Document:

ex10-1.htm

 

Exhibit 10.1 

Execution Version

The Davey Tree Expert Company

$30,000,000

5.09% Senior Notes, Series A, due July 22, 2020

______________

Master Note Purchase Agreement

_____________

 

Dated as of July 22, 2010

  

  

  

Table of Contents

(Not a part of the Agreement)

	
SECTION

	
HEADING

	
PAGE

	
Section 1.

	
Authorization of Notes

	
1

	  	  	  
	
Section 1.1.

	
Series A Notes

	
1

	
Section 1.2.

	
Subsequent Series

	
1

	  	  	  
	
Section 2.

	
Sale and Purchase of Notes

	
2

	  	  	  
	   Section 2.1.	Initial Sale of Notes 	 2
	
Section 2.2.

	
Subsequent Sales

	
2

	
Section 2.3.

	
Subsidiary Guaranties

	
2

	  	  	  
	
Section 3.

	
Closing

	
3

	  	  	  
	
Section 3.1.

	
Initial Closing

	
3

	
Section 3.2.

	
Supplemental Closings

	
3

	  	  	  
	
Section 4.

	
Conditions to Closing

	
3

	  	  	  
	
Section 4.1.

	
Representations and Warranties

	
4

	
Section 4.2.

	
Performance; No Default

	
4

	
Section 4.3.

	
Compliance Certificates

	
4

	
Section 4.4.

	
Opinions of Counsel

	
4

	
Section 4.5.

	
Purchase Permitted by Applicable Law, Etc

	
5

	
Section 4.6.

	
Sale of Other Notes

	
5

	
Section 4.7.

	
Payment of Special Counsel Fees

	
5

	
Section 4.8.

	
Private Placement Number

	
5

	
Section 4.9.

	
Changes in Corporate Structure

	
5

	
Section 4.10

	
Funding Instructions

	
5

	
Section 4.11

	
Bank Credit Agreement

	
6

	
Section 4.12

	
Proceedings and Documents

	
6

	  	  	  
	
Section 5.

	
Representations and Warranties of the Company

	
6

	  	  	  
	
Section 5.1.

	
Organization; Power and Authority

	
6

	
Section 5.2.

	
Authorization, Etc

	
6

	
Section 5.3.

	
Disclosure

	
6

	
Section 5.4.

	
Organization and Ownership of Shares of Subsidiaries; Affiliates

	
7

	
Section 5.5.

	
Financial Statements; Material Liabilities

	
7

	
Section 5.6.

	
Compliance with Laws, Other Instruments, Etc

	
8

	
Section 5.7.

	
Governmental Authorizations, Etc

	
8

	
Section 5.8.

	
Litigation; Observance of Agreements, Statutes and Orders

	
8

	
Section 5.9. 

	
Taxes

	
8

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

	
Section 5.10

	
Title to Property; Leases

	
9

	
Section 5.12

	
Compliance with ERISA

	
9

	
Section 5.13

	
Private Offering by the Company

	
10

	
Section 5.14

	
Use of Proceeds; Margin Regulations

	
10

	
Section 5.15

	
Existing Indebtedness; Future Liens

	
10

	
Section 5.16

	
Foreign Assets Control Regulations, Etc

	
11

	
Section 5.17

	
Status under Certain Statutes

	
11

	
Section 5.18.

	
Notes Rank Pari Passu

	
12

	
Section 5.19.

	
Environmental Matters

	
12

	  	  	  
	
Section 6.

	
Representations of the Purchasers

	
12

	  	  	  
	
Section 6.1.

	
Purchase for Investment

	
12

	
Section 6.2.

	
Source of Funds

	
12

	
Section 6.3.

	
Power and Authority

	
14

	
Section 6.4.

	
Authorization, Etc

	
14

	
Section 6.5.

	
Governmental Authorizations, Etc

	
14

	  	  	  
	
Section 7.

	
Information as to the Company

	
15

	  	  	  
	
Section 7.1.

	
Financial and Business Information

	
15

	
Section 7.2.

	
Officer’s Certificate

	
17

	
Section 7.3.

	
Visitation

	
18

	  	  	  
	
Section 8.

	
Prepayment of the Notes

	
18

	  	  	  
	
Section 8.1.

	
Required Prepayments

	
18

	
Section 8.2.

	
Optional Prepayments with Make-Whole Amount

	
18

	
Section 8.3.

	
Change in Control

	
19

	
Section 8.4.

	
Allocation of Partial Prepayments

	
21

	
Section 8.5.

	
Maturity; Surrender, Etc.

	
21

	
Section 8.6.

	
Purchase of Notes

	
22

	
Section 8.7.

	
Make-Whole Amount

	
22

	  	  	  
	
Section 9.

	
Affirmative Covenants

	
23

	  	  	  
	
Section 9.1.

	
Compliance with Law

	
23

	
Section 9.2.

	
Insurance

	
24

	
Section 9.3.

	
Maintenance of Properties

	
24

	
Section 9.4.

	
Payment of Taxes and Claims

	
24

	
Section 9.5.

	
Legal Existence, Etc

	
24

	
Section 9.6.

	
Notes to Rank Pari Passu

	
24

	
Section 9.7.

	
Books and Records

	
25

	
Section 9.8.

	
Guaranty by Subsidiaries

	
25

	  	  	  
	
Section 10.

	
Negative Covenants

	
25

	  	  	  
	
Section 10.1.

	
Leverage Ratio

	
25

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

	
Section 10.2.

	
Balance Sheet Leverage Ratio

	
26

	
Section 10.3.

	
Limitations on Consolidated Priority Indebtedness

	
26

	
Section 10.4.

	
Limitation on Liens

	
26

	
Section 10.5.

	
Mergers, Consolidations, Etc

	
28

	
Section 10.6.

	
Sale of Assets

	
29

	
Section 10.7.

	
Transactions with Affiliates

	
31

	
Section 10.8.

	
Line of Business

	
31

	
Section 10.9.

	
Terrorism Sanctions Regulations

	
31

	  	  	  
	
Section 11.

	
Events of Default

	
31

	  	  	  
	
Section 12.

	
Remedies on Default, Etc

	
33

	  	  	  
	
Section 12.1.

	
Acceleration

	
33

	
Section 12.2.

	
Other Remedies

	
34

	
Section 12.3.

	
Rescission

	
34

	
Section 12.4.

	
No Waivers or Election of Remedies, Expenses, Etc

	
34

	  	  	  
	
Section 13.

	
Registration; Exchange; Substitution of Notes

	
35

	  	  	  
	
Section 13.1.

	
Registration of Notes

	
35

	
Section 13.2.

	
Transfer and Exchange of Notes

	
35

	
Section 13.3.

	
Replacement of Notes

	
35

	  	  	  
	
Section 14.

	
Payments on Notes

	
36

	  	  	  
	
Section 14.1.

	
Place of Payment

	
36

	
Section 14.2.

	
Home Office Payment

	
36

	  	  	  
	
Section 15.

	
Expenses, Etc

	
36

	  	  	  
	
Section 15.1.

	
Transaction Expenses

	
36

	
Section 15.2.

	
Survival

	
37

	  	  	  
	
Section 16.

	
Survival of Representations and Warranties; Entire Agreement

	
37

	  	  	  
	
Section 17.

	
Amendment and Waiver

	
37

	  	  	  
	
Section 17.1.

	
Requirements

	
37

	
Section 17.2.

	
Solicitation of Holders of Notes

	
38

	
Section 17.3.

	
Binding Effect, Etc

	
39

	
Section 17.4.

	
Notes Held by Company, Etc

	
39

	  	  	  
	
Section 18.

	
Notices

	
39

	  	  	  
	
Section 19.

	
Reproduction of Documents

	
40

	  	  	  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

	
Section 20.

	
Confidential Information

	
40

	  	  	  
	
Section 21.

	
Substitution of Purchaser

	
41

	  	  	  
	
Section 22.

	
Miscellaneous

	
41

	  	  	  
	
Section 22.1.

	
Successors and Assigns

	
41

	
Section 22.2.

	
Payments Due on Non-Business Days

	
41

	
Section 22.3.

	
Accounting Terms

	
42

	
Section 22.4.

	
Severability

	
42

	
Section 22.5.

	
Construction, Etc

	
42

	
Section 22.6.

	
Counterparts

	
42

	
Section 22.7.

	
Governing Law

	
43

	
Section 22.8.

	
Jurisdiction and Process; Waiver of Jury Trial

	
43

	  	  	  
	
Signature

	  	
44

 

 

  

  

  

Schedule A—Information Relating to Purchasers

Schedule B—Defined Terms

Schedule 2.3 — Initial Subsidiary Guarantors

Schedule 5.4 — Subsidiaries of the Company and Ownership of Subsidiary Stock

Schedule 5.5 — Financial Statements

Schedule 5.8 — Litigation

Schedule 5.15 — Existing Indebtedness

	
Exhibit 1—Form of 5.09% Senior Note, Series A, due July 22, 2020

	
Exhibit 1.2—Form of Supplemental Note

	
Exhibit 2.2—Form of Supplemental Note Purchase Agreement

	
Exhibit 2.3—Form of Subsidiary Guaranty

	
Exhibit 4.4(a)—Form of Opinion of Special Counsel for the Company

	
Exhibit 4.4(b)—Form of Opinion of Special Counsel for the Purchasers

  

  

  

The Davey Tree Expert Company

1500 North Mantua Street

Kent, Ohio  44240

 

5.09% Senior Notes, Series A, due July 22, 2020

 

 

Dated as of July 22, 2010

 

To Each of the Purchasers Listed in 

  Schedule A Hereto:

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

The Davey Tree Expert Company, an Ohio corporation (the “Company”), agrees with each of the purchasers whose names appear at the end hereof (each, a “Purchaser” and, collectively, the “Purchasers”) as follows:

 

	
Section 1.

	
Authorization of Notes.

 

Section 1.1. Series A Notes.  The Company will authorize the issue and sale of $30,000,000 aggregate principal amount of its 5.09% Senior Notes, Series A, due July 22, 2020 (the “Notes”, such term to include any such notes issued in substitution therefore pursuant to Section 13).  The Series A Notes shall be substantially in the form set out in Exhibit 1.  Certain capitalized and other terms used in this Agreement are defined in Schedule B; and references to a “Schedule” or an “Exhibit” are, unless otherwise specified, to a Schedule or an Exhibit attached to this Agreement.

 

Section 1.2. Subsequent Series.  Subsequent Series of promissory notes (collectively, the “Supplemental Notes”) may be issued pursuant to Supplemental Note Purchase Agreements as provided in Section 2.2 in an aggregate principal amount not to exceed $20,000,000 and shall:  (a) be sequentially identified as “Series B Notes”, “Series C Notes”, “Series D Notes” et seq.; (b) shall be dated the date of such Supplemental Note Purchase Agreement, (c) shall bear interest from such date at the rate per annum to be determined as of such date, (d) shall bear interest on overdue principal (including any overdue optional prepayment of principal) and premium, if any, and, to the extent permitted by law, on any overdue installment of interest at the stated rate plus 2%, (e) shall be subject to required and optional prepayments, and (f) shall be expressed to mature on the stated maturity date, all as set forth in the Supplemental Note Purchase Agreement relating thereto and shall otherwise be substantially in the form attached hereto as Exhibit 1.2; provided, no Supplemental Notes shall be issued if at the time of issuance thereof and after giving effect to the application of proceeds therefore, any Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing.  The Series A Notes, and the Supplemental Notes are herein sometimes collectively referred to as the “Notes.”  As used herein, the term “Notes” shall include, without limitation, each Note delivered pursuant to this Agreement and any other

 

  

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Supplemental Note Purchase Agreement at the Closing and/or at any Supplemental Closing and each Note delivered in substitution or exchange for any such Note pursuant hereto.

 

	
Section 2.  

	
Sale and Purchase of Notes.

 

Section 2.1. Initial Sale of Notes.  Subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, the Company will issue and sell to each Purchaser and each Purchaser will purchase from the Company, at the Closing provided for in Section 3, Notes in the principal amount and of the series specified opposite such Purchaser’s name in Schedule A at the purchase price of 100% of the principal amount thereof.  The Purchasers are herein sometimes collectively referred to as the “Initial Purchasers.”  The Purchasers’ obligations hereunder are several and not joint obligations and no Purchaser shall have any liability to any Person for the performance or non-performance of any obligation by any other Purchaser hereunder.

 

Section 2.2. Subsequent Sales.  At any time, and from time to time, the Company and one or more Eligible Purchasers may enter into an agreement substantially in the form of the Supplemental Note Purchase Agreement attached hereto as Exhibit 2.2 (a “Supplemental Note Purchase Agreement”) in which the Company shall agree to sell to each such Eligible Purchaser named on the Supplemental Purchaser Schedule attached thereto (collectively, the “Supplemental Purchasers”) and, subject to the terms and conditions herein and therein set forth, each such Supplemental Purchaser shall agree to purchase from the Company the aggregate principal amount of the Series of Supplemental Notes (which series shall aggregate not less than $10,000,000) described in such Supplemental Note Purchase Agreement and set opposite such Supplemental Purchaser’s name in the Supplemental Purchaser Schedule attached thereto at the price and otherwise under the terms set forth in such Supplemental Note Purchase Agreement.  

 

Section 2.3. Subsidiary Guaranties.  (a) The payment by the Company of all amounts due with respect to the Notes and the performance by the Company of its obligations under this Agreement will be absolutely and unconditionally guaranteed by those Subsidiaries disclosed in Schedule 2.3 (together with any additional Subsidiary who delivers a guaranty pursuant to Section 9.8, the “Subsidiary Guarantors”) pursuant to the guaranty agreement substantially in the form of Exhibit 2.3 attached hereto and made a part hereof (as the same may be amended, modified, extended or renewed, the “Subsidiary Guaranty”).

 

(b)  The holders of the Notes acknowledge and agree that such holders will discharge and release any Subsidiary Guarantor from the Subsidiary Guaranty to which it is a party pursuant to the written request of the Company, provided that (i) such Subsidiary Guarantor has been released and discharged as an obligor and guarantor under and in respect of all Indebtedness of the Company due and owing pursuant to the Bank Credit Agreement, (ii) any such release and discharge shall be expressly conditioned upon receipt by the holders of the Notes of a written agreement executed by the Subsidiary Guarantor to be released pursuant to which such Subsidiary Guarantor shall agree that if, for any reason whatsoever, it thereafter becomes an obligor or guarantor under and in respect of any Indebtedness of the Company due and owing pursuant to the Bank Credit Agreement, then such Subsidiary Guarantor shall contemporaneously provide written notice thereof to the holders of the Notes accompanied by an

 

  

- 2 -

  

 

executed Subsidiary Guaranty of such Subsidiary Guarantor in compliance with Section 9.8 and (iii) at the time of such release and discharge, the Company shall deliver a certificate of a Responsible Officer to the holders of the Notes to the effect that no Default or Event of Default exists.

 

	
Section 3.  

	
Closing.

 

Section 3.1. Initial Closing.  The sale and purchase of the Series A Notes to be purchased by each Purchaser shall occur at the offices of Chapman and Cutler LLP, 111 West Monroe Street, Chicago, Illinois  60603, at 10:00 A.M. Chicago time, at a closing (the “Initial Closing”) on July 22, 2010 or on such other Business Day thereafter on or prior to July 30, 2010 as may be agreed upon by the Company and the Purchasers.  At the Initial Closing, the Company will deliver to each Purchaser the Series A Notes to be purchased by such Purchaser in the form of a single Series A Note (or such greater number of Notes in denominations of at least $100,000 as such Purchaser may request) dated the date of the Initial Closing and registered in such Purchaser’s name (or in the name of its nominee), against delivery by such Purchaser to the Company or its order of immediately available funds in the amount of the purchase price therefor by wire transfer of immediately available funds for the account of the Company to account number 00-052-6248 at KeyBank National Association, Cleveland, Ohio, ABA No.  041001039.  If at the Initial Closing the Company shall fail to tender such Series A Notes to any Purchaser as provided above in this Section 3, or any of the conditions specified in Section 4 shall not have been fulfilled to such Purchaser’s satisfaction, such Purchaser shall, at its election, be relieved of all further obligations under this Agreement, without thereby waiving any rights such Purchaser may have by reason of such failure or such nonfulfillment.  The Initial Closing and each Supplemental Closing are hereinafter sometimes referred to as a “Closing.”

 

Section 3.2. Supplemental Closings.  The sale of the Supplemental Notes of the Series described in such Supplemental Note Purchase Agreement will take place at the location, date and time set forth therein at a closing (a “Supplemental Closing”).  At such Supplemental Closing the Company will deliver to each such Supplemental Purchaser one or more Notes of the Series to be purchased by such Supplemental Purchaser registered in such Supplemental Purchaser’s name (or in the name of its nominee), evidencing the aggregate principal amount of Notes of such Series to be purchased by such Supplemental Purchaser and in the denomination or denominations specified with respect to such Supplemental Purchaser in such Supplemental Purchaser Schedule against payment of the purchase price thereof by transfer of immediately available funds for credit to the Company’s account on the date of such Supplemental Closing (a “Supplemental Closing Date”) (as specified in a notice to each such Supplemental Purchaser at least three Business Days prior to such Supplemental Closing Date).

 

	
Section 4.  

	
Conditions to Closing.

 

Each Initial Purchaser’s obligation to execute and deliver this Agreement on the Initial Closing Date and the obligations of each Initial Purchaser and each Supplemental Purchaser to purchase and pay for the Notes to be sold to such Purchaser at a Closing is subject to the fulfillment to such Purchaser’s satisfaction, prior to or on such Closing, of the following conditions:

  

- 3 -

  

 

Section 4.1. Representations and Warranties.  (a) The representations and warranties of the Company in this Agreement shall be correct when made and at the time of such Closing.

 

(b)The representations and warranties of each Subsidiary Guarantor in the Subsidiary Guaranty shall be correct when made and at the time of Closing.

 

Section 4.2. Performance; No Default.  (a) The Company shall have performed and complied with all agreements and conditions contained in this Agreement required to be performed or complied with by it prior to or at such Closing, and after giving effect to the issue and sale of the Notes (and the application of the proceeds thereof as contemplated by Section 5.14), no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing.  Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary shall have entered into any transaction since the date of the Memorandum that would have been prohibited by Section 10, had such Section applied since such date.

 

(b)Each Subsidiary Guarantor shall have performed and complied with all agreements and conditions contained in the Subsidiary Guaranty required to be performed and complied with by it prior to or at the Closing, and after giving effect to the issue and sale of Notes (and the application of the proceeds thereof as contemplated by Section 5.14), no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing.

 

Section 4.3. Compliance Certificates.

 

(a)Officer’s Certificate.  The Company shall have delivered to such Purchaser an Officer’s Certificate, dated the date of such Closing, certifying that the conditions specified in Sections 4.1(a), 4.2(a) and 4.9 have been fulfilled.

 

(b)Subsidiary Guarantor Officer’s Certificate. Each Subsidiary Guarantor shall have delivered to such Purchaser a certificate of an authorized officer, dated the date of the Closing, certifying that the conditions set forth in Section 4.1(b), 4.2(b) and 4.9 have been fulfilled.

 

(c)Secretary’s Certificate.  The Company shall have delivered to such Purchaser a certificate of its Secretary or Assistant Secretary, dated the date of such Closing, certifying as to the resolutions attached thereto and other corporate proceedings relating to the authorization, execution and delivery of the Notes and this Agreement.

 

(d)Subsidiary Guarantor Secretary’s Certificate.  Each Subsidiary Guarantor shall have delivered to such Purchaser a certificate of its Secretary or Assistant Secretary, dated the date of Closing, certifying as to the resolutions attached thereto and other corporate proceedings relating to the authorization, execution and delivery of the Subsidiary Guaranty.

 

Section 4.4. Opinions of Counsel.  Such Purchaser shall have received opinions in form and substance satisfactory to such Purchaser, dated the date of the Closing (a) from Thompson Hine LLP, counsel for the Company and the Subsidiary Guarantors, covering the matters set forth in Exhibit 4.4(a) and covering such other matters incident to the transactions contemplated hereby as such Purchaser or its counsel may reasonably request (and the Company hereby

 

  

- 4 -

  

 

instructs its counsel to deliver such opinion to the Purchasers) and (b) from Chapman and Cutler LLP, the Purchasers’ special counsel in connection with such transactions, substantially in the form set forth in Exhibit 4.4(b) and covering such other matters incident to such transactions as such Purchaser may reasonably request.

 

Section 4.5. Purchase Permitted by Applicable Law, Etc.  On the date of such Closing such Purchaser’s purchase of Notes shall (a) be permitted by the laws and regulations of each jurisdiction to which such Purchaser is subject, without recourse to provisions (such as section 1405(a)(8) of the New York Insurance Law) permitting limited investments by insurance companies without restriction as to the character of the particular investment, (b) not violate any applicable law or regulation (including, without limitation, Regulation T, U or X of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System) and (c) not subject such Purchaser to any tax, penalty or liability under or pursuant to any applicable law or regulation, which law or regulation was not in effect on the date hereof.  If requested by such Purchaser, such Purchaser shall have received an Officer’s Certificate certifying as to such matters of fact as such Purchaser may reasonably specify to enable such Purchaser to determine whether such purchase is so permitted.

 

Section 4.6. Sale of Other Notes.  Contemporaneously with such Closing, the Company shall sell to each other Purchaser, and each other Purchaser shall purchase, the Notes to be purchased by it at the Closing as specified in Schedule A hereto or attached to the applicable Supplemental Note Purchase Agreement.

 

Section 4.7. Payment of Special Counsel Fees. Without limiting the provisions of Section 15.1, the Company shall have paid on or before such Closing the fees, charges and disbursements of the Purchasers’ special counsel referred to in Section 4.4 to the extent reflected in a statement of such counsel rendered to the Company at least one Business Day prior to such Closing.

 

Section 4.8. Private Placement Number.  A Private Placement Number issued by Standard & Poor’s CUSIP Service Bureau (in cooperation with the Securities Valuation Office of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners) shall have been obtained for the subject series of Notes.

 

Section 4.9. Changes in Corporate Structure.  Neither the Company nor the Subsidiary Guarantors shall have changed its jurisdiction of incorporation or organization, as applicable, or been a party to any merger or consolidation or succeeded to all or any substantial part of the liabilities of any other entity, at any time following the date of the most recent financial statements referred to in Schedule 5.5.

 

Section 4.10. Funding Instructions.  At least three Business Days prior to the date of the Closing, each Purchaser shall have received written instructions signed by a Responsible Officer on letterhead of the Company confirming the information specified in Section 3 including (a) the name and address of the transferee bank, (b) such transferee bank’s ABA number and (c) the account name and number into which the purchase price for the Notes is to be deposited.

  

- 5 -

  

 

Section 4.11. Bank Credit Agreement.  All necessary consents and acknowledgements relating to the Bank Credit Agreement shall be in form and substance satisfactory to you and your special counsel, shall have been duly executed and delivered by the parties thereto and shall be in full force and effect and you shall have received true, correct and complete copies of each thereof.

 

Section 4.12. Proceedings and Documents.  All corporate and other proceedings in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and all documents and instruments incident to such transactions shall be satisfactory to such Purchaser and its special counsel, and such Purchaser and its special counsel shall have received all such counterpart originals or certified or other copies of such documents as such Purchaser or such special counsel may reasonably request.

 

	
Section 5.  

	
Representations and Warranties of the Company.

 

The Company represents and warrants to each Purchaser that:

 

Section 5.1. Organization; Power and Authority.  The Company is a corporation duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of its jurisdiction of incorporation, and is duly qualified as a foreign corporation and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which such qualification is required by law, other than those jurisdictions as to which the failure to be so qualified or in good standing could not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.  The Company has the corporate power and authority to own or hold under lease the properties it purports to own or hold under lease, to transact the business it transacts and proposes to transact, to execute and deliver this Agreement and the Notes and to perform the provisions hereof and thereof.

 

Section 5.2. Authorization, Etc.  This Agreement and the Notes have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action on the part of the Company, and this Agreement constitutes, and upon execution and delivery thereof each Note will constitute, a legal, valid and binding obligation of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except as such enforceability may be limited by (a) applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other similar laws affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights generally and (b) general principles of equity (regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law).

 

Section 5.3. Disclosure.  The Company, through its agent, Key Banc Capital Markets Inc., has delivered to each Purchaser a copy of a Private Placement Memorandum, dated June 2010 (the “Memorandum”), relating to the transactions contemplated hereby.  The Memorandum fairly describes, in all material respects, the general nature of the business and principal properties of the Company and its Subsidiaries.  This Agreement, the Memorandum and the documents, certificates or other writings delivered to the Purchasers by or on behalf of the Company in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby and the financial statements listed in Schedule 5.5, (this Agreement, the Memorandum and such documents, certificates or other writings and such financial statements delivered to each Purchaser prior to June 24, 2010 being referred to, collectively, as the “Disclosure Documents”), taken as a whole,

 

  

- 6 -

  

do not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein not misleading in light of the circumstances under which they were made.  Since December 31, 2009, there has been no change in the financial condition, operations, business, properties or prospects of the Company or any Subsidiary except changes that individually or in the aggregate could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.  There is no fact known to the Company that could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect that has not been set forth herein or in the Disclosure Documents.

