executive order relating thereto, and (b) Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism (USA Patriot Act of 2001, as amended) (the "Patriot Act"). No Loan Party or any of its Subsidiaries is in violation of any Sanctions. No Loan Party nor any of its Subsidiaries nor, to the knowledge of such Loan Party, any director, officer, employee, agent or Affiliate of such Loan Party or such Subsidiary (a) is a Sanctioned Person or a Sanctioned Entity, (b) has any assets located in Sanctioned Entities, or (c) derives revenues from investments in, or transactions with Sanctioned Persons or Sanctioned Entities. Each of the Loan Parties and its Subsidiaries has implemented and maintains in effect policies and procedures reasonably designed to ensure compliance with Sanctions, Anti-Corruption Laws and Anti-Money Laundering Laws. Each of the Loan Parties and its Subsidiaries, and to the knowledge of each such Loan Party, each director, officer, employee, agent and Affiliate of each such Loan Party and each such Subsidiary, is in compliance with all Sanctions, Anti-Corruption Laws and Anti-Money Laundering Laws. No proceeds of any Loan made or Letter of Credit issued hereunder will be used to fund any operations in, finance any investments or activities in, or make any payments to, a Sanctioned Person or a Sanctioned Entity, or otherwise used in any manner that would result in a violation of any Sanction, Anti-Corruption Law or Anti-Money Laundering Law by any Person (including any Lender, Bank Product Provider, or other individual or entity participating in any transaction).
4.19.Indebtedness. Set forth on Schedule 4.19 to the Disclosure Letter is a true and complete list of all Indebtedness of each Designated Loan Party outstanding immediately prior to the Closing Date that is to remain outstanding immediately after giving effect to the closing hereunder on the Closing Date and such Schedule accurately sets forth the aggregate principal amount of such Indebtedness as of the Closing Date.
4.20.Payment of Taxes. Except as otherwise permitted under Section 5.5, all Tax returns and reports of each Secured Loan Party required to be filed by any of them have been timely filed, and all Taxes shown on such Tax returns to be due and payable and all assessments, fees and other governmental charges upon a Secured Loan Party and upon its assets, income, businesses and franchises that are due and payable have been paid when due and payable. Each Secured Loan Party has made adequate provision in accordance with GAAP for all taxes not yet due and payable. No Borrower knows of any proposed Tax assessment against a Secured Loan Party that is not being actively contested by such Secured Loan Party diligently, in good faith, and by appropriate proceedings; provided such reserves or other appropriate provisions, if any, as shall be required in conformity with GAAP shall have been made or provided therefor.
4.21.Margin Stock. Neither any Designated Loan Party nor any of its Subsidiaries is engaged principally, or as one of its important activities, in the business of extending credit for the purpose of purchasing or carrying any Margin Stock. No part of the proceeds of the Loans made by the Lender Group to Borrowers will be used to purchase or carry any such Margin Stock or to extend credit to others for the purpose of purchasing or carrying any Margin Stock or for any purpose that violates the provisions of Regulation T, U or X of the Board of Governors.
4.22.Governmental Regulation. No Secured Loan Party is subject to regulation under the Federal Power Act or the Investment Company Act of 1940 or under any other federal or state statute or regulation which may limit its ability to incur Indebtedness or which may otherwise render all or any portion of the Obligations unenforceable, except as enforcement may be limited by equitable principles or by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium, or similar laws relating to or limiting creditors' rights generally. No Secured Loan Party is a "registered investment company" or a company "controlled" by a "registered investment company" or a "principal underwriter" of a "registered investment company" as such terms are defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940.
4.23.OFAC. No Loan Party is in violation of any of the country or list based economic and trade sanctions administered and enforced by OFAC. No Loan Party (a) is a Sanctioned Person or a Sanctioned Entity, (b) has its assets located in Sanctioned Entities, or (c) derives revenues from investments in, or transactions with Sanctioned Persons or Sanctioned Entities. No proceeds of any loan made hereunder will be used to fund any operations in, finance any investments or activities in, or make any payments to, a Sanctioned Person or a Sanctioned Entity.
4.24.Employee and Labor Matters. There is (i) no unfair labor practice complaint pending or, to the knowledge of Borrowers, threatened against any Secured Loan Party before any Governmental Authority and no grievance or arbitration proceeding pending or threatened against any Secured Loan Party which arises out of or under any collective bargaining agreement and that could reasonably be expected to result in a material liability, (ii) no strike, labor dispute, slowdown, stoppage or similar action or grievance pending or threatened in writing against any Secured Loan Party that could reasonably be expected to result in a material liability, or (iii) to the knowledge of Borrowers, after due inquiry, no union representation question existing with respect to the employees of any Secured Loan Party and no union organizing activity taking place with respect to any of the employees of any Secured Loan Party. No Secured Loan Party has incurred any liability or obligation under the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act or similar state law, which remains unpaid or unsatisfied. The hours worked and payments made to employees of each Secured Loan Party has not been in violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act or any other applicable legal requirements, except to the extent such violations could not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Change. All material payments due from any Secured Loan Party on account of wages and employee health and welfare insurance and other benefits have been paid or accrued as a liability on the books of any Secured Loan Party, except where the failure to do so could not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Change.
4.25.Intentionally Omitted.
4.26.Eligible Accounts. As to each Account that is identified by any Borrower as an Eligible Billed Account or an Eligible Unbilled Account in a Borrowing Base Certificate submitted to Agent, such Account is (a) a bona fide existing payment obligation of the applicable Account Debtor created by the sale and delivery of Inventory or the rendition of services to such Account Debtor in the ordinary course of Borrowers' business, (b) owed to one or more of the Borrowers, and (c) not excluded as ineligible by virtue of one or more of the excluding criteria (other than Agent-discretionary criteria) set forth in the definition of Eligible Billed Accounts or Eligible Unbilled Accounts.
4.27.Eligible Inventory and Eligible In-Transit Inventory. As to each item of Inventory that is identified by any Borrower as Eligible Inventory or Eligible In-Transit Inventory in a Borrowing Base Certificate submitted to Agent, such Inventory is (a) of good and merchantable quality, free from known defects, and (b) not excluded as ineligible by virtue of one or more of the excluding criteria (other than Agent-discretionary criteria) set forth in the definition of Eligible Inventory. As of the Seventeenth Amendment Effective Date, Schedule 4.27 to the Disclosure Letter sets forth each of the freight forwarders, customs brokers and carriers used by any Borrower for the transportation of Eligible In-Transit Inventory
4.28.Locations of Inventory . The Inventory of the Secured Loan Parties constituting Collateral is not stored with a bailee, warehouseman, or similar party and is located only at, or in-transit between or to, the locations identified on Schedule 4.28 to the Disclosure Letter (as such Schedule may be updated pursuant to Section 5.15), except (a) in the case of Inventory rejected by a customer, at a place where such Inventory was delivered to, or relocated by, such customer, or (b) Inventory in transit to customers on an f.o.b. destination basis or to locations where such Inventory is anticipated to be sold or loaded for shipment to customers and the destination of such in transit Inventory is in the United States or Canada.
4.29.Inventory Records. Each Secured Loan Party keeps correct and accurate records itemizing and describing the type, quality, and quantity of its and its Subsidiaries' Inventory and the book value thereof.
4.30.Hedge Agreements. On each date that any Hedge Agreement is executed by any Hedge Provider, Borrower and each other Loan Party satisfy all eligibility, suitability and other requirements under the Commodity Exchange Act (7 U.S.C. § 1, et seq., as in effect from time to time) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission regulations.
5.AFFIRMATIVE COVENANTS.
Each Borrower covenants and agrees that, until termination of all of the Commitments and payment in full of the Obligations, it shall and shall cause each other Secured Loan Party to comply with each of the following:
5.1.Financial Statements, Reports, Certificates. Deliver to Agent, with copies to each Lender, each of the financial statements, reports, and other items set forth on Schedule 5.1 no later than the times specified therein. In addition, each Borrower agrees that no Designated Loan Party will have a fiscal year different from that of Administrative Borrower. In addition,
each Borrower agrees to maintain a system of accounting that enables such Borrower to produce financial statements in accordance with GAAP. Each Secured Loan Party shall also (a) keep a reporting system that shows all additions, sales, claims, returns, and allowances with respect to its sales, and (b) maintain its billing systems/practices substantially as in effect as of the Seventeenth Amendment Effective Date and shall only make material adverse modifications thereto with notice to, and with the consent of, Agent.
5.2.Collateral Reporting. Provide Agent (and if so requested by Agent, with copies for each Lender) with each of the reports set forth on Schedule 5.2 at the times specified therein. In addition, each Borrower agrees to use commercially reasonable efforts in cooperation with Agent to facilitate and maintain the use of a system of electronic collateral reporting in order to provide electronic reporting of each of the items set forth on such Schedule in existence as of the Seventeenth Amendment Effective Date.
5.a.Existence. Except as otherwise permitted under Section 6.3 or Section 6.4, at all times maintain and preserve in full force and effect its existence (including being in good standing in its jurisdiction of organization) and, except as could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Change, all rights and franchises, licenses and permits material to its business.
5.b.Maintenance of Properties. Maintain and preserve all of its assets that are necessary or useful in the proper conduct of its business in good working order and condition, ordinary wear, tear, and casualty excepted and Permitted Dispositions excepted and except where the failure to so maintain and preserve assets could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Change, and comply with the material provisions of all material leases to which it is a party as lessee, so as to prevent the loss or forfeiture thereof, unless such provisions are the subject of a Permitted Protest.
5.c.Taxes. Cause all assessments and taxes imposed, levied, or assessed against any Secured Loan Party, or any of its respective assets or in respect of any of its income, businesses, or franchises to be paid in full, before delinquency or before the expiration of any extension period, except for taxes and assessments which in the aggregate do not exceed $500,000 or to the extent that the validity of such assessment or Tax shall be the subject of a Permitted Protest and so long as, in the case of an assessment or tax that has or may become a Lien against any of the Collateral, such contest proceedings conclusively operate to stay the sale of any portion of the Collateral to satisfy such assessment or Tax. Each Borrower will and will cause each other Secured Loan Party to make timely payment or deposit of all Tax payments and withholding Taxes required of it and them by applicable laws, including those laws concerning F.I.C.A., F.U.T.A., state disability, and local, state, and federal income taxes, except for taxes which in the aggregate do not exceed $500,000 and will, upon request, furnish Agent with proof reasonably satisfactory to Agent indicating that such Loan Party has made such payments or deposits.
5.d.Insurance.
(a)At Borrowers' expense, maintain insurance respecting each of the Secured Loan Parties' assets wherever located, covering loss or damage by fire, theft, explosion, and all
other hazards and risks as ordinarily are insured against by other Persons engaged in the same or similar businesses. Borrowers also shall maintain (with respect to each of the Secured Loan Parties) business interruption, general liability, product liability insurance, director's and officer's liability insurance, fiduciary liability insurance, and employment practices liability insurance, as well as insurance against larceny, embezzlement, and criminal misappropriation. All such policies of insurance shall be with responsible and reputable insurance companies acceptable to Agent and in such amounts as is carried generally in accordance with sound business practice by companies in similar businesses similarly situated and located and in any event in amount, adequacy and scope reasonably satisfactory to Agent. All property insurance policies covering the Collateral are to be made payable to Agent for the benefit of Agent and the Lenders, as their interests may appear, in case of loss, pursuant to a standard loss payable endorsement with a standard noncontributory "lender" or "secured party" clause and are to contain such other provisions as Agent may reasonably require to fully protect the Lenders' interest in the Collateral and to any payments to be made under such policies. All certificates of property and general liability insurance are to be delivered to Agent, with the loss payable (but only in respect of Collateral) and additional insured endorsements in favor of Agent and shall provide for not less than 30 days (10 days in the case of non-payment) prior written notice to Agent of the exercise of any right of cancellation. If any Borrower fails to maintain such insurance, Agent may arrange for such insurance, but at such Borrower's expense and without any responsibility on Agent's part for obtaining the insurance, the solvency of the insurance companies, the adequacy of the coverage, or the collection of claims. Borrowers shall give Agent prompt notice of any loss exceeding $250,000 covered by its casualty or business interruption insurance. Upon the occurrence and during the continuance of an Event of Default, Agent shall have the sole right to file claims under any property and general liability insurance policies in respect of the Collateral, to receive, receipt and give acquittance for any payments that may be payable thereunder, and to execute any and all endorsements, receipts, releases, assignments, reassignments or other documents that may be necessary to effect the collection, compromise or settlement of any claims under any such insurance policies.
(b)If at any time the area in which any Real Property that is subject to a Mortgage is located is designated a "flood hazard area" in any Flood Insurance Rate Map published by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (or any successor agency), obtain flood insurance in such total amount and on terms that are satisfactory to Agent and all Lenders from time to time, and otherwise comply with the Flood Laws or as is otherwise satisfactory to Agent and all Lenders.
5.7.Inspection. Permit Agent and each of its duly authorized representatives or agents to visit any of its properties and inspect any of its assets or books and records, to conduct appraisals and valuations, to examine and make copies of its books and records, and to discuss its affairs, finances, and accounts with, and to be advised as to the same by, its officers and employees at such reasonable times and intervals as Agent may designate and, so long as no Default or Event of Default exists, (a) any such inspection shall be conducted with reasonable prior notice to Administrative Borrower and (b) Borrowers obligation to reimburse Agent and its representatives and agents for inspections, appraisals and valuations shall be subject to the limitations set forth in Section 2.10(c).
5.8.Compliance with Laws. Comply with the requirements of all applicable laws, rules, regulations, and orders of any Governmental Authority, other than laws, rules, regulations, and orders the non-compliance with which, individually or in the aggregate, could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Change.
5.9.Environmental.
(a)Keep any property either owned or operated by any Secured Loan Party free of any Environmental Liens or post bonds or other financial assurances sufficient to satisfy the obligations or liability evidenced by such Environmental Liens,
(b)Comply with Environmental Laws except for non-compliance which could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Change, and provide to Agent documentation of such compliance which Agent reasonably requests,
(c)Promptly notify Agent of any release of which any Borrower has knowledge of a Hazardous Material in any reportable quantity from or onto property owned or operated by any Secured Loan Party and take any Remedial Actions required to abate said release or otherwise to come into compliance with applicable Environmental Law except for non-compliance which could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Change, and
(d)Promptly, but in any event within 5 Business Days of its receipt thereof, provide Agent with written notice of any of the following: (i) notice that an Environmental Lien has been filed against any of the real or personal property of any Secured Loan Party, (ii) commencement of any Environmental Action or written notice that an Environmental Action will be filed against any Secured Loan Party, and (iii) written notice of a violation, citation, or other administrative order from a Governmental Authority.
5.10.Disclosure Updates. Promptly and in no event later than 5 Business Days after obtaining knowledge thereof, notify Agent if any written information, exhibit, or report furnished to Agent or the Lenders contained, at the time it was furnished, any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state any material fact necessary to make the statements contained therein not misleading in light of the circumstances in which made. The foregoing to the contrary notwithstanding, any notification pursuant to the foregoing provision will not cure or remedy the effect of the prior untrue statement of a material fact or omission of any material fact nor shall any such notification have the effect of amending or modifying this Agreement or any of the Schedules hereto or the Disclosure Letter.
5.11.Formation of Subsidiaries. At the time that any Designated Loan Party forms any direct or indirect Subsidiary or acquires any direct or indirect Subsidiary after the Closing Date (other than other than those certain Subsidiaries not yet formed or acquired and identified by Borrowers to Agent in connection with the Agent’s review of the transactions contemplated as of Seventeenth Amendment Effective Date), such Designated Loan Party shall (a) within 10 days of such formation or acquisition (or such later date as permitted by Agent in its sole discretion) cause any such new Subsidiary to provide to Agent, at Agent's election, a guaranty of
the Obligations or a joinder to this Agreement and such other documentation as Agent shall request to cause such Subsidiary to become a Borrower, together with such security documents (including mortgages with respect to any Real Property owned in fee of such new Subsidiary with a fair market value of at least $500,000), as well as appropriate financing statements (and with respect to all property subject to a mortgage, fixture filings), all in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to Agent (including being sufficient to grant Agent a first priority Lien (subject to Permitted Liens) in and to the assets of such newly formed or acquired Subsidiary); provided that such guaranty and such security documents shall not be required to be provided to Agent with respect to any Subsidiary of any Designated Loan Party that is a CFC, a Subsidiary of a CFC or a FSHCO, (b) within 10 days of such formation or acquisition (or such later date as permitted by Agent in its sole discretion) provide to Agent a pledge agreement and appropriate certificates and powers or financing statements, pledging all of the direct or beneficial ownership interest in such new Subsidiary reasonably satisfactory to Agent to secure the Obligations; provided that only 65% of the total outstanding voting Stock of any first tier Subsidiary of any Borrower that is a CFC or a FSHCO (and none of the Stock of any Subsidiary of such CFC or FSHCO) shall be required to be pledged, and (c) within 10 days of such formation or acquisition (or such later date as permitted by Agent in its sole discretion) provide to Agent all other documentation, including one or more opinions of counsel reasonably satisfactory to Agent, which in its opinion is appropriate with respect to the execution and delivery of the applicable documentation referred to above (including policies of title insurance, flood certification documentation or other documentation with respect to all Real Property owned in fee and subject to a mortgage). Any document, agreement, or instrument executed or issued pursuant to this Section 5.11 shall be a Loan Document.
5.12.Further Assurances. Subject to the limitations expressly set forth in the Security Agreements, at any time upon the reasonable request of Agent, execute or deliver to Agent any and all financing statements, fixture filings, security agreements, pledges, assignments, endorsements of certificates of title, mortgages, deeds of trust, opinions of counsel, and all other documents (the "Additional Documents") that Agent may reasonably request in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to Agent, to create, perfect, and continue perfected or to better perfect Agent's Liens in all of the assets of each Loan Party (whether now owned or hereafter arising or acquired, tangible or intangible, real or personal), to create and perfect Liens in favor of Agent in any Real Property acquired by any Loan Party after the Closing Date expressly required to be mortgaged by the Security Agreements, and in order to fully consummate all of the transactions contemplated hereby and under the other Loan Documents. To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, if any Loan Party refuses or fails to execute or deliver any reasonably requested Additional Documents within a reasonable period of time following the request to do so, such Loan Party hereby authorizes Agent to execute any such Additional Documents in the applicable Loan Party's name, as applicable, and authorizes Agent to file such executed Additional Documents in any appropriate filing office. In furtherance and not in limitation of the foregoing, but subject to the limitations expressly set forth in the Security Agreements, each Loan Party shall take such actions as Agent may reasonably request from time to time to ensure that the Obligations are guarantied by the Guarantors and are secured by substantially all of the assets of such Loan Party. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Parent shall not be required to grant a Lien to Agent on any of its assets except the Stock of Borrowers and no
Plant Loan Party shall be required to grant a Lien to Agent on any of its assets except its Inventory and proceeds thereof (other than proceeds constituting Accounts arising from the sale of Inventory to REG Marketing in the ordinary course of business). Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein (including Section 5.11 hereof and this Section 5.12) or in any other Loan Document, (x) Agent shall not accept delivery of any Mortgage from any Loan Party unless each of the Lenders has received 45 days prior written notice thereof and Agent has received confirmation from each Lender that such Lender has completed its flood insurance diligence, has received copies of all flood insurance documentation and has confirmed that flood insurance compliance has been completed as required by the Flood Laws or as otherwise satisfactory to such Lender and (y) Agent shall not accept delivery of any joinder to any Loan Document with respect to any Subsidiary of any Loan Party that is not a Loan Party, if such Subsidiary that qualifies as a "legal entity customer" under the Beneficial Ownership Regulation unless such Subsidiary has delivered a Beneficial Ownership Certification in relation to such Subsidiary and Agent has completed its Patriot Act searches, OFAC/PEP searches and customary individual background checks for such Subsidiary, the results of which shall be satisfactory to Agent.
5.13.Lender Meetings. Within 120 days after the close of each fiscal year of Borrowers, at the request of Agent or of the Required Lenders and upon reasonable prior notice, hold a meeting (at a mutually agreeable location and time or, at the option of Agent, by conference call) with all Lenders who choose to attend such meeting at which meeting shall be reviewed the financial results of the previous fiscal year and the financial condition of Loan Parties and the projections presented for the current fiscal year of Borrowers.
5.14.[Intentionally Omitted].
5.15.Location of Inventory. Keep each Secured Loan Parties' Inventory constituting Collateral only at the locations identified on Schedule 4.28 to the Disclosure Letter and their chief executive offices only at the locations identified on Schedule 4.6(b) to the Disclosure Letter, except (a) in the case of Inventory rejected by a customer, at a place where such Inventory was delivered to, or relocated by, such customer, or (b) Inventory in transit to customers on an f.o.b. destination basis or to locations where such Inventory is anticipated to be sold or loaded for shipment to customers and the destination of such in transit Inventory is in the United States or Canada; provided, however, that any Borrower may amend Schedule 4.28 to the Disclosure Letter or Schedule 4.6(b) to the Disclosure Letter by written notice so long as such written notice is delivered to Agent not less than 10 days prior to the date on which such Inventory is moved to such new location or such chief executive office is relocated and so long as such new location is within the continental United States, and so long as, at the time of such written notification, the applicable Borrower provides Agent a Collateral Access Agreement with respect thereto.
6.NEGATIVE COVENANTS.
Each Borrower covenants and agrees that, until termination of all of the Commitments and payment in full of the Obligations, it will not and will not permit any other Secured Loan Party to do any of the following:
6.1.Indebtedness. Create, incur, assume, suffer to exist, guarantee, or otherwise become or remain, directly or indirectly, liable with respect to any Indebtedness, except for Permitted Indebtedness.
6.2.Liens. Create, incur, assume, or suffer to exist, directly or indirectly, any Lien on or with respect to any of its assets, of any kind, whether now owned or hereafter acquired, or any income or profits therefrom, except for Permitted Liens.
6.3.Restrictions on Fundamental Changes.
(a)Other than in order to consummate a Permitted Acquisition, enter into any merger, consolidation, reorganization, or recapitalization, or reclassify its Stock, except for (i) any merger between Borrowers, (ii) any merger between a Secured Loan Party and Subsidiaries of such Secured Loan Party that are not Loan Parties so long as such Secured Loan Party is the surviving entity of any such merger, and (iii) any merger between a Borrower and any of its Subsidiaries so long as such Borrower is the surviving entity of any such merger,
(b)Liquidate, wind up, or dissolve itself (or suffer any liquidation or dissolution) except liquidations, winding up and dissolutions of any Subsidiary of any Secured Loan Party that (x) is a subsidiary of a Borrower where substantially all of the assets such Subsidiary after giving effect to such liquidation, winding up or dissolution are transferred or distributed to such Borrower or (y) a Plant Loan Party where substantially all of the assets of such Subsidiary after giving effect to such liquidation, winding up or dissolution are transferred or distributed to such Plant Loan Party, or
(c)Suspend or go out of a substantial portion of its or their business, except as permitted pursuant to clauses (a) or (b) above or in connection with the transactions permitted pursuant to Section 6.4.
6.4.Disposal of Assets. Other than Permitted Dispositions or transactions expressly permitted by Sections 6.3 or 6.11, convey, sell, lease, license, assign, transfer, or otherwise dispose of (or enter into an agreement to convey, sell, lease, license, assign, transfer, or otherwise dispose of) any Loan Party's assets.
6.5.Change Name. Change any Secured Loan Party's name, organizational identification number, state of organization or organizational identity; provided, however, that any Secured Loan Party may change its name upon at least 10 days prior written notice to Agent of such change.
6.6.Nature of Business. Make any change in the nature of its or their business as described in Schedule 6.6 to the Disclosure Letter or acquire any properties or assets that are not reasonably related to the conduct of such business activities; provided, however, that the foregoing shall not prevent any Secured Loan Party from engaging in any business that is reasonably related or ancillary to its or their business.
6.7.Prepayments and Amendments.
(a)Except in connection with Refinancing Indebtedness permitted by Section 6.1,
(i)optionally prepay, redeem, defease, purchase, or otherwise acquire any (A) any Indebtedness of any Loan Party or its Subsidiaries that is secured by a Lien on the Collateral that is junior to Agent's Liens, (B) any unsecured Indebtedness having an outstanding principal amount greater than $10,000,000, or (C) Notes Indebtedness other than (x) to the extent such prepayments, redemptions, defeasances, purchases or other acquisitions are made with proceeds of a capital contribution received by Parent and contributed to Borrowers, (y) to the extent such prepayments are made with proceeds of Refinancing Indebtedness or (z) so long as the Payment Conditions are satisfied, or
(ii)make any payment on account of Subordinated Indebtedness if such payment is not permitted at such time under the subordination terms and conditions applicable to such Subordinated Indebtedness, or
(b)Directly or indirectly, amend, modify, or change any of the terms or provisions of (i) the Notes Indebtedness in violation of the Intercreditor Agreement or if such amendment, modification or change would (1) increase the any interest rate by more than 2.00 percentage points per annum (excluding increases resulting from the accrual of interest at the default rate) or add any new recurring fees, (2) change to earlier dates any dates upon which payments of principal or interest are due thereon, (3) change the redemption, mandatory prepayment, or defeasance provisions thereof in a manner adverse to the Secured Loan Parties, (4) change any covenants, defaults, or events of default under any Notes Document (including the addition of covenants, defaults, or events of default not contained in the Notes Documents as in effect on the date hereof) to restrict any Secured Loan Party from making payments of the Obligations that would otherwise be permitted under the Notes Documents as in effect on the date hereof, (5) change any financial covenant in a manner adverse to Secured Loan Parties thereunder, (6) change any default or event of default thereunder in a manner adverse to Secured Loan Parties thereunder, (6) add any restrictions on the refinance of the Obligations, (7) reduce the amount of the Obligations permitted under the Indenture, or (8) increase the non-monetary obligations of Secured Loan Parties thereunder or confer any additional rights on the Noteholder Collateral Agent or other holders of the Notes Indebtedness that would be materially adverse to the Lenders (it being understood that Liens covering additional collateral in favor of the Noteholder Collateral Agent which are permitted by clause (u) of the definition of Permitted Liens and the Intercreditor Agreement shall not violate this clause (8)), (ii) Subordinated Indebtedness or any other Indebtedness of any Loan Party or its Subsidiaries that is secured by a Lien on the Collateral that is junior to Agent's Liens to the extent such amendment, modification or change would violate any the subordination terms and conditions (if any) applicable to such Indebtedness, (iii) any Permitted Indebtedness except to the extent such amendment, modification or change is not individually or in the aggregate, materially adverse to the interests of the Lenders, (iv) any material contractual obligation of a Secured Loan Party (other than the Note Indenture Agreement which is addressed in clause (i) above) of any Designated Loan Party except to the extent that such amendment, modification, or change is not, individually or in the
aggregate, materially adverse to the interests of the Lenders, or (v) the Governing Documents of any Secured Loan Party if the effect thereof, either individually or in the aggregate, would reasonably be expected to be materially adverse to the interests of the Lenders.
6.8.Intentionally Omitted.
6.9.Restricted Junior Payments. Make any Restricted Junior Payment; provided, however, that, so long as it is permitted by law,
(a)Any Plant Loan Party may make distributions (other than distributions of Inventory or proceeds prior to the receipt by such Plant Loan Party of payment on account thereof); and
(b)Borrowers may make distributions and pay dividends to their shareholders (collectively, "Permitted Discretionary Distributions"), so long as the Payment Conditions are satisfied; and
(c)With respect to each taxable year, Borrowers may make Permitted Tax Distributions to their members.
6.10.Accounting Methods. Modify or change its fiscal year or its method of accounting (other than as may be required to conform to GAAP).
6.11.Investments; Controlled Investments.
(a)With respect to any Designated Loan Party, except for Permitted Investments, directly or indirectly, make or acquire any Investment or incur any liabilities (including contingent obligations) for or in connection with any Investment.
(b)With respect to any Designated Loan Party, other than Excluded Accounts, make, acquire, or permit to exist Permitted Investments consisting of cash, Cash Equivalents, or amounts credited to Deposit Accounts or Securities Accounts unless the applicable Loan Party and the applicable bank or securities intermediary have entered into Control Agreements with Agent governing such Permitted Investments in order to perfect (and further establish) Agent's Liens in such Permitted Investments. Except with respect to Excluded Accounts, Designated Loan Parties shall establish or maintain any Deposit Account or Securities Account unless Agent shall have received a Control Agreement in respect of such Deposit Account or Securities Account.
6.12.Transactions with Affiliates. Directly or indirectly enter into or permit to exist any transaction with any Affiliate of any Secured Loan Party except for:
(a)(i) transactions between a Plant Loan Party and a Designated Loan Party and (ii) transactions between a Secured Loan Party and any affiliate of such Secured Loan Party that is not a Secured Loan Party, provided that, in each case of clause (a)(i) and (ii), (x) with respect to transactions involving a Borrower, such transactions are no less favorable, taken as a whole, to such Borrower than would be obtained in an arm’s length transaction with a non-
Affiliate and (y) with respect to all other transactions, such transactions are no less favorable, taken as a whole, to such Secured Loan Party than would be obtained in an arm’s length transaction with a non-Affiliate,
(b)so long as it has been approved by such Loan Party's board of directors (or comparable governing body) in accordance with applicable law, any indemnity provided for the benefit of directors (or comparable managers) of such Loan Party,
(c)so long as it has been approved by such Loan Party's board of directors (or comparable governing body) in accordance with applicable law, the payment of reasonable compensation, severance, or employee benefit arrangements to employees, officers, and outside directors of such Loan Party in the ordinary course of business and consistent with industry practice,
(d)(i) sales and purchases of feedstock, chemicals, renewable diesel, biodiesel or other biofuel in the ordinary course of business between Secured Loan Parties, and (ii) agreements relating to the provision of construction management services by a Borrower in which the cost of any goods transferred by a Secured Loan Party under any such agreement is passed through at cost or fair market value, and
(e)transactions permitted by Section 6.3 or Section 6.9, or any Permitted Intercompany Investments.
6.13.Use of Proceeds. Use the proceeds of any loan made hereunder for any purpose other than (a) on the Closing Date, (i) to repay, in full, the outstanding principal, accrued interest, and accrued fees and expenses owing under or in connection with the Existing Credit Facility, and (ii) to pay transactional fees, costs, and expenses incurred in connection with this Agreement, the other Loan Documents, and the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby, and (b) thereafter, consistent with the terms and conditions hereof, for their lawful and permitted purposes; provided that (x) no part of the proceeds of the Loans will be used to purchase or carry any such Margin Stock or to extend credit to others for the purpose of purchasing or carrying any such Margin Stock or for any purpose that violates the provisions of Regulation T, U or X of the Board of Governors, (y) no part of the proceeds of any Loan or Letter of Credit will be used, directly or indirectly, to make any payments to a Sanctioned Entity or a Sanctioned Person, to fund any investments, loans or contributions in, or otherwise make such proceeds available to, a Sanctioned Entity or a Sanctioned Person, to fund any operations, activities or business of a Sanctioned Entity or a Sanctioned Person, or in any other manner that would result in a violation of Sanctions by any Person, and (z) that no part of the proceeds of any Loan or Letter of Credit will be used, directly or indirectly, in furtherance of an offer, payment, promise to pay, or authorization of the payment or giving of money, or anything else of value, to any Person in violation of any Sanctions, Anti-Corruption Laws or Anti-Money Laundering Laws.
6.14.Limitation on Issuance of Stock. With respect to any Designated Loan Party, except for the issuance or sale of common stock or Permitted Preferred Stock by such Designated Loan Party, issue or sell or enter into any agreement or arrangement for the issuance and sale of any of its Stock.
6.15.Inventory Purchase Agreements; Accounts of Designated Loan Parties. Purchase Inventory from any Affiliate of any Loan Party (other than a Plant Loan Party) unless purchased pursuant to an agreement in a form and substance reasonably acceptable to Agent with respect to the Designated Loan Party’s right, title and interest in the Inventory purchased and Accounts generated such sale and the perfection of Agent’s Liens in such Accounts and Inventory, and with respect to any Designated Loan Party, collect the Accounts of any Person or permit the proceeds of Accounts of any Person (other than a Designated Loan Party) to be deposited into a Deposit Account of a Designated Loan Party or act as a sales agent for any Person.
7.FINANCIAL COVENANTS.
Each Borrower covenants and agrees that, until termination of all of the Commitments and payment in full of the Obligations, Borrowers will:
7.1.Minimum Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio. During a Covenant Testing Period (including the first and last day thereof), have a Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio, measured on a month-end basis for each 12 month period ending on the last day of each fiscal month, of at least 1.00 to 1.00.
8.EVENTS OF DEFAULT.
