Exhibit 10.1

March 28, 2013

 

To: The Lenders under the Senior Credit Agreement (as defined below)

 

Re: ABE South Dakota, LLC – March 2013 Waiver Agreement

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Reference is hereby made to that certain Amended and Restated Senior Credit
Agreement, dated as of June 16, 2010 (as amended, restated, supplemented or
otherwise modified from time to time, the “Credit Agreement”), by and among ABE
South Dakota, LLC (f/k/a Heartland Grain Fuels, L.P.), as Borrower (the
“Borrower”), each of the Lenders from time to time party thereto, Wilmington
Trust, National Association, as successor to Portigon AG, New York Branch in its
capacity as administrative agent for the Lenders (the “Administrative Agent”)
and Wilmington Trust, National Association, as successor to Portigon AG, New
York Branch in its capacity as collateral agent for the Senior Secured Parties
(the “Collateral Agent”). Capitalized terms used herein but not otherwise
defined herein shall have the respective meanings set forth in the Credit
Agreement.

A. Limited Waiver of April 2013 Principal Payment and Debt Service Reserve
Obligations.

Pursuant to a request made to the Administrative Agent on March 18, 2013, a copy
of which is attached hereto as Annex A (the “Waiver Request”), the Borrower has
informed the Administrative Agent that it will not be able to comply with its
obligation, under Section 3.01(a) of the Credit Agreement, to pay to the
Administrative Agent for the ratable account of each Lender the $1,105,000
installment of outstanding principal of the Loans that is required to be paid on
April 2, 2013 (the “April 2013 Principal Payment Obligation”) or to ensure, in
accordance with Section 7.01(v) of the Credit Agreement, that the Debt Service
Reserve Account is fully funded to the Debt Service Reserve Required Amount (the
“Debt Service Reserve Obligation”) not later than April 2, 2013 (i.e., the
second Quarterly Payment Date following the Borrower’s withdrawals from the Debt
Service Reserve Account on September 28, 2012). Pursuant to the Waiver Request
and for the reasons described therein, the Borrower has requested a waiver,
until June 30, 2013, of the April 2013 Principal Payment Obligation and the Debt
Service Reserve Obligation.

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By signing below, each Lender waives, until June 30, 2013, (a) any Default or
Event of Default that occurs or has occurred and is continuing as a result of
the Borrower’s failure to satisfy the April 2013 Principal Payment Obligation
and (b) the Debt Service Reserve Obligation.

B. Limited Waivers of Certain Defaults Disclosed in Schedule 3.03(a) of
Agreement of Resignation, Appointment and Acceptance.

Pursuant to the Waiver Request, the Borrower has also requested a waiver, until
June 30, 2013, of “other administrative defaults” which were specifically
identified in Schedule 3.03(a) of the Agreement of Resignation, Appointment and
Acceptance, dated as of March 7, 2013, among the Borrower, Portigon AG, New York
Branch, as Resigning Agent, and Wilmington Trust, National Association, as
Successor Agent (the “Agency Succession Agreement”), and which are described
below.

1. Obligations to Deliver BNSF Consent and Make BNSF Lease Subject to Aberdeen
Mortgage.

Under the “Letter Agreement for Waivers and Approvals in connection with Ethanol
and DG Marketing Agreements and Rail Car Sublease Agreements”, dated July 31,
2012, among the Borrower, the Administrative Agent and the Lenders (the “July
2012 Waiver Agreement”), the Borrower was required to deliver the BNSF Consent
to the Administrative Agent no later than December 31, 2012 (the “BNSF Consent
Obligation”).

Pursuant to Section 3.03(a) and paragraph 1 of Schedule 3.03(a) of the Agency
Succession Agreement, the Borrower represented and warranted that it had not yet
delivered the BNSF Consent.