 

Section 5.4. Organization and Ownership of Shares of Subsidiaries; Affiliates.  (a) Schedule 5.4 contains (except as noted therein) complete and correct lists (i) of the Company’s Subsidiaries, showing, as to each Subsidiary, the correct name thereof, the jurisdiction of its organization, and the percentage of shares of each class of its capital stock or similar equity interests outstanding owned by the Company and each other Subsidiary, (ii) of the Company’s Affiliates, other than Subsidiaries and (iii) of the Company’s directors and senior officers.

 

(b)All of the outstanding shares of capital stock or similar equity interests of each Subsidiary shown in Schedule 5.4 as being owned by the Company and its Subsidiaries have been validly issued, are fully paid and nonassessable and are owned by the Company or another Subsidiary free and clear of any Lien (except as otherwise disclosed in Schedule 5.4).

 

(c)Each Subsidiary identified in Schedule 5.4 is a corporation or other legal entity duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of its jurisdiction of organization, and is duly qualified as a foreign corporation or other legal entity and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which such qualification is required by law, other than those jurisdictions as to which the failure to be so qualified or in good standing could not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.  Each such Subsidiary has the corporate or other power and authority to own or hold under lease the properties it purports to own or hold under lease and to transact the business it transacts and proposes to transact.

 

(d)No Subsidiary is a party to, or otherwise subject to, any legal, regulatory, contractual or other restriction (other than this Agreement, the agreements listed on Schedule 5.4 and customary limitations imposed by corporate law or similar statutes) restricting the ability of such Subsidiary to pay dividends out of profits or make any other similar distributions of profits to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries that owns outstanding shares of capital stock or similar equity interests of such Subsidiary.

 

Section 5.5. Financial Statements; Material Liabilities.  The Company has delivered to each Purchaser copies of the financial statements of the Company and its Subsidiaries listed on Schedule 5.5. All of said financial statements (including in each case the related schedules and notes) fairly present in all material respects the consolidated financial position of the Company and its Subsidiaries as of the respective dates specified in such financial statements and the consolidated results of their operations and cash flows for the respective periods so specified and have been prepared in accordance with GAAP consistently applied throughout the periods involved except as set forth in the notes thereto (subject, in the case of any interim financial statements, to normal year-end adjustments).  The Company and its Subsidiaries do not have any

 

  

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Material liabilities that are not disclosed on such financial statements or otherwise disclosed in the Disclosure Documents.

 

Section 5.6. Compliance with Laws, Other Instruments, Etc.  The execution, delivery and performance by the Company of this Agreement and the Notes will not (a) contravene, result in any breach of, or constitute a default under, or result in the creation of any Lien in respect of any property of the Company or any Subsidiary under, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan, purchase or credit agreement, lease, corporate charter or by-laws, or any other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any Subsidiary is bound or by which the Company or any Subsidiary or any of their respective properties may be bound or affected, (b) conflict with or result in a breach of any of the terms, conditions or provisions of any order, judgment, decree, or ruling of any court, arbitrator or Governmental Authority applicable to the Company or any Subsidiary or (c) violate any provision of any statute or other rule or regulation of any Governmental Authority applicable to the Company or any Subsidiary.

 

Section 5.7. Governmental Authorizations, Etc.  No consent, approval or authorization of, or registration, filing or declaration with, any Governmental Authority is required in connection with the execution, delivery or performance by the Company of this Agreement or the Notes.

 

Section 5.8. Litigation; Observance of Agreements, Statutes and Orders.  (a) There are no actions, suits, investigations or proceedings pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened against or affecting the Company or any Subsidiary or any property of the Company or any Subsidiary in any court or before any arbitrator of any kind or before or by any Governmental Authority that, individually or in the aggregate, could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(b)Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is in default under any term of any agreement or instrument to which it is a party or by which it is bound, or any order, judgment, decree or ruling of any court, arbitrator or Governmental Authority or is in violation of any applicable law, ordinance, rule or regulation (including without limitation Environmental Laws or the USA Patriot Act) of any Governmental Authority, which default or violation, individually or in the aggregate, could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

Section 5.9. Taxes.  The Company and its Subsidiaries have filed all tax returns that are required to have been filed in any jurisdiction, and have paid all taxes shown to be due and payable on such returns and all other taxes and assessments levied upon them or their properties, assets, income or franchises, to the extent such taxes and assessments have become due and payable and before they have become delinquent, except for any taxes and assessments (a) the amount of which is not individually or in the aggregate Material or (b) the amount, applicability or validity of which is currently being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings and with respect to which the Company or a Subsidiary, as the case may be, has established adequate reserves in accordance with GAAP.  The Company knows of no basis for any other tax or assessment that could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.  The charges, accruals and reserves on the books of the Company and its Subsidiaries in respect of federal, state or other taxes for all fiscal periods are adequate.  The federal income tax liabilities of the

 

  

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Company and its Subsidiaries have been finally determined (whether by reason of completed audits or the statute of limitations having run) for all fiscal years up to and including the fiscal year ended December 31, 2005.

 

Section 5.10. Title to Property; Leases.  The Company and its Subsidiaries have good and sufficient title to their respective properties that individually or in the aggregate are Material, including all such properties reflected in the most recent audited balance sheet referred to in Section 5.5 or purported to have been acquired by the Company or any Subsidiary after said date (except as sold or otherwise disposed of in the ordinary course of business or as otherwise permitted within the terms of this Agreement), in each case free and clear of Liens prohibited by this Agreement.  All leases that individually or in the aggregate are Material are valid and subsisting and are in full force and effect in all material respects.

 

Section 5.11. Licenses, Permits, Etc  (a) The Company and its Subsidiaries own or possess all licenses, permits, franchises, authorizations, patents, copyrights, proprietary software, service marks, trademarks and trade names, or rights thereto, that individually or in the aggregate are Material, without known conflict with the rights of others.

 

(b)  To the best knowledge of the Company, no product of the Company infringes in any Material respect any license, permit, franchise, authorization, patent, copyright, proprietary software, service mark, trademark, trade name or other right owned by any other Person.

 

(c)  To the best knowledge of the Company, there is no Material violation by any Person of any right of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries with respect to any patent, copyright, proprietary software, service mark, trademark, trade name or other right owned or used by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries.

 

Section 5.12. Compliance with ERISA.  (a) The Company and each ERISA Affiliate have operated and administered each Plan in compliance with all applicable laws except for such instances of noncompliance as have not resulted in and could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.  Neither the Company nor any ERISA Affiliate has incurred any liability pursuant to Title I or IV of ERISA or the penalty or excise tax provisions of the Code relating to employee benefit plans (as defined in section 3 of ERISA), and no event, transaction or condition has occurred or exists that could reasonably be expected to result in the incurrence of any such liability by the Company or any ERISA Affiliate, or in the imposition of any Lien on any of the rights, properties or assets of the Company or any ERISA Affiliate, in either case pursuant to Title I or IV of ERISA or to such penalty or excise tax provisions or to section 401(a)(29) or 412 of the Code, other than such liabilities or Liens as would not be individually or in the aggregate Material.

 

(b)The present value of the aggregate benefit liabilities under each of the Plans (other than Multiemployer Plans), determined as of the end of such Plan’s most recently ended plan year on the basis of the actuarial assumptions specified for funding purposes in such Plan’s most recent actuarial valuation report, did not exceed the aggregate current value of the assets of such Plan allocable to such benefit liabilities by more than $6,000,000 in the aggregate for all Plans.

 

  

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The term “benefit liabilities” has the meaning specified in Section 4001 of ERISA and the terms “current value” and “present value” have the meaning specified in section 3 of ERISA.

 

(c)To the best of the Company’s knowledge, the Company and its ERISA Affiliates have not incurred withdrawal liabilities (and are not subject to contingent withdrawal liabilities) under Section 4201 or 4204 of ERISA in respect of Multiemployer Plans that individually or in the aggregate are Material.

 

(d)The expected post retirement benefit obligation (determined as of the last day of the Company’s most recently ended fiscal year in accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board Statement No. 106, without regard to liabilities attributable to continuation coverage mandated by Section 4980B of the Code) of the Company and its Subsidiaries is not Material.

 

(e)The execution and delivery of this Agreement and the issuance and sale of the Notes hereunder will not involve any transaction that is subject to the prohibitions of Section 406 of ERISA or in connection with which a tax could be imposed pursuant to Section 4975(c)(1)(A)-(D) of the Code.  The representation by the Company in the first sentence of this Section 5.12(e) is made in reliance upon and subject to the accuracy of such Purchaser’s representation in Section 6.2 as to the sources of the funds used to pay the purchase price of the Notes to be purchased by such Purchaser.

 

Section 5.13. Private Offering by the Company.  Neither the Company nor anyone acting on its behalf has offered the Notes or any similar securities for sale to, or solicited any offer to buy any of the same from, or otherwise approached or negotiated in respect thereof with, any Person other than the Purchasers and not more than 15 other Institutional Investors, each of which has been offered the Notes at a private sale for investment.  Neither the Company nor anyone acting on its behalf has taken, or will take, any action that would subject the issuance or sale of the Notes to the registration requirements of Section 5 of the Securities Act or to the registration requirements of any securities or blue sky laws of any applicable jurisdiction.

 

Section 5.14. Use of Proceeds; Margin Regulations.  The Company will apply the proceeds of the sale of the Notes as set forth in the Memorandum.  No part of the proceeds from the sale of the Notes hereunder will be used, directly or indirectly, for the purpose of buying or carrying any margin stock within the meaning of Regulation U of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (12 CFR 221), or for the purpose of buying or carrying or trading in any securities under such circumstances as to involve the Company in a violation of Regulation X of said Board (12 CFR 224) or to involve any broker or dealer in a violation of Regulation T of said Board (12 CFR 220).  Margin stock does not constitute more than 2% of the value of the consolidated assets of the Company and its Subsidiaries and the Company does not have any present intention that margin stock will constitute more than 2% of the value of such assets. As used in this Section, the terms “margin stock” and “purpose of buying or carrying” shall have the meanings assigned to them in said Regulation U.

 

Section 5.15. Existing Indebtedness; Future Liens.  (a) Schedule 5.15 sets forth a complete and correct list of all Indebtedness of the Company and its Subsidiaries outstanding as of June 30, 2010 (including a description of the obligors and obligees, principal amount

 

  

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outstanding and collateral therefor, if any, and Guaranty thereof, if any), since which date there has been no material change in the amounts, interest rates, sinking funds, installment payments or maturities of the Indebtedness of the Company or its Subsidiaries. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is in default and no waiver of default is currently in effect, in the payment of any principal or interest on any Indebtedness of the Company or such Subsidiary and no event or condition exists with respect to any Indebtedness of the Company or any Subsidiary that would permit (or that with notice or the lapse of time, or both, would permit) one or more Persons to cause such Indebtedness to become due and payable before its stated maturity or before its regularly scheduled dates of payment.

 

(b)Except as disclosed in Schedule 5.15, neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has agreed or consented to cause or permit in the future (upon the happening of a contingency or otherwise) any of its property, whether now owned or hereafter acquired, to be subject to a Lien not permitted by Section 10.3.

 

(c)Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is a party to, or otherwise subject to any provision contained in, any instrument evidencing Indebtedness of the Company or such Subsidiary, any agreement relating thereto or any other agreement (including, but not limited to, its charter or other organizational document) which limits the amount of, or otherwise imposes restrictions on the incurring of, Indebtedness of the Company or any Subsidiary, except as specifically indicated in Schedule 5.15.

 

Section 5.16. Foreign Assets Control Regulations, Etc.  (a) Neither the sale of the Notes by the Company hereunder nor its use of the proceeds thereof will violate the Trading with the Enemy Act, as amended, or any of the foreign assets control regulations of the United States Treasury Department (31 CFR, Subtitle B, Chapter V, as amended) or any enabling legislation or executive order relating thereto. 

 

(b)Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary (i) is a Person described or designated in the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List of the Office of Foreign Assets Control or in Section 1 of the Anti-Terrorism Order or (ii) engages in any dealings or transactions with any such Person.  The Company and its Subsidiaries are in compliance, in all material respects, with the USA Patriot Act. 

 

(c)No part of the proceeds from the sale of the Notes hereunder will be used, directly or indirectly, for any payments to any governmental official or employee, political party, official of a political party, candidate for political office, or anyone else acting in an official capacity, in order to obtain, retain or direct business or obtain any improper advantage, in violation of the United States Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, assuming in all cases that such Act applies to the Company. 

 

Section 5.17. Status under Certain Statutes.  Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is subject to regulation under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, the ICC Termination Act of 1995, as amended, or the Federal Power Act, as amended.

  

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Section 5.18. Notes Rank Pari Passu.  The obligations of the Company under this Agreement and the Notes rank at least pari passu in right of payment with all other unsecured Senior Indebtedness (actual or contingent) of the Company, including, without limitation, all senior unsecured Indebtedness of the Company described in Schedule 5.15 hereto.

 

Section 5.19. Environmental Matters.  (a) Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has knowledge of any claim or has received any notice of any claim, and no proceeding has been instituted raising any claim against the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or any of their respective real properties now or formerly owned, leased or operated by any of them or other assets, alleging any damage to the environment or violation of any Environmental Laws, except, in each case, such as could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. 

 

(b)Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has knowledge of any facts which would give rise to any claim, public or private, of violation of Environmental Laws or damage to the environment emanating from, occurring on or in any way related to real properties now or formerly owned, leased or operated by any of them or to other assets or their use, except, in each case, such as could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(c)Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has stored any Hazardous Materials on real properties now or formerly owned, leased or operated by any of them or has disposed of any Hazardous Materials in a manner contrary to any Environmental Laws in each case in any manner that could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(d)To the best of the Company’s knowledge, all buildings on all real properties now owned, leased or operated by the Company or any Subsidiary are in compliance with applicable Environmental Laws, except where failure to comply could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

	
Section 6.  

	
Representations of the Purchasers.

 

Section 6.1. Purchase for Investment.  Each Purchaser severally represents that it is purchasing the Notes for its own account or for one or more separate accounts maintained by such Purchaser or for the account of one or more pension or trust funds and not with a view to the distribution thereof; provided that the disposition of such Purchaser’s or their property shall at all times be within such Purchaser’s or their control.  Each Purchaser understands that the Notes have not been registered under the Securities Act and may be resold only if registered pursuant to the provisions of the Securities Act or if an exemption from registration is available, except under circumstances where neither such registration nor such an exemption is required by law, and that the Company is not required to register the Notes.

 

Section 6.2. Source of Funds.  Each Purchaser severally represents that at least one of the following statements is an accurate representation as to each source of funds (a “Source”) to be used by such Purchaser to pay the purchase price of the Notes to be purchased by such Purchaser hereunder:

  

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(a)the Source is an “insurance company general account” (as the term is defined in the United States Department of Labor’s Prohibited Transaction Exemption (“PTE”) 95-60) in respect of which the reserves and liabilities (as defined by the annual statement for life insurance companies approved by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (the “NAIC Annual Statement”)) for the general account contract(s) held by or on behalf of any employee benefit plan together with the amount of the reserves and liabilities for the general account contract(s) held by or on behalf of any other employee benefit plans maintained by the same employer (or affiliate thereof as defined in PTE 95-60) or by the same employee organization in the general account do not exceed ten percent (10%) of the total reserves and liabilities of the general account (exclusive of separate account liabilities) plus surplus as set forth in the NAIC Annual Statement filed with such Purchaser’s state of domicile; or

 

(b)the Source is a separate account that is maintained solely in connection with such Purchaser’s fixed contractual obligations under which the amounts payable, or credited, to any employee benefit plan (or its related trust) that has any interest in such separate account (or to any participant or beneficiary of such plan (including any annuitant)) are not affected in any manner by the investment performance of the separate account; or 

 

(c)the Source is either (i) an insurance company pooled separate account, within the meaning of PTE 90-1, or (ii) a bank collective investment fund, within the meaning of the PTE 91-38 and, except as have been disclosed by such Purchaser to the Company in writing pursuant to this clause (c), no employee benefit plan or group of plans maintained by the same employer or employee organization beneficially owns more than 10% of all assets allocated to such pooled separate account or collective investment fund; or

 

(d)  the Source constitutes assets of an “investment fund” (within the meaning of Part V of the QPAM Exemption) managed by a “qualified professional asset manager” or “QPAM” (within the meaning of Part V of the QPAM Exemption), no employee benefit plan’s assets that are included in such investment fund, when combined with the assets of all other employee benefit plans established or maintained by the same employer or by an affiliate (within the meaning of Section V(c)(1) of the QPAM Exemption) of such employer or by the same employee organization and managed by such QPAM, exceed 20% of the total client assets managed by such QPAM, the conditions of Part I(c) and (g) of the QPAM Exemption are satisfied, as of the last day of its most recent calendar quarter, the QPAM does not own a 10% or more interest in the Company and no Person controlling or controlled by the QPAM (applying the definition of “control” in Section V(e) of the QPAM Exemption) owns a 20% or more interest in the Company (or less than 20% but greater than 10%, if such person exercises control over the management or policies of the Company by reason of its ownership interest) and (i) the identity of such QPAM and (ii) the names of all employee benefit plans whose assets are included in such investment fund have been disclosed to the Company in writing pursuant to this clause (d); or

  

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(e)the Source constitutes assets of a “plan(s)” (within the meaning of Section IV of PTE 96-23 (the “INHAM Exemption”)) managed by an “in-house asset manager” or “INHAM” (within the meaning of Part IV of the INHAM Exemption), the conditions of Part I(a), (g) and (h) of the INHAM Exemption are satisfied, neither the INHAM nor a Person controlling or controlled by the INHAM (applying the definition of “control” in Section IV(d) of the INHAM Exemption) owns a 5% or more interest in the Company and (i) the identity of such INHAM and (ii) the name(s) of the employee benefit plan(s) whose assets constitute the Source have been disclosed to the Company in writing pursuant to this clause (e); or

 

(f)the Source is a governmental plan; or

 

(g)the Source is one or more employee benefit plans, or a separate account or trust fund comprised of one or more employee benefit plans, each of which has been identified to the Company in writing pursuant to this clause (g); or

 

(h)the Source does not include assets of any employee benefit plan, other than a plan exempt from the coverage of ERISA.

 

As used in this Section 6.2, the terms “employee benefit plan”, “governmental plan”, “party in interest” and “separate account” shall have the respective meanings assigned to such terms in section 3 of ERISA.

 

Section 6.3. Power and Authority.  Each Purchaser represents, as of the date of the Closing, that it has the corporate power and authority to execute and deliver this Agreement and to perform the provisions hereof.

 

Section 6.4. Authorization, Etc.  Each Purchaser represents as of the date of the Closing that this Agreement has been duly authorized by all necessary legal action on the part of such Purchaser, and this Agreement constitutes a legal, valid and binding obligation of such Purchaser enforceable against such Purchaser in accordance with its terms, except as such enforceability may be limited by (a) applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other similar laws affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights generally and (b) general principles of equity (regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law).

 

Section 6.5. Governmental Authorizations, Etc.  Each Purchaser represents as of the date of the Closing, that (a) no consent, approval or authorization of, or registration, filing or declaration with, any Governmental Authority is required in connection with the execution, delivery or performance by such Purchaser of this Agreement and (b) the execution, delivery and performance by such Purchaser of this Agreement will not violate any law, rule, regulation, order or agreement binding on such Purchaser, except in the case of any manner described in the preceding clause (a) or (b), as would not reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect.

  

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Section 7.  

	
Information as to the Company.

 

Section 7.1. Financial and Business Information. The Company shall deliver to each holder of Notes that is an Institutional Investor:

 

(a)Quarterly Statements — within 60 days (or such shorter period as is 15 days greater than the period applicable to the filing of the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (the “Form 10-Q”) with the SEC regardless of whether the Company is subject to the filing requirements thereof) after the end of each quarterly fiscal period in each fiscal year of the Company (other than the last quarterly fiscal period of each such fiscal year), duplicate copies of:

 

(i)a consolidated balance sheet of the Company and its Subsidiaries as at the end of such quarter, and

 

(ii)consolidated statements of operations and cash flows of the Company and its Subsidiaries for such quarter and (in the case of the second and third quarters) for the portion of the fiscal year ending with such quarter,

 

setting forth in each case in comparative form the figures for the corresponding periods in the previous fiscal year, all in reasonable detail, prepared in accordance with GAAP or such other set of accounting standards as shall be acceptable to the SEC applicable to quarterly financial statements generally, and certified by a Senior Financial Officer as fairly presenting, in all material respects, the financial position of the companies being reported on and their results of operations and cash flows, subject to changes resulting from year-end adjustments; provided that delivery within the time period specified above of copies of the Company’s Form 10-Q prepared in compliance with the requirements therefor and filed with the SEC shall be deemed to satisfy the requirements of this Section 7.1(a); provided, further, that the Company shall be deemed to have made such delivery of such Form 10-Q if it shall have timely made such Form 10-Q available on “EDGAR” and on its home page on the worldwide web (at the date of this Agreement located at:  http//www.davey.com) and shall have given each Purchaser prior notice of such availability on EDGAR and on its home page in connection with each delivery (such availability and notice thereof being referred to as “Electronic Delivery”);

 

(b)Annual Statements — within 105 days (or such shorter period as is 15 days greater than the period applicable to the filing of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K (the “Form 10-K”) with the SEC regardless of whether the Company is subject to the filing requirements thereof) after the end of each fiscal year of the Company, duplicate copies of,

 

(i)a consolidated balance sheet of the Company and its Subsidiaries, as at the end of such year, and

 

(ii)consolidated statements of operations, changes in shareholders’ equity and cash flows of the Company and its Subsidiaries, for such year,

  

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setting forth in each case in comparative form the figures for the previous fiscal year, all in reasonable detail, prepared in accordance with GAAP, and accompanied by; an opinion thereon of independent public accountants of recognized national standing, which opinion shall state that such financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the companies being reported upon and their results of operations and cash flows and have been prepared in conformity with GAAP, and that the examination of such accountants in connection with such financial statements has been made in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board United States) or such other set of accounting standards as shall be acceptable to the SEC or such other standards as shall be acceptable to the SEC, and that such audit provides a reasonable basis for such opinion in the circumstances; provided that the delivery within the time period specified above of the Company’s Form 10-K for such fiscal year (together with the Company’s annual report to shareholders, if any, prepared pursuant to Rule 14a-3 under the Exchange Act) prepared in accordance with the requirements therefor and filed with the SEC, shall be deemed to satisfy the requirements of this Section 7.1(b); provided, further, that the Company shall be deemed to have made such delivery of such Form 10-K if it shall have timely made Electronic Delivery thereof;

 

(c)SEC and Other Reports — promptly upon their becoming available, one copy of (i) each financial statement, report, notice or proxy statement sent by the Company or any Subsidiary to its principal lending banks as a whole (excluding information sent to such banks in the ordinary course of administration of a bank facility, such as information relating to pricing and borrowing availability or to its public securities holders generally) and (ii) each regular or periodic report, each registration statement (without exhibits except as expressly requested by such holder), and each prospectus and all amendments thereto filed by the Company or any Subsidiary with the SEC and of all press releases and other statements made available generally by the Company or any Subsidiary to the public concerning developments that are Material;

 

(d)Notice of Default or Event of Default — promptly, and in any event within five days after a Responsible Officer becoming aware of the existence of any Default or Event of Default or that any Person has given any notice or taken any action with respect to a claimed default hereunder or that any Person has given any notice or taken any action with respect to a claimed default of the type referred to in Section 11(f), a written notice specifying the nature and period of existence thereof and what action the Company is taking or proposes to take with respect thereto;

 

(e)ERISA Matters — promptly, and in any event within five days after a Responsible Officer becoming aware of any of the following, a written notice setting forth the nature thereof and the action, if any, that the Company or an ERISA Affiliate proposes to take with respect thereto:

 

(i)with respect to any Plan, any reportable event, as defined in Section 4043(c) of ERISA and the regulations thereunder, for which notice thereof has not been waived pursuant to such regulations as in effect on the date hereof; or

  

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(ii)  the taking by the PBGC of steps to institute, or the threatening by the PBGC of the institution of, proceedings under Section 4042 of ERISA for the termination of, or the appointment of a trustee to administer, any Plan, or the receipt by the Company or any ERISA Affiliate of a notice from a Multiemployer Plan that such action has been taken by the PBGC with respect to such Multiemployer Plan; or

 

(iii)  any event, transaction or condition that could result in the incurrence of any liability by the Company or any ERISA Affiliate pursuant to Title I or IV of ERISA or the penalty or excise tax provisions of the Code relating to employee benefit plans, or in the imposition of any Lien on any of the rights, properties or assets of the Company or any ERISA Affiliate pursuant to Title I or IV of ERISA or such penalty or excise tax provisions, if such liability or Lien, taken together with any other such liabilities or Liens then existing, could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect;

 

(f)Notices from Governmental Authority — promptly, and in any event within 30 days of receipt thereof, copies of any notice to the Company or any Subsidiary from any Federal or state Governmental Authority relating to any order, ruling, statute or other law or regulation that could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; and

 

(g)Requested Information — with reasonable promptness, such other data and information relating to the business, operations, affairs, financial condition, assets or properties of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries (including, but without limitation, actual copies of the Company’s Form 10-Q and Form 10-K) or relating to the ability of the Company to perform its obligations hereunder and under the Notes as from time to time may be reasonably requested by any such holder of Notes.