Any one or more of the following events shall constitute an event of default (each, an "Event of Default") under this Agreement:
8.1. If Borrowers fail to pay when due and payable, or when declared due and payable, (a) all or any portion of the Obligations consisting of interest, fees, or charges due the Lender Group, reimbursement of Lender Group Expenses, or other amounts (other than any portion thereof constituting principal) constituting Obligations (including any portion thereof that accrues after the commencement of an Insolvency Proceeding, regardless of whether allowed or allowable in whole or in part as a claim in any such Insolvency Proceeding), and such failure continues for a period of 3 Business Days, or (b) all or any portion of the principal of the Obligations;
8.2. If any Loan Party:
(a)fails to perform or observe any covenant or other agreement contained in any of (i) Section 3.6, (ii) Sections 5.1, 5.2, 5.3 (solely if any Loan Party is not in good standing in its jurisdiction of organization), 5.6, 5.7 (solely if any Loan Party refuses to allow Agent or its representatives or agents to visit such Loan Party's properties, inspect its assets or books or records, examine and make copies of its books and records, or discuss such Loan Party's affairs, finances, and accounts with officers and employees of such Loan Party), 5.10, 5.11 or 5.13 of this Agreement, (iii) Sections 6.1 through 6.16 of this Agreement, (iv) Section 7 of this Agreement, or (v) Section 7 of the Security Agreement or Section 6 of the Plant Loan Party Security Agreement;
(b)fails to perform or observe any covenant or other agreement contained in any of Sections 5.3 (other than if any Loan Party is not in good standing in its jurisdiction of organization), 5.4, 5.5, 5.8, 5.12 and 5.15 of this Agreement and such failure continues for a period of 10 days after the earlier of (i) the date on which such failure shall first become known to any officer of any Loan Party or (ii) the date on which written notice thereof is given to Loan Party by Agent; or
(c)fails to perform or observe any covenant or other agreement contained in this Agreement, or in any of the other Loan Documents, in each case, other than any such covenant or agreement that is the subject of another provision of this Section 8 (in which event such other provision of this Section 8 shall govern), and such failure continues for a period of 30 days after the earlier of (i) the date on which such failure shall first become known to any officer of any Loan Party or (ii) the date on which written notice thereof is given to Loan Party by Agent;
8.3. If one or more judgments, orders, or awards for the payment of money involving an aggregate amount of $15,000,000, or more (except to the extent fully covered (other than to the extent of customary deductibles) by insurance pursuant to which the insurer has not denied coverage) is entered or filed against a Loan Party, or with respect to any of their respective assets, and either (a) there is a period of 30 consecutive days at any time after the entry of any such judgment, order, or award during which (1) the same is not discharged, satisfied, vacated, or bonded pending appeal, or (2) a stay of enforcement thereof is not in effect, or (b) enforcement proceedings are commenced upon such judgment, order, or award;
8.4. If an Insolvency Proceeding is commenced by a Loan Party;
8.5. If an Insolvency Proceeding is commenced against a Loan Party and any of the following events occur: (a) such Loan Party consents to the institution of such Insolvency Proceeding against it, (b) the petition commencing the Insolvency Proceeding is not timely controverted, (c) the petition commencing the Insolvency Proceeding is not dismissed within 60 calendar days of the date of the filing thereof, (d) an interim trustee is appointed to take possession of all or any substantial portion of the properties or assets of, or to operate all or any substantial portion of the business of, such Loan Party, or (e) an order for relief shall have been issued or entered therein;
8.6. If the business affairs of Parent and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, are enjoined, restrained, or in any way prevented by court order from continuing to be conducted and such order could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Change;
8.7. If there is (a) a default in one or more agreements to which a Loan Party is a party with one or more third Persons relative to a Loan Party's Indebtedness for borrowed money involving an aggregate amount of $20,000,000 or more, and such default (i) occurs at the final maturity of the obligations thereunder, or (ii) results in a right by such third Person, irrespective of whether exercised, to accelerate the maturity of such Loan Party's obligations thereunder, or (b) a default in or an involuntary early termination of one or more Hedge
Agreements to which a Loan Party is a party involving an aggregate amount of $20,000,000 or more that was not paid as and when due;
8.8. If any warranty, representation, certificate, statement, or Record made herein or in any other Loan Document or delivered in writing to Agent or any Lender in connection with this Agreement or any other Loan Document proves to be untrue in any material respect (except that such materiality qualifier shall not be applicable to any representations and warranties that already are qualified or modified by materiality in the text thereof) as of the date of issuance or making or deemed making thereof;
8.9. If the obligation of any Guarantor under the Guaranty is limited or terminated by operation of law or by such Guarantor (other than in accordance with the terms of this Agreement);
8.10. If the Security Agreement, the Plant Loan Party Security Agreement or any other Loan Document that purports to create a Lien, shall, for any reason, fail or cease to create a valid and perfected and, except to the extent of Permitted Liens which are (u) non-consensual (including as a result of any operation of law), (v) permitted purchase money Liens, (w) the interests of lessors under Capital Leases, (x) Liens in Notes Priority Collateral, (y) Liens on cash and Cash Equivalents Liens on cash and Cash Equivalents (other than cash and Cash Equivalents subject to a Control Agreement), or (z) Liens on amounts credited to any Excluded Account, first priority Lien on the Collateral covered thereby, except (a) as a result of a disposition of the applicable Collateral in a transaction permitted under this Agreement, (b) with respect to Collateral the aggregate value of which, for all such Collateral, does not exceed at any time $5,000,000, or (c) to the extent (x) any such loss of perfection or priority results from the failure of the Agent to maintain possession of collateral actually delivered to it under the Security Agreement or from the failure of the Agent to file UCC continuation statements (or similar statements or filings in other jurisdictions) and (y) such applicable Loan Party takes such actions as the Agent reasonably requests to remedy such loss of perfection or priority;
8.11. The validity or enforceability of any Loan Document shall at any time for any reason (other than solely as the result of an action or failure to act on the part of Agent) be declared to be null and void, or a proceeding shall be commenced by a Loan Party, or by any Governmental Authority having jurisdiction over a Loan Party, seeking to establish the invalidity or unenforceability thereof, or a Loan Party shall deny that such Loan Party has any liability or obligation purported to be created under any Loan Document; or
8.12. A Change of Control shall occur.
9.RIGHTS AND REMEDIES.
9.1.Rights and Remedies. Upon the occurrence and during the continuation of an Event of Default, Agent may, and, at the instruction of the Required Lenders, shall (in each case under clauses (a) or (b) by written notice to Administrative Borrower), in addition to any other rights or remedies provided for hereunder or under any other Loan Document or by applicable law, do any one or more of the following:
(a)declare the Obligations (other than the Bank Product Obligations), whether evidenced by this Agreement or by any of the other Loan Documents immediately due and payable, whereupon the same shall become and be immediately due and payable and Borrowers shall be obligated to repay all of such Obligations in full, without presentment, demand, protest, or further notice or other requirements of any kind, all of which are hereby expressly waived by each Borrower;
(b)declare the Commitments terminated, whereupon the Commitments shall immediately be terminated together with (i) any obligation of any Lender hereunder to make Advances, (ii) the obligation of the Swing Lender to make Swing Loans, and (iii) the obligation of the Issuing Lender to issue Letters of Credit; and
(c)subject to the Intercreditor Agreement, exercise all other rights and remedies available to Agent or the Lenders under the Loan Documents or applicable law.
The foregoing to the contrary notwithstanding, upon the occurrence of any Event of Default described in Section 8.4 or Section 8.5, in addition to the remedies set forth above, without any notice to any Borrower or any other Person or any act by the Lender Group, the Commitments shall automatically terminate and the Obligations (other than the Bank Product Obligations), inclusive of all accrued and unpaid interest thereon and all fees and all other amounts owing under this Agreement or under any of the other Loan Documents, shall automatically and immediately become due and payable and Borrowers shall be obligated to repay all of such Obligations in full, without presentment, demand, protest, or notice of any kind, all of which are expressly waived by each Borrower.
9.2.Remedies Cumulative. The rights and remedies of the Lender Group under this Agreement, the other Loan Documents, and all other agreements shall be cumulative. The Lender Group shall have all other rights and remedies not inconsistent herewith as provided under the Code, by law, or in equity. No exercise by the Lender Group of one right or remedy shall be deemed an election, and no waiver by the Lender Group of any Event of Default shall be deemed a continuing waiver. No delay by the Lender Group shall constitute a waiver, election, or acquiescence by it.
10.WAIVERS; INDEMNIFICATION.
10.1.Demand; Protest; etc. Each Borrower waives demand, protest, notice of protest, notice of default or dishonor, notice of payment and nonpayment, nonpayment at maturity, release, compromise, settlement, extension, or renewal of documents, instruments, chattel paper, and guarantees at any time held by the Lender Group on which such Borrower may in any way be liable.
10.2.The Lender Group's Liability for Collateral. Each Borrower hereby agrees that: (a) so long as Agent complies with its obligations, if any, under the Code, the Lender Group shall not in any way or manner be liable or responsible for: (i) the safekeeping of the Collateral, (ii) any loss or damage thereto occurring or arising in any manner or fashion from any cause, (iii) any diminution in the value thereof, or (iv) any act or default of any carrier,
warehouseman, bailee, forwarding agency, or other Person, and (b) all risk of loss, damage, or destruction of the Collateral shall be borne by Borrowers.
10.3.Indemnification. Borrowers shall pay, indemnify, defend, and hold the Agent-Related Persons, the Lender-Related Persons, and each Participant (each, an "Indemnified Person") harmless (to the fullest extent permitted by law) from and against any and all claims, demands, suits, actions, investigations, proceedings, liabilities, fines, costs, penalties, and damages, and all reasonable fees and disbursements of attorneys', experts, or consultants and all other costs and expenses actually incurred in connection therewith or in connection with the enforcement of this indemnification (as and when they are incurred and irrespective of whether suit is brought), at any time asserted against, imposed upon, or incurred by any of them (a) in connection with or as a result of or related to the execution and delivery (provided that Borrowers shall not be liable for costs and expenses (including attorneys' fees) of any Lender (other than WFCF) incurred in advising, structuring, drafting, reviewing, administering or syndicating the Loan Documents), enforcement, performance, or administration (including any restructuring or workout with respect hereto) of this Agreement, any of the other Loan Documents, or the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby or the monitoring of Loan Parties' compliance with the terms of the Loan Documents (provided, however, that the indemnification in this clause (a) shall not extend to (i) disputes solely between or among the Lenders, (ii) disputes solely between or among the Lenders and their respective Affiliates; it being understood and agreed that the indemnification in this clause (a) shall extend to Agent (but not the Lenders) relative to disputes between or among Agent on the one hand, and one or more Lenders, or one or more of their Affiliates, on the other hand, or (iii) any claims for Taxes, which shall be governed by Section 16 except to the extent primarily related to non-Tax claims), (b) with respect to any investigation, litigation, or proceeding related to this Agreement, any other Loan Document, or the use of the proceeds of the credit provided hereunder (irrespective of whether any Indemnified Person is a party thereto), or any act, omission, event, or circumstance in any manner related thereto, and (c) in connection with or arising out of any presence or release of Hazardous Materials at, on, under, to or from any assets or properties owned, leased or operated by any Loan Party or any Environmental Actions, Environmental Liabilities or Remedial Actions related in any way to any such assets or properties of any Loan Party (each and all of the foregoing, the "Indemnified Liabilities"). The foregoing to the contrary notwithstanding, no Borrower shall have any obligation to any Indemnified Person under this Section 10.3 with respect to any Indemnified Liability that a court of competent jurisdiction finally determines to have resulted from the gross negligence or willful misconduct of such Indemnified Person or its officers, directors, employees, attorneys', or agents. This provision shall survive the termination of this Agreement and the repayment of the Obligations. If any Indemnified Person makes any payment to any other Indemnified Person with respect to an Indemnified Liability as to which any Borrower was required to indemnify the Indemnified Person receiving such payment, the Indemnified Person making such payment is entitled to be indemnified and reimbursed by Borrowers with respect thereto. WITHOUT LIMITATION, THE FOREGOING INDEMNITY SHALL APPLY TO EACH INDEMNIFIED PERSON WITH RESPECT TO INDEMNIFIED LIABILITIES WHICH IN WHOLE OR IN PART ARE CAUSED BY OR ARISE OUT OF ANY NEGLIGENT ACT OR OMISSION OF SUCH INDEMNIFIED PERSON OR OF ANY OTHER PERSON.
11.NOTICES.
Unless otherwise provided in this Agreement, all notices or demands relating to this Agreement or any other Loan Document shall be in writing and (except for financial statements and other informational documents which may be sent by first-class mail, postage prepaid) shall be personally delivered or sent by registered or certified mail (postage prepaid, return receipt requested), overnight courier, electronic mail (at such email addresses as a party may designate in accordance herewith), or telefacsimile. In the case of notices or demands to Borrowers or Agent, as the case may be, they shall be sent to the respective address set forth below:
If to Borrowers: REG MARKETING & LOGISTICS GROUP, LLC
416 South Bell Avenue
Ames, Iowa 50010
Attn: Treasurer
Fax No. (515) 239-8039
with copies to: PILLSBURY WINTHROP SHAW PITTMAN LLP
4 Embarcadero Center
San Francisco, California 94111
Attn: Phillip J. Tendler, Esq.
Fax No. (415) 983-1200
If to Agent: WELLS FARGO CAPITAL FINANCE, LLC
10 S. Wacker Drive, 26th Floor
Chicago, IL 60606
Attn: Portfolio Manager – REG Marketing
Fax No. (312) 332-0424
with copies to: GOLDBERG KOHN LTD.
55 East Monroe Street, Suite 3300
Chicago, Illinois 60603
Attn: Keith G. Radner, Esq.
Fax No. (312) 332-2196
Any party hereto may change the address at which they are to receive notices hereunder, by notice in writing in the foregoing manner given to the other party. All notices or demands sent in accordance with this Section 11, shall be deemed received on the earlier of the date of actual receipt or 3 Business Days after the deposit thereof in the mail; provided, that (a) notices sent by overnight courier service shall be deemed to have been given when received, (b) notices by facsimile shall be deemed to have been given when sent (except that, if not given during normal business hours for the recipient, shall be deemed to have been given at the opening of business on the next Business Day for the recipient) and (c) notices by electronic mail shall be deemed received upon the sender's receipt of an acknowledgment from the intended recipient (such as by the "return receipt requested" function, as available, return email or other written acknowledgment).
12.CHOICE OF LAW AND VENUE; JURY TRIAL WAIVER.
(a)THE VALIDITY OF THIS AGREEMENT AND THE OTHER LOAN DOCUMENTS (UNLESS EXPRESSLY PROVIDED TO THE CONTRARY IN ANOTHER LOAN DOCUMENT IN RESPECT OF SUCH OTHER LOAN DOCUMENT), THE CONSTRUCTION, INTERPRETATION, AND ENFORCEMENT HEREOF AND THEREOF, AND THE RIGHTS OF THE PARTIES HERETO AND THERETO WITH RESPECT TO ALL MATTERS ARISING HEREUNDER OR THEREUNDER OR RELATED HERETO OR THERETO SHALL BE DETERMINED UNDER, GOVERNED BY, AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA.
(b)THE PARTIES AGREE THAT ALL ACTIONS OR PROCEEDINGS ARISING IN CONNECTION WITH THIS AGREEMENT AND THE OTHER LOAN DOCUMENTS SHALL BE TRIED AND LITIGATED ONLY IN THE STATE AND, TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, FEDERAL COURTS LOCATED IN THE COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES, STATE OF CALIFORNIA; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, THAT ANY SUIT SEEKING ENFORCEMENT AGAINST ANY COLLATERAL OR OTHER PROPERTY MAY BE BROUGHT, AT AGENT'S OPTION, IN THE COURTS OF ANY JURISDICTION WHERE AGENT ELECTS TO BRING SUCH ACTION OR WHERE SUCH COLLATERAL OR OTHER PROPERTY MAY BE FOUND. EACH BORROWER AND EACH MEMBER OF THE LENDER GROUP WAIVE, TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED UNDER APPLICABLE LAW, ANY RIGHT EACH MAY HAVE TO ASSERT THE DOCTRINE OF FORUM NON CONVENIENS OR TO OBJECT TO VENUE TO THE EXTENT ANY PROCEEDING IS BROUGHT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THIS SECTION 12(b).
(c)TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, EACH BORROWER AND EACH MEMBER OF THE LENDER GROUP HEREBY WAIVE THEIR RESPECTIVE RIGHTS TO A JURY TRIAL OF ANY CLAIM OR CAUSE OF ACTION BASED UPON OR ARISING OUT OF ANY OF THE LOAN DOCUMENTS OR ANY OF THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED THEREIN, INCLUDING CONTRACT CLAIMS, TORT CLAIMS, BREACH OF DUTY CLAIMS, AND ALL OTHER COMMON LAW OR STATUTORY CLAIMS. EACH BORROWER AND EACH MEMBER OF THE LENDER GROUP REPRESENT THAT EACH HAS REVIEWED THIS WAIVER AND EACH KNOWINGLY AND VOLUNTARILY WAIVES ITS JURY TRIAL RIGHTS FOLLOWING CONSULTATION WITH LEGAL COUNSEL. IN THE EVENT OF LITIGATION, A COPY OF THIS AGREEMENT MAY BE FILED AS A WRITTEN CONSENT TO A TRIAL BY THE COURT.
(d)EACH BORROWER HEREBY IRREVOCABLY AND UNCONDITIONALLY SUBMITS TO THE EXCLUSIVE JURISDICTION OF THE STATE AND FEDERAL COURTS LOCATED IN THE COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES AND THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, IN ANY ACTION OR PROCEEDING ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO ANY LOAN DOCUMENTS, OR FOR RECOGNITION OR
ENFORCEMENT OF ANY JUDGMENT. EACH OF THE PARTIES HERETO AGREES THAT A FINAL JUDGMENT IN ANY SUCH ACTION OR PROCEEDING SHALL BE CONCLUSIVE AND MAY BE ENFORCED IN OTHER JURISDICTIONS BY SUIT ON THE JUDGMENT OR IN ANY OTHER MANNER PROVIDED BY LAW. NOTHING IN THIS AGREEMENT OR ANY OTHER LOAN DOCUMENT SHALL AFFECT ANY RIGHT THAT AGENT MAY OTHERWISE HAVE TO BRING ANY ACTION OR PROCEEDING RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR ANY OTHER LOAN DOCUMENT AGAINST ANY LOAN PARTY OR ITS PROPERTIES IN THE COURTS OF ANY JURISDICTION.
(e)IN THE EVENT ANY LEGAL PROCEEDING IS FILED IN A COURT OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA (THE "COURT") BY OR AGAINST ANY PARTY HERETO IN CONNECTION WITH ANY CLAIM AND THE WAIVER SET FORTH IN CLAUSE (C) ABOVE IS NOT ENFORCEABLE IN SUCH PROCEEDING, THE PARTIES HERETO AGREE AS FOLLOWS:
(i)WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE MATTERS SPECIFIED IN SUBCLAUSE (ii) BELOW, ANY CLAIM SHALL BE DETERMINED BY A GENERAL REFERENCE PROCEEDING IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROVISIONS OF CALIFORNIA CODE OF CIVIL PROCEDURE SECTIONS 638 THROUGH 645.1. THE PARTIES INTEND THIS GENERAL REFERENCE AGREEMENT TO BE SPECIFICALLY ENFORCEABLE. VENUE FOR THE REFERENCE PROCEEDING SHALL BE IN THE COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.
(ii)THE FOLLOWING MATTERS SHALL NOT BE SUBJECT TO A GENERAL REFERENCE PROCEEDING: (A) NON-JUDICIAL FORECLOSURE OF ANY SECURITY INTERESTS IN REAL OR PERSONAL PROPERTY, (B) EXERCISE OF SELF-HELP REMEDIES (INCLUDING SET-OFF OR RECOUPMENT), (C) APPOINTMENT OF A RECEIVER, AND (D) TEMPORARY, PROVISIONAL, OR ANCILLARY REMEDIES (INCLUDING WRITS OF ATTACHMENT, WRITS OF POSSESSION, TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDERS, OR PRELIMINARY INJUNCTIONS). THIS AGREEMENT DOES NOT LIMIT THE RIGHT OF ANY PARTY TO EXERCISE OR OPPOSE ANY OF THE RIGHTS AND REMEDIES DESCRIBED IN CLAUSES (A) - (D) AND ANY SUCH EXERCISE OR OPPOSITION DOES NOT WAIVE THE RIGHT OF ANY PARTY TO PARTICIPATE IN A REFERENCE PROCEEDING PURSUANT TO THIS AGREEMENT WITH RESPECT TO ANY OTHER MATTER.
(iii)UPON THE WRITTEN REQUEST OF ANY PARTY, THE PARTIES SHALL SELECT A SINGLE REFEREE, WHO SHALL BE A RETIRED JUDGE OR JUSTICE. IF THE PARTIES DO NOT AGREE UPON A REFEREE WITHIN 10 DAYS OF SUCH WRITTEN REQUEST, THEN, ANY PARTY SHALL HAVE THE RIGHT TO REQUEST THE COURT TO APPOINT A REFEREE PURSUANT TO CALIFORNIA CODE OF CIVIL PROCEDURE SECTION 640(B). THE REFEREE SHALL BE APPOINTED TO SIT WITH ALL OF THE POWERS PROVIDED BY LAW. PENDING APPOINTMENT OF THE REFEREE, THE COURT
SHALL HAVE THE POWER TO ISSUE TEMPORARY OR PROVISIONAL REMEDIES.
(iv)EXCEPT AS EXPRESSLY SET FORTH IN THIS AGREEMENT, THE REFEREE SHALL DETERMINE THE MANNER IN WHICH THE REFERENCE PROCEEDING IS CONDUCTED INCLUDING THE TIME AND PLACE OF HEARINGS, THE ORDER OF PRESENTATION OF EVIDENCE, AND ALL OTHER QUESTIONS THAT ARISE WITH RESPECT TO THE COURSE OF THE REFERENCE PROCEEDING. ALL PROCEEDINGS AND HEARINGS CONDUCTED BEFORE THE REFEREE, EXCEPT FOR TRIAL, SHALL BE CONDUCTED WITHOUT A COURT REPORTER, EXCEPT WHEN ANY PARTY SO REQUESTS A COURT REPORTER AND A TRANSCRIPT IS ORDERED, A COURT REPORTER SHALL BE USED AND THE REFEREE SHALL BE PROVIDED A COURTESY COPY OF THE TRANSCRIPT. THE PARTY MAKING SUCH REQUEST SHALL HAVE THE OBLIGATION TO ARRANGE FOR AND PAY THE COSTS OF THE COURT REPORTER, PROVIDED THAT SUCH COSTS, ALONG WITH THE REFEREE'S FEES, SHALL ULTIMATELY BE BORNE BY THE PARTY WHO DOES NOT PREVAIL, AS DETERMINED BY THE REFEREE.
(v)THE REFEREE MAY REQUIRE ONE OR MORE PREHEARING CONFERENCES. THE PARTIES HERETO SHALL BE ENTITLED TO DISCOVERY, AND THE REFEREE SHALL OVERSEE DISCOVERY IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE RULES OF DISCOVERY, AND SHALL ENFORCE ALL DISCOVERY ORDERS IN THE SAME MANNER AS ANY TRIAL COURT JUDGE IN PROCEEDINGS AT LAW IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA.
(vi)THE REFEREE SHALL APPLY THE RULES OF EVIDENCE APPLICABLE TO PROCEEDINGS AT LAW IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA AND SHALL DETERMINE ALL ISSUES IN ACCORDANCE WITH CALIFORNIA SUBSTANTIVE AND PROCEDURAL LAW. THE REFEREE SHALL BE EMPOWERED TO ENTER EQUITABLE AS WELL AS LEGAL RELIEF AND RULE ON ANY MOTION WHICH WOULD BE AUTHORIZED IN A TRIAL, INCLUDING MOTIONS FOR DEFAULT JUDGMENT OR SUMMARY JUDGMENT. THE REFEREE SHALL REPORT HIS OR HER DECISION, WHICH REPORT SHALL ALSO INCLUDE FINDINGS OF FACT AND CONCLUSIONS OF LAW. THE REFEREE SHALL ISSUE A DECISION AND PURSUANT TO CALIFORNIA CODE OF CIVIL PROCEDURE, SECTION 644, THE REFEREE'S DECISION SHALL BE ENTERED BY THE COURT AS A JUDGMENT IN THE SAME MANNER AS IF THE ACTION HAD BEEN TRIED BY THE COURT. THE FINAL JUDGMENT OR ORDER FROM ANY APPEALABLE DECISION OR ORDER ENTERED BY THE REFEREE SHALL BE FULLY APPEALABLE AS IF IT HAS BEEN ENTERED BY THE COURT.
(vii)THE PARTIES RECOGNIZE AND AGREE THAT ALL CLAIMS RESOLVED IN A GENERAL REFERENCE PROCEEDING PURSUANT HERETO WILL BE DECIDED BY A REFEREE AND NOT BY A JURY. AFTER CONSULTING (OR HAVING HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO CONSULT) WITH COUNSEL OF
THEIR OWN CHOICE, EACH PARTY HERETO KNOWINGLY AND VOLUNTARILY AND FOR THEIR MUTUAL BENEFIT AGREES THAT THIS REFERENCE PROVISION SHALL APPLY TO ANY DISPUTE BETWEEN THEM THAT ARISES OUT OF OR IS RELATED TO THIS AGREEMENT OR THE OTHER LOAN DOCUMENTS.
13.ASSIGNMENTS AND PARTICIPATIONS; SUCCESSORS.
13.1.Assignments and Participations.
(a)With the prior written consent of Administrative Borrower, which consent of Administrative Borrower shall not be unreasonably withheld, delayed or conditioned, and shall not be required (1) if an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, or (2) in connection with an assignment to a Person that is a Lender or an Affiliate (other than natural persons) of a Lender, and with the prior written consent of Agent, which consent of Agent shall not be unreasonably withheld, delayed or conditioned, and shall not be required in connection with an assignment to a Person that is a Lender or an Affiliate (other than natural persons) of a Lender, any Lender may assign and delegate to one or more assignees (each, an "Assignee"; provided, however, that no Loan Party or Affiliate of a Loan Party, Defaulting Lender or natural person shall be permitted to become an Assignee) all or any portion of the Obligations, the Commitments and the other rights and obligations of such Lender hereunder and under the other Loan Documents, in a minimum amount (unless waived by Agent) of $5,000,000 (except such minimum amount shall not apply to (x) an assignment or delegation by any Lender to any other Lender or an Affiliate of any Lender or (y) a group of new Lenders, each of which is an Affiliate of each other or a Related Fund of such new Lender to the extent that the aggregate amount to be assigned to all such new Lenders is at least $5,000,000); provided, however, that Borrowers and Agent may continue to deal solely and directly with such Lender in connection with the interest so assigned to an Assignee until (i) written notice of such assignment, together with payment instructions, addresses, and related information with respect to the Assignee, have been given to Administrative Borrower and Agent by such Lender and the Assignee, (ii) such Lender and its Assignee have delivered to Administrative Borrower and Agent an Assignment and Acceptance and Agent has notified the assigning Lender of its receipt thereof in accordance with Section 13.1(b), and (iii) unless waived by Agent, the assigning Lender or Assignee has paid to Agent for Agent's separate account a processing fee in the amount of $3,500.
(b)From and after the date that Agent notifies the assigning Lender (with a copy to Administrative Borrower) that it has received an executed Assignment and Acceptance and, if applicable, payment of the required processing fee, (i) the Assignee thereunder shall be a party hereto and, to the extent that rights and obligations hereunder have been assigned to it pursuant to such Assignment and Acceptance, shall be a "Lender" and shall have the rights and obligations of a Lender under the Loan Documents, and (ii) the assigning Lender shall, to the extent that rights and obligations hereunder and under the other Loan Documents have been assigned by it pursuant to such Assignment and Acceptance, relinquish its rights (except with respect to Section 10.3) and be released from any future obligations under this Agreement (and in the case of an Assignment and Acceptance covering all or the remaining portion of an assigning Lender's rights and obligations under this Agreement and the other Loan Documents,
such Lender shall cease to be a party hereto and thereto); provided, however, that nothing contained herein shall release any assigning Lender from obligations that survive the termination of this Agreement, including such assigning Lender's obligations under Section 15 and Section 17.9(a).
(c)By executing and delivering an Assignment and Acceptance, the assigning Lender thereunder and the Assignee thereunder confirm to and agree with each other and the other parties hereto as follows: (i) other than as provided in such Assignment and Acceptance, such assigning Lender makes no representation or warranty and assumes no responsibility with respect to any statements, warranties or representations made in or in connection with this Agreement or the execution, legality, validity, enforceability, genuineness, sufficiency or value of this Agreement or any other Loan Document furnished pursuant hereto, (ii) such assigning Lender makes no representation or warranty and assumes no responsibility with respect to the financial condition of any Loan Party or the performance or observance by any Loan Party of any of its obligations under this Agreement or any other Loan Document furnished pursuant hereto, (iii) such Assignee confirms that it has received a copy of this Agreement, together with such other documents and information as it has deemed appropriate to make its own credit analysis and decision to enter into such Assignment and Acceptance, (iv) such Assignee will, independently and without reliance upon Agent, such assigning Lender or any other Lender, and based on such documents and information as it shall deem appropriate at the time, continue to make its own credit decisions in taking or not taking action under this Agreement, (v) such Assignee appoints and authorizes Agent to take such actions and to exercise such powers under this Agreement and the other Loan Documents as are delegated to Agent, by the terms hereof and thereof, together with such powers as are reasonably incidental thereto, and (vi) such Assignee agrees that it will perform all of the obligations which by the terms of this Agreement are required to be performed by it as a Lender.
(d)Immediately upon Agent's receipt of the required processing fee, if applicable, and delivery of notice to the assigning Lender pursuant to Section 13.1(b), this Agreement shall be deemed to be amended to the extent, but only to the extent, necessary to reflect the addition of the Assignee and the resulting adjustment of the Commitments arising therefrom. The Commitment allocated to each Assignee shall reduce such Commitments of the assigning Lender pro tanto.
(e)Any Lender may at any time sell to one or more commercial banks, financial institutions, or other Persons (a "Participant") participating interests in all or any portion of its Obligations, its Commitment, and the other rights and interests of that Lender (the "Originating Lender") hereunder and under the other Loan Documents; provided, however, that (i) the Originating Lender shall remain a "Lender" for all purposes of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents and the Participant receiving the participating interest in the Obligations, the Commitments, and the other rights and interests of the Originating Lender hereunder shall not constitute a "Lender" hereunder or under the other Loan Documents and the Originating Lender's obligations under this Agreement shall remain unchanged, (ii) the Originating Lender shall remain solely responsible for the performance of such obligations, (iii) Borrowers, Agent, and the Lenders shall continue to deal solely and directly with the Originating Lender in connection with the Originating Lender's rights and obligations under this Agreement and the
other Loan Documents, (iv) no Lender shall transfer or grant any participating interest under which the Participant has the right to approve any amendment to, or any consent or waiver with respect to, this Agreement or any other Loan Document, except to the extent such amendment to, or consent or waiver with respect to this Agreement or of any other Loan Document would (A) extend the final maturity date of the Obligations hereunder in which such Participant is participating, (B) reduce the interest rate applicable to the Obligations hereunder in which such Participant is participating, (C) release all or substantially all of the Collateral or guaranties (except to the extent expressly provided herein or in any of the Loan Documents) supporting the Obligations hereunder in which such Participant is participating, (D) postpone the payment of, or reduce the amount of, the interest or fees payable to such Participant through such Lender (other than a waiver of default interest), or (E) decreases the amount or postpones the due dates of scheduled principal repayments or prepayments or premiums payable to such Participant through such Lender, (v) no participation shall be sold to a natural person, (vi) no participation shall be sold to a Defaulting Lender, Loan Party or an Affiliate of a Loan Party, and (vii) except as otherwise provided in Section 16, all amounts payable by Borrowers hereunder shall be determined as if such Lender had not sold such participation, except that, if amounts outstanding under this Agreement are due and unpaid, or shall have been declared or shall have become due and payable upon the occurrence of an Event of Default, each Participant shall be deemed to have the right of set off in respect of its participating interest in amounts owing under this Agreement to the same extent as if the amount of its participating interest were owing directly to it as a Lender under this Agreement. Except as otherwise provided in Section 16, the rights of any Participant only shall be derivative through the Originating Lender with whom such Participant participates and no Participant shall have any rights under this Agreement or the other Loan Documents or any direct rights as to the other Lenders, Agent, Borrowers, the Collections of Loan Parties, the Collateral, or otherwise in respect of the Obligations. No Participant shall have the right to participate directly in the making of decisions by the Lenders among themselves.
(f)In connection with any such assignment or participation or proposed assignment or participation or any grant of a security interest in, or pledge of, its rights under and interest in this Agreement, a Lender may, subject to the provisions of Section 17.9, disclose all documents and information which it now or hereafter may have relating to any Loan Party and its respective businesses.
(g)Any other provision in this Agreement notwithstanding, any Lender may at any time create a security interest in, or pledge, all or any portion of its rights under and interest in this Agreement in favor of any Federal Reserve Bank in accordance with Regulation A of the Federal Reserve Bank or U.S. Treasury Regulation 31 CFR §203.24, and such Federal Reserve Bank may enforce such pledge or security interest in any manner permitted under applicable law.
(h)Agent (as a non-fiduciary agent on behalf of Borrowers) shall maintain, or cause to be maintained, a register (the "Register") on which it enters the name and address of each Lender as the registered owner of the Advances (and the principal amount thereof and stated interest thereon) held by such Lender (each, a "Registered Loan"). A Registered Loan (and the registered note, if any, evidencing the same) may be assigned or sold in whole or in part
only by registration of such assignment or sale on the Register (and each registered note shall expressly so provide) and (ii) any assignment or sale of all or part of such Registered Loan (and the registered note, if any, evidencing the same) may be effected only by registration of such assignment or sale on the Register, together with the surrender of the registered note, if any, evidencing the same duly endorsed by (or accompanied by a written instrument of assignment or sale duly executed by) the holder of such registered note, whereupon, at the request of the designated assignee(s) or transferee(s), one or more new registered notes in the same aggregate principal amount shall be issued to the designated assignee(s) or transferee(s). Prior to the registration of assignment or sale of any Registered Loan (and the registered note, if any evidencing the same), Borrowers shall treat the Person in whose name such Registered Loan (and the registered note, if any, evidencing the same) is registered as the owner thereof for the purpose of receiving all payments thereon and for all other purposes, notwithstanding notice to the contrary. It is intended that the Register be maintained such that the Loans are in "registered form" for the purposes of the IRC.
(i)In the event that a Lender sells participations in the Registered Loan, such Lender, as a non-fiduciary agent on behalf of Borrowers, shall maintain (or cause to be maintained) a register on which it enters the name of all participants in the Registered Loans held by it (and the principal amount (and stated interest thereon) of the portion of such Registered Loans that is subject to such participations) (the "Participant Register"). A Registered Loan (and the Registered Note, if any, evidencing the same) may be participated in whole or in part only by registration of such participation on the Participant Register (and each registered note shall expressly so provide). Any participation of such Registered Loan (and the registered note, if any, evidencing the same) may be effected only by the registration of such participation on the Participant Register. It is intended that each Participant Register be maintained such that the Loans are in "registered form" for the purposes of the IRC. For the avoidance of doubt, Agent in its capacity as Agent shall have no duty to maintain a Participant Register.
(j)Agent shall make a copy of the Register (and each Lender shall make a copy of its Participant Register in the extent it has one) available for review by Borrowers from time to time as Borrowers may reasonably request.
13.2.Successors. This Agreement shall bind and inure to the benefit of the respective successors and assigns of each of the parties; provided, however, that no Borrower may assign this Agreement or any rights or duties hereunder without the Lenders' prior written consent and any prohibited assignment shall be absolutely void ab initio. No consent to assignment by the Lenders shall release any Borrower from its Obligations. A Lender may assign this Agreement and the other Loan Documents and its rights and duties hereunder and thereunder pursuant to Section 13.1 and, except as expressly required pursuant to Section 13.1, no consent or approval by any Borrower is required in connection with any such assignment.
14.AMENDMENTS; WAIVERS.
14.1.Amendments and Waivers.
