Exhibit 10.1


 


THIS
PROMISSORY NOTE (“NOTE”) HAS NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE “SECURITIES
ACT”). THIS NOTE HAS BEEN ACQUIRED FOR INVESTMENT ONLY AND MAY NOT BE SOLD, TRANSFERRED OR ASSIGNED IN THE ABSENCE OF REGISTRATION
OF THE RESALE THEREOF UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OR AN OPINION OF COUNSEL REASONABLY SATISFACTORY IN FORM, SCOPE AND SUBSTANCE TO
THE COMPANY THAT SUCH REGISTRATION IS NOT REQUIRED.  


 


PROMISSORY
NOTE


 


	Principal
    Amount:  Up to $300,000	Dated
as of March 31, 2017

        New
        York, New York



 


Hennessy
Capital Acquisition Corp. III, a Delaware corporation and blank check company (the “Maker”), promises
to pay to the order of Hennessy Capital Partners III LLC or its registered assigns or successors in interest (the
“Payee”), or order, the principal sum of up to Three Hundred Thousand Dollars ($300,000) in lawful money of
the United States of America, on the terms and conditions described below.  All payments on this Note shall be made
by check or wire transfer of immediately available funds or as otherwise determined by the Maker to such account as the Payee
may from time to time designate by written notice in accordance with the provisions of this Note.


 


1.            Principal. The
principal balance of this Note shall be payable by the Maker on the earlier of: (i) December 31, 2017 or (ii) the date on which
Maker consummates an initial public offering of its securities. The principal balance may be prepaid at any time. Under no
circumstances shall any individual, including but not limited to any officer, director, employee or shareholder of the Maker,
be obligated personally for any obligations or liabilities of the Maker hereunder.


 


2.            Interest. No
interest shall accrue on the unpaid principal balance of this Note.


 


3.            Drawdown
Requests. Maker and Payee agree that Maker may request up to Three Hundred Thousand Dollars ($300,000) for costs reasonably
related to Maker’s initial public offering of its securities. The principal of this Note may be drawn down from time to
time prior to the earlier of: (i) December 31, 2017 or (ii) the date on which Maker consummates an initial public offering of
its securities, upon written request from Maker to Payee (each, a “Drawdown Request”). Each Drawdown Request
must state the amount to be drawn down, and must not be an amount less than Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000) unless agreed upon
by Maker and Payee. Payee shall fund each Drawdown Request no later than five (5) business days after receipt of a Drawdown Request;
provided, however, that the maximum amount of drawdowns collectively under this Note is Three Hundred Thousand Dollars ($300,000).
Once an amount is drawn down under this Note, it shall not be available for future Drawdown Requests even if prepaid. No fees,
payments or other amounts shall be due to Payee in connection with, or as a result of, any Drawdown Request by Maker. Notwithstanding
the foregoing, all payments shall be applied first to payment in full of any costs incurred in the collection of any sum due under
this Note, including (without limitation) reasonable attorneys’ fees, and then to the reduction of the unpaid principal
balance of this Note.


 


4.            Application
of Payments. All payments shall be applied first to payment in full of any costs incurred in the collection of any sum
due under this Note, including (without limitation) reasonable attorney’s fees, then to the payment in full of any late
charges and finally to the reduction of the unpaid principal balance of this Note.


 


5.            Events
of Default. The following shall constitute an event of default (“Event of Default”):


 


(a)           Failure
to Make Required Payments. Failure by Maker to pay the principal amount due pursuant to this Note within five (5) business
days of the date specified above.


 


(b)          Voluntary
Bankruptcy, Etc. The commencement by Maker of a voluntary case under any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization,
rehabilitation or other similar law, or the consent by it to the appointment of or taking possession by a receiver, liquidator,
assignee, trustee, custodian, sequestrator (or other similar official) of Maker or for any substantial part of its property, or
the making by it of any assignment for the benefit of creditors, or the failure of Maker generally to pay its debts as such debts
become due, or the taking of corporate action by Maker in furtherance of any of the foregoing.


 






    	 		 



     


    

 


(c)           Involuntary
Bankruptcy, Etc. The entry of a decree or order for relief by a court having jurisdiction in the premises in respect of Maker
in an involuntary case under any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar law, or appointing a receiver, liquidator,
assignee, custodian, trustee, sequestrator (or similar official) of Maker or for any substantial part of its property, or ordering
the winding-up or liquidation of its affairs, and the continuance of any such decree or order unstayed and in effect for a period
of 60 consecutive days.