 

Section 7.2. Officer’s Certificate.  Each set of financial statements delivered to a holder of Notes pursuant to Section 7.1(a) or Section 7.1(b) shall be accompanied by a certificate of a Senior Financial Officer setting forth (which, in the case of Electronic Delivery of such financial statements, shall be by separate concurrent delivery of such certificate to each holder of Notes):

 

(a)Covenant Compliance — the information (including detailed calculations) required in order to establish whether the Company was in compliance with the requirements of Section 10.1 through Section 10.6, inclusive, during the quarterly or annual period covered by the statements then being furnished (including with respect to each such Section, where applicable, the calculations of the maximum or minimum amount, ratio or percentage, as the case may be, permissible under the terms of such Sections, and the calculation of the amount, ratio or percentage then in existence); and

 

(b)Event of Default — a statement that such Senior Financial Officer has reviewed the relevant terms hereof and has made, or caused to be made, under his or her supervision, a review of the transactions and conditions of the Company and its Subsidiaries from the beginning of the quarterly or annual period covered by the 

  

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statements then being furnished to the date of the certificate and that such review shall not have disclosed the existence during such period of any condition or event that constitutes a Default or an Event of Default or, if any such condition or event existed or exists (including, without limitation, any such event or condition resulting from the failure of the Company or any Subsidiary to comply with any Environmental Law), specifying the nature and period of existence thereof and what action the Company shall have taken or proposes to take with respect thereto.

 

Section 7.3. Visitation.  The Company shall permit the representatives of each holder of Notes that is an Institutional Investor:

 

(a)No Default — if no Default or Event of Default then exists, at the expense of such holder and upon reasonable prior notice to the Company, to visit the principal executive office of the Company, to discuss the affairs, finances and accounts of the Company and its Subsidiaries with the Company’s officers, and (with the consent of the Company, which consent will not be unreasonably withheld) its independent public accountants, and (with the consent of the Company, which consent will not be unreasonably withheld) to visit the other offices and properties of the Company and each Subsidiary, all at reasonable times, but not more than twice in any calendar year for any such visit described in this subsection (a) per Noteholder; and 

 

(b)Default — if a Default or Event of Default then exists, at the reasonable expense of the Company, to visit and inspect any of the offices or properties of the Company or any Subsidiary, to examine all their respective books of account, records, reports and other papers, to make copies and extracts therefrom, and to discuss their respective affairs, finances and accounts with their respective officers and independent public accountants (and by this provision the Company authorizes said accountants to discuss the affairs, finances and accounts of the Company and its Subsidiaries), all at such times and as often as may be requested.

 

	
Section 8.

	
Prepayment of the Notes.

 

Section 8.1. Required Prepayments.  In addition to paying the remaining outstanding principal amount and the interest due on the Series A Notes on the maturity date thereof, on July 22, 2016 and on each July 22 thereafter to and including July 22, 2019 the Company will prepay $6,000,000 principal amount (or such lesser principal amount as shall then be outstanding) of the Series A Notes at par and without payment of the Make-Whole Amount or any premium; provided that upon any partial prepayment of the Series A Notes pursuant to Section 8.2, the principal amount of each required prepayment of the Series A Notes becoming due under this Section 8.1 on and after the date of such prepayment shall be reduced in the same proportion as the aggregate unpaid principal amount of the Series A Notes is reduced as a result of such prepayment.

 

Section 8.2. Optional Prepayments with Make-Whole Amount.  The Company may, at its option, upon notice as provided below, prepay at any time all, or from time to time any part of, the Notes of any series in an amount not less than 10% of the aggregate principal amount of the

  

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Notes of such series then outstanding in the case of a partial prepayment, at 100% of the principal amount so prepaid, together with interest accrued thereon to the date of such prepayment, and the Make-Whole Amount determined for the prepayment date with respect to such principal amount.  The Company will give each holder of the series of Notes to be prepaid written notice of each optional prepayment under this Section 8.2 not less than 30 days and not more than 60 days prior to the date fixed for such prepayment.  Each such notice shall specify such date (which shall be a Business Day), the aggregate principal amount of the series of Notes to be prepaid on such date, the principal amount of each Note held by such holder to be prepaid (determined in accordance with Section 8.4), and the interest to be paid on the prepayment date with respect to such principal amount being prepaid, and shall be accompanied by a certificate of a Senior Financial Officer as to the estimated Make-Whole Amount due in connection with such prepayment (calculated as if the date of such notice were the date of the prepayment), setting forth the details of such computation.  Two Business Days prior to such prepayment, the Company shall deliver to each holder of Notes a certificate of a Senior Financial Officer specifying the calculation of such Make-Whole Amount as of the specified prepayment date.

 

Section 8.3. Change in Control.  (a) Notice of Change in Control or Control Event. The Company will, within five Business Days after any Responsible Officer has knowledge of the occurrence of any Change in Control or Control Event, give written notice of such Change in Control or Control Event to each holder of Notes unless notice in respect of such Change in Control (or the Change in Control contemplated by such Control Event) shall have been given pursuant to subparagraph (b) of this Section 8.3.  If a Change in Control has occurred, such notice shall contain and constitute an offer to prepay Notes as described in subparagraph (c) of this Section 8.3 and shall be accompanied by the certificate described in subparagraph (g) of this Section 8.3.

 

(b)Condition to Company Action.  The Company will not take any action that consummates or finalizes a Change in Control unless (i) at least 30 days prior to such action it shall have given to each holder of Notes written notice containing and constituting an offer to prepay Notes as described in subparagraph (c) of this Section 8.3, accompanied by the certificate described in subparagraph (g) of this Section 8.3, and (ii) contemporaneously with such action, it prepays all Notes required to be prepaid in accordance with this Section 8.3.

 

(c)Offer to Prepay Notes.  The offer to prepay Notes contemplated by subparagraphs (a) and (b) of this Section 8.3 shall be an offer to prepay, in accordance with and subject to this Section 8.3, all, but not less than all, the Notes held by each holder (in this case only, “holder” in respect of any Note registered in the name of a nominee for a disclosed beneficial owner shall mean such beneficial owner) on a date specified in such offer (the “Proposed Prepayment Date”).  If such Proposed Prepayment Date is in connection with an offer contemplated by subparagraph (a) of this Section 8.3, such date shall be not less than 30 days and not more than 120 days after the date of such offer (if the Proposed Prepayment Date shall not be specified in such offer, the Proposed Prepayment Date shall be the first Business Day after the 45th day after the date of such offer).

 

(d)Acceptance/Rejection.  A holder of Notes may accept the offer to prepay made pursuant to this Section 8.3 by causing a notice of such acceptance to be delivered to the

  

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Company not later than 15 days after receipt by such holder of the most recent offer of prepayment.  A failure by a holder of Notes to respond to an offer to prepay made pursuant to this Section 8.3 shall be deemed to constitute rejection of such offer by such holder.

 

(e)Prepayment.  Prepayment of the Notes to be prepaid pursuant to this Section 8.3 shall be at 100% of the principal amount of such Notes, together with interest on such Notes accrued to the date of prepayment, but without Make-Whole Amount or other premium.  The prepayment shall be made on the Proposed Prepayment Date except as provided in subparagraph (f) of this Section 8.3.

 

(f)Deferral Pending Change in Control.  The obligation of the Company to prepay Notes pursuant to the offers required by subparagraph (c) and accepted in accordance with subparagraph (d) of this Section 8.3 is subject to the occurrence of the Change in Control in respect of which such offers and acceptances shall have been made.  In the event that such Change in Control has not occurred on the Proposed Prepayment Date in respect thereof, the prepayment shall be deferred until, and shall be made on, the date on which such Change in Control occurs.  The Company shall keep each holder of Notes reasonably and timely informed of (i) any such deferral of the date of prepayment, (ii) the date on which such Change in Control and the prepayment are expected to occur, and (iii) any determination by the Company that efforts to effect such Change in Control have ceased or been abandoned (in which case the offers and acceptances made pursuant to this Section 8.3 in respect of such Change in Control shall be deemed rescinded).

 

(g)Officer’s Certificate. Each offer to prepay the Notes pursuant to this Section 8.3 shall be accompanied by a certificate, executed by a Senior Financial Officer of the Company and dated the date of such offer, specifying: (i) the Proposed Prepayment Date; (ii) that such offer is made pursuant to this Section 8.3; (iii) the principal amount of each Note offered to be prepaid; (iv) the interest that would be due on each Note offered to be prepaid, accrued to the Proposed Prepayment Date; (v) that the conditions of this Section8.3 have been fulfilled; and (vi) in reasonable detail, the nature and date or proposed date of the Change in Control.

 

(h)Effect on Required Payments.  The amount of each payment of the principal of the Notes made pursuant to this Section 8.3 shall be applied against and reduce each of the then remaining principal payments due pursuant to Section 8.1 by a percentage equal to the aggregate principal amount of the Notes so paid divided by the aggregate principal amount of the Notes outstanding immediately prior to such payment.

 

(i)Certain Definitions. "Change in Control" means (a) the acquisition, or, if earlier, the shareholder or director approval of the acquisition, ownership or voting control, directly or indirectly, beneficially or of record, by any Person or group (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 of the SEC under the Exchange Act, as then in effect), of shares representing more than thirty-three percent (33%) of the aggregate ordinary Voting Power represented by the issued and outstanding capital stock of the Company; (b) the occupation of a majority of the seats (other than vacant seats) on the board of directors of the Company by Persons who were neither (i) nominated by the board of directors of the Company nor (ii) appointed by directors so nominated; or (c) the approval by the shareholders or directors of the Company of a plan of

  

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complete liquidation of the Company or an agreement or agreements for the sale or disposition by the Company of all or substantially all of the Company's assets; provided that purchases or other acquisitions of Equity Interests by, and sales or other transfers of Equity Interests to or within, the Davey ESOP in accordance with its terms shall not be deemed or construed to cause, trigger, or otherwise result in a Change in Control for purposes of this clause (i) of Section 8.3.

 

“Control Event” means:

 

(i)the execution by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or Affiliates of any agreement or letter of intent with respect to any proposed transaction or event or series of transactions or events which, individually or in the aggregate, may reasonably be expected to result in a Change in Control,

 

(ii)the execution of any written agreement which, when fully performed by the parties thereto, would result in a Change in Control, or

 

(iii)the commencement of any written tender offer by any person (as such term is used in Section 13(d) and Section 14(d)(2) of the Exchange Act as in effect on the date of the Closing) or related persons constituting a group (as such term is used in Rule 13d-5 under the Exchange Act as in effect on the date of the Closing) to the holders of the common stock of the Company, which offer, if accepted by the requisite number of holders, would result in a Change in Control.

 

(i)All calculations contemplated in this Section 8.3 involving the capital stock of any Person shall be made with the assumption that all convertible Securities of such Person then outstanding and all convertible Securities issuable upon the exercise of any warrants, options and other rights outstanding at such time were converted at such time and that all options, warrants and similar rights to acquire shares of capital stock of such Person were exercised at such time.

 

Section 8.4. Allocation of Partial Prepayments.  In the case of each partial prepayment of the Notes of any series pursuant to Section 8.2, the principal amount of the Notes of such series to be prepaid shall be allocated among all of the Notes of such series at the time outstanding in proportion, as nearly as practicable, to the respective unpaid principal amounts thereof not theretofore called for prepayment.  All partial prepayments made pursuant to Section 8.3 shall be applied only to the Notes of such series of the holders who have elected to participate in such prepayment.

 

Section 8.5. Maturity; Surrender, Etc;.  In the case of each prepayment of Notes of any series pursuant to this Section 8, the principal amount of each Note of such series to be prepaid shall mature and become due and payable on the date fixed for such prepayment (which shall be a Business Day), together with interest on such principal amount accrued to such date and the applicable Make-Whole Amount, if any.  From and after such date, unless the Company shall fail to pay such principal amount when so due and payable, together with the interest and Make-Whole Amount, if any, as aforesaid, interest on such principal amount shall cease to accrue.  Any Note paid or prepaid in full shall be surrendered to the Company and cancelled and shall not be reissued, and no Note shall be issued in lieu of any prepaid principal amount of any Note.

  

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Section 8.6. Purchase of Notes.  The Company will not and will not permit any Affiliate to purchase, redeem, prepay or otherwise acquire, directly or indirectly, any of the outstanding Notes except (a) upon the payment or prepayment of all, but not less than all, of the Notes in accordance with the terms of this Agreement and the Notes or (b) pursuant to an offer to purchase made by the Company or an Affiliate pro rata to the holders of all Notes at the time outstanding upon the same terms and conditions.  Any such offer shall provide each holder with sufficient information to enable it to make an informed decision with respect to such offer, and shall remain open for at least 15 Business Days.  If the holders of more than 10% of the principal amount of the Notes then outstanding accept such offer, the Company shall promptly notify the remaining holders of such fact and the expiration date for the acceptance by holders of Notes of such offer shall be extended by the number of days necessary to give each such remaining holder at least 5 Business Days from its receipt of such notice to accept such offer.  The Company will promptly cancel all Notes acquired by it or any Affiliate pursuant to any payment, prepayment or purchase of Notes pursuant to any provision of this Agreement and no Notes may be issued in substitution or exchange for any such Notes.

 

Section 8.7. Make-Whole Amount.  The term “Make-Whole Amount” means, with respect to any Note, an amount equal to the excess, if any, of the Discounted Value of the Remaining Scheduled Payments with respect to the Called Principal of such Note over the amount of such Called Principal; provided that the Make-Whole Amount may in no event be less than zero.  For the purposes of determining the Make-Whole Amount, the following terms have the following meanings:

 

“Called Principal” means, with respect to any Note, the principal of such Note that is to be prepaid pursuant to Section 8.2 or has become or is declared to be immediately due and payable pursuant to Section 12.1, as the context requires.

 

“Discounted Value” means, with respect to the Called Principal of any Note, the amount obtained by discounting all Remaining Scheduled Payments with respect to such Called Principal from their respective scheduled due dates to the Settlement Date with respect to such Called Principal, in accordance with accepted financial practice and at a discount factor (applied on the same periodic basis as that on which interest on the Notes is payable) equal to the Reinvestment Yield with respect to such Called Principal.

 

“Reinvestment Yield” means, with respect to the Called Principal of any Note, .50% (50 basis points) over the yield to maturity implied by (i) the yields reported as of 10:00 a.m. (New York City time) on the second Business Day preceding the Settlement Date with respect to such Called Principal, on the display designated as “Page PX1” (or such other display as may replace Page PX1) on Bloomberg Financial Markets for the most recently issued actively traded on the run U.S. Treasury securities having a maturity equal to the Remaining Average Life of such Called Principal as of such Settlement Date, or (ii) if such yields are not reported as of such time or the yields reported as of such time are not ascertainable (including by way of interpolation), the Treasury Constant Maturity Series Yields reported, for the latest day for which such yields have been so reported as of the second Business Day preceding the Settlement Date with respect to such Called Principal, in Federal Reserve Statistical Release H.15 (or any comparable successor

  

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publication) for U.S. Treasury securities having a constant maturity equal to the Remaining Average Life of such Called Principal as of such Settlement Date.  In the case of each determination under clause (i) or clause (ii), as the case may be, of the preceding paragraph, such implied yield will be determined, if necessary, by (a) converting U.S. Treasury bill quotations to bond-equivalent yields in accordance with accepted financial practice and (b) interpolating linearly between (1) the applicable U.S. Treasury security with the maturity closest to and greater than such Remaining Average Life and (2) the applicable U.S. Treasury security with the maturity closest to and less than such Remaining Average Life.  The Reinvestment Yield shall be rounded to the number of decimal places as appears in the interest rate of the applicable Note.

 

“Remaining Average Life” means, with respect to any Called Principal, the number of years (calculated to the nearest one-twelfth year) obtained by dividing (a) such Called Principal into (b) the sum of the products obtained by multiplying (i) the principal component of each Remaining Scheduled Payment with respect to such Called Principal by (ii) the number of years (calculated to the nearest one-twelfth year) that will elapse between the Settlement Date with respect to such Called Principal and the scheduled due date of such Remaining Scheduled Payment.

 

“Remaining Scheduled Payments” means, with respect to the Called Principal of any Note, all payments of such Called Principal and interest thereon that would be due after the Settlement Date with respect to such Called Principal if no payment of such Called Principal were made prior to its scheduled due date; provided that if such Settlement Date is not a date on which interest payments are due to be made under the terms of the Notes, then the amount of the next succeeding scheduled interest payment will be reduced by the amount of interest accrued to such Settlement Date and required to be paid on such Settlement Date pursuant to Section 8.2 or 12.1.

 

“Settlement Date” means, with respect to the Called Principal of any Note, the date on which such Called Principal is to be prepaid pursuant to Section 8.2 or has become or is declared to be immediately due and payable pursuant to Section 12.1, as the context requires.

 

	
Section 9.

	
Affirmative Covenants.

 

The Company covenants that so long as any of the Notes are outstanding:

 

Section 9.1. Compliance with Law.  The Company will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to, comply with all laws, ordinances or governmental rules or regulations to which each of them is subject, including, without limitation, ERISA, the USA Patriot Act and Environmental Laws, and will obtain and maintain in effect all licenses, certificates, permits, franchises and other governmental authorizations necessary to the ownership of their respective properties or to the conduct of their respective businesses, in each case to the extent necessary to ensure that non-compliance with such laws, ordinances or governmental rules or regulations or failures to obtain or maintain in effect such licenses, certificates, permits, franchises and other

  

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governmental authorizations could not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

Section 9.2. Insurance.  The Company will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to, maintain, with financially sound and reputable insurers, insurance with respect to their respective properties and businesses against such casualties and contingencies, of such types, on such terms and in such amounts (including deductibles, co-insurance and self-insurance, if adequate reserves are maintained with respect thereto) as is customary in the case of entities of established reputations engaged in the same or a similar business and similarly situated.

 

Section 9.3. Maintenance of Properties.  The Company will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to, maintain and keep, or cause to be maintained and kept, their respective properties in good repair, working order and condition (other than ordinary wear and tear), so that the business carried on in connection therewith may be properly conducted at all times; provided that this Section 9.3 shall not prevent the Company or any Subsidiary from discontinuing the operation and the maintenance of any of its properties if such discontinuance is desirable in the conduct of its business and the Company has concluded that such discontinuance could not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

Section 9.4. Payment of Taxes and Claims.  The Company will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to, file all tax returns required to be filed in any jurisdiction and to pay and discharge all taxes shown to be due and payable on such returns and all other taxes, assessments, governmental charges, or levies imposed on them or any of their properties, assets, income or franchises, to the extent the same have become due and payable and before they have become delinquent and all claims for which sums have become due and payable that have or might become a Lien on properties or assets of the Company or any Subsidiary; provided that neither the Company nor any Subsidiary need pay any such tax, assessment, charge, levy or claim if (a) the amount, applicability or validity thereof is contested by the Company or such Subsidiary on a timely basis in good faith and in appropriate proceedings, and the Company or a Subsidiary has established adequate reserves therefor in accordance with GAAP on the books of the Company or such Subsidiary or (b) the nonpayment of all such taxes, assessments, changes, levies and claims in the aggregate could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

Section 9.5. Legal Existence, Etc.  Subject to Section 10.5, the Company will at all times preserve and keep in full force and effect its legal existence.  Subject to Sections 10.5 and 10.6, the Company will at all times preserve and keep in full force and effect the legal existence of each of its Subsidiaries (unless merged into the Company or a Wholly-owned Subsidiary) and all rights and franchises of the Company and its Subsidiaries unless, in the good faith judgment of the Company, the termination of or failure to preserve and keep in full force and effect such legal existence, right or franchise could not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

Section 9.6. Notes to Rank Pari Passu.  The Notes and all other obligations under this Agreement of the Company are and at all times shall rank at least pari passu in right of payment

  

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with all other present and future unsecured Senior Funded Indebtedness (actual or contingent) of the Company which is not expressed to be subordinate or junior in rank to any other unsecured Indebtedness of the Company.

 

Section 9.7. Books and Records.  The Company will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to, maintain proper books of record and account in conformity with GAAP and all applicable requirements of any Governmental Authority having legal or regulatory jurisdiction over the Company, or such Subsidiary, as the case may be.

 

Section 9.8. Guaranty by Subsidiaries.  The Company will cause each Subsidiary which delivers a Guaranty pursuant to the Bank Credit Agreement to concurrently enter into a Subsidiary Guaranty, and within three Business Days thereafter will deliver to each of the holders of the Notes the following items:

 

(a)an executed counterpart of such Subsidiary Guaranty or joinder agreement in respect of an existing Subsidiary Guaranty, as appropriate;

 

(b)a certificate signed by the President, a Vice President or another authorized Responsible Officer of such Subsidiary making representations and warranties to the effect of those contained in Sections 5.1, 5.2, 5.6 and 5.7, but with respect to such Subsidiary and such Subsidiary Guaranty, as applicable;

 

(c)a certificate of a Responsible Officer of the Company certifying that at such time and after giving effect to the execution and delivery of such Subsidiary Guaranty or joinder agreement, no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing;

 

(d)such documents and evidence with respect to such Subsidiary as the Required Holders may reasonably request in order to establish the existence and good standing of such Subsidiary and the authorization of the transactions contemplated by such Subsidiary Guaranty; and

 

(e)an opinion of counsel satisfactory to the Required Holders to the effect that such Subsidiary Guaranty has been duly authorized, executed and delivered and constitutes the legal, valid and binding contract and agreement of such Subsidiary enforceable in accordance with its terms, except as an enforcement of such terms may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and similar laws affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights generally and by general equitable principles. 

 

	
Section 10.

	
Negative Covenants.

 

The Company covenants that so long as any of the Notes are outstanding:

 

Section 10.1. Leverage Ratio.  The Company will not as of the end of the any fiscal quarter permit for each period of four consecutive fiscal quarters then ended permit the ratio of Consolidated Funded Indebtedness to Consolidated EBITDA to exceed 2.75 to 1.00.

  

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Section 10.2. Balance Sheet Leverage Ratio. The Company will not at any time permit Consolidated Funded Indebtedness to exceed 60% of Consolidated Total Capitalization.

 

Section 10.3. Limitations on Consolidated Priority Indebtedness.  The Company will not, at any time, permit Consolidated Priority Indebtedness to exceed 15% of Consolidated Total Capitalization. 

 

Section 10.4. Limitation on Liens.  The Company will not, and will not permit any Subsidiary to, create or incur, or suffer to be incurred or to exist, any Lien on its or their property or assets, whether now owned or hereafter acquired, or upon any income or profits therefrom, or acquire or agree to acquire, or permit any Subsidiary to acquire, any property or assets upon conditional sales agreements or other title retention devices, except:

 

(a)Liens for taxes and assessments or governmental charges or levies and Liens securing claims or demands of mechanics and materialmen; provided that payment thereof is not at the time required by Section 9.4;

 

(b)Liens of or resulting from any judgment or award, (i) the time for the appeal or petition for rehearing of which shall not have expired, or (ii) in respect of which the Company or a Subsidiary shall at all times in good faith be prosecuting an appeal or proceeding for a review and in respect of which a stay of execution pending such appeal or proceeding for review shall have been secured; provided that the Company or such Subsidiary (1) is contesting such judgment or award on a timely basis, in good faith and by appropriate proceedings, and (2) has established adequate reserves therefor in accordance with GAAP on the books of the Company or such Subsidiary, as the case may be;

 

(c)Liens incidental to the conduct of business or the ownership of properties and assets (including Liens in connection with worker’s compensation, unemployment insurance and other like laws, warehousemen’s and attorneys’ liens and statutory landlords’ liens) and Liens to secure the performance of bids, tenders or trade contracts, or to secure statutory obligations, surety or appeal bonds or other Lien of like general nature, in any such case incurred in the ordinary course of business and not in connection with the borrowing of money; provided that (i) any such Lien secures only amounts not due and payable or the payment of which is being contested in good faith by appropriate actions or proceedings and (ii) any such Lien does not materially impair the business of the Company and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole or the value of the related property for the purposes of such business;

 

(d)survey exceptions or minor encumbrances, leases or subleases granted to others, easements or reservations, or rights of others for rights-of-way, utilities and other similar purposes, or zoning or other restrictions as to the use of real properties, (i) which are necessary for the conduct of the activities of the Company and its Subsidiaries or which customarily exist on properties of corporations engaged in similar activities and similarly situated and (ii) which do not in any event materially impair their use in the

 

  

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operation of the business of the Company and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole or the value of such properties;

 

(e)Liens securing Indebtedness of the Company to a Wholly-owned Subsidiary or Indebtedness of a Subsidiary to the Company or to another Wholly-owned Subsidiary;

 

(f)Liens existing as of July 22, 2010 and described on Schedule 5.15 hereto;

 

(g)Liens created or incurred after the date of the Closing given to secure the payment of the purchase price incurred in connection with the acquisition or purchase or the cost of construction of property or of assets useful and intended to be used in carrying on the business of the Company or a Subsidiary, including Liens existing on such property or assets at the time of acquisition thereof or at the time of completion of construction, as the case may be, whether or not such existing Liens were given to secure the payment of the acquisition or purchase price or cost of construction, as the case may be, of the property or assets to which they attach; provided that (i) the Lien shall attach solely to the property or assets acquired, purchased or constructed, (ii) such Lien shall have been created or incurred within 365 days of the date of acquisition or purchase or completion of construction, as the case may be, (iii) at the time of acquisition or purchase or of completion of construction of such property or assets, the aggregate amount remaining unpaid on all Indebtedness secured by Liens on such property or assets, whether or not assumed by the Company or a Subsidiary, shall not exceed an amount equal to 100% of the lesser of the total purchase price or fair market value at the time of acquisition or purchase (as determined in good faith by a Senior Financial Officer of the Company) or the cost of construction on the date of completion thereof; and (iv) at the time of creation, issuance, assumption, guarantee or incurrence of the Indebtedness secured by such Lien and after giving effect thereto and to the application of the proceeds thereof, no Default or Event of Default would exist;

 

(h)any Lien existing on property or assets of a Person at the time such Person is consolidated with or merged into the Company or a Subsidiary or becomes a Subsidiary, or any Lien existing on any property or assets acquired by the Company or any Subsidiary at the time such property or assets are so acquired (whether or not the Indebtedness secured thereby shall have been assumed), provided that (i) each such Lien shall extend solely to the property or assets so acquired, and (ii) at the time of creation, issuance, assumption, guarantee or incurrence of the Indebtedness secured by such Lien and after giving effect thereto and to the application of the proceeds thereof, no Default or Event of Default would exist;

 

(i)Liens created or incurred after the date of the Closing given to secure Indebtedness of the Company or any Subsidiary in addition to the Liens permitted by the preceding clauses (a) through (h) hereof; provided that at the time of creation, issuance, assumption, guarantee or incurrence of the Indebtedness secured by such Lien and after giving effect thereto and to the application of the proceeds thereof, no Default or Event of Default would exist; and provided, further, that, notwithstanding the foregoing, in the

 

  

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event that at any time the Company or any Subsidiary provides a Lien to or for the benefit of the lenders under the Bank Credit Agreement or the administrative agent on their behalf, then the Company will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries that has provided such Lien, to concurrently grant to or for the benefit of the holders of Notes a similar first priority Lien (subject only to Liens permitted by the Bank Credit Agreement and this Section 10.4, and ranking pari passu with the Lien provided to or for the benefit of the lenders under such Bank Credit Agreement), over the same assets, property and undertaking of the Company and such Subsidiary as those encumbered in respect of the Bank Credit Agreement, in form and substance satisfactory to the Required Holders with such security to be the subject of an intercreditor agreement among the lenders under the Bank Credit Agreement or the administrative agent on their behalf and the holders of Notes, which shall be satisfactory in form and substance to the Required Holders; and

 

(j)any extension, renewal or refunding of any Lien permitted by the preceding clause (f) of this Section 10.4 in respect of the same property theretofore subject to such Lien in connection with the extension, renewal or refunding of the Indebtedness secured thereby; provided that (i) such extension, renewal or refunding of Indebtedness shall be without increase in the principal amount remaining unpaid as of the date of such extension, renewal or refunding, (ii) such Lien shall attach solely to the same such property, and (iii) at the time of such extension, renewal or refunding and after giving effect thereto, no Default or Event of Default would exist.

