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Exhibit 10.17    
    


EXECUTION COPY  






AMENDED AND RESTATED CREDIT AGREEMENT  


 by and among  


 COMFORT SYSTEMS USA, INC.,  


 as Borrower  


 and  


 BANK OF TEXAS NA,  


 as Administrative Agent  


 HIBERNIA NATIONAL BANK,  


 as Documentation Agent  


 HIBERNIA SOUTHCOAST CAPITAL, INC.,  


 as Arranger  


 and  


 CERTAIN FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS  


 as Lenders  


 $50,000,000  




December 31, 2003









 
 
 

TABLE OF CONTENTS    
    



	 
	 
	 	Page

	ARTICLE I—Definitions and References	 	1
	 	Section 1.1	Defined Terms	 	1
	 	Section 1.2	Exhibits and Schedules; Additional Definitions	 	15
	 	Section 1.3	Amendment of Defined Instruments	 	15
	 	Section 1.4	References and Titles	 	16
	 	Section 1.5	Calculations and Determinations	 	16
	 	Section 1.6	Joint Preparation; Construction of Indemnities and Releases	 	16
	

ARTICLE II—The Loans and Letters of Credit	
 	

17
	 	Section 2.1	Commitments to Lend; Notes	 	17
	 	Section 2.2	Requests for Revolving Loans	 	17
	 	Section 2.3	Continuations and Conversions of Existing Loans	 	18
	 	Section 2.4	Use of Proceeds	 	19
	 	Section 2.5	Interest Rates and Fees; Payment Dates	 	19
	 	Section 2.6	Optional Prepayments and Voluntary Reduction of Commitment	 	20
	 	Section 2.7	Mandatory Prepayments	 	21
	 	Section 2.8	Borrowing Base	 	22
	 	Section 2.9	Letters of Credit	 	22
	 	Section 2.10	Requesting Letters of Credit	 	22
	 	Section 2.11	Reimbursement and Participations	 	22
	 	Section 2.12	Letter of Credit Fees	 	24
	 	Section 2.13	No Duty to Inquire	 	24
	 	Section 2.14	LC Collateral	 	25
	

ARTICLE III—Payments to Lenders	
 	

27
	 	Section 3.1	General Procedures	 	27
	 	Section 3.2	Capital Reimbursement	 	28
	 	Section 3.3	Increased Cost of Eurodollar Loans or Letters of Credit	 	28
	 	Section 3.4	Illegality	 	29
	 	Section 3.5	Funding Losses	 	29
	 	Section 3.6	Reimbursable Taxes	 	30
	 	Section 3.7	Alternative Rate of Interest	 	31
	 	Section 3.8	Change of Applicable Lending Office; Replacement of Lenders	 	31
	

ARTICLE IV—Conditions Precedent to Lending	
 	

33
	 	Section 4.1	Documents to be Delivered	 	33
	 	Section 4.2	Additional Conditions Precedent	 	34
	 	 	 	 





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ARTICLE V—Representations and Warranties	
 	

35
	 	Section 5.1	No Default	 	35
	 	Section 5.2	Organization and Good Standing	 	35
	 	Section 5.3	Authorization	 	35
	 	Section 5.4	No Conflicts or Consents	 	35
	 	Section 5.5	Enforceable Obligations	 	35
	 	Section 5.6	Initial Financial Statements	 	36
	 	Section 5.7	Other Obligations and Restrictions	 	36
	 	Section 5.8	Full Disclosure	 	36
	 	Section 5.9	Litigation	 	36
	 	Section 5.10	Labor Disputes and Acts of God	 	36
	 	Section 5.11	ERISA Plans and Liabilities	 	37
	 	Section 5.12	Environmental and Other Laws	 	37
	 	Section 5.13	Names and Places of Business	 	37
	 	Section 5.14	Subsidiaries	 	38
	 	Section 5.15	Government Regulation	 	38
	 	Section 5.16	Insider	 	38
	 	Section 5.17	Solvency	 	38
	 	Section 5.18	Tax Shelter Regulations	 	38
	 	Section 5.19	Title to Properties; Licenses	 	38
	 	Section 5.20	Regulation U	 	38
	

ARTICLE VI—Affirmative Covenants of Borrower	
 	

39
	 	Section 6.1	Payment and Performance	 	39
	 	Section 6.2	Books, Financial Statements and Reports	 	39
	 	Section 6.3	Other Information and Inspections	 	40
	 	Section 6.4	Notice of Material Events and Change of Address	 	40
	 	Section 6.5	Maintenance of Properties	 	41
	 	Section 6.6	Maintenance of Existence and Qualifications	 	41
	 	Section 6.7	Payment of Taxes	 	41
	 	Section 6.8	Insurance	 	41
	 	Section 6.9	Performance on Borrower's Behalf	 	42
	 	Section 6.10	Interest	 	42
	 	Section 6.11	Compliance with Law	 	42
	 	Section 6.12	Environmental Matters; Environmental Reviews	 	42
	 	Section 6.13	Intentionally Left Blank	 	43
	 	Section 6.14	Bank Accounts; Offset	 	43
	 	Section 6.15	Guaranties of Borrower's Subsidiaries	 	43
	 	Section 6.16	Agreement to Deliver Security Documents	 	44
	 	Section 6.17	Clean-up Period	 	44
	 	Section 6.18	Disposition of Air Solutions	 	44
	 	 	 	 



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ARTICLE VII—Negative Covenants of Borrower	
 	

45
	 	Section 7.1	Indebtedness	 	45
	 	Section 7.2	Limitation on Liens	 	45
	 	Section 7.3	Hedging Contracts	 	45
	 	Section 7.4	Limitation on Mergers, Issuances of Securities	 	46
	 	Section 7.5	Limitation on Sales of Property	 	46
	 	Section 7.6	Limitation on Dividends and Redemptions	 	46
	 	Section 7.7	Limitation on Investments and New Businesses	 	46
	 	Section 7.8	Intentionally Omitted	 	46
	 	Section 7.9	Transactions with Affiliates	 	46
	 	Section 7.10	Prohibited Contracts	 	47
	 	Section 7.11	Financial Covenants	 	47
	 	Section 7.12	Indemnity Agreement	 	47
	

ARTICLE VIII—Events of Default and Remedies	
 	

48
	 	Section 8.1	Events of Default	 	48
	 	Section 8.2	Remedies	 	50
	 	Section 8.3	Application of Proceeds after Acceleration	 	50
	

ARTICLE IX—Administrative Agent	
 	

51
	 	Section 9.1	Appointment and Authority	 	51
	 	Section 9.2	Exculpation, Administrative Agent's Reliance, Etc.	 	51
	 	Section 9.3	Credit Decisions	 	52
	 	Section 9.4	Indemnification	 	52
	 	Section 9.5	Rights as Lender	 	52
	 	Section 9.6	Sharing of Set-Offs and Other Payments	 	53
	 	Section 9.7	Investments	 	53
	 	Section 9.8	Benefit of Article IX	 	53
	 	Section 9.9	Resignation	 	54
	 	Section 9.10	Notice of Default	 	54
	 	Section 9.11	Co-Administrative Agents	 	54
	

ARTICLE X—Miscellaneous	
 	

55
	 	Section 10.1	Waivers and Amendments; Acknowledgments	 	55
	 	Section 10.2	Survival of Agreements; Cumulative Nature	 	57
	 	Section 10.3	Notices	 	57
	 	Section 10.4	Payment of Expenses; Indemnity	 	57
	 	Section 10.5	Joint and Several Liability; Parties in Interest; Assignments	 	59
	 	Section 10.6	Confidentiality	 	60
	 	Section 10.7	Governing Law; Submission to Process	 	61
	 	Section 10.8	Limitation on Interest	 	61
	 	Section 10.9	Termination; Limited Survival	 	62
	 	Section 10.10.	Severability	 	62
	 	Section 10.11	Counterparts; Fax	 	62
	 	Section 10.12	Intentionally Omitted	 	63
	 	Section 10.13	Waiver of Jury Trial, Punitive Damages, etc.	 	63
	 	Section 10.14	Procedure for Increases and Addition of New Lenders	 	63
	 	Section 10.15	Amendment and Restatement	 	63




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Schedules and Exhibits:    
    


Pricing Schedule  



	Exhibit 2.1(a)—	 	Term Note
	Exhibit 2.1(b)—	 	Revolving Note
	Exhibit 2.2(b)	 	Borrowing Notice
	Exhibit 2.3(c)	 	Continuation/Conversion Notice
	Exhibit 2.8	 	Borrowing Base Certificate
	Exhibit 2.10	 	Letter of Credit Application and Agreement
	Exhibit 4.1(g)(i)	 	Opinion of Bracewell & Patterson, L.L.P., Counsel for Restricted Persons
	Exhibit 4.1(g)(ii)	 	Opinion of William George, In-House Counsel for Restricted Persons
	Exhibit 6.2(b)	 	Certificate Accompanying Financial Statements
	Exhibit 10.5	 	Assignment and Acceptance Agreement
	Exhibit 10.14—	 	Procedure for Increases and Addition of New Lenders
	

Schedule 1.1(a)	
 	

Existing Liens
	Schedule 3.1	 	Lenders Schedule
	Schedule 4.1	 	Security Schedule
	Schedule 5—	 	Disclosure Schedule
	 	Section 5.6	 	        Material Adverse Effect
	 	Section 5.7	 	        Material Restrictions
	 	Section 5.9	 	        Litigation
	 	Section 5.10	 	        Labor Disputes
	 	Section 5.11	 	        ERISA Disclosures
	 	Section 5.12	 	        Environmental Disclosures
	 	Section 5.13	 	        Names and Places of Business
	 	Section 5.14	 	        Subsidiaries
	Schedule 7.1	 	Existing Indebtedness




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AMENDED AND RESTATED CREDIT AGREEMENT    
    


        THIS AMENDED AND RESTATED CREDIT AGREEMENT is made as of December 31, 2003, by and among COMFORT SYSTEMS USA, INC., Delaware corporation
("Borrower"); BANK OF TEXAS NA, individually and as Administrative Agent ("Administrative Agent"); HIBERNIA NATIONAL BANK, as Documentation Agent; and the Lenders referred to below. 


W I T N E S S E T H:  


        In consideration of the mutual covenants and agreements contained herein in consideration of the loans which may hereafter be made by Lenders and the Letters of
Credit which may be made available by LC Issuer to Borrower, and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto do hereby
agree as follows: 


 
 

ARTICLE I—Definitions and References    
    


        Section 1.1.    Defined Terms.    As used in this Agreement, each of the following terms has the meaning given
to such term in this Section 1.1 or in the sections and subsections referred to below: 


        "Account Debtor" means the Person which is obligated on any Receivable. 


        "Adjusted Base Rate" means, on any day, the Base Rate for such day plus the Base Rate Margin for such day, provided that the Adjusted Base
Rate charged by any Person shall never exceed the Highest Lawful Rate. 


        "Adjusted Borrowing Base" means the Borrowing Base plus the face amount of all outstanding Letters of Credit. 



        "Adjusted Eurodollar Rate" means, for any Eurodollar Loan for any day during any Interest Period therefor, the rate per annum equal to the
sum of (a) the Eurodollar Margin for such day plus (b) the rate per annum (rounded upwards, if necessary, to the nearest 1/100 of 1%) determined by Administrative Agent to be equal to
the quotient obtained by dividing (i) the Eurodollar Rate for such Eurodollar Loan for such Interest Period by (ii) 1 minus the Reserve Requirement for such Eurodollar Loan for such
Interest Period, provided that no Adjusted Eurodollar Rate charged by any Person shall ever exceed the Highest Lawful Rate. The Adjusted Eurodollar Rate for any Eurodollar Loan shall change whenever
the Eurodollar Margin or the Reserve Requirement changes. 


        "Administrative Agent" means Bank of Texas NA, as Administrative Agent hereunder, and its successors in such capacity. 


        "Affiliate" means, as to any Person, each other Person that directly or indirectly (through one or more intermediaries or otherwise)
controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with, such Person. A Person shall be deemed to be "controlled by" any other Person if such other Person possesses, directly or indirectly, power 



        (a)   to
vote 20% or more of the securities or other equity interests (on a fully diluted basis) having ordinary voting power for the election of directors, the managing
general partner or partners or the managing member or members; or 


        (b)   to
direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of such Person whether by contract or otherwise. 




        "Aggregate Commitment" means the aggregate of all Lenders' Revolving Loan Commitments and Term Loan Commitments, as such Commitments may
be reduced, amortized or adjusted from time to time in accordance with this Agreement. 


        "Agreement" means this Amended and Restated Credit Agreement. 


        "Air Solutions" means Air Solutions USA, Inc. a Delaware corporation. 





 



        "Applicable Lending Office" means, with respect to each Lender, such Lender's Domestic Lending Office in the case of Base Rate Loans and
such Lender's Eurodollar Lending Office in the case of Eurodollar Loans. 


        "Arranger" means Hibernia Southcoast Capital, Inc., a Louisiana corporation. 


        "Asset Disposition" means the disposition whether by sale, lease, transfer, loss, damage, destruction, casualty, condemnation or otherwise
of any of the following: (a) any of the Equity or ownership interest of any Subsidiary of Borrower; or (b) any or all of the assets of Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries other than
sales of inventory in the ordinary course of business. 


        "Assignment and Acceptance" means the agreement contemplated by Section 10.5. 


        "Assignment of Prior Credit Documents" means (i) the Assignment Agreements each dated as of the Closing Date and executed by
General Electric Capital Corporation and Regions Bank,; and (ii) the Assignment of Liens and Resignation and Appointment of Agent, L/C Issuer and Swing Line Lender, each dated as of the Closing
Date and executed by General Electric Capital Corporation, as agent under the Prior Credit Agreement and each of the lenders thereto in favor of Administrative Agent and the other Lender Parties. 


        "Base Rate" means, for any day, the rate per annum equal to the higher of (a) the Federal Funds Rate for such day plus
one-half of one percent (.5%) and (b) the Prime Rate for such day. Any change in the Base Rate due to a change in the Prime Rate or the Federal Funds Rate shall be effective on the
effective date of such change in the Prime Rate or Federal Funds Rate. As used in this definition, "Prime Rate" means the per annum rate of interest established from time to time by Citibank, N.A. as
its prime rate, which rate may not be the lowest rate of interest charged by Citibank, N.A. to its customers. 


        "Base Rate Loan" means a Loan that bears interest at the Adjusted Base Rate. 


        "Base Rate Margin" means on any date, with respect to each Base Rate Loan, the rate per annum set forth as such on the Pricing Schedule. 


        "Basis Point" or "bps" means one one-hundredth of one percent (0.01%). 



        "Bonded Receivables" means any Receivable resulting from goods or services provided to an Account Debtor under a job which is covered by a
surety bond provided by Borrower or its agent, that is secured by assets of any Restricted Person. 


        "Borrower" means Comfort Systems USA, Inc., a Delaware corporation. 


        "Borrowing" means a borrowing of new Loans of a single Type (and, in the case of Eurodollar Loans, with the same Interest Period) pursuant
to Section 2.2 or a Continuation or Conversion of existing Loans into a single Type (and, in the case of Eurodollar Loans, with the same Interest Period) pursuant to Section 2.3. 


        "Borrowing Base" means, at any time of its determination, the lesser of (a) the aggregate Revolving Loan Commitments of the Lender
Parties and (b) an amount equal to (i) sixty percent 60% of Eligible Receivables, less (ii) the face amount of all outstanding
Letters of Credit; less (iii) the current outstanding principal amount of the Term Loan. 



        "Borrowing Base Certificate" means a report in the form attached hereto as Exhibit 2.8, appropriately completed, together with the
following attachments: an aging schedule of all trade Receivables of Borrower on a Consolidated basis as of the date specified in such report, in summary form, which reflects aging, on an aggregate
basis, of such trade Receivables. 


        "Borrowing Base Deficiency" has the meaning given to such term in Section 2.7(b). 


2





 



        "Borrowing Notice" means a written or telephonic request, or a written confirmation, made by Borrower which meets the requirements of
Section 2.2. 


        "Business Day" means a day, other than a Saturday or Sunday, on which commercial banks are open for business with the public in Houston,
Harris County, Texas. Any Business Day in any way relating to Eurodollar Loans (such as the day on which an Interest Period begins or ends) must also be a day on which, in the judgment of
Administrative Agent, significant transactions in dollars are carried out in the interbank eurocurrency market. 



        "Capital Lease" means a lease with respect to which the lessee is required concurrently to recognize the acquisition of an asset and the
incurrence of a liability in accordance with GAAP. 


        "Capital Lease Obligation" means, with respect to any Person and a Capital Lease, the amount of the obligation of such Person as the
lessee under such Capital Lease which would, in accordance with GAAP, appear as a liability on a balance sheet of such Person. 


        "Cash Equivalents" means Investments in: 



        (a)   marketable
obligations, maturing within twelve months after acquisition thereof, issued or unconditionally guaranteed by the United States of America or an
instrumentality or agency thereof and entitled to the full faith and credit of the United States of America; 


        (b)   demand
deposits, and time deposits (including certificates of deposit) maturing within twelve months from the date of deposit thereof, with any office of any Lender or
with a domestic office of any national or state bank or trust company which is organized under the Laws of the United States of America or any state therein, which has capital, surplus and undivided
profits of at least $500,000,000, and whose long term certificates of deposit are rated at least Aa3 by Moody's or AA- by S & P; 



        (c)   repurchase
obligations with a term of not more than seven days for underlying securities of the types described in subsection (a) above entered into with any
commercial bank meeting the specifications of subsection (b) above; 


        (d)   open
market commercial paper, maturing within 270 days after acquisition thereof, which are rated at least P-1 by Moody's or A-1 by
S & P; and 


        (e)   money
market or other mutual funds substantially all of whose assets comprise securities of the types described in subsections (a) through (d) above. 




        "Change of Control" means the occurrence of any of the following events: (a) any Person or two or more Persons acting as a group
shall acquire beneficial ownership (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 of the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Act of 1934, as amended, and including holding
proxies to vote for the election of directors other than proxies held by Borrower's management or their designees to be voted in favor of Persons nominated by Borrower's Board of Directors) of 35% or
more of the outstanding voting securities of Borrower, measured by voting power (including both common stock and any preferred stock or other equity securities entitling the holders thereof to vote
with the holders of common stock in elections for directors of Borrower) or (b) a majority of the directors of Borrower shall consist of Persons not nominated by Borrower's Board of Directors
(not including as Board nominees any directors which the Board is obligated to nominate pursuant to shareholders agreements, voting trust arrangements or similar arrangements). 


        "Clean-up Period" means the period of ten (10) consecutive Business Days during which Borrower is in compliance with
Section 6.17. 



        "Closing Date" means the date on which all of the conditions precedent set forth in Section 4.1 and Section 4.2 shall have
been satisfied or waived. 


3





 



        "Collateral" means all property of any Restricted Person of any kind which, under the terms of any Security Document, is subject to or is
purported to be subject to a Lien in favor of Lenders (or in favor of Administrative Agent for the benefit of Lenders). 



        "Commitment" means, for each Lender, its Term Loan Commitment and its Revolving Loan Commitment. 


        "Commitment Fee" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.5(c). 


        "Commitment Fee Rate" means, on any date, the rate per annum designated as such and set forth on the Pricing Schedule. 


        "Commitment Period" means the period from and including the Closing Date until the Maturity Date (or, if earlier, the day on which the
obligations of Lenders to make Loans hereunder or the obligations of LC Issuer to issue Letters of Credit have been terminated or the Notes become due and payable in full). 


        "Consolidated" refers to the consolidation of any Person, in accordance with GAAP, with its properly consolidated subsidiaries. References
herein to a Person's Consolidated financial statements, financial position, financial condition, liabilities, etc. refer to the consolidated financial statements, financial position, financial
condition, liabilities, etc. of such Person and its properly consolidated subsidiaries. 


        "Consolidated EBITDA" means, for any Person for any period, the sum of (a) such Person's Consolidated Net Income during such
period, plus (b) all interest expense which was deducted in determining such Person's Consolidated Net Income; plus (c) all income taxes which were deducted in determining such Person's
Consolidated Net Income; plus (d) all depreciation and amortization which were deducted in determining such Person's Consolidated Net Income; plus (e) other non-cash charges,
including non-cash amortization of debt incurrence costs and net mark-to-market losses. Notwithstanding the forgoing, Borrower and Lenders hereby stipulate that
Consolidated EBITDA for (i) the Fiscal Quarter ended March 31, 2003 was <$2,843,000>; (ii) the Fiscal Quarter ended June 30, 2003 was $5,730,000; and
(iii) the Fiscal Quarter ended September 30, 2003 was $8,032,000. Beginning with the Fiscal Quarter ending December 31, 2003 and for each subsequent Fiscal Quarter thereafter,
Consolidated EBITDA will be determined in accordance with the definition above. 


        "Consolidated Interest Expense" means, for any Person, for any period without duplication, all interest paid or accrued during such period
on Indebtedness (including capital lease obligations) excluding amortization of debt incurrence expenses, original issue discount, and mark-to-market interest expense. 


        "Consolidated Net Income" means, for any Person, for any period, such Person's Consolidated net income for such period after eliminating
earnings or losses attributable to outstanding minority interests and excluding the net income of any Person other than a Subsidiary in which such Person has an ownership interest  plus any Goodwill
Impairment Charges. 


        "Consolidated Tangible Net Worth" means, for any Person, at any time, (a) all Consolidated assets of such Person which would be
shown on its Consolidated balance sheet prepared as of such time in accordance with GAAP, other than intangible assets (including patents, copyrights, licenses, franchises, goodwill, trade names,
trade secrets and operating leases), minus (b) the sum of (i) all amounts which would be shown on such balance sheet as minority interests
in any Subsidiaries of such Person, and (ii) all Consolidated Liabilities of such Person which would be shown on such balance sheet, adjusted by treating as Liabilities rather than equity all
capital stock and other equity securities which such Person would be required to purchase, redeem or otherwise acquire at the election of any holder thereof, upon the passage of time, or upon the
occurrence of any contingency (other than the voluntary election of such Person to make such purchase, redemption or acquisition). 


4





 



        "Consolidated Total Indebtedness" means, for any Person, as of any date, the sum of the following (without duplication): (a) all
Indebtedness which is classified as "long-term indebtedness" on a Consolidated balance sheet of such Person and its Consolidated Subsidiaries prepared as of such date in accordance with
GAAP and any current maturities and other principal amount in respect of such Indebtedness due within one year but which was classified as "long-term indebtedness" at the creation thereof,
(b) Indebtedness for borrowed money of such Person and its Consolidated Subsidiaries outstanding under a revolving credit or similar agreement providing for borrowings (and renewals and
extensions thereof) over a period of more than one year, notwithstanding the fact that any such borrowing is made within one year of the expiration of such agreement, and (c) all Indebtedness
in respect of Capital Leases of such Person and its Consolidated Subsidiaries. 


        "Continuation" shall refer to the continuation pursuant to Section 2.3 hereof of a Eurodollar Loan as a Eurodollar Loan from one
Interest Period to the next Interest Period. 


        "Continuation/Conversion Notice" means a written or telephonic request, or a written confirmation, made by Borrower which meets the
requirements of Section 2.3. 


        "Conversion" shall refer to a conversion pursuant to Section 2.3 or Article III of one Type of Loan into another Type of
Loan. 


        "Default" means any Event of Default and any default, event or condition which would, with the giving of any requisite notices and the
passage of any requisite periods of time, constitute an Event of Default. 


        "Default Rate" means, at the time in question (a) with respect to any Base Rate Loan any other Obligation except as described in
the immediately following clause (b), the rate per annum equal to four percent (4%) above the Adjusted Base Rate then in effect for such Loan or other Obligation and (b) with respect to
any Eurodollar Loan, the rate per annum equal to four percent (4%) above the Adjusted Eurodollar Rate then in effect for such Loan or other Obligation, provided in each case that no Default Rate
charged by any Person shall ever exceed the Highest Lawful Rate. 


        "Disclosure Schedule" means Schedule 5 hereto. 


        "Distribution" means (a) any dividend or other distribution made by a Restricted Person on or in respect of any stock, partnership
interest, or other equity interest in such Restricted Person or any other Restricted Person (including any option or warrant to buy such an equity interest), or (b) any payment made by a
Restricted Person to purchase, redeem, acquire or retire any stock, partnership interest, or other equity interest in such Restricted Person or any other Restricted Person (including any such option
or warrant). 


        "Domestic Lending Office" means, with respect to any Lender, the office of such Lender specified as its "Domestic Lending Office" below
its name on the signature pages hereto, or such other office as such Lender may from time to time specify to Borrower and Administrative Agent; with respect to LC Issuer, the office, branch, or agency
through which it issues Letters of Credit; and, with respect to Administrative Agent, the office, branch, or agency through which it administers this Agreement. 


        "Eligible Receivables" means all trade Receivables less any Bonded Receivables and
(ii) less reserves or allowances for doubtful accounts. 


        "Eligible Transferee" means a Person which either (a) is a Lender or an Affiliate of a Lender, or (b) is consented to as an
Eligible Transferee by Administrative Agent and, so long as no Default or Event of Default is continuing, by Borrower, which consents in each case will not be unreasonably withheld (provided that no
Person organized outside the United States may be an Eligible Transferee if Borrower would be required to pay withholding taxes on interest or principal owed to such Person). 