(a)No amendment, waiver or other modification of any provision of this Agreement or any other Loan Document (other than Bank Product Agreements or the Fee Letter), and no consent with respect to any departure by any Loan Party therefrom, shall be effective unless the same shall be in writing and signed by the Required Lenders (or by Agent at the written request of the Required Lenders) and the Loan Parties that are party thereto and then any such waiver or consent shall be effective, but only in the specific instance and for the specific purpose for which given; provided, however, that no such waiver, amendment, or consent shall, unless in writing and signed by all of the Lenders directly affected thereby and all of the Loan Parties that are party thereto, do any of the following:
(i)increase the amount of or extend the expiration date of any Commitment of any Lender or amend, modify, or eliminate the last sentence of Section 2.4(c)(i),
(ii)postpone or delay any date fixed by this Agreement or any other Loan Document for any payment of principal, interest, fees, or other amounts due hereunder or under any other Loan Document,
(iii)reduce the principal of, or the rate of interest on, any loan or other extension of credit hereunder, or reduce any fees or other amounts payable hereunder or under any other Loan Document (except in connection with the waiver of applicability of Section 2.6(c) (which waiver shall be effective with the written consent of the Required Lenders),
(iv)amend, modify, or eliminate this Section or any provision of this Agreement providing for consent or other action by all Lenders,
(v)amend, modify, or eliminate Section 15.11,
(vi)other than as permitted by Section 15.11 or required under the Intercreditor Agreement, release Agent’s Liens in and to all or substantially all of the Collateral.
(vii)amend, modify, or eliminate the definition of "Required Lenders" or "Pro Rata Share",
(viii)contractually subordinate any of Agent’s Liens except pursuant to or as required under the Intercreditor Agreement,
(ix)other than in connection with a merger, liquidation, dissolution or sale of such Person expressly permitted by the terms hereof or the other Loan Documents, release any Borrower, any Plant Loan Party or any Guarantor from any obligation for the payment of money or consent to the assignment or transfer by any Borrower, any Plant Loan Party or any Guarantor of any of its rights or duties under this Agreement or the other Loan Documents,
(x)amend, modify, or eliminate any of the provisions of Section 2.4(b)(i) or (ii),
(xi)at any time that any Real Property is included in the Collateral, add, increase, renew or extend any Loan, Letter of Credit or Commitment hereunder until the completion of flood due diligence, documentation and coverage as required by the Flood Laws or as otherwise satisfactory to all Lenders,
(xii)amend, modify, or eliminate any of the provisions of Section 13.1(a) to permit a Loan Party or an Affiliate of a Loan Party to be permitted to become an Assignee, or
(xiii)amend, modify, or eliminate the definition of Borrowing Base or any of the defined terms (including the definitions of Eligible Billed Accounts, Eligible Blender's Credit Accounts, Eligible Unbilled Accounts, Eligible Inventory and Eligible In-Transit Inventory) that are used in such definition to the extent that any such change results in more credit being made available to Borrowers based upon the Borrowing Base, but not otherwise, or the definition of Maximum Revolver Amount.
(b)No amendment, waiver, modification, elimination, or consent shall amend, modify, or waive (i) the definition of, or any of the terms or provisions of, the Fee Letter, without the written consent of Agent and Borrowers (and shall not require the written consent of any of the Lenders), and (ii) any provision of Section 15 pertaining to Agent, or any other rights or duties of Agent under this Agreement or the other Loan Documents, without the written consent of Agent, Borrowers, and the Required Lenders,
(c)No amendment, waiver, modification, elimination, or consent shall amend, modify, or waive any provision of this Agreement or the other Loan Documents pertaining to Issuing Lender, or any other rights or duties of Issuing Lender under this Agreement or the other Loan Documents, without the written consent of Issuing Lender, Agent, Borrowers, and the Required Lenders,
(d)No amendment, waiver, modification, elimination, or consent shall amend, modify, or waive any provision of this Agreement or the other Loan Documents pertaining to Swing Lender, or any other rights or duties of Swing Lender under this Agreement or the other Loan Documents, without the written consent of Swing Lender, Agent, Borrowers, and the Required Lenders,
(e)Anything in this Section 14.1 to the contrary notwithstanding, (i) any amendment, modification, elimination, waiver, consent, termination, or release of, or with respect to, any provision of this Agreement or any other Loan Document that relates only to the relationship of the Lender Group among themselves, and that does not affect the rights or obligations of any Loan Party, shall not require consent by or the agreement of any Loan Party, and (ii) any amendment, waiver, modification, elimination, or consent of or with respect to any provision of this Agreement or any other Loan Document may be entered into without the consent of, or over the objection of, any Defaulting Lender.
14.2.Replacement of Certain Lenders.
(a)If (i) any action to be taken by the Lender Group or Agent hereunder requires the consent, authorization, or agreement of all Lenders or all Lenders affected thereby and if such action has received the consent, authorization, or agreement of the Required Lenders but not of all Lenders or all Lenders affected thereby, or (ii) any Lender makes a claim for compensation under Section 16, then Borrowers or Agent, upon at least 5 Business Days prior irrevocable notice, may permanently replace any Lender that failed to give its consent, authorization, or agreement (a "Holdout Lender") (so long as such replacement is within 270 days following the written request for such consent, authorization or agreement) or any Lender that made a claim for compensation (a "Tax Lender") (so long as such replacement is within 270 days following the written request for such compensation) with one or more Replacement Lenders, and the Holdout Lender or Tax Lender, as applicable, shall have no right to refuse to be replaced hereunder. Such notice to replace the Holdout Lender or Tax Lender, as applicable, shall specify an effective date for such replacement, which date shall not be later than 15 Business Days after the date such notice is given.
(b)Prior to the effective date of such replacement, the Holdout Lender or Tax Lender, as applicable, and each Replacement Lender shall execute and deliver an Assignment and Acceptance, subject only to the Holdout Lender or Tax Lender, as applicable, being repaid in full its share of the outstanding Obligations (without any premium or penalty of any kind whatsoever, but including (i) all interest, fees and other amounts that may be due in payable in respect thereof, and (ii) an assumption of its Pro Rata Share of participations in the Letters of Credit). If the Holdout Lender or Tax Lender, as applicable, shall refuse or fail to execute and deliver any such Assignment and Acceptance prior to the effective date of such replacement, Agent may, but shall not be required to, execute and deliver such Assignment and Acceptance in the name or and on behalf of the Holdout Lender or Tax Lender, as applicable, and irrespective of whether Agent executes and delivers such Assignment and Acceptance, the Holdout Lender or Tax Lender, as applicable, shall be deemed to have executed and delivered such Assignment and Acceptance. The replacement of any Holdout Lender or Tax Lender, as applicable, shall be made in accordance with the terms of Section 13.1. Until such time as one or more Replacement Lenders shall have acquired all of the Obligations, the Commitments, and the other rights and obligations of the Holdout Lender or Tax Lender, as applicable, hereunder and under the other Loan Documents, the Holdout Lender or Tax Lender, as applicable, shall remain obligated to make the Holdout Lender's or Tax Lender's, as applicable, Pro Rata Share of Advances and to purchase a participation in each Letter of Credit, in an amount equal to its Pro Rata Share of such Letters of Credit.
14.3.No Waivers; Cumulative Remedies. No failure by Agent or any Lender to exercise any right, remedy, or option under this Agreement or any other Loan Document, or delay by Agent or any Lender in exercising the same, will operate as a waiver thereof. No waiver by Agent or any Lender will be effective unless it is in writing, and then only to the extent specifically stated. No waiver by Agent or any Lender on any occasion shall affect or diminish Agent's and each Lender's rights thereafter to require strict performance by each Loan Party of any provision of this Agreement. Agent's and each Lender's rights under this Agreement
and the other Loan Documents will be cumulative and not exclusive of any other right or remedy that Agent or any Lender may have.
15.AGENT; THE LENDER GROUP.
15.1.Appointment and Authorization of Agent. Each Lender hereby designates and appoints WFCF as its agent under this Agreement and the other Loan Documents and each Lender hereby irrevocably authorizes (and by entering into a Bank Product Agreement, each Bank Product Provider shall be deemed to designate, appoint, and authorize) Agent to execute and deliver each of the other Loan Documents on its behalf and to take such other action on its behalf under the provisions of this Agreement and each other Loan Document and to exercise such powers and perform such duties as are expressly delegated to Agent by the terms of this Agreement or any other Loan Document, together with such powers as are reasonably incidental thereto. Agent agrees to act as agent for and on behalf of the Lenders (and the Bank Product Providers) on the conditions contained in this Section 15. Any provision to the contrary contained elsewhere in this Agreement or in any other Loan Document notwithstanding, Agent shall not have any duties or responsibilities, except those expressly set forth herein or in the other Loan Documents, nor shall Agent have or be deemed to have any fiduciary relationship with any Lender (or Bank Product Provider), and no implied covenants, functions, responsibilities, duties, obligations or liabilities shall be read into this Agreement or any other Loan Document or otherwise exist against Agent. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the use of the term "agent" in this Agreement or the other Loan Documents with reference to Agent is not intended to connote any fiduciary or other implied (or express) obligations arising under agency doctrine of any applicable law. Instead, such term is used merely as a matter of market custom, and is intended to create or reflect only a representative relationship between independent contracting parties. Each Lender hereby further authorizes (and by entering into a Bank Product Agreement, each Bank Product Provider shall be deemed to authorize) Agent to act as the secured party under each of the Loan Documents that create a Lien on any item of Collateral. Except as expressly otherwise provided in this Agreement, Agent shall have and may use its sole discretion with respect to exercising or refraining from exercising any discretionary rights or taking or refraining from taking any actions that Agent expressly is entitled to take or assert under or pursuant to this Agreement and the other Loan Documents. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, or of any other provision of the Loan Documents that provides rights or powers to Agent, Lenders agree that Agent shall have the right to exercise the following powers as long as this Agreement remains in effect: (a) maintain, in accordance with its customary business practices, ledgers and records reflecting the status of the Obligations, the Collateral, the Collections of Loan Parties, and related matters, (b) execute or file any and all financing or similar statements or notices, amendments, renewals, supplements, documents, instruments, proofs of claim, notices and other written agreements with respect to the Loan Documents, (c) make Advances, for itself or on behalf of Lenders, as provided in the Loan Documents, (d) exclusively receive, apply, and distribute the Collections of Loan Parties as provided in the Loan Documents, (e) open and maintain such bank accounts and cash management arrangements as Agent deems necessary and appropriate in accordance with the Loan Documents for the foregoing purposes with respect to the Collateral and the Collections of Loan Parties, (f) perform, exercise, and enforce any and all other rights and remedies of the Lender Group with respect to Loan Parties, the Obligations, the Collateral, the Collections of
Loan Parties, or otherwise related to any of same as provided in the Loan Documents, and (g) incur and pay such Lender Group Expenses as Agent may deem necessary or appropriate for the performance and fulfillment of its functions and powers pursuant to the Loan Documents.
15.2.Delegation of Duties. Agent may execute any of its duties under this Agreement or any other Loan Document by or through agents, employees or attorneys' in fact and shall be entitled to advice of counsel concerning all matters pertaining to such duties. Agent shall not be responsible for the negligence or misconduct of any agent or attorney in fact that it selects as long as such selection was made without gross negligence or willful misconduct.
15.3.Liability of Agent. None of the Agent-Related Persons shall (a) be liable for any action taken or omitted to be taken by any of them under or in connection with this Agreement or any other Loan Document or the transactions contemplated hereby (except for its own gross negligence or willful misconduct), or (b) be responsible in any manner to any of the Lenders (or Bank Product Providers) for any recital, statement, representation or warranty made by any Loan Party or Affiliates, or any officer or director thereof, contained in this Agreement or in any other Loan Document, or in any certificate, report, statement or other document referred to or provided for in, or received by Agent under or in connection with, this Agreement or any other Loan Document, or the validity, effectiveness, genuineness, enforceability or sufficiency of this Agreement or any other Loan Document, or for any failure of any Loan Party or any other party to any Loan Document to perform its obligations hereunder or thereunder. No Agent-Related Person shall be under any obligation to any Lenders (or Bank Product Providers) to ascertain or to inquire as to the observance or performance of any of the agreements contained in, or conditions of, this Agreement or any other Loan Document, or to inspect the books and records or properties of any Loan Party.
15.4.Reliance by Agent. Agent shall be entitled to rely, and shall be fully protected in relying, upon any writing, resolution, notice, consent, certificate, affidavit, letter, telegram, telefacsimile or other electronic method of transmission, telex or telephone message, statement or other document or conversation believed by it to be genuine and correct and to have been signed, sent, or made by the proper Person or Persons, and upon advice and statements of legal counsel (including counsel to Borrowers or counsel to any Lender), independent accountants and other experts selected by Agent. Agent shall be fully justified in failing or refusing to take any action under this Agreement or any other Loan Document unless Agent shall first receive such advice or concurrence of the Lenders as it deems appropriate and until such instructions are received, Agent shall act, or refrain from acting, as it deems advisable. If Agent so requests, it shall first be indemnified to its reasonable satisfaction by the Lenders (and, if it so elects, the Bank Product Providers) against any and all liability and expense that may be incurred by it by reason of taking or continuing to take any such action. Agent shall in all cases be fully protected in acting, or in refraining from acting, under this Agreement or any other Loan Document in accordance with a request or consent of the Required Lenders and such request and any action taken or failure to act pursuant thereto shall be binding upon all of the Lenders (and Bank Product Providers).
15.5.Notice of Default or Event of Default. Agent shall not be deemed to have knowledge or notice of the occurrence of any Default or Event of Default, except with respect to
defaults in the payment of principal, interest, fees, and expenses required to be paid to Agent for the account of the Lenders and, except with respect to Events of Default of which Agent has actual knowledge, unless Agent shall have received written notice from a Lender or any Borrower referring to this Agreement, describing such Default or Event of Default, and stating that such notice is a "notice of default." Agent promptly will notify the Lenders of its receipt of any such notice or of any Event of Default of which Agent has actual knowledge. If any Lender obtains actual knowledge of any Event of Default, such Lender promptly shall notify the other Lenders and Agent of such Event of Default. Each Lender shall be solely responsible for giving any notices to its Participants, if any. Subject to Section 15.4, Agent shall take such action with respect to such Default or Event of Default as may be requested by the Required Lenders in accordance with Section 9; provided, however, that unless and until Agent has received any such request, Agent may (but shall not be obligated to) take such action, or refrain from taking such action, with respect to such Default or Event of Default as it shall deem advisable.
15.6.Credit Decision. Each Lender (and Bank Product Provider) acknowledges that none of the Agent-Related Persons has made any representation or warranty to it, and that no act by Agent hereinafter taken, including any review of the affairs of any Loan Party and its Affiliates, shall be deemed to constitute any representation or warranty by any Agent-Related Person to any Lender (or Bank Product Provider). Each Lender represents (and by entering into a Bank Product Agreement, each Bank Product Provider shall be deemed to represent) to Agent that it has, independently and without reliance upon any Agent-Related Person and based on such due diligence, documents and information as it has deemed appropriate, made its own appraisal of and investigation into the business, prospects, operations, property, financial and other condition and creditworthiness of any Borrower or any other Person party to a Loan Document, and all applicable bank regulatory laws relating to the transactions contemplated hereby, and made its own decision to enter into this Agreement and to extend credit to Borrowers. Each Lender also represents (and by entering into a Bank Product Agreement, each Bank Product Provider shall be deemed to represent) that it will, independently and without reliance upon any Agent-Related Person and based on such documents and information as it shall deem appropriate at the time, continue to make its own credit analysis, appraisals and decisions in taking or not taking action under this Agreement and the other Loan Documents, and to make such investigations as it deems necessary to inform itself as to the business, prospects, operations, property, financial and other condition and creditworthiness of any Borrower or any other Person party to a Loan Document. Except for notices, reports, and other documents expressly herein required to be furnished to the Lenders by Agent, Agent shall not have any duty or responsibility to provide any Lender (or Bank Product Provider) with any credit or other information concerning the business, prospects, operations, property, financial and other condition or creditworthiness of any Borrower or any other Person party to a Loan Document that may come into the possession of any of the Agent-Related Persons. Each Lender acknowledges (and by entering into a Bank Product Agreement, each Bank Product Provider shall be deemed to acknowledge) that Agent does not have any duty or responsibility, either initially or on a continuing basis (except to the extent, if any, that is expressly specified herein) to provide such Lender (or Bank Product Provider) with any credit or other information with respect to any Borrower, its Affiliates or any of their respective business, legal, financial or other affairs, and irrespective of whether such information came into Agent's or its Affiliates' or representatives'
possession before or after the date on which such Lender became a party to this Agreement (or such Bank Product Provider entered into a Bank Product Agreement).
15.7.Costs and Expenses; Indemnification. Agent may incur and pay Lender Group Expenses to the extent Agent reasonably deems necessary or appropriate for the performance and fulfillment of its functions, powers, and obligations pursuant to the Loan Documents, including court costs, attorneys' fees and expenses, fees and expenses of financial accountants, advisors, consultants, and appraisers, costs of collection by outside collection agencies, auctioneer fees and expenses, and costs of security guards or insurance premiums paid to maintain the Collateral, whether or not Borrowers are obligated to reimburse Agent or Lenders for such expenses pursuant to this Agreement or otherwise. Agent is authorized and directed to deduct and retain sufficient amounts from the Collections of Loan Parties received by Agent to reimburse Agent for such out-of-pocket costs and expenses prior to the distribution of any amounts to Lenders (or Bank Product Providers). In the event Agent is not reimbursed for such costs and expenses by Loan Parties, each Lender hereby agrees that it is and shall be obligated to pay to Agent such Lender's ratable thereof. Whether or not the transactions contemplated hereby are consummated, each of the Lenders, on a ratable basis, shall indemnify and defend the Agent-Related Persons (to the extent not reimbursed by or on behalf of Borrowers and without limiting the obligation of Borrowers to do so) from and against any and all Indemnified Liabilities; provided, however, that no Lender shall be liable for the payment to any Agent-Related Person of any portion of such Indemnified Liabilities resulting solely from such Person's gross negligence or willful misconduct nor shall any Lender be liable for the obligations of any Defaulting Lender in failing to make an Advance or other extension of credit hereunder. Without limitation of the foregoing, each Lender shall reimburse Agent upon demand for such Lender's ratable share of any costs or out of pocket expenses (including attorneys', accountants, advisors, and consultants fees and expenses) incurred by Agent in connection with the preparation, execution, delivery, administration, modification, amendment, or enforcement (whether through negotiations, legal proceedings or otherwise) of, or legal advice in respect of rights or responsibilities under, this Agreement or any other Loan Document to the extent that Agent is not reimbursed for such expenses by or on behalf of Borrowers. The undertaking in this Section shall survive the payment of all Obligations hereunder and the resignation or replacement of Agent.
15.8.Agent in Individual Capacity. WFCF and its Affiliates may make loans to, issue letters of credit for the account of, accept deposits from, provide Bank Products to, acquire equity interests in, and generally engage in any kind of banking, trust, financial advisory, underwriting, or other business with Loan Parties and their Affiliates and any other Person party to any Loan Document as though WFCF were not Agent hereunder, and, in each case, without notice to or consent of the other members of the Lender Group. The other members of the Lender Group acknowledge (and by entering into a Bank Product Agreement, each Bank Product Provider shall be deemed to acknowledge) that, pursuant to such activities, WFCF or its Affiliates may receive information regarding Loan Parties or their Affiliates or any other Person party to any Loan Documents that is subject to confidentiality obligations in favor of Loan Parties or such other Person and that prohibit the disclosure of such information to the Lenders (or Bank Product Providers), and the Lenders acknowledge (and by entering into a Bank Product Agreement, each Bank Product Provider shall be deemed to acknowledge) that, in such circumstances (and in the absence of a waiver of such confidentiality obligations, which waiver
Agent will use its reasonable best efforts to obtain), Agent shall not be under any obligation to provide such information to them. The terms "Lender" and "Lenders" include WFCF in its individual capacity.
15.9.Successor Agent. Agent may resign as Agent upon 30 days prior written notice to the Lenders (unless such notice is waived by the Required Lenders) and Administrative Borrower (unless such notice is waived by Borrowers or an Event of Default exists) and without any notice to the Bank Product Providers. If Agent resigns under this Agreement, the Required Lenders shall be entitled, with (so long as no Event of Default has occurred and is continuing) the consent of Administrative Borrower (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld, delayed, or conditioned), appoint a successor Agent for the Lenders (and the Bank Product Providers). If, at the time that Agent's resignation is effective, it is acting as the Issuing Lender or the Swing Lender, such resignation shall also operate to effectuate its resignation as the Issuing Lender or the Swing Lender, as applicable, and it shall automatically be relieved of any further obligation to issue Letters of Credit, to cause the Underlying Issuer to issue Letters of Credit, or to make Swing Loans. If no successor Agent is appointed prior to the effective date of the resignation of Agent, Agent may appoint, after consulting with the Lenders and Administrative Borrower, a successor Agent. If Agent is a Defaulting Lender or has materially breached or failed to perform any material provision of this Agreement or of applicable law, the Required Lenders may agree in writing to remove and replace Agent with a successor Agent from among the Lenders with (so long as no Event of Default has occurred and is continuing) the consent of Borrowers (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld, delayed, or conditioned). In any such event, upon the acceptance of its appointment as successor Agent hereunder, such successor Agent shall succeed to all the rights, powers, and duties of the retiring Agent and the term "Agent" shall mean such successor Agent and the retiring Agent's appointment, powers, and duties as Agent shall be terminated. After any retiring Agent's resignation hereunder as Agent, the provisions of this Section 15 shall inure to its benefit as to any actions taken or omitted to be taken by it while it was Agent under this Agreement. If no successor Agent has accepted appointment as Agent by the date which is 30 days following a retiring Agent's notice of resignation, the retiring Agent's resignation shall nevertheless thereupon become effective and the Lenders shall perform all of the duties of Agent hereunder until such time, if any, as the Lenders appoint a successor Agent as provided for above.
15.10.Lender in Individual Capacity. Any Lender and its respective Affiliates may make loans to, issue letters of credit for the account of, accept deposits from, provide Bank Products to, acquire equity interests in and generally engage in any kind of banking, trust, financial advisory, underwriting, or other business with any Loan Party and its Affiliates and any other Person party to any Loan Documents as though such Lender were not a Lender hereunder without notice to or consent of the other members of the Lender Group (or the Bank Product Providers). The other members of the Lender Group acknowledge (and by entering into a Bank Product Agreement, each Bank Product Provider shall be deemed to acknowledge) that, pursuant to such activities, such Lender and its respective Affiliates may receive information regarding Loan Parties or their Affiliates or any other Person party to any Loan Documents that is subject to confidentiality obligations in favor of Loan Parties or such other Person and that prohibit the disclosure of such information to the Lenders, and the Lenders acknowledge (and by entering into a Bank Product Agreement, each Bank Product Provider shall be deemed to acknowledge)
that, in such circumstances (and in the absence of a waiver of such confidentiality obligations, which waiver such Lender will use its reasonable best efforts to obtain), such Lender shall not be under any obligation to provide such information to them.
15.11.Collateral Matters.
(a)The Lenders hereby irrevocably authorize (and by entering into a Bank Product Agreement, each Bank Product Provider shall be deemed to authorize) Agent to release any Lien on any Collateral (i) upon the termination of the Commitments and payment and satisfaction in full by Borrowers of all of the Obligations, (ii) constituting property being sold or disposed of if a release is required or desirable in connection therewith and if Borrowers certify to Agent that the sale or disposition is permitted under Section 6.4 (and Agent may rely conclusively on any such certificate, without further inquiry), (iii) constituting property in which no Loan Party and no Subsidiary of Loan Parties owned any interest at the time Agent's Lien was granted nor at any time thereafter, (iv) constituting property leased to any Loan Party or its Subsidiaries under a lease that has expired or is terminated in a transaction permitted under this Agreement or (v) in accordance with the Intercreditor Agreement. The Loan Parties and the Lenders hereby irrevocably authorize (and by entering into a Bank Product Agreement, each Bank Product Provider shall be deemed to authorize) Agent, based upon the instruction of the Required Lenders, to (a) consent to, credit bid or purchase (either directly or through one or more acquisition vehicles) all or any portion of the Collateral at any sale thereof conducted under the provisions of the Bankruptcy Code, including under Section 363 of the Bankruptcy Code, (b) credit bid or purchase (either directly or through one or more acquisition vehicles) all or any portion of the Collateral at any sale or other disposition thereof conducted under the provisions of the Code, including pursuant to Sections 9-610 or 9-620 of the Code, or (c) credit bid or purchase (either directly or through one or more acquisition vehicles) all or any portion of the Collateral at any other sale or foreclosure conducted by Agent (whether by judicial action or otherwise) in accordance with applicable law. In connection with any such credit bid or purchase, the Obligations owed to the Lenders and the Bank Product Providers shall be entitled to be, and shall be, credit bid on a ratable basis (with Obligations with respect to contingent or unliquidated claims being estimated for such purpose if the fixing or liquidation thereof would not unduly delay the ability of Agent to credit bid or purchase at such sale or other disposition of the Collateral and, if such claims cannot be estimated without unduly delaying the ability of Agent to credit bid, then such claims shall be disregarded, not credit bid, and not entitled to any interest in the asset or assets purchased by means of such credit bid) and the Lenders and the Bank Product Providers whose Obligations are credit bid shall be entitled to receive interests (ratably based upon the proportion of their Obligations credit bid in relation to the aggregate amount of Obligations so credit bid) in the asset or assets so purchased (or in the Stock of the acquisition vehicle or vehicles that are used to consummate such purchase). Except as provided above, Agent will not execute and deliver a release of any Lien on any Collateral without the prior written authorization of (y) if the release is of all or substantially all of the Collateral, all of the Lenders (without requiring the authorization of the Bank Product Providers), or (z) otherwise, the Required Lenders (without requiring the authorization of the Bank Product Providers). Upon request by Agent or any Borrower at any time, the Lenders will (and if so requested, the Bank Product Providers will) confirm in writing Agent's authority to release any such Liens on particular types or items of Collateral pursuant to this Section 15.11; provided, however, that
(1) Agent shall not be required to execute any document necessary to evidence such release on terms that, in Agent's opinion, would expose Agent to liability or create any obligation or entail any consequence other than the release of such Lien without recourse, representation, or warranty, and (2) such release shall not in any manner discharge, affect, or impair the Obligations or any Liens (other than those expressly being released) upon (or obligations of any Borrower in respect of) all interests retained by any Borrower, including, the proceeds of any sale, all of which shall continue to constitute part of the Collateral. The Lenders further hereby irrevocably authorize (and by entering into a Bank Product Agreement, each Bank Product Provider shall be deemed to authorize) Agent, at its option and in its sole discretion, to subordinate any Lien granted to or held by Agent under any Loan Document to the holder of any Permitted Lien on such property if such Permitted Lien secures Permitted Purchase Money Indebtedness. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 15.11, Agent shall be authorized, without the consent of any Lender and without the requirement that an asset sale consisting of the sale, transfer or other disposition having occurred, to release any security interest in any building, structure or improvement located in an area determined by the Federal Emergency Management Agency to have special flood hazards.
(b)Agent shall have no obligation whatsoever to any of the Lenders (or the Bank Product Providers) to assure that the Collateral exists or is owned by a Loan Party or is cared for, protected, or insured or has been encumbered, or that Agent's Liens have been properly or sufficiently or lawfully created, perfected, protected, or enforced or are entitled to any particular priority, or that any particular items of Collateral meet the eligibility criteria applicable in respect thereof or whether to impose, maintain, reduce, or eliminate any particular reserve hereunder or whether the amount of any such reserve is appropriate or not, or to exercise at all or in any particular manner or under any duty of care, disclosure or fidelity, or to continue exercising, any of the rights, authorities and powers granted or available to Agent pursuant to any of the Loan Documents, it being understood and agreed that in respect of the Collateral, or any act, omission, or event related thereto, subject to the terms and conditions contained herein, Agent may act in any manner it may deem appropriate, in its sole discretion given Agent's own interest in the Collateral in its capacity as one of the Lenders and that Agent shall have no other duty or liability whatsoever to any Lender (or Bank Product Provider) as to any of the foregoing, except as otherwise provided herein.
15.12.Restrictions on Actions by Lenders; Sharing of Payments.
(a)Each of the Lenders agrees that it shall not, without the express written consent of Agent, and that it shall, to the extent it is lawfully entitled to do so, upon the written request of Agent, set off against the Obligations, any amounts owing by such Lender to any Loan Party or any deposit accounts of any Loan Party or its Subsidiaries now or hereafter maintained with such Lender. Each of the Lenders further agrees that it shall not, unless specifically requested to do so in writing by Agent, take or cause to be taken any action, including, the commencement of any legal or equitable proceedings to enforce any Loan Document against any Borrower, any Plant Loan Party or any Guarantor or to foreclose any Lien on, or otherwise enforce any security interest in, any of the Collateral.
(b)If, at any time or times any Lender shall receive (i) by payment, foreclosure, setoff, or otherwise, any proceeds of Collateral or any payments with respect to the Obligations, except for any such proceeds or payments received by such Lender from Agent pursuant to the terms of this Agreement, or (ii) payments from Agent in excess of such Lender's Pro Rata Share of all such distributions by Agent, such Lender promptly shall (A) turn the same over to Agent, in kind, and with such endorsements as may be required to negotiate the same to Agent, or in immediately available funds, as applicable, for the account of all of the Lenders and for application to the Obligations in accordance with the applicable provisions of this Agreement, or (B) purchase, without recourse or warranty, an undivided interest and participation in the Obligations owed to the other Lenders so that such excess payment received shall be applied ratably as among the Lenders in accordance with their Pro Rata Shares; provided, however, that to the extent that such excess payment received by the purchasing party is thereafter recovered from it, those purchases of participations shall be rescinded in whole or in part, as applicable, and the applicable portion of the purchase price paid therefor shall be returned to such purchasing party, but without interest except to the extent that such purchasing party is required to pay interest in connection with the recovery of the excess payment.
15.13.Agency for Perfection. Agent hereby appoints each other Lender (and each Bank Product Provider) as its agent (and each Lender hereby accepts (and by entering into a Bank Product Agreement, each Bank Product Provider shall be deemed to accept) such appointment) for the purpose of perfecting Agent's Liens in assets which, in accordance with Article 8 or Article 9, as applicable, of the Code can be perfected by possession or control. Should any Lender obtain possession or control of any such Collateral, such Lender shall notify Agent thereof, and, promptly upon Agent's request therefor shall deliver possession or control of such Collateral to Agent or in accordance with Agent's instructions.
15.14.Payments by Agent to the Lenders. All payments to be made by Agent to the Lenders (or Bank Product Providers) shall be made by bank wire transfer of immediately available funds pursuant to such wire transfer instructions as each party may designate for itself by written notice to Agent. Concurrently with each such payment, Agent shall identify whether such payment (or any portion thereof) represents principal, premium, fees, or interest of the Obligations.
15.15.Concerning the Collateral and Related Loan Documents. Each member of the Lender Group authorizes and directs Agent to enter into this Agreement and the other Loan Documents. Each member of the Lender Group agrees (and by entering into a Bank Product Agreement, each Bank Product Provider shall be deemed to agree) that any action taken by Agent in accordance with the terms of this Agreement or the other Loan Documents relating to the Collateral and the exercise by Agent of its powers set forth therein or herein, together with such other powers that are reasonably incidental thereto, shall be binding upon all of the Lenders (and such Bank Product Provider).
15.16.Audits and Examination Reports; Confidentiality; Disclaimers by Lenders; Other Reports and Information. By becoming a party to this Agreement, each Lender:
(a)is deemed to have requested that Agent furnish such Lender, promptly after it becomes available, a copy of each field audit or examination report respecting any Loan Party or its Subsidiaries (each, a "Report") prepared by or at the request of Agent, and Agent shall so furnish each Lender with such Reports,
(b)expressly agrees and acknowledges that Agent does not (i) make any representation or warranty as to the accuracy of any Report, and (ii) shall not be liable for any information contained in any Report,
(c)expressly agrees and acknowledges that the Reports are not comprehensive audits or examinations, that Agent or other party performing any audit or examination will inspect only specific information regarding a Loan Party and its Subsidiaries and will rely significantly upon each Loan Party and its Subsidiaries' books and records, as well as on representations of each Borrower's personnel,
(d)agrees to keep all Reports and other material, non-public information regarding each Loan Party and its Subsidiaries and their operations, assets, and existing and contemplated business plans in a confidential manner in accordance with Section 17.9, and
(e)without limiting the generality of any other indemnification provision contained in this Agreement, agrees: (i) to hold Agent and any other Lender preparing a Report harmless from any action the indemnifying Lender may take or fail to take or any conclusion the indemnifying Lender may reach or draw from any Report in connection with any loans or other credit accommodations that the indemnifying Lender has made or may make to Borrowers, or the indemnifying Lender's participation in, or the indemnifying Lender's purchase of, a loan or loans of Borrowers, and (ii) to pay and protect, and indemnify, defend and hold Agent, and any such other Lender preparing a Report harmless from and against, the claims, actions, proceedings, damages, costs, expenses, and other amounts (including, attorneys' fees and costs) incurred by Agent and any such other Lender preparing a Report as the direct or indirect result of any third parties who might obtain all or part of any Report through the indemnifying Lender.
In addition to the foregoing: (x) any Lender may from time to time request of Agent in writing that Agent provide to such Lender a copy of any report or document provided by any Loan Party or its Subsidiaries to Agent that has not been contemporaneously provided by any Loan Party or such Subsidiary to such Lender, and, upon receipt of such request, Agent promptly shall provide a copy of same to such Lender, (y) to the extent that Agent is entitled, under any provision of the Loan Documents, to request additional reports or information from any Loan Party or such Subsidiary, any Lender may, from time to time, reasonably request Agent to exercise such right as specified in such Lender's notice to Agent, whereupon Agent promptly shall request of such Borrower the additional reports or information reasonably specified by such Lender, and, upon receipt thereof from such Loan Party or its Subsidiaries, Agent promptly shall provide a copy of same to such Lender, and (z) any time that Agent renders to any Borrower a statement regarding the Loan Account, Agent shall send a copy of such statement to each Lender.
15.17.Several Obligations; No Liability. Notwithstanding that certain of the Loan Documents now or hereafter may have been or will be executed only by or in favor of Agent in its capacity as such, and not by or in favor of the Lenders, any and all obligations on the part of Agent (if any) to make any credit available hereunder shall constitute the several (and not joint) obligations of the respective Lenders on a ratable basis, according to their respective Commitments, to make an amount of such credit not to exceed, in principal amount, at any one time outstanding, the amount of their respective Commitments. Nothing contained herein shall confer upon any Lender any interest in, or subject any Lender to any liability for, or in respect of, the business, assets, profits, losses, or liabilities of any other Lender. Each Lender shall be solely responsible for notifying its Participants of any matters relating to the Loan Documents to the extent any such notice may be required, and no Lender shall have any obligation, duty, or liability to any Participant of any other Lender. Except as provided in Section 15.7, no member of the Lender Group shall have any liability for the acts of any other member of the Lender Group. No Lender shall be responsible to any Borrower or any other Person for any failure by any other Lender (or Bank Product Provider) to fulfill its obligations to make credit available hereunder, nor to advance for such Lender (or Bank Product Provider) or on its behalf, nor to take any other action on behalf of such Lender (or Bank Product Provider) hereunder or in connection with the financing contemplated herein.