 

Section 10.5. Mergers, Consolidations, Etc.  The Company will not, and will not permit any Subsidiary to, consolidate with or be a party to a merger with any other Person, or sell, lease or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of its assets; provided that:

 

(a)any Subsidiary may merge or consolidate with or into the Company or any Wholly-owned Subsidiary so long as in (i) any merger or consolidation involving the Company, the Company shall be the surviving or continuing corporation and (ii) in any merger or consolidation involving a Wholly-owned Subsidiary (and not the Company), the Wholly-owned Subsidiary shall be the surviving or continuing corporation or limited liability company;

 

(b)the Company may consolidate or merge with or into any other solvent corporation or limited liability company if (i) the corporation or limited liability company which results from such consolidation or merger (the “Surviving Person”) is organized under the laws of any state of the United States or the District of Columbia, (ii) the due and punctual payment of the principal of and premium, if any, and interest on all of the Notes, according to their tenor, and the due and punctual performance and observation of all of the covenants in the Notes and this Agreement to be performed or observed by the Company are expressly assumed in writing by the Surviving Person and the Surviving Person shall furnish to the holders of the Notes an opinion of counsel satisfactory to the Required Holders to the effect that the instrument of assumption has been duly authorized, executed and delivered and constitutes the legal, valid and binding contract and agreement of the Surviving Person enforceable in accordance with its terms, except as enforcement of such terms may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization,

 

  

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moratorium and similar laws affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights generally and by general equitable principles, (iii) each of the Subsidiary Guarantors shall have confirmed in writing its agreement to duly and punctually observe all of its covenants and agreements contained in the Subsidiary Guaranty to which it is a party, and (iv) at the time of such consolidation or merger and immediately after giving effect thereto, no Default or Event of Default would exist;

 

(c)the Company may sell or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of its assets (other than as provided in Section 10.6) to any Person for consideration which represents the fair market value of such assets (as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company) at the time of such sale or other disposition if (i) the acquiring Person (the “Acquiring Person”) is a solvent corporation or limited liability company organized under the laws of any state of the United States or the District of Columbia, (ii) the due and punctual payment of the principal of and premium, if any, and interest on all the Notes, according to their tenor, and the due and punctual performance and observance of all of the covenants in the Notes and in this Agreement to be performed or observed by the Company are expressly assumed in writing by the Acquiring Person and the Acquiring Person shall furnish to the holders of the Notes an opinion of counsel satisfactory to the Required Holders to the effect that the instrument of assumption has been duly authorized, executed and delivered and constitutes the legal, valid and binding contract and agreement of such Acquiring Person enforceable in accordance with its terms, except as enforcement of such terms may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and similar laws affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights generally and by general equitable principles, (iii) each of the Subsidiary Guarantors shall have confirmed in writing its agreement to duly and punctually observe all of its covenants and agreements contained in the Subsidiary Guaranty to which it is a party, and (iv) at the time of such sale or disposition and immediately after giving effect thereto, no Default or Event of Default would exist.

 

Section 10.6. Sale of Assets.  The Company will not, and will not permit any Subsidiary to, sell, lease, transfer, abandon or otherwise dispose of assets (except assets sold in the ordinary course of business for fair market value and except as provided in Section 10.5(c)); provided that the foregoing restrictions do not apply to:

 

(a)the sale, lease, contribution, transfer or other disposition of assets (i) of the Company to a Wholly-owned Subsidiary or (ii) of a Subsidiary to the Company or a Wholly-owned Subsidiary; or

 

(b)the sale of assets for cash or other property to a Person or Persons other than an Affiliate if all of the following conditions are met:

 

(i)such assets (valued at net book value) do not, together with all other assets of the Company and its Subsidiaries previously disposed of during any fiscal year (other than in the ordinary course of business), exceed 10% of Consolidated Total Assets, determined as of the end of the immediately preceding fiscal year;

  

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(ii)in the opinion of a Senior Financial Officer of the Company, the sale is for fair value and is in the best interests of the Company; and

 

(iii)immediately before and immediately after the consummation of the transaction and after giving effect thereto, no Default or Event of Default would exist;

 

provided, however, that for purposes of the foregoing calculation, there shall not be included any assets the proceeds of which were or are applied within 365 days of the date of sale of such assets to either (A) the acquisition of assets useful and intended to be used in the operation of the business of the Company and its Subsidiaries as described in Section 10.8 and having a fair market value (as determined in good faith by a Senior Financial Officer of the Company) at least equal to that of the assets so disposed of or (B) the prepayment at any applicable prepayment premium, on a pro rata basis, of Senior Indebtedness of the Company.  It is understood and agreed by the Company that any such proceeds paid and applied to the prepayment of the Notes as hereinabove provided shall be prepaid as and to the extent provided in Section 8.2 (it being understood and agreed that with respect to the Notes, notwithstanding the terms and provisions of Section 8.2, an offer of prepayment pursuant to this Section 10.6 of the Notes shall be at 100% of the principal amount thereof, together with interest accrued and unpaid thereon to the date of such prepayment, on a pro rata basis).

 

Without limiting the foregoing clause (b), the Company agrees that:

 

(x)the timing and manner of any offer of prepayment to the holders of the Notes shall be in the manner contemplated by Section 8.2; provided that any such prepayment of the Notes pursuant to this Section 10.6 may be in an amount less than 10% of the aggregate principal amount of the Notes then outstanding and shall only be at 100% of the principal amount thereof, together with interest accrued and unpaid thereon to the date of such prepayment, and in no event with a Make-Whole Amount or other premium; 

 

(y)any holder of the Notes may decline any offer of prepayment pursuant to the foregoing clause (b); and

 

(z)if such offer is so accepted, the proceeds so offered towards the prepayment of the Notes and accepted shall be prepaid and applied in the manner provided in Section 8.2, excepting only that such prepayment shall be at 100% of the principal amount thereof, together with interest accrued and unpaid thereon to the date of such prepayment, without payment of Make-Whole Amount or other premium.

 

To the extent that any holder of the Notes declines or is deemed to have declined such offer of prepayment, the Company may use the remaining amount of such prepayment so declined for general corporate purposes.

  

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Section 10.7. Transactions with Affiliates.  The Company will not and will not permit any Subsidiary to enter into directly or indirectly any transaction or group of related transactions (including without limitation the purchase, lease, sale or exchange of properties of any kind or the rendering of any service) with any Affiliate (other than the Company or another Subsidiary), except in the ordinary course and pursuant to the reasonable requirements of the Company’s or such Subsidiary’s business and upon fair and reasonable terms no less favorable to the Company or such Subsidiary than would be obtainable in a comparable arm’s-length transaction with a Person not an Affiliate.

 

Section 10.8. Line of Business.  The Company will not and will not permit any Subsidiary to engage in any business if, as a result, the general nature of the business in which the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, would then be engaged would be substantially changed from the general nature of the business in which the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, are engaged on the date of this Agreement as described in the Memorandum.

 

Section 10.9. Terrorism Sanctions Regulations.  The Company will not and will not permit any Subsidiary to (a) become a Person described or designated in the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List of the Office of Foreign Assets Control or in Section 1 of the Anti-Terrorism Order or (b) engage in any dealings or transactions with any such Person.

 

	
Section 11.

	
Events of Default.

 

An “Event of Default” shall exist if any of the following conditions or events shall occur and be continuing:

 

(a)the Company defaults in the payment of any principal or Make-Whole Amount, if any, on any Note when the same becomes due and payable, whether at maturity or at a date fixed for prepayment or by declaration or otherwise; or

 

(b)the Company defaults in the payment of any interest on any Note for more than five Business Days after the same becomes due and payable; or

 

(c)the Company defaults in the performance of or compliance with any term contained in Section 7.1(d) or Sections 10.1 through 10.7; or

 

(d)the Company defaults in the performance of or compliance with any term contained herein (other than those referred to in Sections 11(a), (b) and (c)) or any Subsidiary Guarantor defaults in the performance of or compliance with any term contained in the Subsidiary Guaranty to which it is a party and such default is not remedied within 30 days after the earlier of (i) a Responsible Officer obtaining actual knowledge of such default and (ii) the Company receiving written notice of such default from any holder of a Note (any such written notice to be identified as a “notice of default” and to refer specifically to this Section 11(d)); or

  

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(e)any representation or warranty made in writing by or on behalf of the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor or by any officer of the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor in this Agreement, any Supplemental Note Purchase Agreement or any Subsidiary Guaranty, as the case may be, or in any writing furnished in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby proves to have been false or incorrect in any material respect on the date as of which made; or

 

(f)(i) the Company or any Subsidiary is in default (as principal or as guarantor or other surety) in the payment of any principal of or premium or make-whole amount or interest on any Indebtedness that is outstanding in an aggregate principal amount of at least $5,000,000 beyond any period of grace provided with respect thereto, or (ii) the Company or any Subsidiary is in default in the performance of or compliance with any term of any evidence of any Indebtedness in an aggregate outstanding principal amount of at least $5,000,000 or of any mortgage, indenture or other agreement relating thereto or any other condition exists, and as a consequence of such default or condition such Indebtedness has become, or has been declared due and payable before its stated maturity or before its regularly scheduled dates of payment; or

 

(g)the Company or any Material Subsidiary (i) is generally not paying, or admits in writing its inability to pay, its debts as they become due, (ii) files, or consents by answer or otherwise to the filing against it of, a petition for relief or reorganization or arrangement or any other petition in bankruptcy, for liquidation or to take advantage of any bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other similar law of any jurisdiction, (iii) makes an assignment for the benefit of its creditors, (iv) consents to the appointment of a custodian, receiver, trustee or other officer with similar powers with respect to it or with respect to any substantial part of its property, (v) is adjudicated as insolvent or to be liquidated, or (vi) takes corporate action for the purpose of any of the foregoing; or

 

(h)a court or Governmental Authority of competent jurisdiction enters an order appointing, without consent by the Company or any of its Material Subsidiaries, a custodian, receiver, trustee or other officer with similar powers with respect to it or with respect to any substantial part of its property, or constituting an order for relief or approving a petition for relief or reorganization or any other petition in bankruptcy or for liquidation or to take advantage of any bankruptcy or insolvency law of any jurisdiction, or ordering the dissolution, winding-up or liquidation of the Company or any of its Material Subsidiaries, or any such petition shall be filed against the Company or any of its Material Subsidiaries and such petition shall not be dismissed within 60 days; or

 

(i)a final judgment or judgments for the payment of money aggregating in excess of 15% of Consolidated Net Worth (except to the extent fully covered (other than the extent of customary deductibles) by insurance pursuant to which the insurer has not denied coverage) are rendered against one or more of the Company and its Subsidiaries and which judgments are not, within 60 days after entry thereof, bonded, discharged or stayed pending appeal, or are not discharged within 60 days after the expiration of such stay; or

  

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(j)if (i) any Plan shall fail to satisfy the minimum funding standards of ERISA or the Code for any plan year or part thereof or a waiver of such standards or extension of any amortization period is sought or granted under section 412 of the Code, (ii) a notice of intent to terminate any Plan shall have been or is reasonably expected to be filed with the PBGC or the PBGC shall have instituted proceedings under ERISA Section 4042 to terminate or appoint a trustee to administer any Plan or the PBGC shall have notified the Company or any ERISA Affiliate that a Plan may become a subject of any such, (iii) the aggregate “amount of unfunded benefit liabilities” (within the meaning of Section 4001(a)(18) of ERISA) under all Plans, determined in accordance with Title IV of ERISA, shall exceed 15% of Consolidated Net Worth, (iv) the Company or any ERISA Affiliate shall have incurred or is reasonably expected to incur any liability pursuant to Title I or IV of ERISA or the penalty or excise tax provisions of the Code relating to employee benefit plans, (v) the Company or any ERISA Affiliate withdraws from any Multiemployer Plan, or (vi) the Company or any Subsidiary establishes or amends any employee welfare benefit plan that provides post-employment welfare benefits in a manner that would increase the liability of the Company or any Subsidiary thereunder; and any such event or events described in clauses (i) through (vi) above, either individually or together with any other such event or events, could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; or

 

(k)any Subsidiary Guaranty shall cease to be in full force and effect for any reason whatsoever, including, without limitation, a determination by any Governmental Authority that such Subsidiary Guaranty is invalid, void or unenforceable or any Subsidiary Guarantor which is a party to such Subsidiary Guaranty shall contest or deny in writing the validity or enforceability of any of its obligations under such Subsidiary Guaranty.

 

As used in Section 11(j), the terms “employee benefit plan” and “employee welfare benefit plan” shall have the respective meanings assigned to such terms in Section 3 of ERISA.

 

	
Section 12.

	
Remedies on Default, Etc.

 

Section 12.1. Acceleration.  (a) If an Event of Default with respect to the Company described in Section 11(g) or (h) (other than an Event of Default described in clause (i) of Section 11(g) or described in clause (vi) of Section 11(g) by virtue of the fact that such clause encompasses clause (i) of Section 11(g)) has occurred, all the Notes then outstanding shall automatically become immediately due and payable.

 

(b)If any other Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, the Required Holders may at any time at its or their option, by notice or notices to the Company, declare all the Notes then outstanding to be immediately due and payable.

 

(c)If any Event of Default described in Section 11(a) or (b) has occurred and is continuing, any holder or holders of Notes at the time outstanding affected by such Event of Default may at any time, at its or their option, by notice or notices to the Company, declare all the Notes held by it or them to be immediately due and payable.

  

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Upon any Notes becoming due and payable under this Section 12.1, whether automatically or by declaration, such Notes will forthwith mature and the entire unpaid principal amount of such Notes, plus (i) all accrued and unpaid interest thereon (including, but not limited to, interest accrued thereon at the Default Rate) and (ii) the Make-Whole Amount determined in respect of such principal amount (to the full extent permitted by applicable law), shall all be immediately due and payable, in each and every case without presentment, demand, protest or further notice, all of which are hereby waived.  The Company acknowledges, and the parties hereto agree, that each holder of a Note has the right to maintain its investment in the Notes free from repayment by the Company (except as herein specifically provided for), and that the provision for payment of a Make-Whole Amount by the Company in the event that the Notes are prepaid or are accelerated as a result of an Event of Default, is intended to provide compensation for the deprivation of such right under such circumstances.

 

Section 12.2. Other Remedies.  If any Default or Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, and irrespective of whether any Notes have become or have been declared immediately due and payable under Section 12.1, the holder of any Note at the time outstanding may proceed to protect and enforce the rights of such holder by an action at law, suit in equity or other appropriate proceeding, whether for the specific performance of any agreement contained herein or in any Note, or for an injunction against a violation of any of the terms hereof or thereof, or in aid of the exercise of any power granted hereby or thereby or by law or otherwise.

 

Section 12.3. Rescission.  At any time after any Notes have been declared due and payable pursuant to Section 12.1(b) or (c), the holders of not less than 55% in principal amount of the Notes then outstanding, by written notice to the Company, may rescind and annul any such declaration and its consequences if (a) the Company has paid all overdue interest on the Notes, all principal of and Make-Whole Amount, if any, on any Notes that are due and payable and are unpaid other than by reason of such declaration, and all interest on such overdue principal and Make-Whole Amount, if any, and (to the extent permitted by applicable law) any overdue interest in respect of the Notes, at the Default Rate, (b) neither the Company nor any other Person shall have paid any amounts which have become due solely by reason of such declaration, (c) all Events of Default and Defaults, other than non-payment of amounts that have become due solely by reason of such declaration, have been cured or have been waived pursuant to Section 17, and (d) no judgment or decree has been entered for the payment of any monies due pursuant hereto or to the Notes.  No rescission and annulment under this Section 12.3 will extend to or affect any subsequent Event of Default or Default or impair any right consequent thereon.

 

Section 12.4. No Waivers or Election of Remedies, Expenses, Etc.  No course of dealing and no delay on the part of any holder of any Note in exercising any right, power or remedy shall operate as a waiver thereof or otherwise prejudice such holder’s rights, powers or remedies.  No right, power or remedy conferred by this Agreement or by any Note upon any holder thereof shall be exclusive of any other right, power or remedy referred to herein or therein or now or hereafter available at law, in equity, by statute or otherwise.  Without limiting the obligations of the Company under Section 15, the Company will pay to the holder of each Note on demand such further amount as shall be sufficient to cover all costs and expenses of such holder incurred

  

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in any enforcement or collection under this Section 12, including, without limitation, reasonable attorneys’ fees, expenses and disbursements.

 

	
Section 13.

	
Registration; Exchange; Substitution of Notes.

 

Section 13.1. Registration of Notes.  The Company shall keep at its principal executive office a register for the registration and registration of transfers of Notes.  The name and address of each holder of one or more Notes, each transfer thereof and the name and address of each transferee of one or more Notes shall be registered in such register.  Prior to due presentment for registration of transfer, the Person in whose name any Note shall be registered shall be deemed and treated as the owner and holder thereof for all purposes hereof, and the Company shall not be affected by any notice or knowledge to the contrary.  The Company shall give to any holder of a Note that is an Institutional Investor promptly upon request therefor, a complete and correct copy of the names and addresses of all registered holders of Notes.

 

Section 13.2. Transfer and Exchange of Notes.  Upon surrender of any Note to the Company at the address and to the attention of the designated officer (all as specified in Section 18(iii)) for registration of transfer or exchange (and in the case of a surrender for registration of transfer accompanied by a written instrument of transfer duly executed by the registered holder of such Note or such holder’s attorney duly authorized in writing and accompanied by the relevant name, address and other information for notices of each transferee of such Note or part thereof), within ten Business Days thereafter, the Company shall execute and deliver, at the Company’s expense (except as provided below), one or more new Notes (as requested by the holder thereof) of the same series in exchange therefor, in an aggregate principal amount equal to the unpaid principal amount of the surrendered Note.  Each such new Note shall be payable to such Person as such holder may request and shall be substantially in the form of Exhibit 1.  Each such new Note shall be dated and bear interest from the date to which interest shall have been paid on the surrendered Note or dated the date of the surrendered Note if no interest shall have been paid thereon.  The Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any stamp tax or governmental charge imposed in respect of any such transfer of Notes.  Notes shall not be transferred in denominations of less than $100,000; provided that if necessary to enable the registration of transfer by a holder of its entire holding of Notes, one Note may be in a denomination of less than $100,000.  Any transferee, by its acceptance of a Note registered in its name (or the name of its nominee), shall be deemed to have made the representation set forth in Section 6.2.  

 

Section 13.3. Replacement of Notes.  Upon receipt by the Company at the address and to the attention of the designated officer (all as specified in Section 18(iii)) of evidence reasonably satisfactory to it of the ownership of and the loss, theft, destruction or mutilation of any Note (which evidence shall be, in the case of an Institutional Investor, notice from such Institutional Investor of such ownership and such loss, theft, destruction or mutilation), and

 

(a)in the case of loss, theft or destruction, of indemnity reasonably satisfactory to it (provided that if the holder of such Note is, or is a nominee for, an original Purchaser or another holder of a Note with a minimum net worth of at least

 

  

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$50,000,000 or a Qualified Institutional Buyer, such Person’s own unsecured agreement of indemnity shall be deemed to be satisfactory), or

 

(b)in the case of mutilation, upon surrender and cancellation thereof,

 

within ten Business Days thereafter, the Company at its own expense shall execute and deliver, in lieu thereof, a new Note of the same series, dated and bearing interest from the date to which interest shall have been paid on such lost, stolen, destroyed or mutilated Note or dated the date of such lost, stolen, destroyed or mutilated Note if no interest shall have been paid thereon.

 

	
Section 14.

	
Payments on Notes.

 

Section 14.1. Place of Payment.  Subject to Section 14.2, payments of principal, Make-Whole Amount, if any, and interest becoming due and payable on the Notes shall be made in New York, New York at the principal office of Citibank, N.A. in such jurisdiction.  The Company may at any time, by notice to each holder of a Note, change the place of payment of the Notes so long as such place of payment shall be either the principal office of the Company in such jurisdiction or the principal office of a bank or trust company in such jurisdiction.

 

Section 14.2. Home Office Payment.  So long as any Purchaser or its nominee shall be the holder of any Note, and notwithstanding anything contained in Section 14.1 or in such Note to the contrary, the Company will pay all sums becoming due on such Note for principal, Make-Whole Amount, if any, and interest by the method and at the address specified for such purpose below such Purchaser’s name in Schedule A hereto or in a Supplemental Note Purchase Agreement, as the case may be, or by such other method or at such other address as such Purchaser shall have from time to time specified to the Company in writing for such purpose, without the presentation or surrender of such Note or the making of any notation thereon, except that upon written request of the Company made concurrently with or reasonably promptly after payment or prepayment in full of any Note, such Purchaser shall surrender such Note for cancellation, reasonably promptly after any such request, to the Company at its principal executive office or at the place of payment most recently designated by the Company pursuant to Section 14.1.  Prior to any sale or other disposition of any Note held by a Purchaser or its nominee, such Purchaser will, at its election, either endorse thereon the amount of principal paid thereon and the last date to which interest has been paid thereon or surrender such Note to the Company in exchange for a new Note or Notes pursuant to Section 13.2.  The Company will afford the benefits of this Section 14.2 to any Institutional Investor that is the direct or indirect transferee of any Note purchased by a Purchaser under this Agreement and that has made the same agreement relating to such Note as the Purchasers have made in this Section 14.2. 

 

	
Section 15.

	
Expenses, Etc.

 

Section 15.1. Transaction Expenses.  Whether or not the transactions contemplated hereby are consummated, the Company will pay all costs and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees of a special counsel and, if reasonably required by the Required Holders, local or other counsel) incurred by the Purchasers and each other holder of a Note in connection with such transactions and in connection with any amendments, waivers or consents under or in

 

  

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respect of this Agreement (including any Supplemental Note Purchase Agreement), any Subsidiary Guaranty or the Notes (whether or not such amendment, waiver or consent becomes effective), including, without limitation: (a) the costs and expenses incurred in enforcing or defending (or determining whether or how to enforce or defend) any rights under this Agreement (including any Supplemental Note Purchase Agreement), any Subsidiary Guaranty or the Notes or in responding to any subpoena or other legal process or informal investigative demand issued in connection with this Agreement (including any Supplemental Note Purchase Agreement), any Subsidiary Guaranty or the Notes, or by reason of being a holder of any Note, and (b) the costs and expenses, including financial advisors’ fees, incurred in connection with the insolvency or bankruptcy of the Company or any Subsidiary or in connection with any work-out or restructuring of the transactions contemplated hereby, by any Subsidiary Guaranty and by the Notes.  The Company will pay, and will save each Purchaser and each other holder of a Note harmless from, all claims in respect of any fees, costs or expenses, if any, of brokers and finders (other than those, if any, retained by a Purchaser or other holder in connection with its purchase of the Notes).

 

Section 15.2. Survival.  The obligations of the Company under this Section 15 will survive the payment or transfer of any Note, the enforcement, amendment or waiver of any provision of this Agreement, any Supplemental Note Purchase Agreement, any Subsidiary Guaranty or the Notes, and the termination of this Agreement.

 

	
  Section 16.

	
Survival of Representations and Warranties; Entire Agreement .