5





 



        "Environmental Laws" means any and all Laws relating to the environment or to emissions, discharges, releases or threatened releases of
pollutants, contaminants, chemicals, or industrial, toxic or hazardous substances or wastes into the environment including ambient air, surface water, ground water, or land, or otherwise relating to
the manufacture, processing, distribution, use, treatment, storage, disposal, transport, or handling of pollutants, contaminants, chemicals, or industrial, toxic or hazardous substances or wastes. 


        "Equity" means shares of capital stock or a partnership, profits, capital, member or other equity interest, or options, warrants or any
other rights to substitute for or otherwise acquire the capital stock or a partnership, profits, capital, member or other equity interest of any Person. 


        "ERISA" means the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended from time to time, and any successor statutes or statute,
together with all rules and regulations promulgated with respect thereto. 



        "ERISA Affiliate" means each Restricted Person and all members of a controlled group of corporations and all trades or businesses (whether
or not incorporated) under common control that, together with such Restricted Person, are treated as a single employer under Section 414 of the Internal Revenue Code. 


        "ERISA Plan" means any employee pension benefit plan subject to Title IV of ERISA maintained by any ERISA Affiliate with respect to which
any Restricted Person has a fixed or contingent liability. 


        "Eurodollar Lending Office" means, with respect to any Lender, the office of such Lender specified as its "Eurodollar Lending Office"
below its name on the signature pages hereto (or, if no such office is specified, its Domestic Lending Office), or such other office of such Lender as such Lender may from time to time specify to
Borrower and Administrative Agent. 


        "Eurodollar Loan" means a Loan that bears interest at the Adjusted Eurodollar Rate. 



        "Eurodollar Margin" means, on any date, with respect to each Eurodollar Loan, the rate per annum set forth on the Pricing Schedule. 


        "Eurodollar Rate" means, for any Eurodollar Loan within a Borrowing and with respect to the related Interest Period therefor,
(a) the interest rate per annum (carried out to the fifth decimal place) equal to the rate determined by the Administrative Agent to be the offered rate that appears on the page of the Telerate
Screen that displays an average British Bankers Association Interest Settlement Rate (such page currently being page number 3750) for deposits in U.S. dollars (for delivery on the first day of such
Interest Period) with a term equivalent to such Interest Period, determined as of approximately 11:00 a.m. (London time) two Business Days prior to the first day of such Interest Period, or
(b) in the event the rate referenced in the preceding subsection (a) does not appear on such page or service or such page or service shall cease to be available, the rate per annum
(carried out to the fifth decimal place) equal to the rate determined by the Administrative Agent to be the offered rate on such other page or other service that displays an average British Bankers
Association Interest Settlement Rate for deposits in U.S. dollars (for delivery on the first day of such Interest Period) with a term equivalent to such Interest Period, determined as of approximately
11:00 a.m. (London time) two Business Days prior to the first day of such Interest Period, or (c) in the event the rates referenced in the preceding subsections (a) and
(b) are not available, the rate per annum determined by the Administrative Agent as the rate of interest at which deposits in U.S. dollars (for delivery on the first day of such Interest
Period) in same day funds in the approximate amount of the applicable Eurodollar Loan and with a term equivalent to such Interest Period would be offered by its London branch to major banks in the
offshore U.S. dollar market at their request at approximately 11:00 a.m. (London time) two Business Days prior to the first day of such Interest Period. 


        "Event of Default" has the meaning given to such term in Section 8.1. 


6





 



        "Federal Funds Rate" means, for any day, the rate per annum (rounded upwards, if necessary, to the nearest 1/100th of one percent) equal
to the weighted average of the rates on overnight Federal funds transactions with members of the Federal Reserve System arranged by Federal funds brokers on such day, as published by the Federal
Reserve Bank of New York on the Business Day next succeeding such day, provided that (a) if the day for which such rate is to be determined is not a Business Day, the Federal Funds Rate for
such day shall be such rate on such transactions on the next preceding Business Day as so published on the next succeeding Business Day, and (b) if such rate is not so published for any day,
the Federal Funds Rate for such day shall be the average rate quoted to Administrative Agent on such day on such transactions as determined by Administrative Agent. 


        "Fiscal Quarter" means a three-month period ending on March 31, June 30, September 30 or December 31 of any
year. 


        "Fiscal Year" means a twelve-month period ending on December 31 of any year. 



        "GAAP" means those generally accepted accounting principles and practices which are recognized as such by the Financial Accounting
Standards Board (or any generally recognized successor) and which, in the case of Restricted Persons and their Consolidated Subsidiaries, are applied for all periods after the date hereof in a manner
consistent with the manner in which such principles and practices were applied to the Initial Financial Statements. If any change in any accounting principle or practice is required by the Financial
Accounting Standards Board (or any such successor) in order for such principle or practice to continue as a generally accepted accounting principle or practice, all reports and financial statements
required hereunder with respect to any Restricted Person or with respect to any Restricted Person and its Consolidated Subsidiaries may be prepared in accordance with such change, but all calculations
and determinations to be made hereunder may be made in accordance with such change only after notice of such change is given to each Lender, and Required Lenders and Administrative Agent agree to such
change insofar as it affects the accounting of such Restricted Person and its Consolidated Subsidiaries. 


        "Goodwill Impairment Charges" means accounting charges resulting from the write-up or write-down of acquired
goodwill and other intangible assets in accordance with FAS 142. 


        "Guarantor" means any Person who has guaranteed some or all of the Obligations pursuant to a Guaranty listed on Schedule 4.1 or any
other Person who has guaranteed some or all of the Obligations and who has been accepted by Administrative Agent as a Guarantor or any Subsidiary of Borrower which now or hereafter executes and
delivers a Guaranty to Administrative Agent pursuant to Section 6.15. 


        "Guaranty" means that certain Amended and Restated Guaranty dated of even date herewith, executed by each Guarantor in favor of the
Administrative Agent, for the ratable benefit of the Lenders, as it may be amended or modified and in effect from time to time. 


        "Hazardous Materials" means any substances regulated under any Environmental Law, whether as pollutants, contaminants, or chemicals, or as
industrial, toxic or hazardous substances or wastes, or otherwise. 


        "Hedging Contract" means (a) any agreement providing for options, swaps, floors, caps, collars, forward sales or forward purchases
involving interest rates, commodities or commodity prices, equities, currencies, bonds, or indexes based on any of the foregoing, (b) any option, futures or forward contract traded on an
exchange, and (c) any other derivative agreement or other similar agreement or arrangement. 


7





 



        "Highest Lawful Rate" means, with respect to each Lender Party to whom Obligations are owed, the maximum nonusurious rate of interest that
such Lender Party is permitted under applicable Law to contract for, take, charge, or receive with respect to such Obligations. All determinations herein of the Highest Lawful Rate, or of any interest
rate determined by reference to the Highest Lawful Rate, shall be made separately for each Lender Party as appropriate to assure that the Loan Documents are not construed to obligate any Person to pay
interest to any Lender Party at a rate in excess of the Highest Lawful Rate applicable to such Lender Party. 


        "Immaterial Subsidiary" means one or more Subsidiaries with aggregate gross assets of less than $250,000. 



        "Indebtedness" of any Person means obligations in any of the following categories: 



        (a)   debt
for borrowed money; 


        (b)   an
obligation to pay the deferred purchase price of property or services; 


        (c)   obligations
evidenced by a bond, debenture, note or similar instrument; 


        (d)   Off-Balance
Sheet Liabilities; 


        (e)   obligations
arising under Hedging Contracts (on a net basis to the extent netting is provided for in the applicable Hedging Contract); 


        (f)    Capital
Lease Obligations; 


        (g)   obligations
arising under conditional sales or other title retention agreements; 


        (h)   obligations
owing under direct or indirect guaranties of Indebtedness of any other Person or otherwise constituting obligations to purchase or acquire or to otherwise
protect or insure a creditor against loss in respect of Indebtedness of any other Person (such as obligations under working capital maintenance agreements, agreements to keep-well, or
agreements to purchase Indebtedness, assets, goods, securities or services), but excluding endorsements in the ordinary course of business of negotiable instruments in the course of collection; 


        (i)    obligations
to purchase or redeem securities or other property, if such obligations arise out of or in connection with the sale or issuance of the same or similar
securities or property (for example, repurchase agreements, mandatorily redeemable preferred stock and sale/leaseback agreements); 



        (j)    obligations
with respect to letters of credit or applications or reimbursement agreements therefore; or 


        (k)   obligations
with respect to banker's acceptances. 




provided,
however, that the "Indebtedness" of any Person shall not include obligations that were incurred by such Person to vendors, suppliers, or other Persons providing goods and services for use by
such Person in the ordinary course of its business. 



        "Indemnity Agreement" means that certain Underwriting, Indemnity, and Security Agreement dated October 23, 2003 among Borrower, the
other Restricted Persons and the Surety. 


        "Initial Financial Statements" means (a) the audited annual Consolidated financial statements of Borrower dated as of
December 31, 2002, and (b) the unaudited quarterly Consolidated financial statements of Borrower dated as of September 30, 2003. 



        "Intercreditor Agreement" means that certain Intercreditor Agreement dated October 23, 2003 between the Surety and the Prior Agent. 


8





 

        "Interest Payment Date" means (a) with respect to each Base Rate Loan, the first Business Day of each Fiscal Quarter; and
(b) with respect to each Eurodollar Loan, the last day of the Interest Period that is applicable thereto and, if such Interest Period is greater than three months in length, than the first
Business Day of each Fiscal Quarter shall also be an Interest Payment Date for each such Eurodollar Loan. 


        "Interest Period" means, with respect to each Eurodollar Loan, the period specified in the Borrowing Notice or Continuation/Conversion
Notice applicable to such Eurodollar Loan, beginning on and including the date specified in such Borrowing Notice or Continuation/Conversion Notice (which must be a Business Day), and ending one, two,
three, and six months thereafter, as Borrower may elect in such notice; provided that: (a) any Interest Period which would otherwise end on a day which is not a Business Day shall be extended
to the next succeeding Business Day unless such Business Day falls in another calendar month, in which case such Interest Period shall end on the next preceding Business Day; (b) any Interest
Period which begins on the last Business Day in a calendar month (or on a day for which there is no numerically corresponding day in the calendar month at the end of such Interest Period) shall end on
the last Business Day in a calendar month; and (c) notwithstanding the foregoing, any Interest Period which would otherwise end after the last day of the Commitment Period shall end on the last
day of the Commitment Period (or, if the last day of the Commitment Period is not a Business Day, on the next preceding Business Day). 



        "Internal Revenue Code" means the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time and any successor statute or
statutes, together with all rules and regulations promulgated with respect thereto. 


        "Investment" means any investment, made directly or indirectly, in any Person, whether by purchase, acquisition of equity interests,
indebtedness or other obligations or securities or by extension of credit, loan, advance, capital contribution or otherwise and whether made in cash, by the transfer of property, or by any other
means. 


        "Law" means any statute, law, regulation, ordinance, rule, treaty, judgment, order, decree, permit, concession, franchise, license,
agreement or other governmental restriction of the United States or any state or political subdivision thereof or of any foreign country or any department, province or other political subdivision
thereof. Any reference to a Law includes any amendment or modification to such Law, and all regulations, rulings, and other Laws promulgated under such Law. 


        "LC Application" means any application for a Letter of Credit hereafter made by Borrower to LC Issuer. 



        "LC Collateral" has the meaning given to such term in Section 2.14(a). 


        "LC Conditions" has the meaning given to such term in Section 2.10. 


        "LC Issuer" means Hibernia National Bank in its capacity as the issuer of Letters of Credit hereunder, and its successors in such
capacity. Administrative Agent may, with the consent of Borrower and the Lender in question, appoint any Lender hereunder as an LC Issuer in place of or in addition to Hibernia National Bank. 



        "LC Obligations" means, at the time in question, the sum of all Matured LC Obligations plus the maximum amounts which LC Issuer might then
or thereafter be called upon to advance under all Letters of Credit then outstanding. 


        "Lender Hedging Obligations" means Indebtedness to a Lender Party arising out of any Hedging Contract permitted under Section 7.3. 


        "Lender Parties" means Administrative Agent, Documentation Agent, LC Issuer, and all Lenders. 


9





 



        "Lenders" means each signatory hereto (other than Borrower and any Restricted Person that is a party hereto), including the Term Lenders
and the Revolving Lenders, and the successors of each such party as Lender hereunder pursuant to Section 10.5. 


        "Lenders Schedule" means Schedule 3.1 hereto. 


        "Letter of Credit" means any letter of credit issued by LC Issuer hereunder at the application of Borrower. 


        "Liabilities" means, as to any Person, all liabilities that would appear as such on a balance sheet of such Person under GAAP. 


        "Lien" means, with respect to any property or assets, any right or interest therein of a creditor to secure Liabilities owed to it or any
other arrangement with such creditor which provides for the payment of such Liabilities out of such property or assets or which allows such creditor to have such Liabilities satisfied out of such
property or assets prior to the general creditors of any owner thereof, including any lien, mortgage, security interest, pledge, rights of a vendor under any title retention or conditional sale
agreement or lease substantially equivalent thereto, tax lien, mechanic's or materialman's lien, or any other charge or encumbrance for security purposes, whether arising by Law or agreement or
otherwise, but excluding any right of offset which arises without agreement in the ordinary course of business. 


        "Loan Documents" means this Agreement, the Notes, the Security Documents, the Letters of Credit, the LC Applications, any Hedging Contract
to which Borrower and any Lender are a party, the Intercreditor Agreement and all other agreements, certificates, documents, instruments and writings at any time delivered in connection herewith or
therewith (exclusive of term sheets and commitment letters). 


        "Loans" means the Term Loans and the Revolving Loans as otherwise described in Section 2.1. 


        "Margin Stock" means margin stock, as such term is defined in Regulation U promulgated by the Board of Governors of the Federal
Reserve System. 


        "Material Adverse Change" means a material and adverse change, from the state of affairs presented in the Initial Financial Statements or
as represented or warranted in any Loan Document, to (a) Borrower's Consolidated financial condition, (b) Borrower's Consolidated business, assets, operations or properties, considered
as a whole, (c) Borrower's ability to timely pay the Obligations, or (d) the enforceability of the material terms of any Loan Documents. 


        "Matured LC Obligations" means all amounts paid by LC Issuer on drafts or demands for payment drawn or made under or purported to be made
under any Letter of Credit and all other amounts due and owing to LC Issuer under any LC Application for any Letter of Credit, to the extent the same have not been repaid to LC Issuer (with the
proceeds of Loans or otherwise). 


        "Maturity Date" means (a) three years from the date hereof in the case of the Revolving Loans; and (b) five years from the
date hereof in the case of the Term Loans. 


        "Maximum Drawing Amount" means at the time in question the sum of the maximum amounts which LC Issuer might then or thereafter be called
upon to advance under all Letters of Credit which are then outstanding. 


        "Moody's" means Moody's Investors Service, Inc., or its successor. 


10





 



        "Net Sales Proceeds" means cash proceeds received by Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries from any Asset Disposition (including insurance
proceeds, awards of condemnation, and payments under notes or other debt securities received in connection with any Asset Disposition), net of (a) the costs of such Asset Disposition (including
taxes attributable to such sale, lease or transfer) and (b) amounts applied to repayment of Indebtedness (other than the Obligations) secured by a Lien on the asset or property disposed or
required to be repaid in connection with such Asset Disposition. 


        "Note(s)" means the Revolving Notes and the Term Notes. 


        "Obligations" means all indebtedness, liabilities and obligations, whether matured or unmatured, liquidated or unliquidated, primary or
secondary, direct or indirect, absolute, fixed or contingent, from time to time owing by any Restricted Person to any Lender Party under or pursuant to any of the Loan Documents, including all LC
Obligations and any Lender Hedging Obligations. "Obligation" means any part of the Obligations. 


        "Off-Balance Sheet Liability" of a Person means (a) any repurchase obligation or liability of such Person with respect
to accounts or notes receivable sold by such Person, (b) Synthetic Lease Obligations, or (c) any obligation arising with respect to any other transaction which is the functional
equivalent of or takes the place of borrowing but which does not constitute a liability on the balance sheets of such Person (but, for the avoidance of doubt, excluding any operating leases other than
a Synthetic Lease). 


        "Percentage Share" means, with respect to any Lender (a) when used in Section 2.1, 2.2 or 2.5, in any Borrowing Notice or
when no Loans are outstanding hereunder, the percentage set forth opposite such Lender's name on the signature pages hereto, and (b) when used otherwise, the percentage obtained by dividing
(i) the sum of the unpaid principal balance of such Lender's Loans at the time in question plus the Matured LC Obligations which such Lender has funded pursuant to Section 2.11(c) plus
the portion of the Maximum Drawing Amount which such Lender might be obligated to fund under Section 2.11(c), by (ii) the sum of the aggregate unpaid principal balance of all Loans at
such time plus the aggregate amount of LC Obligations outstanding at such time. 



        "Permitted Acquisition" means a transaction which has been approved by the Lenders by which Borrower, a newly formed Subsidiary that is a
Restricted Person, or an existing Subsidiary that is a Restricted Person may acquire all or substantially all of the assets (by way of an asset acquisition or Equity acquisition) of any Person. 


11







  





        "Permitted Investments" means: 



        (a)   Cash
Equivalents; 


        (b)   existing
Investments described in the Disclosure Schedule; 


        (c)   extensions
of credit by Restricted Persons to their customers for buying goods and services in the ordinary course of business or to another Restricted Person in the
ordinary course of business; 


        (d)   extensions
of credit among Restricted Persons which are subordinated to the Obligations upon terms and conditions satisfactory to Required Lenders and Managing Agents in
their sole and absolute discretion; and 


        (e)   Investments
not described in subsections (a) through (d) above which do not (taking into account all Investments of all Restricted Persons) exceed an
aggregate amount of $2,500,000 during any Fiscal Year. 




        "Permitted Liens" means: 



        (a)   statutory
Liens for taxes, assessments or other governmental charges or levies which are not yet delinquent or which are being contested in good faith by appropriate
action and for which adequate reserves have been maintained in accordance with GAAP; 



        (b)   landlords',
operators', carriers', warehousemen's, repairmen's, mechanics', materialmen's, worker's, suppliers or other like Liens, in each case only to the extent
arising in the ordinary course of business and only to the extent securing obligations (i) which are not delinquent or which are being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings; and
(ii) for which adequate reserves have been maintained in accordance with GAAP; 


        (c)   zoning
restrictions, easements, licenses, and minor defects and irregularities in title to any real property, so long as such defects and irregularities do not
materially impair the value of such property or the use of such property for the purposes for which such property is held; 



        (d)   pledges
or deposits of cash or securities to secure (i) the performance of bids, trade contracts, leases, statutory obligations and other obligations of a like
nature (excluding appeal bonds) incurred in the ordinary course of business; or (ii) obligations under worker's compensation, unemployment insurance, social security, or public Laws or similar
legislation(excluding Liens arising under ERISA). 


        (e)   Liens
under the Security Documents; 


        (f)    with
respect only to property subject to any particular Security Document, Liens burdening such property which are expressly allowed by such Security Document; 



        (g)   Liens
expressly granted pursuant to the provisions of the Indemnity Agreement and subject to the provisions of the Intercreditor Agreement; 


        (h)   deposits
securing, or in lieu of, surety, appeal or customs bonds in proceedings to which Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries is a party; 


        (i)    any
attachment or judgment lien not constituting an Event of Default under Section 8.1; 


        (j)    Liens
existing on the date hereof and renewals and extensions thereof, which Liens are set forth on Schedule 1.1(a); 



        (k)   Liens
securing Indebtedness permitted by Section 7.1(c), provided that such Liens attach only to the assets financed by such Indebtedness and any proceeds
thereof; 



12





 




        (l)    common
law security interests of a surety in the actual proceeds of a project subject to the underlying surety bond provided by such surety; and 



        (m)  inchoate
Liens arising under ERISA to secure contingent Liabilities of Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries. 




        "Person" means an individual, corporation, general partnership, limited partnership, limited liability company, association, joint stock
company, trust or trustee thereof, estate or executor thereof, Tribunal, or any other legally recognizable entity. 


        "Pricing Schedule" means the Schedule attached hereto identified as such. 



        "Prior Agent" means General Electric Credit Corporation, in its capacity as agent under the Prior Credit Documents. 


        "Prior Credit Documents" means that certain Credit Agreement dated October 11, 2002, as amended from time to time heretofore, among
Borrower, certain of its Subsidiaries, General Electric Credit Corporation, as agent and a lender thereunder and the other financial institutions party thereto, as lenders, together with the
promissory notes made by Borrower thereunder and any and all other documents and instruments executed in connection therewith. 



        "Prior Indebtedness" means all Indebtedness outstanding under the Prior Credit Documents on the date hereof. 


        "Rating Agency" means either S & P or Moody's. 


        "Receivables" means all present and future rights of Borrower or any Subsidiary of Borrower to payment for goods sold or leased or for
services rendered (except those evidenced by instruments or chattel paper), whether now existing or hereafter arising and wherever arising and whether or not earned by performance. 



        "Regulation D" means Regulation D of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System as from time to time in effect. 


        "Required Lenders" means Lenders having aggregate Percentage Shares equal or exceed sixty-six and two-thirds
percent (662/3%). 


        "Reserve Requirement" means, at any time, the maximum rate at which reserves (including any marginal, special, supplemental, or emergency
reserves) are required to be maintained under regulations issued from time to time by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (or any successor) by member banks of the Federal Reserve
System against "Eurocurrency liabilities" (as such term is used in Regulation D). Without limiting the effect of the foregoing, the Reserve Requirement shall reflect any other reserves required
to be maintained by such member banks with respect to (a) any category of liabilities which includes deposits by reference to which the Adjusted Eurodollar Rate is to be determined, or
(b) any category of extensions of credit or other assets which include Eurodollar Loans. 


        "Restricted Person" means any of Borrower, each Subsidiary of Borrower, and each Guarantor. 


        "Revolving Credit Advance" has the meaning ascribed to it in Section 2.1(b). 



        "Revolving Facility Usage" means, at the time in question, without duplication, the aggregate principal amount of outstanding Revolving
Loans and LC Obligations at such time. 


        "Revolving Lenders" means those Lenders having a Revolving Loan Commitment. 


        "Revolving Loan(s)" means, at any time, the aggregate amount of Revolving Credit Advances outstanding to Borrower. 


13





 



        "Revolving Loan Commitment" means as to any Lender, the commitment of such Lender to make its Percentage Share of Revolving Credit
Advances or incur its Percentage Share of Letter of Credit Obligations as set forth on the signature pages hereto or in the most recent Assignment and Acceptance, if any, executed by such Lender, as
such amount may be adjusted, if at all, from time to time in accordance with this Agreement. 


        "Revolving Notes" has the meaning ascribed to it in Section 2.1(b). 


        "S & P" means Standard & Poor's Ratings Services (a division of The McGraw Hill Companies), or its successor. 


        "Scheduled Principal Amortization of Long Term Debt" means the amount of principal payments on the Term Loan during the preceding
twelve-month period. 


        "Security Documents" means the instruments listed on Schedule 4.1 and all other security agreements, deeds of trust, mortgages,
chattel mortgages, pledges, guaranties, financing statements, continuation statements, extension agreements and other agreements or instruments now, heretofore, or hereafter delivered by any
Restricted Person to Administrative Agent in connection with this Agreement or any transaction contemplated hereby to secure or guarantee the payment of any part of the Obligations or the performance
of any Restricted Person's other duties and obligations under the Loan Documents. 


        "Secured Obligations" means all Obligations. 



        "Solvent" means, with respect to any Person on a particular date, that on such date (a) the fair value of the property of such
Person is greater than the total amount of liabilities, including subordinated and contingent liabilities, of such Person; (b) the present fair saleable value of the assets of such Person is
not less than the amount that will be required to pay the probable liability of such Person on its debts and liabilities, including subordinated and contingent liabilities as they become absolute and
matured; (c) such Person does not intend to, and does not believe that it will, incur debts or liabilities beyond such Person's ability to pay as such debts and liabilities mature; and
(d) such Person is not engaged in a business or transaction, and is not about to engage in a business or transaction, for which such Person's property would constitute an unreasonably small
capital. The amount of contingent liabilities (such as litigation, guaranties and pension plan liabilities) at any time shall be computed as the amount that, in light of all the facts and
circumstances existing at the time, represents the amount that can be reasonably be expected to become an actual or matured liability. 


        "Subordinated Debt" means unsecured Indebtedness incurred as so-called "seller paper" in connection with Permitted
Acquisitions and subordinated to the Obligations in a manner and form reasonably satisfactory to Administrative Agent, as to the right and time of payment and as to any and all other rights and
remedies thereunder. 


        "Subsidiary" means, with respect to any Person, any corporation, association, partnership, limited liability company, joint venture, or
other business or corporate entity, enterprise or organization which is directly or indirectly (through one or more intermediaries) controlled by or owned fifty percent or more by such Person. 



        "Surety" means Federal Insurance Company, an Indiana corporation, its Affiliates and Subsidiaries and their respective
co-sureties and reinsurers, and their respective successors and permitted assigns. 


