ex10-1.htm


     

     

    
 

    EIGHTEENTH AMENDMENT TO
FORBEARANCE AGREEMENT

    


    This
Eighteenth Amendment to Forbearance Agreement (the “Amendment”) is
entered into as of this 11th day
of June, 2010 by and among RCLC, Inc. (formerly known as Ronson Corporation), a
New Jersey corporation (“Parent”), RCPC
Liquidating Corp. (formerly known as Ronson Consumer Products Corporation), a
New Jersey corporation (“RCPC”), Ronson
Aviation, Inc., a New Jersey corporation (“RAI”) and RCC Inc.
(formerly known as Ronson Corporation of Canada Ltd.), an Ontario corporation
(“Ronson
Canada”) (RCPC and RAI are collectively and individually referred to as
the “Domestic
Borrower” or “Domestic Borrowers”;
the Domestic Borrower and Ronson Canada are collectively and individually
referred to as the “Borrower” or “Borrowers”, and the
Borrowers, together with Parent are collectively and individually referred to as
the “Obligors”)
and Wells Fargo Bank, National Association (“Lender”), acting
through its Wells Fargo Business Credit operating division.

     

    RECITALS:

     

    Borrowers
and Lender are parties to a certain Credit and Security Agreement dated as of
May 30, 2008 (as amended, modified, supplemented or restated from time to time,
the “Credit
Agreement”), relating to financing by Lender to
Borrowers.  Capitalized terms used but not specifically defined herein
shall have the meanings provided for such terms in the Credit
Agreement.

     

    Certain
Events of Default occurred under the Credit Agreement and, as a result thereof,
Lender and Borrowers entered into that certain Forbearance Agreement dated as of
March 29, 2009 (as amended modified, supplemented or restated from time to time,
the “Forbearance
Agreement”), whereby Lender agreed to forbear from exercising certain of
its rights and remedies available under the Loan Documents as a result of the
Existing Events of Default.

     

    The
Forbearance Agreement expires pursuant to its terms not later than June 11,
2010.

     

    On
February 2, 2010, Parent, RCPC and Ronson Canada consummated a transaction (the
“Zippo Sale”)
pursuant to which RCPC and Ronson Canada sold substantially all of their assets
to Zippo Manufacturing Company and Nosnor, Inc., pursuant to an Asset Purchase
Agreement dated as of October 5, 2010.  The net proceeds of the Zippo
Sale were delivered to Lender in accordance with the terms of that certain
letter agreement by and among Lender and Obligors dated as of February 2, 2010
and applied by Lender in accordance with and subject to the Thirteenth Amendment
to Forbearance Agreement dated as of April 1, 2010.

     

    The
Seventeenth Amendment to Forbearance Agreement dated as of May 7, 2010 (the
“Seventeenth
Amendment”) required the Obligors to, among other things, provide Lender,
(i) not later than June 5, 2010, with evidence that Obligors have executed an
asset purchase agreement for an Alternate Transaction (as defined below), which
Lender determines in its reasonable discretion provides sufficient proceeds to
repay and satisfy in full all Indebtedness due and owing to Lender by Obligors
and (ii) not later than June 10, 2010, with evidence that the Freeholders of
Mercer County, New Jersey have given their consent to assignment of that certain
lease by and between Ronson Helicopters, Inc. (now known as RAI), as lessee, and
County of Mercer, as lessor, dated May 14, 1975, as amended, to the proposed
purchaser in such Alternate Transaction (collectively, the “17th Amendment
Conditions”).  Obligors failed to satisfy the 17th
Amendment Conditions.

     

    Obligors
have requested that Lender waive their failure to satisfy the 17th
Amendment Conditions and amend the definition of Termination Event to, among
other things, extend the stated expiration date in the Forbearance Agreement
from June 11, 2010 to July 16, 2010 in order to (i) provide Borrowers with
additional time to (a) consummate the sale of RAI’s assets to Hawthorne TTN
Holdings, LLC (“Hawthorne”) pursuant
to that certain Asset Purchase Agreement dated as of May 15, 2009, as
amended  from time to time, and (b) explore a sale of RAI and/or its
assets to a third-party other than Hawthorne (an “Alternate
Transaction”) and (ii) amend certain terms and conditions of the Credit
Agreement.