 

All representations and warranties contained herein or in any Supplemental Note Purchase Agreement shall survive the execution and delivery of this Agreement, each Supplemental Note Purchase Agreement, any subsidiary Guaranty and the Notes, the purchase or transfer by any Purchaser of any Note or portion thereof or interest therein and the payment of any Note, and may be relied upon by any subsequent holder of a Note, regardless of any investigation made at any time by or on behalf of such Purchaser or any other holder of a Note.  All statements contained in any certificate or other instrument delivered by or on behalf of the Company pursuant to this Agreement or any Supplemental Note Purchase Agreement shall be deemed representations and warranties of the Company under this Agreement (including each Supplemental Note Purchase Agreement).  Subject to the preceding sentence, this Agreement and the Notes embody the entire agreement and understanding between each Purchaser and the Company and supersede all prior agreements and understandings relating to the subject matter hereof.

 

	
Section 17.

	
Amendment and Waiver.

 

Section 17.1. Requirements.  (a) This Agreement, any Supplemental Note Purchase Agreement, any Subsidiary Guaranty and the Notes may be amended, and the observance of any term hereof or of the Notes may be waived (either retroactively or prospectively), with (and only with) the written consent of the Company and the Required Holders, except that (i) no amendment or waiver of any of the provisions of Section 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 21 hereof or the corresponding provision of any Supplemental Note Purchase Agreement, or any defined term (as it is used in any such Section or such corresponding provision of any Supplemental Note

  

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Purchase Agreement), will be effective as to any Purchaser unless consented to by such Purchaser in writing, and (ii) no such amendment or waiver may, without the written consent of the holder of each Note at the time outstanding affected thereby, (1) subject to the provisions of Section 12 relating to acceleration or rescission, change the amount or time of any prepayment or payment of principal of, or reduce the rate or change the time of payment or method of computation of interest or of the Make-Whole Amount on, the Notes, (2) change the percentage of the principal amount of the Notes the holders of which are required to consent to any such amendment or waiver, or (iii) amend any of Section 8, 11(a), 11(b), 12, 17 or 20.  As used herein, and in the Notes, the term “this Agreement” and references thereto shall mean this Agreement as it may from time to time be either amended or supplemented, and without limiting the generality of the foregoing shall, include all Supplemental Notes Purchase Agreements.  

 

(b) Supplemental Note Purchase Agreements.  Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, the Company may enter into any Supplemental Note Purchase Agreement providing for the issuance of one or more series of additional Notes consistent with Section 2.2 without obtaining the consent of any Noteholder of any other series of Notes. 

 

Section 17.2. Solicitation of Holders of Notes.

 

(a)Solicitation.  The Company will provide each holder of the Notes (irrespective of the amount or series of Notes then owned by it) with sufficient information, sufficiently far in advance of the date a decision is required, but in any event not less than ten (10) Business Days prior to the proposed effective date of the subject amendment, waiver or consent in respect of any of the provisions hereof or of any Supplemental Note Purchase Agreement, of any Subsidiary Guaranty or of the Notes, to enable such holder to make an informed and considered decision with respect to any such proposed amendment, waiver or consent.  The Company will deliver executed or true and correct copies of each amendment, waiver or consent effected pursuant to the provisions of this Section 17 to each holder of outstanding Notes promptly following the date on which it is executed and delivered by, or receives the consent or approval of, the requisite holders of Notes.

 

(b)Payment.  The Company will not directly or indirectly pay or cause to be paid any remuneration, whether by way of supplemental or additional interest, fee or otherwise, or grant any security or provide other credit support, to any holder of any series of Notes as consideration for or as an inducement to the entering into by any holder of Notes of any waiver or amendment of any of the terms and provisions hereof unless such remuneration is concurrently paid, or security is concurrently granted or other credit support concurrently provided, on the same terms, ratably to each holder of each series of Notes then outstanding even if such holder did not consent to such waiver or amendment.

 

(c)Consent in Contemplation of Transfer.  Any consent made pursuant to this Section 17.2 by the holder of any Note that has transferred or has agreed to transfer such Note to the Company, any Subsidiary or any Affiliate of the Company and has provided or has agreed to provide such written consent as a condition to such transfer shall be void and of no force or effect except solely as to such holder, and any amendments effected or waivers granted or to be effected or granted that would not have been or would not be so effected or granted but for such

 

  

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consent (and the consents of all other holders of Notes that were acquired under the same or similar conditions) shall be void and of no force or effect except solely as to such transferring holder.

 

Section 17.3. Binding Effect, Etc.  Any amendment or waiver consented to as provided in this Section 17 applies equally to all holders of each series of Notes and is binding upon them and upon each future holder of any Note of any series and upon the Company without regard to whether such Note has been marked to indicate such amendment or waiver.  No such amendment or waiver will extend to or affect any obligation, covenant, agreement, Default or Event of Default not expressly amended or waived or impair any right consequent thereon.  No course of dealing between the Company and the holder of any Note of any series nor any delay in exercising any rights hereunder or under any Note shall operate as a waiver of any rights of any holder of any series of Notes.  As used herein, the term “this Agreement” and references thereto shall mean this Agreement as it may from time to time be amended or supplemented.

 

Section 17.4. Notes Held by Company, Etc.  Solely for the purpose of determining whether the holders of the requisite percentage of the aggregate principal amount of Notes then outstanding approved or consented to any amendment, waiver or consent to be given under this Agreement (including any Supplemental Note Purchase Agreement), any Subsidiary Guaranty or the Notes, or have directed the taking of any action provided herein or in the Notes to be taken upon the direction of the holders of a specified percentage of the aggregate principal amount of Notes then outstanding, Notes directly or indirectly owned by the Company or any of its Affiliates shall be deemed not to be outstanding.

 

	
Section 18.

	
Notices.

 

All notices and communications provided for hereunder shall be in writing and sent (a) by telefacsimile if the sender on the same day sends a confirming copy of such notice by a recognized overnight delivery service (charges prepaid), or (b) by registered or certified mail with return receipt requested (postage prepaid), or (c) by a recognized overnight delivery service (with charges prepaid).  Any such notice must be sent:

 

(i)if to any Purchaser or its nominee, to such Purchaser or nominee at the address specified for such communications in Schedule A hereto or in any Supplemental Note Purchase Agreement, or at such other address as such Purchaser or nominee shall have specified to the Company in writing,

 

(ii)if to any other holder of any Note, to such holder at such address as such other holder shall have specified to the Company in writing, or

 

(iii)if to the Company, to the Company at its address set forth at the beginning hereof to the attention of the Treasurer, or at such other address as the Company shall have specified to the holder of each Note in writing.

 

Notices under this Section 18 will be deemed given only when actually received.

  

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Section 19.Reproduction of Documents.

 

This Agreement (including any Supplemental Note Purchase Agreement) and all documents relating thereto, including, without limitation, (a) consents, waivers and modifications that may hereafter be executed, (b) documents received by any Purchaser at the Closing (except the Notes themselves), and (c) financial statements, certificates and other information previously or hereafter furnished to any Purchaser, may be reproduced by such Purchaser by any photographic, photostatic, electronic, digital or other similar process and such Purchaser may destroy any original document so reproduced.  The Company agrees and stipulates that, to the extent permitted by applicable law, any such reproduction shall be admissible in evidence as the original itself in any judicial or administrative proceeding (whether or not the original is in existence and whether or not such reproduction was made by such Purchaser in the regular course of business) and any enlargement, facsimile or further reproduction of such reproduction shall likewise be admissible in evidence.  This Section 19 shall not prohibit the Company or any other holder of Notes from contesting any such reproduction to the same extent that it could contest the original, or from introducing evidence to demonstrate the inaccuracy of any such reproduction.

 

	
Section 20.

	
Confidential Information.

 

For the purposes of this Section 20, “Confidential Information” means information delivered to any Purchaser by or on behalf of the Company or any Subsidiary in connection with the transactions contemplated by or otherwise pursuant to this Agreement that is proprietary in nature and that was clearly marked or labeled or otherwise adequately identified in writing when received by such Purchaser as being confidential information of the Company or such Subsidiary; provided that such term does not include information that (a) was publicly known or otherwise known to such Purchaser prior to the time of such disclosure, (b) subsequently becomes publicly known through no act or omission by such Purchaser or any Person acting on such Purchaser’s behalf, (c) otherwise becomes known to such Purchaser other than through disclosure by the Company or any Subsidiary or (d) constitutes financial statements delivered to such Purchaser under Section 7.1 that are otherwise publicly available.  Each Purchaser will maintain the confidentiality of such Confidential Information in accordance with procedures adopted by such Purchaser in good faith to protect confidential information of third parties delivered to such Purchaser; provided that such Purchaser may deliver or disclose Confidential Information to (i) its directors, trustees, officers, employees, agents, attorneys and affiliates (to the extent such disclosure reasonably relates to the administration of the investment represented by its Notes), (ii) its financial advisors and other professional advisors who agree to hold confidential the Confidential Information substantially in accordance with the terms of this Section 20, (iii) any other holder of any Note, (iv) any Institutional Investor to which it sells or offers to sell such Note or any part thereof or any participation therein (if such Person has agreed in writing prior to its receipt of such Confidential Information to be bound by the provisions of this Section 20), (v) any Person from which it offers to purchase any security of the Company (if such Person has agreed in writing prior to its receipt of such Confidential Information to be bound by the provisions of this Section 20), (vi) any federal or state regulatory authority having jurisdiction over such Purchaser, (vii) the NAIC or the SVO or, in each case, any similar organization, or any nationally recognized rating agency that requires access to information

 

  

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about such Purchaser’s investment portfolio or (viii) any other Person to which such delivery or disclosure may be necessary or appropriate (w) to effect compliance with any law, rule, regulation or order applicable to such Purchaser, (x) in response to any subpoena or other legal process, requested or required in writing by a Governmental Authority, (y) in connection with any litigation to which such Purchaser is a party or (z) if an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, to the extent such Purchaser may reasonably determine such delivery and disclosure to be necessary or appropriate in the enforcement or for the protection of the rights and remedies under such Purchaser’s Notes and this Agreement, provided, that (1) prior to any disclosure under this clause (viii)(w) or (viii)(x), such Purchaser provides prior notice thereof to the Company, to the extent it is reasonably practicable to do so and to the extent such Purchaser is permitted to provide such prior notice to the Company pursuant to the applicable law, rule, regulation, order, subpoena or legal process, and (2) any disclosure under this clause (viii)(w) or (viii)(x) shall be limited to the portion of the Confidential Information as may be required by such law, rule, regulation or order or such subpoena or other legal process.  Each holder of a Note, by its acceptance of a Note, will be deemed to have agreed to be bound by and to be entitled to the benefits of this Section 20 as though it were a party to this Agreement.  On reasonable request by the Company in connection with the delivery to any holder of a Note of information required to be delivered to such holder under this Agreement or requested by such holder (other than a holder that is a party to this Agreement or its nominee), such holder will enter into an agreement with the Company embodying the provisions of this Section 20.

 

	
Section 21.

	
Substitution of Purchaser.

 

Each Purchaser shall have the right to substitute any one of its Affiliates as the purchaser of the Notes that it has agreed to purchase hereunder, by written notice to the Company, which notice shall be signed by both such Purchaser and such Affiliate, shall contain such Affiliate’s agreement to be bound by this Agreement and shall contain a confirmation by such Affiliate of the accuracy with respect to it of the representations set forth in Section 6.  Upon receipt of such notice, any reference to such Purchaser in this Agreement (other than in this Section 21) shall be deemed to refer to such Affiliate in lieu of such original Purchaser.  In the event that such Affiliate is so substituted as a Purchaser hereunder and such Affiliate thereafter transfers to such original Purchaser all of the Notes then held by such Affiliate, upon receipt by the Company of notice of such transfer, any reference to such Affiliate as a “Purchaser” in this Agreement (other than in this Section 21) shall no longer be deemed to refer to such Affiliate, but shall refer to such original Purchaser, and such original Purchaser shall again have all the rights of an original holder of the Notes under this Agreement.

 

	
Section 22.

	
Miscellaneous.

 

Section 22.1. Successors and Assigns.  All covenants and other agreements contained in this Agreement by or on behalf of any of the parties hereto bind and inure to the benefit of their respective successors and assigns (including, without limitation, any subsequent holder of a Note) whether so expressed or not.

 

Section 22.2. Payments Due on Non-Business Days.  Anything in this Agreement or the Notes to the contrary notwithstanding (but without limiting the requirement in Section 8.4 that

 

  

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the notice of any optional prepayment specify a Business Day as the date fixed for such prepayment), any payment of principal of or Make-Whole Amount or interest on any Note that is due on a date other than a Business Day shall be made on the next succeeding Business Day without including the additional days elapsed in the computation of the interest payable on such next succeeding Business Day; provided that if the maturity date of any Note is a date other than a Business Day, the payment otherwise due on such maturity date shall be made on the next succeeding Business Day and shall include the additional days elapsed in the computation of interest payable on such next succeeding Business Day.

 

Section 22.3. Accounting Terms.  All accounting terms used herein which are not expressly defined in this Agreement have the meanings respectively given to them in accordance with GAAP.  Except as otherwise specifically provided herein, (i) all computations made pursuant to this Agreement shall be made in accordance with GAAP and (ii) all financial statements shall be prepared in accordance with GAAP.

 

For purposes of determining compliance with the financial covenants contained in this Agreement, any election by the Company to measure an item of Indebtedness using an amount other than par (as permitted by FASB 159 or any similar accounting standard) shall be disregarded and such determination shall be made as if such election has not been made.

 

Section 22.4. Severability.  Any provision of this Agreement that 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 (to the full extent permitted by law) not invalidate or render unenforceable such provision in any other jurisdiction.

 

Section 22.5. Construction, Etc.  Each covenant contained herein shall be construed (absent express provision to the contrary) as being independent of each other covenant contained herein, so that compliance with any one covenant shall not (absent such an express contrary provision) be deemed to excuse compliance with any other covenant.  Where any provision herein refers to action to be taken by any Person, or which such Person is prohibited from taking, such provision shall be applicable whether such action is taken directly or indirectly by such Person.

 

For the avoidance of doubt, all Schedules and Exhibits attached to this Agreement shall be deemed to be a part hereof.

 

Section 22.6. Counterparts.  This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be an original but all of which together shall constitute one instrument.  Each counterpart may consist of a number of copies hereof, each signed by less than all, but together signed by all, of the parties hereto.

  

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Section 22.7. Governing Law.  This Agreement shall be construed and enforced in accordance with, and the rights of the parties shall be governed by, the law of the State of New York, excluding choice-of-law principles of the law of such State that would permit the application of the laws of a jurisdiction other than such State.

 

Section 22.8. Jurisdiction and Process; Waiver of Jury Trial. (a)  The Company irrevocably submits to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of any New York State or federal court sitting in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York, over any suit, action or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the Notes.  To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, the Company irrevocably waives and agrees not to assert, by way of motion, as a defense or otherwise, any claim that it is not subject to the jurisdiction of any such court, any objection that it may now or hereafter have to the laying of the venue of any such suit, action or proceeding brought in any such court and any claim that any such suit, action or proceeding brought in any such court has been brought in an inconvenient forum.

 

(b)The Company consents to process being served by or on behalf of any holder of Notes in any suit, action or proceeding of the nature referred to in Section 22.8(a) by mailing a copy thereof by registered or certified mail (or any substantially similar form of mail), postage prepaid, return receipt requested, to it at its address specified in Section 18 or at such other address of which such holder shall then have been notified pursuant to said Section.  The Company agrees that such service upon receipt (i) shall be deemed in every respect effective service of process upon it in any such suit, action or proceeding and (ii) shall, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, be taken and held to be valid personal service upon and personal delivery to it.  Notices hereunder shall be conclusively presumed received as evidenced by a delivery receipt furnished by the United States Postal Service or any reputable commercial delivery service.

 

(c)Nothing in this Section 22.8 shall affect the right of any holder of a Note to serve process in any manner permitted by law, or limit any right that the holders of any of the Notes may have to bring proceedings against the Company in the courts of any appropriate jurisdiction or to enforce in any lawful manner a judgment obtained in one jurisdiction in any other jurisdiction.

 

(d)The parties hereto hereby waive trial by jury in any action brought on or with respect to this Agreement, the Notes or any other document executed in connection herewith or therewith.

 

*     *     *     *     *

  

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If you are in agreement with the foregoing, please sign the form of agreement on a counterpart of this Agreement and return it to the Company, whereupon this Agreement shall become a binding agreement between you and the Company.

 

Very truly yours,

 

The Davey Tree Expert Company

By:  /s/ David E. Adante                                      

Name:  David E. Adante

Title:    Executive Vice President, CFO and Secretary

  

- 44 -

  

This Agreement is hereby accepted and agreed to as of the date thereof.

Modern Woodmen of America

By:  /s/ Nick S. Coin   

Name:   Nick S. Coin

Title:     Treasurer & Investment Manager

  

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This Agreement is hereby accepted and agreed to as of the date thereof.

	 	
  

	
United of Omaha Life Insurance Company

By:  /s/ Justin P. Kavan   

	 	
  

	
  Name:   Justin P. Kavan

	 	
  

	
  Title:     Vice President

  

- 46 -

  

Information Relating to Purchasers

	
Name and Address of Purchaser

	
Principal Amount of 

Notes to Be Purchased

	
Modern Woodmen of America

1701 First Avenue

Rock Island, Illinois  61201

Attention:  Investment Department

investments@modern-woodmen.org

Fax:  (309) 793-5574

	
 

U.S. $10,000,000

 

Payments

 

All payments on account of the Notes held by such purchaser shall be made by wire transfer of immediately available funds for credit to:

The Northern Trust Company

50 South LaSalle Street

Chicago, IL  60675

ABA No. xxx-xxx-xxx

Account Name:  Modern Woodmen of America

Account No. xxxxx

Each such wire transfer shall set forth the name of the Company, the full title (including the applicable coupon rate and final maturity date) of the Notes, a reference to PPN 23852P A*6 and the due date and application (as among principal, premium and interest) of the payment being made.

 

Notices

 

Notices relating to payments and written confirmation of each such payment should be sent to:

 

Modern Woodmen of America

1701 First Avenue

Rock Island, IL  61201

Attention:  Investment Accounting Department

Fax:  (309) 793-5688

 

All other notices and communications to be addressed as first provided above.

 

Name of Nominee in which Notes are to be issued:  None

 

Taxpayer I.D. Number:  xx-xxxxxxx

Schedule A

(to Note Purchase Agreement)

  

  

  

 

Notes to be delivered to:

Modern Woodmen of America

1701 First Avenue

Rock Island, Illinois  61201

Attn: Douglas A. Pannier

  

  

  

	
 

Name and Address of Purchaser

	
Principal Amount of

Notes to Be Purchased

	
United of Omaha Life Insurance Company 

4-Investment Accounting

Mutual of Omaha Insurance Company

Mutual of Omaha Plaza

Omaha, NE  68175-1011 

	
 

U.S. $20,000,000

Payments

 

All principal and interest payments on the Notes shall be made by wire transfer of immediately available funds to:

JPMorgan Chase Bank

ABA #xxxxxxxxx

Private Income Processing

For credit to:

United of Omaha Life Insurance Company

Account #xxx-xxxxxxx

a/c:  xxxxxx

Cusip/PPN:  23852P A*6

Interest Amount:  

Principal Amount:  

 

Notices

 

Address for all notices in respect of payment of Principal and Interest, Corporate Actions, and Reorganization Notifications:

JPMorgan Chase Bank

14201 Dallas Parkway - 13th Floor

Dallas, TX  75254-2917

Attn:  Income Processing - G. Ruiz

a/c:  xxxxxxx

 

Address for all other communications (i.e.:  Quarterly/Annual reports, Tax filings, Modifications, Waivers regarding the indenture):

4 – Investment Accounting

United of Omaha Life Insurance Company

Mutual of Omaha Plaza

Omaha, NE  68175-1011

  

  

  

 

Notes to be issued in the name of:  None.

 

Taxpayer I.D. Number:  xx-xxxxxxx

 

Notes to be delivered to:

JPMorgan Chase Bank

4 New York Plaza

Ground Floor Receive Window

NY, NY  10004

Account # xxxxxxx

**It is imperative that the custody account be included on the delivery letter.  Without this information, the security will be returned to the sender.

With a copy to Jan Brockman, Esq.

 

  

  

  

Defined Terms

 

As used herein, the following terms have the respective meanings set forth below or set forth in the Section hereof following such term:

 

“Acquiring Person” is defined in Section 10.5(c).

 

“Affiliate” means, at any time, and with respect to any Person, any other Person that at such time directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries Controls, or is Controlled by, or is under common Control with, such first Person, and with respect to the Company, shall include any Person beneficially owning or holding, directly or indirectly, 10% or more of any class of voting or equity interests of the Company or any Subsidiary or any corporation of which the Company and its Subsidiaries beneficially own or hold, in the aggregate, directly or indirectly, 10% or more of any class of voting or equity interests.  As used in this definition, “Control” means the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of a Person, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise.  Unless the context otherwise clearly requires, any reference to an “Affiliate” is a reference to an Affiliate of the Company.

 

“Anti-Terrorism Order” means Executive Order No. 13,224 of September 24, 2001, Blocking Property and Prohibiting Transactions with Persons Who Commit, Threaten to Commit or Support Terrorism, 66 U.S. Fed. Reg. 49,079 (2001), as amended.

 

“Bank Credit Agreement” means that certain Amended and Restated Credit Agreement dated as of November 21, 2006 among the Company, as borrower, various lending institutions, as banks, KeyBank National Association, as lead arranger, syndication agent and administration agent and National City Bank, as documentation agent, as amended by Amendment No. 1 dated as of April 27, 2007 and Amendment No. 2 dated not later than July 22, 2010 as the same may from time to time be further supplemented, amended, waived, renewed or replaced. 

 

“Business Day” means (a) for the purposes of Section 8.7 only, any day other than a Saturday, a Sunday or a day on which commercial banks in New York City are required or authorized to be closed, and (b) for the purposes of any other provision of this Agreement, any day other than a Saturday, a Sunday or a day on which commercial banks in Cleveland, Ohio or New York, New York are required or authorized to be closed.

 

“Closing” is defined in Section 3.

 

“Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder from time to time.

 

“Company” means The Davey Tree Expert Company, an Ohio corporation or any successor that becomes such in the manner prescribed in Section 10.5(b) or (c).

 

“Confidential Information” is defined in Section 20.

Schedule B

(to Note Purchase Agreement)

  

  

  

“Consolidated Depreciation and Amortization Charges” means for any period, the aggregate of all depreciation and amortization charges for fixed assets, leasehold improvements and general intangibles (specifically including goodwill) of the Company for such period, as determined on a consolidated basis and in accordance with GAAP.

 

“Consolidated EBIT” means, for any period, on a consolidated basis and in accordance with GAAP, Consolidated Net Earnings for such period (exclusive of nonrecurring noncash gains or losses recorded in accordance with SFAS 133, Accounting for Derivatives) plus the aggregate amounts deducted in determining such Consolidated Net Earnings in respect of (a) income taxes, and (b) Consolidated Interest Expense.   

 

“Consolidated EBITDA” means, for any period, on a consolidated basis and in accordance with GAAP, Consolidated EBIT plus Consolidated Depreciation and Amortization charges.   

 

“Consolidated Funded Indebtedness” means all Funded Indebtedness of the Company and its Subsidiaries, determined on a consolidated basis eliminating intercompany items.

 

“Consolidated Interest Expense” means, for any period, interest expense of the Company, for such period, as determined on a consolidated basis and in accordance with GAAP.  

 

“Consolidated Net Earnings” means, for any period, the net income (loss) of the Company for such period, as determined on a consolidated basis and in accordance with GAAP.  

 

“Consolidated Net Worth” means as at any date the consolidated stockholders’ equity of the Company, determined as at any such date in accordance with GAAP.  

 

“Consolidated Priority Indebtedness” means all Priority Indebtedness of the Company and its Subsidiaries determined on a consolidated basis eliminating inter-company items.

 

“Consolidated Total Assets” means as of the date of any determination thereof, total assets of the Company and its Subsidiaries determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP.

 

“Consolidated Total Capitalization” means, at any time, the sum of (a) Consolidated Funded Indebtedness plus (b) Consolidated Net Worth. 

 

“Davey ESOP” means The Davey 401KSOP and Employee Stock Ownership Plan (March 1, 2003 Restatement), as amended.

 

“Default” means an event or condition the occurrence or existence of which would, with the lapse of time or the giving of notice or both, become an Event of Default.

 

“Default Rate” means that rate of interest that is the greater of (i) 2.00% per annum above the rate of interest stated in clause (a) of the first paragraph of the Notes or (ii) 2% over 

 

  

  

  

the rate of interest publicly announced by Citibank, N.A., in New York, New York as its “base” or “prime” rate.

 

“Disclosure Documents” is defined in Section 5.3.

 

“Electronic Delivery” is defined in Section 7.1(a).

 

“Eligible Purchasers” means any Initial Purchaser of the Series A Notes and additional Institutional Investors; provided that the aggregate number of Eligible Purchasers shall not at any time exceed a number which, if exceeded, would result in the loss of the exemption in respect of any series of Notes from the registration requirements of the Securities Act.

 

“Environmental Laws” means any and all applicable federal, state, local, and foreign statutes, laws, regulations, ordinances, rules, judgments, orders, decrees, permits, licenses, agreements or governmental restrictions relating to pollution and the protection of the environment or the release of any materials into the environment, including but not limited to those related to Hazardous Materials.