        "Synthetic Lease Obligations" means an arrangement treated as an operating lease for financial accounting purposes and a financing lease
for tax purposes. 


14





 



        "Termination Event" means (a) the occurrence with respect to any ERISA Plan of (i) a reportable event described in
Section 4043(c)(5) or (6) of ERISA or (ii) any other reportable event described in Section 4043(c) of ERISA other than a reportable event not subject to the provision for
30-day notice to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation pursuant to a waiver by such corporation under Section 4043(a) or 4043(b)(4) of ERISA, or (b) the withdrawal of any
ERISA Affiliate from an ERISA Plan during a plan year in which it was a "substantial employer" as defined in Section 4001(a)(2) of ERISA, or (c) the filing of a notice of intent to
terminate any ERISA Plan or the treatment of any ERISA Plan amendment as a termination under Section 4041(c) of ERISA, or (d) the institution of proceedings to terminate any ERISA Plan
by the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation under Section 4042 of ERISA, or (e) any other event or condition which might constitute grounds under Section 4042 of ERISA for the
termination of, or the appointment of a trustee to administer, any ERISA Plan. 


        "Term Lenders" means those Lenders having Term Loan Commitments. 


        "Term Loan Commitment" means as to any Term Lender, the commitment of such Term Lender to make its Percentage Share of the Term Loans as
set forth on the signature pages hereto or in the most recent Assignment and Acceptance, if any, executed by such Lender, as such amount may be adjusted from time to time in accordance with this
Agreement. 


        "Term Loans" has the meaning ascribed to it in Section 2.1(a). 


        "Term Notes" has the meaning ascribed to it in Section 2.1(a). 


        "Tribunal" means any government, any arbitration panel, any court or any governmental department, commission, board, bureau, agency or
instrumentality of the United States of America or any state, province, commonwealth, nation, territory, possession, county, parish, town, township, village or municipality, whether now or hereafter
constituted or existing. 


        "Type" means, with respect to any Loans, the characterization of such Loans as either Base Rate Loans or Eurodollar Loans. 


        Section 1.2.    Exhibits and Schedules; Additional Definitions.    All Exhibits and Schedules attached to this
Agreement are a part hereof for all purposes. Reference is hereby made to Schedule 4.1 for the meaning of certain terms defined therein and used but not defined herein, which definitions are
incorporated herein by reference. 


        Section 1.3.    Amendment of Defined Instruments.    Unless the context otherwise requires or unless otherwise
provided herein the terms defined in this Agreement which refer to a particular agreement, instrument or document also refer to and include all renewals, extensions, modifications, amendments and
restatements of such agreement, instrument or document, provided that nothing contained in this section shall be construed to authorize any such renewal, extension, modification, amendment or
restatement. 


15





 



        Section 1.4.    References and Titles.    All references in this Agreement to Exhibits, Schedules, articles,
sections, subsections and other subdivisions refer to the Exhibits, Schedules, articles, sections, subsections and other subdivisions of this Agreement unless expressly provided otherwise. Exhibits
and Schedules to any Loan Document shall be deemed incorporated by reference in such Loan Document. References to any document, instrument, or agreement (a) shall include all exhibits,
schedules, and other attachments thereto, and (b) shall include all documents, instruments, or agreements issued or executed in replacement thereof. Titles appearing at the beginning of any
subdivisions are for convenience only and do not constitute any part of such subdivisions and shall be disregarded in construing the language contained in such subdivisions. The words "this
Agreement", "this instrument", "herein", "hereof", "hereby", "hereunder" and words of similar import refer to this Agreement as a whole and not to any particular subdivision unless expressly so
limited. The phrases "this section" and "this subsection" and similar phrases refer only to the sections or subsections hereof in which such phrases occur. The word "or" is not exclusive, and the word
"including" (in its various forms) means "including without limitation". Pronouns in masculine, feminine and neuter genders shall be construed to include any other gender, and words in the singular
form shall be construed to include the plural and vice versa, unless the context otherwise requires. Accounting terms have the meanings assigned to them by GAAP, as applied the accounting entity to
which they refer. References to "days" shall mean calendar days, unless the term "Business Day" is used. Unless otherwise specified, references herein to any particular Person also refer to its
successors and permitted assigns. 


        Section 1.5.    Calculations and Determinations.    All calculations under the Loan Documents of interest
chargeable with respect to Eurodollar Loans and of fees shall be made on the basis of actual days elapsed (including the first day but excluding the last) and a year of 360 days. All other
calculations of interest made under the Loan Documents shall be made on the basis of actual days elapsed (including the first day but excluding the last) and a year of 365 or 366 days, as
appropriate. Each determination by a Lender Party of amounts to be paid under Article III or any other matters which are to be determined hereunder by a Lender Party (such as any Eurodollar
Rate, Adjusted Eurodollar Rate, Business Day, Interest Period, or Reserve Requirement) shall, in the absence of manifest error, be conclusive and binding. Unless otherwise expressly provided herein or
unless Required Lenders otherwise consent all financial statements and reports furnished to any Lender Party hereunder shall be prepared and all financial computations and determinations pursuant
hereto shall be made in accordance with GAAP. 


        Section 1.6.    Joint Preparation; Construction of Indemnities and Releases.    This Agreement and the other
Loan Documents have been reviewed and negotiated by sophisticated parties with access to legal counsel and no rule of construction shall apply hereto or thereto which would require or allow any Loan
Document to be construed against any party because of its role in drafting such Loan Document. All indemnification and release provisions of this Agreement shall be construed broadly (and not
narrowly) in favor of the Persons receiving indemnification or being released. 


[THE
REMAINDER OF THIS PAGE IS INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK] 


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ARTICLE II    
    
    THE LOANS AND LETTERS OF CREDIT    
    



        Section 2.1.    Commitments to Lend; Notes.    


        (a)    Term Loans.    Each Term Lender agrees, severally and not jointly, to lend to Borrower in one draw, on the
Closing Date, its Percentage Share of the aggregate amount of $10,000,000 (the "Term Loan"). The Term Loan shall be evidenced by promissory notes
substantially in the form of Exhibit 2.1(a) made by the Borrower payable to the order of each Term Lender (each a "Term Note" and, collectively,
the "Term Notes"). Each Term Note shall represent the obligation of Borrower to pay the amount of the applicable Term Loan Commitment of each Term
Lender, together with interest thereon. Accrued interest on the Term Loan shall be due and payable as provided below. The principal amount of the Term Loan shall be payable in nineteen consecutive
quarterly installments commencing on April 1, 2004 and continuing on the first day of each Fiscal Quarter thereafter until the Maturity Date when the remaining unpaid principal balance shall be
paid. Each quarterly principal installment shall be in the amount of $500,000. All payments received on the Term Loan shall be applied first to accrued interest and then to principal. 



        (b)    Revolving Loans.    Subject to the terms and conditions hereof, each Revolving Lender agrees, severally and not
jointly, to make Revolving Loans to Borrower upon the request of Borrower from time to time during the Commitment Period, provided that (a) subject to Sections 3.3, 3.4 and 3.6, Revolving Loans
of the same Type made on the same day shall be made by Revolving Lenders in accordance with their respective Percentage Shares and as part of the same Borrowing; (b) after giving effect to such
Revolving Loans, the Revolving Facility Usage does not exceed the Aggregate Commitment then in effect; and (c) after giving effect to such Revolving Loans, the aggregate amount of all
outstanding Revolving Loans and outstanding Matured LC Obligations shall not exceed the Borrowing Base. The amount of all Revolving Loans in any Borrowing must be greater than or equal to $100,000 or
must equal the remaining availability under the Borrowing Base. The obligation of Borrower to repay to each Revolving Lender the aggregate amount of all Revolving Loans made by such Revolving Lender,
together with interest accruing in connection therewith, shall be evidenced by one or more promissory notes made by Borrower payable to the order of such Revolving Lender in the principal amount of
the Revolving Loan Commitment of the applicable Revolving Lender, substantially in the form of Exhibit 2.1(b) (each a "Revolving Note" and,
collectively, the "Revolving Notes"). The amount of principal owing on any Revolving Note at any given time shall be the aggregate amount of all
Revolving Loans theretofore made by such Revolving Lender minus all payments of principal theretofore received by such Revolving Lender on such Revolving Note. Interest on each Revolving Note shall
accrue and be due and payable as provided herein. Each Revolving Note shall be due and payable as provided herein, and shall be due and payable in full on the Maturity Date. Subject to the terms and
conditions hereof, Borrower may borrow, repay, and reborrow hereunder. 


        Section 2.2.    Requests for Revolving Loans.    Borrower must give to Administrative Agent written or
electronic notice (or telephonic notice promptly confirmed in writing) of any requested Borrowing of new Revolving Loans to be advanced by Revolving Lenders. Each such notice constitutes a "Borrowing
Notice" hereunder and must: 



        (a)   specify
(i) the aggregate amount of any such Borrowing of new Base Rate Loans and the date on which such Base Rate Loans are to be advanced, or (ii) the
aggregate amount of any such Borrowing of new Eurodollar Loans, the date on which such Eurodollar Loans are to be advanced (which shall be the first day of the Interest Period which is to apply
thereto), and the length of the applicable Interest Period; and 



17





 

        (b)   be
received by Administrative Agent not later than 11:00 a.m., Houston, Texas, time, on (i) the day on which any such Base Rate Loans are to be made, or
(ii) the third Business Day preceding the day on which any such Eurodollar Loans are to be made. 




Each
such written request or confirmation must be made in the form and substance of the "Borrowing Notice" attached hereto as Exhibit 2.2(b), duly completed. Each such telephonic request shall
be deemed a representation, warranty, acknowledgment and agreement by Borrower as to the matters which are required to be set out in such written confirmation. Upon receipt of any such Borrowing
Notice, Administrative Agent shall give each Lender prompt notice of the terms thereof. If all conditions precedent to such new Revolving Loans have been met, each Revolving Lender will on the date
requested promptly remit to Administrative Agent at Administrative Agent's office in Houston, Texas the amount of such Revolving Lender's new Revolving Loan in immediately available funds, and upon
receipt of such funds, unless to its actual knowledge any conditions precedent to such Revolving Loans have been neither met nor waived as provided herein, Administrative Agent shall promptly make
such Revolving Loans available to Borrower. Unless Administrative Agent shall have received prompt notice from a Revolving Lender that such Revolving Lender will not make available to Administrative
Agent such Revolving Lender's new Revolving Loan, Administrative Agent may in its discretion assume that such Revolving Lender has made such Revolving Loan available to Administrative Agent in
accordance with this section and Administrative Agent may if it chooses, in reliance upon such assumption, make such Revolving Loan available to Borrower. If and to the extent such Revolving Lender
shall not so make its new Revolving Loan available to Administrative Agent, such Revolving Lender and Borrower severally agree to pay or repay to Administrative Agent within three days after demand
the amount of such Revolving Loan together with interest thereon, for each day from the date such amount was made available to Borrower until the date such amount is paid or repaid to Administrative
Agent, with interest at (i) the Federal Funds Rate, if such Revolving Lender is making such payment and (ii) the interest rate applicable at the time to the other new Revolving Loans
made on such date, if Borrower is making such repayment. If neither such Revolving Lender nor Borrower pays or repays to Administrative Agent such amount within such three-day period,
Administrative Agent shall in addition to such amount be entitled to recover from such Revolving Lender and from Borrower, on demand, interest thereon at the Default Rate, calculated from the date
such amount was made available to Borrower. The failure of any Revolving Lender to make any new Revolving Loan to be made by it hereunder shall not relieve any other Revolving Lender of its obligation
hereunder, if any, to make its new Revolving Loan, but no Revolving Lender shall be responsible for the failure of any other Revolving Lender to make any new Revolving Loan to be made by such other
Revolving Lender. 


        Section 2.3.    Continuations and Conversions of Existing Loans.    Borrower may make the following elections
with respect to Loans already outstanding: to convert Base Rate Loans to Eurodollar Loans, to convert Eurodollar Loans to Base Rate Loans on the last day of the Interest Period applicable thereto, and
to continue Eurodollar Loans beyond the expiration of such Interest Period by designating a new Interest Period to take effect at the time of such expiration. In making such elections, Borrower may
combine existing Loans made pursuant to separate Borrowings into one new Borrowing or divide existing Loans made pursuant to one Borrowing into separate new Borrowings, provided that Borrower may have
no more than five Borrowings of Eurodollar Loans outstanding at any time. To make any such election, Borrower must give to Administrative Agent written notice (or telephonic notice promptly confirmed
in writing) of any such Conversion or Continuation of existing Loans, with a separate notice given for each new Borrowing. Each such notice constitutes a "Continuation/Conversion Notice" hereunder and
must: 



        (a)   specify
the existing Loans which are to be Continued or Converted; 



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        (b)   specify
(i) the aggregate amount of any Borrowing of Base Rate Loans into which such existing Loans are to be converted and the date on which such Continuation or
Conversion is to occur, or (ii) the aggregate amount of any Borrowing of Eurodollar Loans into which such existing Loans are to be continued or converted, the date on which such Continuation or
Conversion is to occur (which shall be the first day of the Interest Period which is to apply to such Eurodollar Loans), and the length of the applicable Interest Period; and 


        (c)   be
received by Administrative Agent not later than 11:00 a.m., Houston, Texas time, on (i) the day on which any such conversion to Base Rate Loans is to
occur, or (ii) the third Business Day preceding the day on which any such Continuation or Conversion to Eurodollar Loans is to occur. 




Each
such written request or confirmation must be made in the form and substance of the "Continuation/Conversion Notice" attached hereto as Exhibit 2.3(c), duly completed. Each such telephonic
request shall be deemed a representation, warranty, acknowledgment and agreement by Borrower as to the matters which are required to be set out in such written confirmation. Upon receipt of any such
Continuation/Conversion Notice, Administrative Agent shall give each Lender prompt notice of the terms thereof. Each Continuation/Conversion Notice shall be irrevocable and binding on Borrower. During
the continuance of any Default, Borrower may not make any election to convert existing Loans into Eurodollar Loans or continue existing Loans as Eurodollar Loans. If (due to the existence of a Default
or for any other reason) Borrower fails to timely and properly give any Continuation/Conversion Notice with respect to a Borrowing of existing Eurodollar Loans at least three days prior to the end of
the Interest Period applicable thereto, such Eurodollar Loans shall automatically be converted into Base Rate Loans at the end of such Interest Period. No new funds shall be repaid by Borrower or
advanced by any Lender in connection with any Continuation or Conversion of existing Loans pursuant to this section, and no such Continuation or Conversion shall be deemed to be a new advance of funds
for any purpose; such Continuations and Conversions merely constitute a change in the interest rate applicable to already outstanding Loans. 



        Section 2.4.    Use of Proceeds.    Borrower shall use the Term Loans to refinance Prior Indebtedness under the
Prior Credit Documents; and Revolving Loans to (i) refinance Prior Indebtedness under the Prior Credit Documents; (ii) refinance Matured LC Obligations; and (iii) provide working
capital for its operations and for other general business purposes. Borrower shall use all Letters of Credit for its general corporate purposes. In no event shall the funds from any Loan or any Letter
of Credit be used directly or indirectly by any Person for personal, family, household or agricultural purposes or for the purpose, whether immediate, incidental or ultimate, of purchasing, acquiring
or carrying any Margin Stock or to extend credit to others directly or indirectly for the purpose of purchasing or carrying any such Margin Stock. Borrower represents and warrants that Borrower is not
engaged principally, or as one of Borrower's important activities, in the business of extending credit to others for the purpose of purchasing or carrying such Margin Stock. 


        Section 2.5.    Interest Rates and Fees; Payment
Dates.    (a) Interest.    Subject to subsection (b) below, (i) each Base Rate Loan
shall bear interest on each day it is outstanding at the Adjusted Base Rate in effect on such day, and (ii) each Eurodollar Loan shall bear interest on each day during the related Interest
Period at the related Adjusted Eurodollar Rate in effect on such day, and (iii) if an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, all Loans shall bear interest on each day outstanding at
the applicable Default Rate. Past due payments of principal and interest shall bear interest at the rates and in the manner set forth in the Notes. Notwithstanding the forgoing, Borrower may request
from time to time that Borrower and the Lender enter into a Hedging Contract providing for interest rate protection (1) for a term expiring no earlier than one year after the Closing Date; and
(2) with other terms and conditions reasonably satisfactory to Documentation Agent. 


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        (b)    Default Rate.    If an Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing under Section 8.1(a), (b),
(j)(i), (j)(ii), or (j)(iii), all outstanding Loans shall bear interest at the applicable Default Rate. In addition, if an Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing (other than under
Section 8.1(a), (b), (j)(i), (j)(ii), or (j)(iii)), Required Lenders may, by notice to Borrower, elect to have the outstanding Loans bear interest at the applicable Default Rate, whereupon such
Loans shall bear interest at the applicable Default Rate until the earlier of (i) the first date thereafter upon which there shall be no Event of Default continuing and (ii) the date
upon which Required Lenders shall have rescinded such notice. 



        (c)    Commitment Fees.    In consideration of each Revolving Loan Commitment of each Revolving Lender to make
Revolving Loans, Borrower will pay to Administrative Agent for the account of each Revolving Lender a fee (the "Commitment Fee") determined on a daily basis by multiplying the applicable Commitment
Fee Rate by the Percentage Share of such Revolving Lender of the unused portion of the Revolving Loan Commitment on each day during the Commitment Period, determined for each such day by deducting
from the amount of the Revolving Loan Commitment at the end of such day the Revolving Facility Usage. This Commitment Fee shall be due and payable in arrears on the first day of each Fiscal Quarter
and at the end of the Commitment Period. 


        (d)    Upfront Fees.    In consideration of the Lenders' commitment to make Loans, Borrower will pay to Administrative
Agent for the ratable account of the Lenders an upfront fee in the aggregate amount of $250,000, due and payable on the date hereof. 


        (e)    Additional Fees.    In addition to all other amounts due to Administrative Agent under the Loan Documents,
Borrower will pay fees to Administrative Agent and the Arranger as described in a letter agreement of even date herewith between Administrative Agent, Arranger and Borrower. 



        (f)    Payment Dates.    On each Interest Payment Date relating to Base Rate Loans, Borrower shall pay to the Lenders
all unpaid interest which has accrued on the Base Rate Loans to but not including such Interest Payment Date. On each Interest Payment Date relating to a Eurodollar Loan, Borrower shall pay to Lenders
all unpaid interest which has accrued on such Eurodollar Loan to but not including such Interest Payment Date. 


        Section 2.6.    Optional Prepayments and Voluntary Reduction of Commitment.    Borrower may, without penalty,
(a) upon notice to Administrative Agent to be received no later than 11:00 a.m., Houston, Texas time, with respect to any Base Rate Loan and (b) upon three Business Days' notice
to each Lender with respect to any Eurodollar Loan, from time to time and without premium or penalty prepay the Loans, in whole or in part, provided (i) that the aggregate amounts of all
partial prepayments of principal on the Notes equals $100,000 or any higher integral multiple of $100,000; and (ii) that if Borrower prepays any Eurodollar Loan on any day other than the last
day of the Interest Period applicable thereto, it shall pay to Lenders any amounts due under Section 3.5. Each prepayment of principal of any Eurodollar Loan under this section shall be
accompanied by all interest then accrued and unpaid on the principal so prepaid. Any principal or interest prepaid pursuant to this section shall be in addition to, and not in lieu of, all payments
otherwise required to be paid under the Loan Documents at the time of such prepayment. During the period from the Closing Date through the first anniversary of this Agreement, Borrower may, upon at
least three (3) Business Days' prior written notice to the Administrative Agent, prepay the Obligations in full and upon receipt of such prepayment and a payment to the Lenders of a termination
fee in the amount of $500,000, the Aggregate Commitments of the Lenders will terminate. During the period from the first anniversary of this Agreement until the Maturity Date, Borrower may, upon at
least three (3) Business Days' prior written notice to the Administrative Agent, prepay the Obligations in full, without premium or penalty, 


20





 



and
upon receipt of such prepayment, the Aggregate Commitments of the Lenders will terminate. Notwithstanding the forgoing, during the period from the Closing Date until the first anniversary of this
Agreement, Borrower may not partially reduce the Revolving Loan Commitments hereunder. From the date of the first anniversary of the Agreement until the second anniversary of this Agreement, Borrower
may, upon at least three (3) Business Days' prior written notice to the Administrative Agent, without premium or penalty, reduce the Revolving Loan Commitments by an amount not to exceed
$5,000,000. From the date of the second anniversary of this Agreement through the third anniversary of this Agreement, Borrower may, upon at least three (3) Business Days' prior written notice
to the Administrative Agent, without premium or penalty, further reduce the Revolving Loan Commitments; provided, however, the amount by which the Revolving Loan Commitments were reduced after the
first anniversary of this Agreement and the amount by which the Revolving Loan Commitments are to be reduced after the second anniversary of this Agreement may not exceed $10,000,000 in the aggregate. 


        Section 2.7.    Mandatory Prepayments.    (a) If at any time the Revolving Facility Usage exceeds the
Revolving Loan Commitment (whether due to a reduction in the Revolving Loan Commitment in accordance with this Agreement, or otherwise), Borrower shall immediately upon demand prepay the principal of
the Loans (and after the Loans are repaid in full, provide LC Collateral in accordance with Section 2.14(a)) in an amount at least equal to such excess. 


        (b)   If
at any time the Revolving Facility Usage is less than the Revolving Loan Commitment but in excess of the Adjusted Borrowing Base (such excess being herein called a
"Borrowing Base Deficiency"), Borrower shall, within five Business Days after Administrative Agent gives notice of such fact to Borrower, either: 



        (i)    give
notice to Administrative Agent electing to prepay the principal of the Revolving Loans (and after all Revolving Loans are repaid in full, provide LC Collateral in
accordance with Section 2.14(a)) in an aggregate amount at least equal to such Borrowing Base Deficiency (or, if the Revolving Loans have been paid in full, pay to LC Issuer LC Collateral as
required under Section 2.14(a)), such prepayment to be made in full on or before the second Business Day after such notice by Borrower, or 


        (ii)   provide
the Administrative Agent with a revised Borrowing Base Certificate which indicates therein that the Borrowing Base Deficiency no longer exists. 




        (c)   Within
three (3) Business Days after the receipt of any Net Sales Proceeds aggregating in excess of $1,000,000 for any single transaction or related series of
transactions, Borrower shall apply such Net Sales Proceeds to repay (i) the Term Loans then outstanding; and (ii) after the Term Loans have been paid in full, the Revolving Loans and in
the case of a prepayment under this clause (ii), the Revolving Loan Commitment shall be permanently reduced in an aggregate amount equal to such Net Sales Proceeds. No later than the 180th day
after the receipt of any Net Sales Proceeds aggregating $1,000,000 or less for any single transaction or related series of transactions, Borrower shall apply such Net Sales Proceeds to repay
(x) the Term Loans then outstanding; and (y) after the Term Loans have been paid in full, the Revolving Loans and in the case of prepayments under this clause (y) the Revolving
Loan Commitment shall be permanently reduced in an aggregate amount equal to such Net Sales Proceeds unless within 180 days of receipt thereof, such Net Sales Proceeds are reinvested in
productive replacement assets of a kind then used or useable in the business of Borrower or a Subsidiary which is a Restricted Person. 


        (d)   Each
prepayment of principal under this section shall be accompanied by all interest then accrued and unpaid on the principal so prepaid. Any principal or interest
prepaid pursuant to this section shall be in addition to, and not in lieu of, all payments otherwise required to be paid under the Loan Documents at the time of such prepayment. 


21





 



        Section 2.8.    Borrowing Base.    Borrower shall determine from time to time the Borrowing Base by submitting
to the Administrative Agent the Borrowing Base Certificate substantially in the form of Exhibit 2.8 hereto. 


        Section 2.9.    Letters of Credit.    Subject to the terms and conditions hereof, Borrower may during the
Commitment Period request LC Issuer to, and LC Issuer shall (provided, however, LC Issuer shall not be obligated to issue a Letter of Credit in favor of the Surety if the issuance of such Letter of
Credit would cause the aggregate outstanding Letters of Credit issued in favor of the Surety to exceed $5,000,000), issue one or more Letters of Credit, provided that, after taking such Letter of
Credit into account: 



        (a)   the
Revolving Facility Usage does not exceed the Adjusted Borrowing Base at such time; and 


        (b)   the
expiration date of such Letter of Credit is prior to the end of the Commitment Period. 




        Section 2.10.    Requesting Letters of Credit.    Borrower must make written application for any Letter of
Credit at least two (2) Business Days (or such shorter period as LC Issuer may in its discretion from time to time agree) before the date on which Borrower desires for LC Issuer to issue such
Letter of Credit. By making any such written application Borrower shall be deemed to have represented and warranted that the LC Conditions described in Section 2.11 will be met as of the date
of issuance of such Letter of Credit. Each such written application for a Letter of Credit must be made in writing in the form and substance of Exhibit 2.10, the terms and provisions of which
are hereby incorporated herein by reference (or in such other form as may mutually be agreed upon by LC Issuer and Borrower). Two Business Days after the LC Conditions for a Letter of Credit have been
met as described in Section 2.11 (or if LC Issuer otherwise desires to issue such Letter of Credit), LC Issuer will issue such Letter of Credit at LC Issuer's office in Houston, Texas. If any
provisions of any LC Application conflict with any provisions of this Agreement, the provisions of this Agreement shall govern and control. Borrower shall promptly examine a copy of each Letter of
Credit and each amendment thereto that is delivered to it and, in the event of any claim of noncompliance with Borrower's instructions or other irregularity, Borrower will promptly notify LC Issuer. 