     

     Lender
has considered Borrowers’ requests and, in an effort to continue working with
Borrowers, hereby agrees to (i) waive Obligors’ failure to satisfy the 17th
Amendment Conditions and (ii) agrees to amend the Forbearance Agreement and the
Credit Agreement on the terms and conditions set forth below.

     


    
      
         


      

      
         


        
          

        

      

      
         


      

    


    NOW,
THEREFORE, for and in consideration of the foregoing and other good and valuable
consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged, the
parties agree as follows:

     

    1.            Amendment to Forbearance
Agreement.  As of the date hereof, Section 2(b) of the
Forbearance Agreement shall be amended and restated in its entirety to read as
follows:

     

    (b)           For
purposes of this Agreement, a “Termination Event”
shall mean the earliest to occur of (i) July 16, 2010 and (ii) any one or more
of the following:

     

    (A)           the
failure of the Obligors to comply with the terms, covenants, agreements and
conditions of this Agreement;

     

    (B)           any
representation or warranty made herein shall be incorrect in any material
respect;

     

    (C)           the
occurrence of any Event of Default under the Credit Agreement, other than (i)
the Existing Events of Default or (ii) breach by Obligors of their obligation
pursuant to (a) Section 6.1(a) of the Credit Agreement to deliver audited year
end annual financial statements for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2008
within 90 days of the end of such fiscal year or (b) Section 6.1(c) of the
Credit Agreement to deliver monthly financial statements to Lender for the
months ending October 31, 2009, November 30, 2009, December 31,
2009,  January 31, 2010, February 28, 2010, March 31, 2010, April 30,
2010 and May 31, 2010 within 30 days of the end of such months;

     

    (D)           Obligors
shall fail to employ a CRO (as defined below) throughout the term of this
Agreement;

     

    (E)           subject
to Paragraph 6(b) below, Obligors shall fail to employ an investment banking
firm reasonably acceptable to Lender to market and sell RAI or its assets
throughout the term of this Agreement and/or such investment banking firm shall
fail to diligently pursue such sale consistent with the terms of its
retention;

     

    (F)           in
the Lender’s discretion, it determines that Parent is no longer actively
pursuing a Liquidity Transaction;

     

    (G)           any
Person, other than Lender, shall exercise its rights and remedies against the
Obligors as a result of defaults or events of defaults arising under any
agreement between Obligors and such Person due to cross-defaults arising from
the Existing Events of Default;

     

    (H)           Obligors
shall have executed an asset purchase agreement in connection with an Alternate
Transaction for the sale of RAI and/or its assets to a party other than
Hawthorne and the Freeholders of Mercer County, New Jersey shall have formally
approved the assignment of that certain lease by and between Ronson Helicopters,
Inc. (now known as RAI), as lessee, and County of Mercer, as lessor, dated May
14, 1975 (as amended, the “Lease”) to the
purchaser identified in such asset purchase agreement; and

     

    (I)           Obligors
shall fail to provide to Lender by June 18, 2010 evidence, satisfactory to
Lender in its sole discretion, that Obligors have a fully
executed  letter of intent, acceptable to Lender in form and
substance, with respect to an Alternate Transaction, acceptable to Lender in
form and substance and which  Lender determines, in its sole
discretion, provides proceeds sufficient to repay and satisfy the Indebtedness
in full and in cash.

     

    2.         Funding of RAI Pending
Closing of the RAI Sale.  Obligors acknowledge and agree that
as a result of the consummation of the Zippo Sale, RCPC and Ronson Canada shall
no longer be permitted to request Advances under the Credit Agreement and any
remaining assets of RCPC and/or Ronson Canada shall no longer be considered in
any borrowing base calculation.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, Lender
and Obligors agree that RAI shall be authorized, until the occurrence of a
Termination Event, to request Advances subject to the terms of the Credit
Agreement as modified by this Amendment.  Obligors and Lender further
agree that Lender shall have no obligation to make Advances to
RAI  after the occurrence of a Termination Event.