15.18.Joint Lead Arrangers and Joint Book Runners. Each of the Joint Lead Arrangers and the Joint Book Runners, in such capacities, shall not have any right, power, obligation, liability, responsibility, or duty under this Agreement other than those applicable to it in its capacity as a Lender, as Agent, as Swing Lender, or as Issuing Lender. Without limiting the foregoing, each of the Joint Lead Arrangers and the Joint Book Runners, in such capacities, shall not have or be deemed to have any fiduciary relationship with any Lender or any Loan Party. Each Lender, Agent, Swing Lender, Issuing Lender, and each Loan Party acknowledges that it has not relied, and will not rely, on the Joint Lead Arrangers or the Joint Book Runners in deciding to enter into this Agreement or in taking or not taking action hereunder. Each of the Joint Lead Arrangers and the Joint Book Runners, in such capacities, shall be entitled to resign at any time by giving notice to Agent and Borrowers.
16.WITHHOLDING TAXES.
(a)All payments made by any Borrower hereunder or under any note or other Loan Document will be made without setoff, counterclaim, or other defense. In addition, all such payments will be made free and clear of, and without deduction or withholding for, any Taxes except to the extent required by applicable law, and in the event any deduction or withholding of Taxes is required, Borrowers shall comply with the next sentence of this Section 16(a). If any Taxes are so levied or imposed, Borrowers agree to timely pay the full amount of such Taxes to the relevant Governmental Authority and, if such Taxes are Indemnified Taxes, pay such additional amounts to Agent and applicable Lender as may be necessary so that every payment of all amounts due under this Agreement, any note, or Loan Document, including any amount paid pursuant to this Section 16(a) after withholding or deduction for or on account of any Taxes, will not be less than the amount provided for herein; provided, however, that Borrowers shall not be required to increase any such amounts if the increase in such amount payable results from Agent's or such Lender's own willful misconduct or gross negligence (as
finally determined by a court of competent jurisdiction). Borrowers will furnish to Agent as promptly as possible after the date the payment of any Tax is due pursuant to applicable law, certified copies of tax receipts evidencing such payment by Borrowers.
(b)Borrowers agree to pay any present or future stamp, value added or documentary taxes or any other excise or property taxes, charges, or similar levies ("Other Taxes") that arise from any payment made hereunder or from the execution, delivery, performance, recordation, or filing of, or otherwise with respect to this Agreement or any other Loan Document. The Loan Parties shall jointly and severally indemnify each Indemnified Person (as defined in Section 10.3) (collectively a "Tax Indemnitee") for the full amount of Indemnified Taxes arising in connection with this Agreement or any other Loan Document or breach thereof by any Loan Party (including, without limitation, any Indemnified Taxes imposed or asserted on, or attributable to, amounts payable under this Section 16) imposed on, or paid by, such Tax Indemnitee and all reasonable costs and expenses related thereto (including fees and disbursements of attorneys and other tax professionals), as and when they are incurred and irrespective of whether suit is brought, whether or not such Indemnified Taxes were correctly or legally imposed or asserted by the relevant Governmental Authority (other than Indemnified Taxes and additional amounts that a court of competent jurisdiction finally determines to have resulted from the gross negligence or willful misconduct of such Tax Indemnitee). The obligations of the Loan Parties under this Section 16 shall survive the termination of this Agreement, the resignation and replacement of the Agent, and the repayment of the Obligations.
(c)If a Lender or Participant is entitled to claim an exemption or reduction from United States withholding tax, such Lender or Participant agrees with and in favor of Agent, to deliver to Agent (or, in the case of a Participant, to the Lender granting the participation only) one of the following before receiving its first payment under this Agreement:
(i)if such Lender or Participant is entitled to claim an exemption from United States withholding tax pursuant to the portfolio interest exception, (A) a statement of the Lender or Participant, signed under penalty of perjury, that it is not a (I) a "bank" as described in Section 881(c)(3)(A) of the IRC, (II) a 10% shareholder of any Borrower (within the meaning of Section 871(h)(3)(B) of the IRC), or (III) a controlled foreign corporation related to any Borrower within the meaning of Section 864(d)(4) of the IRC, and (B) a properly completed and executed IRS Form W-8BEN, Form W-8BEN-E as applicable or Form W-8IMY (with proper attachments);
(ii)if such Lender or Participant is entitled to claim an exemption from, or a reduction of, withholding tax under a United States tax treaty, a properly completed and executed copy of IRS Form W-8BEN or Form W-8BEN-E as applicable;
(iii)if such Lender or Participant is entitled to claim that interest paid under this Agreement is exempt from United States withholding tax because it is effectively connected with a United States trade or business of such Lender, a properly completed and executed copy of IRS Form W-8ECI;
(iv)if such Lender or Participant is entitled to claim that interest paid under this Agreement is exempt from United States withholding tax because such Lender or Participant serves as an intermediary, a properly completed and executed copy of IRS Form W-8IMY (with proper attachments); or
(v)a properly completed and executed copy of any other form or forms, including IRS Form W-9, as may be required under the IRC or other laws of the United States as a condition to exemption from, or reduction of, United States withholding or backup withholding tax.
If a payment made to a Lender under any Loan Document would be subject to U.S. federal income withholding Tax imposed by FATCA if such Lender were to fail to comply with the applicable reporting requirements of FATCA (including those contained in Section 1471(b) or 1472(b) of the IRC, as applicable), such Lender shall deliver to Agent (or, in the case of a Participant, to the Lender granting the participation only) at the time or times prescribed by law and at such time or times reasonably requested by Agent (or, in the case of a Participant, the Lender granting the participation) such documentation prescribed by applicable law (including as prescribed by Section 1471(b)(3)(C)(i) of the IRC) and such additional documentation reasonably requested by Agent (or, in the case of a Participant, the Lender granting the participation) as may be necessary for Agent or Borrowers to comply with their obligations under FATCA and to determine that such Lender has complied with such Lender's obligations under FATCA or to determine the amount to deduct and withhold from such payment. Solely for purposes of this Section 16(c), "FATCA" shall include any amendments made to FATCA after the date of the Eleventh Amendment Effective Date. For purposes of determining withholding Taxes imposed under FATCA, the Borrowers and the Agent shall treat (and the Lenders hereby authorize the Agent to treat) this Agreement as modified by the Eleventh Amendment and any Loan or Letter of Credit issued under or pursuant to the Credit Agreement as not qualifying as a “grandfathered obligation” within the meaning of Treasury Regulation Section 1.1471-2(b)(2)(i) or Treasury Regulation Section 1.1471-2T(b)(2)(i). In connection therewith, prior to the first interest payment date after the Eleventh Amendment Effective Date, each Lender that is not a Foreign Lender shall provide to Agent a current and complete, duly executed IRS Form W-9, and each Foreign Lender shall provide to Agent a current and complete, duly executed IRS Form W-8BEN-E, IRS Form W-8ECI, or IRS Form W-8IMY (with applicable attachments, including without limitations IRS Forms W-9, W-8BEN-E, or W-8ECI), as applicable demonstrating such Lender's compliance with, or exemption from, FATCA. Each Lender or Participant shall provide such other new forms (or successor forms) upon the expiration or obsolescence of any previously delivered forms and to promptly notify Agent (or, in the case of a Participant, to the Lender granting the participation only) of any change in circumstances which would modify or render invalid any claimed exemption or reduction. The Agent shall provide each Borrower with a current and complete, duly executed IRS Form W-9 on or prior to the Seventeenth Amendment Effective Date and thereafter from time to time upon the reasonable request of any Borrower.
(d)If a Lender or Participant claims an exemption from withholding tax in a jurisdiction other than the United States, such Lender or such Participant agrees with and in favor of Agent, to deliver to Agent (or, in the case of a Participant, to the Lender granting the
participation only) any such form or forms, as may be required under the laws of such jurisdiction as a condition to exemption from, or reduction of, foreign withholding or backup withholding tax before receiving its first payment under this Agreement, but only if such Lender or such Participant is legally able to deliver such forms and the provision of such forms in the Lender's reasonable judgment would not subject such Lender to any material unreimbursed cost or expense or materially prejudice the legal or commercial position of such Lender (or its Affiliates), provided, however, that nothing in this Section 16(d) shall require a Lender or Participant to disclose any information that it deems to be confidential (including without limitation, its tax returns). Each Lender and each Participant shall provide new forms (or successor forms) upon the expiration or obsolescence of any previously delivered forms and to promptly notify Agent (or, in the case of a Participant, to the Lender granting the participation only) of any change in circumstances which would modify or render invalid any claimed exemption or reduction.
(e)If a Lender or Participant claims exemption from, or reduction of, withholding tax and such Lender or Participant sells, assigns, grants a participation in, or otherwise transfers all or part of the Obligations of Borrowers to such Lender or Participant, such Lender or Participant agrees to notify Agent (or, in the case of a sale of a participation interest, to the Lender granting the participation only) of the percentage amount in which it is no longer the beneficial owner of Obligations of Borrowers to such Lender or Participant. To the extent of such percentage amount, Agent will treat such Lender's or such Participant's documentation provided pursuant to Section 16(c) or 16(d) as no longer valid. With respect to such percentage amount, such Participant or Assignee may provide new documentation, pursuant to Section 16(c) or 16(d), if applicable. Each Borrower agrees that each Participant shall be entitled to the benefits of this Section 16 with respect to its participation in any portion of the Commitments and the Obligations so long as such Participant complies with the obligations set forth in this Section 16 with respect thereto.
(f)If a Lender or a Participant is entitled to a reduction in the applicable withholding tax, Agent (or, in the case of a Participant, to the Lender granting the participation) may withhold from any interest payment to such Lender or such Participant an amount equivalent to the applicable withholding tax after taking into account such reduction. If the forms or other documentation required by Section 16(c) or 16(d) are not delivered to Agent (or, in the case of a Participant, to the Lender granting the participation), then Agent (or, in the case of a Participant, to the Lender granting the participation) may withhold from any interest payment to such Lender or such Participant not providing such forms or other documentation an amount equivalent to the applicable withholding tax.
(g)If the IRS or any other Governmental Authority of the United States or other jurisdiction asserts a claim that Agent (or, in the case of a Participant, to the Lender granting the participation) did not properly withhold tax from amounts paid to or for the account of any Lender or any Participant due to a failure on the part of the Lender or any Participant (because the appropriate form was not delivered, was not properly executed, or because such Lender failed to notify Agent (or such Participant failed to notify the Lender granting the participation) of a change in circumstances which rendered the exemption from, or reduction of, withholding tax ineffective, or for any other reason) such Lender shall indemnify and hold Agent
harmless (or, in the case of a Participant, such Participant shall indemnify and hold the Lender granting the participation harmless) for all amounts paid, directly or indirectly, by Agent (or, in the case of a Participant, to the Lender granting the participation), as tax or otherwise, including penalties and interest, and including any taxes imposed by any jurisdiction on the amounts payable to Agent (or, in the case of a Participant, to the Lender granting the participation only) under this Section 16, together with all costs and expenses (including attorneys' fees and expenses). The obligation of the Lenders and the Participants under this subsection shall survive the payment of all Obligations and the resignation or replacement of Agent.
(h)If Agent or a Lender determines, in its sole discretion, that it has received a refund of any Taxes as to which it has been indemnified by Borrowers or with respect to which Borrowers have paid additional amounts pursuant to this Section 16, so long as no Default or Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, it shall pay over such refund to Borrowers (but only to the extent of payments made, or additional amounts paid, by Borrowers under this Section 16 with respect to Taxes giving rise to such a refund), net of all out-of-pocket expenses of Agent or such Lender and without interest (other than any interest paid by the relevant Governmental Authority with respect to such a refund); provided, that Borrowers, upon the request of Agent or such Lender, agree to repay the amount paid over to Borrowers (plus any penalties, interest or other charges, imposed by the relevant Governmental Authority, other than such penalties, interest or other charges imposed as a result of the willful misconduct or gross negligence of Agent hereunder) to Agent or such Lender in the event Agent or such Lender is required to repay such refund to such Governmental Authority. Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, this Section 16 shall not be construed to (i) require Agent or any Lender to make available its tax returns (or any other information which it deems confidential) to any Borrower or any other Person or (ii) require Agent or any Lender to pay any amount pursuant to this Section 16(h), the payment of which would place Agent or such Lender (or their Affiliates) in a less favorable net after-Tax position than such Person would have been in if the Tax subject to indemnification and giving rise to such refund had not been deducted, withheld or otherwise imposed and the indemnification payments or additional amounts with respect to such Tax had never been paid.
17.GENERAL PROVISIONS.
17.1.Effectiveness. This Agreement shall be binding and deemed effective when executed by each Borrower, Agent, and each Lender whose signature is provided for on the signature pages hereof.
17.2.Section Headings. Headings and numbers have been set forth herein for convenience only. Unless the contrary is compelled by the context, everything contained in each Section applies equally to this entire Agreement.
17.3.Interpretation. Neither this Agreement nor any uncertainty or ambiguity herein shall be construed against the Lender Group or any Loan Party, whether under any rule of construction or otherwise. On the contrary, this Agreement has been reviewed by all parties and shall be construed and interpreted according to the ordinary meaning of the words used so as to accomplish fairly the purposes and intentions of all parties hereto.
17.4.Severability of Provisions. Each provision of this Agreement shall be severable from every other provision of this Agreement for the purpose of determining the legal enforceability of any specific provision.
17.5.Bank Product Providers. Each Bank Product Provider shall be deemed a third party beneficiary hereof and of the provisions of the other Loan Documents for purposes of any reference in a Loan Document to the parties for whom Agent is acting. Agent hereby agrees to act as agent for such Bank Product Providers and, by virtue of entering into a Bank Product Agreement, the applicable Bank Product Provider shall be automatically deemed to have appointed Agent as its agent and to have accepted the benefits of the Loan Documents; it being understood and agreed that the rights and benefits of each Bank Product Provider under the Loan Documents consist exclusively of such Bank Product Provider's being a beneficiary of the Liens and security interests (and, if applicable, guarantees) granted to Agent and the right to share in payments and collections out of the Collateral as more fully set forth herein. In addition, each Bank Product Provider, by virtue of entering into a Bank Product Agreement, shall be automatically deemed to have agreed that Agent shall have the right, but shall have no obligation, to establish, maintain, relax, or release reserves in respect of the Bank Product Obligations and that if reserves are established there is no obligation on the part of Agent to determine or insure whether the amount of any such reserve is appropriate or not. In connection with any such distribution of payments or proceeds of Collateral, Agent shall be entitled to assume no amounts are due or owing to any Bank Product Provider unless such Bank Product Provider has provided a written certification (setting forth a reasonably detailed calculation) to Agent as to the amounts that are due and owing to it and such written certification is received by Agent a reasonable period of time prior to the making of such distribution. Agent shall have no obligation to calculate the amount due and payable with respect to any Bank Products, but may rely upon the written certification of the amount due and payable from the relevant Bank Product Provider. In the absence of an updated certification, Agent shall be entitled to assume that the amount due and payable to the relevant Bank Product Provider is the amount last certified to Agent by such Bank Product Provider as being due and payable (less any distributions made to such Bank Product Provider on account thereof). Any Borrower may obtain Bank Products from any Bank Product Provider, although no Borrower is required to do so. Each Borrower acknowledges and agrees that no Bank Product Provider has committed to provide any Bank Products and that the providing of Bank Products by any Bank Product Provider is in the sole and absolute discretion of such Bank Product Provider. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement or any other Loan Document, no provider or holder of any Bank Product shall have any voting or approval rights hereunder (or be deemed a Lender) solely by virtue of its status as the provider or holder of such agreements or products or the Obligations owing thereunder, nor shall the consent of any such provider or holder be required (other than in their capacities as Lenders, to the extent applicable) for any matter hereunder or under any of the other Loan Documents, including as to any matter relating to the Collateral or the release of Collateral or Guarantors.
17.6.Debtor-Creditor Relationship. The relationship between the Lenders and Agent, on the one hand, and the Loan Parties, on the other hand, is solely that of creditor and debtor. No member of the Lender Group has (or shall be deemed to have) any fiduciary relationship or duty to any Loan Party arising out of or in connection with the Loan Documents
or the transactions contemplated thereby, and there is no agency or joint venture relationship between the members of the Lender Group, on the one hand, and the Loan Parties, on the other hand, by virtue of any Loan Document or any transaction contemplated therein.
17.7.Counterparts; Electronic Execution. This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts and by different parties on separate counterparts, each of which, when executed and delivered, shall be deemed to be an original, and all of which, when taken together, shall constitute but one and the same Agreement. Execution of any such counterpart may be by means of (a) an electronic signature that complies with the federal Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act, as in effect from time to time, state enactments of the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act, as in effect from time to time, or any other relevant and applicable electronic signatures law; (b) an original manual signature; or (c) a faxed, scanned, or photocopied manual signature. Each electronic signature or faxed, scanned, or photocopied manual signature shall for all purposes have the same validity, legal effect, and admissibility in evidence as an original manual signature. Agent reserves the right, in its discretion, to accept, deny, or condition acceptance of any electronic signature on this Agreement. Any party delivering an executed counterpart of this Agreement by faxed, scanned or photocopied manual signature shall also deliver an original manually executed counterpart, but the failure to deliver an original manually executed counterpart shall not affect the validity, enforceability and binding effect of this Agreement. The foregoing shall apply to each other Loan Document, and any notice delivered hereunder or thereunder, mutatis mutandis.
17.8.Revival and Reinstatement of Obligations. If the incurrence or payment of the Obligations by any Loan Party or the transfer to the Lender Group of any property should for any reason subsequently be asserted, or declared, to be void or voidable under any state or federal law relating to creditors' rights, including provisions of the Bankruptcy Code relating to fraudulent conveyances, preferences, or other voidable or recoverable payments of money or transfers of property (each, a "Voidable Transfer"), and if the Lender Group is required to repay or restore, in whole or in part, any such Voidable Transfer, or elects to do so upon the advice of counsel, then, as to any such Voidable Transfer, or the amount thereof that the Lender Group is required or elects to repay or restore, and as to all reasonable costs, expenses, and attorneys' fees of the Lender Group related thereto, the liability of Loan Parties automatically shall be revived, reinstated, and restored and shall exist as though such Voidable Transfer had never been made.
17.9.Confidentiality.
(a)Agent and Lenders each individually (and not jointly or jointly and severally) agree that non-public information regarding Loan Parties, their operations, assets, and existing and contemplated business plans ("Confidential Information") shall be treated by Agent and the Lenders in a confidential manner, and shall not be disclosed by Agent and the Lenders to Persons who are not parties to this Agreement, except: (i) to attorneys' for and other advisors, accountants, auditors, and consultants to any member of the Lender Group and to employees, directors and officers of any member of the Lender Group (the Persons in this clause (i), "Lender Group Representatives") on a "need to know" basis in connection with this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby and on a confidential basis, (ii) to Subsidiaries and Affiliates of any member of the Lender Group (including the Bank Product Providers), provided that any such
Subsidiary or Affiliate shall have agreed to receive such information hereunder subject to the terms of this Section 17.9, (iii) as may be required by regulatory authorities so long as such authorities are informed of the confidential nature of such information, (iv) as may be required by statute, decision, or judicial or administrative order, rule, or regulation; provided that (x) prior to any disclosure under this clause (iv), the disclosing party agrees to provide Administrative Borrower with prior notice thereof, to the extent that it is practicable to do so and to the extent that the disclosing party is permitted to provide such prior notice to Borrowers pursuant to the terms of the applicable statute, decision, or judicial or administrative order, rule, or regulation and (y) any disclosure under this clause (iv) shall be limited to the portion of the Confidential Information as may be required by such statute, decision, or judicial or administrative order, rule, or regulation, (v) as may be agreed to in advance in writing by Borrowers, (vi) as requested or required by any Governmental Authority pursuant to any subpoena or other legal process, provided, that, (x) prior to any disclosure under this clause (vi) the disclosing party agrees to provide Borrowers with prior written notice thereof, to the extent that it is practicable to do so and to the extent that the disclosing party is permitted to provide such prior written notice to Borrowers pursuant to the terms of the subpoena or other legal process and (y) any disclosure under this clause (vi) shall be limited to the portion of the Confidential Information as may be required by such Governmental Authority pursuant to such subpoena or other legal process, (vii) as to any such information that is or becomes generally available to the public (other than as a result of prohibited disclosure by Agent or the Lenders or the Lender Group Representatives), (viii) in connection with any assignment, participation or pledge of any Lender's interest under this Agreement, provided that prior to receipt of Confidential Information any such assignee, participant, or pledgee shall have agreed in writing to receive such Confidential Information hereunder subject to the terms of this Section, (ix) in connection with any litigation or other adversary proceeding involving parties hereto which such litigation or adversary proceeding involves claims related to the rights or duties of such parties under this Agreement or the other Loan Documents; provided, that, prior to any disclosure to any Person (other than any Loan Party, Agent, any Lender, any of their respective Affiliates, or their respective counsel) under this clause (ix) with respect to litigation involving any Person (other than any Borrower, Agent, any Lender, any of their respective Affiliates, or their respective counsel), the disclosing party agrees to provide Borrowers with prior written notice thereof, and (x) in connection with, and to the extent reasonably necessary for, the exercise of any secured creditor remedy under this Agreement or under any other Loan Document.
(b)Anything in this Agreement to the contrary notwithstanding, Agent may (i) provide information concerning the terms and conditions of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents to loan syndication and pricing reporting services, and (ii) use the name, logos, and other insignia of Borrowers and Loan Parties and the Total Commitments provided hereunder in any "tombstone" or comparable advertising, on its website or in other marketing materials of the Agent.
17.10.Lender Group Expenses. Borrowers agree to pay the Lender Group Expenses on the earlier of (a) the first day of the month following the date on which Agent has notified Administrative Borrower that such Lender Group Expenses were incurred or (b) the date on which demand therefor is made by Agent. Borrowers agree that their respective obligations
contained in this Section 17.10 shall survive payment or satisfaction in full of all other Obligations.
17.11.Survival. All representations and warranties made by the Loan Parties in the Loan Documents and in the certificates or other instruments delivered in connection with or pursuant to this Agreement or any other Loan Document shall be considered to have been relied upon by the other parties hereto and shall survive the execution and delivery of the Loan Documents and the making of any loans and issuance of any Letters of Credit, regardless of any investigation made by any such other party or on its behalf and notwithstanding that Agent, the Issuing Lender, or any Lender may have had notice or knowledge of any Default or Event of Default or incorrect representation or warranty at the time any credit is extended hereunder, and shall continue in full force and effect as long as the principal of or any accrued interest on any loan or any fee or any other amount payable under this Agreement is outstanding and unpaid or any Letter of Credit is outstanding and so long as the Commitments have not expired or terminated.
17.12.Patriot Act. Each Lender that is subject to the requirements of the Patriot Act hereby notifies the Loan Parties that pursuant to the requirements of the Patriot Act, it is required to obtain, verify and record information that identifies each Loan Party, which information includes the name and address of each Loan Party and other information that will allow such Lender to identify each Loan Party in accordance with the Patriot Act. In addition, Agent and each Lender shall have the right to periodically conduct due diligence on all Loan Parties, their senior management and key principals and legal and beneficial owners. Each Loan Party agrees to cooperate in respect of the conduct of such due diligence and further agrees that the reasonable costs and charges for any such due diligence by Agent shall constitute Lender Group Expenses hereunder and be for the account of Borrowers.
17.13.Integration. This Agreement, together with the other Loan Documents, reflects the entire understanding of the parties with respect to the transactions contemplated hereby and shall not be contradicted or qualified by any other agreement, oral or written, before the date hereof. The foregoing to the contrary notwithstanding, all Bank Product Agreements, if any, are independent agreements governed by the written provisions of such Bank Product Agreements, which will remain in full force and effect, unaffected by any repayment, prepayments, acceleration, reduction, increase, or change in the terms of any credit extended hereunder, except as otherwise expressly provided in such Bank Product Agreement.
17.14.REG Marketing as Agent for Borrowers. Each Borrower hereby irrevocably appoints REG Marketing as the borrowing agent and attorney-in-fact for all Borrowers (the "Administrative Borrower") which appointment shall remain in full force and effect unless and until Agent shall have received prior written notice signed by each Borrower that such appointment has been revoked and that another Borrower has been appointed Administrative Borrower. Each Borrower hereby irrevocably appoints and authorizes the Administrative Borrower (a) to provide Agent with all notices with respect to Advances and Letters of Credit obtained for the benefit of any Borrower and all other notices and instructions under this Agreement, and (b) to take such action as the Administrative Borrower deems appropriate on its behalf to obtain Advances and Letters of Credit and to exercise such other powers as are
reasonably incidental thereto to carry out the purposes of this Agreement. It is understood that the handling of the Loan Account and Collateral in a combined fashion, as more fully set forth herein, is done solely as an accommodation to Borrowers in order to utilize the collective borrowing powers of Borrowers in the most efficient and economical manner and at their request, and that Lender Group shall not incur liability to any Borrower as a result hereof. Each Borrower expects to derive benefit, directly or indirectly, from the handling of the Loan Account and the Collateral in a combined fashion since the successful operation of each Borrower is dependent on the continued successful performance of the integrated group. To induce the Lender Group to do so, and in consideration thereof, each Borrower hereby jointly and severally agrees to indemnify each member of the Lender Group and hold each member of the Lender Group harmless against any and all liability, expense, loss or claim of damage or injury, made against the Lender Group by any Borrower or by any third party whosoever, arising from or incurred by reason of (a) the handling of the Loan Account and Collateral of Borrowers as herein provided, or (b) the Lender Group's relying on any instructions of the Administrative Borrower, except that Borrowers will have no liability to the relevant Agent-Related Person or Lender-Related Person under this Section 17.14 with respect to any liability that has been finally determined by a court of competent jurisdiction to have resulted solely from the gross negligence or willful misconduct of such Agent-Related Person or Lender-Related Person, as the case may be.
17.15.Adding and Removing a Plant Loan Party.
(a)At the request of Administrative Borrower, a wholly owned Subsidiary of Parent that manufactures biodiesel, renewable diesel or other biofuels may be added as a Plant Loan Party on the following terms and conditions:
(i)Such request is made in writing at least 30 days prior to the date such Subsidiary is intended to become a Plant Loan Party (or such shorter time as may be agreed by Agent),
(ii)No Default or Event of Default shall exist or occur during the period commencing on the date of such request and ending on the date such Subsidiary becomes a Plant Loan Party and no Default or Event of Default (including as a result of a breach of representation, warranty or covenant under the Loan Documents) would be caused by such Subsidiary becoming a Plant Loan Party,
(iii)Such Subsidiary shall have executed such documents and agreements as Agent shall request, all in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to Agent, to join such Subsidiary as a Plant Loan Party and to evidence a grant to Agent of a first priority perfected Lien (subject to Permitted Liens) in and to the Inventory and proceeds thereof (including Accounts other than Accounts arising from the sale of Inventory to REG Marketing in the ordinary course of business) of such Subsidiary, and
(iv)Agent shall have completed an appraisal and field examination with respect to the Inventory of such Subsidiary in accordance with Agent's customary procedures and practices and as otherwise required by the nature and circumstances of such Inventory, the scope
and results of which shall be satisfactory to Agent, and the criteria for Eligible Inventory and Eligible In-Transit Inventory set forth herein are satisfied with respect to such Inventory in accordance with this Agreement (or such other or additional criteria as Agent may, at its option, establish with respect thereto in accordance with the definition of Eligible Inventory and Eligible In-Transit Inventory).
(b)At the request of Administrative Borrower a Person may be released as a Plant Loan Party on the following terms and conditions:
(i)Such request is made in writing at least 30 days prior to the date such Plant Loan Party is to be released (or such shorter time as may be agreed by Agent),
(ii)No Default or Event of Default shall exist or occur during the period (the "Release Request Period") commencing on the date of such request and ending on the date such Plant Loan Party is released and no Default or Event of Default would be caused by such release, and
(iii)Availability at all times during the Release Request Period (calculated as if the applicable Plant Loan Party had been released as of the first day of such Release Request Period) shall be at least 15% of the Maximum Revolver Amount and immediately after such Plant Loan Party is released, Availability shall be at least 15% of the Maximum Revolver Amount.
(c)At the request of Administrative Borrower the Applicable Inventory Limit of a Plant Loan Party may be permanently reduced on the following terms and conditions:
(i)Such request is made in writing at least 30 days prior to the date such Applicable Inventory Limit is to be reduced and sets forth the requested amount of the reduced Applicable Inventory Limit (or such shorter time as may be agreed by Agent),
(ii)No Default or Event of Default shall exist or occur during the period (the "Reduction Request Period") commencing on the date of such request and ending on the date such Applicable Inventory Limit is reduced and no Default or Event of Default would be caused by such reduction,
(iii)Availability at all times during the Reduction Request Period shall be at least 15% of the Maximum Revolver Amount (calculated as if such reduction occurred on the first day of such Reduction Request Period) and immediately after such reduction, Availability shall be at least 15% of the Maximum Revolver Amount, and
(iv)No more than 5 reductions of the Applicable Inventory Limit of a Plant Loan Party shall be permitted after the Seventeenth Amendment Effective Date.
Upon satisfaction of the conditions set forth in this Section 17.15(b), Agent shall execute and deliver a letter to such Person releasing it as a Plant Loan Party and such other documents and agreements as are necessary to release Agent's Lien on such Person's property. Upon satisfaction of the conditions set forth in this Section 17.15(c), Agent shall execute and deliver an Applicable
Inventory Limit Reduction Letter to Administrative Borrower and the applicable Plant Loan Party setting forth the amount of the permanently reduced Applicable Inventory Limit for such Plant Loan Party.
17.16.Acknowledgement and Consent to Bail-In of EEA Financial Institutions. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in any Loan Document or in any other agreement, arrangement or understanding among any such parties, each party hereto acknowledges that any liability of any EEA Financial Institution arising under any Loan Document, to the extent such liability is unsecured, may be subject to the write-down and conversion powers of an EEA Resolution Authority and agrees and consents to, and acknowledges and agrees to be bound by:
(a)the application of any Write-Down and Conversion Powers by an EEA Resolution Authority to any such liabilities arising hereunder which may be payable to it by any party hereto that is an EEA Financial Institution; and
(b)the effects of any Bail-in Action on any such liability, including, if applicable:
(i)a reduction in full or in part or cancellation of any such liability;
(ii)a conversion of all, or a portion of, such liability into shares or other instruments of ownership in such EEA Financial Institution, its parent undertaking, or a bridge institution that may be issued to it or otherwise conferred on it, and that such shares or other instruments of ownership will be accepted by it in lieu of any rights with respect to any such liability under this Agreement or any other Loan Document; or
(iii)the variation of the terms of such liability in connection with the exercise of the write-down and conversion powers of any EEA Resolution Authority.
17.17.Acknowledgement Regarding Any Supported QFCs. To the extent that the Loan Documents provide support, through a guarantee or otherwise, for Hedge Agreements or any other agreement or instrument that is a QFC (such support, "QFC Credit Support" and each such QFC a "Supported QFC"), the parties acknowledge and agree as follows with respect to the resolution power of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation under the Federal Deposit Insurance Act and Title II of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (together with the regulations promulgated thereunder, the "U.S. Special Resolution Regimes") in respect of such Supported QFC and QFC Credit Support (with the provisions below applicable notwithstanding that the Loan Documents and any Supported QFC may in fact be stated to be governed by the laws of the State of New York and/or of the United States or any other state of the United States). In the event a Covered Entity that is party to a Supported QFC (each, a "Covered Party") becomes subject to a proceeding under a U.S. Special Resolution Regime, the transfer of such Supported QFC and the benefit of such QFC Credit Support (and any interest and obligation in or under such Supported QFC and such QFC Credit Support, and any rights in property securing such Supported QFC or such QFC Credit Support) from such Covered Party will be effective to the same extent as the transfer would be effective under the U.S. Special
Resolution Regime if the Supported QFC and such QFC Credit Support (and any such interest, obligation and rights in property) were governed by the laws of the United States or a state of the United States. In the event a Covered Party or a BHC Act Affiliate of a Covered Party becomes subject to a proceeding under a U.S. Special Resolution Regime, Default Rights under the Loan Documents that might otherwise apply to such Supported QFC or any QFC Credit Support that may be exercised against such Covered Party are permitted to be exercised to no greater extent than such Default Rights could be exercised under the U.S. Special Resolution Regime if the Supported QFC and the Loan Documents were governed by the laws of the United States or a state of the United States. Without limitation of the foregoing, it is understood and agreed that rights and remedies of the parties with respect to a Defaulting Lender shall in no event affect the rights of any Covered Party with respect to a Supported QFC or any QFC Credit Support.
17.18.Intercreditor Agreement. The Loan Parties, the Agent and the Lenders acknowledge that the exercise of certain of the Agent’s and Lenders’ rights and remedies hereunder may be subject to, and restricted by, the provisions of the Intercreditor Agreement. In the event of any conflict between the terms of this Agreement and the Intercreditor Agreement, the terms of the Intercreditor Agreement shall govern and control.
17.19.Erroneous Payments.
(a)Each Lender, each other Bank Product Provider and any other party hereto hereby severally agrees that if (i) the Agent notifies (which such notice shall be conclusive absent manifest error) such Lender or any Bank Product Provider (or the Lender which is an Affiliate of a Lender or Bank Product Provider) or any other Person that has received funds from the Agent or any of its Affiliates, either for its own account or on behalf of a Lender or Bank Product Provider (each such recipient, a "Payment Recipient") that the Agent has determined in its sole discretion that any funds received by such Payment Recipient were erroneously transmitted to, or otherwise erroneously or mistakenly received by, such Payment Recipient (whether or not known to such Payment Recipient) or (ii) any Payment Recipient receives any payment from the Agent (or any of its Affiliates) (x) that is in a different amount than, or on a different date from, that specified in a notice of payment, prepayment or repayment sent by the Agent (or any of its Affiliates) with respect to such payment, prepayment or repayment, as applicable, (y) that was not preceded or accompanied by a notice of payment, prepayment or repayment sent by the Agent (or any of its Affiliates) with respect to such payment, prepayment or repayment, as applicable, or (z) that such Payment Recipient otherwise becomes aware was transmitted or received in error or by mistake (in whole or in part) then, in each case, an error in payment shall be presumed to have been made (any such amounts specified in clauses (i) or (ii) of this Section 17.19(a), whether received as a payment, prepayment or repayment of principal, interest, fees, distribution or otherwise; individually and collectively, an "Erroneous Payment"), then, in each case, such Payment Recipient is deemed to have knowledge of such error at the time of its receipt of such Erroneous Payment; provided that nothing in this Section shall require the Agent to provide any of the notices specified in clauses (i) or (ii) above. Each Payment Recipient agrees that it shall not assert any right or claim to any Erroneous Payment, and hereby waives any claim, counterclaim, defense or right of set-off or recoupment with respect to any demand, claim or counterclaim by the Agent for the return of any Erroneous Payments, including without limitation waiver of any defense based on "discharge for value" or any similar doctrine.