        Section 2.11.    Reimbursement and Participations.    (a) Reimbursement by
Borrower.    Each Matured LC Obligation shall constitute a Revolving Loan by LC Issuer to Borrower. Borrower promises to pay to LC Issuer, or to LC Issuer's order, on
the Business Day immediately following the day on which a demand is made, the full amount of each Matured LC Obligation, together with interest thereon at the Default Rate applicable to Base Rate
Loans. The obligation of Borrower to reimburse LC Issuer for each Matured LC Obligation shall be absolute, unconditional and irrevocable, and shall be paid strictly in accordance with the terms of
this Agreement (including any LC Application) under all circumstances, including the following: (i) any lack of validity or enforceability of such Letter of Credit or any other agreement or
instrument relating thereto; (ii) the existence of any claim, counterclaim, set-off, defense or other right that Borrower may have at any time against any beneficiary or any
transferee of such Letter of Credit (or any Person for whom any such beneficiary or any such transferee may be acting), LC Issuer or any other Person, whether in connection with this Agreement, the
transactions contemplated hereby or by such Letter of Credit or any agreement or instrument relating thereto, or any unrelated transaction; (iii) any draft, demand, certificate or other
document presented under such Letter of Credit proving to be forged, fraudulent, invalid or insufficient in any respect or any statement therein being untrue or inaccurate in any respect; or any loss
or delay in the 


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transmission
or otherwise of any document required in order to make a drawing under such Letter of Credit; (iv) any payment by LC Issuer under such Letter of Credit against presentation of a
draft or certificate that does not strictly comply with the terms of such Letter of Credit; or (v) any other circumstance or happening whatsoever, whether or not similar to any of the
foregoing. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, it is expressly agreed that the absolute and unconditional nature of Borrower's obligations under this section to reimburse LC Issuer for
each drawing under a Letter of Credit will not be excused by the gross negligence or willful misconduct of LC Issuer. However, the foregoing shall not be construed to excuse LC Issuer from liability
to Borrower to the extent of any direct damages (as opposed to consequential damages, claims in respect of which are hereby waived by Borrower to the extent permitted by applicable Law) suffered by
Borrower that are caused by LC Issuer's gross negligence or willful misconduct in determining whether drafts and other documents presented under a Letter of Credit comply with the terms thereof. 



        (b)    Letter of Credit Advances.    If the beneficiary of any Letter of Credit makes a draft or other demand for
payment thereunder then Borrower may, during the interval between the making thereof and the honoring thereof by LC Issuer, request Lenders to make Loans to Borrower in the amount of such draft or
demand, which Loans shall be made concurrently with LC Issuer's payment of such draft or demand and shall be immediately used by LC Issuer to repay the amount of the resulting Matured LC Obligation.
Such a request by Borrower shall be made in compliance with all of the provisions hereof, provided that for the purposes of the first sentence of Section 2.1(b), the amount of such Loans shall
be considered, but the amount of the Matured LC Obligation to be concurrently paid by such Loans shall not be considered. 


        (c)    Participation by Lenders.    LC Issuer irrevocably agrees to grant and hereby grants to each Lender, and to
induce LC Issuer to issue Letters of Credit hereunder each Lender irrevocably agrees to accept and purchase and hereby accepts and purchases from LC Issuer, on the terms and conditions hereinafter
stated and for such Lender's own account and risk, an undivided interest equal to such Lender's Percentage Share of LC Issuer's obligations and rights under each Letter of Credit issued hereunder and
the amount of each Matured LC Obligation paid by LC Issuer thereunder. Each Lender unconditionally and irrevocably agrees with LC Issuer that, if a Matured LC Obligation is paid under any Letter of
Credit for which LC Issuer is not reimbursed in full by Borrower in accordance with the terms of this Agreement and the related LC Application (including any reimbursement by means of concurrent Loans
or by the application of LC Collateral), such Lender shall (in all circumstances and without set-off or counterclaim) pay to LC Issuer on demand, in immediately available funds at LC
Issuer's address for notices hereunder, such Lender's Percentage Share of such Matured LC Obligation (or any portion thereof which has not been reimbursed by Borrower). Each Lender's obligation to pay
LC Issuer pursuant to the terms of this subsection is irrevocable and unconditional. If any amount required to be paid by any Lender to LC Issuer pursuant to this subsection is paid by such Lender to
LC Issuer within three Business Days after the date such payment is due, LC Issuer shall in addition to such amount be entitled to recover from such Lender, on demand, interest thereon calculated from
such due date at the Federal Funds Rate. If any amount required to be paid by any Lender to LC Issuer pursuant to this subsection is not paid by such Lender to LC Issuer within three Business Days
after the date such payment is due, LC Issuer shall in addition to such amount be entitled to recover from such Lender, on demand, interest thereon calculated from such due date at the Default Rate. 


23





 



        (d)    Distributions to Participants.    Whenever LC Issuer has in accordance with this section received from any
Lender payment of such Lender's Percentage Share of any Matured LC Obligation, if LC Issuer thereafter receives any payment of such Matured LC Obligation or any payment of interest thereon (whether
directly from Borrower or by application of LC Collateral or otherwise, and excluding only interest for any period prior to LC Issuer's demand that such Lender make such payment of its Percentage
Share), LC Issuer will distribute to such Lender its Percentage Share of the amounts so received by LC Issuer; provided, however, that if any such payment received by LC Issuer must thereafter be
returned by LC Issuer, such Lender shall return to LC Issuer the portion thereof which LC Issuer has previously distributed to it. 


        (e)    Calculations.    A written advice setting forth in reasonable detail the amounts owing under this section,
submitted by LC Issuer to Borrower or any Lender from time to time, shall be conclusive, absent manifest error, as to the amounts thereof. 


        Section 2.12.    Letter of Credit Fees.    In consideration of LC Issuer's issuance of any Letter of Credit,
Borrower agrees to pay (a) to Administrative Agent, for the account of all Lenders in accordance with their respective Percentage Shares, a per annum letter of credit issuance fee at a rate
equal to 75% of the Base Rate Margin in effect for Revolving Loans, and (b) to such LC Issuer for its own account, a letter of credit fronting fee at a rate equal to 0.125% per annum. The
letter of credit fee and the letter of credit fronting fee will be calculated on the undrawn face amount of each Letter of Credit outstanding on each day at the above-applicable rates and will be due
and payable in arrears on the first day of each Fiscal Quarter and at the end of the Commitment Period. 


        Section 2.13.    No Duty to Inquire.    (a) Drafts and
Demands.    LC Issuer is authorized and instructed to accept and pay drafts and demands for payment under any Letter of Credit without requiring, and without
responsibility for, any determination as to the existence of any event giving rise to said draft, either at the time of acceptance or payment or thereafter. LC Issuer is under no duty to determine the
proper identity of anyone presenting such a draft or making such a demand (whether by tested telex or otherwise) as the officer, representative or Administrative Agent of any beneficiary under any
Letter of Credit, and payment by LC Issuer to any such beneficiary when requested by any such purported officer, representative or Administrative Agent is hereby authorized and approved. Borrower
releases each Lender Party from, and agrees to hold each Lender Party harmless and indemnified against, any liability or claim in connection with or arising out of the subject matter of this section,
which indemnity shall apply whether or not any such liability or claim is in any way or to any extent caused, in whole or in part, by any negligent act or omission of any kind by any Lender Party,
provided only that no Lender Party shall be entitled to indemnification for that portion, if any, of any liability or claim which is proximately caused by its own individual gross negligence or
willful misconduct, as determined in a final judgment. 


        (b)    Extension of Maturity.    If the maturity of any Letter of Credit is extended by its terms or by Law or
governmental action, if any extension of the maturity or time for presentation of drafts or any other modification of the terms of any Letter of Credit is made at the request of any Restricted Person,
or if the amount of any Letter of Credit is increased at the request of any Restricted Person, this Agreement shall be binding upon all Restricted Persons with respect to such Letter of Credit as so
extended, increased or otherwise modified, with respect to drafts and property covered thereby, and with respect to any action taken by LC Issuer, LC Issuer's correspondents, or any Lender Party in
accordance with such extension, increase or other modification. 


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        (c)    Transferees of Letters of Credit.    If any Letter of Credit provides that it is transferable, LC Issuer shall
have no duty to determine the proper identity of anyone appearing as transferee of such Letter of Credit, nor shall LC Issuer be charged with responsibility of any nature or character for the validity
or correctness of any transfer or successive transfers, and payment by LC Issuer to any purported transferee or transferees as determined by LC Issuer is hereby authorized and approved, and Borrower
releases each Lender Party from, and agrees to hold each Lender Party harmless and indemnified against, any liability or claim in connection with or arising out of the foregoing, which indemnity shall
apply whether or not any such liability or claim is in any way or to any extent caused, in whole or in part, by any negligent act or omission of any kind by any Lender Party, provided only that no
Lender Party shall be entitled to indemnification for that portion, if any, of any liability or claim which is proximately caused by its own individual gross negligence or willful misconduct, as
determined in a final judgment. 


        Section 2.14.    LC Collateral.    (a) If, after the making of all mandatory prepayments of principal of
the Loans required under Section 2.7(a), the outstanding LC Obligations will exceed the Adjusted Borrowing Base, then in addition to prepayment of the entire principal balance of the Loans,
Borrower will immediately pay to the Administrative Agent an amount equal to such excess. The Administrative Agent will hold such amount as security for the remaining LC Obligations (all such amounts
held as security for LC Obligations being herein collectively called "LC Collateral") and the other Obligations, and such collateral may be applied from time to time to any Matured LC Obligations or
other Obligations which are due and payable. At the Borrower's request and when no Default exists, the Administrative Agent shall return to the Borrower the amount held as LC Collateral, to the extent
such amount is in excess of the amount required under the first sentence of this Section 2.14(a). Neither this subsection nor the following subsection shall, however, limit or impair any rights
which LC Issuer may have under any other document or agreement relating to any Letter of Credit, LC Collateral or LC Obligation, including any LC Application, or any rights which any Lender Party may
have to otherwise apply any payments by Borrower and any LC Collateral under Section 3.1. 



        (b)    Acceleration of LC Obligations.    If the Obligations or any part thereof become immediately due and payable
pursuant to Section 8.1 then, unless Required Lenders otherwise specifically elect to the contrary (which election may thereafter be retracted by Required Lenders at any time), all LC
Obligations shall be deemed to become immediately due and payable without regard to whether or not actual drawings or payments on the Letters of Credit have occurred, and Borrower shall be obligated
to pay to LC Issuer immediately an amount equal to the aggregate LC Obligations which are then outstanding, which amount shall be held by LC Issuer as LC Collateral securing the remaining LC
Obligations and the other Obligations, and such LC Collateral may be applied from time to time to any Matured LC Obligations or any other Obligations which are due and payable. 


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        (c)    Investment of LC Collateral.    Pending application thereof, all LC Collateral shall be invested by the
Administrative Agent in such Investments as the Administrative Agent may choose in its sole discretion. All interest on (and other proceeds of) such Investments shall be reinvested or applied to
Matured LC Obligations or other Obligations which are due and payable. When all Obligations have been satisfied in full, including all LC Obligations, all Letters of Credit have expired or been
terminated, and all of Borrower's reimbursement obligations in connection therewith have been satisfied in full or when the condition pursuant to which the LC Collateral was required no longer exists,
the Administrative Agent shall release any remaining LC Collateral. Borrower hereby assigns and grants to the Administrative Agent a continuing security interest in all LC Collateral paid by it to the
Administrative Agent, all Investments purchased with such LC Collateral, and all proceeds thereof to secure its Matured LC Obligations and its Obligations under this Agreement, each Note, and the
other Loan Documents, and Borrower agrees that such LC Collateral, Investments and proceeds shall be subject to all of the terms and conditions of the Security Documents. Borrower further agrees that
the Administrative Agent shall have all of the rights and remedies of a secured party under the Uniform Commercial Code as adopted in the State of Texas with respect to such security interest and that
an Event of Default under this Agreement shall constitute a default for purposes of such security interest. 


        (d)    Payment of LC Collateral.    When Borrower is required to provide LC Collateral for any reason and fails to do
so on the day when required, the Administrative Agent or LC Issuer may without notice to Borrower or any other Restricted Person provide such LC Collateral (whether by application of proceeds of other
Collateral, by transfers from other accounts maintained with the Administrative Agent or LC Issuer, or otherwise) using any available funds of Borrower or any other Person also liable to make such
payments. Any such amounts which are required to be provided as LC Collateral and which are not provided on the date required shall, for purposes of each Security Document, be considered past due
Obligations owing hereunder, and LC Issuer is hereby authorized to exercise its respective rights under each Security Document to obtain such amounts. 


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ARTICLE III    
    
    PAYMENTS TO LENDERS    
    


        Section 3.1.    General Procedures.    Borrower will make each payment which it owes under the Loan Documents
to Administrative Agent for the account of the Lender Party to whom such payment is owed, in lawful money of the United States of America, without set-off, deduction or counterclaim, and
in immediately available funds. Each such payment must be received by Administrative Agent not later than 11:00 a.m., Houston, Texas time, on the date such payment becomes due and payable. Any
payment received by Administrative Agent after such time will be deemed to have been made on the next following Business Day. Should any such payment become due and payable on a day other than a
Business Day, the maturity of such payment shall be extended to the next succeeding Business Day, and, in the case of a payment of principal or past due interest, interest shall accrue and be payable
thereon for the period of such extension as provided in the Loan Document under which such payment is due. Each payment under a Loan Document shall be due and payable at the place set forth for
Administrative Agent on the signature pages hereto. When Administrative Agent collects or receives money on account of the Obligations, Administrative Agent shall distribute all money so collected or
received, and each Lender Party shall apply all such money so distributed, as follows (except as otherwise provided in Section 8.3): 



        (a)   first,
for the payment of all Obligations which are then due (and if such money is insufficient to pay all such Obligations, first to any reimbursements due
Administrative Agent under Section 6.9 or 10.4 and then to the partial payment of all other Obligations then due in proportion to the amounts thereof, or as Lender Parties shall otherwise
agree); 


        (b)   then
for the prepayment of amounts owing under the Loan Documents (other than principal of the Loans) if so specified by Borrower; 


        (c)   then
for the prepayment of principal of the Loans, together with accrued and unpaid interest on the principal so prepaid; and 


        (d)   last,
for the payment or prepayment of any other Obligations. 




All
payments applied to principal or interest on any Note shall be applied first to any interest then due and payable, then to principal then due and payable, and last to any prepayment of principal
and interest in compliance with Sections 2.6 and 2.7. All distributions of amounts described in any of subsections (b), (c) or (d) above shall be made by Administrative Agent pro rata to
each Lender Party then owed Obligations described in such subsection in proportion to all amounts owed to all Lender Parties which are described in such subsection; provided that if any Lender then
owes payments to LC Issuer for the purchase of a participation under Section 2.13(c) or to Administrative Agent under Section 9.9, any amounts otherwise distributable under this section
to such Lender shall be deemed to belong to LC Issuer, or Administrative Agent, respectively, to the extent of such unpaid payments, and Administrative Agent shall apply such amounts to make such
unpaid payments rather than distribute such amounts to such Lender. 


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        Section 3.2.    Capital Reimbursement.    If either (a) the introduction or implementation after the
date hereof of or the compliance with or any change after the date hereof in or in the interpretation of any Law regarding capital adequacy, or (b) the introduction or implementation after the
date hereof of or the compliance with any request, directive or guideline issued after the date hereof from any central bank or other governmental authority (whether or not having the force of Law)
regarding capital requirements has or would have the effect of reducing the rate of return on any Lender Party's capital, or on the capital of any corporation controlling such Lender Party, as a
consequence of the Loans made, or Letters of Credit issued, by such Lender Party, to a level below that which such Lender Party or such corporation could have achieved but for such change (taking into
consideration such Lender Party's policies and the policies of any such corporation with respect to capital adequacy), then from time to time Borrower will pay to Administrative Agent for the benefit
of such Lender Party, within five (5) Business Days of demand therefore by such Lender Party, such additional amount or amounts which such Lender Party shall determine to be appropriate to
compensate such Lender Party for such reduction. 


        Section 3.3.    Increased Cost of Eurodollar Loans or Letters of Credit.    (a) If any change after the
date hereof in any applicable Law (whether now in effect or hereinafter enacted or promulgated, including Regulation D) or any interpretation or administration thereof by any governmental
authority charged with the interpretation or administration thereof (whether or not having the force of Law): 



        (i)    shall
change the basis of taxation of payments to any Lender Party of any principal, interest, or other amounts attributable to any Eurodollar Loan or Letter of Credit
or otherwise due under this Agreement in respect of any Eurodollar Loan or Letter of Credit (other than Reimbursable Taxes governed by Section 3.6 and taxes imposed on or measured by its
overall net income, and franchise taxes imposed on it (in lieu of net income taxes), by the jurisdiction (or any political subdivision thereof) under the Laws of which it is organized or otherwise
resides for tax purposes or maintains any Applicable Lending Office); or 


        (ii)   shall
change, impose, modify, apply or deem applicable any reserve, special deposit or similar requirements in respect of any Eurodollar Loan made by any Lender Party
or any Letter of Credit (excluding any reserve requirement included in the computation of the Adjusted Eurodollar Rate) or against assets of, deposits with or for the account of, or credit extended
by, such Lender Party; or 


        (iii)  shall
impose on any Lender Party or the interbank eurocurrency deposit market any condition affecting any Eurodollar Loan or Letter of Credit, 




the
result of which is to increase the cost to any Lender Party of agreeing to make or making, funding or maintaining Eurodollar Loans or (as the case may be) issuing or participating in Letters of
Credit, or a reduction in the amount received or receivable by such Lender in connection with any of the foregoing, then such Lender Party shall promptly notify Administrative Agent and Borrower in
writing of the happening of such event and of the amount required to compensate such Lender Party for such additional costs or reduced return (on an after-tax basis, taking into account
any taxes on and deductions, credits or other tax benefits in respect of such compensation), whereupon (i) Borrower shall pay such amount to Administrative Agent for the account of such Lender
Party and (ii) Borrower may elect, by giving to Administrative Agent and such Lender Party not less than three Business Days' notice, to convert all (but not less than all) of any such
Eurodollar Loans of such Lender Party into Base Rate Loans. 



        (b)   A
certificate of a Lender Party setting forth the amount or amounts necessary to compensate such Lender Party or the corporation controlling such Lender Party, as the
case may be, as specified in Section 3.2 or this Section 3.3 shall be delivered to Borrower and shall be conclusive absent manifest error. Borrower shall pay the applicable Lender Party
the amount shown as due on any such certificate within 3 Business Days after receipt thereof. 



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        (c)   Failure
or delay on the part of any Lender Party to demand compensation pursuant to Section 3.2 or this Section 3.3 shall not constitute a waiver of such
Lender Party's right to demand such compensation. 




        Section 3.4.    Illegality.    If any change after the date hereof in applicable Laws, or in the interpretation
or administration thereof of or in any jurisdiction whatsoever, domestic or foreign, shall make it unlawful for any Lender Party to fund or maintain Eurodollar Loans, then, upon notice by such Lender
Party to Borrower and Administrative Agent, (a) Borrower's right to elect Eurodollar Loans from such Lender Party shall be suspended to the extent and for the duration of such illegality,
(b) all Eurodollar Loans of such Lender Party which are then the subject of any Borrowing Notice and which cannot be lawfully funded shall be funded as Base Rate Loans of such Lender Party, and
(c) all Eurodollar Loans of such Lender Party shall be converted automatically to Base Rate Loans on the respective last days of the then current Interest Periods with respect to such Loans or
within such earlier period as required by Law. If any such conversion of a Eurodollar Loan occurs on a day which is not the last day of the then current Interest Period with respect thereto, Borrower
shall pay to such Lender Party such amounts, if any, as may be required pursuant to Section 3.5. 


        Section 3.5.    Funding Losses.    In addition to its other obligations hereunder, Borrower will indemnify each
Lender Party against, and reimburse each Lender Party on demand for, any loss or expense incurred or sustained by such Lender Party (including any loss or expense incurred by reason of the liquidation
or reemployment of deposits or other funds acquired by a Lender Party to fund or maintain Eurodollar Loans but excluding any loss of Base Rate Margin or Eurodollar Margin), as a result of
(a) any payment or prepayment (whether authorized or required hereunder or otherwise) of all or a portion of a Eurodollar Loan on a day other than the day on which the applicable Interest
Period ends, (b) any payment or prepayment, whether required hereunder or otherwise, of a Loan made after the delivery, but before the effective date, of a Continuation/Conversion Notice
requesting the continuation of outstanding Eurodollar Loans as, or the conversion of outstanding Base Rate Loans to, Eurodollar Loans, if such payment or prepayment prevents such
Continuation/Conversion Notice from becoming fully effective, (c) the failure of any Loan to be made or of any Continuation/Conversion Notice requesting the continuation of outstanding
Eurodollar Loans as, or the conversion of outstanding Base Rate Loans to, Eurodollar Loans to become effective due to any condition precedent not being satisfied or due to any other action or inaction
of any Restricted Person, (d) any Conversion (whether authorized or required hereunder or otherwise) of all or any portion of any Eurodollar Loan into a Base Rate Loan or into a different
Eurodollar Loan on a day other than the day on which the applicable Interest Period ends, or (e) any assignment of a Eurodollar Loan on a day other than the last day of the Interest Period
therefor as a result of a request by Borrower pursuant to Section 3.8(b). 


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        Section 3.6.    Reimbursable Taxes.    Borrower covenants and agrees that: 



        (a)   Borrower
will indemnify each Lender Party against and reimburse each Lender Party for all present and future income, stamp and other taxes, levies, costs and charges
whatsoever imposed, assessed, levied or collected on or in respect of this Agreement or any Eurodollar Loans or Letters of Credit (whether or not legally or correctly imposed, assessed, levied or
collected), excluding, however, (i) taxes imposed on or measured by its overall net income, and franchise taxes imposed on it (in lieu of net income taxes), by the jurisdiction (or any
political subdivision thereof) under the Laws of which it is organized or otherwise resides for tax purposes or maintains any Applicable Lending Office, (ii) with respect to each Lender Party,
taxes imposed by reason of any present or former connection between such Lender Party and the jurisdiction imposing such taxes, other than solely as a result of this Agreement or any Note or any
transaction contemplated hereby, and (iii) any United States withholding tax imposed on any payment by Borrower pursuant to this Agreement or under any Eurodollar Loans or Letters of Credit,
but not excluding any portion of such tax that exceeds the United States withholding tax which would have been imposed on such a payment to such Lender Party under the laws and treaties in effect when
such Lender Party first becomes a party to this Agreement (all such non-excluded taxes, levies, costs and charges being collectively called "Reimbursable Taxes"). Such indemnification
shall be on an after-tax basis and, except as otherwise provided in Section 3.6(b), paid within 3 Business Days after a Lender Party makes demand therefor. 


        (b)   All
payments on account of the principal of, and interest on, each Lender Party's Loans and Note, and all other amounts payable by Borrower to any Lender Party
hereunder, shall be made in full without set-off or counterclaim and shall be made free and clear of and without deductions or withholdings of any nature by reason of any Reimbursable
Taxes, all of which will be for the account of Borrower. In the event of Borrower being compelled by Law to make any such deduction or withholding from any payment to any Lender Party, Borrower shall
pay on the due date of such payment, by way of additional interest, such additional amounts as are needed to cause the amount receivable by such Lender Party after such deduction or withholding to
equal the amount which would have been receivable in the absence of such deduction or withholding. If Borrower should make any deduction or withholding as aforesaid, Borrower shall within
60 days thereafter forward to such Lender Party an official receipt or other official document evidencing payment of such deduction or withholding. 


        (c)   If
Borrower is ever required to pay any Reimbursable Tax with respect to any Eurodollar Loan, Borrower may elect, by giving to Administrative Agent and such Lender Party
not less than three Business Days' notice, to convert all (but not less than all) of any such Eurodollar Loan into a Base Rate Loan, but such election shall not diminish Borrower's obligation to pay
all Reimbursable Taxes. 



30





 




        (d)   Notwithstanding
the foregoing provisions of this section, Borrower shall be entitled, to the extent it is required to do so by Law, to deduct or withhold (and not to
make any indemnification or reimbursement for) income or other similar taxes imposed by the United States of America from interest, fees or other amounts payable hereunder for the account of any
Lender Party, other than a Lender Party (i) who is a U.S. person for Federal income tax purposes or (ii) who has the Prescribed Forms on file with Administrative Agent (with copies
provided to Borrower) for the applicable year to the extent deduction or withholding of such taxes is not required as a result of the filing of such Prescribed Forms, provided that if Borrower shall
so deduct or withhold any such taxes, it shall provide a statement to Administrative Agent and such Lender Party, setting forth the amount of such taxes so deducted or withheld, the applicable rate
and any other information or documentation which such Lender Party may reasonably request for assisting such Lender Party to obtain any allowable credits or deductions for the taxes so deducted or
withheld in the jurisdiction or jurisdictions in which such Lender Party is subject to tax. As used in this section, "Prescribed Forms" means such duly executed forms or statements, and in such number
of copies, which may, from time to time, be prescribed by Law and which, pursuant to applicable provisions of (x) an income tax treaty between the United States and the country of residence of
the Lender Party providing the forms or statements, (y) the Internal Revenue Code, or (z) any applicable rules or regulations thereunder, permit Borrower to make payments hereunder for
the account of such Lender Party free of such deduction or withholding of income or similar taxes. 