Pursuant to Section 3.03(a) and paragraph 3 of Schedule 3.03(a) of the Agency
Succession Agreement, the Borrower represented and warranted that it was in
default of: (i) Section 7.01(l)(i) of the Credit Agreement as it relates to the
obligation to provide a supplement to the Aberdeen Mortgage granting a Lien over
the BNSF Lease; and (ii) Section 7.01(l)(iii) of the Credit Agreement as it
relates to the obligation to provide a survey of the land which is the subject
of the BNSF Lease (such obligations collectively, the “BNSF Lease Obligations”).

By signing below, each Lender waives any Default or Event of Default that has
occurred and is continuing as a result of the Borrower’s failure to satisfy
(a) the BNSF Consent Obligation and (b) the BNSF Lease Obligations.
Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, by signing below, the Borrower agrees,
by no later than June 30, 2013, to deliver to the Administrative Agent the BNSF
Consent and to satisfy the BNSF Lease Obligations.

 

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2. Obligation to Provide Statements from Insurers and Insurance Broker as to
Compliance with Insurance Requirements under Credit Agreement.

Pursuant to Section 3.03(a) and paragraph 2 of Schedule 3.03(a) of the Agency
Succession Agreement, the Borrower represented and warranted that it was in
default of the first sentence of paragraph (j) of Schedule 7.01(h) to the Credit
Agreement, in that Borrower has not delivered a statement from each insurer
confirming that insurance represented on any certificates of insurance provided
by such insurer complies in all material aspects with the terms of the Credit
Agreement (the “Insurance Statement of Compliance Obligation”). Borrower
contends that such insurers will refuse to supply such statements because of
liability obligations that could accrue to the insurers for errors in making
such statements.

Additionally, the Borrower is in default of the obligation under the second
sentence of paragraph (j) of Schedule 7.01(h) to the Credit Agreement in that
Borrower has not delivered to the Administrative Agent with a copy to each
lender, within 15 days of the expiration of each policy, (i) a letter signed by
the Borrower’s insurance broker that (x) is in the form of Attachment 1 to
Exhibit D of the Credit Agreement and states, among other things, that such
insurance complies in all material aspects with the terms of the Credit
Agreement, together with evidence of payment of premiums due thereon or a
statement that such payments are not in arrears, or otherwise (y) is in form and
substance satisfactory to the Administrative Agent in consultation with the
Insurance Consultant, and, if any such letter does not contain a statement that
such insurance complies in all material aspects with the terms of the Credit
Agreement, (ii) a letter in form and substance satisfactory to the
Administrative Agent signed by the Insurance Consultant that states, among other
things, that such insurance complies in all material aspects with the terms of
the Credit Agreement (collectively, the “Insurance Broker’s Letter Obligation”).

By signing below, each Lender waives any Default or Event of Default that has
occurred and is continuing as a result of the Borrower’s failure to satisfy
(a) the Insurance Statement of Compliance Obligation, and (b) the Insurance
Broker’s Letter Obligation. Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, by signing
below, the Borrower agrees, by no later than June 30, 2013, to satisfy the
Insurance Broker’s Letter Obligation with respect to the insurance that is
currently required to be in effect under the Credit Agreement.

C. Waiver of Default Interest.

Under Section 3.04 of the Credit Agreement, upon the occurrence and during the
continuance of an Event of Default, the Borrower is obligated to pay, in
addition to the interest then payable on any Loan, additional interest on the
Loans at 2% per annum (such additional interest, the “Additional Interest”)
until such Event of Default has been cured or waived.

By signing below, (a) the parties agree that, notwithstanding the waivers of the
Events of Default pursuant to paragraphs A and B above, interest on the Loans
shall continue to accrue at the Default Rate and (b) each Lender waives, until
June 30, 2013 the Borrower’s obligation to pay the Additional Interest.

 

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D. Waiver of Conversion of Eurodollar Loans to Base Rate Loans.

Under Section 3.03 of the Credit Agreement, if an Event of Default has occurred
and is continuing, all Eurodollar Loans shall automatically convert into Base
Rate Loans at the end of the then-current Interest Periods.