 

“Equity Interests” means, in the case of a corporation, shares of capital stock of any class or series, including warrants, rights, participating interests or options to purchase or otherwise acquire any class or series of capital stock or Securities exchangeable for or convertible into any class or series of capital stock, and in the case of any limited liability company or other entity shall mean any class or series of limited liability company interests or like interests constituting equity, and in the case of each of the foregoing, any part or portion thereof or participation in any of the foregoing.

 

“ERISA” means the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended from time to time, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder from time to time in effect.

 

“ERISA Affiliate” means any trade or business (whether or not incorporated) that is treated as a single employer together with the Company under Section 414 of the Code.

 

“Event of Default” is defined in Section 11.

 

“Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended from time to time, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder from time to time in effect.

 

“Form 10-K” is defined in Section 7.1(b).

 

“Form 10-Q” is defined in Section 7.1(a).

 

“Funded Indebtedness” means all Indebtedness for borrowed money and capitalized leases, including, but not limited to, current, long-term and Subordinated Indebtedness (other than unsecured Subordinated Indebtedness evidenced by promissory notes issued by a Company to employees or former employees in partial payment for common shares redeemed by the 

 

  

  

  

Company so long as the aggregate principal amount of such Indebtedness does not exceed $10,000,000 at any time) and Synthetic Lease Indebtedness, if any; provided, however, that (a) any Synthetic Lease Indebtedness that is fully cash collateralized pursuant to documentation satisfactory to the Required Holders shall not be deemed to be Funded Indebtedness and (b) the following shall not be deemed to be “funded”: (i) reimbursement obligations (contingent or otherwise) under any letter of credit, so long as such obligations remain solely contingent obligations, (i) obligations with respect to any hedge agreement, so long as such obligations remain solely contingent obligations, and (iii) self-insurance liabilities (including the funded and/or unfunded reserves for self insurance liabilities incurred by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries in the ordinary course of business.  

 

“GAAP” means generally accepted accounting principles as in effect from time to time in the United States of America.

 

“Governmental Authority” means

 

(a)the government of

 

(i)the United States of America or any State or other political subdivision thereof, or

 

(ii)any other jurisdiction in which the Company or any Subsidiary conducts all or any part of its business, or which asserts jurisdiction over any properties of the Company or any Subsidiary, or

 

(b)any entity exercising executive, legislative, judicial, regulatory or administrative functions of, or pertaining to, any such government.

 

“Hazardous Materials” means any and all pollutants, toxic or hazardous wastes, including all substances listed in or regulated in any Environmental Law that would pose a hazard to health and safety, the removal of which may be required or the generation, manufacture, refining, production, processing, treatment, storage, handling, transportation, transfer, use, disposal, release, discharge, spillage, seepage, or filtration of which is or shall be restricted, regulated, prohibited or penalized by any applicable law including, but not limited to, asbestos, urea formaldehyde foam insulation, polychlorinated biphenyls, petroleum, petroleum products, lead based paint or radon gas.

 

“holder” means, with respect to any Note, the Person in whose name such Note is registered in the register maintained by the Company pursuant to Section 13.1.

 

“Indebtedness” of any Person, means (excluding in all cases trade payable in the ordinary course of business by such Person), without duplication, (a) all obligations to repay borrowed money, direct or indirect, incurred, assumed, or guaranteed, (b) all obligations for the deferred purchase price of capital assets, (c) all obligations under conditional sales or other title retention agreements, (d) all obligations (contingent or otherwise) under any letter of credit, banker's acceptance, currency swap agreement, interest rate swap, cap, collar or floor agreement

 

  

  

  

 

or other interest rate management device, (e) all Synthetic Lease Indebtedness, (f) all lease obligations that have been or should be capitalized on the books of such Person in accordance with GAAP, (g) all obligations of such Person with respect to asset securitization financing programs to the extent that there is recourse against such Person or such Person is liable (contingent or otherwise) under any such program, (h) all obligations to advance funds to, or to purchase assets, property or services from, any other Person in order to maintain the financial condition of such Person, (i) any other transaction (including forward sale or purchase agreements) having the commercial effect of a borrowing of money entered into by such, Person to finance its operations or capital requirements and (j) all guarantees of any of the foregoing Indebtedness by of such Person or any of its Subsidiaries.  

 

“Initial Closing” is defined in Section 3.

 

“Initial Purchaser” is defined in Section 2.1.

 

“Initial Purchaser Schedule” means Schedule A to this Agreement.

 

“Institutional Investor” means (a) any purchaser of a Note, (b) any holder of a Note holding (together with one or more of its affiliates) more than 5% of the aggregate principal amount of the Notes then outstanding, (c) any bank, trust company, savings and loan association or other financial institution, any pension plan, any investment company, any insurance company, any broker or dealer, or any other similar financial institution or entity, regardless of legal form, and (d) any Related Fund of any holder of any Note.

 

“Lien” means, with respect to any Person, any mortgage, lien, pledge, charge, security interest or other encumbrance, or any interest or title of any vendor, lessor, lender or other secured party to or of such Person under any conditional sale or other title retention agreement or Capital Lease, upon or with respect to any property or asset of such Person (including in the case of stock, stockholder agreements, voting trust agreements and all similar arrangements).

 

“Make-Whole Amount” is defined in Section 8.7.

 

“Material” means material in relation to the business, operations, affairs, financial condition, assets or properties of the Company and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole.

 

“Material Adverse Effect” means a material adverse effect on (a) the business, operations, affairs, financial condition, assets or properties of the Company and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole, or (b) the ability of the Company to perform its obligations under this Agreement, including any Supplemental Note Purchase Agreement, and the Notes, or (c) the validity or enforceability of this Agreement, including any Supplemental Note Purchase Agreement, or the Notes.

 

“Material Subsidiary” means any Subsidiary of the Company accounting for (a) at least 10% or more of the consolidated revenues (determined in accordance with GAAP) of the Company and its Subsidiaries during the fiscal year ending immediately preceding the date of

 

  

  

  

 

any determination or (b) at least 10% of Consolidated Total Assets of the Company and its Subsidiaries during the fiscal year ending immediately preceding the date of any determination. 

 

“Memorandum” is defined in Section 5.3.

 

“Multiemployer Plan” means any Plan that is a “multiemployer plan” (as such term is defined in section 4001(a)(3) of ERISA).

 

“NAIC” means the National Association of Insurance Commissioners or any successor thereto.

 

“Notes” is defined in Section 1.

 

“Officer’s Certificate” means a certificate of a Senior Financial Officer or of any other officer of the Company whose responsibilities extend to the subject matter of such certificate.

 

“PBGC” means the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation referred to and defined in ERISA or any successor thereto.

 

“Person” means an individual, partnership, corporation, limited liability company, association, trust, unincorporated organization, business entity or Governmental Authority.

 

“Plan” means an “employee benefit plan” (as defined in section 3(3) of ERISA) subject to Title I of ERISA that is or, within the preceding five years, has been established or maintained, or to which contributions are or, within the preceding five years, have been made or required to be made, by the Company or any ERISA Affiliate or with respect to which the Company or any ERISA Affiliate may have any liability.

 

“Priority Indebtedness” means (a) any Indebtedness of the Company secured by a Lien created or incurred within the limitations of Section 10.4(i) and (b) any Indebtedness of the Company’s Subsidiaries; provided, that, there shall be excluded from any calculation of Priority Indebtedness, the Indebtedness of any Subsidiary evidenced by (i) a guarantee of the Indebtedness of the Company owing pursuant to the Bank Credit Agreement and (ii) a Subsidiary Guaranty.

 

“property” or “properties” means, unless otherwise specifically limited, real or personal property of any kind, tangible or intangible, choate or inchoate.

 

“Proposed Prepayment Date” is defined in Section 8.3(c).

 

“PTE” is defined in Section 6.2(a).

 

“Purchaser” is defined in the first paragraph of this Agreement.

 

“Purchaser Schedules” means the Initial Purchaser Schedule and the Supplemental Purchasers Schedule.

  

  

  

 

“QPAM Exemption” means Prohibited Transaction Class Exemption 84-14 issued by the United States Department of Labor.

 

“Qualified Institutional Buyer” means any Person who is a “qualified institutional buyer” within the meaning of such term as set forth in Rule 144A(a)(1) under the Securities Act.

 

“Related Fund” means, with respect to any holder of any Note, any fund or entity that (a) invests in Securities or bank loans, and (b) is advised or managed by such holder, the same investment advisor as such holder or by an affiliate of such holder or such investment advisor.

 

“Required Holders” means, at any time, the holders of at least 51% in principal amount of the Notes at the time outstanding (exclusive of Notes then owned by the Company or any of its Affiliates).

 

“Responsible Officer” means any Senior Financial Officer and any other officer of the Company with responsibility for the administration of the relevant portion of this Agreement.

 

“SEC” shall mean the Securities and Exchange Commission of the United States, or any successor thereto.

 

“Securities” or “Security” shall have the same meaning as in Section 2(1) of the Securities Act.

 

“Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended from time to time, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder from time to time in effect.

 

“Senior Financial Officer” means the chief financial officer, principal accounting officer, treasurer or comptroller of the Company.

 

“Senior Indebtedness” means all Indebtedness of the Company which is not expressed to be subordinate or junior in rank to any other Indebtedness of the Company.

 

“Series” means any one of or any combination of Series A Notes and any subsequent Notes of any series. 

 

“Series A Notes” is defined in Section 1.1.

 

“Subordinated” as applied to Indebtedness, means that the Indebtedness has been subordinated by written terms or written agreement being, in either case, in form or substance satisfactory to the Required Holders, in favor of the prior payment in full of the e Indebtedness evidenced by the Notes, together with all interest accrued thereon, Make-Whole Amount, if any, and other sums due and owing pursuant to this Agreement.  

 

“Subsidiary” means, as to any Person, any other Person in which such first Person or one or more of its Subsidiaries or such first Person and one or more of its Subsidiaries owns sufficient equity or voting interests to enable it or them (as a group) ordinarily, in the absence of

 

  

  

  

 

contingencies, to elect a majority of the directors (or Persons performing similar functions) of such second Person, and any partnership or joint venture if more than a 50% interest in the profits or capital thereof is owned by such Person or one or more of its Subsidiaries or such first Person and one or more of its Subsidiaries (unless such partnership can and does ordinarily take major business actions without the prior approval of such Person or one or more of its Subsidiaries).  Unless the context otherwise clearly requires, any reference to a “Subsidiary” is a reference to a Subsidiary of the Company.

 

“Subsidiary Guarantor” is defined in Section 2.3 and shall include any Subsidiary Guarantor which is required to comply with the requirements of Section 9.8.

 

“Subsidiary Guaranty” is defined in Section 2.3 and shall include any Subsidiary Guaranty delivered pursuant to Section 9.8 means any Guaranty of any Subsidiary of the Company with respect to the payment of the Notes and all other sums due and owing by the Company under this Agreement, which Guaranty shall be in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Required Holders.

 

“Supplemental Closing” is defined in Section 3.2. 

 

“Supplemental Closing Date” is defined in Section 3.2.

 

“Supplemental Note Purchase Agreement” is defined in Section 2.2.

 

“Supplemental Note Purchaser Schedule” means the Schedule of Purchasers of any series of Supplemental Notes which is attached to the Supplemental Note Purchase Agreement relating to such series.

 

“Supplemental Notes” is defined in Section 1.2.

 

“Supplemental Purchasers” is defined in Section 2.2.

 

“Surviving Person” is defined in Section 10.5(b).

 

“SVO” means the Securities Valuation Office of the NAIC or any successor to such Office.

 

“Synthetic Lease” means any lease entered into by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries that is treated as a lease for accounting purposes but that is intended by the parties to be treated as a financing transaction for income tax, property law, and/or bankruptcy purposes and in respect of which transaction any Synthetic Lease Indebtedness is issued or incurred.  

 

“Synthetic Lease Indebtedness” means the aggregate principal amount of (and capitalized interest on) all Indebtedness incurred or issued in connection with any Synthetic Lease that is secured, supported or serviced, directly or indirectly, by any payments made by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries.

 

 

 

 

 

 

“USA Patriot Act” means United States Public Law 107-56, Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism (USA Patriot Act) Act of 2001, as amended from time to time, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder from time to time in effect.

 

"Voting Power" means, with respect to any Person, the exclusive ability to control, through the ownership of shares of capital stock, partnership interests, membership interests or otherwise, the election of members of the board of directors or other similar governing body of such Person, and the holding of a designated percentage of Voting Power of a Person means the ownership of shares of capital stock, partnership interests, membership interests or other interests

of such Person sufficient to control exclusively the election of that percentage of the members of the board of directors or similar governing body of such Person.

 

“Voting Stock” means Securities of any class or classes, the holders of which are ordinarily, in the absence of contingencies, entitled to elect the corporate directors (or Persons performing similar functions).

 

“Wholly-owned Subsidiary” means, at any time, any Subsidiary one hundred percent (100%) of all of the equity interests (except directors’ qualifying shares) and voting interests of which are owned by any one or more of the Company and the Company’s other Wholly-owned Subsidiaries at such time.

  

  

  

Initial Subsidiary Guarantors

Davey Tree Surgery Company, an Ohio corporation

Wolf Tree Inc., a Tennessee corporation

The Care of Trees, Inc., an Illinois corporation

Schedule 2.3

(to Note Purchase Agreement)

  

  

  

Subsidiaries of the Company and Ownership of Subsidiary Stock

(i) Subsidiaries 

 

	
Subsidiary Name

	
Jurisdiction of Organization

	
Company’s Equity Ownership

	
Davey Tree Expert Co. of Canada, Ltd.

	
Canada

	
100%

	
Davey Tree Surgery Company

	
Ohio

	
100%

	
DTE Company

	
Ohio

	
100%

	
Standing Rock Insurance Company

	
Vermont

	
100%

	
The Care of Trees, Inc.

	
Illinois

	
100%

	
Wolf Tree, Inc.

	
Tennessee

	
100%

(ii) Affiliates:

None.

(iii) Directors and Senior Officers

Board of Directors

R. Douglas Cowan

J. Dawson Cunningham

William J. Ginn

Douglas K. Hall

Sandra W. Harbrecht

John E. Warfel

Karl J. Warnke

Senior Officers

Karl J. Warnke, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer

David E. Adante, Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Secretary 

Howard D. Bowles, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Davey Tree Surgery Company

Marjorie L. Conner, Esquire, Assistant Secretary and Counsel 

Patrick M. Covey, Executive Vice President - Operations

George M. Gaumer, Vice President and General Manager, Commercial Landscape Services

Fred W. Johnson, Vice President, Operations Support Services

Steven A. Marshall, Executive Vice President - Operations

Gordon L. Ober, Vice President - Personnel Recruiting and Development

Joseph R. Paul, Treasurer

Richard A. Ramsey, Vice President and General Manager, Canadian Operations

James F. Stief, Vice President and General Manager, Residential/Commercial Services

Nicholas R. Sucic, Vice President and Controller

Thea R. Sears, Assistant Controller

Schedule 5.4

(to Note Purchase Agreement)

  

  

  

Financial Statements

Interim Financial Statements, March 31, 2010

Year End Financial Statements, December 31, 2009

Year End Financial Statements, December 31, 2008

Year End Financial Statements, December 31, 2007

Year End Financial Statements, December 31, 2006

Year End Financial Statements, December 31, 2005

Schedule 5.5

(to Note Purchase Agreement)

  

  

  

Litigation

None.

Schedule 5.8

(to Note Purchase Agreement)

  

  

  

Existing Indebtedness

 

Debt Schedule as of June 30, 2010

	
Seller Notes

	  	  
	
Subtotal Seller Notes*

	  	
$2,972,000

	  	  	  
	
Shareholder Redemptions

	  	  
	
Subtotal Shareholder Redemption Notes

	  	
$1,521,000

	  	  	  
	
Credit Agreement

	  	  
	
Libor

	
$50,000,000

	  
	
Prime

	
$11,000,000

	  
	
Term Note

	
$4,250,000

	  
	
Subtotal Credit Agreement

	  	
$65,250,000

	  	  	  
	
Total Debt

	  	
$69,743,000

*  Indebtedness of the Company to Wolf Tree Experts, Inc., having a current principal balance of approximately $1,600,000 is secured by a lien on accounts of the Company, which lien is subordinated to all indebtedness of the Company to banks and other lenders outstanding at any time.

Schedule 5.15

(to Note Purchase Agreement)

  

  

  

[Form of Series A Note]

 

The Davey Tree Expert Company

 

5.09% Senior Note, Series A, due July 22, 2020

 

No. [_________][Date]

 

$[____________]PPN 23852P A*6

 

For Value Received, the undersigned, The Davey Tree Expert Company (herein called the “Company”), a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of Ohio, hereby promises to pay to [________________], or registered assigns, the principal sum of [________________] Dollars (or so much thereof as shall not have been prepaid) on July 22, 2020, with interest (computed on the basis of a 360-day year of twelve 30-day months) on the unpaid balance hereof at the rate of (a) 5.09% per annum from the date hereof, payable semiannually, on the twenty-second day of January and July in each year, commencing with the January 22 or July 22 next succeeding the date hereof, until the principal hereof shall have become due and payable, and (b) to the extent permitted by law, on any overdue payment of interest and, during the continuance of an Event of Default, on such unpaid balance and on any overdue payment of any Make-Whole Amount, at a rate per annum from time to time equal to the greater of (i) 7.09% or (ii) 2% over the rate of interest publicly announced by Citibank, N.A. from time to time in New York, New York as its “base” or “prime” rate payable semiannually as aforesaid (or, at the option of the registered holder hereof, on demand).

 

Payments of principal of, interest on and any Make-Whole Amount with respect to this Note are to be made in lawful money of the United States of America at New York, New York or at such other place as the Company shall have designated by written notice to the holder of this Note as provided in the Note Purchase Agreement referred to below.

 

This Note is one of a series of Senior Notes, Series A (herein called the “Series A Notes”) issued pursuant to the Note Purchase Agreement, dated as of July 22, 2010 (as from time to time amended, the “Note Purchase Agreement”), between the Company and the respective Purchasers named therein and is entitled to the benefits thereof, together with additional Series of Notes from time to time issued thereunder (the “Supplemental Notes,” and collectively with the Series A Notes, the “Notes”).  Each holder of this Note will be deemed, by its acceptance hereof, to have (i) agreed to the confidentiality provisions set forth in Section 20 of the Note Purchase Agreement and (ii) made the representations set forth in Section 6 of the Note Purchase Agreement.  Unless otherwise indicated, capitalized terms used in this Note shall have the respective meanings ascribed to such terms in the Note Purchase Agreement.

 

This Note is a registered Note and, as provided in the Note Purchase Agreement, upon surrender of this Note for registration of transfer, duly endorsed, or accompanied by a written instrument of transfer duly executed, by the registered holder hereof or such holder’s attorney duly authorized in writing, a new Note for a like principal amount will be issued to, and registered in the name of, the transferee.  Prior to due presentment for registration of transfer, the

Exhibit 1

(to Note Purchase Agreement)

  

  

  

 

Company may treat the person in whose name this Note is registered as the owner hereof for the purpose of receiving payment and for all other purposes, and the Company will not be affected by any notice to the contrary.

 

The Company will make required prepayments of principal on the dates and in the amounts specified in the Note Purchase Agreement. This Note is also subject to optional prepayment, in whole or from time to time in part, at the times and on the terms specified in the Note Purchase Agreement, but not otherwise.

 

If an Event of Default occurs and is continuing, the principal of this Note may be declared or otherwise become due and payable in the manner, at the price (including any applicable Make-Whole Amount) and with the effect provided in the Note Purchase Agreement.

 

This Note shall be construed and enforced in accordance with, and the rights of the Company and the holder of this Note shall be governed by, the law of the State of New York, excluding choice-of-law principles of the law of such State that would permit application of the laws of a jurisdiction other than such State.

	 	
  

	
The Davey Tree Expert Company

	 	
  

	
By

	 	
  

	
Name:

	
  

	
Title:

  

  

  

 

[Form of Supplemental Note]

The Davey Tree Expert Company

[____]% Senior Note, Series __, due [___________, ____]

No.  [_______][Date]

$[__________]PPN [_________]

 

For Value Received, the undersigned, The Davey Tree Expert Company (herein called the “Company”), a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of Ohio, hereby promises to pay to [_____________________] or registered assigns, the principal sum of [______________] Dollars on [________________, ____] with interest (computed on the basis of a 360-day year of twelve 30-day months) (a) on the unpaid balance thereof at the rate of [_]% per annum from the date hereof, payable [semiannually], on the [____] day of [_____________] and [______________] in each year, commencing with the [__________] or [__________] next succeeding the date hereof, until the principal hereof shall have become due and payable, and (b) to the extent permitted by law on any overdue payment (including any overdue prepayment) of principal, any overdue payment of interest and any overdue payment of any Make-Whole Amount (as defined in the Note Purchase Agreements referred to below), payable [____________] as aforesaid (or, at the option of the registered holder hereof, on demand), at a rate per annum from time to time equal to the greater of (i) [__]% or (ii) [__]% over the rate of interest publicly announced by Citibank, N.A. from time to time in New York, New York as its “base” or “prime” rate.

 

Payments of principal of, interest on and any Make-Whole Amount with respect to this Note are to be made in lawful money of the United States of America at [___] or at such other place as the Company shall have designated by written notice to the holder of this Note as provided in the Note Purchase Agreements referred to below.

 

This Note is one of a series of Senior Notes, Series ___ (herein called the “Series ___ Notes”) issued pursuant to the Supplemental Note Purchase Agreement dated as of _________________ to separate Note Purchase Agreements, dated as of July 22, 2010 (as from time to time amended or supplemented, the “Note Purchase Agreements”), between the Company and the respective Purchasers named therein and is entitled to the benefits thereof together with additional Series of Notes from time to time issued thereunder (the “Supplemental Notes,” and collectively with notes issued under the Note Purchase Agreements, the “Notes”).  Each holder of this Note will be deemed, by its acceptance hereof, (i) to have agreed to the confidentiality provisions set forth in Section 20 of the Note Purchase Agreements and (ii) to have made the representation set forth in Section 6.2 of the Note Purchase Agreements.

 

This Note is a registered Note and, as provided in the Note Purchase Agreements, upon surrender of this Note for registration of transfer, duly endorsed, or accompanied by a written instrument of transfer duly executed, by the registered holder hereof or such holder’s attorney

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

duly authorized in writing, a new Note for a like principal amount will be issued to, and registered in the name of, the transferee.  Prior to due presentment for registration of transfer, the Company may treat the person in whose name this Note is registered as the owner hereof for the purpose of receiving payment and for all other purposes, and the Company will not be affected by any notice to the contrary.

 

[The Company will make required prepayments of principal on the dates and in the amounts specified in the Note Purchase Agreements.] [This Note is [also] subject to [optional] prepayment, in whole or from time to time in part, at the times and on the terms specified in the Note Purchase Agreements, but not otherwise.] [This Note is not subject to prepayment.]

 

If an Event of Default, as defined in the Note Purchase Agreements, occurs and is continuing, the principal of this Note may be declared or otherwise become due and payable in the manner, at the price (including any applicable Make-Whole Amount) and with the effect provided in the Note Purchase Agreements.

 

This Note shall be construed and enforced in accordance with, and the rights of the Company and the holder of this Note shall be governed by, the law of the State of New York, excluding choice-of-law principles of the law of such State that would permit application of the laws of a jurisdiction other than such State. 

	
  

	
The Davey Tree Expert Company

	
  

	
By

	
  

	
Name:

	
  

	
Title:

Exhibit 1.2

(to Note Purchase Agreement)

  

  

  

Form of Supplemental Note Purchase Agreement

The Davey Tree Expert Company

1500 North Mantua Street

Kent, Ohio  44240

As of ____________, _____

To Each of the Purchasers

Named in the Supplemental

Purchaser Schedule Attached Hereto

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

Reference is made to those certain Note Purchase Agreements, each dated as of July 22, 2010 between the Company and each of the Initial Purchasers named in the Initial Purchaser Schedule attached thereto (the “Agreement”).  Terms used but not defined herein shall have the respective meanings set forth in the Agreement.

 

As contemplated in Section 2.2 of the Agreements, the Company agrees with you as follows:

 

       A.Subsequent Series of Notes.  The Company has authorized and will create a Subsequent Series of Notes to be called the “Series ___ Notes.”  Said Series ___ Notes will be dated the date of issue; will bear interest (computed on the basis of a 360-day year of twelve 30-day months) from such date at the rate of ____% per annum, payable semiannually in arrears on the ___ day of each _________ and __________ in each year (commencing _________, _____) until the principal amount thereof shall become due and payable and shall bear interest on overdue principal (including any overdue optional prepayment of principal) and premium, if any, and, to the extent permitted by law, on any overdue installment of interest at the rate specified therein after the date due for payment, whether by acceleration or otherwise, until paid; will be expressed to mature on __________, _____; and will be substantially in the form attached to the Agreement as Exhibit 1.2 with the appropriate insertions to reflect the terms and provisions set forth above.