        Section 3.7.    Alternative Rate of Interest.    If prior to the commencement of any Interest Period for a
Borrowing of Eurodollar Loans: 



        (a)   Administrative
Agent determines that adequate and reasonable means do not exist for ascertaining the Eurodollar Rate for such Interest Period (any such determination
shall be conclusive absent manifest error); or 


        (b)   Administrative
Agent is advised by Required Lenders that the Eurodollar Rate for such Interest Period will not adequately and fairly reflect the cost to such Lenders of
making or maintaining their Loans included in such Borrowing for such Interest Period; 




then
Administrative Agent shall give notice thereof to Borrower and Lenders by telephone or telecopy as promptly as practicable thereafter and, until Administrative Agent notifies Borrower and Lenders
that the circumstances giving rise to such notice no longer exist, (i) any Continuation/Conversion Notice that requests the conversion of any Borrowing to, or continuation of any Borrowing as,
a Borrowing of Eurodollar Loans shall be ineffective and shall be deemed a request to continue such Borrowing as a Borrowing of Base Rate Loans and (ii) if any Borrowing Notice requests a
Borrowing of Eurodollar Loans, such Borrowing shall be made as a Borrowing of Base Rate Loans. Upon receipt of such notice, Borrower may revoke any pending request for a Borrowing of, conversion to or
continuation of Eurodollar Loans. 


        Section 3.8.    Change of Applicable Lending Office; Replacement of Lenders.    



        (a)   Each
Lender Party agrees that, upon the occurrence of any event giving rise to the operation of Sections 3.2, 3.3, 3.4 or 3.6 with respect to such Lender Party, it will,
if requested by Borrower, use reasonable efforts (subject to overall policy considerations of such Lender Party) to designate another Applicable Lending Office, provided that such designation is made
on such terms that such Lender Party and its Applicable Lending Office suffer no economic, legal or regulatory disadvantage, with the object of avoiding the consequence of the event giving rise to the
operation of any such section. Nothing in this section shall affect or postpone any of the obligations of Borrower or the rights of any Lender Party provided in Sections 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, or 3.6. 



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        (b)   If
any Lender requests compensation under Section 3.2 or 3.3, or if Borrower is required to pay any additional amount to any Lender Party or any governmental
authority for the account of any Lender Party pursuant to Section 3.6, or if the obligation of any Lender Party to make or maintain Loans as, or convert Loans to, Eurodollar Loans is suspended
pursuant to Section 3.4, or if any Lender Party defaults in its obligation to fund Loans hereunder, then Borrower may, at its sole expense and effort (such expense to include any transfer fee
payable to Administrative Agent under Section 10.5(c) and any expense pursuant to Article III), upon notice to such Lender Party and Administrative Agent, require such Lender Party to
assign and delegate in whole (but not in part), without recourse (in accordance with and subject to the restrictions contained in Section 10.5), all its interests, rights and obligations under
this Agreement to an Eligible Transferee that shall assume such obligations (which Eligible Transferee may be another Lender Party, if a Lender Party accepts such assignment); provided that
(i) Borrower shall have received the prior written consent of Administrative Agent, which consent shall not unreasonably be withheld, (ii) such Lender Party shall have received payment
of an amount equal to the outstanding principal of its Loans, accrued interest thereon, accrued fees and all other amounts payable to it hereunder from Borrower or such Eligible Transferee (including
any amounts payable pursuant to Section 3.5), (iii) in the case of any such assignment resulting from a claim for compensation under Section 3.2 or 3.3 or payments required to be
made pursuant to Section 3.6, such assignment will result in a reduction in such compensation or payments, and (iv) if the Borrower elects to exercise such right with respect to any
Lender Party, it shall be obligated to replace all Lender Parties that have made similar requests. A Lender Party shall not be required to make any such assignment and delegation if, prior thereto, as
a result of a waiver by such Lender Party or otherwise, the circumstances entitling Borrower to require such assignment and delegation cease to apply. Any Lender Party being replaced shall execute and
deliver an Assignment and Acceptance with respect to such Lender Party's outstanding Loans and participations in LC Obligations. 



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ARTICLE IV    
    
    CONDITIONS PRECEDENT TO LENDING    
    



        Section 4.1.    Documents to be Delivered.    No Lender has any obligation to make its first Loan, and LC
Issuer has no obligation to issue the first Letter of Credit, unless Administrative Agent shall have received all of the following, at Administrative Agent's office in Houston, Texas, duly executed
and delivered and in form, substance and date reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent, the Lenders and their counsel: 



        (a)   This
Agreement. 


        (b)   Each
Term Note and Revolving Note. 


        (c)   Each
Security Document listed on the Schedule 4.1. 


        (d)   Certain
certificates of Borrower and each Subsidiary including: 



        (i)    An
"Omnibus Certificate" of the Secretary or Assistant Secretary and of the Chairman of the Board or President of Borrower, which shall contain the names and signatures
of the officers of Borrower authorized to execute Loan Documents and which shall certify to the truth, correctness and completeness of the following exhibits attached thereto: (1) a copy of
resolutions duly adopted by the Board of Directors of Borrower and each Subsidiary and in full force and effect at the time this Agreement is entered into, authorizing the execution of this Agreement
and the other Loan Documents delivered or to be delivered in connection herewith and the consummation of the transactions contemplated herein and therein, (2) a copy of the charter documents of
Borrower and each Subsidiary and all amendments thereto, certified by the appropriate official of such party's state of organization, and (3) a copy of the bylaws of Borrower and each
Subsidiary; and 


        (ii)   A
"Compliance Certificate" of the Chairman of the Board, President or of the chief financial officer of Borrower, as of the Closing Date, in which such officers certify
to the satisfaction of the conditions set out in subsections (a), (b), and (c) of Section 4.2. 




        (e)   Certificate
(or certificates) of good standing and due qualification to do business for Borrower and each Subsidiary, issued by appropriate officials in any states in
which Borrower and each Subsidiary owns property subject to Security Documents. 


        (f)    The
Guaranty executed by each Guarantor. 


        (g)   A
favorable opinion of (i) Bracewell & Patterson, L.L.P., counsel for Restricted Persons, substantially in the form set forth in Exhibit 4.1(g)(i);
and (ii) William George, in-house counsel for Restricted Persons, substantially in the form set forth in Exhibit 4.1(g)(ii). 


        (h)   The
Initial Financial Statements. 


        (i)    A
certificate executed by the chief financial officer of Borrower, certifying that the Initial Financial Statements of Borrower delivered pursuant to clause (h)
above fairly present the Consolidated financial position for the periods covered thereby, as of the date of such Initial Financial Statements. 


        (j)    A
Borrowing Base Certificate dated as of the Closing Date. 


        (k)   Certificates
or binders evidencing Restricted Persons' insurance in effect on the date hereof. 


        (l)    The
certificate of insurance required by Section 6.8. 



33





 




        (m)  Payment
of all fees including all Commitment Fees, upfront, Administrative Agent, and Arranger fees required to be paid to any Lender or any other Party pursuant to any
Loan Documents. 


        (n)   Documents
(i) confirming the payment in full of all Indebtedness under the Prior Credit Documents, (ii) releasing and terminating all Liens on any
Restricted Person's property securing such Indebtedness (or assigning such Liens to Administrative Agent for the benefit of Lenders, and (iii) terminating the credit facility under the Prior
Credit Documents. 


        (o)   The
review and approval of the field audit conducted by the Prior Agent dated June 2003, which shall be acceptable to the Administrative Agent, in its sole and
absolute discretion. 


        (p)   The
Assignment of Prior Credit Documents in form an substance satisfactory to the Agent in its sole discretion, executed by the Prior Agent, as agent, and each of the
lenders party to the Prior Credit Agreement on the Closing Date and the delivery of all Collateral in possession of the Prior Agent. 


        (q)   Such
other documents and instruments as the Administrative Agent and its counsel may require. 




        Section 4.2.    Additional Conditions Precedent.    No Lender has any obligation to make any Loan (including
its first), and LC Issuer has no obligation to issue any Letter of Credit (including its first), unless the following conditions precedent have been satisfied: 



        (a)   All
representations and warranties made by any Restricted Person in any Loan Document shall be true in all material respects (without duplication
of materiality qualifiers contained therein) on and as of the date of such Loan or the date of issuance of such Letter of Credit as if such representations and warranties had
been made as of the date of such Loan or the date of issuance of such Letter of Credit, except to the extent that such representation or warranty was made as of a specific date or updated, modified or
supplemented as of a subsequent date with the consent of Required Lenders. 


        (b)   No
Default shall exist at the date of such Loan or the date of issuance of such Letter of Credit. 



        (c)   The
making of such Loan or the issuance of such Letter of Credit shall not be prohibited by any Law and shall not subject any Lender or any LC Issuer to any penalty or
other 



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ARTICLE V    
    
    REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES    
    



        To confirm each Lender's understanding concerning Restricted Persons and Restricted Persons' businesses, properties and obligations and to induce each Lender to
enter into this Agreement and to extend credit hereunder, Borrower represents and warrants to each Lender that: 


        Section 5.1.    No Default.    No event has occurred and is continuing which constitutes a Default or an Event
of Default. 


        Section 5.2.    Organization and Good Standing.    Each Restricted Person is duly organized, validly existing
and in good standing under the Laws of its jurisdiction of organization, having all powers required to carry on its business and enter into and carry out the transactions contemplated hereby. Each
Restricted Person is duly qualified, in good standing, and authorized to do business in all other jurisdictions within the United States wherein the character of the properties owned or held by it or
the nature of the business transacted by it makes such qualification necessary, except where the failure to so qualify or be authorized could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse
Change. Each Restricted Person has taken all actions and procedures customarily taken in order to enter, for the purpose of conducting business or owning property, each jurisdiction outside the United
States wherein the character of the properties owned or held by it or the nature of the business transacted by it makes such actions and procedures desirable could not reasonably be expected to result
in a Material Adverse Change. 


        Section 5.3.    Authorization.    Each Restricted Person has the power and authority to execute, deliver, and
perform its respective obligations under this Agreement and the other Loan Documents. Each Restricted Person has taken all action necessary to authorize the execution and delivery by it of the Loan
Documents to which it is a party and to authorize the consummation of the transactions contemplated thereby and the performance of its obligations thereunder. This Agreement and the other Loan
Documents have been duly executed and delivered by Borrower and each other Restricted Person a Party thereto. Borrower is duly authorized to borrow funds hereunder. 


        Section 5.4.    No Conflicts or Consents.    The execution and delivery by the various Restricted Persons of
the Loan Documents to which each is a party, the performance by each of its obligations under such Loan Documents, and the consummation of the transactions contemplated by the various Loan Documents,
do not and will not (a) conflict with any provision of (i) any Law, (ii) the organizational documents of any Restricted Person, or (iii) any material agreement, judgment,
license, order or permit applicable to or binding upon any Restricted Person; (b) result in the acceleration of any Indebtedness owed by any Restricted Person; or (c) result in or
require the creation of any Lien upon any assets or properties of any Restricted Person except as expressly contemplated or permitted in the Loan Documents. Except as expressly contemplated in the
Loan Documents, no permit, consent, approval, authorization or order of, and no notice to or filing with, any Tribunal or third party is required in connection with the execution, delivery or
performance by any Restricted Person of any Loan Document or to consummate any transactions contemplated by the Loan Documents. 


        Section 5.5.    Enforceable Obligations.    This Agreement is, and the other Loan Documents when duly executed
and delivered will be, legal, valid and binding obligations of each Restricted Person which is a party hereto or thereto, enforceable in accordance with their respective terms except as such
enforcement may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency or similar Laws of general application relating to the enforcement of creditors' rights. 


35





 



        Section 5.6.    Initial Financial Statements.    Restricted Persons have heretofore delivered to each Lender
true, correct and complete copies of the Initial Financial Statements. The Initial Financial Statements fairly present Borrower's Consolidated financial position at the respective dates thereof and
the Consolidated results of Borrower's operations and Borrower's Consolidated cash flows for the respective periods thereof. Since the date of the annual Initial Financial Statements, no Material
Adverse Change has occurred, except as reflected in the quarterly Initial Financial Statements or in Section 5.6 of the Disclosure Schedule. 


        Section 5.7.    Other Obligations and Restrictions.    As of the Closing Date, no Restricted Person has any
outstanding Liabilities of any kind which are, in the aggregate, material to Borrower or material with respect to Borrower's Consolidated financial condition and not shown in the Initial Financial
Statements or disclosed in Section 5.7 of the Disclosure Schedule or otherwise permitted under Section 7.1. Except as shown in the Initial Financial Statements or disclosed in
Section 5.7 of the Disclosure Schedule, no Restricted Person is subject to or restricted by any franchise, contract, deed, charter restriction, or other instrument or restriction which could
reasonably be expected to cause a Material Adverse Change. 


        Section 5.8.    Full Disclosure.    No certificate, written statement or other written information delivered
herewith or heretofore by any Restricted Person to any Lender in connection with the negotiation of this Agreement or in connection with any transaction contemplated hereby contains any untrue
statement of a material fact or omits to state any material fact known to any Restricted Person (other than industry-wide risks normally associated with the types of businesses conducted
by Restricted Persons) necessary to make the statements contained herein or therein, taken as a whole, not misleading as of the date made or deemed made. There is no fact known to any Restricted
Person that has not been disclosed to each Lender in writing which could reasonably be expected to cause a Material Adverse Change. There are no statements or conclusions in any report delivered by
any Restricted Person to the Lenders which are based upon or include misleading information or fail to take into account material information regarding the matters reported therein. 



        Section 5.9.    Litigation.    Except as disclosed in the Initial Financial Statements or in Section 5.9
of the Disclosure Schedule: (a) there are no actions, suits or legal, equitable, arbitrative or administrative proceedings pending, or to the knowledge of any Restricted Person threatened,
against any Restricted Person or affecting any Collateral (including any which challenge or otherwise pertain to any Restricted Person's title to any Collateral) before any Tribunal which could
reasonably be expected to cause a Material Adverse Change, and (b) there are no outstanding judgments, injunctions, writs, rulings or orders by any such Tribunal against any Restricted Person
or, to the knowledge of Borrower, any Restricted Person's stockholders, partners, directors or officers, or affecting any Collateral or any of its material assets or property which could reasonably be
expected to cause a Material Adverse Change. 


        Section 5.10.    Labor Disputes and Acts of God.    Except as disclosed in Section 5.10 of the
Disclosure Schedule, neither the business nor the properties of any Restricted Person has been affected by any fire, explosion, accident, strike, lockout or other labor dispute, drought, storm, hail,
earthquake, embargo, act of God or of the public enemy or other casualty (whether or not covered by insurance), which could reasonably be expected to cause a Material Adverse Change. 


36





 



        Section 5.11.    ERISA Plans and Liabilities.    All ERISA Plans in effect on the Closing Date are listed in
Section 5.11 of the Disclosure Schedule. Except as disclosed in the Initial Financial Statements or in Section 5.11 of the Disclosure Schedule, no Termination Event has occurred with
respect to any ERISA Plan and all ERISA Affiliates are in compliance with ERISA which could reasonably be expected to cause a Material Adverse Change. Except as permitted under Section 7.10
hereof, no ERISA Affiliate is required to contribute to, or has any other absolute or contingent liability in respect of, any "multiemployer plan" as defined in Section 4001 of ERISA. Except as
set forth in Section 5.11 of the Disclosure Schedule as of the Closing Date: (a) no "accumulated funding deficiency" (as defined in Section 412(a) of the Internal Revenue Code)
exists with respect to any ERISA Plan, whether or not waived by the Secretary of the Treasury or his delegate, and (b) the current value of each ERISA Plan's benefits does not exceed the
current value of such ERISA Plan's assets available for the payment of such benefits which could reasonably be expected to cause a Material Adverse Change. 



        Section 5.12.    Environmental and Other Laws.    Except as disclosed in Section 5.12 of the Disclosure
Schedule: (a) Restricted Persons are conducting their businesses in compliance with all applicable Laws, including Environmental Laws, which the failure to so comply could reasonably be
expected to cause a Material Adverse Change, and have and are in compliance with all licenses and permits required under any such Laws which the failure to so comply could reasonably be expected to
cause a Material Adverse Change; (b) none of the operations or properties of any Restricted Person is the subject of federal, state or local investigation evaluating whether any material
remedial action is needed to respond to a release of any Hazardous Materials into the environment or to the improper storage or disposal (including storage or disposal at offsite locations) of any
Hazardous Materials which could reasonably be expected to cause a Material Adverse Change; (c) no Restricted Person (and to the best knowledge of Borrower, no other Person) has filed any notice
under any Law indicating that any Restricted Person is responsible for the improper release into the environment, or the improper storage or disposal, of any material amount of any Hazardous Materials
or that any Hazardous Materials have been improperly released, or are improperly stored or disposed of, upon any property of any Restricted Person which could reasonably be expected to cause a
Material Adverse Change; (d) to the knowledge of Borrower, no Restricted Person has transported or arranged for the transportation of any Hazardous Material to any location which is
(i) listed on the National Priorities List under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980, as amended, listed for possible inclusion on such National
Priorities List by the Environmental Protection Agency in its Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Information System List, or listed on any similar state list or
(ii) the subject of federal, state or local enforcement actions or other investigations, in the case of either of the forgoing clauses (i) and (ii), which may lead to claims against any
Restricted Person for clean-up costs, remedial work, damages to natural resources or for personal injury claims (whether under Environmental Laws or otherwise) which could reasonably be
expected to cause a Material Adverse Change; and (e) no Restricted Person otherwise has any known material contingent liability under any Environmental Laws or in connection with the release
into the environment, or the storage or disposal, of any Hazardous Materials which could reasonably be expected to cause a Material Adverse Change. Each Restricted Person undertook, at the time of its
acquisition of each of its material properties, all appropriate inquiry into the previous ownership and uses of the Property and any potential environmental liabilities associated therewith. 


        Section 5.13.    Names and Places of Business.    As of the Closing Date, no Restricted Person has, during the
preceding two (2) years, been known by, or used any other trade or fictitious name, except as disclosed in Section 5.13 of the Disclosure Schedule. Except as otherwise indicated in
Section 5.13 of the Disclosure Schedule, as of the Closing Date, the chief executive office and principal place of business of each Restricted Person are (and for the preceding two
(2) years have been) located at the address of Borrower set out on the signature pages hereto. Except as indicated in Section 5.13 of the Disclosure Schedule otherwise disclosed in
writing to the Administrative Agent, no Restricted Person has any other office or place of business. 


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        Section 5.14.    Subsidiaries.    Borrower does not presently have any Subsidiary except those listed in
Section 5.14 of the Disclosure Schedule or disclosed to Administrative Agent in writing. No Restricted Person has any equity investments in any other Person except those listed in
Section 5.14 of the Disclosure Schedule or otherwise permitted under this Agreement. Borrower owns, directly or indirectly, the equity interests in each of its Subsidiaries indicated in
Section 5.14 of the Disclosure Schedule or as disclosed to Administrative Agent in writing. 



        Section 5.15.    Government Regulation.    Neither Borrower nor any other Restricted Person owing Obligations
is (a) a "registered holding company", or a "subsidiary company" of a "registered holding company", or an "affiliate" of a "registered holding company" within the meaning of the Public Utility
Holding Company Act of 1935, as amended; or (b) an "investment company" or a company "controlled" by an "investment company" within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as
amended. The pledge of the Equity of each Subsidiary of Borrower does not violate Regulation T, U, or X of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. 



        Section 5.16.    Insider.    No Restricted Person, nor, to the knowledge of Borrower as of the Closing Date,
any Person having "control" (as that term is defined in 12 U.S.C. § 375b(9) or in regulations promulgated pursuant thereto) of any Restricted Person, is a "director" or an "executive
officer" or "principal shareholder" (as those terms are defined in 12 U.S.C. § 375b(8) or (9) or in regulations promulgated pursuant thereto) of any Lender, of a bank holding
company of which any Lender is a Subsidiary or of any Subsidiary of a bank holding company of which any Lender is a Subsidiary. 



        Section 5.17.    Solvency.    Upon giving effect to the issuance of the Notes, the execution of the Loan
Documents by Borrower and each Guarantor and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby, Borrower and the Guarantors, on a Consolidated basis, will be Solvent. Neither Borrower nor any
Restricted Person has incurred (whether under the Loan Documents or otherwise), nor does any Restricted Person intend to incur or believe that it will incur Liabilities which will be beyond its
ability to pay as such debts mature. 


        Section 5.18.    Tax Shelter Regulations.    Borrower does not intend to treat the Loans and/or Letters of
Credit and related transactions as being a "reportable transaction" (within the meaning of Treasury Regulation Section 1.6011-4). In the event Borrower determines to take any action
inconsistent with such intention, it will promptly notify Administrative Agent thereof. If Borrower so notifies Administrative Agent, Borrower acknowledges that one or more of the Lenders may treat
its Loans and/or Letters of Credit as part of a transaction that is subject to Treasury Regulation Section 301.6112-1, and such Lender or Lenders, as applicable, will maintain the
lists and other records required by such Treasury Regulation. 


        Section 5.19.    Title to Properties; Licenses.    Each Restricted Person has good and defensible title to all
of the Collateral and to all of its material properties and assets, free and clear of all Liens, encumbrances, or adverse claims other than Permitted Liens and free and clear of all impediments to the
use of such properties and assets in such Restricted Person's business. Each Restricted Person possesses all licenses, permits, franchises, patents, copyrights, trademarks and trade names, and other
intellectual property (or otherwise possesses the right to use such intellectual property without violation of the rights of any other Person) which are necessary to carry out its business as
presently conducted and as presently proposed to be conducted hereafter, which could reasonably be expected to cause a Material Adverse Change and no Restricted Person is in violation of the terms
under which it possesses such intellectual property or the right to use such intellectual property, the violation of which could reasonably be expected to cause a Material Adverse Change. 



        Section 5.20.    Regulation U.    None of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries are engaged in the business
of extending credit for the purpose of purchasing or carrying Margin Stock, and no proceeds of any Loans will be used for a purpose which violates Regulation U. 


Remainder
of this page intentionally left blank. 


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ARTICLE VI    
    
    AFFIRMATIVE COVENANTS OF BORROWER.    
    


        Borrower covenants and agrees that until the full and final payment of the Obligations and the termination of this Agreement, unless Required Lenders have
previously agreed otherwise: 


        Section 6.1.    Payment and Performance.    Borrower will cause each other Restricted Person to observe,
perform and comply with every term, covenant and condition in any Loan Document. 



        Section 6.2.    Books, Financial Statements and Reports.    Each Restricted Person will at all times maintain
full and accurate books of account and records. Borrower will maintain and will cause its Subsidiaries to maintain a standard system of accounting, will maintain its Fiscal Year, and will furnish the
following statements and reports to each Lender Party at Borrower's expense: 



        (a)   As
soon as available, and in any event within one hundred twenty (120) days after the end of each Fiscal Year, complete Consolidated and consolidating financial
statements of Borrower together with all notes thereto, prepared in reasonable detail in accordance with GAAP, together with an unqualified opinion on the Consolidated Statements, based on an audit
using GAAP, by independent certified public accountants selected by Borrower of nationally recognized standing, stating that such Consolidated financial statements have been so prepared. These
financial statements shall contain a Consolidated and consolidating balance sheet as of the end of such Fiscal Year and Consolidated and consolidating statements of income for such Fiscal Year and
Consolidated statements of cash flows and stockholders' equity for such Fiscal Year, each setting forth in comparative form the corresponding figures for the preceding Fiscal Year. 



        (b)   As
soon as available, and in any event within forty-five (45) days after the end of the first three Fiscal Quarters in each Fiscal Year, Borrower's
unaudited Consolidated and consolidating balance sheet and income statements as of the end of such Fiscal Quarter and Consolidated statements of Borrower's cash flows and stockholders' equity for the
period from the beginning of the then current Fiscal Year to the end of such Fiscal Quarter, all in reasonable detail and prepared in accordance with GAAP, subject to changes resulting from normal
year-end adjustments. In addition Borrower will, together with each such set of financial statements and each set of financial statements furnished under subsection (a) of this
section, furnish a certificate in the form of Exhibit 6.2(b) signed by the chief financial officer of Borrower stating that such financial statements are fair and complete in all material
respects and fairly present the Consolidated financial position of Borrower for the periods covered thereby (subject to normal year-end adjustments), stating that he has reviewed the Loan
Documents, containing calculations showing compliance (or non-compliance) at the end of such Fiscal Quarter with the requirements of Section 7.11 and stating that no Default exists
at the end of such Fiscal Quarter or at the time of such certificate or specifying the nature and period of existence of any such Default. 