     


    
      
         


      

      
         


        
          

        

      

      
         


      

    


     
 

     

    3.            Limited
Waiver.  Lender hereby waives Obligors’ failure to satisfy the
17th
Amendment Conditions.  This waiver shall be effective upon Obligor’s
execution and delivery of this Amendment to Lender.  This waiver is
being given as a one time accommodation only and shall not obligate Lender, or
be construed to require Lender, to waive any other or future Defaults or Events
of Default under the Credit Agreement, the Forbearance Agreement or any other or
future defaults or events of default under any other Loan
Document.  This waiver shall not release Obligors in any way from any
of their duties, obligations, covenants or agreements under the Loan Documents
or the Forbearance Agreement or from the consequences of any other or future
Defaults or Events of Default under the Credit Agreement, the Forbearance
Agreement or from any other or future defaults or events of default under the
other Loan Documents.

     

    4.            Amendments to Credit and
Security Agreement.  The following definitions set forth in
section 1.1 of the Credit Agreement shall be amended and restated in their
entirety to read as follows:

     

    “Accommodation
Overadvance Limit” means an amount up to  $1,325,000 from the date of
that certain Seventeenth Amendment to Forbearance Agreement through the
occurrence of a Termination Event (as such term is defined in the Forbearance
Agreement); provided however, if Lender
receives evidence, satisfactory to Lender in its sole discretion, on or before
June 25, 2010, that Obligors have executed a letter of intent for an Alternate
Transaction, acceptable to Lender in form and substance and which Lender
determines in its reasonable discretion provides proceeds sufficient to repay
and satisfy the Indebtedness in full and in cash, the Accommodation Overadvance
Limit shall automatically be increased to $1,500,000 effective as of June 26,
2010; and provided further, if Lender
receives evidence, satisfactory to Lender in its sole discretion, on or before
July 9, 2010, that Obligors have (i) executed an asset purchase agreement for an
Alternate Transaction, acceptable to Lender in form and substance and which
Lender determines in its reasonable discretion provides proceeds sufficient to
repay and satisfy the Indebtedness in full and in cash and (ii) received a
deposit on the purchase price from the prospective purchaser under such asset
purchase agreement in an amount not less than $250,000, the Accommodation
Overadvance Limit shall automatically be increased to $1,675,000 effective as of
the day after the conditions in (i) and (ii) hereinabove have been
satisfied.

     

    5.            Interest Rate on
Accommodation Overadvance.  Obligors acknowledge and agree that
interest on the Accommodation Overadvance shall accrue at a rate equal to the
Prime Rate plus eight percent (8.00%) per annum.

     

    6.            Conditions.  Lender’s
agreement to further forbear from exercising its rights and remedies pursuant to
this Agreement is conditioned upon:

     

    (a)           execution
and delivery by the Obligors and Lender of this Agreement; and

     

    


    (e)           such
other matters as Lender may reasonably require.

     

    7.            Sums Secured;
Estoppel.  The Obligors acknowledge and reaffirm that their
obligations to Lender as set forth in and evidenced by the Loan Documents are
due and owing without any defenses, set-offs, recoupments, claims or
counterclaims of any kind as of the date hereof.  To the extent that
any defenses, set-offs, recoupments, claims or counterclaims may exist as of the
date hereof, the Obligors waive and release Lender from the same.

     

    8.            No Other Changes.
Except as explicitly amended by this Amendment, all of the terms and conditions
of the Forbearance Agreement shall remain in full force and effect.

     


    
      
         


      

      
         


        
          

        

      

      
         


      

    


    9.            References.  All
references in the Forbearance Agreement to “this Agreement” shall be deemed to
refer to the Forbearance Agreement as amended hereby.

     

    10.            No Waiver. Except as
specifically set forth in Paragraph 3 above, the execution of this Amendment
shall not be deemed to be a waiver of any Default or Event of Default under the
Credit Agreement, a waiver of any Termination Event under the Forbearance
Agreement or breach, default or event of default under any Loan Documents or
other document held by Lender, whether or not known to Lender and whether or not
existing on the date of this Amendment.

     

    11.            Waiver and Release of Claims
and Defenses.  The Obligors hereby waive and release all claims
and demands of any nature whatsoever that they now have or may have against
Lender, whether arising under the Loan Documents or by any acts or omissions of
Lender, or any of its directors, officers, employees, affiliates, attorneys or
agents, or otherwise, and whether known or unknown, existing as of the date of
the execution of this Amendment, and further waive and release any and all
defenses of any nature whatsoever to the payment of the Obligations or the
performance of their obligations under Loan Documents.