(b)Without limiting the immediately preceding clause (a), each Payment Recipient agrees that, in the case of clause (a)(ii) above, it shall promptly notify the Agent in writing of such occurrence.
(c)In the case of either clause (a)(i) or (a)(ii) above, such Erroneous Payment shall at all times remain the property of the Agent and shall be segregated by the Payment Recipient and held in trust for the benefit of the Agent, and upon demand from the Agent such Payment Recipient shall (or, shall cause any Person who received any portion of an Erroneous Payment on its behalf to), promptly, but in all events no later than one Business Day thereafter, return to the Agent the amount of any such Erroneous Payment (or portion thereof) as to which such a demand was made in same day funds and in the currency so received, together with interest thereon in respect of each day from and including the date such Erroneous Payment (or portion thereof) was received by such Payment Recipient to the date such amount is repaid to the Agent at the greater of the Federal Funds Rate and a rate determined by the Agent in accordance with banking industry rules on interbank compensation from time to time in effect.
(d)In the event that an Erroneous Payment (or portion thereof) is not recovered by the Agent for any reason, after demand therefor by the Agent in accordance with immediately preceding clause (c), from any Lender that is a Payment Recipient or an Affiliate of a Payment Recipient (such unrecovered amount as to such Lender, an "Erroneous Payment Return Deficiency"), then at the sole discretion of the Agent and upon the Agent's written notice to such Lender (i) such Lender shall be deemed to have made a cashless assignment of the full face amount of the portion of its Loans (but not its Commitments) with respect to which such Erroneous Payment was made (the "Erroneous Payment Impacted Loans") to the Agent or, at the option of the Agent, the Agent's applicable lending affiliate (such assignee, the "Agent Assignee") in an amount that is equal to the Erroneous Payment Return Deficiency (or such lesser amount as the Agent may specify) (such assignment of the Loans (but not Commitments) of the Erroneous Payment Impacted Loans, the "Erroneous Payment Deficiency Assignment") plus any accrued and unpaid interest on such assigned amount, without further consent or approval of any party hereto and without any payment by the Agent Assignee as the assignee of such Erroneous Payment Deficiency Assignment. Without limitation of its rights hereunder, following the effectiveness of the Erroneous Payment Deficiency Assignment, the Agent may make a cashless reassignment to the applicable assigning Lender of any Erroneous Payment Deficiency Assignment at any time by written notice to the applicable assigning Lender and upon such reassignment all of the Loans assigned pursuant to such Erroneous Payment Deficiency Assignment shall be reassigned to such Lender without any requirement for payment or other consideration. The parties hereto acknowledge and agree that (1) any assignment contemplated in this clause (d) shall be made without any requirement for any payment or other consideration paid by the applicable assignee or received by the assignor, (2) the provisions of this clause (d) shall govern in the event of any conflict with the terms and conditions of Section 13 and (3) the Agent may reflect such assignments in the Register without further consent or action by any other Person.
(e)Each party hereto hereby agrees that (x) in the event an Erroneous Payment (or portion thereof) is not recovered from any Payment Recipient that has received such Erroneous Payment (or portion thereof) for any reason, the Agent (1) shall be subrogated to all
the rights of such Payment Recipient and (2) is authorized to set off, net and apply any and all amounts at any time owing to such Payment Recipient under any Loan Document, or otherwise payable or distributable by the Agent to such Payment Recipient from any source, against any amount due to the Agent under this Section 17.19 or under the indemnification provisions of this Agreement, (y) the receipt of an Erroneous Payment by a Payment Recipient shall not for the purpose of this Agreement be treated as a payment, prepayment, repayment, discharge or other satisfaction of any Obligations owed by the Borrowers or any other Loan Party, except, in each case, to the extent such Erroneous Payment is, and solely with respect to the amount of such Erroneous Payment that is, comprised of funds paid or otherwise transferred by the Borrowers (or the Borrowers shall authorize the same) to the Agent from the Borrowers or any Loan Party for the purpose of making a payment on the Obligations and (z) to the extent that an Erroneous Payment was in any way or at any time credited as payment or satisfaction of any of the Obligations, the Obligations or any part thereof that were so credited, and all rights of the Payment Recipient, as the case may be, shall be reinstated and continue in full force and effect as if such payment or satisfaction had never been received.
(f)Each party's obligations under this Section 17.19 shall survive the resignation or replacement of the Agent or any transfer of right or obligations by, or the replacement of, a Lender, the termination of the Commitments or the repayment, satisfaction or discharge of all Obligations (or any portion thereof) under any Loan Document.
(g)The provisions of this Section 17.19 to the contrary notwithstanding, (i) nothing in this Section 17.19 will constitute a waiver or release of any claim of any party hereunder arising from any Payment Recipient's receipt of an Erroneous Payment and (ii) there will only be deemed to be a recovery of the Erroneous Payment to the extent that Agent has received payment from the Payment Recipient in immediately available funds the Erroneous Payment Return, whether directly from the Payment Recipient, as a result of the exercise by Agent of its rights of subrogation or set off as set forth above in clause (e) or as a result of the receipt by Agent Assignee of a payment of the outstanding principal balance of the Loans assigned to Agent Assignee pursuant to an Erroneous Payment Deficiency Assignment, but excluding any other amounts in respect thereof (it being agreed that any payments of interest, fees, expenses or other amounts (other than principal) received by Agent Assignee in respect of the Loans assigned to Agent Assignee pursuant to an Erroneous Payment Deficiency Assignment shall be the sole property of the Agent Assignee and shall not constitute a recovery of the Erroneous Payment).
[Signature pages to follow.]
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be executed and delivered as of the date first above written.
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REG SERVICES GROUP, LLC, an Iowa limited liability company
By:
Title:
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REG MARKETING & LOGISTICS GROUP, LLC, an Iowa limited liability company
By:
Title:
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Signature Page to Credit Agreement
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WELLS FARGO CAPITAL FINANCE, LLC.,
a Delaware limited liability company, as Agent and as a Lender
By:
Title:
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Signature Page to Credit Agreement
Schedule C-1
Commitments
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Lender
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Revolver Commitment
and
Total Commitment
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Wells Fargo Capital Finance, LLC
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$90,000,000
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Fifth Third Bank
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$70,000,000
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Bank of America, N.A.
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$90,000,000
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All Lenders
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$250,000,000
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Schedule 1.1
Definitions
As used in the Agreement, the following terms shall have the following definitions:
"Account" means an account (as that term is defined in the Code).
"Account Debtor" means any Person who is obligated on an Account, chattel paper, or a general intangible.
"Accounting Changes" means changes in accounting principles required by the promulgation of any rule, regulation, pronouncement or opinion by the Financial Accounting Standards Board of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (or successor thereto or any agency with similar functions).
"Acquired Indebtedness" means Indebtedness of a Person whose assets or Equity Interests are acquired by a Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries in a Permitted Acquisition; provided, that such Indebtedness (a) either (x) is in an aggregate amount not to exceed $50,000,000 and is not secured by any Accounts or Inventory or (y) is either purchase money Indebtedness or a Capital Lease with respect to Equipment or mortgage financing with respect to Real Property, (b) was in existence prior to the date of such Permitted Acquisition, and (c) was not incurred in connection with, or in contemplation of, such Permitted Acquisition.
"Acquisition" means (a) the purchase or other acquisition by a Person or its Subsidiaries of all or substantially all of the assets of (or any division or business line of) any other Person, or (b) the purchase or other acquisition (whether by means of a merger, consolidation, or otherwise) by a Person or its Subsidiaries of all or substantially all of the Equity Interests of any other Person.
"Additional Documents" has the meaning specified therefor in Section 5.12 of the Agreement.
"Administrative Borrower" has the meaning specified therefor in Section 17.14 of the Agreement.
"Advances" has the meaning specified therefor in Section 2.1(a) of the Agreement.
"Affected Financial Institution" means (a) any EEA Financial Institution or (b) any UK Financial Institution.
"Affected Lender" has the meaning specified therefor in Section 2.13(b) of the Agreement.
"Affiliate" means, as applied to any Person, any other Person who controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with, such Person. For purposes of this definition, "control" means the possession, directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, of the power to direct the management and policies of a Person, whether through the ownership of Stock, by contract, or otherwise; provided, however, that, for purposes of the definition of Eligible Accounts and Section 6.12 of the Agreement: (a) any Person which owns directly or indirectly 10% or more of the Stock having ordinary voting power for the election of directors or other members of the governing body of a Person or 10% or more of the partnership or other ownership interests of a Person (other than as a limited partner of such Person) shall be deemed an Affiliate of such Person, (b) each director (or comparable manager) of a Person shall be deemed to be an Affiliate of such Person, and (c) each partnership in which a Person is a general partner shall be deemed an Affiliate of such Person.
"Agent" has the meaning specified therefor in the preamble to the Agreement.
"Agent-Related Persons" means Agent, together with its Affiliates, officers, directors, employees, attorneys', and agents.
"Agent's Account" means the Deposit Account of Agent identified on Schedule A-1 to this Agreement (or such other Deposit Account of Agent that has been designated as such, in writing, by Agent to Borrowers and the Lenders).
"Agent's Liens" means the Liens granted by any Loan Party to Agent under the Loan Documents.
"Agreement" means the Credit Agreement to which this Schedule 1.1 is attached.
"Announcements" has the meaning specified therefor in Section 1.6 of this Agreement.
"Anti-Corruption Laws" means the FCPA, the U.K. Bribery Act of 2010, as amended, and all other applicable laws and regulations or ordinances concerning or relating to bribery or corruption in any jurisdiction in which any Loan Party or any of its Subsidiaries or Affiliates is located or is doing business.
"Anti-Money Laundering Laws" means the applicable laws or regulations in any jurisdiction in which any Loan Party or any of its Subsidiaries or Affiliates is located or is doing business that relates to money laundering, any predicate crime to money laundering, or any financial record keeping and reporting requirements related thereto.
"Applicable Inventory Limit" means (i) with respect to a Plant Loan Party other than REG Geismar, an amount equal to $50,000,000 and (ii) with respect to REG Geismar, an amount equal to $100 million; provided, that upon issuance of an Applicable Inventory Limit Reduction Letter by Agent to Administrative Borrower and such Plant Loan Party pursuant to Section 17.15(c), the Applicable Inventory Limit of such Plant Loan Party shall be permanently reduced to the amount set forth in such Applicable Inventory Limit Reduction Letter.
"Applicable Inventory Limit Reduction Letter" means a letter issued by Agent to Administrative Borrower and a Plant Loan Party pursuant to Section 17.15(c) that sets forth a reduced Applicable Inventory Limit for such Plant Loan Party.
"Applicable Rate" means, subject to Section 2.12(c), (i) Daily One Month LIBOR plus the LIBOR Rate Margin, or (ii) if Daily One Month LIBOR is no longer available or cannot be calculated for any reason (including as a result of any market disruption generally) or Wells Fargo determines that it is unlawful or impractical to offer the Daily One Month LIBOR, the Base Rate plus the Base Rate Margin.
"Application Event" means the occurrence of (a) a failure by Borrowers to repay all of the Obligations in full on the Maturity Date, (b) the acceleration of the Obligations, (c) the enforcement by Agent of its Lien on a material portion of the Collateral while an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, or (d) an Event of Default and the election by Agent or the Required Lenders to require that payments and proceeds of Collateral be applied pursuant to Section 2.4(b)(ii) of the Agreement.
"Assignee" has the meaning specified therefor in Section 13.1(a) of the Agreement.
"Assignment and Acceptance" means an Assignment and Acceptance Agreement substantially in the form of Exhibit A-1.
"Authorized Person" means any one of the individuals identified on Schedule A-2 to the Disclosure Letter, as such schedule is updated from time to time by written notice from Administrative Borrower to Agent.
"Available Revolver Increase Amount" means, as of any date of determination, an amount equal to the result of (a) $100,000,000 minus (b) the aggregate principal amount of Increases to the Revolver Commitments previously made pursuant to Section 2.15 of the Agreement.
"Availability" means, as of any date of determination, the amount that Borrowers are entitled to borrow as Advances under Section 2.1 of the Agreement (after giving effect to all then outstanding Obligations (other than Bank Product Obligations)).
"Bail-In Action" means the exercise of any Write-Down and Conversion Powers by the applicable Resolution Authority in respect of any liability of an Affected Financial Institution.
"Bail-In Legislation" means (a) with respect to any EEA Member Country implementing Article 55 of Directive 2014/59/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of the European Union, the implementing law, regulation, rule or requirement for such EEA Member Country from time to time which is described in the EU Bail-In Legislation Schedule and (b) with respect to the United Kingdom, Part I of the United Kingdom Banking Act 2009 (as amended from time to time) and any other law, regulation or rule applicable in the United Kingdom relating to the resolution of unsound or failing banks, investment firms or other
financial institutions or their affiliates (other than through liquidation, administration or other insolvency proceedings).
"Bank Product" means any one or more of the following financial products or accommodations extended to any Designated Loan Party by a Bank Product Provider: (a) credit cards (including commercial cards (including so-called "purchase cards", "procurement cards" or "p-cards")), (b) payment card processing services, (c) debit cards, (d) stored value cards, (e) Cash Management Services, or (f) transactions under Hedge Agreements.
"Bank Product Agreements" means those agreements entered into from time to time by a Designated Loan Party with a Bank Product Provider in connection with the obtaining of any of the Bank Products.
"Bank Product Collateralization" means providing cash collateral (pursuant to documentation reasonably satisfactory to Agent) to be held by Agent for the benefit of the Bank Product Providers (other than the Hedge Providers) in an amount determined by Agent as sufficient to satisfy the reasonably estimated credit exposure, operational risk or processing risk with respect to the then existing Bank Product Obligations (other than Hedge Obligations).
"Bank Product Obligations" means (a) all obligations, liabilities, reimbursement obligations, fees, or expenses owing by a Designated Loan Party to any Bank Product Provider pursuant to or evidenced by a Bank Product Agreement and irrespective of whether for the payment of money, whether direct or indirect, absolute or contingent, due or to become due, now existing or hereafter arising, (b) all Hedge Obligations, and (c) all amounts that Agent or any Lender is obligated to pay to a Bank Product Provider as a result of Agent or such Lender purchasing participations from, or executing guarantees or indemnities or reimbursement obligations to, a Bank Product Provider with respect to the Bank Products provided by such Bank Product Provider to a Designated Loan Party; provided, in order for any item described in clauses (a) (b), or (c) above, as applicable, to constitute "Bank Product Obligations", if the applicable Bank Product Provider is any Person other than Wells Fargo or its Affiliates, then the applicable Bank Product must have been provided on or after the Closing Date and Agent shall have received a Bank Product Provider Agreement within 10 days after the date of the provision of the applicable Bank Product to a Designated Loan Party.
"Bank Product Provider" means any Lender or any of its Affiliates, including each of the foregoing in its capacity, if applicable, as a Hedge Provider; provided, that no such Person (other than Wells Fargo or its Affiliates) shall constitute a Bank Product Provider with respect to a Bank Product unless and until Agent receives a Bank Product Provider Agreement from such Person (a) on or prior to the Closing Date (or such later date as Agent shall agree to in writing in its sole discretion) with respect to Bank Products provided on or prior to the Closing Date, or (b) on or prior to the date that is 10 days after the provision of such Bank Product to a Designated Loan Party or its Subsidiaries (or such later date as Agent shall agree to in writing in its sole discretion) with respect to Bank Products provided after the Closing Date; provided further, that if, at any time, a Lender ceases to be a Lender under this Agreement (prior to the payment in full of the Obligations), then, from and after the date on which it so ceases to be a Lender hereunder, neither it nor any of its Affiliates shall constitute Bank Product Providers and
the obligations with respect to Bank Products provided by such former Lender or any of its Affiliates shall no longer constitute Bank Product Obligations.
"Bank Product Provider Agreement" means an agreement in substantially the form attached hereto as Exhibit B-2 to the Agreement, in form and substance satisfactory to Agent, duly executed by the applicable Bank Product Provider, a Designated Loan Party, and Agent.
"Bank Product Reserve Amount" means, as of any date of determination, the Dollar amount of reserves that Agent has determined it is necessary or appropriate to establish (based upon the Bank Product Providers' reasonable determination of their credit exposure to Designated Loan Parties in respect of Bank Product Obligations) in respect of Bank Products then provided or outstanding, such reserves not to be unreasonably withheld from implementation, reduction or elimination.
"Bankruptcy Code" means title 11 of the United States Code, as in effect from time to time.
"Base Rate" means the greatest of (a) the Federal Funds Rate plus ½%, (B) the LIBOR Rate (which rate shall be calculated based upon an interest period of one month and shall be determined on a daily basis), plus one percentage point, and (c) the rate of interest announced, from time to time, within Wells Fargo at its principal office in San Francisco as its "prime rate", with the understanding that the "prime rate" is one of Wells Fargo's base rates (not necessarily the lowest of such rates) and serves as the basis upon which effective rates of interest are calculated for those loans making reference thereto and is evidenced by the recording thereof after its announcement in such internal publications as Wells Fargo may designate (and, if any such announced rate is below zero, then the rate determined pursuant to this clause (c) shall be deemed to be zero).
"Base Rate Margin" means, as of any date of determination (with respect to any portion of the outstanding Advances on such date that is a Base Rate Loan), the applicable margin set forth in the following table that corresponds to the Quarterly Average Availability Amount; provided, however, that for the period from the Restatement Date through September 30, 2021, the Base Rate Margin shall be at the margin in the row styled "Level I":
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Level
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Quarterly Average Availability Amount
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Base Rate Margin
for Advances
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I
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Greater than 25% of the Maximum Revolver Amount
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0.50 percentage points
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II
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Greater than 10% of the Maximum Revolver Amount but less than or equal to 25% of the Maximum Revolver Amount
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0.75 percentage points
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III
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Less than or equal to 10% of the Maximum Revolver Amount
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1.00 percentage points
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The Base Rate Margin shall be based upon the most recent Quarterly Average Availability Amount, which will be calculated as of the end of each calendar quarter. If Borrowers fail to provide the information necessary to calculate the Quarterly Average Availability Amount, the Base Rate Margin shall be set at the margin in the row styled "Level III" until the date on which such information is delivered (on which date (but not retroactively), without constituting a waiver of any Default or Event of Default occasioned by the failure to timely deliver such information, the Base Rate Margin shall be set at the margin based upon the calculations disclosed by such information).
"Beneficial Ownership Certification" means a certification regarding beneficial ownership as required by the Beneficial Ownership Regulation.
"Beneficial Ownership Regulation" means 31 C.F.R. § 1010.230.
"Benefit Plan" means a "defined benefit plan" (as defined in Section 3(35) of ERISA) for which any Loan Party or any of its ERISA Affiliates has been an "employer" (as defined in Section 3(5) of ERISA) within the past six years.
"Benchmark" means, initially, USD LIBOR, provided, that, if a Benchmark Transition Event or an Early Opt-in Election, as applicable, and its related Benchmark Replacement Date have occurred with respect to USD LIBOR or the then-current Benchmark, then “Benchmark” means the applicable Benchmark Replacement to the extent that such Benchmark Replacement has replaced such prior benchmark rate pursuant to the provisions of Section 2.12(c).
"Benchmark Replacement" means, with respect to any Benchmark Transition Event or Early Opt-in Election, the first alternative set forth in the order below that can be determined by Agent for the applicable Benchmark Replacement Date:
(a) the sum of: (i) Daily Simple SOFR and (ii) the related Benchmark Replacement Adjustment:
(b) the sum of (i) the alternate benchmark rate that has been selected by Agent and Administrative Borrower as the replacement for the then-current Benchmark giving due consideration to (A) any selection or recommendation of a replacement benchmark rate or the mechanism for determining such a rate by the Relevant Governmental Body or (B) any evolving or then-prevailing market convention for determining a benchmark rate as a replacement to the then-current Benchmark for Dollar-denominated syndicated or bilateral credit facilities and (ii) the Benchmark Replacement Adjustment.
If the Benchmark Replacement as determined pursuant to clause (a) or (b) of this definition would be less than 0.00%, then the Benchmark Replacement shall be deemed to be 0.00% for the purposes of the Loan Documents.
"Benchmark Replacement Adjustment" means, with respect to any replacement of the then-current Benchmark with an Unadjusted Benchmark Replacement for any setting of such Unadjusted Benchmark Replacement:
(a) for purposes of clause (a) of the definition of "Benchmark Replacement", an amount equal to 0.11448% (11.448 basis points); and
(b) for purposes of clause (b) of the definition of “Benchmark Replacement”, the spread adjustment, or method of calculating or determining such spread adjustment (which may be a positive or negative value or zero) that has been selected by Agent and Administrative Borrower giving due consideration to (i) any selection or recommendation of a spread adjustment, or method for calculating or determining such spread adjustment, for the replacement of such Benchmark with the applicable Unadjusted Benchmark Replacement by the Relevant Governmental Body on the applicable Benchmark Replacement Date or (ii) any evolving or then-prevailing market convention for determining a spread adjustment, or method for calculating or determining such spread adjustment, for the replacement of such Benchmark with the applicable Unadjusted Benchmark Replacement for Dollar-denominated syndicated or bilateral credit facilities.
"Benchmark Replacement Conforming Changes" means, with respect to any Benchmark Replacement, any technical, administrative or operational changes (including changes to the definition of “Business Day”, the timing and frequency of determining rates and making payments of interest, prepayment provisions, and other technical, administrative or operational matters) that Agent (in consultation with the Borrowers) decides may be appropriate to reflect the adoption and implementation of such Benchmark Replacement and to permit the administration thereof by Agent in a manner substantially consistent with market practice (or, if Agent decides that adoption of any portion of such market practice is not administratively feasible or if Agent determines that no market practice for the administration of the Benchmark Replacement exists, in such other manner of administration as Agent (in consultation with the Borrowers) decides is reasonably necessary in connection with the administration of any Loan Document).
"Benchmark Replacement Date" means the earlier to occur of the following events with respect to the then-current Benchmark:
(a) in the case of clause (a) or (b) of the definition of “Benchmark Transition Event,” the later of (i) the date of the public statement or publication of information referenced therein and (ii) the date on which the administrator of the Benchmark (or the published component used in the calculation thereof) permanently or indefinitely ceases to provide such Benchmark (or such component thereof);
(b) in the case of clause (c) of the definition of "Benchmark Transition Event," the date of the public statement or publication of information referenced therein; or
(c) in the case of an Early Opt-in Election, the date specified in writing by Agent to a Lenders and Administrative Borrower.
For the avoidance of doubt, if the event giving rise to the Benchmark Replacement Date occurs on the same day as, but earlier than, the Reference Time in respect of any determination, the Benchmark Replacement Date will be deemed to have occurred prior to the Reference Time for such determination.
"Benchmark Transition Event" means the occurrence of one or more of the following events with respect to the then-current Benchmark:
(a) a public statement or publication of information by or on behalf of the administrator of the Benchmark (or the published component used in the calculation thereof) announcing that such administrator has ceased or will cease to provide such Benchmark (or such component thereof), permanently or indefinitely, provided that, at the time of such statement or publication, there is no successor administrator that will continue to provide such Benchmark (or such component thereof);
(b) a public statement or publication of information by the regulatory supervisor for the administrator of such Benchmark (or the published component used in the calculation thereof), the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, an insolvency official with jurisdiction over the administrator for such Benchmark (or such component), a resolution authority with jurisdiction over the administrator for such Benchmark (or such component) or a court or an entity with similar insolvency or resolution authority over the administrator for such Benchmark (or such component), which states that the administrator of such Benchmark (or such component) has ceased or will cease to provide such Benchmark (or such component thereof) permanently or indefinitely, provided that, at the time of such statement or publication, there is no successor administrator that will continue to provide such Benchmark (or such component thereof); or
(c) a public statement or publication of information by the regulatory supervisor for the administrator of the Benchmark (or the published component used in the calculation thereof) announcing that such Benchmark (or such component thereof) is no longer representative.
"BHC Act Affiliate" of a Person means an "affiliate" (as such term is defined under, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 U.S.C. 1841(k)) of such Person.
"Board of Directors" means the board of directors (or comparable managers) of Parent or any committee thereof duly authorized to act on behalf of the board of directors (or comparable managers).
"Bond Notes" means the 5.875% senior secured green notes due 2028 of Renewable Energy Group, Inc. in an aggregate principal amount not exceeding $550.0 million.
"Borrower" and "Borrowers" have the respective meanings specified therefor in the preamble to the Agreement.
"Borrowing" means a borrowing consisting of Advances made on the same day by the Lenders (or Agent on behalf thereof), or by Swing Lender in the case of a Swing Loan, or by Agent in the case of a Protective Advance.
"Borrowing Base" means, as of any date of determination, the result of:
(a)the sum of (i) 90% of the amount of Eligible Billed Accounts, (ii) the lesser of $25,000,000 and 90% of Eligible Blender's Credit Accounts, and (iii) the lesser of $20,000,000 and 90% of Eligible Unbilled Accounts, less (iv) the amount, if any, of the Dilution Reserve, plus
(b)the lower of
(i)80% of the value (calculated at the lower of cost or market on a basis consistent with Secured Loan Parties' historical accounting practices) of Eligible Inventory and Eligible In-Transit Inventory, and
(ii)90% times the most recently determined Net Liquidation Percentage times the value (calculated at the lower of cost or market on a basis consistent with Loan Parties' historical accounting practices) of Secured Loan Parties' Eligible Inventory, minus
(c)the aggregate amount of reserves, if any, established by Agent under Section 2.1(c) of the Agreement;
provided, that (i) the Availability attributable to the Inventory of a Plant Loan Party shall not exceed the Applicable Inventory Limit of such Plant Loan Party and (ii) at no time shall the aggregate book value of all Eligible In-Transit Inventory exceed $20,000,000.
"Borrowing Base Certificate" means a certificate in the form of Exhibit B-1.
"Business Day" means any day that is not a Saturday, Sunday, or other day on which banks are authorized or required to close in the state of Illinois, except that, if a determination of a Business Day shall relate to a LIBOR Rate Loan, the term "Business Day"
also shall exclude any day on which banks are closed for dealings in Dollar deposits in the London interbank market.
"Capital Expenditures" means, with respect to any Person for any period, the aggregate of all expenditures by such Person during such period that are capital expenditures as determined in accordance with GAAP, whether such expenditures are paid in cash or financed; excluding, however, (a) the purchase price paid or payable and other expenditures made to consummate one or more Permitted Investments, and (b) expenditures incurred or made (i) for the restoration, repair or replacement of any fixed or capital asset which was destroyed or damaged, in whole or in part, to the extent financed by the proceeds of an insurance policy maintained by such Person, (ii) from the proceeds of a disposition of property that was permitted by this Agreement or any other Loan Document, made within 365 days after the receipt of such proceeds, (iii) from the proceeds of compensation made with respect to any taking of any property in or by condemnation or other eminent domain proceedings pursuant to any law, general or special, or by reason of the temporary requisition or use of any property, made within 365 days after the receipt of such proceeds and (iv) to the extent that such expenditures are reimbursed by a Person that is not an Affiliate of such Person under any agreement for construction management services with an Affiliate of such Person in a transaction permitted under this Agreement.
"Capitalized Lease Obligation" means that portion of the obligations under a Capital Lease that is required to be capitalized in accordance with GAAP.
"Capital Lease" means a lease that is required to be capitalized for financial reporting purposes in accordance with GAAP; provided that any lease (or other arrangement) of such Person that is or would have been treated as an operating lease as determined in accordance with GAAP immediately prior to the issuance of the Accounting Standards Update 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842) by the Financial Accounting Standards Board shall not be treated as a Capital Lease under this Agreement and the other Loan Documents, whether or not such obligations were in effect as of the date such update was issued and regardless of whether GAAP requires such obligations to be treated as capitalized lease obligations in the financial statements of such Person.
"Cash Equivalents" means (a) marketable direct obligations issued by, or unconditionally guaranteed by, the United States or issued by any agency thereof and backed by the full faith and credit of the United States, in each case maturing within 1 year from the date of acquisition thereof, (b) marketable direct obligations issued or fully guaranteed by any state of the United States or any political subdivision of any such state or any public instrumentality thereof maturing within 1 year from the date of acquisition thereof and, at the time of acquisition, having one of the two highest ratings obtainable from either Standard & Poor's Rating Group ("S&P") or Moody's Investors Service, Inc. ("Moody's"), (c) commercial paper maturing no more than 270 days from the date of creation thereof and, at the time of acquisition, having a rating of at least A-1 from S&P or at least P-1 from Moody's, (d) certificates of deposit, time deposits, overnight bank deposits or bankers' acceptances maturing within 1 year from the date of acquisition thereof issued by any bank organized under the laws of the United States or any state thereof or the District of Columbia or any United States branch of a foreign bank having at the
date of acquisition thereof combined capital and surplus of not less than $250,000,000, (e) Deposit Accounts maintained with (i) any bank that satisfies the criteria described in clause (d) above, or (ii) any other bank organized under the laws of the United States or any state thereof so long as the full amount maintained with any such other bank is insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, (f) repurchase obligations of any commercial bank satisfying the requirements of clause (d) of this definition or recognized securities dealer having combined capital and surplus of not less than $250,000,000, having a term of not more than seven days, with respect to securities satisfying the criteria in clauses (a) or (d) above, (g) debt securities with maturities of six months or less from the date of acquisition backed by standby letters of credit issued by any commercial bank satisfying the criteria described in clause (d) above, (h) Investments in money market funds substantially all of whose assets are invested in the types of assets described in clauses (a) through (g) above, and (i) other long-term marketable securities reasonably acceptable to Agent the acquisition of which is consistent with Borrower's investment policy as in effect as of the Eleventh Amendment Effective Date.
"Cash Management Services" means any cash management or related services including treasury, depository, return items, overdraft, controlled disbursement, merchant store value cards, e-payables services, electronic funds transfer, interstate depository network, automatic clearing house transfer (including the Automated Clearing House processing of electronic funds transfers through the direct Federal Reserve Fedline system) and other cash management arrangements.
"CFC" means a Foreign Subsidiary that is treated as a “controlled foreign corporation” within the meaning of Section 957 of the IRC in which any Loan Party or direct or indirect owner of a Loan Party is a "United States shareholder" within the meaning of Section 951(b) of the IRC.
"Change of Control" means (a) any "person" or "group" (within the meaning of Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the Exchange Act), after the Closing Date, becomes the beneficial owner (as defined in Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act), directly or indirectly, of more than 50% of the Stock of Parent having the right to vote for the election of members of the Board of Directors, (b) a majority of the members of the Board of Directors do not constitute Continuing Directors, or (c) Parent fails to own, directly or indirectly, 100% of the Stock of Borrowers, or (d) the occurrence of any "Change of Control" as defined in Notes Indenture Agreement.
"Closing Date" means the date of the making of the initial Advance (or other extension of credit) under the Agreement.
"Code" means the California Uniform Commercial Code, as in effect from time to time.
"Collateral" means all assets and interests in assets and proceeds thereof now owned or hereafter acquired by a Loan Party in or upon which a Lien is granted by such Person in favor of Agent or the Lenders under any of the Loan Documents.
"Collateral Access Agreement" means a landlord waiver, bailee letter, or acknowledgement agreement of any lessor, warehouseman, processor, consignee, or other Person
in possession of, having a Lien upon, or having rights or interests in a Secured Loan Party's books and records, Equipment, or Inventory, in each case, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to Agent.
"Collections" means all cash, checks, notes, instruments, and other items of payment (including insurance proceeds, cash proceeds of asset sales, rental proceeds, and tax refunds).
"Commitment" means, with respect to each Lender, its Revolver Commitment or its Total Commitment, as the context requires, and, with respect to all Lenders, their Revolver Commitments or their Total Commitments, as the context requires, in each case as such Dollar amounts are set forth beside such Lender's name under the applicable heading on Schedule C-1 or in the Assignment and Acceptance pursuant to which such Lender became a Lender under the Agreement, as such amounts may be reduced or increased from time to time pursuant to assignments made in accordance with the provisions of Section 13.1 of the Agreement.
"Commodity Exchange Act" means the Commodity Exchange Act (7 U.S.C. § 1 et seq.), as amended from time to time, and any successor statute.
"Compliance Certificate" means a certificate substantially in the form of Exhibit C-1 delivered by the chief financial officer of Administrative Borrower to Agent.
"Confidential Information" has the meaning specified therefor in Section 17.9(a) of the Agreement.
“Consolidated Net Tangible Assets” means, with respect to any Person at any date of determination, the aggregate amount of total assets included in such Person’s most recent quarterly or annual consolidated balance sheet prepared in accordance with GAAP less applicable reserves reflected in such balance sheet, after deducting the following amounts: (a) all current liabilities reflected in such balance sheet, and (b) all goodwill, trademarks, patents, unamortized debt discounts and expenses and other like intangibles reflected in such balance sheet (in each case, giving pro forma effect to any acquisitions or dispositions of assets or properties outside the ordinary course of business that have been made by the Person or any of its Subsidiaries subsequent to the date of such balance sheet; provided that any such adjustments shall be calculated in the manner provided in the definition of "Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio" as defined in the Notes Indenture as in effect on the Seventeenth Amendment Effective Date).
"Continuing Director" means, as of the Seventeenth Amendment Effective Date or during any twelve (12) month period, individuals who, as of such date or the beginning of such period, constitute the Board of Directors of the Borrower. For this purpose, any person who is appointed, nominated or elected as a member of such Board of Directors after the date of this Agreement shall also be considered a “Continuing Director” if, and only if, his or her appointment, nomination or election to such Board of Directors is approved or recommended by a majority of the members of such Board of Directors (or of the relevant nominating committee) and at least a majority of such Board of Directors are themselves Continuing Directors at the time of such nomination.
"Control Agreement" means a control agreement, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to Agent, executed and delivered by a Designated Loan Party, Agent, and the applicable securities intermediary (with respect to a Securities Account) or bank (with respect to a Deposit Account).