 

       B.Purchase and Sale of Series ___ Notes.  The Company hereby agrees to sell to each Supplemental Purchaser set forth on the Supplemental Purchaser Schedule attached hereto (collectively, the “Series ___ Purchasers”) and, subject to the terms and conditions in the Agreement and herein set forth, each Series ___ Purchaser agrees to purchase from the Company the aggregate principal amount of the Series ___ Notes set opposite each Series ___ Purchaser’s name in the Supplemental Purchaser Schedule at 100% of the aggregate principal amount.  The sale of the Series ___ Notes shall take place at the offices of ________________________ at 10:00 a.m. _________ time, at a closing the (“Series ___ Closing”) on ____________, ____, or such other date as shall be agreed upon by the Company and each Series ___ Purchaser.  At the Series ___ Closing the Company will deliver to each Series ___ Purchaser one or more

 

Exhibit 2.2

(to Note Purchase Agreement)

  

  

  

 

Series ___ Notes registered in such Series ___ Purchaser’s name (or in the name of its nominee), evidencing the aggregate principal amount of Series ___ Notes to be purchased by said Series ___ Purchaser and in the denomination or denominations specified with respect to such Series ___ Purchaser in the Supplemental Purchaser Schedule attached hereto against payment of the purchase price thereof by transfer of immediately available funds for credit to the Company’s account on the date of the Series ___ Closing (the “Series ___ Closing Date”) (as specified in a notice to each Series ___ Purchaser at least three Business Days prior to the Series ___ Closing Date). 

 

     C.Conditions of Series ___ Closing.  The obligation of each Series ___ Purchaser to purchase and pay for the Series ___ Notes to be purchased by such purchaser hereunder on the Series ___ Closing Date is subject to the satisfaction, on or before such Series ___ Closing Date, of the conditions set forth in Section 4 of the Agreement, and to the following additional conditions:

 

(a)Except as supplemented, amended or superceded by the representations and warranties set forth in Exhibit A hereto, each of the representations and warranties of the Company set forth in Section 5 of the Note Purchase Agreement shall be correct as of the Series __ Closing Date and the Company shall have delivered to each Series __ Purchaser an Officer’s Certificate, dated the Series __ Closing Date certifying that such condition has been fulfilled.

 

(b)Contemporaneously with the Series __ Closing, the Company shall sell to each Series __ Purchaser, and each Series __ Purchaser shall purchase, the Series __ Notes to be purchased by such Series __ Purchaser at the Series __ Closing as specified in the Supplemental Purchaser Schedule. 

 

   D.Prepayments.  The Series ___ Notes shall be subject to prepayment only (a) pursuant to the required prepayments, if any, specified in clause (x) below; and (b) pursuant to the optional prepayments permitted by Section 8.2 of the Agreement. 

 

 (x)Required Prepayments; Maturity

 

[to be determined] 

 

(y)Optional and Contingent Prepayments.  As provided in Sections 8.2 of the Agreement. 

 

       E.Purchaser Representations. Each Series ___ Purchaser represents and warrants that the representations and warranties set forth in Section 6 of the Agreement are true and correct on the date hereof with respect to the purchase of the Series __ Notes by such Series ___ Purchaser.

 

       F.Series ___ Notes Issued under and Pursuant to Agreement.  Except as specifically provided above, the Series ___ Notes shall be deemed to be issued under, to be subject to and to 

  

  

  

 

have the benefit of all of the terms and provisions of the Agreement as the same may from time to time be amended and supplemented in the manner provided therein. 

  

  

  

 

The execution hereof by the Series ___ Purchasers shall constitute a contract among the Company and the Series ___ Purchasers for the uses and purposes hereinabove set forth.  By their acceptance hereof, each of the Series ___ Purchasers shall also be deemed to have accepted and agreed to the terms and provisions of the Agreement, as in effect on the date hereof.

 

	
  

	
The Davey Tree Expert Company

 

	
  

	
By

	
  

	
Name:

	
  

	
Title:

 

Accepted as of

 

_________________________

 

	
  

	
[Variation]

 

	
  

	
By

	
  

	
Name:

	
  

	
Title:

  

  

  

 

Information Relating to Series __ Purchasers

	
 

Name and Address of Series __ Purchaser

	  	
Principal 

Amount of Series __ Notes to Be Purchased

	
[Name of Series __ Purchaser]

	  	
$

	
(1)All payments by wire transfer of immediately available funds to:

 

 

 

 

         with sufficient information to identify the source and application of such funds.

 

	  	  
	
(2)All notices of payments and written confirmations of such wire transfers:

 

 

 

 

	  	  
	
(3)All other communications:

	  	  

Schedule A

(to Supplement)

  

  

  

Exhibit A

Supplemental Representations

 

The Company represents and warrants to each Series ____ Purchaser that except as hereinafter set forth in this Exhibit A, each of the representations and warranties set forth in Section 5 of the Note Purchase Agreement is true and correct as of the date hereof with respect to the Series __ Notes with the same force and effect as if each reference to “Series ____ Notes” set forth therein was modified to refer the “Series __ Notes” and each reference to “this Agreement” therein was modified to refer to the Note Purchase Agreement as supplemented by this Supplemental Note Purchase Agreement.  The Section references hereinafter set forth correspond to the similar sections of the Note Purchase Agreement which are supplemented hereby:

 

 

[Add any Sections as appropriate at the time the Series ___ Notes are issued]

Schedule A

(to Supplement)

  

  

  

Form of Subsidiary Guaranty

 

 

(See attached)

Exhibit 2.3

(to Supplement)

  

  

  

  

  

  

 

Form of

 

Guaranty Agreement

 

Dated as of July 22, 2010

 

Re:$30,000,000 5.09% Senior Notes, Series A, due July 22, 2020

 

of

 

The Davey Tree Expert Company

 

  

  

  

Table of Contents

(Not a part of the Agreement)

	
SECTION

	
HEADING

	
PAGE

	
Parties

	  	
1

	  	  	  
	
Recitals

	  	
1

	  	  	  
	
Section 1.

	
Definitions

	
2

	  	  	  
	
Section 2.

	
Guaranty of Notes and Note Purchase Agreements.

	
2

	  	  	  
	
Section 3.

	
Guaranty of Payment and Performance

	
2

	  	  	  
	
Section 4.

	
General Provisions Relating to the Guaranty

	
3

	  	  	  
	
Section 5.

	
Representations and Warranties of the Guarantors

	
8

	  	  	  
	
Section 6.

	
[Intentionally Omitted]

	
9

	  	  	  
	
Section 7.

	
[Intentionally Omitted]

	
9

	  	  	  
	
Section 8.

	
Governing Law

	
9

	  	  	  
	
Section 9.

	
[Intentionally Omitted]

	
10

	  	  	  
	
Section 10.

	
Amendments, Waivers and Consents

	
10

	  	  	  
	
Section 11.

	
Notices

	
11

	  	  	  
	
Section 12.

	
Miscellaneous

	
12

	  	  	  
	
Section 13.

	
Indemnity

	
12

	  	  	  
	
Signature

	  	
14

	  	  	  
	
Exhibit A

	
Form of Guaranty Supplement

	  

  

  

  

Guaranty Agreement

 

Re:$30,000,000 5.09% Senior Notes, Series A, due July 22, 2020

 

This Guaranty Agreement dated as of July 22, 2010 (the or this “Guaranty”) is entered into on a joint and several basis by each of the undersigned, together with any entity which may become a party hereto by execution and delivery of a Guaranty Supplement in substantially the form set forth as Exhibit A hereto (a “Guaranty Supplement”) (which parties are hereinafter referred to individually as a “Guarantor” and collectively as the “Guarantors”).

 

Recitals

 

A.Each Guarantor is a subsidiary of The Davey Tree Expert Company, an Ohio corporation (the “Company”).

 

B.In order to refinance certain debt and for general corporate purposes, the Company has entered into that certain Master Note Purchase Agreement dated as of July 22, 2010 (the “Note Purchase Agreement”) among the Company and each of the purchasers named on Schedule A thereto (the “Initial Note Purchasers”; the Initial Note Purchasers, together with their successors, assigns or any other future holder of the Notes (as defined below), the “Holders” and each, individually, a “Holder”), providing for, inter alia, the issue and sale by the Company to the Initial Note Purchasers of $30,000,000 aggregate principal amount of 5.09% Senior Notes, Series A, due July 22, 2020 (the “Notes”).

 

C.The Initial Note Purchasers have required as a condition to their purchase of the Notes that the Company cause each of the undersigned to enter into this Guaranty and to cause each Subsidiary (as defined in the Note Purchase Agreement) that after the date hereof delivers a guaranty pursuant to the Bank Credit Agreement (as defined in the Note Purchase Agreement) to enter into a Guaranty Supplement, in each case as security for the Notes, and the Company has agreed to cause each of the undersigned to execute this Guaranty and to cause such Subsidiaries to execute a Guaranty Supplement, in each case in order to induce the Initial Note Purchasers to purchase the Notes and thereby benefit the Company and its Subsidiaries by providing funds to refinance certain debt  and for general corporate purposes.  

 

D.Each of the Guarantors will derive substantial direct and indirect benefit from the sale of the Notes to the Initial Note Purchasers.

 

Now, therefore, as required by Section 2.3 of the Note Purchase Agreement and in consideration of the premises and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency whereof are hereby acknowledged, each Guarantor does hereby covenant and agree, jointly and severally, as follows:

  

- 1 -

  

 

Section 1.Definitions.

 

Capitalized terms used herein shall have the meanings set forth in the Note Purchase Agreement unless herein defined or the context shall otherwise require.

 

	
Section 2.

	
Guaranty of Notes and Note Purchase Agreement.

 

(a)Subject to the limitation set forth in Section 2(b) hereof, each Guarantor jointly and severally does hereby irrevocably, absolutely and unconditionally guarantee unto the Holders:  (1) the full and prompt payment of the principal of, premium, if any, and interest on the Notes from time to time outstanding, as and when such payments shall become due and payable whether by lapse of time, upon redemption or prepayment, by extension or by acceleration or declaration or otherwise (including (to the extent legally enforceable) interest due on overdue payments of principal, premium, if any, or interest at the rate set forth in the Notes and interest accruing at the then applicable rate provided in the Notes after the filing of any petition in bankruptcy, or the commencement of any insolvency, reorganization or like proceeding, relating to the Company, whether or not a claim for post-filing or post-petition interest is allowed in such proceeding) in Federal or other immediately available funds of the United States of America which at the time of payment or demand therefor shall be legal tender for the payment of public and private debts, (2) the full and prompt performance and observance by the Company of each and all of the obligations, covenants and agreements required to be performed or owed by the Company under the terms of the Notes and the Note Purchase Agreement and (3) the full and prompt payment, upon demand by any Holder, of all costs and expenses, legal or otherwise (including attorneys’ fees), if any, as shall have been expended or incurred in the protection or enforcement of any rights, privileges or liabilities in favor of the Holders under or in respect of the Notes, the Note Purchase Agreement or under this Guaranty or in any consultation or action in connection therewith or herewith and in each and every case irrespective of the validity, regularity, or enforcement of any of the Notes or Note Purchase Agreement or any of the terms thereof or any other like circumstance or circumstances.

 

(b)The liability of each Guarantor under this Guaranty shall not exceed an amount equal to a maximum amount as will, after giving effect to such maximum amount and all other liabilities of such Guarantor, contingent or otherwise, result in the obligations of such Guarantor hereunder not constituting a fraudulent transfer, obligation or conveyance.

 

	
Section 3.

	
Guaranty of Payment and Performance.

 

This is a guarantee of payment and performance and each Guarantor hereby waives, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any right to require that any action on or in respect of any Note or the Note Purchase Agreement be brought against the Company or any other Person or that resort be had to any direct or indirect security for the Notes or for this Guaranty or any other remedy.  Any Holder may, at its option, proceed hereunder against any Guarantor in the first instance to collect monies when due, the payment of which is guaranteed hereby, without first proceeding against the Company or any other Person and without first resorting to any direct or indirect security for the Notes or for this Guaranty or any other remedy.  The liability of each Guarantor

  

- 2 -

  

hereunder shall in no way be affected or impaired by any acceptance by any Holder of any direct or indirect security for, or other guaranties of, any Indebtedness, liability or obligation of the Company or any other Person to any Holder or by any failure, delay, neglect or omission by any Holder to realize upon or protect any such guarantees, Indebtedness, liability or obligation or any notes or other instruments evidencing the same or any direct or indirect security therefor or by any approval, consent, waiver, or other action taken, or omitted to be taken by any such Holder.

 

The covenants and agreements on the part of the Guarantors herein contained shall take effect as joint and several covenants and agreements, and references to the Guarantors shall take effect as references to each of them and none of them shall be released from liability hereunder by reason of the guarantee ceasing to be binding as a continuing security on any other of them.

 

	
Section 4.

	
General Provisions Relating to the Guaranty.

 

(a)Each Guarantor hereby consents and agrees that any Holder or Holders from time to time, with or without any further notice to or assent from any other Guarantor, may, without in any manner affecting the liability of any Guarantor under this Guaranty, and upon such terms and conditions as any such Holder or Holders may deem advisable:

 

(1)extend in whole or in part (by renewal or otherwise), modify, change, compromise, release or extend the duration of the time for the performance or payment of any Indebtedness, liability or obligation of the Company or of any other Person secondarily or otherwise liable for any Indebtedness, liability or obligations of the Company on the Notes, or waive any Default with respect thereto, or waive, modify, amend or change any provision of any other agreement or this Guaranty; or

 

(2)sell, release, surrender, modify, impair, exchange or substitute any and all property, of any nature and from whomsoever received, held by, or for the benefit of, any such Holder as direct or indirect security for the payment or performance of any Indebtedness, liability or obligation of the Company or of any other Person secondarily or otherwise liable for any Indebtedness, liability or obligation of the Company on the Notes; or

 

(3)settle, adjust or compromise any claim of the Company against any other Person secondarily or otherwise liable for any Indebtedness, liability or obligation of the Company on the Notes.

 

Each Guarantor hereby ratifies and confirms any such extension, renewal, change, sale, release, waiver, surrender, exchange, modification, amendment, impairment, substitution, settlement, adjustment or compromise and that the same shall be binding upon it, and hereby waives, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any and all defenses, counterclaims or offsets which it might or could have by reason thereof, it being understood that such Guarantor shall at all times be bound by this Guaranty and remain liable hereunder.

 

(b)Each Guarantor hereby waives, to the fullest extent permitted by law:

  

- 3 -

  

(1)notice of acceptance of this Guaranty by the Holders or of the creation, renewal or accrual of any liability of the Company, present or future, or of the reliance of such Holders upon this Guaranty (it being understood that every Indebtedness, liability and obligation described in Section 2 hereof shall conclusively be presumed to have been created, contracted or incurred in reliance upon the execution of this Guaranty);

 

(2)demand of payment by any Holder from the Company or any other Person indebted in any manner on or for any of the Indebtedness, liabilities or obligations hereby guaranteed; and

 

(3)presentment for the payment by any Holder or any other Person of the Notes or any other instrument, protest thereof and notice of its dishonor to any party thereto and to such Guarantor.

 

The obligations of each Guarantor under this Guaranty and the rights of any Holder to enforce such obligations by any proceedings, whether by action at law, suit in equity or otherwise, shall not be subject to any reduction, limitation, impairment or termination (other than by payment in full of the Notes and the obligations of the Company under the Note Purchase Agreement), whether by reason of any claim of any character whatsoever or otherwise and shall not be subject to any defense, set-off, counterclaim (other than any compulsory counterclaim), recoupment or termination whatsoever.

 

(c)The obligations of the Guarantors hereunder shall be binding upon the Guarantors and their successors and assigns, and shall remain in full force and effect until the entire principal, interest and premium, if any, on the Notes and all other sums due pursuant to Section 2 shall have been paid and such obligations shall not be affected, modified or impaired upon the happening from time to time of any event, including without limitation any of the following, whether or not with notice to or the consent of the Guarantors:

 

(1)the genuineness, validity, regularity or enforceability of the Notes, the Note Purchase Agreement or any other agreement or any of the terms of any thereof, the continuance of any obligation on the part of the Company, any other Guarantors or any other Person on or in respect of the Notes or under the Note Purchase Agreement or any other agreement or the power or authority or the lack of power or authority of the Company to issue the Notes or the Company to execute and deliver the Note Purchase Agreement or any other agreement or of any other Guarantors to execute and deliver this Guaranty or any other agreement or to perform any of its obligations hereunder or the existence or continuance of the Company or any other Person as a legal entity; or

 

(2)any default, failure or delay, willful or otherwise, in the performance by the Company, any other Guarantor or any other Person of any obligations of any kind or character whatsoever under the Notes, the Note Purchase Agreement, this Guaranty or any other agreement; or

 

(3)any creditors’ rights, bankruptcy, receivership or other insolvency proceeding of the Company, any other Guarantor or any other Person or in respect of the

  

- 4 -

  

 property of the Company, any other Guarantor or any other Person or any merger, consolidation, reorganization, dissolution, liquidation, the sale of all or substantially all of the assets of or winding up of the Company, any other Guarantor or any other Person; or

 

(4)impossibility or illegality of performance on the part of the Company, any other Guarantor or any other Person of its obligations under the Notes, the Note Purchase Agreement, this Guaranty or any other agreements; or

 

(5)in respect of the Company, any other Guarantors or any other Person, any change of circumstances, whether or not foreseen or foreseeable, whether or not imputable to the Company, any other Guarantors or any other Person, or other impossibility of performance through fire, explosion, accident, labor disturbance, floods, droughts, embargoes, wars (whether or not declared), civil commotion, acts of God or the public enemy, delays or failure of suppliers or carriers, inability to obtain materials, action of any Federal or state regulatory body or agency, change of law or any other causes affecting performance, or any other force majeure, whether or not beyond the control of the Company, any other Guarantors or any other Person and whether or not of the kind hereinbefore specified; or

 

(6)any attachment, claim, demand, charge, Lien, order, process, encumbrance or any other happening or event or reason, similar or dissimilar to the foregoing, or any withholding or diminution at the source, by reason of any taxes, assessments, expenses, Indebtedness, obligations or liabilities of any character, foreseen or unforeseen, and whether or not valid, incurred by or against the Company, any Guarantor or any other Person or any claims, demands, charges or Liens of any nature, foreseen or unforeseen, incurred by the Company, any Guarantor or any other Person, or against any sums payable in respect of the Notes or under the Note Purchase Agreement or this Guaranty, so that such sums would be rendered inadequate or would be unavailable to make the payments herein provided; or

 

(7)any order, judgment, decree, ruling or regulation (whether or not valid) of any court of any nation or of any political subdivision thereof or any body, agency, department, official or administrative or regulatory agency of any thereof or any other action, happening, event or reason whatsoever which shall delay, interfere with, hinder or prevent, or in any way adversely affect, the performance by the Company, any Guarantor or any other Person of its respective obligations under or in respect of the Notes, the Note Purchase Agreement, this Guaranty or any other agreement; or

 

(8)the failure of any Guarantor to receive any benefit from or as a result of its execution, delivery and performance of this Guaranty; or

 

(9)any failure or lack of diligence in collection or protection, failure in presentment or demand for payment, protest, notice of protest, notice of default and of nonpayment, any failure to give notice to any Guarantor of failure of the Company, any Guarantor or any other Person to keep and perform any obligation, covenant or agreement under the terms of the Notes, the Note Purchase Agreement, this Guaranty or any other

  

- 5 -

  

 agreement or failure to resort for payment to the Company, any other Guarantor or to any other Person or to any other guaranty or to any property, security, Liens or other rights or remedies; or

 

(10)the acceptance of any additional security or other guaranty, the advance of additional money to the Company or any other Person, the renewal or extension of the Notes or amendments, modifications, consents or waivers with respect to the Notes, the Note Purchase Agreement or any other agreement, or the sale, release, substitution or exchange of any security for the Notes; or

 

(11)any merger or consolidation of the Company, any other Guarantor or any other Person into or with any other Person or any sale, lease, transfer or other disposition of any of the assets of the Company, any other Guarantor or any other Person to any other Person, or any change in the ownership of any shares of the Company, any other Guarantor or any other Person; or

 

(12)any defense whatsoever that:  (i) the Company or any other Person might have to the payment of the Notes (principal, premium, if any, or interest), other than payment thereof in Federal or other immediately available funds, or (ii) the Company or any other Person might have to the performance or observance of any of the provisions of the Notes, the Note Purchase Agreement or any other agreement, whether through the satisfaction or purported satisfaction by the Company, any other Guarantor or any other Person of its debts due to any cause such as bankruptcy, insolvency, receivership, merger, consolidation, reorganization, dissolution, liquidation, winding-up or otherwise, other than the defense of indefeasible payment in full in cash of the Notes; or

 

(13)any act or failure to act with regard to the Notes, the Note Purchase Agreement, this Guaranty or any other agreement or anything which might vary the risk of any Guarantor or any other Person; or

 

(14)any other circumstance which might otherwise constitute a defense available to, or a discharge of, any Guarantor or any other Person in respect of the obligations of any Guarantor or other Person under this Guaranty or any other agreement, other than the defense of indefeasible payment in full in cash of the Notes;

 

provided that the specific enumeration of the above-mentioned acts, failures or omissions shall not be deemed to exclude any other acts, failures or omissions, though not specifically mentioned above, it being the purpose and intent of this Guaranty and the parties hereto that the obligations of each Guarantor shall be absolute and unconditional and shall not be discharged, impaired or varied except by the payment of the principal of, premium, if any, and interest on the Notes in accordance with their respective terms whenever the same shall become due and payable as in the Notes provided and all other sums due and payable under the Note Purchase Agreement, at the place specified in and all in the manner and with the effect provided in the Notes and the Note Purchase Agreement, as each may be amended or modified from time to time.  Without limiting the foregoing, it is understood that repeated and successive demands may be made and recoveries may be had hereunder as and when, from time to time, the Company shall default under or in

  

- 6 -

  

 

respect of the terms of the Notes or the Note Purchase Agreement and that notwithstanding recovery hereunder for or in respect of any given default or defaults by the Company under the Notes or the Note Purchase Agreement, this Guaranty shall remain in full force and effect and shall apply to each and every subsequent default.

 

(d)All rights of any Holder may be transferred or assigned at any time and shall be considered to be transferred or assigned at any time or from time to time upon the transfer of such Note whether with or without the consent of or notice to the Guarantors under this Guaranty or to the Company.

 

(e)To the extent of any payments made under this Guaranty, the Guarantors shall be subrogated to the rights of the Holder or Holders upon whose Notes such payment was made, but each Guarantor covenants and agrees that such right of subrogation shall be junior and subordinate in right of payment to the prior indefeasible final payment in cash in full of all amounts due and owing by the Company with respect to the Notes and the Note Purchase Agreement and by the Guarantors under this Guaranty, and the Guarantors shall not take any action to enforce such right of subrogation, and the Guarantors shall not accept any payment in respect of such right of subrogation, until all amounts due and owing by the Company under or in respect of the Notes and the Note Purchase Agreement and all amounts due and owing by the Guarantors hereunder have indefeasibly been finally paid in cash in full.  If any amount shall be paid to any Guarantor in violation of the preceding sentence at any time prior to the indefeasible payment in cash in full of the Notes and all other amounts payable under the Notes, the Note Purchase Agreement and this Guaranty, such amount shall be held in trust for the benefit of the Holders and shall forthwith be paid to the Holders to be credited and applied to the amounts due or to become due with respect to the Notes and all other amounts payable under the Note Purchase Agreement and this Guaranty, whether matured or unmatured. Each Guarantor acknowledges that it has received, or will receive, direct and indirect benefits from the financing arrangements contemplated by the Note Purchase Agreement and that the waiver set forth in this paragraph (e) is knowingly made as a result of the receipt of such benefits.

 

(f)To the extent of any payments made under this Guaranty, each Guarantor making such payment shall have a right of contribution from the other Guarantors, but such Guarantor covenants and agrees that such right of contribution shall be subordinate in right of payment to the rights of the Holders for which full payment has not been made or provided for and, to that end, such Guarantor agrees not to claim or enforce any such right of contribution unless and until all of the Notes and all other sums due and payable under the Note Purchase Agreement have been fully and irrevocably paid and discharged.

 

(g)Each Guarantor agrees that to the extent the Company, any other Guarantor or any other Person makes any payment on any Note, which payment or any part thereof is subsequently invalidated, voided, declared to be fraudulent or preferential, set aside, recovered, rescinded or is required to be retained by or repaid to a trustee, receiver, or any other Person under any bankruptcy code, common law, or equitable cause, then and to the extent of such payment, the obligation or the part thereof intended to be satisfied shall be revived and continued in full force and effect with respect to the Guarantors’ obligations hereunder, as if said payment had not been made.  The liability of the Guarantors hereunder shall not be reduced or discharged, in whole or

  

- 7 -

  

 

in part, by any payment to any Holder from any source that is thereafter paid, returned or refunded in whole or in part by reason of the assertion of a claim of any kind relating thereto, including, but not limited to, any claim for breach of contract, breach of warranty, preference, illegality, invalidity, or fraud asserted by any account debtor or by any other Person.

 

(h)No Holder shall be under any obligation:  (1) to marshal any assets in favor of the Guarantors or in payment of any or all of the liabilities of the Company under or in respect of the Notes or the obligations of the Guarantors hereunder or (2) to pursue any other remedy that the Guarantors may or may not be able to pursue themselves and that may lighten the Guarantors’ burden, any right to which each Guarantor hereby expressly waives. 

 

(i)The obligations of each Guarantor under this Guaranty rank pari passu in right of payment with all other Indebtedness of such Guarantor which is not secured or which is not expressly subordinated in right of payment to any other Indebtedness of such Guarantor.

 

	
Section 5.