        (c)   Promptly
upon their becoming available, copies of all financial statements, reports, notices and proxy statements sent by any Restricted Person to its stockholders and
all registration statements, periodic reports and other statements and schedules filed by any Restricted Person with any securities exchange, the Securities and Exchange Commission or any similar
governmental authority. 


        (d)   As
soon as available, and in any event within twenty (20) days after the end of each calendar month, (i) a Borrowing Base Certificate substantially in the
form of Exhibit 2.8, duly completed by an authorized officer of Borrower, with information required therein completed to reflect the Borrowing Base as of the end of the preceding calendar
month; and (ii) an aging schedule of all Receivables of Borrower on a Consolidated basis in summary form, certified by an authorized officer of Borrower, which reflects aging, on an aggregate
basis, of Receivables which are current or 30, 60, or 90 days past due from the date of invoice with respect thereto. 



39





 





        Section 6.3.    Other Information and Inspections.    Each Restricted Person will furnish to each Lender any
information which Administrative Agent may from time to time reasonably request concerning any provision of the Loan Documents, any Collateral, or any matter in connection with Restricted Persons'
businesses, properties, prospects, financial condition and operations, including all evidence which Administrative Agent from time to time reasonably requests in writing as to the accuracy and
validity of or compliance with all representations, warranties and covenants made by any Restricted Person in the Loan Documents, the satisfaction of all conditions contained therein, and all other
matters pertaining thereto. Each Restricted Person will permit representatives appointed by Administrative Agent (including independent accountants, auditors, Administrative Agents, attorneys,
appraisers and any other Persons) to visit and inspect during normal business hours any of such Restricted Person's property, including its books of account, other books and records, and any
facilities or other business assets, and to make extra copies therefrom and photocopies and photographs thereof, and to write down and record any information such representatives obtain, and each
Restricted Person shall permit Administrative Agent or its representatives to investigate and verify the accuracy of the information furnished to Administrative Agent or any Lender in connection with
the Loan Documents and to discuss all such matters with its officers, employees and representatives. 


        Section 6.4.    Notice of Material Events and Change of Address.    Borrower will, after it has knowledge
thereof, promptly notify each Lender in writing, stating that such notice is being given pursuant to this Agreement, of: 



        (a)   the
occurrence of any Material Adverse Change, 


        (b)   the
occurrence of any Default or Event of Default, 


        (c)   the
acceleration of the maturity of any Indebtedness owed by any Restricted Person or of any default by any Restricted Person under any indenture, mortgage, agreement,
contract or other instrument to which any of them is a party or by which any of them or any of their properties is bound, if such acceleration or default could reasonably be expected to cause a
Material Adverse Change, 


        (d)   the
occurrence of any Termination Event, 


        (e)   any
claim of $1,000,000 or more, any notice of potential liability under any Environmental Laws which might exceed such amount, or any other material adverse claim
asserted against any Restricted Person or with respect to any Restricted Person's properties, 


        (f)    the
filing of any suit or proceeding against any Restricted Person in which an adverse decision could reasonably be expected to cause a Material Adverse Change, and 



        (g)   the
filing of any material financing statement, registration of a pledge (such as with an issuer of uncertificated securities), or other arrangement or action which
would serve to perfect a Lien, regardless of whether such financing statement is filed, such registration is made, or such arrangement or action is undertaken before or after such Lien exists. 




        Upon
the occurrence of any of the foregoing Restricted Persons will take all necessary or appropriate steps to promptly remedy any such Material Adverse Change, Default, Event of
Default, acceleration, default or Termination Event, to protect against any such adverse claim, to defend any such suit or proceeding, and to resolve all controversies on account of any of the
foregoing. Borrower will also notify Administrative Agent and Administrative Agent's counsel in writing at least ten (10) Business Days prior to the date that any Restricted Person changes its
name or the location of its chief executive office or its location under the Uniform Commercial Code. 


40





 

        Section 6.5.    Maintenance of Properties.    Each Restricted Person will maintain, preserve, protect, and keep
all Collateral and all other material property used or useful in the conduct of its business in good condition (ordinary wear and tear excepted) in accordance with reasonably prudent industry
standards, and in compliance with all applicable Laws which could reasonably be expected to cause a Material Adverse Change, in conformity with all applicable contracts, servitudes, leases and
agreements which could reasonably be expected to cause a Material Adverse Change, and will from time to time make all commercially reasonable repairs, renewals and replacements needed to enable the
business and operations carried on in connection therewith to be promptly and advantageously conducted at all times. 


        Section 6.6.    Maintenance of Existence and Qualifications.    Except as permitted under Section 7.4,
each Restricted Person will maintain and preserve its existence and its rights and franchises in full force and effect and will qualify to do business in all states or jurisdictions where required by
applicable Law, except where the failure to maintain, preserve and qualify could reasonably be expected to cause a Material Adverse Change. 


        Section 6.7.    Payment of Taxes.    Each Restricted Person will (a) timely file all required tax
returns including any extensions; (b) timely pay all taxes, assessments, and other governmental charges or levies imposed upon it or upon its income, profits or property before the same become
delinquent; and (c) maintain appropriate accruals and reserves for all of the foregoing in accordance with GAAP. Each Restricted Person may, however, delay paying or discharging any of the
foregoing so long as it is in good faith contesting the validity thereof by appropriate proceedings, if necessary, and has set aside on its books adequate reserves therefore which are required by
GAAP. 


        Section 6.8.    Insurance.    



        (a)   Each
Restricted Person shall at all times maintain (at its own expense) insurance for its property and insurance with respect to all Collateral and liability insurance,
with financially sound and reputable insurance companies, in such amounts and against such risks as is customary in the industry for similarly situated businesses and properties. All insurance
policies covering Collateral shall be endorsed (i) to provide for payment of losses to Administrative Agent as its interests may appear and Borrower shall deliver a certificate to that effect,
(ii) to provide that such policies may not be canceled or reduced or affected in any material manner for any reason without ten (10) days prior notice to Administrative Agent from the
insurer, (iii) to provide for any other matters specified in any applicable Security Document or which Administrative Agent may reasonably require; and (iv) to provide for insurance
against fire, casualty and any other hazards normally insured against, (less a reasonable deductible not to exceed amounts customary in the industry for similarly situated businesses and properties)
of the property insured. 


        (b)   Each
such policy shall (A) if such policy is for liability insurance, name the appropriate Restricted Person and Administrative Agent, as agent for the Lenders,
as insured parties thereunder (without any representation or warranty by or obligation upon Administrative Agent or Lenders) as their interests may appear, (B) if such policy is for property
insurance, contain the agreement by the insurer that any loss thereunder shall be payable to Administrative Agent notwithstanding any action, inaction or breach of representation or warranty by any
Restricted Person, and (C) provide that there shall be no recourse against Administrative Agent or Lenders for payment of premiums or other amounts with respect thereto. Each Restricted Person
will, if so requested by Administrative Agent, deliver to Administrative Agent original or duplicate policies of such insurance. Administrative Agent is hereby authorized to enforce payment under all
such insurance policies and to compromise and settle any claims thereunder, in its own name or in the name of the Restricted Persons. 



41





 




        (c)   Reimbursement
under any liability insurance maintained by Restricted Persons pursuant to this Section 6.8 may be paid directly to the Person who has incurred the
liability covered by such insurance. With respect to any loss involving damage to Collateral as to which subsection (d) of this Section 6.8 is not applicable, each Restricted Person will
make or cause to be made the necessary repairs to or replacements of such Collateral, and any proceeds of insurance maintained by each Restricted Person pursuant to this Section 6.8 shall be
paid to such Restricted Person by Administrative Agent as reimbursement for the costs of such repairs or replacements as such repairs or replacements are made or acquired. 


        (d)   Upon
the occurrence and during the continuance of an Event of Default or upon the occurrence of a loss of any Collateral, all property and casualty insurance payments in
respect of such Collateral shall be paid to Administrative Agent and applied as specified in the Security Agreements. 




        Section 6.9.    Performance on Borrower's Behalf.    If any Restricted Person fails to pay any taxes, insurance
premiums, expenses, attorneys' fees or other amounts it is required to pay under any Loan Document, Administrative Agent may pay the same. Borrower shall immediately reimburse Administrative Agent for
any such payments and each amount paid by Administrative Agent shall constitute an Obligation owed hereunder which is due and payable on the date such amount is paid by Administrative Agent. 



        Section 6.10.    Interest.    Borrower hereby promises to each Lender Party to pay interest at the Default Rate
on all Obligations (including Obligations to pay fees or to reimburse or indemnify any Lender) which Borrower has in this Agreement promised to pay to such Lender Party and which are not paid when
due. Such interest shall accrue from the date such Obligations become due until they are paid. 


        Section 6.11.    Compliance with Law.    Each Restricted Person will conduct its business and affairs in
compliance with all Laws applicable thereto. Each Restricted Person will cause all licenses and permits necessary or appropriate for the conduct of its business and the ownership and operation of its
property used and useful in the conduct of its business to be at all times maintained in good standing and in full force and effect, except as could reasonably be expected to cause a Material Adverse
Change. 


        Section 6.12.    Environmental Matters; Environmental Reviews.    



        (a)   Each
Restricted Person will comply with all Environmental Laws now or hereafter applicable to such Restricted Person, as well as all contractual obligations and
agreements with respect to environmental remediation or other environmental matters (except as could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Change), and shall obtain, at or prior
to the time required by applicable Environmental Laws, all environmental, health and safety permits, licenses and other authorizations necessary for its operations (except as could not reasonably be
expected to result in a Material Adverse Change) and will maintain such authorizations in full force and effect (except as could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Change). No
Restricted Person will do anything or permit anything to be done which will subject any of its properties to any remedial obligations under, or result in noncompliance with applicable permits and
licenses issued under, any applicable Environmental Laws, assuming disclosure to the applicable governmental authorities of all relevant facts, conditions and circumstances (except as could not
reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Change). 



42





 

        (b)   Borrower
will promptly furnish to Administrative Agent copies of all written notices of violation, orders, claims, citations, complaints, penalty assessments, suits or
other proceedings received by any Restricted Person, or of which Borrower otherwise has notice, pending or threatened against any Restricted Person by any governmental authority with respect to any
alleged violation of or non-compliance with any Environmental Laws or with respect to any permits, licenses or authorizations in connection with any Restricted Person's ownership or use of
its properties or the operation of its business, in each case, that could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Change. 


        (c)   Borrower
will promptly furnish to Administrative Agent all written requests for information, notices of claim, demand letters, and other written notifications, received
by Borrower in connection with any Restricted Person's ownership or use of its properties or the conduct of its business, relating to potential responsibility with respect to any investigation or
clean-up of Hazardous Material at any location that could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Change. 




        Section 6.13.    Intentionally Left Blank.    


        Section 6.14.    Bank Accounts; Offset.    To secure the repayment of the Obligations Borrower hereby grants to
each Lender a security interest, a lien, and a right of offset, each of which shall be in addition to all other interests, liens, and rights of any Lender at common Law, under the Loan Documents, or
otherwise, and each of which shall be upon and against (a) any and all moneys, securities or other property (and the proceeds therefrom) of Borrower now or hereafter held or received by or in
transit to any Lender from or for the account of Borrower, whether for safekeeping, custody, pledge, transmission, collection or otherwise, (b) any and all deposits (general or special, time or
demand, provisional or final) of Borrower with any Lender, and (c) any other credits and claims of Borrower at any time existing against any Lender, including claims under certificates of
deposit. At any time and from time to time after the occurrence of any Event of Default, each Lender is hereby authorized to foreclose upon, or to offset against the Obligations then due and payable
(in either case without notice to Borrower), any and all items hereinabove referred to. The remedies of foreclosure and offset are separate and cumulative, and either may be exercised independently of
the other without regard to procedures or restrictions applicable to the other. 



        Section 6.15.    Guaranties of Borrower's Subsidiaries.    Each Subsidiary of Borrower now existing and each
Subsidiary, other than an Immaterial Subsidiary, hereafter created, acquired or coming into existence after the date hereof shall, promptly upon request by Administrative Agent, execute and deliver to
Administrative Agent an absolute and unconditional guaranty of the timely repayment of the Obligations and the due and punctual performance of the obligations of Borrower hereunder, which guaranty
shall be satisfactory to Administrative Agent in form and substance. Each Subsidiary of Borrower existing on the date hereof shall duly execute and deliver such a guaranty prior to the making of any
Loan hereunder. Borrower will cause each of its now existing Subsidiaries, other than an Immaterial Subsidiary, hereafter formed or acquired to deliver to Administrative Agent, simultaneously with its
delivery of such a guaranty, written evidence satisfactory to Administrative Agent and its counsel that such Subsidiary has taken all corporate or partnership action necessary to duly approve and
authorize its execution, delivery and performance of such guaranty and any other documents which it is required to execute. 


43





 



        Section 6.16.    Agreement to Deliver Security Documents.    Borrower agrees to deliver and to cause each other
Restricted Person to deliver, to further secure the Obligations whenever requested by Administrative Agent in its sole and absolute discretion, deeds of trust, mortgages, chattel mortgages, security
agreements, financing statements continuation statements, extension agreements, acknowledgments, and other Security Documents in form and substance satisfactory to Administrative Agent for the purpose
of granting, confirming, protecting and perfecting Liens or security interests in any personal property now owned or hereafter acquired by any Restricted Person. 



        Section 6.17.    Clean-up Period.    Borrower will select a Clean-Up Period at least
once during each Fiscal Year and will not during such Clean-Up Period permit the outstanding cash portion of the Revolving Loans to be greater than $2,000,000; provided, that, if at any
time during the Clean-Up Period the LC Issuer shall make payment under a Letter of Credit, Borrower shall have two Business Days following such payment in which to pay the Revolving Loans
resulting from such payment. 


        Section 6.18    Disposition of Air Solutions.    Notwithstanding anything contained herein to the contrary,
Borrower has advised the Lenders that it anticipates that a transaction involving the sale of the Equity or assets of Air Solutions will take place after Closing. Borrower has requested and Lenders
have agreed to temporarily waive the requirement that Air Solutions (i) execute the guaranty required by Section 6.15 above; (ii) execute the Security Documents required by
Section 6.16 above; and (iii) become a Restricted Person under this Agreement and the related Loan Documents. Further, notwithstanding anything contained herein to the contrary, if such
sale occurs on or before January 31, 2004, then such sale will be deemed permitted under this Agreement and the Net Sales Proceeds from such sale will not be required to be applied as set forth
in Section2.7(c) hereof. From the Closing Date through and including the date of such sale, Borrower will not include any Eligible Receivables from the operations of Air Solutions in the calculation
of the Borrowing Base. If such sale is not consummated before February 1, 2004, Borrower will promptly (i) cause Air Solutions to execute the Loan Documents contemplated by Sections 6.15
and 6.16; (ii) deliver with respect to Air Solutions all appropriate documents, certificates and resolutions required to be delivered on the Closing Date by each Restricted Person; and
(iii) cause counsel for Borrower and Air Solutions to deliver such similar legal opinions applicable to Air Solutions as were rendered for each other Restricted Person on the Closing Date. 


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ARTICLE VII    
    
    NEGATIVE COVENANTS OF BORROWER    
    


        To conform with the terms and conditions under which each Lender is willing to have credit outstanding to Borrower, and to induce each Lender to enter into this
Agreement and make the Loans, Borrower warrants, covenants and agrees that until the full and final payment of the Obligations and the termination of this Agreement, unless Required Lenders have
previously agreed otherwise: 


        Section 7.1.    Indebtedness.    No Restricted Person will in any manner owe or be liable for Indebtedness
except: 



        (a)   the
Obligations; 


        (b)   unsecured
Indebtedness among Borrower and the Guarantors arising in the ordinary course of business; 



        (c)   purchase
money Indebtedness and Capital Lease Obligations in an aggregate principal amount not to exceed $2,500,000 at any time, provided that the original principal
amount of any such Indebtedness shall not be in excess of the purchase price of the asset acquired thereby and such Indebtedness shall be secured only by the acquired asset; 


        (e)   Indebtedness
existing on the date hereof and listed on Schedule 7.1, and renewals and extensions thereof; 


        (f)    Subordinated
Debt incurred in connection with Permitted Acquisitions; 


        (g)   Indebtedness
in respect of deferred software licensing fees in connection with Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries licensing software in the ordinary course of business
consistent with past practices in a total amount not to exceed $1,000,000 in the aggregate at any time outstanding; 


        (h)   unsecured
Indebtedness consisting of industrial revenue bonds in a total amount not to exceed $300,000 in the aggregate at any time outstanding; and 


        (i)    any
other unsecured Indebtedness not to exceed $1,000,000 in the aggregate at any time outstanding. 




        Section 7.2.    Limitation on Liens.    Except for Permitted Liens, no Restricted Person will create, assume or
permit to exist any Lien upon any of the properties or assets which it now owns or hereafter acquires. 


        Section 7.3.    Hedging Contracts.    (a) No Restricted Person will be a party to or in any manner be liable on
any Hedging Contract except Hedging Contracts entered into by a Restricted Person and the Document Agent or any other Lender with the purpose and effect of fixing interest rates on a principal amount
of indebtedness of such Restricted Person that is accruing interest at a variable rate, provided that (i) the aggregate notional amount of such contracts never exceeds seventy-five
percent (75%) of the anticipated outstanding principal balance of the indebtedness to be hedged by such contracts or an average of such principal balances calculated using a generally accepted method
of matching interest swap contracts to declining principal balances, and (ii) the floating rate index of each such contract generally matches the index used to determine the floating rates of
interest on the corresponding indebtedness to be hedged by such contract. 


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        Section 7.4.    Limitation on Mergers, Issuances of Securities.    No Restricted Person will merge or
consolidate with or into any other Person except that any Subsidiary of Borrower may be merged into or consolidated with (a) another Subsidiary of Borrower and, if a Guarantor is one of the
merged entities, so long as a Guarantor is the surviving business entity, or (b) Borrower, so long as Borrower is the surviving business entity. Borrower will not issue any securities other
than shares of its common or preferred stock and any options or warrants giving the holders thereof only the right to acquire such shares. No Subsidiary of Borrower will issue any additional shares of
its capital stock or other securities or any options, warrants or other rights to acquire such additional shares or other securities except to Borrower or another Subsidiary of Borrower and only to
the extent not otherwise forbidden under the terms hereof. No Subsidiary of Borrower which is a partnership will allow any diminution of Borrower's interest (direct or indirect) therein. 


        Section 7.5.    Limitation on Sales of Property.    No Restricted Person will sell, transfer, lease, exchange,
alienate or dispose of any of its material assets or properties or any material interest therein, or discount, sell, pledge or assign any notes payable to it, accounts receivable or future income,
except,: 



        (a)   equipment
which is worthless, obsolete, no longer used by or useful to a Restricted Person or which is replaced by equipment of equal suitability and value; 


        (b)   inventory
which is sold in the ordinary course of business; and 


        (c)   other
property which is sold for fair consideration not in the aggregate in excess of $5,000,000 in any Fiscal Year, the sale of which will not materially impair or
diminish the value of the Collateral or the Consolidated financial condition, business or operations of Borrower. 




        Section 7.6.    Limitation on Dividends and Redemptions.    No Restricted Person will declare or make any
Distribution, other than Distributions payable to Borrower or to Guarantors which are Subsidiaries of Borrower. Borrower may make regularly scheduled cash interest payments pursuant to the terms of
the Subordinated Debt; provided that no Default or Event of Default exists at the time of any such payment or would occur as a result thereof, and may repurchase the Subordinated Debt to the extent
not prohibited by this Agreement. 


        Section 7.7.    Limitation on Investments and New Businesses.    No Restricted Person will (a) make any
expenditure or commitment or incur any obligation or enter into or engage in any transaction except (i) in the ordinary course of business or as otherwise permitted or not prohibited under this
Agreement; and (ii) in the case of any capital expenditure, not to exceed $8,000,000 in any Fiscal Year; (b) engage directly or indirectly in any business or conduct any operations
except in connection with or incidental to its present businesses and operations, or (c) make any acquisitions of or capital contributions to or other Investments in any Person or property,
other than Permitted Investments. 


        Section 7.8.    Intentionally Omitted.    



        Section 7.9.    Transactions with Affiliates.    Neither Borrower nor any of its Subsidiaries will engage in
any material transaction with any of its Affiliates on terms which are less favorable to it than those which would have been obtainable at the time in arm's-length dealing with Persons other than such
Affiliates, provided that such restriction shall not apply to transactions among Borrower and its Subsidiaries. 


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        Section 7.10.    Prohibited Contracts.    Except as expressly provided for in the Loan Documents, no Restricted
Person will, directly or indirectly, enter into, create, or otherwise allow to exist any contract that restricts or other consensual restriction on, the ability of any Subsidiary of Borrower to:
(a) pay dividends or make other Distributions to Borrower, (b) to redeem Equity held in it by Borrower, (c) to repay loans and other Indebtedness owing by it to Borrower,
(d) to transfer any of its assets to Borrower, or (e) make loans or advances to Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries. No Restricted Person will enter, or permit the entry by any
Restricted Person into, any contract, lease, or amendment that releases, qualifies, limits, makes contingent or otherwise materially detrimentally affects the rights and benefits of Administrative
Agent or any Lender under or acquired pursuant to any Security Documents. No ERISA Affiliate will incur any obligation to contribute to any "multiemployer plan" as defined in Section 4001 of
ERISA, except in the ordinary course of business for employees subject to collective bargaining agreements. 


        Section 7.11.    Financial Covenants.    



        (a)    Debt Service Coverage Ratio.    The Borrower will not permit the ratio of (i) the Consolidated EBITDA of
Borrower for the four Fiscal Quarter period most recently ended, to (ii) the sum of (A) the Consolidated Interest Expense of Borrower for the four Fiscal Quarter period most recently
ended, plus (B) Scheduled Principal Amortization of Long Term Debt of Borrower for the four Fiscal Quarter period most recently ended, to be less than 2.50 to 1.0. For purposes of the foregoing
sentence, Consolidated Interest Expense and Scheduled Principal Amortization of Long Term Debt shall be determined (i) as of March 31, 2004 by calculating such amounts for the Fiscal
Quarter then ended and multiplying by four; (ii) as of June 30, 2004 by calculating such amounts for the two Fiscal Quarters then ended and multiplying by two; (iii) as of
September 30, 2004 by calculating such amounts for the three Fiscal Quarters then ended and multiplying by 1.3333; and (iv) on the last day of each Fiscal Quarter thereafter by
calculating such amounts for the four Fiscal Quarters then ended. 


        (b)    Minimum Tangible Net Worth.    The Borrower will not permit its Consolidated Tangible Net Worth to be less than
the sum of (i) $75,362,000, plus (ii) seventy-five percent (75%) of its Consolidated Net Income earned from October 1, 2003 through the last day of the most recently
ended Fiscal Quarter, plus (iii) 100% of the net proceeds of any offering, sale, or other transfer of any Equity of any kind of the Borrower or any Subsidiary (other than to the Borrower or
another Subsidiary). 


        (c)    Consolidated Total Indebtedness Ratio.    The Borrower will not permit the ratio of its Consolidated Total
Indebtedness to its Consolidated EBITDA, to be greater than 2.0 to 1.0. 




        Section 7.12.    Indemnity Agreement.    Borrower will not and will not permit any Restricted Person to,
directly or indirectly, change, amend, or otherwise modify the terms of the Indemnity Agreement if such change, amendment or modification could reasonably be expected to adversely affect a Lender
Party, except that a Restricted Person which has executed a Guaranty and such other documentation as may be required by the Administrative Agent, may become an additional "Principal" and "Indemnitor"
(as those terms are defined in the Indemnity Agreement) under the Indemnity Agreement. 