"Controlled Account Agreement" has the meaning specified therefor in the Security Agreement.
"Covenant Testing Period" means a period (a) commencing on the last day of the fiscal month of Borrowers most recently ended on or prior to a Covenant Trigger Event and for which Agent has received financial statements required to be delivered pursuant to Schedule 5.1 and (b) ending on the first day after such Covenant Trigger Event that Availability has equaled or exceeded 10% of the Maximum Revolver Amount for 30 consecutive days.
"Covenant Trigger Event" means the third consecutive Business Day on which Borrowers fail to maintain Availability in an amount at least equal to 10% of the Maximum Revolver Amount.
"Covered Entity" means any of the following:
(i) a "covered entity" as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 252.82(b);
(ii) a "covered bank" as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 47.3(b); or
(iii) a "covered FSI" as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 382.2(b).
"Covered Party" has the meaning specified therefor in Section 17.16 of this Agreement.
"Daily Balance" means, as of any date of determination and with respect to any Obligation, the amount of such Obligation owed at the end of such day.
"Daily Simple SOFR" means, for any day, SOFR, with the conventions for this rate (which will include a lookback) being established by Agent in accordance with the conventions for this rate selected or recommended by the Relevant Governmental Body for determining "Daily Simple SOFR" for syndicated business loans; provided, that if Agent decides that any such convention is not administratively feasible for Agent, then Agent may establish another convention in its reasonable discretion.
"Daily One Month LIBOR" means, as to any day, the rate per annum as published by ICE Benchmark Administration Limited (or any successor or other commercially available source of the London interbank offered rate as Agent may designate from time to time) as of 11:00 a.m., London time, on such day (or, for any day that is not a Business Day, the immediately preceding Business Day) for US dollar deposits for a one month period (and, if any
such published rate is below zero, then the rate determined pursuant to this definition shall be deemed to be zero). Each determination of Daily One Month LIBOR shall be made by Agent and shall be conclusive in the absence of manifest error.
"Default" means an event, condition, or default that, with the giving of notice, the passage of time, or both, would be an Event of Default.
"Default Right" has the meaning assigned to that term in, and shall be interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. §§ 252.81, 47.2 or 382.1, as applicable.
"Defaulting Lender" means any Lender that (a) has failed to fund any amounts required to be funded by it under the Agreement within two Business Days of the date that it is required to do so under the Agreement (including the failure to make available to Agent amounts required pursuant to a Settlement or to make a required payment in connection with a Letter of Credit Disbursement), (b) notified any Borrower, Agent, or any Lender in writing that it does not intend to comply with all or any portion of its funding obligations under the Agreement, (c) has made a public statement to the effect that it does not intend to comply with its funding obligations under the Agreement or under other agreements generally (as reasonably determined by Agent) under which it has committed to extend credit, (d) failed, within 3 Business Days after written request by Agent, to confirm that it will comply with the terms of the Agreement relating to its obligations to fund any amounts required to be funded by it under the Agreement, (e) otherwise failed to pay over to Agent or any other Lender any other amount required to be paid by it under the Agreement on the date that it is required to do so under the Agreement, or (f) (i) becomes or is insolvent or has a parent company that has become or is insolvent, (ii) becomes the subject of a bankruptcy or Insolvency Proceeding, or has had a receiver, conservator, trustee, or custodian or appointed for it, or has taken any action in furtherance of, or indicating its consent to, approval of or acquiescence in any such proceeding or appointment or has a parent company that has become the subject of a bankruptcy or Insolvency Proceeding, or has had a receiver, conservator, trustee, or custodian appointed for it, or has taken any action in furtherance of, or indicating its consent to, approval of or acquiescence in any such proceeding or appointment, or (iii) become the subject of a Bail-in Action; provided, that a Lender shall not be a Defaulting Lender solely by virtue of the ownership or acquisition of any equity interest in that Lender or any direct or indirect parent company thereof by a Governmental Authority so long as such ownership interest does not result in or provide such Lender with immunity from the jurisdiction of courts within the United States or from the enforcement of judgments or writs of attachment on its assets or permit such Lender (or such Governmental Authority) to reject, repudiate, disavow or disaffirm any contracts or agreements made with such Lender.
"Defaulting Lender Rate" means (a) for the first 3 days from and after the date the relevant payment is due, the Base Rate, and (b) thereafter, the Applicable Rate.
"Deposit Account" means any deposit account (as that term is defined in the Code).
"Designated Account" means the Deposit Account of Administrative Borrower identified on Schedule D-1 to the Disclosure Letter.
"Designated Account Bank" has the meaning specified therefor in Schedule D-1 to the Disclosure Letter.
"Designated Loan Party" means any Borrower and any Subsidiary of a Borrower that is a Loan Party.
"Designated Non-cash Consideration" means the fair market value of non-cash consideration received by any Borrower or a Subsidiary of a Borrower in connection with an sale or disposition that is so designated as Designated Non-cash Consideration pursuant to an officer’s certificate, setting forth the basis of such valuation, executed by the principal financial officer and one other officer of the Administrative Borrower, less the amount of cash or Cash Equivalents received in connection with a subsequent sale of or collection on such Designated Non-cash Consideration.
"Dilution" means, as of any date of determination, a percentage, based upon the experience of the immediately prior 90 consecutive days, that is the result of dividing the Dollar amount of (a) bad debt write-downs, discounts, advertising allowances, credits, or other dilutive items with respect to Borrowers' Accounts during such period, by (b) Borrowers' billings with respect to Accounts during such period.
"Dilution Reserve" means, as of any date of determination, an amount sufficient to reduce the advance rate against Eligible Accounts by 1 percentage point for each percentage point by which Dilution is in excess of 5%.
"Disclosure Letter" means the Disclosure Letter initially dated as of the Seventeenth Amendment Effective Date, by Borrowers to Agent and the Lenders, as amended, supplemented or modified from time to time in accordance with the terms hereof.
"Dollars" or "$" means United States dollars.
"Early Opt-in Election" means, if the then-current Benchmark is USD LIBOR, the occurrence of:
(a) a notification by Agent to (or the request by Administrative Borrower to Agent to notify) each of the other parties hereto that at least five currently outstanding Dollar-denominated syndicated or bilateral credit facilities at such time contain (as a result of amendment or as originally executed) a SOFR-based rate (including SOFR, a term SOFR or any other rate based upon SOFR) as a benchmark interest rate, and
(b) the joint election by Agent and Administrative Borrower to trigger a fallback from USD LIBOR and the provision by Lender of written notice of such election to Administrative Borrower.
"EBITDA" means, with respect to any fiscal period, Borrowers' combined net earnings (or loss), minus extraordinary gains, interest income, plus (a) non-cash losses, non-cash expenses and non-cash charged in such period (provided, that to the extent any non-cash item added back to EBITDA in any period results in a cash payment in such period or a subsequent
period such cash payment shall result in a reduction of EBITDA in the period when such payment is made), interest expense for such period, income and franchise taxes for such period, and depreciation and amortization expense for such period; (b) any fees and expenses incurred in any fiscal period related to Permitted Acquisitions, Permitted Investments, Permitted Indebtedness, Permitted Disposition, Restricted Junior Payments, or issuance of Stock, not to exceed $2,500,000 in any given fiscal year; (c) any non-recurring costs and expenses incurred any fiscal period related to any amendment, waiver, consent, or modification to any debt instrument, including this or any other Loan Document, and (d) the amount of “run-rate” cost savings, operating expense reductions, operating improvements and synergies that are reasonably identifiable, factually supportable and projected by the Borrowers in good faith to be realized as a result of mergers and other business combinations, Permitted Investments, divestitures, insourcing initiatives, cost savings initiatives, plant consolidations, openings and closings, product rationalization and other similar initiatives taken or initiated before, on or after the effective date of the Amendment, in each case to the extent not prohibited by this Agreement (collectively, “Initiatives”) (calculated on a pro forma basis as though such cost savings, operating expense reductions, operating improvements and synergies had been realized on the first day of the relevant fiscal period), net of the amount of actual benefits realized in respect thereof; provided that (i) actions in respect of such cost-savings, operating expense reductions, operating improvements and synergies have been, or will be, taken within 12 months of the applicable Initiative, (ii) no cost savings, operating expense reductions, operating improvements or synergies shall be added pursuant to this clause (d) to the extent duplicative of any expenses or charges otherwise added to (or excluded from) EBITDA, whether through a pro forma adjustment or otherwise, for such period, (iii) projected amounts (and not yet realized) may no longer be added in calculating EBITDA pursuant to this clause (d) to the extent occurring more than eight full fiscal quarters after the applicable Initiative, (iv) the Borrowers must deliver to the Agent (A) a certificate setting forth such estimated cost-savings, operating expense reductions, operating improvements and synergies and (B) information and calculations supporting in reasonable detail such estimated cost savings, operating expense reductions, operating improvements and synergies, (v) with respect to any fiscal period, the aggregate amount added back in the calculation of EBITDA for such fiscal period pursuant to this clause (d) shall not exceed 10% of EBITDA (calculated prior to giving effect to any add-backs pursuant to this clause (d)), and (vi) Agent shall have consented to such amounts being added back in the calculation of EBITDA, in each case, determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP.
"EEA Financial Institution" means (a) any credit institution or investment firm established in any EEA Member Country which is subject to the supervision of an EEA Resolution Authority, (b) any entity established in an EEA Member Country which is a parent of an institution described in clause (a) of this definition, or (c) any financial institution established in an EEA Member Country which is a subsidiary of an institution described in clauses (a) or (b) of this definition and is subject to consolidated supervision with its parent.
"EEA Member Country" means any of the member states of the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway.
"EEA Resolution Authority" means any public administrative authority or any person entrusted with public administrative authority of any EEA Member Country (including any delegee) having responsibility for the resolution of any EEA Financial Institution.
"Eleventh Amendment Effective Date" means September 30, 2016.
"Eligible Accounts" means Eligible Billed Accounts, Eligible Unbilled Accounts and Eligible Blender's Credit Accounts.
"Eligible Billed Accounts" means those Accounts created by any Designated Loan Party in the ordinary course of its business, that arise out of such Designated Loan Party's sale of goods or rendition of services, that comply with each of the representations and warranties respecting Eligible Billed Accounts made in the Loan Documents, and that are not excluded as ineligible by virtue of one or more of the excluding criteria set forth below; provided, however, that such criteria may be revised from time to time by Agent in Agent's Permitted Discretion to address the results of any audit performed by Agent from time to time after the Closing Date. In determining the amount to be included, Eligible Billed Accounts shall be calculated net of customer deposits and unapplied cash. Eligible Billed Accounts shall not include the following:
(a)Accounts that the Account Debtor has failed to pay within 60 days of original invoice date,
(b)Accounts owed by an Account Debtor (or its Affiliates) where 50% or more of all Accounts owed by that Account Debtor (or its Affiliates) are deemed ineligible under clause (a) above,
(c)Accounts with respect to which the Account Debtor is an Affiliate of a Loan Party or an employee or agent of a Loan Party or any Affiliate of a Loan Party,
(d)Accounts arising in a transaction wherein goods are placed on consignment or are sold pursuant to a guaranteed sale, a sale or return, a sale on approval, a bill and hold, or any other terms by reason of which the payment by the Account Debtor may be conditional,
(e)Accounts that are not payable in Dollars,
(f)Accounts with respect to which the Account Debtor either (i) does not maintain its chief executive office in the United States or Canada, or (ii) is not organized under the laws of the United States or any state thereof or Canada or any province thereof, or (iii) is the government of any foreign country or sovereign state, or of any state, province, municipality, or other political subdivision thereof, or of any department, agency, public corporation, or other instrumentality thereof, unless (y) the Account is supported by an irrevocable letter of credit reasonably satisfactory to Agent (as to form, substance, and issuer or domestic confirming bank) that has been delivered to Agent and is directly drawable by Agent, or (z) the Account is covered by credit insurance in form, substance, and amount, and by an insurer, reasonably satisfactory to Agent,
(g)Accounts with respect to which the Account Debtor is either (i) the United States or any department, agency, or instrumentality of the United States (exclusive, however, of Accounts with respect to which Designated Loan Parties have complied, to the reasonable satisfaction of Agent, with the Assignment of Claims Act, 31 USC §3727), or (ii) any state of the United States,
(h)Accounts with respect to which the Account Debtor is a creditor of a Designated Loan Party, has or has asserted a right of setoff, or has disputed its obligation to pay all or any portion of the Account, to the extent of such claim, right of setoff, or dispute,
(i)Accounts with respect to an Account Debtor (other than a Specified Account Debtor) whose total obligations owing to Designated Loan Parties exceed 20% (such percentage, as applied to a particular Account Debtor, being subject to reduction by Agent in its Permitted Discretion if the creditworthiness of such Account Debtor deteriorates) of all Eligible Accounts, to the extent of the obligations owing by such Account Debtor in excess of such percentage, or Accounts with respect to a Specified Account Debtor whose total obligations owing to Designated Loan Parties exceed 35% (such percentage, as applied to a particular Specified Account Debtor, being subject to reduction by Agent in its Permitted Discretion if the creditworthiness of such Account Debtor deteriorates) of all Eligible Accounts, to the extent of the obligations owing by such Specified Account Debtor in excess of such percentage; provided, however, that, in each case, the amount of Eligible Accounts that are excluded because they exceed the foregoing percentage shall be determined by Agent based on all of the otherwise Eligible Accounts prior to giving effect to any eliminations based upon the foregoing concentration limit,
(j)Accounts with respect to which the Account Debtor is subject to an Insolvency Proceeding, is not Solvent, has gone out of business, or as to which a Designated Loan Party has received notice of an imminent Insolvency Proceeding or a material impairment of the financial condition of such Account Debtor,
(k)Accounts, the collection of which, Agent, in its Permitted Discretion, has determined is doubtful by reason of the Account Debtor's financial condition, (l) Accounts that are not subject to a valid and perfected first priority Agent's Lien,
(l)[Intentionally Omitted]
(m)Accounts with respect to which (i) the goods giving rise to such Account have not been shipped and billed to the Account Debtor, or (ii) the services giving rise to such Account have not been performed and billed to the Account Debtor,
(n)Accounts with respect to which the Account Debtor is a Sanctioned Person or Sanctioned Entity;
(o)Accounts that represent the right to receive progress payments or other advance billings that are due prior to the completion of performance by Designated Loan Parties of the subject contract for goods or services, or
(p)Accounts owned by a target acquired in connection with a Permitted Acquisition, until the completion of a field examination with respect to such target, in each case, reasonably satisfactory to Agent (which field examination may be conducted prior to the closing of such Permitted Acquisition).
"Eligible Blender's Credit Accounts" means those Accounts created by any Designated Loan Party in the ordinary course of its business owing by the Department of Treasury in respect of the "biodiesel mixture credit" (provided in section 6426 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, which allows a credit against gasoline excise taxes imposed by section 4081 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, together with any successor provisions thereto that provide for similar credit or any substitute credit that provides substantially equivalent economic benefit to a Borrower) to which a Borrower is entitled at that time from its blending or production of biodiesel, and that are not excluded as ineligible by virtue of one or more of the excluding criteria set forth below; provided, however, that such criteria may be revised from time to time by Agent in Agent's Permitted Discretion to address the results of any audit performed by Agent from time to time after the Closing Date. Eligible Blender's Credit Accounts shall not include the following:
(a)Accounts with respect to which a Borrower has not filed Form 8849, together with the appropriate documents, with Department of Treasury to substantiate its claim for such credit,
(b)Accounts with respect to which Department of Treasury or Internal Revenue Service has disputed or rejected the amount thereof,
(c)Accounts which Borrowers are required to set off against excise taxes imposed by Section 4081 of the IRC as a credit against taxes as opposed to receiving a payment for such Accounts,
(d)Accounts that the Account Debtor has failed to pay within 60 days of submission of the appropriate documents to Department of Treasury; and
(e)Accounts that are not subject to a valid and perfected first priority Agent's Lien.
"Eligible In-Transit Inventory" means those items of Inventory that do not qualify as Eligible Inventory solely because they are not in a location set forth on Schedule E-1 to the Disclosure Letter and are in transit and no Loan Party has actual and exclusive possession thereof, but as to which,
(a) such Inventory currently is in transit (whether by vessel, air, or land) from a location outside the United States directly to a location in the United States set forth on Schedule E-1 to the Disclosure Letter,
(b) such Inventory has not been in transit to its final location in the United States for more than 60 days (or such longer period of time as Agent may agree to on a case by case basis),
(c) title to and risk of loss of such Inventory has passed to a Loan Party,
(d) such Inventory is insured against types of loss, damage, hazards, and risks, and in amounts, satisfactory to Agent in its Permitted Discretion,
(e) except, with respect to such Inventory with an aggregate value not to exceed $5,000,000, unless Agent otherwise agrees, (i) each Person in possession of such Inventory while it is in-transit shall have executed and delivered a Collateral Access Agreement with Agent and (ii) such Inventory shall be the subject of an original negotiable or non-negotiable bill of lading governed by the laws of a state within the United States (x) that is in the name of a Secured Loan Party or Agent (and if non-negotiable listing Agent as consignee), (y) that was issued by the Person who is in possession of the subject Inventory while such Inventory is in transit (by vessel, air, or land, as applicable), and (z) if negotiable, is located in the United States and in the possession of a carrier or a customs broker in the continental United States that is party to a Collateral Access Agreement, and
(f) no default exists under any agreement in effect between the vendor of such Inventory and such Loan Party that would permit such vendor under any applicable law (including the UCC) to divert, reclaim, reroute or stop shipment of such Inventory.
"Eligible Inventory" means Inventory consisting of raw materials (including feedstock and chemicals) or first quality finished goods held for sale in the ordinary course of Secured Loan Parties' business, that complies with each of the representations and warranties respecting Eligible Inventory made in the Loan Documents, and that is not excluded as ineligible by virtue of one or more of the excluding criteria set forth below; provided, however, that such criteria may be revised from time to time by Agent in Agent's Permitted Discretion to address the results of any audit or appraisal performed by Agent from time to time after the Closing Date. In determining the amount to be so included, Inventory shall be valued at the lower of cost or market on a basis consistent with Borrowers' historical accounting practices. An item of Inventory shall not be included in Eligible Inventory if:
(a)a Secured Loan Party does not have good, valid, and marketable title thereto,
(b)a Secured Loan Party does not have actual and exclusive possession thereof (either directly or through a bailee (including a processor) or agent of such Loan Party),
(c)it is not located at one of the locations in the continental United States set forth on Schedule E-1 to the Disclosure Letter (or in-transit from one such location to another such location),
(d)unless Agent otherwise agrees, it is in-transit to or from a location of a Secured Loan Party (other than (i) in-transit from one location set forth on Schedule E-1 to the Disclosure Letter to another location set forth on Schedule E-1 to the Disclosure Letter, or (ii) in-transit to customers located in the United States or Canada on an f.o.b. destination basis so long as (A) the aggregate book value of Eligible Inventory in-transit does not exceed $20,000,000, (B) it is not in-transit for more than 30 days (or in the case of shipments to Hawaii, 50 days), and (C)
at Agent's request, Borrowers have provided Agent with the bills of lading and documents of title with respect to such Inventory),
(e)it is located on real property leased by a Secured Loan Party or in a contract warehouse or in the possession of a processor or other Person under a processing or tolling arrangement, in each case, unless (A) the Agent has imposed a reserve pursuant to Section 2.1(c) with respect to such location or it is subject to a Collateral Access Agreement executed by the lessor, warehouseman, processor or such other Person, as the case may be, (B) it is segregated or otherwise separately identifiable from goods of others, if any, stored on the premises (other than Inventory located at terminals that are commingled in tanks with other Persons' Inventory to the extent the aggregate book value of such Inventory does not exceed $10,000,000), and (C) in the case of Inventory in the possession of a processor or other Person under a processing or tolling arrangement, (x) such processing or tolling arrangement is acceptable to Agent, (y) a UCC-1 financing statement has been filed by the applicable Secured Loan Party against such processor or Person identifying the Inventory delivered to such processor or Person, and the products produced therefrom, as the property of such Secured Loan Party, and (z) each secured creditor of such processor or Person with a Lien on the Accounts and/or Inventory of such processor or Person acknowledges Agent's first priority Lien on such Inventory and products produced therefrom, and proceeds thereof.
(f)it is the subject of a bill of lading or other document of title (except for the Eligible Inventory in-transit as provided in clause (d) of this definition),
(g)it is not subject to a valid and perfected first priority Agent's Lien,
(h)it consists of goods returned or rejected by a Loan Party's customers,
(i)it consists of goods that are obsolete or slow moving, restrictive or custom items, work-in-process (other than feedstock and chemicals) or goods that constitute spare parts, packaging and shipping materials, supplies used or consumed in a Secured Loan Party's business, bill and hold goods, defective goods, "seconds," or Inventory acquired on consignment,
(j)it is subject to third party trademark, licensing or other proprietary rights, unless Agent is satisfied that such Inventory can be freely sold by Agent on and after the occurrence of an Event of a Default despite such third party rights
(k)it is Inventory of Parent, or
(l)it was acquired in connection with a Permitted Acquisition, until the completion of an appraisal and field examination of such Inventory, in each case, reasonably satisfactory to Agent (which appraisal and field examination may be conducted prior to the closing of such Permitted Acquisition).
"Eligible Unbilled Accounts" means Accounts of a Designated Loan Party arising from the shipment of goods to the applicable Account Debtor that qualify as Eligible Billed Accounts except that such Accounts have not yet been billed to the applicable Account Debtor; provided that an Account shall cease to be an Eligible Unbilled Account upon the earlier of
(i) the date such Account is billed to the applicable Account Debtor and (ii) 5 Business Days after the goods giving rise to such Account have been shipped to the applicable Account Debtor. In determining the amount to be included, Eligible Unbilled Accounts shall be calculated net of customer deposits and unapplied cash.
"Environmental Action" means any written complaint, summons, citation, notice, directive, order, claim, litigation, investigation, judicial or administrative proceeding, judgment, letter, or other written communication from any Governmental Authority, or any third party involving violations of Environmental Laws or releases of Hazardous Materials (a) from any assets, properties, or businesses of any Secured Loan Party or any of its predecessors in interest, (b) from adjoining properties or businesses, or (c) from or onto any facilities which received Hazardous Materials generated by any Secured Loan Party or any of its predecessors in interest.
"Environmental Law" means any applicable federal, state, provincial, foreign or local statute, law, rule, regulation, ordinance, code, binding and enforceable guideline, binding and enforceable written policy, or rule of common law now or hereafter in effect and in each case as amended, or any judicial or administrative interpretation thereof, including any judicial or administrative order, consent decree or judgment, in each case, to the extent binding on any Loan Party, relating to the environment, the effect of the environment on employee health, or Hazardous Materials, in each case as amended from time to time.
"Environmental Liabilities" means all liabilities, monetary obligations, losses, damages, costs and expenses (including all reasonable fees, disbursements and expenses of counsel, experts, or consultants, and costs of investigation and feasibility studies), fines, penalties, sanctions, and interest incurred as a result of any claim or demand, or Remedial Action required, by any Governmental Authority or any third party, and which relate to any Environmental Action.
"Environmental Lien" means any Lien in favor of any Governmental Authority for Environmental Liabilities.
"Equipment" means equipment (as that term is defined in the Code).
"Equity Interests" means, with respect to a Person, all of the shares, options, warrants, interests, participations, or other equivalents (regardless of how designated) of or in such Person, whether voting or nonvoting, including capital stock (or other ownership or profit interests or units), preferred stock, or any other "equity security" (as such term is defined in Rule 3a11-1 of the General Rules and Regulations promulgated by the SEC under the Exchange Act).
"ERISA" means the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, and any successor statute thereto.
"ERISA Affiliate" means (a) any Person subject to ERISA whose employees are treated as employed by the same employer as the employees of any Loan Party under IRC Section 414(b), (b) any trade or business subject to ERISA whose employees are treated as employed by the same employer as the employees of any Loan Party under IRC Section 414(c), (c) solely for purposes of Section 302 of ERISA and Section 412 of the IRC, any organization
subject to ERISA that is a member of an affiliated service group of which any Loan Party is a member under IRC Section 414(m), or (d) solely for purposes of Section 302 of ERISA and Section 412 of the IRC, any Person subject to ERISA that is a party to an arrangement with any Loan Party and whose employees are aggregated with the employees of any Loan Party under IRC Section 414(o).
"Erroneous Payment" has the meaning specified therefor in Section 17.19 of this Agreement.
"Erroneous Payment Deficiency Assignment" has the meaning specified therefor in Section 17.19 of this Agreement.
"Erroneous Payment Impacted Loans" has the meaning specified therefor in Section 17.19 of this Agreement.
"Erroneous Payment Return Deficiency" has the meaning specified therefor in Section 17.19 of this Agreement.
"EU Bail-In Legislation Schedule" means the EU Bail-In Legislation Schedule published by the Loan Market Association (or any successor person), as in effect from time to time.
"Event of Default" has the meaning specified therefor in Section 8 of the Agreement.
"Excess" has the meaning specified therefor in Section 2.15(b)(iv) of the Agreement.
"Exchange Act" means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as in effect from time to time.
"Excluded Account" means (a) a zero balance account that sweeps on a daily basis into a deposit account subject to a control agreement, (b) accounts used exclusively for payroll, the withheld employee portion of payroll taxes or other employee wage and benefit payments, (c) securities accounts and commodity accounts, in each case, pledged to exclusively secure obligations under Hedge Agreements secured by Permitted Liens, (d) accounts which hold funds or security entitlements, as applicable, which a Designated Loan Party holds in trust or as an escrow or fiduciary for another person that is not another Designated Loan Party, and (e) any other deposit account, securities account or commodity account so long as the aggregate balance on deposit in such account does not exceed $2,500,000 individually and $5,000,000 in the aggregate for all such accounts at any time; provided that, notwithstanding the foregoing, “Excluded Account” shall not include any Deposit Accounts, Securities Accounts or Commodity Accounts in which a Lien or other security interest is granted, or required to be granted, under the Notes Indebtedness.
"Excluded Swap Obligation" means, with respect to any Loan Party, any Swap Obligation if, and to the extent that, all or a portion of the guaranty of such Loan Party of
(including by virtue of the joint and several liability provisions of Section 2.15), or the grant by such Loan Party of a security interest to secure, such Swap Obligation (or any guaranty thereof) is or becomes illegal under the Commodity Exchange Act or any rule, regulation or order of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (or the application or official interpretation of any thereof) by virtue of such Loan Party's failure for any reason to constitute an "eligible contract participant" as defined in the Commodity Exchange Act and the regulations thereunder at the time the guaranty of such Loan Party or the grant of such security interest becomes effective with respect to such Swap Obligation. If a Swap Obligation arises under a master agreement governing more than one swap, such exclusion shall apply only to the portion of such Swap Obligation that is attributable to swaps for which such guaranty or security interest is or becomes illegal.
"Excluded Taxes" means (i) any Tax imposed on the net income or net profits of any Lender or any Participant (including any branch profits taxes), in each case imposed by the jurisdiction (or by any political subdivision or Taxing authority thereof) in which such Lender or such Participant is organized or the jurisdiction (or by any political subdivision or taxing authority thereof) in which such Lender's or such Participant's principal office is located in each case as a result of a present or former connection between such Lender or such Participant and the jurisdiction or taxing authority imposing the Tax (other than any such connection arising solely from such Lender or such Participant having executed, delivered or performed its obligations or received payment under, or enforced its rights or remedies under the Agreement or any other Loan Document); (ii) Taxes that would not have been imposed but for a Lender's or a Participant's failure to comply with the requirements of Section 16(c) or (d) of the Agreement; (iii) any United States federal withholding Taxes that would be imposed on amounts payable to a Foreign Lender based upon the applicable withholding rate in effect at the time such Foreign Lender becomes a party to the Agreement (or designates a new lending office), except that Excluded Taxes shall not include (A) any amount that such Foreign Lender (or its assignor, if any) was previously entitled to receive pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Agreement, if any, with respect to such withholding Tax at the time such Foreign Lender becomes a party to the Agreement (or designates a new lending office), and (B) additional United States federal withholding Taxes that may be imposed after the time such Foreign Lender becomes a party to the Agreement (or designates a new lending office), as a result of a change in law, rule, regulation, order or other decision with respect to any of the foregoing by any Governmental Authority; or (iv) any United States federal Taxes imposed under FATCA.
"Existing Credit Facility" means the Revolving Credit Agreement dated as of April 8, 2010 among Borrowers, Parent, the lenders referred to therein, and WestLB AG, New York Branch, as Administrative Agent, Collateral Agent and Joint Lead Arrangers and Sole Book Runner.
"FATCA" means Sections 1471 through 1474 of the IRC, as of the date of the 11th Amendment to the Agreement (or any amended or successor version that is substantively comparable and not materially more onerous to comply with), any current or future regulations or official interpretations thereof, any agreements entered into pursuant to Section 1471(b)(1) of the IRC, and any intergovernmental agreement entered into by the United States in connection with Sections 1471 and 1474 of the IRC.
"FCA" has the meaning specified therefor in Section 1.6 of this Agreement.
"Federal Funds Rate" means, for any period, a fluctuating interest rate per annum equal to, for each day during such period, the weighted average of the rates on overnight Federal funds transactions with members of the Federal Reserve System, as published on the next succeeding Business Day by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, or, if such rate is not so published for any day which is a Business Day, the average of the quotations for such day on such transactions received by Agent from three Federal funds brokers of recognized standing selected by it (and, if any such rate is below zero, then the rate determined pursuant to this definition shall be deemed to be zero).
"Federal Reserve Board" means the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.
"Fee Letter" means that certain fee letter, dated as of even date with the Agreement, among Borrowers and Agent, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to Agent.
"Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio" means, with respect to Borrowers for any period, the ratio of (i) EBITDA for such period minus Capital Expenditures (excluding (x) the principal amount of Indebtedness (other than Advances) incurred in connection with such expenditures and (y) Capital Expenditures financed with the proceeds of any equity capital contribution received by Parent) of Borrowers made (to the extent not already incurred in a prior period) or incurred during such period, to (ii) Fixed Charges for such period.
"Fixed Charges" means, with respect to any fiscal period and with respect to Borrowers determined on a combined basis in accordance with GAAP, the sum, without duplication, of (a) Interest Expense accrued (other than interest paid-in-kind, amortization of financing fees, and other non-cash Interest Expense) during such period, (b) scheduled principal payments in respect of Indebtedness that are required to be paid during such period (excluding, for the avoidance of doubt, (i) mandatory prepayments of any kind on account thereof and (ii) the payment in full of any remaining outstanding principal amount of such Indebtedness on the scheduled maturity date thereof to the extent refinanced with the proceeds of Indebtedness on such scheduled maturity date), (c) all federal, state, and local income taxes paid in cash during such period not included in Permitted Tax Distribution, and (d) all Restricted Junior Payments paid in cash during such period (including, for the avoidance of doubt, any Permitted Tax Distribution and Permitted Discretionary Distributions), net of all capital contributions received by Parent and contributed to Borrowers during such period (for avoidance of doubt, in no event shall this clause (d) be less than $0).
"Flood Laws" means the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968, Flood Disaster Protection Act of 1973, and related laws, rules and regulations, including any amendments or successor provisions.
"Foreign Lender" means any Lender or Participant that is not a United States person within the meaning of IRC section 7701(a)(30).
"Foreign Subsidiary" means, with respect to any Person, any Subsidiary that is not formed under the laws of the United States or any state of the United States or the District of Columbia.
"FSHCO" means any Subsidiary of a Borrower if substantially all of the direct or indirect assets of such Subsidiary are capital Stock of one or more CFCs.
"Funding Date" means the date on which a Borrowing occurs.
"GAAP" means generally accepted accounting principles as in effect from time to time in the United States, consistently applied.
"Governing Documents" means, with respect to any Person, the certificate or articles of incorporation, by-laws, or other organizational documents of such Person.
"Governmental Authority" means any federal, state, local, or other governmental or administrative body, instrumentality, board, department, or agency or any court, tribunal, administrative hearing body, arbitration panel, commission, or other similar dispute-resolving panel or body.
"Guarantors" means (a) Parent and (b) each other Person that becomes a guarantor after the Closing Date pursuant to Section 5.11 of the Agreement, and "Guarantor" means any one of them.
"Guaranty" means a guaranty of all or any part of the Obligations, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to Agent.
"Hazardous Materials" means (a) substances that are defined or listed in, or otherwise classified pursuant to, any applicable laws or regulations as "hazardous substances," "hazardous materials," "hazardous wastes," "toxic substances," or any other formulation intended to define, list, or classify substances by reason of deleterious properties such as ignitability, corrosivity, reactivity, carcinogenicity, reproductive toxicity, or "EP toxicity", (b) oil, petroleum, or petroleum derived substances, natural gas, natural gas liquids, synthetic gas, drilling fluids, produced waters, and other wastes associated with the exploration, development, or production of crude oil, natural gas, or geothermal resources, (c) any flammable substances or explosives or any radioactive materials, and (d) asbestos in any form or electrical equipment that contains any oil or dielectric fluid containing levels of polychlorinated biphenyls in excess of 50 parts per million.
"Hedge Agreement" means a "swap agreement" as that term is defined in Section 101(53B)(A) of the Bankruptcy Code.
"Hedge Obligations" means any and all obligations or liabilities, whether absolute or contingent, due or to become due, now existing or hereafter arising, of a Designated Loan Party arising under, owing pursuant to, or existing in respect of Hedge Agreements entered into with one or more of the Bank Product Providers.
"Hedge Provider" means any Bank Product Provider that is a party to a Hedge Agreement with a Loan Party or its Subsidiaries or otherwise provides Bank Products under clause (f) of the definition thereof; provided, that if, at any time, a Lender ceases to be a Lender under this Agreement (prior to the payment in full of the Obligations), then, from and after the date on which it ceases to be a Lender thereunder, neither it nor any of its Affiliates shall constitute Hedge Providers and the obligations with respect to Hedge Agreements entered into with such former Lender or any of its Affiliates shall no longer constitute Hedge Obligations.
"Holdout Lender" has the meaning specified therefor in Section 14.2(a) of the Agreement.
"IBA" has the meaning specified therefor in Section 1.6 of this Agreement.
"Increase" has the meaning specified therefor in Section 2.15(a) of the Agreement.
"Increase Date" has the meaning specified therefor in Section 2.15(b)(iv) of the Agreement.
"Increase Joinder" has the meaning specified therefor in Section 2.15(b)(i) of the Agreement.