     

    12.            Reaffirmation of Loan
Documents.  The Obligors hereby agree with, reaffirm and
acknowledge their representations and warranties contained in the Loan
Documents.  Furthermore, the Obligors represent that their
representations and warranties contained in the Loan Documents continue to be
true and in full force and effect.  This agreement, reaffirmation and
acknowledgment is given to Lender by the Obligors without defenses, claims or
counterclaims of any kind.  To the extent that any such defenses,
claims or counterclaims against Lender may exist, the Obligors waive and release
Lender from same.

     

    13.            Ratification and
Reaffirmation of Loan Documents.  The Obligors ratify and
reaffirm all terms, covenants, conditions and agreements contained in the Loan
Documents.

     

    14.            No Preferential
Treatment.  No Obligor has entered into this Amendment to
provide any preferential treatment to Lender or any other
creditor.  No Obligor intends to file for protection or seek relief
under the United States Bankruptcy Code or any similar federal or state law
providing for the relief of debtors.

     

    15.            Legal
Representation.  Each of the parties hereto acknowledge that
they have been represented by independent legal counsel in connection with the
execution of this Amendment, that they are fully aware of the terms and
conditions contained herein, and that they have entered into and executed the
within Amendment as a voluntary action and without coercion or duress of any
kind.

     

    16.            Partial Invalidity; No
Repudiation. If any of the provisions of this Amendment shall contravene
or be held invalid under the laws of any jurisdiction, this Amendment shall be
construed as if not containing such provisions and the rights, remedies,
warranties, representations, covenants, and provisions hereof shall be construed
and enforced accordingly in such jurisdiction and shall not in any manner affect
such provision in any other jurisdiction, or any other provisions of this
Amendment in any jurisdiction.

     

    17.            Binding
Effect.  This Amendment is binding upon the parties hereto and
their respective heirs, administrators, executors, officers, directors,
representatives and agents.

     

    18.            Governing
Law.  This Amendment shall be governed by the laws of the State
of New York.

     

    19.            WAIVER OF JURY
TRIAL.  EACH OF THE PARTIES HERETO WAIVE THE RIGHT TO A TRIAL
BY JURY, AS TO ANY ACTION WHICH MAY ARISE AS A RESULT OF THE LOAN DOCUMENTS, THE
FORBEARANCE AGREEMENT, THIS AMENDMENT OR ANY DOCUMENT EXECUTED IN CONNECTION
HEREWITH.

     

    20.            Counterparts.  This
Amendment and/or any documentation contemplated or required in connection
herewith may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be
deemed an original and all of which shall be considered one and the same
document.  Delivery of an executed counterpart of a signature page of
this document by facsimile shall be effective as delivery of a manually executed
counterpart of this document.

     


    
      
         


      

      
         


        
          

        

      

      
         


      

    


    [Signature
pages follow]

     

    



    
      
         


      

      
         


        
          

        

      

      
         


      

    


    IN
WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto, intending to be legally bound hereby, do
hereby execute this Amendment the date and year first above
written.

     

    
      	
              RCLC,
      INC. (f/k/a RONSON CORPORATION)

               

               

              By:   /s/ Joel Getzler

              Print
      Name: Joel Getzler

              Print
      Title: Chief Restructuring Officer

               

            
	
              RCPC
      LIQUIDATING CORP. (f/k/a/ RONSON CONSUMER PRODUCTS
      CORPORATION)

               

               

              By:   /s/ Joel Getzler

              Print
      Name: Joel Getzler

              Print
      Title: Chief Restructuring Officer

               

            
	
              RONSON
      AVIATION, INC.

               

               

              By:   /s/ Joel Getzler

              Print
      Name: Joel Getzler

              Print
      Title: Chief Restructuring Officer

               

            
	
              RCC
      INC. (f/k/a RONSON CORPORATION OF CANADA LTD.)

               

               

              By:   /s/ Joel Getzler

              Print
      Name: Joel Getzler

              Print
      Title: Chief Restructuring
Officer

            


    


    
      
        
           

        

         


      

      
         


        
          

        

      

      
         


      

    


    


    
      	
              WELLS
      FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION

               

              By:          /s/ Peter
      Gannon                                                    
      

              Peter Gannon, Vice
      President