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ARTICLE VIII    
    
    EVENTS OF DEFAULT AND REMEDIES    
    


        Section 8.1.    Events of Default.    Each of the following events constitutes an Event of Default under this
Agreement: 



        (a)   Any
Restricted Person fails to pay any principal component of any Obligation when due and payable 


        (b)   Any
Restricted Person fails to pay any payment of interest or fees on the date which such payment is due and such failure continues for a period of three
(3) days; 


        (c)   Any
Restricted Person fails to pay any Obligation (other than the Obligations in subsection (a) above) within three Business Days after the same becomes due and
payable, whether at a date for the payment of a fixed installment or as a contingent or other payment becomes due and payable or as a result of acceleration or otherwise; 



        (d)   Any
"default" or "event of default" occurs under any Loan Document which defines either such term, and the same is not remedied within the applicable period of grace (if
any) provided in such Loan Document; 


        (e)   Any
Restricted Person fails to duly observe, perform or comply with any covenant, agreement or provision of Article VI and such failure continues for a period for
a period of thirty (30) days; 


        (f)    Any
Restricted Person fails to duly observe, perform or comply with any covenant, agreement or provision of Article VII; 



        (g)   Any
Restricted Person fails (other than as referred to in subsections (a), (b), (c) or (d) above) to duly observe, perform or comply with any covenant,
agreement, condition or provision of any Loan Document, and such failure remains unremedied for a period of thirty (30) days after notice of such failure is given by Administrative Agent to
Borrower; 


        (h)   Any
representation or warranty previously, presently or hereafter made in writing by or on behalf of any Restricted Person in connection with any Loan Document shall
prove to have been false or incorrect in any material respect on any date on or as of which made, or any Loan Document at any time ceases to be valid, binding and enforceable as warranted in
Section 5.5 for any reason other than its release or subordination by Administrative Agent; 


        (i)    Any
Restricted Person (i) fails to pay any portion, when such portion is due, of any of its Indebtedness in excess of $2,500,000, or (ii) breaches or
defaults in the performance of any agreement or instrument by which any such Indebtedness is issued, evidenced, governed, or secured, and any such failure, breach or default continues beyond any
applicable period of grace provided therefor; 


        (j)    Either
(i) any "accumulated funding deficiency" (as defined in Section 412(a) of the Internal Revenue Code) in excess of $2,500,000 exists with respect to
any ERISA Plan, whether or not waived by the Secretary of the Treasury or his delegate, or (ii) any Termination Event occurs with respect to any ERISA Plan and the then current value of such
ERISA Plan's benefit liabilities exceeds the then current value of such ERISA Plan's assets available for the payment of such benefit liabilities by more than $2,500,000 (or in the case of a
Termination Event involving the withdrawal of a substantial employer, the withdrawing employer's proportionate share of such excess exceeds such amount); 



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        (k)   Any
Restricted Person: 



        (i)    suffers
the entry against it of a judgment, decree or order for relief by a Tribunal of competent jurisdiction in an involuntary proceeding commenced under any
applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar Law of any jurisdiction now or hereafter in effect, including the federal Bankruptcy Code, as from time to time amended, or has any such proceeding
commenced against it which remains undismissed for a period of sixty days; or 



        (ii)   commences
a voluntary case under any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or similar Law now or hereafter in effect, including the federal Bankruptcy Code, as from time to
time amended; or applies for or consents to the entry of an order for relief in an involuntary case under any such Law; or makes a general assignment for the benefit of creditors; or fails generally
to pay (or admits in writing its inability to pay) its debts as such debts become due; or takes corporate or other action to authorize any of the foregoing; or 


        (iii)  suffers
the appointment of or taking possession by a receiver, liquidator, assignee, custodian, trustee, sequestrator or similar official of all or a substantial part
of its assets or of any part of the Collateral in a proceeding brought against or initiated by it, and such appointment or taking possession is neither made ineffective nor discharged within sixty
days after the making thereof, or such appointment or taking possession is at any time consented to, requested by, or acquiesced to by it; or 


        (iv)  suffers
the entry against it of a final judgment for the payment of money in excess of $2,500,000 (not covered by insurance satisfactory to Administrative Agent in its
reasonable discretion), unless the same is discharged within forty-five days after the date of entry thereof or an appeal or appropriate proceeding for review thereof is taken within such
period and a stay of execution pending such appeal is obtained; or 


        (v)   suffers
a writ or warrant of attachment or any similar process to be issued by any Tribunal against all or any substantial part of its assets or any part of the
Collateral, and such writ or warrant of attachment or any similar process is not stayed or released within forty-five days after the entry or levy thereof or after any stay is vacated or
set aside; 




        (l)    Any
Change of Control occurs; 


        (m)  Any
Material Adverse Change occurs; 


        (n)   The
occurrence of an Event of Default under the Indemnity Agreement or any other document to which any Restricted Person and the Surety are both parties. 



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Upon
the occurrence of an Event of Default described in subsection (j)(i), (j)(ii) or (j)(iii) of this section with respect to Borrower, all of the Obligations shall thereupon be
immediately due and payable, without demand, presentment, notice of demand or of dishonor and nonpayment, protest, notice of protest, notice of intention to accelerate, declaration or notice of
acceleration, or any other notice or declaration of any kind, all of which are hereby expressly waived by Borrower and each Restricted Person who at any time ratifies or approves this Agreement. Upon
any such acceleration, any obligation of any Lender and any obligation of LC Issuer to issue Letters of Credit hereunder to make any further Loans shall be permanently terminated. During the
continuance of any other Event of Default, Administrative Agent at any time and from time to time may (and upon written instructions from Required Lenders, Administrative Agent shall), without notice
to Borrower or any other Restricted Person, do either or both of the following: (1) terminate any obligation of Lenders to make Loans hereunder, and any obligation of LC Issuer to issue Letters
of Credit hereunder, and (2) declare any or all of the Obligations immediately due and payable, and all such Obligations shall thereupon be immediately due and payable, without demand,
presentment, notice of demand or of dishonor and nonpayment, protest, notice of protest, notice of intention to accelerate, declaration or notice of acceleration, or any other notice or declaration of
any kind, all of which are hereby expressly waived by Borrower and each Restricted Person who at any time ratifies or approves this Agreement. 


        Section 8.2.    Remedies.    If any Event of Default shall occur and be continuing, each Lender Party may
terminate its Revolving Loan Commitment and protect and enforce its rights under the Loan Documents by any appropriate proceedings, including proceedings for specific performance of any covenant or
agreement contained in any Loan Document, and each Lender Party may enforce the payment of any Obligations due it or enforce any other legal or equitable right which it may have. All rights, remedies
and powers conferred upon Lender Parties under the Loan Documents shall be deemed cumulative and not exclusive of any other rights, remedies or powers available under the Loan Documents or at Law or
in equity. 


        Section 8.3.    Application of Proceeds after Acceleration.    Except as otherwise provided in the Security
Documents with respect to application of proceeds to any reimbursements due Administrative Agent thereunder and to the Hedging Obligations, if Administrative Agent collects or receives money on
account of the Obligations after the acceleration of the Obligations as provided in Section 8.1, Administrative Agent shall distribute all money so collected or received: 



        (a)   first
to any reimbursements due Administrative Agent hereunder; and 


        (b)   then
ratably to the payment or cash-collateralization of the Obligations (and among the outstanding Obligations in the manner provided in
Section 3.1). 




Administrative
Agent shall have no responsibility to determine the existence or amount of Lender Hedging Obligations and may reserve from the application of amounts under this Section amounts
distributable in respect of Lender Hedging Obligations until it has received evidence satisfactory to it of the existence and amount of such Lender Hedging Obligations. 


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ARTICLE IX    
    
    ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT    
    



        Section 9.1.    Appointment and Authority.    Each Lender Party hereby irrevocably authorizes Administrative
Agent, and Administrative Agent hereby undertakes, to receive payments of principal, interest and other amounts due hereunder as specified herein and to take all other actions and to exercise such
powers under the Loan Documents as are specifically delegated to Administrative Agent by the terms hereof or thereof, together with all other powers reasonably incidental thereto. The relationship of
Administrative Agent to the other Lender Parties is only that of one commercial lender acting as Administrative Agent for others, and nothing in the Loan Documents shall be construed to constitute
Administrative Agent a trustee or other fiduciary for any Lender Party or any holder of any participation in a Note nor to impose on Administrative Agent duties and obligations other than those
expressly provided for in the Loan Documents. With respect to any matters not expressly provided for in the Loan Documents and any matters which the Loan Documents place within the discretion of
Administrative Agent, Administrative Agent shall not be required to exercise any discretion or take any action, and it may request instructions from Lenders with respect to any such matter, in which
case it shall be required to act or to refrain from acting (and shall be fully protected and free from liability to all Lender Parties in so acting or refraining from acting) upon the instructions of
Required Lenders (including itself), provided, however, that Administrative Agent shall not be required to take any action which exposes it to a risk of personal liability that it considers
unreasonable or which is contrary to the Loan Documents or to applicable Law. 


        Section 9.2.    Exculpation, Administrative Agent's Reliance, Etc.    Neither Administrative Agent nor any of
its directors, officers, Administrative Agents, attorneys, or employees shall be liable for any action taken or omitted to be taken by any of them under or in connection with the Loan Documents,
including their negligence of any kind, except that each shall be liable for its own gross negligence or willful misconduct. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, Administrative Agent
(a) may treat the Person whose name is set forth on the Register as the holder of any Obligation as the holder thereof until Administrative Agent receives written notice of the assignment or
transfer thereof in accordance with this Agreement, signed by such Person and in the form required under Section 10.5(c) payee and in form satisfactory to Administrative Agent; (b) may
consult with legal counsel (including counsel for Borrower), independent public accountants and other experts selected by it and shall not be liable for any action taken or omitted to be taken in good
faith by it in accordance with the advice of such counsel, accountants or experts; (c) makes no warranty or representation to any other Lender and shall not be responsible to any other Lender
Party for any statements, warranties or representations made in or in connection with the Loan Documents; (d) shall not have any duty to ascertain or to inquire as to the performance or
observance of any of the terms, covenants or conditions of the Loan Documents on the part of any Restricted Person or to inspect the property (including the books and records) of any Restricted
Person; (e) shall not be responsible to any other Lender for the due execution, legality, validity, enforceability, genuineness, sufficiency or value of any Loan Document or any instrument or
document furnished in connection therewith; (f) may rely upon the representations and warranties of each Restricted Person or Lender Party in exercising its powers hereunder; and
(g) shall incur no liability under or in respect of the Loan Documents by acting upon any notice, consent, certificate or other instrument or writing (including any facsimile, telegram, cable
or telex) believed by it to be genuine and signed or sent by the proper Person or Persons. 


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        Section 9.3.    Credit Decisions.    Each Lender Party acknowledges that it has, independently and without
reliance upon any other Lender Party, made its own analysis of Borrower and the transactions contemplated hereby and its own independent decision to enter into this Agreement and the other Loan
Documents. Each Lender Party also acknowledges that it will, independently and without reliance upon any other Lender Party 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 the Loan Documents. 


        Section 9.4.    Indemnification.    Each Lender agrees to indemnify Administrative Agent (to the extent not
reimbursed by Borrower within ten (10) days after demand) from and against such Lender's Percentage Share of any and all liabilities, obligations, claims, losses, damages, penalties, fines,
actions, judgments, suits, settlements, costs, expenses or disbursements (including reasonable fees of attorneys, accountants, experts and advisors) of any kind or nature whatsoever (in this section
collectively called "liabilities and costs") which to any extent (in whole or in part) may be imposed on, incurred by, or asserted against Administrative Agent growing out of, resulting from or in any
other way associated with any of the Collateral, the Loan Documents and the transactions and events (including the enforcement thereof) at any time associated therewith or contemplated therein
(whether arising in contract or in tort and otherwise and including any violation or noncompliance with any Environmental Laws by any Person or any liabilities or duties of any Person with respect to
Hazardous Materials found in or released into the environment). 


THE FOREGOING INDEMNIFICATION SHALL APPLY WHETHER OR NOT SUCH LIABILITIES AND COSTS ARE IN ANY WAY OR TO ANY EXTENT OWED, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, UNDER ANY CLAIM OR THEORY OF
STRICT LIABILITY, OR ARE CAUSED, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, BY ANY NEGLIGENT ACT OR OMISSION OF ANY KIND BY ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT,


provided
only that no Lender shall be obligated under this section to indemnify Administrative Agent for that portion, if any, of any liabilities and costs which is proximately caused by
Administrative Agent's own individual gross negligence or willful misconduct, as determined in a final judgment. Cumulative of the foregoing, each Lender agrees to reimburse Administrative Agent
promptly upon demand for such Lender's Percentage Share of any costs and expenses to be paid to Administrative Agent by Borrower under Section 10.4(a) to the extent that Administrative Agent is
not timely reimbursed for such expenses by Borrower as provided in such section. As used in this section the term "Administrative Agent" shall refer not only to the Person designated as such in
Section 1.1 but also to each director, officer, Administrative Agent, attorney, employee, representative and Affiliate of such Person. 


        Section 9.5.    Rights as Lender.    In its capacity as a Lender, Administrative Agent shall have the same
rights and obligations as any Lender and may exercise such rights as though it were not Administrative Agent. Administrative Agent may accept deposits from, lend money to, act as trustee under
indentures of, and generally engage in any kind of business with any Restricted Person or their Affiliates, all as if it were not Administrative Agent hereunder and without any duty to account
therefor to any other Lender. 


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        Section 9.6.    Sharing of Set-Offs and Other Payments.    Each Lender Party agrees that if it
shall, whether through the exercise of rights under Security Documents or rights of banker's lien, set off, or counterclaim against Borrower or otherwise, obtain payment of a portion of the aggregate
Obligations owed to it which, taking into account all distributions made by Administrative Agent under Section 3.1, causes such Lender Party to have received more than it would have received
had such payment been received by Administrative Agent and distributed pursuant to Section 3.1, then (a) it shall be deemed to have simultaneously purchased and shall be obligated to
purchase interests in the Obligations as necessary to cause all Lender Parties to share all payments as provided for in Section 3.1, and (b) such other adjustments shall be made from
time to time as shall be equitable to ensure that Administrative Agent and all Lender Parties share all payments of Obligations as provided in Section 3.1; provided, however, that nothing
herein contained shall in any way affect the right of any Lender Party to obtain payment (whether by exercise of rights of banker's lien, set-off or counterclaim or otherwise) of
indebtedness other than the Obligations. Borrower expressly consents to the foregoing arrangements and agrees that any holder of any such interest or other participation in the Obligations, whether or
not acquired pursuant to the foregoing arrangements, may to the fullest extent permitted by Law exercise any and all rights of banker's lien, set-off, or counterclaim as fully as if such
holder were a holder of the Obligations in the amount of such interest or other participation. If all or any part of any funds transferred pursuant to this section is thereafter recovered from the
seller under this section which received the same, the purchase provided for in this section shall be deemed to have been rescinded to the extent of such recovery, together with interest, if any, if
interest is required pursuant to the order of a Tribunal order to be paid on account of the possession of such funds prior to such recovery. 



        Section 9.7.    Investments.    Whenever Administrative Agent in good faith determines that it is uncertain
about how to distribute to Lender Parties any funds which it has received, or whenever Administrative Agent in good faith determines that there is any dispute among Lender Parties about how such funds
should be distributed, Administrative Agent may choose to defer distribution of the funds which are the subject of such uncertainty or dispute. If Administrative Agent in good faith believes that the
uncertainty or dispute will not be promptly resolved, or if Administrative Agent is otherwise required to invest funds pending distribution to Lender Parties, Administrative Agent shall invest such
funds pending distribution; all interest on any such Investment shall be distributed upon the distribution of such Investment and in the same proportion and to the same Persons as such Investment. All
monies received by Administrative Agent for distribution to Lender Parties (other than to the Person who is Administrative Agent in its separate capacity as a Lender Party) shall be held by
Administrative Agent pending such distribution solely as Administrative Agent for such Lender Parties, and Administrative Agent shall have no equitable title to any portion thereof. 


        Section 9.8.    Benefit of Article IX.    The provisions of this Article (other than the following
Section 9.9) are intended solely for the benefit of Lender Parties, and no Restricted Person shall be entitled to rely on any such provision or assert any such provision in a claim or defense
against any Lender. Lender Parties may waive or amend such provisions as they desire without any notice to or consent of Borrower or any Restricted Person. 


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        Section 9.9.    Resignation.    Administrative Agent may resign at any time by giving written notice thereof to
Lenders and Borrower. Each such notice shall set forth the date of such resignation. Upon any such resignation, Required Lenders shall have the right to appoint (with, unless an Event of Default shall
have occurred and be continuing, the consent of Borrower, such consent not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed) a successor Administrative Agent. A successor must be appointed for any retiring
Administrative Agent, and such Administrative Agent's resignation shall become effective when such successor accepts such appointment. If, within thirty days after the date of the retiring
Administrative Agent's resignation, no successor Administrative Agent has been appointed and has accepted such appointment, then the retiring Administrative Agent may appoint (with, unless an Event of
Default shall have occurred and be continuing, the consent of Borrower, such consent not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed) a successor Administrative Agent, which shall be a commercial bank
organized or licensed to conduct a banking or trust business under the Laws of the United States of America or of any state thereof. Upon the acceptance of any appointment as Administrative Agent
hereunder by a successor Administrative Agent, the retiring Administrative Agent shall be discharged from its duties and obligations under this Agreement and the other Loan Documents. After any
retiring Administrative Agent's resignation hereunder the provisions of this Article IX shall continue to inure to its benefit as to any actions taken or omitted to be taken by it while it was
Administrative Agent under the Loan Documents. 


        Section 9.10.    Notice of Default.    Administrative Agent shall not be deemed to have knowledge or notice of
the occurrence of any Default, except with respect to defaults in the payment of principal, interest and fees required to be paid to Administrative Agent for the account of Lenders, unless
Administrative Agent shall have received written notice from a Lender or Borrower referring to this Agreement, describing such Default and stating that such notice is a "notice of default."
Administrative Agent will notify Lenders of its receipt of any such notice. Administrative Agent shall take such action with respect to such Default as may be directed by Required Lenders in
accordance with Article VIII; provided, however, that unless and until Administrative Agent has received any such direction, Administrative Agent may (but shall not be obligated to) take such
action, or refrain from taking such action, with respect to such Default as it shall deem advisable or in the best interest of Lenders. 



        Section 9.11.    Co-Administrative Agents.    The Parties identified on the facing page of this
Agreement as "Arranger", and "Documentation Agent", respectively, have no right, power, obligation, liability, responsibility, or duty under the Loan Documents in such capacities. Without limiting the
foregoing, the Parties so identified as "Arranger", and "Documentation Agent", respectively, shall not have and shall not be deemed to have any fiduciary relationship with any other Lender. Each
Lender acknowledges that it has not relied, and will not rely, on taking or not taking action hereunder. 


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ARTICLE X    
    
    MISCELLANEOUS    
    


        Section 10.1.    Waivers and Amendments; Acknowledgments.    



        (a)    Waivers and Amendments.    No failure or delay (whether by course of conduct or otherwise) by any Lender in
exercising any right, power or remedy which such Lender Party may have under any of the Loan Documents shall operate as a waiver thereof or of any other right, power or remedy, nor shall any single or
partial exercise by any Lender Party of any such right, power or remedy preclude any other or further exercise thereof or of any other right, power or remedy. No waiver of any provision of any Loan
Document and no consent to any departure therefrom shall ever be effective unless it is in writing and signed as provided below in this section, and then such waiver or consent shall be effective only
in the specific instances and for the purposes for which given and to the extent specified in such writing. No notice to or demand on any Restricted Person shall in any case of itself entitle any
Restricted Person to any other or further notice or demand in similar or other circumstances. This Agreement and the other Loan Documents set forth the entire understanding between the parties hereto
with respect to the transactions contemplated herein and therein and supersede all prior discussions and understandings with respect to the subject matter hereof and thereof, and no waiver, consent,
release, modification or amendment of or supplement to this Agreement or the other Loan Documents shall be valid or effective against any party hereto unless the same is in writing and signed by
(i) if such party is Borrower, by Borrower, (ii) if such party is Administrative Agent or LC Issuer, by such party, and (iii) if such party is a Lender, by such Lender or by
Administrative Agent on behalf of Lenders with the written consent of Required Lenders (which consent has already been given as to the termination of the Loan Documents as provided in
Section 10.9). Notwithstanding the foregoing or anything to the contrary herein, Administrative Agent shall not, without the prior consent of each individual Lender, execute and deliver on
behalf of such Lender any waiver or amendment which would: (1) waive any of the conditions specified in Article IV (provided that Administrative Agent may in its discretion withdraw any
request it has made under Section 4.2), (2) increase the maximum amount which such Lender is committed hereunder to lend, (3) reduce any fees payable to such Lender hereunder, or
the principal of, or interest on, either of such Lender's Notes, (4) extend the Maturity Date, or postpone any date fixed for any payment of any such fees, principal or interest,
(5) amend the definition herein of "Required Lenders" or otherwise change the aggregate amount of Percentage Shares which is required for Administrative Agent, Lenders or any of them to take
any particular action under the Loan Documents, (6) release Borrower from its obligation to pay such Lender's Obligations or any Guarantor (other than a Guarantor which ceases to be a
Subsidiary pursuant to a sale or other disposition permitted by the Loan Documents) from its guaranty of such payment or (7) release all or substantially all of the any Collateral, except for
such releases relating to sales or dispositions of property permitted by the Loan Documents, or (8) amend this Section 10.1(a). Notwithstanding the foregoing or anything to the contrary
herein, Administrative Agent shall not, without the prior consent of each individual Lender affected thereby (or, as applicable, an Affiliate of such Lender), execute and deliver any waiver or
amendment to any Loan Document which would (i) cause an obligation under any outstanding Hedging Contract owing to such Lender (or its Affiliate) that, prior to such waiver or amendment,
constituted a "Lender Hedging Obligation" to cease to be a "Lender Hedging Obligation" or (ii) cause the priority of the Lien securing such obligation or the priority of payment with respect to
such obligation in connection with the exercise of remedies under such Loan Document to be subordinate in any manner to the Obligations (other than expense reimbursements, expenses of enforcement, and
other similar obligations owing under the Loan Documents). 


55





 



        (b)    Acknowledgments and Admissions.    Borrower hereby represents, warrants, acknowledges and admits that
(i) it has been advised by counsel in the negotiation, execution and delivery of the Loan Documents to which it is a party, (ii) it has made an independent decision to enter into this
Agreement and the other Loan Documents to which it is a party, without reliance on any representation, warranty, covenant or undertaking by Administrative Agent or any Lender, whether written, oral or
implicit, other than as expressly set out in this Agreement or in another Loan Document delivered on or after the date hereof, (iii) there are no representations, warranties, covenants,
undertakings or agreements by any Lender as to the Loan Documents except as expressly set out in this Agreement or in another Loan Document delivered on or after the date hereof, (iv) no Lender
has any fiduciary obligation toward Borrower with respect to any Loan Document or the transactions contemplated thereby, (v) the relationship pursuant to the Loan Documents between Borrower and
the other Restricted Persons, on one hand, and each Lender, on the other hand, is and shall be solely that of debtor and creditor, respectively, provided that, solely for purposes of
Section 10.5(f), Administrative Agent shall act as Administrative Agent of Borrower in maintaining the Register as set forth therein, (vi) no partnership or joint venture exists with
respect to the Loan Documents between any Restricted Person and any Lender, (vii) Administrative Agent is not Borrower's Administrative Agent, but Administrative Agent for Lenders, provided
that, solely for purposes of Section 10.5(f), Administrative Agent shall act as Administrative Agent of Borrower in maintaining the Register as set forth therein, (viii) should an Event
of Default or Default occur or exist, each Lender will determine in its sole discretion and for its own reasons what remedies and actions it will or will not exercise or take at that time subject to
the terms of this Agreement, (ix) without limiting any of the foregoing, Borrower is not relying upon any representation or covenant by any Lender, or any representative thereof, and no such
representation or covenant has been made, that any Lender will, at the time of an Event of Default or Default, or at any other time, waive, negotiate, discuss, or take or refrain from taking any
action permitted under the Loan Documents with respect to any such Event of Default or Default or any other provision of the Loan Documents, and (x) all Lender Parties have relied upon the
truthfulness of the acknowledgments in this section in deciding to execute and deliver this Agreement and to become obligated hereunder. 


        (c)    Joint Acknowledgment.    THIS WRITTEN AGREEMENT AND THE OTHER LOAN DOCUMENTS REPRESENT
THE FINAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE PARTIES AND MAY NOT BE CONTRADICTED BY EVIDENCE OF PRIOR, CONTEMPORANEOUS, OR SUBSEQUENT ORAL AGREEMENTS OF THE PARTIES.



        THERE ARE NO UNWRITTEN ORAL AGREEMENTS BETWEEN THE PARTIES.


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        Section 10.2.    Survival of Agreements; Cumulative Nature.    Except for representations and warranties given
as of a specified date, all of Restricted Persons' various representations, warranties, covenants and agreements in the Loan Documents shall survive the execution and delivery of this Agreement and
the other Loan Documents and the performance hereof and thereof, including the making or granting of the Loans and the delivery of the Notes and the other Loan Documents, and shall further survive
until all of the Obligations are paid in full to each Lender Party and all of Lender Parties' obligations to Borrower are terminated. All statements and agreements contained in any certificate or
other instrument delivered by any Restricted Person to any Lender Party under any Loan Document shall be deemed representations and warranties by Borrower or agreements and covenants of Borrower under
this Agreement. The representations, warranties, indemnities, and covenants made by Restricted Persons in the Loan Documents, and the rights, powers, and privileges granted to Lender Parties in the
Loan Documents, are cumulative, and, except for expressly specified waivers and consents, no Loan Document shall be construed in the context of another to diminish, nullify, or otherwise reduce the
benefit to any Lender Party of any such representation, warranty, indemnity, covenant, right, power or privilege. In particular and without limitation, no exception set out in this Agreement to any
representation, warranty, indemnity, or covenant herein contained shall apply to any similar representation, warranty, indemnity, or covenant contained in any other Loan Document, unless the Loan
Documents shall expressly provide that such exception shall apply to such similar representation, warranty, indemnity, or covenant. 


        Section 10.3.    Notices.    All notices, requests, consents, demands and other communications required or
permitted under any Loan Document shall be in writing, unless otherwise specifically provided in such Loan Document (provided that Administrative Agent may give telephonic notices to the other Lender
Parties), and shall be deemed sufficiently given or furnished if delivered by personal delivery, by facsimile or other electronic transmission, by delivery service with proof of delivery, or by
registered or certified United States mail, postage prepaid, to Borrower and Restricted Persons at the address of Borrower specified on the signature pages hereto and to each Lender Party at its
address specified on the signature pages hereto (unless changed by similar notice in writing given by the particular Person whose address is to be changed). Any such notice or communication shall be
deemed to have been given (a) in the case of personal delivery or delivery service, as of the date of first attempted delivery during normal business hours at the address provided herein,
(b) in the case of facsimile or other electronic transmission, upon receipt, or (c) in the case of registered or certified United States mail, three days after deposit in the mail;
provided, however, that no Borrowing Notice shall become effective until actually received by Administrative Agent. 