"Indebtedness" as to any Person means (a) all obligations of such Person for borrowed money, (b) all obligations of such Person evidenced by bonds, debentures, notes, or other similar instruments and all reimbursement or other obligations in respect of letters of credit, bankers acceptances, or other financial products, (c) all obligations of such Person as a lessee under Capital Leases, (d) all obligations or liabilities of others secured by a Lien on any asset of such Person, irrespective of whether such obligation or liability is assumed, (e) all obligations of such Person to pay the deferred purchase price of assets (other than trade payables incurred in the ordinary course of business and repayable in accordance with customary trade practices), (f) all obligations of such Person owing under Hedge Agreements (which amount shall be calculated based on the amount that would be payable by such Person if the Hedge Agreement were terminated on the date of determination), (g) any Prohibited Preferred Stock of such Person, and (h) any obligation of such Person guaranteeing or intended to guarantee (whether directly or indirectly guaranteed, endorsed, co-made, discounted, or sold with recourse) any obligation of any other Person that constitutes Indebtedness under any of clauses (a) through (g) above. For purposes of this definition, (i) the amount of any Indebtedness represented by a guaranty or other similar instrument shall be the lesser of the principal amount of the obligations guaranteed and still outstanding and the maximum amount for which the guaranteeing Person may be liable pursuant to the terms of the instrument embodying such Indebtedness, and (ii) the amount of any Indebtedness described in clause (d) above shall be the lower of the amount of the obligation and the fair market value of the assets of such Person securing such obligation.
"Indemnified Liabilities" has the meaning specified therefor in Section 10.3 of the Agreement.
"Indemnified Person" has the meaning specified therefor in Section 10.3 of the Agreement.
"Indemnified Taxes" means (a) Taxes, other than Excluded Taxes, imposed on or with respect to any payment made by, or on account of any obligation of, any Loan Party under any Loan Document and (b) to the extent not otherwise described in (a), Other Taxes.
"Insolvency Proceeding" means any proceeding commenced by or against any Person under any provision of the Bankruptcy Code or under any other state or federal bankruptcy or insolvency law, assignments for the benefit of creditors, formal or informal moratoria, compositions, extensions generally with creditors, or proceedings seeking reorganization, arrangement, or other similar relief.
"Intercompany Subordination Agreement" means an intercompany subordination agreement, dated as of even date with the Agreement, executed and delivered by each Loan Party and Agent, the form and substance of which is reasonably satisfactory to Agent.
"Interest Expense" means, for any period, the aggregate of the interest expense of Borrowers for such period, determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP.
"Intercreditor Agreement" means that certain Intercreditor Agreement, dated as May 20, 2021 among Agent, Noteholder Collateral Agent and the Loan Parties, as amended from time to time in accordance with the terms thereof.
"Inventory" means inventory (as that term is defined in the Code).
"Investment" means, with respect to any Person, any investment by such Person in any other Person (including Affiliates) in the form of loans, guarantees, advances, capital contributions (excluding (a) commission, travel, and similar advances to officers and employees of such Person made in the ordinary course of business, and (b) bona fide Accounts arising in the ordinary course of business), or acquisitions of Indebtedness, Stock, or all or substantially all of the assets of such other Person (or of any division or business line of such other Person), and any other items that are or would be classified as investments on a balance sheet prepared in accordance with GAAP.
"IRC" means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as in effect from time to time.
"Issuer Document" means, with respect to any Letter of Credit, a letter of credit application, a letter of credit agreement, or any other document, agreement or instrument entered into (or to be entered into) by Borrower in favor of Issuing Lender and relating to such Letter of Credit.
"Issuing Lender" means WFCF, Wells Fargo or any other Lender that, at the request of Borrower and with the consent of Agent, agrees, in such Lender's sole discretion, to become an Issuing Lender for the purpose of issuing Letters of Credit pursuant to Section 2.11 of the Agreement, and Issuing Lender shall be a Lender or, if WFCF is the Issuing Lender, L/C Undertakings pursuant to Section 2.11 of the Agreement and Issuing Lender shall be a Lender.
"LC Election" has the meaning set forth in Section 1.9 of the Agreement.
"LC Test Date" has the meaning set forth in Section 1.9 of the Agreement.
"L/C Undertaking" has the meaning set forth in Section 2.11(a) of the Agreement.
"Lender" has the meaning set forth in the preamble to the Agreement, shall include the Issuing Lender and the Swing Lender, and shall also include any other Person made a party to the Agreement pursuant to the provisions of Section 13.1 of the Agreement and "Lenders" means each of the Lenders or any one or more of them.
"Lender Group" means each of the Lenders (including the Issuing Lender and the Swing Lender) and Agent, or any one or more of them.
"Lender Group Expenses" means all (a) costs or expenses (including taxes, and insurance premiums) required to be paid by any Loan Party under any of the Loan Documents that are paid, advanced, or incurred by the Lender Group, (b) out-of-pocket fees or charges paid or incurred by Agent in connection with the Lender Group's transactions with any Loan Party under any of the Loan Documents, including, fees or charges for photocopying, notarization, couriers and messengers, telecommunication, public record searches (including tax lien, litigation, and UCC searches and including searches with the patent and trademark office, the copyright office, or the department of motor vehicles), filing, recording, publication, appraisal (including periodic collateral appraisals or business valuations to the extent of the fees and charges (and up to the amount of any limitation) contained in the Agreement or the Fee Letter), real estate surveys, real estate title policies and endorsements, and environmental audits, (c) Agent's customary fees and charges (as adjusted from time to time) with respect to the disbursement of funds (or the receipt of funds) to or for the account of Borrowers (whether by wire transfer or otherwise), together with any out-of-pocket costs and expenses incurred in connection therewith, (d) out-of-pocket charges paid or incurred by Agent resulting from the dishonor of checks payable by or to any Loan Party, (e) reasonable out-of-pocket costs and expenses paid or incurred by the Lender Group to correct any default or enforce any provision of the Loan Documents, or during the continuance of an Event of Default, in gaining possession of, maintaining, handling, preserving, storing, shipping, selling, preparing for sale, or advertising to sell the Collateral, or any portion thereof, irrespective of whether a sale is consummated, (f) reasonable out-of-pocket audit fees and expenses (including travel, meals, and lodging) of Agent related to any inspections or audits to the extent of the fees and charges (and up to the amount of any limitation) contained in the Agreement or the Fee Letter, (g) reasonable out-of-pocket costs and expenses of third party claims or any other suit paid or incurred by the Lender Group in enforcing or defending the Loan Documents or in connection with the transactions contemplated by the Loan Documents, (h) Agent's reasonable costs and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) incurred in advising, structuring, drafting, reviewing, administering (including travel, meals, and lodging), syndicating, or amending the Loan Documents, (i) Agent's and each Lender's reasonable costs and expenses (including reasonable attorneys', accountants, consultants, and other advisors fees and expenses) incurred in terminating, enforcing (including attorneys', accountants, consultants, and other advisors fees and expenses incurred in connection with a "workout," a "restructuring," or an Insolvency Proceeding concerning any Loan Party or
in exercising rights or remedies under the Loan Documents), or defending the Loan Documents, irrespective of whether suit is brought, or in taking any Remedial Action concerning the Collateral, and (j) usage charges, charges, fees, costs and expenses for amendments, renewals, extensions, transfers, or drawings from time to time imposed by the Underlying Issuer or incurred by the Issuing Lender in respect of Letters of Credit and out-of-pocket charges, fees, costs and expenses paid or incurred by the Underlying Issuer or Issuing Lender in connection with the issuance, amendment, renewal, extension, or transfer of, or drawing under, any Letter of Credit or any demand for payment thereunder.
"Lender Group Representatives" has the meaning specified therefor in Section 17.9 of the Agreement.
"Lender-Related Person" means, with respect to any Lender, such Lender, together with such Lender's Affiliates, officers, directors, employees, attorneys', and agents.
"Letter of Credit" means a letter of credit (as that term is defined in the Code) issued by Issuing Lender or a letter of credit (as that term is defined in the Code) issued by Underlying Issuer, as the context requires.
"Letter of Credit Collateralization" means either (a) providing cash collateral (pursuant to documentation reasonably satisfactory to Agent (including that Agent has a first priority perfected Lien in such cash collateral), including provisions that specify that the Letter of Credit Fees and all commissions, fees, charges and expenses provided for in Section 2.11(k) of the Agreement (including any fronting fees) will continue to accrue while the Letters of Credit are outstanding) to be held by Agent for the benefit of the Lenders in an amount equal to 105% of the then existing Letter of Credit Usage, (b) delivering to Agent documentation executed by all beneficiaries under the Letters of Credit, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to Agent and Issuing Lender, terminating all of such beneficiaries' rights under the Letters of Credit, or (c) providing Agent with a standby letter of credit, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to Agent, from a commercial bank acceptable to Agent (in its sole discretion) in an amount equal to 105% of the then existing Letter of Credit Usage (it being understood that the Letter of Credit Fee and all fronting fees set forth in the Agreement will continue to accrue while the Letters of Credit are outstanding and that any such fees that accrue must be an amount that can be drawn under any such standby letter of credit).
"Letter of Credit Disbursement" means a payment made by Issuing Lender or Underlying Issuer pursuant to a Letter of Credit.
"Letter of Credit Exposure" means, as of any date of determination with respect to any Lender, such Lender's participation in the Letter of Credit Usage pursuant to Section 2.11(e) on such date.
"Letter of Credit Fee" means the fee described in Section 2.6(b) of the Agreement.
"Letter of Credit Indemnified Costs" has the meaning specified therefor in Section 2.11(f) of the Agreement.
"Letter of Credit Related Person" has the meaning specified therefor in Section 2.11(f) of the Agreement.
"Letter of Credit Usage" means, as of any date of determination, the sum of (a) the aggregate undrawn amount of all outstanding Letters of Credit, plus (b) the aggregate amount of outstanding reimbursement obligations with respect to Letters of Credit which remain unreimbursed or which have not been paid through an Advance.
"LIBOR Rate Loan" means each portion of an Advance that bears interest at a rate determined by reference to the Daily One Month LIBOR.
"LIBOR Rate Margin" means, as of any date of determination (with respect to any portion of the outstanding Advances on such date that is a LIBOR Rate Loan), the applicable margin set forth in the following table that corresponds to the Quarterly Average Availability Amount; provided, however, that for the period from the Restatement Date through September 30, 2021, the LIBOR Rate Margin shall be at the margin in the row styled "Level I":
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Level
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Quarterly Average Availability Amount
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LIBOR Rate Margin
for Advances
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I
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Greater than 25% of the Maximum Revolver Amount
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1.50 percentage points
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II
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Greater than 10% of the Maximum Revolver Amount but less than or equal to 25% of the Maximum Revolver Amount
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1.75 percentage points
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III
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Less than or equal to 10% of the Maximum Revolver Amount
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2.00 percentage points
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The LIBOR Rate Margin shall be based upon the most recent Quarterly Average Availability Amount, which will be calculated as of the end of each calendar quarter. If Borrowers fail to provide the information necessary to calculate the Quarterly Average Availability Amount, the LIBOR Rate Margin shall be set at the margin in the row styled "Level III" until the date on which such information is delivered (on which date (but not retroactively), without constituting a waiver of any Default or Event of Default occasioned by the failure to timely deliver such information, the LIBOR Rate Margin shall be set at the margin based upon the calculations disclosed by such information).
"Lien" means any mortgage, deed of trust, pledge, hypothecation, assignment, charge, deposit arrangement, encumbrance, easement, lien (statutory or other), security interest, or other security arrangement and any other preference, priority, or preferential arrangement of any kind or nature whatsoever, including any conditional sale contract or other title retention
agreement, the interest of a lessor under a Capital Lease and any synthetic or other financing lease having substantially the same economic effect as any of the foregoing.
"Loan Account" has the meaning specified therefor in Section 2.9 of the Agreement.
"Loan Documents" means the Agreement, the Intercreditor Agreement, any Borrowing Base Certificate, the Control Agreements, the Disclosure Letter, the Fee Letter, the Guaranty, the Intercompany Subordination Agreement, the Letters of Credit, the Plant Loan Party Security Agreement, the Security Agreement, the Stock Pledge Agreement, any note or notes executed by any Borrower in connection with the Agreement and payable to any member of the Lender Group, any letter of credit application or letter of credit agreement entered into by any Borrower in connection with the Agreement, and any other instrument or agreement entered into, now or in the future, by any Loan Party and any member of the Lender Group in connection with the Agreement (but specifically excluding Bank Product Agreements).
"Loan Party" means any Borrower, any Guarantor or any Plant Loan Party.
"Margin Stock" as defined in Regulation U of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System as in effect from time to time.
"Material Adverse Change" means (a) a material adverse change in the business, operations, results of operations, assets, liabilities or condition (financial or otherwise) of Loan Parties, taken as a whole, (b) a material impairment of Loan Parties' ability to perform their obligations under the Loan Documents to which they are parties or of the Lender Group's ability to enforce the Obligations or realize upon the Collateral, or (c) a material impairment of the enforceability or priority of Agent's Liens with respect to the Collateral as a result of an action or failure to act on the part of any Loan Party.
"Maturity Date" has the meaning specified therefor in Section 3.3 of the Agreement.
"Maximum Revolver Amount" means $250,000,000, as decreased by the amount of reductions in the Revolver Commitments made in accordance with Section 2.4(c) of the Agreement or as increased by the amount of any Increase made in accordance with Section 2.15.
"Moody's" has the meaning specified therefor in the definition of Cash Equivalents.
"Net Cash Proceeds" means with respect to any sale or disposition by a Loan Party of assets, the amount of cash proceeds received (directly or indirectly) from time to time (whether as initial consideration or through the payment of deferred consideration) by or on behalf of such Loan Party, in connection therewith after deducting therefrom only (i) the amount of any Indebtedness secured by any Permitted Lien on any asset (other than (A) Indebtedness owing to Agent or any Lender under the Agreement or the other Loan Documents and (B) Indebtedness assumed by the purchaser of such asset) which is required to be, and is, repaid in connection with such sale or disposition, (ii) reasonable fees, commissions, and expenses
related thereto and required to be paid by such Loan Party in connection with such sale or disposition and (iii) taxes paid or payable to any taxing authorities by such Loan Party in connection with such sale or disposition, in each case to the extent, but only to the extent, that the amounts so deducted are, at the time of receipt of such cash, actually paid or payable to a Person that is not an Affiliate of any Loan Party, and are properly attributable to such transaction.
"Net Liquidation Percentage" means the percentage of the book value of Secured Loan Parties' Inventory that is estimated to be recoverable in an orderly liquidation of such Inventory net of all associated costs and expenses of such liquidation, such percentage to be as determined from time to time by an appraisal company selected by Agent. At Agent's option, Net Liquidation Percentage may be calculated separately for different categories of Inventory.
"Noteholder Collateral Agent" means the “Fixed Asset Collateral Agent” as defined in the Intercreditor Agreement.
"Notes Indebtedness" means the Indebtedness under the Notes Indenture Agreement, the Bond Notes, and guarantees in respect thereof.
"Notes Documents" means the “Fixed Asset Loan Documents” as defined in the Intercreditor Agreement.
"Notes Indenture Agreement" means the Indenture dated as of May 20, 2021 among Renewable Energy Group, Inc., certain Subsidiaries from time to time party thereto as guarantors, and UMB Bank, National Association, as collateral trustee for the secured notes, pursuant to which the Bond Notes were issued, as amended, restated, amended and restated, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time to the extent permitted under the Intercreditor Agreement.
"Notes Priority Collateral" means the “Fixed Asset Priority Collateral” as defined in the Intercreditor Agreement.
"Obligations" means (a) all loans (including the Advances (inclusive of Protective Advances and Swing Loans)), debts, principal, interest (including any interest that accrues after the commencement of an Insolvency Proceeding, regardless of whether allowed or allowable in whole or in part as a claim in any such Insolvency Proceeding), reimbursement or indemnification obligations with respect to Reimbursement Undertakings or with respect to Letters of Credit (irrespective of whether contingent), premiums, liabilities (including all amounts charged to the Loan Account pursuant to the Agreement), obligations (including indemnification obligations), fees (including the fees provided for in the Fee Letter), Lender Group Expenses (including any fees or expenses that accrue after the commencement of an Insolvency Proceeding, regardless of whether allowed or allowable in whole or in part as a claim in any such Insolvency Proceeding), guaranties, and all covenants and duties of any other kind and description owing by any Loan Party pursuant to or evidenced by the Agreement or any of the other Loan Documents and irrespective of whether for the payment of money, whether direct or indirect, absolute or contingent, due or to become due, now existing or hereafter arising, and including all interest not paid when due and all other expenses or other amounts that any
Borrower is required to pay or reimburse by the Loan Documents or by law or otherwise in connection with the Loan Documents, (b) all debts, liabilities, or obligations (including reimbursement obligations, irrespective of whether contingent) owing by any Borrower or any other Loan Party to an Underlying Issuer now or hereafter arising from or in respect of Underlying Letters of Credit, and (c) all Bank Product Obligations; provided that, anything to the contrary contained in the foregoing notwithstanding, the Obligations shall exclude any Excluded Swap Obligation. Any reference in the Agreement or in the Loan Documents to the Obligations shall include all or any portion thereof and any extensions, modifications, renewals, or alterations thereof, both prior and subsequent to any Insolvency Proceeding.
"OFAC" means The Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
"Originating Lender" has the meaning specified therefor in Section 13.1(e) of the Agreement.
"Other Taxes" has the meaning specified therefor in Section 16(b) of the Agreement.
"Overadvance" means, as of any date of determination, that the Revolver Usage is greater than any of the limitations set forth in Section 2.1 or Section 2.11 of this Agreement.
"Parent" means Renewable Energy Group, Inc., a Delaware corporation.
"Participant" has the meaning specified therefor in Section 13.1(e) of the Agreement.
"Participant Register" has the meaning set forth in Section 13.1(i) of the Agreement.
"Patriot Act" has the meaning specified therefor in Section 4.18 of the Agreement.
"Payment Conditions" means, at the time of determination with respect to a proposed payment to fund a Specified Transaction, that:
(a) no Default or Event of Default then exists or would arise as a result of the consummation of such Specified Transaction, and
(b) either
(i) Availability after giving effect to such proposed payment and Specified Transaction, in each case, is not less than 15% of the Maximum Revolver Amount, or
(ii) both (A) the Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio is equal to or greater than 1.00:1.00 for the trailing 12 month period most recently ended for which financial statements are required to have been delivered to Agent pursuant to Schedule 5.1 to this Agreement (to the extent such payment would constitute a Fixed Charge, calculated on a pro
forma basis as if such proposed payment is made on the last day of such 12 month period (it being understood that any such proposed payment shall also be a Fixed Charge made on the last day of such 12 month period for purposes of calculating the Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio on a pro forma basis under this clause (ii) for any subsequent proposed payment to fund a Specified Transaction)), and (B) Availability, after giving effect to such proposed payment and Specified Transaction, in each case, is not less 12.5% of the Maximum Revolver Amount.
"Payment Recipient" has the meaning specified therefor in Section 17.19 of this Agreement.
"Payoff Date" means the first date on which all of the Obligations are paid in full and the Commitments of the Lenders are terminated.
"Permitted Acquisition" means any Acquisition so long as:
(a)no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing or would result from the consummation of the proposed Acquisition and the proposed Acquisition is consensual,
(b)if (and only if) at the time the notice required pursuant to clause (e) of this definition below is delivered, a Covenant Testing Period is then in effect, Borrowers shall have provided Agent with written confirmation, supported by reasonably detailed calculations, that on a pro forma basis (including pro forma adjustments arising out of events which are directly attributable to such proposed Acquisition, are factually supportable, and are expected to have a continuing impact, in each case, determined as if the combination had been accomplished at the beginning of the relevant period; such eliminations and inclusions to be mutually and reasonably agreed upon by Borrowers and Agent) created by adding the historical combined financial statements of Borrowers (including the combined financial statements of any other Person or assets that were the subject of a prior Permitted Acquisition during the relevant period) to the historical consolidated financial statements of the Person to be acquired (or the historical financial statements related to the assets to be acquired) pursuant to the proposed Acquisition, Borrowers would have been in compliance with the minimum Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio set forth in Section 7 of this Agreement for the fiscal month ended immediately prior to the proposed date of consummation of such proposed Acquisition,
(c)Borrowers have provided Agent with its due diligence package relative to the proposed Acquisition, including forecasted balance sheets, profit and loss statements, and cash flow statements of the Person or assets to be acquired, all prepared on a basis consistent with such Person's (or assets') historical financial statements, together with appropriate supporting details and a statement of underlying assumptions for the 1 year period following the date of the proposed Acquisition, on a month by month basis), in form and substance (including as to scope and underlying assumptions) reasonably satisfactory to Agent,
(d)the Payment Conditions are satisfied,
(e)Borrowers have provided Agent with written notice of the proposed Acquisition at least 10 days prior to the anticipated closing date of the proposed Acquisition
and, if requested by Agent, provided Agent with copies of the acquisition agreement and other material documents relative to the proposed Acquisition,
(f)the assets being acquired (other than a de minimis amount of assets in relation to Borrowers' and their Subsidiaries' total assets), or the Person whose Equity Interests are being acquired, are useful in or engaged in, as applicable, the business of Borrowers and their Subsidiaries or a business reasonably related thereto,
(g)the assets being acquired (other than a de minimis amount of assets in relation to the assets being acquired) are located within the United States or the Person whose Equity Interests are being acquired is organized in a jurisdiction located within the United States,
(h)the subject assets or Equity Interests, as applicable, are being acquired directly by any Borrower or one of their Subsidiaries that is a Loan Party, and, in connection therewith, the applicable Loan Party shall have complied with Section 5.11 or 5.12 of the Agreement, as applicable, of the Agreement, and
(i)Agent shall have received prior to the proposed Acquisition, a certificate signed by an officer of Administrative Borrower certifying compliance with the foregoing conditions.
"Permitted Discretion" means a determination made in good faith and in the exercise of reasonable (from the perspective of a secured asset-based lender) business judgment.
"Permitted Dispositions" means:
(a)sales, abandonment, or other dispositions of Equipment that is substantially worn, damaged, or obsolete in the ordinary course of business,
(b)sales of Inventory to buyers in the ordinary course of business,
(c)the use or transfer of money or Cash Equivalents in a manner that is not prohibited by the terms of the Agreement or the other Loan Documents (including for Capital Expenditures permitted under this Agreement),
(d)the licensing, on a non-exclusive basis, of patents, trademarks, copyrights, and other intellectual property rights in the ordinary course of business,
(e)the granting of Permitted Liens,
(f)the sale or discount, in each case without recourse, of Accounts arising in the ordinary course of business, but only in connection with the compromise or collection thereof,
(g)any involuntary loss, damage or destruction of property,
(h)any involuntary condemnation, seizure or taking, by exercise of the power of eminent domain or otherwise, or confiscation or requisition of use of property,
(i)the leasing or subleasing of assets of any Loan Party in the ordinary course of business,
(j)the sale or issuance of Stock (other than Prohibited Preferred Stock) of any Loan Party,
(k)the lapse of registered patents, trademarks and other intellectual property of any Loan Party to the extent not economically desirable in the conduct of their business and so long as such lapse is not materially adverse to the interests of the Lenders,
(l)the making of a Restricted Junior Payment that is expressly permitted to be made pursuant to the Agreement,
(m)the making of a Permitted Investment, and
(n)dispositions of assets of any Plant Loan Party other than dispositions of Inventory (except as permitted under clause (b) above),
(o)dispositions of Inventory with a book value not in excess of $15,000,000 by a Borrower to REG Ralston, LLC once each fiscal year at or near the end thereof, so long as no Event of Default then exists, and after giving effect to such disposition, Availability is at least 15% of the Maximum Revolver Amount, and
(p)sale of assets constituting Notes Priority Collateral so long as (x) such sale is for fair market value, (y) no Event of Default shall exist immediately before or after giving effect to such sale, and (z) at least 75% of the consideration received is in the form of cash, Cash Equivalents or replacement assets. For purposes of this clause (q), each of the following will be deemed to be cash:
(a) any liabilities (as shown on such Secured Loan Party’s most recent balance sheet or in the footnotes thereto, or as would be shown on such balance sheet or footnotes if such liability was incurred subsequent to the date of such balance sheet), of such Secured Loan Party (other than contingent liabilities and liabilities that are by their terms contractually subordinated in right of payment to the Obligations) that (A) are assumed by the transferee of any such assets pursuant to an agreement that releases the applicable Secured Loan Party from further liability, or (B) are otherwise released, discharged or forgiven;
(ii) any securities, notes or other obligations received by such Secured Loan Party from such transferee that are, within 180 days after the sale or disposition, converted by such Secured Loan Party into cash or Cash Equivalents, to the extent of the cash or Cash Equivalents received in that conversion; and
(iii) any Designated Non-cash Consideration received by any Secured Loan Party in such sale or disposition having an aggregate fair market value, taken together with all other Designated Non-cash Consideration received pursuant to this clause (iii) that is at the time outstanding, not to exceed the greater of (A) $30,000,000 and (B) 2.0% of the Parent's Consolidated Net Tangible Assets as of the date of the definitive agreement with respect to such sale or disposition, with the fair market value of each item of Designated Non-cash Consideration being measured as of the date of the definitive agreement with respect to such sale or disposition and without giving effect to subsequent changes in value
"Permitted Indebtedness" means:
(a)Indebtedness evidenced by the Agreement or the other Loan Documents, as well as Indebtedness owed to Underlying Issuers with respect to Underlying Letters of Credit,
(b)Indebtedness set forth on Schedule 4.19 to the Disclosure Letter and any Refinancing Indebtedness in respect of such Indebtedness,
(c)Permitted Purchase Money Indebtedness and any Refinancing Indebtedness in respect of such Indebtedness,
(d)endorsement of instruments or other payment items for deposit,
(e)Indebtedness consisting of (i) unsecured guarantees incurred in the ordinary course of business with respect to surety and appeal bonds, performance bonds, bid bonds, appeal bonds, completion guarantee and similar obligations; (ii) unsecured guarantees arising with respect to customary indemnification obligations to purchasers in connection with Permitted Dispositions; and (iii) unsecured guarantees with respect to Indebtedness of any Designated Loan Party, to the extent that the Person that is obligated under such guaranty could have incurred such underlying Indebtedness,
(f)Indebtedness incurred in the ordinary course of business under performance, surety, statutory, and appeal bonds,
(g)Indebtedness owed to any Person providing property, casualty, liability, or other insurance to any Loan Party, so long as the amount of such Indebtedness is not in excess of the amount of the unpaid cost of, and shall be incurred only to defer the cost of, such insurance for the year in which such Indebtedness is incurred and such Indebtedness is outstanding only during such year,
(h)the incurrence by any Secured Loan Party of Indebtedness under Hedge Agreements that are incurred for the bona fide purpose of hedging the interest rate, commodity, or foreign currency risks associated with any Secured Loan Party's operations and not for speculative purposes,
(i)Indebtedness incurred in respect of credit cards, payment card processing services, debit cards, stored value cards, commercial cards (including so-called "purchase cards", "procurement cards" or "p-cards"), or Cash Management Services, in each case, that constitute Bank Product Obligations or that are incurred in the ordinary course of business,
(j)unsecured Indebtedness of any Designated Loan Party owing to former employees, officers, or directors (or any spouses, ex-spouses, or estates of any of the foregoing) incurred in connection with the repurchase by such Designated Loan Party of the Stock of such Designated Loan Party that has been issued to such Persons, so long as (i) no Default or Event of Default has occurred and is continuing or would result from the incurrence of such Indebtedness, (ii) the aggregate amount of all such Indebtedness outstanding of Designated Loan Parties at any one time does not exceed $250,000, and (iii) such Indebtedness is subordinated to the Obligations on terms and conditions reasonably acceptable to Agent,
(k)Indebtedness composing Permitted Investments,
(l)Indebtedness of any Plant Loan Party,
(m)unsecured Indebtedness of any Designated Loan Party so long as the aggregate amount thereof for all Designated Loan Parties does not exceed $2,000,000,
(n)Acquired Indebtedness,
(o)unsecured Indebtedness of any Borrower owing to sellers of assets or Equity Interests (including earnouts) that is incurred on the date of the consummation of a Permitted Acquisition solely for the purpose of consummating such Permitted Acquisition so long as (i) no Event of Default has occurred and is continuing or would result therefrom, and (ii) no payments may be made with respect to such Indebtedness unless the Payment Conditions are satisfied,
(p)contingent liabilities in respect of any indemnification obligation or adjustment of purchase price of any Loan Party incurred in connection with the consummation of one or more Permitted Acquisitions,
(q)secured or unsecured Indebtedness that (if secured) shall rank pari passu with or junior to the Notes Indebtedness and be subject to the Intercreditor Agreement in an amount not to exceed $75,000,000;
(r)unsecured Indebtedness in an amount not to exceed $25 million;
(s)other unsecured Indebtedness in an amount not to exceed the greater of $75 million and 4.5% of the Borrowers’ Consolidated Net Tangible Assets, provided that upon giving effect to the incurrence thereof, the Payment Conditions are satisfied; and
(t)the Notes Indebtedness and, to the extent permitted under the Intercreditor Agreement, any Refinancing Indebtedness of such Indebtedness.
"Permitted Intercompany Investments" means Investments made by (a) Designated Loan Party to another Designated Loan Party, (b) a non-Loan Party to another non-Loan Party, (c) a non-Loan Party to a Loan Party, so long as the parties thereto are party to the Intercompany Subordination Agreement, (d) Parent to a Borrower, so long as the parties thereto are party to the Intercompany Subordination Agreement, (e) a Designated Loan Party to a non-Loan Party or Plant Loan Party (other than as provided in clause (f) below) so long as the amount of such Investment does not exceed $25,000,000 in any fiscal year, and (f) by REG Marketing to a Plant Loan Party in respect of purchases of Inventory by a Plant Loan Party from REG Marketing on credit in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practices, so long as such Plant Loan Party pays for such purchases within 60 days of sale).
"Permitted Investments" means:
(a)Investments in cash and Cash Equivalents,
(b)Investments in negotiable instruments deposited or to be deposited for collection in the ordinary course of business,
(c)advances made in connection with purchases of goods or services in the ordinary course of business,
(d)Investments received in settlement of amounts due to any Loan Party effected in the ordinary course of business or owing to any Loan Party as a result of Insolvency Proceedings involving an Account Debtor or upon the foreclosure or enforcement of any Lien in favor of a Loan Party,
(e)Investments owned by any Designated Loan Party on the Seventeenth Amendment Effective Date and set forth on Schedule P-1 to the Disclosure Letter,
(f)guaranties permitted under the definition of Permitted Indebtedness,
(g)Permitted Intercompany Investments,
(h)Stock or other securities acquired in connection with the satisfaction or enforcement of Indebtedness or claims due or owing to a Loan Party (in bankruptcy of customers or suppliers or otherwise outside the ordinary course of business) or as security for any such Indebtedness or claims,
(i)deposits of cash made in the ordinary course of business to secure performance of operating leases,
(j)non-cash loans to employees, officers, and directors of any Loan Party for the purpose of purchasing Stock in such Loan Party so long as the proceeds of such loans are used in their entirety to purchase such stock in such Loan Party,
(k)Investments resulting from entering into (i) Bank Product Agreements, or (ii) agreements relative to Indebtedness that is permitted under clause (j) of the definition of Permitted Indebtedness, and
(l)so long as no Event of Default has occurred and is continuing or would result therefrom, any other Investments by Designated Loan Parties in an aggregate amount not to exceed $500,000 during the term of the Agreement,
(m)Investments resulting from purchases of products by Borrowers from Persons in the ordinary course of business on the basis that any profit or loss resulting from the sales of such products to third parties will be borne by such Persons so long as Borrowers have fully paid for such products prior to subsequent sale (it being understood that Borrowers receive a commission or fee in relation to such purchases and sales), and
(n)Permitted Acquisitions,
(o)Investments held by a Person acquired in a Permitted Acquisition to the extent that such Investments were not made in contemplation of or in connection with such Permitted Acquisition and were in existence on the date of such Permitted Acquisition,
(p)Investments in Parent deemed to be made as a result of any prepayment, redemption, defeasance, purchase or other acquisition of Notes Indebtedness made by a Loan Party solely to the extent such prepayment, redemption, defeasance, purchase or other acquisition is permitted pursuant to Section 6.7(a)(i)(E);
(q)So long as no Event of Default has occurred and is continuing or would result therefrom, any other Investments in an aggregate amount not to exceed $2,000,000 during the term of the Agreement;
(r)Investments and commodity contracts held in a commodity account to the extent such commodity account (other than Excluded Accounts) is subject to a Control Agreement; and
(s)other Investments (other than Acquisitions) so long as the Payment Conditions are satisfied.
"Permitted Liens" means:
(a)Liens granted to, or for the benefit of, Agent to secure the Obligations,
(b)Liens for unpaid taxes, assessments, or other governmental charges or levies that either (i) are not yet delinquent, or (ii) do not have priority over Agent's Liens and the underlying taxes, assessments, or charges or levies are the subject of Permitted Protests,
(c)judgment Liens arising solely as a result of the existence of judgments, orders, or awards that do not constitute an Event of Default under Section 8.3 of the Agreement,
(d)Liens set forth on Schedule P-2 to the Disclosure Letter; provided, however, that to qualify as a Permitted Lien, any such Lien described on Schedule P-2 to the Disclosure Letter shall only secure the Indebtedness that it secures on the Seventeenth Amendment Effective Date and any Refinancing Indebtedness in respect thereof,
(e)the interests of lessors under operating leases and non-exclusive licensors under license agreements,
(f)purchase money Liens or the interests of lessors under Capital Leases to the extent that such Liens or interests secure Permitted Purchase Money Indebtedness and so long as (i) such Lien attaches only to the asset purchased or acquired and the proceeds thereof, and (ii) such Lien only secures the Indebtedness that was incurred to acquire the asset purchased or acquired or any Refinancing Indebtedness in respect thereof,
(g)Liens arising by operation of law in favor of warehousemen, landlords, carriers, mechanics, materialmen, laborers, or suppliers, incurred in the ordinary course of business and not in connection with the borrowing of money, and which Liens either (i) are for sums not yet delinquent, or (ii) are the subject of Permitted Protests,
(h)Liens on amounts deposited to secure a Loan Party's obligations in connection with worker's compensation or other unemployment insurance,
(i)Liens on amounts deposited to secure a Loan Party's obligations in connection with the making or entering into of bids, tenders, or leases in the ordinary course of business and not in connection with the borrowing of money,
(j)Liens on amounts deposited to secure a Loan Party's reimbursement obligations with respect to surety or appeal bonds obtained in the ordinary course of business,
(k)with respect to any Real Property owned in fee interest, easements, rights of way, and zoning restrictions that do not materially interfere with or impair the use or operation thereof,
(l)non-exclusive licenses of patents, trademarks, copyrights, and other intellectual property rights in the ordinary course of business,
(m)Liens that are replacements of Permitted Liens to the extent that the original Indebtedness is the subject of permitted Refinancing Indebtedness and so long as the replacement Liens only encumber those assets that secured the original Indebtedness,
(n)rights of setoff or bankers' liens upon deposits of cash in favor of banks or other depository institutions, solely to the extent incurred in connection with the maintenance of such deposit accounts in the ordinary course of business,
(o)Liens granted in the ordinary course of business on the unearned portion of insurance premiums securing the financing of insurance premiums to the extent the financing is permitted under the definition of Permitted Indebtedness,
(p)Liens in favor of customs and revenue authorities arising as a matter of law to secure payment of customs duties in connection with the importation of goods,
(q)Liens on the assets of any Plant Loan Party other than Liens on Inventory or proceeds thereof (including Accounts) of any Plant Loan Party,
(r)Liens on cash collateral in an aggregate amount not to exceed $8,000,000, to secure Permitted Indebtedness under clause (h) of the definition thereof,
(s)Liens solely on any cash earnest money deposits made by any Borrower or any of their Subsidiaries in connection with any letter of intent or purchase agreement with respect to a Permitted Acquisition,
(t)Liens assumed by any Borrower or their Subsidiaries in connection with a Permitted Acquisition that secure Acquired Indebtedness,
(u)Liens in favor of the Noteholder Collateral Agent on assets of the Loan Parties securing the Notes Indebtedness and subject to the Intercreditor Agreement and any Refinancing Indebtedness thereof permitted by the Intercreditor Agreement,
(v)Liens securing Indebtedness permitted under clause (q) of the definition of Permitted Indebtedness and subject to the Intercreditor Agreement;
(w)Liens securing Indebtedness of any Secured Loan Party under Hedge Agreements that are incurred for the bona fide purpose of hedging the interest rate, commodity, or foreign currency risks associated with any Secured Loan Party's operations and not for speculative purposes as to which the aggregate amount secured thereby does not exceed $25,000,000, and
(x)Other Liens as to which the aggregate amount secured thereby does not exceed $12,500,000.