By signing below, each Lender waives such automatic conversion of Eurodollar
Loans to Base Rate Loans (a) with respect to any Event of Default that has been
waived pursuant to paragraph A above, until June 30, 2013 and (b) with respect
to any Event of Default that has been waived pursuant to paragraph B above.

E. Direction to Administrative Agent.

By signing below, each Lender authorizes and directs the Administrative Agent to
execute this letter agreement.

THIS LETTER AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH,
THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, WITHOUT REFERENCE
TO CONFLICTS OF LAWS (OTHER THAN SECTION 5-1401 OF THE NEW YORK GENERAL
OBLIGATIONS LAW).

Notwithstanding anything contained herein, these waivers (i) are limited
waivers, (ii) are effective only with respect to the transactions described
herein for the specific instance and the specific purpose for which they are
given, (iii) shall not be effective for any other purpose or transaction, and
(iv) do not constitute a basis for a subsequent waiver, consent or approval with
respect to any of the provisions of the Credit Agreement. Except as expressly
set forth herein, nothing herein shall constitute a waiver by the Lenders of any
Default or Event of Default or a waiver by the Lenders of any right, power or
remedy available to the Lenders or the other Senior Secured Parties under the
Credit Agreement, whether any such defaults, rights, powers or remedies
presently exist or arise in the future.

This letter agreement is a Financing Document under the Credit Agreement.

Upon execution by the Lenders, the Borrower and the Administrative Agent, this
letter agreement shall become effective as of March 28, 2013.

This letter agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts and by the
different parties hereto on separate counterparts, each of which when so
executed and delivered shall be an original, but all of which shall together
constitute one and the same instrument. Delivery of an executed counterpart of a
signature page of this letter agreement by facsimile, portable document format,
e-mail or other electronic delivery shall be effective as delivery of a manually
executed counterpart of this letter agreement.

 

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Please feel free to contact us with any questions on this matter.

 

Very truly yours,

WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION,

as Administrative Agent

By:   /s/ Joshua James   Name: Joshua G James   Title: Assistant Vice President

 

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Accepted and Agreed:

ABE SOUTH DAKOTA, LLC,

as Borrower

By:   /s/ Richard Peterson Name:   Richard Peterson Title:   CEO

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PORTIGON AG, NEW YORK BRANCH,

as Lender

By:   /s/ Dominick D’Ascoli   Name: Dominick D’Ascoli   Title:   Executive
Director By:   /s/ Michael Sassos   Name: Michael Sassos   Title:   Executive
Director

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OSM HEARTLAND, LLC,

as Lender

By:   /s/ Michael J. Karber   Name: Michael J. Karber   Title: Authorized
Representative

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BANCO SANTANDER, S.A., NEW YORK BRANCH,

as Lender

By:   /s/ Rita Walz Cuccioli   Name: Rita Walz-Cuccioli   Title: Executive
Director   /s/ James H. Banthon

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FARM CREDIT BANK OF TEXAS,

as Lender

By:   /s/ Alan Robinson   Name: Alan Robinson   Title: Vice President

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COÖPERATIEVE CENTRALE

RAIFFEISEN-BOERENLEENBANK B.A.,

“RABOBANK NEDERLAND”, NEW YORK BRANCH,

as Lender

By:   /s/ John Yusl   Name: John Yusl   Title: Vice President By:   /s/ William
Fitzgerald   Name: William Fitzgerald   Title: Managing Director

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NORDKAP AG,

as Lender

By:   /s/ K. Merz   Name: Klaus Merz   Title: CEO By:   /s/ C. Waldmeier   Name:
Christa Waldmeier   Title: Portfolio Management

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KEB NY FINANCIAL CORP.,

as Lender

By:   /s/ illegible   Name: Chang Hyuk Lee   Title: Senior Vice President