        Section 10.4.    Payment of Expenses; Indemnity.    


        (a)    Payment of Expenses.    Whether or not the transactions contemplated by this Agreement are consummated,
Borrower will promptly (and in any event, within thirty (30) days after any invoice or other statement or notice) pay: (i) all transfer, stamp, mortgage, documentary or other similar
taxes, assessments or charges levied by any governmental or revenue authority in respect of this Agreement or any of the other Loan Documents or any other document or transaction referred to herein or
therein, (ii) all reasonable costs and expenses incurred by or on behalf of Administrative Agent (including without limitation reasonable attorneys' fees, travel costs and miscellaneous
expenses), but excluding consultants fees other than in connection with an annual field audit permitted below, in connection with (1) the negotiation, preparation, execution and delivery of the
Loan Documents, and any and all consents, waivers or other documents or instruments relating thereto, (2) the filing, recording, refiling and re-recording of any Loan Documents and
any other documents or instruments or further assurances required to be filed or recorded or refiled or re-recorded by the terms of any Loan Document, (3) the borrowings hereunder
and other action reasonably required in the course of administration hereof, (4) monitoring or confirming (or preparation or negotiation of any document related to) any Restricted Person's
compliance with any covenants or conditions contained in this 


57





 



Agreement
or in any Loan Document, and (iii) all reasonable costs and expenses incurred by the Administrative Agent on behalf of any Lender Party (including without limitation reasonable
attorneys' fees, reasonable consultants' fees and reasonable accounting fees) in connection with the conduct of an annual field audit, the preservation of any rights under the Loan Documents or the
defense or enforcement of any of the Loan Documents (including this section), any attempt to cure any breach thereunder by any Restricted Person, or the defense of any Lender Party's exercise of its
rights thereunder. In addition to the foregoing, until all Obligations have been paid in full, Borrower will also pay or reimburse Administrative Agent for all reasonable
out-of-pocket costs and expenses of Administrative Agent or its agents or employees in connection with the continuing administration of the Loans and the related due diligence
of Administrative Agent, including travel and miscellaneous expenses and reasonable fees and expenses of Administrative Agent's outside counsel and consultants engaged in connection with the Loan
Documents. 


        (b)    Indemnity.    Borrower agrees to indemnify each Lender Party, upon demand, from and against any and all
liabilities, obligations, broker's fees, claims, losses, damages, penalties, fines, actions, judgments, suits, settlements, costs, expenses or disbursements (including reasonable fees of attorneys,
accountants, experts and advisors) of any kind or nature whatsoever (in this section collectively called "liabilities and costs") which to any extent (in whole or in part) may be imposed on, incurred
by, or asserted against such Lender Party growing out of, resulting from or in any other way associated with any of the Collateral, the Loan Documents and the transactions and events (including the
enforcement or defense thereof) at any time associated therewith or contemplated therein (whether arising in contract or in tort or otherwise). Among other things, the foregoing indemnification covers
all liabilities and costs incurred by any Lender Party related to any breach of a Loan Document by a Restricted Person, any bodily injury to any Person or damage to any Person's property, or any
violation or noncompliance with any Environmental Laws by any Lender Party or any other Person or any liabilities or duties of any Lender Party or any other Person with respect to Hazardous Materials
found in or released into the environment. 



THE FOREGOING INDEMNIFICATION SHALL APPLY WHETHER OR NOT SUCH LIABILITIES AND COSTS ARE IN ANY WAY OR TO ANY EXTENT OWED, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, UNDER ANY CLAIM OR THEORY OF
STRICT LIABILITY OR CAUSED, IN WHOLE OR IN PART BY ANY NEGLIGENT ACT OR OMISSION OF ANY KIND BY ANY LENDER PARTY,


provided
only that no Lender Party shall be entitled under this section to receive indemnification for that portion, if any, of any liabilities and costs which is proximately caused by its own
individual gross negligence or willful misconduct, as determined in a final judgment. If any Person (including Borrower or any of its Affiliates) ever alleges such gross negligence or willful
misconduct by any Lender Party, the indemnification provided for in this section shall nonetheless be paid upon demand, subject to later adjustment or reimbursement, until such time as a court of
competent jurisdiction enters a final judgment as to the extent and effect of the alleged gross negligence or willful misconduct. As used in this section the term "Lender Party" shall refer not only
to each Person designated as such in Section 1.1 but also to each director, officer, Administrative Agent, trustee, attorney, employee, representative and Affiliate of or for such Person. 


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        Section 10.5.    Joint and Several Liability; Parties in Interest; Assignments.    



        (a)   All
Obligations which are incurred by two or more Restricted Persons shall be their joint and several obligations and liabilities. All grants, covenants and agreements
contained in the Loan Documents shall bind and inure to the benefit of the parties thereto and their respective successors and assigns; provided, however, that no Restricted Person may assign or
transfer any of its rights or delegate any of its duties or obligations under any Loan Document without the prior consent of the Required Lenders. Neither Borrower nor any Affiliates of Borrower shall
directly or indirectly purchase or otherwise retire any Obligations owed to any Lender nor will any Lender accept any offer to do so, unless each Lender shall have received substantially the same
offer with respect to the same Percentage Share of the Obligations owed to it. If Borrower or any Affiliate of Borrower at any time purchases some but less than all of the Obligations owed to all
Lender Parties, such purchaser shall not be entitled to any rights of any Lender under the Loan Documents unless and until Borrower or its Affiliates have purchased all of the Obligations. 


        (b)   No
Lender shall sell any participation interest in its commitment hereunder or any of its rights under its Loans or under the Loan Documents to any Person unless the
agreement between such Lender and such participant at all times provides: (i) that such participation exists only as a result of the agreement between such participant and such Lender and that
such transfer does not give such participant any right to vote as a Lender or any other direct claims or rights against any Person other than such Lender, (ii) that such participant is not
entitled to payment from any Restricted Person under Sections 3.2 through 3.8 of amounts in excess of those payable to such Lender under such sections (determined without regard to the sale of such
participation), and (iii) unless such participant is an Affiliate of such Lender, that such participant shall not be entitled to require such Lender to take any action under any Loan Document
or to obtain the consent of such participant prior to taking any action under any Loan Document, except for actions which would require the consent of all Lenders under subsection (a) of
Section 10.1. No Lender selling such a participation shall, as between the other parties hereto and such Lender, be relieved of any of its obligations hereunder as a result of the sale of such
participation. Each Lender which sells any such participation to any Person (other than an Affiliate of such Lender) shall give prompt notice thereof to Administrative Agent and Borrower. 


        (c)   Except
for sales of participations under the immediately preceding subsection, no Lender shall make any assignment or transfer of any kind of its commitments or any of
its rights under its Loans or under the Loan Documents, except for assignments to an Eligible Transferee, and then only if such assignment is made in accordance with the following requirements: 



        (i)    Each
such assignment shall apply to all Obligations owing to the assignor Lender hereunder and to the unused portion of the assignor Lender's commitments, so that after
such assignment is made the assignor Lender shall have a fixed (and not a varying) Percentage Share in its Loans and Notes and be committed to make that Percentage Share of all future Loans, the
assignee shall have a fixed Percentage Share in such Loans and Notes and be committed to make that Percentage Share of all future Loans, and, except in the case of an assignment of the entire
remaining amount of the assignor's Percentage Share of the Revolving Loan Commitment, the Percentage Share of the Revolving Loan Commitment of both the assignor and assignee shall equal or exceed
$2,500,000. 



59





 

        (ii)   The
parties to each such assignment shall execute and deliver to Administrative Agent, for its acceptance and recording in the "Register" (as defined below in this
section), an Assignment and Acceptance in the form of Exhibit 10.5, appropriately completed, together with the Note subject to such assignment and a processing fee payable to Administrative
Agent of $3,500. Upon such execution, delivery, and payment and upon the satisfaction of the conditions set out in such Assignment and Acceptance, then (1) Borrower shall issue new Notes to
such assignor and assignee upon return of the old Notes to Borrower, and (2) as of the "Settlement Date" specified in such Assignment and Acceptance the assignee thereunder shall be a party
hereto and a Lender hereunder and Administrative Agent shall thereupon deliver to Borrower and each Lender a schedule showing the revised Percentage Shares of such assignor Lender and such assignee
Lender and the Percentage Shares of all other Lenders. 


        (iii)  Each
assignee Lender which is not a United States person (as such term is defined in Section 7701(a)(30) of the Internal Revenue Code) for Federal income tax
purposes, shall (to the extent it has not already done so) provide Administrative Agent and Borrower with the "Prescribed Forms" referred to in Section 3.6(d). 


        (iv)  Unless
the assignee is an Affiliate of the assignor, such assignment shall not be effective unless consented to in writing by Administrative Agent and, unless an Event
of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, Borrower (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed). 




        (d)   Nothing
contained in this section shall prevent or prohibit any Lender from assigning or pledging all or any portion of its Loans and Notes to any Federal Reserve Bank
as collateral security pursuant to Regulation A of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and any Operating Circular issued by such Federal Reserve Bank; provided that no such
assignment or pledge shall relieve such Lender from its obligations hereunder. 



        (e)   By
executing and delivering an Assignment and Acceptance, each assignee Lender thereunder will be confirming to and agreeing with Borrower, Administrative Agent and each
other Lender Party that such assignee understands and agrees to the terms hereof, including Article IX hereof. 


        (f)    Administrative
Agent shall maintain a copy of each Assignment and Acceptance and a register for the recordation of the names and addresses of Lenders and the Percentage
Shares of, and principal amount of the Loans owing to, each Lender from time to time (in this section called the "Register"). The entries in the Register shall be conclusive, in the absence of
manifest error, and Borrower and each Lender Party may treat each Person whose name is recorded in the Register as a Lender hereunder for all purposes. The Register shall be available for inspection
by Borrower or any Lender Party at any reasonable time and from time to time upon reasonable prior notice. Administrative Agent shall act as Administrative Agent of Borrower solely for purposes of
maintaining the Register as set forth in this Section 10.5(f). 


        Section 10.6.    Confidentiality.    Each Lending Party agrees to keep confidential any information furnished
or made available to it by any Restricted Person pursuant to this Agreement that is financial information, information in connection with a proposed transaction, or information marked confidential;
provided that nothing herein shall prevent any Lending Party from disclosing such information (a) to any other Lending Party or any Affiliate of any Lending Party, or any officer, director,
employee, Administrative Agent, attorney, auditor, or advisor of any Lending Party or Affiliate of any Lending Party, (b) to any other Person if reasonably incidental to the administration of
the credit facility provided herein, (c) as required by any Law, (d) upon the order of any court or administrative agency, (e) upon the request or demand of any Tribunal,
(f) that is or becomes available to the public or that is or becomes available to any Lending Party other than as a result of a disclosure by any Lending Party prohibited by this Agreement,
(g) to the extent necessary in connection with the exercise of any right or remedy under this Agreement or any other Loan Document, (h) subject to provisions substantially similar to
those contained in this section, to any actual or proposed participant 


60





 



or
assignee or any actual or proposed contractual counterparty (or its advisors) to any securitization, hedge, or other derivative transaction relating to the parties' obligations hereunder, and
(i) if it is otherwise available in the public domain. Notwithstanding anything set forth herein to the contrary, each party to this Agreement and each of its employees, representatives, and
other Administrative Agents is hereby expressly authorized to disclose the "tax treatment" and "tax structure" (as those terms are defined in Treas. Reg. §§
1.6011-4(c)(8) and (9), respectively) of the transactions contemplated hereby and all materials of any kind, including opinions or other tax analyses, that have been provided to it by any
other party relating to such tax treatment or tax structure. Any Person required to maintain the confidentiality of information described in this section shall be considered to have complied with its
obligation to do so if such Person has exercised the same degree of care to maintain the confidentiality of such information as such Person would accord to its own confidential information. 



        Section 10.7.    Governing Law; Submission to Process.    Except to the extent that the Law of another
jurisdiction is expressly elected in a Loan Document, the Loan Documents shall be deemed contracts and instruments made under the Laws of the State of Texas and shall be construed and enforced in
accordance with and governed by the Laws of the State of Texas and the Laws of the United States of America, without regard to principles of conflicts of law. Chapter 346 of the Texas Finance Code
(which regulates certain revolving credit loan accounts and revolving tri-party accounts) does not apply to this Agreement or to the Notes. Borrower hereby irrevocably submits itself and
each other Restricted Person to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state and federal courts sitting in the State of Texas and agrees and consents that service of process may be made upon it or any
Restricted Person in any legal proceeding relating to the Loan Documents or the Obligations by any means allowed under Texas or federal law. Any legal proceeding arising out of or in any way related
to any of the Loan Documents shall be brought and litigated exclusively in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas, Houston Division, to the extent it has subject matter
jurisdiction, and otherwise in the Texas District Courts sitting in Harris County, Texas. The parties hereto hereby waive and agree not to assert, by way of motion, as a defense or otherwise, that any
such proceeding is brought in an inconvenient forum or that the venue thereof is improper, and further agree to a transfer of any such proceeding to a federal court sitting in the State of Texas to
the extent that it has subject matter jurisdiction, and otherwise to a state court in Houston, Texas. In furtherance thereof, Borrower and Lender Parties each hereby acknowledge and agree that it was
not inconvenient for them to negotiate and receive funding of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement in such county and that it will be neither inconvenient nor unfair to litigate or
otherwise resolve any disputes or claims in a court sitting in such county. 


        Section 10.8.    Limitation on Interest.    Lender Parties, Restricted Persons and any other parties to the
Loan Documents intend to contract in strict compliance with applicable usury Law from time to time in effect. In furtherance thereof such Persons stipulate and agree that none of the terms and
provisions contained in the Loan Documents shall ever be construed to create a contract to pay, for the use, forbearance or detention of money, interest in excess of the maximum amount of interest
permitted to be charged by applicable Law from time to time in effect. Neither any Restricted Person nor any present or future guarantors, endorsers, or other Persons hereafter becoming liable for
payment of any Obligation shall ever be liable for unearned interest thereon or shall ever be required to pay interest thereon in excess of the maximum amount that may be lawfully contracted for,
charged, or received under applicable Law from time to time in effect, and the provisions of this section shall control over all other provisions of the Loan Documents which may be in conflict or
apparent conflict herewith. Lender Parties expressly disavow any intention to contract for, charge, or collect excessive unearned interest or finance charges in the event the maturity of any
Obligation is accelerated. If (a) the maturity of any Obligation is accelerated for any reason, (b) any Obligation is prepaid and as a result any amounts held to constitute interest are
determined to be in excess of the legal maximum, or (c) any Lender or any other holder of any or all of the Obligations shall otherwise collect moneys 


61





 



which
are determined to constitute interest which would otherwise increase the interest on any or all of the Obligations to an amount in excess of that permitted to be charged by applicable Law then
in effect, then all sums determined to constitute interest in excess of such legal limit shall, without penalty, be promptly applied to reduce the then outstanding principal of the related Obligations
or, at such Lender's or holder's option, promptly returned to Borrower or the other payor thereof upon such determination. In determining whether or not the interest paid or payable, under any
specific circumstance, exceeds the maximum amount permitted under applicable Law, Lender Parties and Restricted Persons (and any other payors thereof) shall to the greatest extent permitted under
applicable Law, (i) characterize any non-principal payment as an expense, fee or premium rather than as interest, (ii) exclude voluntary prepayments and the effects thereof,
and (iii) amortize, prorate, allocate, and spread the total amount of interest throughout the entire contemplated term of the instruments evidencing the Obligations in accordance with the
amounts outstanding from time to time thereunder and the maximum legal rate of interest from time to time in effect under applicable Law in order to lawfully contract for, charge, or receive the
maximum amount of interest permitted under applicable Law. In the event applicable Law provides for an interest ceiling under Chapter 303 of the Texas Finance Code (the "Texas Finance Code") as
amended, for that day, the ceiling shall be the "weekly ceiling" as defined in the Texas Finance Code, provided that if any applicable Law permits greater interest, the Law permitting the greatest
interest shall apply. As used in this section the term "applicable Law" means the Laws of the State of Texas or the Laws of the United States of America, whichever Laws allow the greater interest, as
such Laws now exist or may be changed or amended or come into effect in the future. 


        Section 10.9.    Termination; Limited Survival.    In its sole and absolute discretion Borrower may at any time
that no Obligations are owing (other than indemnity obligations and similar obligations that survive the termination of this Agreement for which no notice of a claim has been received by Borrower)
elect in a written notice delivered to Administrative Agent to terminate this Agreement. Upon receipt by Administrative Agent of such a notice, if no Obligations are then owing, this Agreement and all
other Loan Documents shall thereupon be terminated and the parties thereto released from all prospective obligations thereunder. Notwithstanding the foregoing or anything herein to the contrary, any
waivers or admissions made by any Restricted Person in any Loan Document, any Obligations under Sections 3.2 through Section 3.6, and any obligations which any Person may have to indemnify or
reimburse any Lender Party shall survive any termination of this Agreement or any other Loan Document. At the request and expense of Borrower, Administrative Agent shall prepare and execute all
necessary instruments to reflect and effect such termination of the Loan Documents. Administrative Agent is hereby authorized to execute all such instruments on behalf of all Lenders, without the
joinder of or further action by any Lender. 


        Section 10.10.    Severability.    If any term or provision of any Loan Document shall be determined to be
illegal or unenforceable all other terms and provisions of the Loan Documents shall nevertheless remain effective and shall be enforced to the fullest extent permitted by applicable Law. 


        Section 10.11.    Counterparts; Fax.    This Agreement may be separately executed in any number of counterparts
and by different parties hereto in separate counterparts, each of which when so executed shall be deemed to constitute one and the same Agreement. This Agreement and the Loan Documents may be validly
executed and delivered by facsimile or other electronic transmission. 


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        Section 10.12.    Intentionally Omitted.    



        Section 10.13.    Waiver of Jury Trial, Punitive Damages, etc.    Each of the Borrower and each Lender Party
hereby knowingly, voluntarily, intentionally, and irrevocably (a) waives, to the maximum extent not prohibited by Law, any right it may have to a trial by jury in respect of any litigation
based hereon, or directly or indirectly at any time arising out of, under or in connection with the Loan Documents or any transaction contemplated thereby or associated therewith, before or after
maturity; (b) waives, to the maximum extent not prohibited by Law, any right they may have to claim or recover in any such litigation any "Special Damages", as defined below,
(c) certifies that no party hereto nor any representative or Administrative Agent or counsel for any party hereto has represented, expressly or otherwise, or implied that such party would not,
in the event of litigation, seek to enforce the foregoing waivers, and (d) acknowledges that it has been induced to enter into this Agreement, the other Loan Documents and the transactions
contemplated hereby and thereby by, among other things, the mutual waivers and certifications contained in this section. As used in this section, "Special Damages" includes all special, consequential,
exemplary, or punitive damages (regardless of how named), but does not include any payments or funds which any party hereto has expressly promised to pay or deliver to any other party hereto. 



        Section 10.14.    Procedure for Increases and Addition of New Lenders.    This Agreement permits certain
increases in a Lender's Commitment and the admission of new Lenders providing new commitments, none of which require any consents or approvals from the other Lenders. Any amendment hereto for such an
increase or addition shall be in the form attached hereto as Exhibit 10.14 and shall only require the written signatures of the Administrative Agent, Borrower and the Lender(s) being added or
increasing their Commitment. In addition, within a reasonable time after the effective date of any increase, the Administrative Agent shall, and is hereby authorized and directed to, revise the
Schedule 3.1 reflecting such increase and shall distribute such revised Schedule to each of the Lenders and Borrower, whereupon such revised Schedule 3.1 shall replace the old
Schedule 3.1 and become part of this Agreement. On the Business Day following any such increase, all outstanding Base Rate Loans shall be reallocated among the Lenders (including any newly
added Lenders) in accordance with the Lenders' respective revised Percentage Shares. Eurodollar Loans shall not be reallocated among the Lenders prior to the expiration of the applicable Interest
Period in effect at the time of any such increase. 


        Section 10.15.    Amendment and Restatement.    This Agreement amends and restates in its entirety the Prior
Credit Documents, and from and after the date hereof, the terms and provisions of the Prior Credit Documents shall be superseded by the terms and provisions of this Agreement. Borrower hereby agrees
that (i) the Prior Indebtedness, all accrued and unpaid interest thereon, and all accrued and unpaid fees under the Prior Credit Documents shall be deemed to be Indebtedness of Borrower
outstanding under and governed by this Agreement and (ii) all Liens securing the Prior Indebtedness shall continue in full force and effect to secure the Secured Obligations. 


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REMAINDER OF THIS PAGE IS INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK] 


63







   
        IN WITNESS WHEREOF, this Agreement is executed as of the date first written above. 



	 	 	 	 	COMFORT SYSTEMS USA, INC.,

Borrower
	

 	
 	

 	
 	

By:	

/s/  J. GORDON BEITTENMILLER      
 J. Gordon Beittenmiller

Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
	

 	
 	

 	
 	

Address:

777 Post Oak Boulevard, Suite 500

Houston, Texas 77056

Attention: J. Gordon Beittenmiller
	

 	
 	

 	
 	

Telephone: (713) 830-9620

Fax: (713) 830-9646




[THE
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64





 


	

Term Loan Commitment:	
 	

$3,500,000	
 	
BANK OF TEXAS NA,
	Revolving Loan Commitment:	 	$14,000,000	 	Administrative Agent and Lender
	Percentage Share:	 	35%	 	 	 
	

 	
 	

 	
 	

By:	

/s/  H. GALE SMITH, JR.      
 H. Gale Smith, Jr.

Senior Vice President
	

 	
 	

 	
 	

Address:
	

 	
 	

 	
 	

Bank of Texas NA

5 Houston Center

1401 McKinney, Suite 1650

Houston, Texas 77010

Attention: H. Gale Smith, Jr.
	

 	
 	

 	
 	

Telephone: (713) 289-5823

Fax: (713) 289-5825




65





 


	

Term Loan Commitment:	
 	

$3,000,000	
 	

HIBERNIA NATIONAL BANK,
	Revolving Loan Commitment:	 	$12,000,000	 	Documentation Agent, LC Issuer and Lender
	Percentage Share:	 	30%	 	 	 
	

 	
 	

 	
 	

By:	

/s/  MICHAEL MEISS      
 Michael Meiss

Senior Vice President
	

 	
 	

 	
 	

Address:
	

 	
 	

 	
 	

Hibernia National Bank

1800 Bering Drive, Suite 510

Houston, Texas 77057

Attention: Michael Meiss
	

 	
 	

 	
 	

Telephone: (713) 706-5420

Fax: (713) 706-5499
	

 	
 	

 	
 	

With a copy to:

Hibernia Southcoast Capital

909 Poydras Street, Suite 1000

New Orleans, Louisiana 70112

Attention: Troy Villafarra, CFA
	

 	
 	

 	
 	

Telephone: (504) 593-6126

Fax: (504) 593-6175




66





 


	

Term Loan Commitment:	
 	

$2,000,000	
 	

BANK OF SCOTLAND,
	Revolving Loan Commitment:	 	$8,000,000	 	Lender
	Percentage Share:	 	20%	 	 	 
	

 	
 	

 	
 	

By:	

/s/  JOSEPH FRATUS      
 Joseph Fratus

First Vice President
	

 	
 	

 	
 	

Address:
	

 	
 	

 	
 	

Bank of Scotland

565 Fifth Avenue

New York, New York 10017

Attention: Shirley Vargas
	

 	
 	

 	
 	

Telephone: (212) 450-0875

Fax: (212) 479-2807




67





 


	

Term Loan Commitment:	
 	

$1,500,000	
 	

FirstCapital Bank, ssb
	Revolving Loan Commitment:	 	$6,000,000	 	Lender
	Percentage Share:	 	15%	 	 	 
	

 	
 	

 	
 	

By:	

/s/  WILLIAM H. FOWLER      
 William H. Fowler

Senior Vice President
	

 	
 	

 	
 	

Address:
	

 	
 	

 	
 	

FirstCapital Bank, ssb

5433 Westheimer, Suite 100

Houston, Texas 77056

Attention: William H. Fowler
	

 	
 	

 	
 	

Telephone: (713) 386-2460

Fax: (713) 840-1332




68









QuickLinks



Exhibit 10.17


TABLE OF CONTENTS

Schedules and Exhibits


AMENDED AND RESTATED CREDIT AGREEMENT

ARTICLE I—Definitions and References


ARTICLE II THE LOANS AND LETTERS OF CREDIT


ARTICLE III PAYMENTS TO LENDERS

ARTICLE IV CONDITIONS PRECEDENT TO LENDING

ARTICLE V REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES



ARTICLE VI AFFIRMATIVE COVENANTS OF BORROWER.

ARTICLE VII NEGATIVE COVENANTS OF BORROWER

ARTICLE VIII EVENTS OF DEFAULT AND REMEDIES



ARTICLE IX ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT

ARTICLE X MISCELLANEOUS