"Permitted Preferred Stock" means and refers to any Preferred Stock issued by Parent (and not by one or more of its Subsidiaries) that is not Prohibited Preferred Stock.
"Permitted Protest" means the right of any Loan Party to protest any Lien (other than any Lien that secures the Obligations), taxes (other than payroll taxes or taxes that are the subject of a United States federal tax lien), or rental payment, provided that (a) a reserve with respect to such obligation is established on such Loan Party's books and records in such amount as is required under GAAP, and (b) any such protest is instituted promptly and prosecuted diligently by such Loan Party in good faith.
"Permitted Purchase Money Indebtedness" means, as of any date of determination, Purchase Money Indebtedness of Designated Loan Parties incurred after the Closing Date in an aggregate principal amount outstanding at any one time not in excess of $30,000,000.
"Permitted Tax Distributions" means with respect to each taxable year: (a) if, for such period, the relevant Borrower is taxed as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes and for so long as such Borrower is a member of a group filing a consolidated, unitary, combined or similar tax return with Parent, tax distributions (which may be paid on a quarterly basis) (or the Borrower is taxed as a disregarded entity for U.S. federal income tax purposes and any of the Borrower’s Subsidiaries are corporations for such purposes that are members of a group filing such a return with Parent) in an aggregate amount equal any consolidated, unitary, combined or similar Taxes that such Borrower and its Subsidiaries that are members of such group would have been required to pay on a separate group basis if such Borrower and such Subsidiaries had paid such Taxes on a consolidated, unitary, combined or similar basis on behalf of a group consisting only of such Borrower and such Subsidiaries (or where the prior parenthetical applies, any such Taxes the Borrower’s Subsidiaries that are members of a group filing such a return with Parent would have been required to pay on a separate group basis if such Subsidiaries of the Borrower had paid such Taxes on a consolidated, unitary, combined or similar basis on behalf of a group consisting only of such Subsidiaries); (b) if, for such period, the relevant Borrower is taxed as a partnership or disregarded entity for U.S. federal income tax purposes, tax distributions (which may be paid on an estimated quarterly basis) to the owners of equity of such Borrower in an aggregate amount equal to (A) the product of (i) such Borrower’s aggregate net federal taxable income for such taxable year (in the case of a disregarded entity, computed as if such entity were a partnership), determined by netting out prior period federal taxable losses generated after the Seventeenth Amendment Effective Date to the extent not previously taken into account under this clause taking into account all deductions, including amortization and depreciation deductions arising from basis adjustments under IRC Sections 734 and 743 as if deductions were all at the entity level and (ii) for any such taxable year, the highest combined federal and Iowa state and local effective tax rate, taking into account the deductibility of state and local taxes and any special tax rate based on the character or source of the income less (B) the sum of (i) the aggregate amount of any federal and Iowa state and local income tax credits generated after the Seventeenth Amendment Effective Date that are available as a current offset to federal or Iowa state and local income tax, as applicable, under applicable law to such owners of such Borrower for the taxable year that were derived from the operations or income of such Borrower and (ii) any income tax payments by such Borrower made during such taxable year directly to a federal or Iowa state and local taxing authority on behalf of any owner of Borrower to the extent not reimbursed by such owner to Borrower (such difference of A-B, the "Tax Distribution Limitation Amount"). At the end of each tax year, if the tax distributions paid by such Borrower pursuant to clause (b) above during such tax year exceed the Tax Distribution Limitation Amount for such tax year, any excess shall reduce any subsequent Permitted Tax Distribution pursuant to clause (b) above from such Borrower in the following tax year; and (c) Taxes imposed on Parent under the anti-deferral provisions of the Code (and corresponding or similar state and local Taxes) as a result of its ownership of the Borrowers and their Subsidiaries.
"Person" means natural persons, corporations, limited liability companies, limited partnerships, general partnerships, limited liability partnerships, joint ventures, trusts, land trusts, business trusts, or other organizations, irrespective of whether they are legal entities, and governments and agencies and political subdivisions thereof.
"Plant Loan Party" means REG Houston, LLC, so long as REG Houston, LLC has not been released as a Plant Loan Party pursuant to Section 17.15 and REG Albert Lea, LLC, so long as REG Albert Lea, LLC has not been released as a Plant Loan Party pursuant to Section 17.15 and any other Person added as a Plant Loan Party pursuant to Section 17.15 so long as any such Person has not been released as a Plant Loan Party pursuant to Section 17.15.
"Plant Loan Party Security Agreement" means a security agreement, dated as of even date with the Agreement, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to Agent, executed and delivered by Plant Loan Parties to Agent.
"Pre-Increase Revolver Lenders" has the meaning specified therefor in Section 2.15(d) of the Agreement.
"Preferred Stock" means, as applied to the Stock of any Person, the Stock of any class or classes (however designated) that is preferred with respect to the payment of dividends, or as to the distribution of assets upon any voluntary or involuntary liquidation or dissolution of such Person, over shares of Stock of any other class of such Person.
"Prohibited Preferred Stock" means any Preferred Stock that by its terms is mandatorily redeemable or subject to any other payment obligation (including any obligation to pay dividends, other than dividends of shares of Preferred Stock of the same class and series payable in kind or dividends of shares of common stock) on or before a date that is less than 1 year after the Maturity Date, or, on or before the date that is less than 1 year after the Maturity Date, is redeemable at the option of the holder thereof for cash or assets or securities (other than distributions in kind of shares of Preferred Stock of the same class and series or of shares of common stock).
"Projections" means Borrowers' forecasted (a) balance sheets, (b) profit and loss statements, and (c) cash flow statements, all prepared on a basis consistent with Borrowers' historical financial statements, together with appropriate supporting details and a statement of underlying assumptions.
"Pro Rata Share" means, as of any date of determination:
(a)with respect to a Lender's obligation to make Advances and right to receive payments of principal, interest, fees, costs, and expenses with respect thereto, (i) prior to the Revolver Commitments being terminated or reduced to zero, the percentage obtained by dividing (y) such Lender's Revolver Commitment, by (z) the aggregate Revolver Commitments of all Lenders, and (ii) from and after the time that the Revolver Commitments have been terminated or reduced to zero, the percentage obtained by dividing (y) the outstanding principal amount of such Lender's Advances by (z) the outstanding principal amount of all Advances,
(b)with respect to a Lender's obligation to participate in Letters of Credit and Reimbursement Undertakings, to reimburse the Issuing Lender, and right to receive payments of fees with respect thereto, (i) prior to the Revolver Commitments being terminated or reduced to zero, the percentage obtained by dividing (y) such Lender's Revolver Commitment, by (z) the aggregate Revolver Commitments of all Lenders, and (ii) from and after the time that the
Revolver Commitments have been terminated or reduced to zero, the percentage obtained by dividing (y) the outstanding principal amount of such Lender's Advances by (z) the outstanding principal amount of all Advances; provided, however, that if all of the Advances have been repaid in full and Letters of Credit remain outstanding, Pro Rata Share under this clause shall be determined based upon subclause (i) of this clause as if the Revolver Commitments had not been terminated or reduced to zero and based upon the Revolver Commitments as they existed immediately prior to their termination or reduction to zero.
(c)with respect to all other matters as to a particular Lender (including the indemnification obligations arising under Section 15.7 of the Agreement), (i) prior to the Revolver Commitments being terminated or reduced to zero, the percentage obtained by dividing (y) such Lender's Revolver Commitment, by (z) the aggregate amount of Revolver Commitments of all Lenders, and (ii) from and after the time that the Revolver Commitments have been terminated or reduced to zero, the percentage obtained by dividing (y) the outstanding principal amount of such Lender's Advances, by (z) the outstanding principal amount of all Advances; provided, however, that if all of the Advances have been repaid in full and Letters of Credit remain outstanding, Pro Rata Share under this clause shall be determined based upon subclause (i) of this clause as if the Revolver Commitments had not been terminated or reduced to zero and based upon the Revolver Commitments as they existed immediately prior to their termination or reduction to zero.
"Protective Advances" has the meaning specified therefor in Section 2.3(d)(i) of the Agreement.
"Post-Increase Revolver Lenders" has the meaning specified therefor in Section 2.15(d) of the Agreement.
"Purchase Money Indebtedness" means Indebtedness (other than the Obligations, but including Capitalized Lease Obligations), incurred at the time of, or within 90 days after, the acquisition of any fixed assets for the purpose of financing all or any part of the acquisition cost thereof.
"QFC" has the meaning assigned to the term "qualified financial contract" in, and shall be interpreted in accordance with, 12 U.S.C. § 5390(c)(8)(D).
"QFC Credit Support" has the meaning specified therefor in Section 17.16 of this Agreement.
"Qualified Cash" means, as of any date of determination, the amount of unrestricted cash and Cash Equivalents of Borrowers that is in Deposit Accounts or in Securities Accounts, or any combination thereof, and which such Deposit Account or Securities Account is the subject of a Control Agreement and is maintained by a branch office of the bank or securities intermediary located within the United States.
"Quarterly Average Availability Amount" means average daily Availability for the most recently ended calendar quarter.
"Real Property" means any estates or interests in real property now owned or hereafter acquired by Designated Loan Parties and the improvements thereto.
"Real Property Collateral" means the Real Property identified on Schedule R-1 to the Disclosure Letter and any Real Property hereafter acquired by Designated Loan Parties.
"Record" means information that is inscribed on a tangible medium or that is stored in an electronic or other medium and is retrievable in perceivable form.
"Reference Time" with respect to any setting of the then-current Benchmark means (a) if such Benchmark is USD LIBOR, 11:00 a.m., London time, on the day that is two (2) Business Days preceding the date of such setting, and (b) if such Benchmark is not USD LIBOR, the time determined by Agent in its reasonable discretion.
"Refinancing Indebtedness" means refinancings, renewals, or extensions of Indebtedness so long as:
(a)such refinancings, renewals, or extensions do not result in an increase in the principal amount of the Indebtedness so refinanced, renewed, or extended, other than by the amount of premiums paid thereon and the fees and expenses incurred in connection therewith and by the amount of unfunded commitments with respect thereto,
(b)such refinancings, renewals, or extensions do not result in a shortening of the average weighted maturity (measured as of the refinancing, renewal, or extension) of the Indebtedness so refinanced, renewed, or extended, nor are they on terms or conditions that, taken as a whole, are or could reasonably be expected to be materially adverse to the interests of the Lenders,
(c)if the Indebtedness that is refinanced, renewed, or extended was subordinated in right of payment to the Obligations, then the terms and conditions of the refinancing, renewal, or extension must include subordination terms and conditions that are at least as favorable to the Lender Group as those that were applicable to the refinanced, renewed, or extended Indebtedness, and
(d)the Indebtedness that is refinanced, renewed, or extended is not recourse to any Person that is liable on account of the Obligations other than those Persons which were obligated with respect to the Indebtedness that was refinanced, renewed, or extended.
"REG Geismar" means REG Geismar, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company.
"Register" has the meaning set forth in Section 13.1(h) of the Agreement.
"Registered Loan" has the meaning set forth in Section 13.1(h) of the Agreement.
"Reimbursement Undertaking" has the meaning specified therefor in Section 2.11(a) of the Agreement.
"Related Fund" means, with respect to any Lender that is an investment fund, any other investment fund that invests in commercial loans and that is managed or advised by the same investment advisor as such Lender or by an Affiliate of such investment advisor.
"Relevant Governmental Body" means the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System or the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, or a committee officially endorsed or convened by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System or the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, or any successor thereto.
"Remedial Action" means all actions taken to (a) clean up, remove, remediate, contain, treat, monitor, assess, evaluate, or in any way address Hazardous Materials in the indoor or outdoor environment, (b) prevent or minimize a release or threatened release of Hazardous Materials so they do not migrate or endanger or threaten to endanger public health or welfare or the indoor or outdoor environment, (c) restore or reclaim natural resources or the environment, (d) perform any pre-remedial studies, investigations, or post-remedial operation and maintenance activities, or (e) conduct any other actions with respect to Hazardous Materials required by Environmental Laws.
"Replacement Lender" has the meaning specified therefor in Section 2.13(b) of the Agreement.
"Report" has the meaning specified therefor in Section 15.16 of the Agreement.
"Required Lenders" means, at any time, Lenders whose aggregate Pro Rata Shares (calculated under clause (c) of the definition of Pro Rata Shares) exceed 50%; provided, however, that at any time there are 2 or more Lenders, "Required Lenders" must include at least 2 Lenders (who are not Affiliates of one another).
"Resolution Authority" means an EEA Resolution Authority or, with respect to any UK Financial Institution, a UK Resolution Authority.
"Restricted Junior Payment" means to (a) declare or pay any dividend or make any other payment or distribution on account of Stock issued by a Secured Loan Party (including any payment in connection with any merger or consolidation involving a Secured Loan Party) or to the direct or indirect holders of Stock issued by a Borrower in their capacity as such (other than dividends or distributions payable in Stock (other than Prohibited Preferred Stock) issued by a Secured Loan Party, or (b) purchase, redeem, or otherwise acquire or retire for value (including in connection with any merger or consolidation involving a Secured Loan Party) any Stock issued by a Secured Loan Party. For avoidance of doubt, Restricted Junior Payments do not include any earnouts or seller notes incurred in connection with any Permitted Acquisition.
"Revolver Commitment" means, with respect to each Lender, its Revolver Commitment, and, with respect to all Lenders, their Revolver Commitments, in each case as such Dollar amounts are set forth beside such Lender's name under the applicable heading on Schedule C-1 or in the Assignment and Acceptance pursuant to which such Lender became a Lender under the Agreement, as such amounts may be reduced or increased from time to time
pursuant to assignments made in accordance with the provisions of Section 13.1 of the Agreement.
"Revolver Usage" means, as of any date of determination, the sum of (a) the amount of outstanding Advances, plus (b) the amount of the Letter of Credit Usage.
"Sanctioned Entity" means (a) a country or territory or a government of a country or territory, (b) an agency of the government of a country or territory, (c) an organization directly or indirectly controlled by a country or territory or its government, or (d) a Person resident in or determined to be resident in a country or territory, in each case of clauses (a) through (d) that is a target of Sanctions, including a target of any country sanctions program administered and enforced by OFAC.
"Sanctioned Person" means, at any time (a) any Person named on the list of Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons maintained by OFAC, OFAC's consolidated Non-SDN list or any other Sanctions-related list maintained by any Governmental Authority, (b) a Person or legal entity that is a target of Sanctions, (c) any Person operating, organized or resident in a Sanctioned Entity, or (d) any Person directly or indirectly owned or controlled (individually or in the aggregate) by or acting on behalf of any such Person or Persons described in clauses (a) through (c) above.
"Sanctions" means individually and collectively, respectively, any and all economic sanctions, trade sanctions, financial sanctions, sectoral sanctions, secondary sanctions, trade embargoes anti-terrorism laws and other sanctions laws, regulations or embargoes, including those imposed, administered or enforced from time to time by: (a) the United States of America, including those administered by OFAC, the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Department of Commerce, or through any existing or future executive order, (b) the United Nations Security Council, (c) the European Union or any European Union member state, (d) Her Majesty's Treasury of the United Kingdom, or (e) any other Governmental Authority with jurisdiction over any member of Lender Group or any Loan Party or any of their respective Subsidiaries or Affiliates.
"S&P" has the meaning specified therefor in the definition of Cash Equivalents.
"SEC" means the United States Securities and Exchange Commission and any successor thereto.
"Secured Loan Party" means any Designated Loan Party or any Plant Loan Party.
"Securities Account" means a securities account (as that term is defined in the Code).
"Securities Act" means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended from time to time, and any successor statute.
"Security Agreement" means a security agreement, dated as of even date with the Agreement, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to Agent, executed and delivered by Borrowers to Agent.
"Settlement" has the meaning specified therefor in Section 2.3(e)(i) of the Agreement.
"Settlement Date" has the meaning specified therefor in Section 2.3(e)(i) of the Agreement.
"Seventeenth Amendment Effective Date" means September 30, 2021
"SOFR" means a rate per annum equal to the secured overnight financing rate published by the SOFR Administrator on the SOFR Administrator’s Website.
"SOFR Administrator" means the Federal Reserve Bank of New York (or a successor administrator of the secured overnight financing rate).
"SOFR Administrator's Website" means the website of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, currently at http://www.newyorkfed.org, or any successor source for the secured overnight financing rate identified as such by the SOFR Administrator from time to time.
"Solvent" means, with respect to any Person on a particular date, that, at fair valuations, the sum of such Person's assets is greater than all of such Person's debts.
"Specified Account Debtor" means an Account Debtor named on Schedule S-1 to the Disclosure Letter, as such schedule may be updated from time to time by Administrative Borrower upon notice to, and with the consent of, Agent, in its sole discretion.
"Specified Transaction" means, any Indebtedness, Investment, prepayment of Indebtedness or Restricted Payment (or declaration of any prepayment or Restricted Payment).
"Stock" means all shares, options, warrants, interests, participations, or other equivalents (regardless of how designated) of or in a Person, whether voting or nonvoting, including common stock, preferred stock, or any other "equity security" (as such term is defined in Rule 3a11-1 of the General Rules and Regulations promulgated by the SEC under the Exchange Act).
"Stock Pledge Agreement" means a pledge agreement, dated as of May 1, 2012, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to Agent, executed and delivered by Parent to Agent.
"Subordinated Indebtedness" means Indebtedness of any Designated Loan Party that has been contractually subordinated in right of payment to the Obligations
"Subsequent Election" has the meaning set forth in Section 1.9 of the Agreement.
"Subsidiary" of a Person means a corporation, partnership, limited liability company, or other entity in which that Person directly or indirectly owns or controls the shares of Stock having ordinary voting power to elect a majority of the board of directors (or appoint other comparable managers) of such corporation, partnership, limited liability company, or other entity.
"Supported QFC" has the meaning specified therefor in Section 17.16 of this Agreement.
"Swap Obligation" means, with respect to any Loan Party, any obligation to pay or perform under any agreement, contract or transaction that constitutes a "swap" within the meaning of section 1a(47) of the Commodity Exchange Act.
"Swing Lender" means WFCF or any other Lender that, at the request of Borrowers and with the consent of Agent agrees, in such Lender's sole discretion, to become the Swing Lender under Section 2.3(b) of the Agreement.
"Swing Loan" has the meaning specified therefor in Section 2.3(b) of the Agreement.
"Taxes" means any taxes, levies, imposts, duties, fees, assessments or other charges of whatever nature now or hereafter imposed by any jurisdiction or by any political subdivision or taxing authority thereof or therein with respect to such payments and all interest, penalties or similar liabilities with respect thereto.
"Tax Indemnity" has the meaning set forth in Section 16(b).
"Tax Lender" has the meaning specified therefor in Section 14.2(a) of the Agreement.
"Thirteenth Amendment Effective Date" means July 9, 2019.
"Total Commitment" means,
with respect to each Lender, its Total Commitment, and, with respect to all Lenders, their Total Commitments, in each case as such Dollar amounts are set forth beside such Lender's name under the applicable heading on Schedule C-1 attached hereto or on the signature page of the Assignment and Acceptance pursuant to which such Lender became a Lender under the Agreement, as such amounts may be reduced or increased from time to time pursuant to assignments made in accordance with the provisions of Section 13.1 of the Agreement.
"UK Financial Institutions" means any BRRD Undertaking (as such term is defined under the PRA Rulebook (as amended from time to time) promulgated by the United Kingdom Prudential Regulation Authority) or any person falling within IFPRU 11.6 of the FCA Handbook (as amended from time to time) promulgated by the United Kingdom Financial Conduct Authority, which includes certain credit institutions and investment firms, and certain affiliates of such credit institutions or investment firms.
"UK Resolution Authority" means the Bank of England or any other public administrative authority having responsibility for the resolution of any UK Financial Institution.
"Unadjusted Benchmark Replacement" means the applicable Benchmark Replacement excluding the related Benchmark Replacement Adjustment.
"Underlying Issuer" means Wells Fargo or one of its Affiliates.
"Underlying Letter of Credit" means a Letter of Credit that has been issued by an Underlying Issuer.
"United States" means the United States of America.
"Unused Line Fee" has the meaning specified therefor in Section 2.10(b).
"U.S. Special Resolution Regimes" has the meaning specified therefor in Section 17.16 of this Agreement.
"USD LIBOR" means the London interbank offered rate for Dollars.
"Voidable Transfer" has the meaning specified therefor in Section 17.8 of the Agreement.
"Wells Fargo" means Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, a national banking association.
"WFCF" means Wells Fargo Capital Finance, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company.
"Write-Down and Conversion Powers" " means, (a) with respect to any EEA Resolution Authority, the write-down and conversion powers of such EEA Resolution Authority from time to time under the Bail-In Legislation for the applicable EEA Member Country, which write-down and conversion powers are described in the EU Bail-In Legislation Schedule, and (b) with respect to the United Kingdom, any powers of the applicable Resolution Authority under the Bail-In Legislation to cancel, reduce, modify or change the form of a liability of any UK Financial Institution or any contract or instrument under which that liability arises, to convert all or part of that liability into shares, securities or obligations of that person or any other person, to provide that any such contract or instrument is to have effect as if a right had been exercised under it or to suspend any obligation in respect of that liability or any of the powers under that Bail-In Legislation that are related to or ancillary to any of those powers.
Schedule 3.1
Conditions Precedent
The obligation of each Lender to make its initial extension of credit provided for in the Agreement is subject to the fulfillment, to the satisfaction of each Lender (the making of such initial extension of credit by any Lender being conclusively deemed to be its satisfaction or waiver of the following), of each of the following conditions precedent:
(a)the Closing Date shall occur on or before December 31, 2011;
(b)Agent shall have received a letter duly executed by each Secured Loan Party authorizing Agent to file appropriate financing statements in such office or offices as may be necessary or, in the opinion of Agent, desirable to perfect the security interests to be created by the Loan Documents;
(c)Agent shall have received evidence that appropriate financing statements have been duly filed in such office or offices as may be necessary or, in the opinion of Agent, desirable to perfect the Agent's Liens in and to the Collateral, and Agent shall have received searches reflecting the filing of all such financing statements;
(d)Agent shall have received each of the following documents, in form and substance satisfactory to Agent, duly executed, and each such document shall be in full force and effect:
(i)the Control Agreements,
(ii)the Security Agreement,
(iii)a disbursement letter executed and delivered by each Borrower to Agent regarding the extensions of credit to be made on the Closing Date, the form and substance of which is satisfactory to Agent,
(iv)the Fee Letter,
(v)the Guaranty,
(vi)the Intercompany Subordination Agreement,
(vii)the Plant Loan Party Security Agreement,
(viii)the Stock Pledge Agreement, and
(ix)a letter, in form and substance satisfactory to Agent, from WestLB AG, New York Branch ("Existing Lender") to Agent respecting the amount necessary to repay in full all of the obligations of each Borrower and its Subsidiaries owing to Existing Lender and obtain a release of all of the Liens existing in favor of Existing Lender in and to the assets of
such Borrower and its Subsidiaries, together with termination statements and other documentation evidencing the termination by Existing Lender of its Liens in and to the properties and assets of such Borrower and its Subsidiaries.
(e)Agent shall have received a certificate from the Secretary of each Loan Party (i) attesting to the resolutions of such Loan Party's Board of Directors authorizing its execution, delivery, and performance of the Loan Documents to which such Loan Party is a party, (ii) authorizing specific officers of such Loan Party to execute the same, and (iii) attesting to the incumbency and signatures of such specific officers of such Loan Party;
(f) Agent shall have received copies of each Loan Party's Governing Documents, as amended, modified, or supplemented to the Closing Date, certified by the Secretary of such Loan Party;
(g) Agent shall have received a certificate of status with respect to each Loan Party, dated within 10 days of the Closing Date, such certificate to be issued by the appropriate officer of the jurisdiction of organization of such Loan Party, which certificate shall indicate that such Loan Party is in good standing in such jurisdiction;
(h) Agent shall have received certificates of status with respect to each Loan Party, each dated within 30 days of the Closing Date, such certificates to be issued by the appropriate officer of the jurisdictions (other than the jurisdiction of organization of such Loan Party) in which its failure to be duly qualified or licensed would constitute a Material Adverse Change, which certificates shall indicate that such Loan Party is in good standing in such jurisdictions;
(i) Agent shall have received certificates of insurance, together with the endorsements thereto, as are required by Section 5.6, the form and substance of which shall be satisfactory to Agent;
(j) Agent shall have received an opinion of Loan Parties' counsel in form and substance satisfactory to Agent;
(k) Borrowers shall have the Availability of at least $10,000,000 after giving effect to the initial extensions of credit hereunder and the payment of all fees and expenses required to be paid by Borrowers on the Closing Date under this Agreement or the other Loan Documents;
(l) Agent shall have completed its business, legal, and collateral due diligence, including (i) a collateral audit and review of each Secured Loan Party's books and records and verification of such Secured Loan Party's representations and warranties to Lender Group, the results of which shall be satisfactory to Agent, and (ii) an inspection of each of the locations where each Secured Loan Parties' Inventory is located, the results of which shall be satisfactory to Agent;
(m) Agent shall have completed (i) Patriot Act searches, OFAC/PEP searches and customary individual background checks for each Loan Party, and (ii) OFAC/PEP searches
and customary individual background searches for each Loan Party's senior management and key principals, and each Guarantor, in each case, the results of which shall be satisfactory to Agent;
(n) Agent shall have received an appraisal of the Liquidation Percentage applicable to each Secured Loan Party's Inventory, the results of which shall be satisfactory to Agent;
(o) Agent shall have received a set of Projections of Loan Parties for the 3 year period following the Closing Date (on a year by year basis, and for the 1 year period following the Closing Date, on a month by month basis), in form and substance (including as to scope and underlying assumptions) satisfactory to Agent;
(p) Borrowers shall have paid all Lender Group Expenses incurred in connection with the transactions evidenced by this Agreement;
(q) Agent shall have received copies of each of the Master Purchase and Sale Agreements, together with a certificate of the Secretary of each Loan Party certifying each such document as being a true, correct, and complete copy thereof;
(r) Loan Parties shall have received all licenses, approvals or evidence of other actions required by any Governmental Authority in connection with the execution and delivery by Loan Parties of the Loan Documents or with the consummation of the transactions contemplated thereby; and
(s) all other documents and legal matters in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement shall have been delivered, executed, or recorded and shall be in form and substance satisfactory to Agent.
Schedule 5.1
Deliver to Agent, with copies to each Lender, each of the financial statements, reports, or other items set forth set forth below at the following times in form satisfactory to Agent:
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as soon as available, but in any event within 30 days after the end of each month during each of Administrative Borrower’s fiscal years
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(a) an unaudited combined and combining balance sheet, income statement, and statement of cash flow covering Borrowers’ and their Subsidiaries’ operations during such period, and
(b) a Compliance Certificate, which shall include, for purposes of such certificate, a calculation of the Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio, measured on a month-end basis for each 12 month period ending on the last day of each fiscal month, whether or not a Covenant Testing Period is then in effect.
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as soon as available, but in any event within 120 days after the end of each of Administrative Borrower’s fiscal years
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(c) combined and combining financial statements of Borrowers and their Subsidiaries for each such fiscal year, audited by independent certified public accountants reasonably acceptable to Agent and certified, without any qualifications (including any (A) “going concern” or like qualification or exception, (B) qualification or exception as to the scope of such audit, or (C) qualification which relates to the treatment or classification of any item and which, as a condition to the removal of such qualification, would require an adjustment to such item, the effect of which would be to cause any noncompliance with the provisions of Section 6.16), by such accountants to have been prepared m accordance with GAAP (such audited financial statements to include a balance sheet, income statement, and statement of cash flow and, if prepared, such accountants’ letter to management), and
(d) a Compliance Certificate, which shall include, for purposes of such certificate, a calculation of the Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio, measured on a fiscal year-end basis for each 12 month period ending on the last day of each fiscal year, whether or not a Covenant Testing Period is then in effect.
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as soon as available, but in any event within 30 days prior to the start of each of Administrative Borrower’s fiscal years,
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(e) copies of Borrowers’ Projections, in form and substance (including as to scope and underlying assumptions) satisfactory to Agent, in its Permitted Discretion, for the forthcoming 3 years, year by year, and for the forthcoming fiscal year, month by month, certified by the chief financial officer of Administrative Borrower as being such officer’s good faith estimate of the financial performance of Borrowers during the period covered thereby.
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if and when filed by Parent,
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(f) Form 10-Q quarterly reports, Form 10-K annual reports, and Form 8-K current reports,
(g) any other filings made by Parent with the SEC, and
(h) any other information that is provided by Parent to its shareholders generally.
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promptly, but in any event within 5 days after Administrative Borrower has knowledge of any event or condition that constitutes a Default or an Event of Default,
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(i) notice of such event or condition and a statement of the curative action that Borrowers propose to take with respect thereto.
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promptly after the commencement thereof, but in any event within 5 days after the service of process with respect thereto on a Secured Loan Party,
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(j) notice of all actions, suits, or proceedings brought by or against a Secured Loan Party before any Governmental Authority which reasonably could be expected to result in a Material Adverse Change.
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upon the request of Agent,
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(l) any other information reasonably requested relating to the financial condition of Parent or its Subsidiaries.
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Schedule 5.2
Provide Agent (and if so requested by Agent, with copies for each Lender) with each of the documents set forth below at the following times in form satisfactory to Agent:
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Quarterly (no later than the 10th Business Day after the end of each quarter) if average Revolver Usage over the prior three month period is less than $20 million and the Borrowing Base as of the most recent computation date is greater than $100 million; otherwise, monthly (no later than the 10th Business Day of each month) provided, however, at any time Availability is less than 12.5 % of the Maximum Revolver Amount for three (3) consecutive Business Days, weekly (on the third Business Day of each week) until the day thereafter that Availability exceeds 12.5 % of the Maximum Revolver Amount for at least 30 consecutive calendar days.
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(a)an Account roll-forward with supporting details supplied from sales journals, collection journals, credit registers and any other records,
(b)an in-transit Inventory report, together with copies of in- transit documentation,
(c)an intercompany activities report,
(d)a copy of Borrower's Early Pay Plant Payment Report,
(e)Inventory system/perpetual reports specifying the lower of cost and the market value of Secured Loan Parties' Inventory, by category, with additional detail showing net changes (delivered electronically in an acceptable format), and
(f)an unbilled detail report.
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Quarterly (no later than the 10th Business Day after the end of each quarter) if average Revolver Usage over the prior three month period is less than $20 million and the Borrowing Base as of the most recent computation date is greater than $100 million; otherwise, monthly (no later than the 10th Business Day of each month) provided, however, at any time Availability is less than 12.5 % of the Maximum Revolver Amount for three (3) consecutive Business Days, weekly (on the third Business Day of each week) until the day thereafter that Availability exceeds 12.5 % of the Maximum Revolver Amount for at least 30 consecutive calendar days.
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(g)a Borrowing Base Certificate*,
(h)a detailed aging, by total, of Designated Loan Parties' Accounts, together with a reconciliation and supporting documentation for any reconciling items noted (delivered electronically in an acceptable format),
(i)[reserved]
(j)a detailed Inventory system/perpetual report together with a reconciliation to Secured Loan Parties' general ledger accounts (delivered electronically in an acceptable format),
(k)[reserved]
(l)a summary aging, by vendor, of Secured Loan Parties' accounts payable and any book overdraft (delivered electronically in an acceptable format) and an aging, by vendor, of any held checks,
(m)a detailed report regarding Designated Loan Parties' cash and Cash Equivalents, including an indication of which amounts constitute Qualified Cash, and
(n)a monthly Account roll-forward, in a format acceptable to Agent in its discretion, tied to the beginning and ending account receivable balances of Designated Loan Parties' general ledger.
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Quarterly (no later than the 30th day after the end of each quarter)
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(o)a reconciliation of Accounts, trade accounts payable, and Inventory of Secured Loan Parties' general ledger accounts to its monthly financial statements including any book reserves related to each category.
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Quarterly
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(p)a report regarding Secured Loan Parties' accrued, but unpaid, ad valorem taxes.
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Annually
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(q)a detailed list of Designated Loan Parties' customers, with address and contact information.
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Upon request by Agent
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(r)copies of purchase orders and invoices for Inventory acquired by Secured Loan Parties and copies of purchase orders and invoices for Equipment acquired by Designated Loan Parties, and
(s)such other reports as to the Collateral or the financial condition of Loan Parties, as Agent may reasonably request.
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* Nothing contained herein shall limit the frequency of Borrowing Base Certificates submitted more often than the times frames set forth above for all purposes under the Amended Credit Agreement (including changes to the LIBOR Rate Margin), if the Borrower in its sole discretion, elects to submit Borrowing Base Certificates more often than is required hereunder.