  


6.            Remedies.


 


(a)           Upon
the occurrence of an Event of Default specified in Section 5(a) hereof, Payee may, by written notice to Maker, declare this Note
to be due immediately and payable, whereupon the unpaid principal amount of this Note, and all other amounts payable hereunder,
shall become immediately due and payable without presentment, demand, protest or other notice of any kind, all of which are hereby
expressly waived, anything contained herein or in the documents evidencing the same to the contrary notwithstanding. 


 


(b)           Upon
the occurrence of an Event of Default specified in Sections 5(b) and 5(c), the unpaid principal balance of this Note, and all
other sums payable with regard to this Note, shall automatically and immediately become due and payable, in all cases without
any action on the part of Payee.


 


7.            Waivers. Maker
and all endorsers and guarantors of, and sureties for, this Note waive presentment for payment, demand, notice of dishonor, protest,
and notice of protest with regard to the Note, all errors, defects and imperfections in any proceedings instituted by Payee under
the terms of this Note, and all benefits that might accrue to Maker by virtue of any present or future laws exempting any property,
real or personal, or any part of the proceeds arising from any sale of any such property, from attachment, levy or sale under
execution, or providing for any stay of execution, exemption from civil process, or extension of time for payment; and Maker agrees
that any real estate that may be levied upon pursuant to a judgment obtained by virtue hereof or any writ of execution issued
hereon, may be sold upon any such writ in whole or in part in any order desired by Payee.


 


8.            Unconditional
Liability. Maker hereby waives all notices in connection with the delivery, acceptance, performance, default, or enforcement
of the payment of this Note, and agrees that its liability shall be unconditional, without regard to the liability of any other
party, and shall not be affected in any manner by any indulgence, extension of time, renewal, waiver or modification granted or
consented to by Payee, and consents to any and all extensions of time, renewals, waivers, or modifications that may be granted
by Payee with respect to the payment or other provisions of this Note, and agrees that additional makers, endorsers, guarantors,
or sureties may become parties hereto without notice to Maker or affecting Maker’s liability hereunder.


 


9.            Notices. All
notices, statements or other documents which are required or contemplated by this Note shall be made in writing and delivered:
(i) personally or sent by first class registered or certified mail, overnight courier service or facsimile or electronic transmission
to the address designated in writing, (ii) by facsimile to the number most recently provided to such party or such other address
or fax number as may be designated in writing by such party or (iii) by electronic mail, to the electronic mail address most recently
provided to such party or such other electronic mail address as may be designated in writing by such party. Any notice or other
communication so transmitted shall be deemed to have been given on the day of delivery, if delivered personally, on the business
day following receipt of written confirmation, if sent by facsimile or electronic transmission, one (1) business day after delivery
to an overnight courier service or five (5) days after mailing if sent by mail.


 


10.          Construction. THIS
NOTE SHALL BE CONSTRUED AND ENFORCED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF NEW YORK, WITHOUT REGARD TO CONFLICT OF LAW PROVISIONS THEREOF.


 


11.          Severability. Any
provision contained in this Note which is prohibited or unenforceable in any jurisdiction shall, as to such jurisdiction, be ineffective
to the extent of such prohibition or unenforceability without invalidating the remaining provisions hereof, and any such prohibition
or unenforceability in any jurisdiction shall not invalidate or render unenforceable such provision in any other jurisdiction.


 


12.          Trust
Waiver.  Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Payee hereby waives any and all right, title, interest
or claim of any kind (“Claim”) in or to any distribution of or from the trust account to be established in
which the proceeds of the initial public offering (the “IPO”) to be conducted by the Maker (including the deferred
underwriters discounts and commissions) and the proceeds of the sale of the warrants to be issued in a private placement to occur
prior to the closing of the IPO are to be deposited, as described in greater detail in the registration statement and prospectus
to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission in connection with the IPO, and hereby agrees not to seek recourse, reimbursement,
payment or satisfaction for any Claim against the trust account for any reason whatsoever.


 


13.          Amendment;
Waiver.  Any amendment hereto or waiver of any provision hereof may be made with, and only with, the written consent
of the Maker and the Payee.


 


14.          Assignment.
No assignment or transfer of this Note or any rights or obligations hereunder may be made by any party hereto (by operation
of law or otherwise) without the prior written consent of the other party hereto and any attempted assignment without the
required consent shall be void.


 


[Signature
page follows]


 




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IN
WITNESS WHEREOF, Maker, intending to be legally bound hereby, has caused this Note to be duly executed by the undersigned
as of the day and year first above written.


 


	 	HENNESSY
    CAPITAL ACQUISITION CORP. III
	 	 	 
	 	By:	/s/ Daniel J. Hennessy
	 	 	Name:
    Daniel J. Hennessy
	 	 	Title:
    Chief Executive Officer


 


 


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