	
Representations and Warranties of the Guarantors

 

Each Guarantor represents and warrants to each Holder that:

 

(a)Such Guarantor is a corporation or other legal entity duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of its jurisdiction of organization, and is duly qualified as a foreign corporation or other legal entity and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which such qualification is required by law, other than those jurisdictions as to which the failure to be so qualified or in good standing would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on (1) the business, operations, affairs, financial condition, assets or properties of such Guarantor and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, or (2) the ability of such Guarantor to perform its obligations under this Guaranty, or (3) the validity or enforceability of this Guaranty (herein in this Section 5, a “Material Adverse Effect”).  Such Guarantor has the power and authority to own or hold under lease the properties it purports to own or hold under lease, to transact the business it transacts and proposes to transact, to execute and deliver this Guaranty and to perform the provisions hereof.

 

(b)This Guaranty has been duly authorized by all necessary action on the part of such Guarantor, and this Guaranty constitutes a legal, valid and binding obligation of such Guarantor enforceable against such Guarantor in accordance with its terms, except as such enforceability may be limited by (1) applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other similar laws affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights generally and (2) general principles of equity (regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law).

 

(c)The execution, delivery and performance by such Guarantor of this Guaranty will not (1) contravene, result in any breach of, or constitute a default under, or result in the creation of any Lien in respect of any property of such Guarantor or any of its subsidiaries under any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan, purchase or credit agreement, lease, charter document or by-law, or any other agreement or instrument to which such Guarantor or any of its subsidiaries is bound or by which such Guarantor or any of its subsidiaries or any of their respective

  

- 8 -

  

 

properties may be bound or affected, (2) conflict with or result in a breach of any of the terms, conditions or provisions of any order, judgment, decree, or ruling of any court, arbitrator or Governmental Authority applicable to such Guarantor or any of its subsidiaries or (3) violate any provision of any statute or other rule or regulation of any Governmental Authority applicable to the such Guarantor or any of its subsidiaries.

 

(d)No consent, approval or authorization of, or registration, filing or declaration with, any Governmental Authority is required in connection with the execution, delivery or performance by such Guarantor of this Guaranty.

 

(e)Such Guarantor is solvent, has capital not unreasonably small in relation to its business or any contemplated or undertaken transaction and has assets having a value both at fair valuation and at present fair salable value greater than the amount required to pay its debts as they become due and greater than the amount that will be required to pay its probable liability on its existing debts as they become absolute and matured.  Such Guarantor does not intend to incur, or believe or should have believed that it will incur, debts beyond its ability to pay such debts as they become due.  Such Guarantor will not be rendered insolvent by the execution and delivery of, and performance of its obligations under, this Guaranty.  Such Guarantor does not intend to hinder, delay or defraud its creditors by or through the execution and delivery of, or performance of its obligations under, this Guaranty.

 

	
Section 6.

	
[Intentionally Omitted]

 

	

Section 7.

	
[Intentionally Omitted]

 

	
Section 8. 

	
Governing Law.

 

(a)This Guaranty shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the state of New York applicable therein.

 

(b)Each Guarantor irrevocably submits to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of any New York State or federal court sitting in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York, over any suit, action or proceeding arising out of or relating solely to this Guaranty or the Notes.  To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, such Guarantor irrevocably waives and agrees not to assert, by way of motion, as a defense or otherwise, any claim that it is not subject to the jurisdiction of any such court, any objection that it may now or hereafter have to the laying of the venue of any such suit, action or proceeding brought in any such court and any claim that any such suit, action or proceeding brought in any such court has been brought in an inconvenient forum.

 

(c)Each Guarantor agrees, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, that a final judgment in any suit, action or proceeding brought in any such court shall be conclusive and binding upon it subject to rights of appeal, as the case may be, and may be enforced in the courts of the United States of America or the State of New York (or any other courts to the jurisdiction of which it or any of its assets is or may be subject) by a suit upon such judgment.

  

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(d)Each Guarantor consents to process being served in any suit, action or proceeding solely by mailing a copy thereof by registered or certified or priority mail, postage prepaid, return receipt requested, or delivering a copy thereof in the manner for delivery of notices specified in Section 11, to the Company, as its agent for the purpose of accepting service of any process in the United States.  Such Guarantor agrees that such service upon receipt (i) shall be deemed in every respect effective service of process upon it in any such suit, action or proceeding and (ii) shall, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, be taken and held to be valid personal service upon and personal delivery to it.  Notices hereunder shall be conclusively presumed received as evidenced by a delivery receipt furnished by the United States Postal Service or any reputable commercial delivery service.

 

(e)Nothing in this Section 8 shall affect the right of any Holder to serve process in any manner permitted by law, or limit any right that the Holders may have to bring proceedings against such Guarantor in the courts of any appropriate jurisdiction or to enforce in any lawful manner a judgment obtained in one jurisdiction in any other jurisdiction.

 

(f)Each Guarantor hereby irrevocably appoints the Company to receive for it, and on its behalf, service of process in the United States. 

 

(g)The parties hereto hereby waive trial by jury in any action brought on or with respect to this Guaranty, the Notes or any other document executed in connection herewith or therewith.

 

	
Section 9.

	
[Intentionally Omitted.]

 

	
Section 10.

	
Amendments, Waivers and Consents.

 

(a)This Guaranty may be amended, and the observance of any term hereof may be waived (either retroactively or prospectively), with (and only with) the written consent of each Guarantor and the Required Holders; provided, however, that any amendment hereof with respect to the liability of a Guarantor under this Guaranty pursuant to Section 2(b) hereof shall not require the written consent of the Guarantors or the Required Holders and shall be deemed to have been automatically consented to by the Guarantors and each Holder.

 

(b)The Guarantors will provide each Holder (irrespective of the amount of Notes then owned by it) with sufficient information, sufficiently far in advance of the date a decision is required, to enable such Holder to make an informed and considered decision with respect to any proposed amendment, waiver or consent in respect of any of the provisions hereof.  The Guarantors will deliver executed or true and correct copies of each amendment, waiver or consent effected pursuant to the provisions of this Section 10 to each Holder promptly following the date on which it is executed and delivered by, or receives the consent or approval of, the requisite Holders.

 

(c)The Company will not directly or indirectly pay or cause to be paid any remuneration, whether by way of fee or otherwise, or grant any security, to any Holder as

  

- 10 -

  

 

consideration for or as an inducement to the entering into by any Holder of any waiver or amendment of any of the terms and provisions hereof unless such remuneration is concurrently paid, or security is concurrently granted, on the same terms, ratably to each Holder even if such Holder did not consent to such waiver or amendment.

 

(d)Any amendment or waiver consented to as provided in this Section 10 applies equally to all Holders and is binding upon them and upon each future holder and upon the Guarantors.  No such amendment or waiver will extend to or affect any obligation, covenant or agreement not expressly amended or waived or impair any right consequent thereon.  No course of dealing between the Guarantors and any Holder nor any delay in exercising any rights hereunder shall operate as a waiver of any rights of any Holder.  As used herein, the term “this Guaranty” and references thereto shall mean this Guaranty as it may from time to time be amended or supplemented.

 

(e)Solely for the purpose of determining whether the Holders of the requisite percentage of the aggregate principal amount of Notes then outstanding approved or consented to any amendment, waiver or consent to be given under this Guaranty, Notes directly or indirectly owned by any Guarantor, the Company or any of their respective subsidiaries or Affiliates shall be deemed not to be outstanding.

 

	
Section 11.

	
Notices. 

 

All notices and communications provided for hereunder shall be in writing and sent (a) by telefacsimile if the sender on the same day sends a confirming copy of such notice by a recognized overnight delivery service (charges prepaid), or (b) by registered or certified mail with return receipt requested (postage prepaid), or (c) by a recognized overnight delivery service (with charges prepaid).  Any such notice must be sent:

 

(1)if to an Initial Note Purchaser or such Initial Note Purchaser’s nominee, to such Initial Note Purchaser or such Initial Note Purchaser’s nominee at the address specified for such communications in Schedule A to the Note Purchase Agreement, or at such other address as such Initial Note Purchaser or such Initial Note Purchaser’s nominee shall have specified to any Guarantor or the Company in writing,

 

(2)if to any other Holder, to such Holder at such address as such Holder shall have specified to any Guarantor or the Company in writing, or

 

(3)if to any Guarantor, to such Guarantor c/o the Company at its address set forth at the beginning of the Note Purchase Agreement to the attention of the Treasurer, or at such other address as such Guarantor shall have specified to the Holders in writing.

 

Notices under this Section 11 will be deemed given only when actually received.

  

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Section 12.Miscellaneous.

 

(a)No remedy herein conferred upon or reserved to any Holder is intended to be exclusive of any other available remedy or remedies, but each and every such remedy shall be cumulative and shall be in addition to every other remedy given under this Guaranty now or hereafter existing at law or in equity.  No delay or omission to exercise any right or power accruing upon any default, omission or failure of performance hereunder shall impair any such right or power or shall be construed to be a waiver thereof but any such right or power may be exercised from time to time and as often as may be deemed expedient.  In order to entitle any Holder to exercise any remedy reserved to it under the Guaranty, it shall not be necessary for such Holder to physically produce its Note in any proceedings instituted by it or to give any notice, other than such notice as may be herein expressly required.

 

(b)The Guarantors will pay all sums becoming due under this Guaranty by the method and at the address specified in the Note Purchase Agreement, or by such other method or at such other address as any Holder shall have from time to time specified to the Guarantors in writing for such purpose, without the presentation or surrender of this Guaranty or any Note.  

 

(c)Any provision of this Guaranty that 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 (to the full extent permitted by law) not invalidate or render unenforceable such provision in any other jurisdiction.

 

(d)If the whole or any part of this Guaranty shall be now or hereafter become unenforceable against any one or more of the Guarantors for any reason whatsoever or if it is not executed by any one or more of the Guarantors, this Guaranty shall nevertheless be and remain fully binding upon and enforceable against each other Guarantor as if it had been made and delivered only by such other Guarantors.

 

(e)This Guaranty shall be binding upon each Guarantor and its successors and assigns and shall inure to the benefit of each Holder and its successors and assigns so long as its Notes remain outstanding and unpaid.

 

(f)This Guaranty may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be an original but all of which together shall constitute one instrument.  Each counterpart may consist of a number of copies hereof, each signed by less than all, but together signed by all, of the parties hereto.

 

	
Section 13.

	
Indemnity

 

To the fullest extent of applicable law, each Guarantor shall indemnify and save each Holder harmless from and against any losses which may arise by virtue of any of the obligations hereby guaranteed being or becoming for any reason whatsoever in whole or in part void, voidable, contrary to law, invalid, ineffective or otherwise unenforceable by the Holder or any of them in accordance with its terms (all of the foregoing collectively, an “Indemnifiable

  

- 12 -

  

 

Circumstance”).  For greater certainty, these losses shall include without limitation all obligations hereby guaranteed which would have been payable by the Company but for the existence of an Indemnifiable Circumstance; provided, however, that the extent of the Guarantor’s aggregate liability under this Section 13 shall not at any time exceed the amount (but for any Indemnifiable Circumstance) otherwise guaranteed pursuant to Section 2.

 

[Remainder of Page Intentionally Left Blank]

  

- 13 -

  

 

In Witness Whereof, the undersigned has caused this Guaranty to be duly executed by an authorized representative as of this ___ day of ___________, 2010.

 

	
  

	
The Care of Trees, Inc.

	
  

	
By:

	
  

	
Name:

	
  

	
Title: 

 

	
  

	
Davey Tree Surgery Company

 

	
  

	
By:

	
  

	
Name:

	
  

	
Title:

	
  

	
Wolf Tree Inc.

	
  

	
By:

	
  

	
Name:

	
  

	
Title: 

  

- 14 -

  

	
  

	
Accepted and Agreed:

	
  

	
The Davey Tree Expert Company

 

	
  

	
By:

	
  

	
Name:

	
  

	
Title: 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

- 15 -

  

Exhibit A

 

Guaranty Supplement

 

	
  

	
To the Holders of the Notes, (as hereinafter defined) of The Davey Tree Expert Company (the “Company”)

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

Whereas, in order to refinance certain debt and for general corporate purposes, the Company issued $30,000,000 aggregate principal amount of 5.09% Senior Notes, Series A, due July 22, 2020 (the “Notes”) pursuant to that certain Master Note Purchase Agreement dated as of July 22, 2010 (the “Note Purchase Agreement”) among the Company and each of the purchasers named on Schedule A thereto (the “Initial Note Purchasers”).

 

Whereas, as a condition precedent to their purchase of the Notes, the Initial Note Purchasers required that certain subsidiaries of the Company enter into a Guaranty Agreement as security for the Notes (the “Guaranty”).

 

Pursuant to Section 9.8 of the Note Purchase Agreement, the Company has agreed to cause the undersigned, ______________, a ______________ organized under the laws of _______________ (the “Additional Guarantor”), to join in the Guaranty.  In accordance with the requirements of the Guaranty, the Additional Guarantor desires to amend the definition of Guarantor (as the same may have been heretofore amended) set forth in the Guaranty attached hereto so that at all times from and after the date hereof, the Additional Guarantor shall be jointly and severally liable as set forth in the Guaranty for the obligations of the Company under the Note Purchase Agreement and Notes to the extent and in the manner set forth in the Guaranty.  Capitalized terms used herein shall have the meanings set forth in the Guaranty unless herein defined or the context shall otherwise require.

 

Any and all notices, requests, certificates and other instruments (including the Notes) may refer to the Guaranty without making specific reference to this Guaranty Supplement, but nevertheless all such references shall be deemed to include this Guaranty Supplement unless the context shall otherwise require.

 

Dated:  _________________, _____.

	
  

	
[Name of Additional Guarantor]

	
  

	
By ____________________________

	
  

	
Name: _______________________

	
  

	
Title: ________________________

Exhibit A-1

  

  

  

Form of Opinion of Special Counsel

to the Company

 

(See attached)

 

Exhibit 4.4(a)

(to Note Purchase Agreement) 

  

  

  

 

Form of Opinion of Special Counsel

to the Company

 

The following opinions are to be provided by counsel for the Company and the Subsidiary Guarantors, subject to customary assumptions, limitations and qualifications.  All capitalized terms used herein without definition shall have the meanings ascribed thereto in the Note Purchase Agreement.

 

1.The Company is a corporation, duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of Ohio and has the corporate power and authority to conduct its business as currently conducted and currently proposed to be conducted, to execute and deliver the Note Purchase Agreement and the Notes and to perform the provisions thereof.

 

2.Each Subsidiary Guarantor is a corporation, duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of its state of orgnization, has the corporate  power and authority to conduct its business as currently conducted and currently proposed to be conducted and to execute and deliver the Subsidiary Guaranty and to perform the provisions thereof.

 

3.The Company is duly licensed or qualified and is in good standing as a foreign corporation in each jurisdiction in which the character of the properties owned or leased by it or the nature of the business transacted by it makes such licensing or qualification necessary.

 

4.The Note Purchase Agreement has been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action on the part of the Company, has been executed and delivered by the Company and constitutes a legal, valid and binding agreement of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms.

 

5.The Notes being purchased by you at the Closing have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action on the part of the Company, have been executed and delivered by the Company and constitute legal, valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms.

 

6.The Subsidiary Guaranty has been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action on the part of each Subsidiary Guarantor, has been executed and delivered by each Subsidiary Guarantor and constitutes a legal, valid and binding agreement of each Subsidiary Guarantor, enforceable against each Subsidiary Guarantor in accordance with its terms.

 

7.No consent, approval or authorization of, or registration, filing or declaration with, any Governmental Authority by the Company is required in connection with the execution, delivery or performance by the Company of the Note Purchase Agreement or the Notes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

  8.No consent, approval or authorization of, or registration, filing or declaration with, any Governmental Authority by any Subsidiary Guarantor is required in connection with the execution, delivery or performance by each Subsidiary Guarantor of the Subsidiary Guaranty.

 

9.The issuance, sale and delivery of the Notes under the circumstances contemplated by the Note Purchase Agreement does not, under existing law, require the registration of the Notes under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the qualification of an indenture under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended. 

 

10.The execution, delivery and performance by the Company of the Note Purchase Agreement and the Notes does not (a) contravene, result in any breach of, or constitute a default under, or result in the creation of any Lien in respect of any property of the Company under, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan, purchase or credit agreement, lease, corporate charter, memorandum and articles of association, by-laws or other constituent document or any other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any Subsidiary is bound or by which the Company or any Subsidiary or any of their respective properties may be bound or affected, (b) conflict with or result in a breach of any of the terms, conditions or provisions of any order, judgment, decree or ruling of any court, arbitrator or Governmental Authority applicable to the Company or any Subsidiary or (c) violate any provision of any statute or other rule or regulation of any Governmental Authority applicable to the Company or any Subsidiary.

 

11.The execution, delivery and performance by each Subsidiary Guarantor of the Subsidiary Guaranty does not conflict with or result in any breach of any of the provisions of or constitute a default under or result in the creation or imposition of any Lien upon any of the property of such Subsidiary Guarantor pursuant to the provisions of the charter documents of such Subsidiary Guarantor or any agreement or other instrument known to such counsel to which of such Subsidiary Guarantor is a party or by which of such Subsidiary Guarantor may be bound or any Federal, state or local law.  

 

12.The Company is not an “investment company” or a company directly or indirectly “controlled” by or acting on behalf of an “investment company” within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.

 

13.None of the transactions contemplated by the Note Purchase Agreement (including, without limitation, the issuance of the Notes and the use of the proceeds from the sale of the Notes) will violate or result in a violation of Regulation T, U or X of the Board of Governors of the United States Federal Reserve System.

 

The opinion shall cover such other matters relating to the sale of the Notes as the Purchasers may reasonably request.  With respect to matters of fact on which such opinion is based, counsel shall be entitled to rely on appropriate certificates of public officials and officers of the Company and the Subsidiary Guarantors.  

 

 

 

 

 

The Purchasers, together with subsequent holders of the Notes, may rely on the opinion of the opinion.  Each holder of a Note may furnish a copy of the opinion (but no such person shall be entitled to rely thereon) (i) to independent auditors and attorneys, (ii) to any state or federal authority or independent banking, insurance board or body having regulatory jurisdiction over it (including, without limitation, the NAIC), (iii) pursuant to order or legal process of any court or governmental agency, (iv) in connection with any legal action to which a holder of a Note is a party arising out of or in respect of any Note or the Note Purchase Agreement and (v) prospective transferees of the Notes.

  

  

  

Form of Opinion of Special Counsel

to the Purchasers

 

(Delivered to Purchasers Only)

Exhibit 4.4(b)

(to Note Purchase Agreement)ex10-2.htm

Exhibit 10.2

 

EXECUTION VERSION

AMENDMENT NO. 2 TO AMENDED AND RESTATED CREDIT AGREEMENT

This Amendment No. 2 to Amended and Restated Credit Agreement (this “Amendment”) is dated as of July 22, 2010, by and among THE DAVEY TREE EXPERT COMPANY, an Ohio corporation (“Borrower”), the lenders party to the Credit Agreement, as hereinafter defined (the “Banks”), and KEYBANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, as agent for the Banks (“Agent”).

WHEREAS, Borrower, Agent and the Banks are parties to a certain Amended and Restated Credit Agreement, dated as of November 21, 2006, which provides, among other things, for revolving loans, letters of credit and other financial accommodations, all upon certain terms and conditions stated therein (as amended and as the same may from time to time be further amended, restated or otherwise modified, the “Credit Agreement”); and

WHEREAS, Borrower, Agent and the Banks desire to amend the Credit Agreement to modify certain provisions thereof;

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and of the mutual covenants herein contained and for other valuable considerations, Borrower, Agent and the Banks hereby agree as follows:

Section 1.   Definitions.  Each capitalized term used herein and not otherwise defined in this Amendment shall be defined in accordance with the Credit Agreement.

 

Section 2.   Amendments.

 

2.1 Schedule 1.  The Credit Agreement is hereby amended to delete the Schedule 1 therefrom in its entirety and to insert in place thereof the Schedule 1 attached hereto as Exhibit A.

 

2.2 Schedule 2.  The Credit Agreement is hereby amended to delete the Schedule 2 therefrom in its entirety and to insert in place thereof the Schedule 2 attached hereto as Exhibit B.

 

2.3 Amendment to Article I.  Article I of the Credit Agreement is hereby amended to delete the heading “DEFINITIONS” therefrom and to insert in its place “SECTION 1.1 DEFINITIONS”.

 

2.4 Deletion of Definitions. Article I of the Credit Agreement is hereby amended to delete the definitions of “Term Loan”, “Term Loan Commitment”, “Term Loan Draw Date”, “Term Loan Draw Period”, “Term Loan Maturity Date”, “Term Note”, and “Total Term Loan Commitment Amount” therefrom in their entirety.

 

2.5 Addition of Definitions.  Article I of the Credit Agreement is hereby amended to add the following definitions thereto in appropriate alphabetical order:

 

  

  

  

 "Amendment No. 2” shall mean the Amendment No. 2 to Amended and Restated Credit Agreement, dated as of July 22, 2010, among Borrower, Banks and Agent.

 

“Amendment No. 2 Effective Date” shall have the meaning assigned to such term in the  Amendment No. 2.

 

“Applicable Base Rate Margin” shall mean:

 

(a)           for the period from the Amendment No. 2 Effective Date through and including August 31, 2010, 0.0 basis points; and

 

(b)           commencing with the financial statements for the fiscal quarter ending June 30, 2010, the number of basis points set forth in the following matrix, based upon the result of the computation of the Leverage Ratio, shall be used to establish the number of basis points that will go into effect on September 1, 2010 and thereafter:

 

 

	
Leverage Ratio

	
Applicable Base Rate Margin

	
Greater than or equal to 1.50 to 1.00

	
25.0 basis points

	
Greater than or equal to 0.50 to 1.00 but less than 1.50 to 1.00

	
  0.0 basis points

	
Less than 0.50 to 1.00

	
  0.0 basis points

 

Changes to the Applicable Base Rate Margin shall be effective on the first day of the month following the date upon which Agent received, or, if earlier, Agent should have received, pursuant to Section 5.3 (a) or (b) hereof, the financial statements of the Companies. The above matrix does not modify or waive, in any respect, the requirements of Section 5.7 hereof, the rights of the Banks to charge the Default Rate, or the rights and remedies of Agent and the Banks pursuant to Articles VII and VIII hereof.  Notwithstanding the foregoing or anything else in this Agreement to the contrary, to the extent that any of the information contained in the financial statements required to be delivered hereunder shall be incorrect in any manner and as a result thereof (or for any other reason), the Leverage Ratio was determined incorrectly for any period, then Agent shall recalculate the Leverage Ratio based upon the correct information and shall recalculate the Applicable Base Rate Margin for the relevant periods and Borrower shall be required to pay on demand by Agent any amounts the Borrower should have paid had the Applicable Base Rate Margin been calculated correctly for such periods (or, to the extent that Borrower has paid any amounts in excess of the amounts Borrower should have paid, then the Banks shall credit such over-payment to the Debt owing by Borrower to each such Bank).

 

“Derived Base Rate” shall mean a rate per annum equal to the sum of the Applicable Base Rate Margin (from time to time in effect) plus the Base Rate.

 

“Master Note Purchase Agreement” shall mean that certain Master Note Purchase Agreement, dated as of July 22, 2010, by and among Borrower and the purchasers party thereto, pursuant to which Borrower issued and sold Thirty Million Dollars ($30,000,000)

 

  

  

  

in aggregate principal amount of its 5.09% Senior Notes, Series A, due July 22, 2020, as the same may from time to time be amended, restated or otherwise modified.

 

“Senior Note Purchase Agreements” shall mean (i) the Master Note Purchase Agreement and (ii) one additional note purchase agreement, by and among Borrower and the purchasers party thereto, pursuant to which Borrower issues and sells not greater than Thirty Million Dollars ($30,000,000) in aggregate principal amount of senior unsecured notes; provided that such additional note purchase agreement is entered into prior to June 29, 2012, in each case in form and substance acceptable to Agent; provided further that the aggregate amount of the Master Note Purchase Agreement when combined with any other note purchase agreement entered into in accordance with clause (ii) above, shall not at any point exceed Fifty Million Dollars ($50,000,000).

 

2.6 Amendment of Definitions.  Article I of the Credit Agreement is hereby amended to amend and restate the following definitions in their entirety as follows:

 

“Applicable Commitment Fee Rate” shall mean:

 

(a)           for the period prior to the Amendment No. 2 Effective Date through the day immediately prior to the Amendment No. 2 Effective Date, the number of basis points as provided for in this Agreement without giving effect to the Amendment No. 2;

 

(b)           for the period from the Amendment No. 2 Effective Date through and including August 31, 2010, 20.0 basis points; and

 

(c)           commencing with the financial statements for the fiscal quarter ending June 30, 2010, the number of basis points set forth in the following matrix, based upon the result of the computation of the Leverage Ratio, shall be used to establish the number of basis points that will go into effect on September 1, 2010 and thereafter:

 

	
   Leverage Ratio

	
Applicable Commitment Fee Rate

	
Greater than or equal to 1.50 to 1.00

	
30.0 basis points

	
Greater than or equal to 0.50 to 1.00 but less than 1.50 to 1.00

	
20.0 basis points

	
Less than 0.50 to 1.00

	
20.0 basis points

 

Changes to the Applicable Commitment Fee Rate shall be effective on the first day of the month following the date upon which Agent received, or, if earlier, Agent should have received, pursuant to Section 5.3 (a) or (b) hereof, the financial statements of the Companies.  The above matrix does not modify or waive, in any respect, the requirements of Section 5.7 hereof, the rights of the Banks to charge the Default Rate, or the rights and remedies of Agent and the Banks pursuant to Articles VII and VIII hereof.  Notwithstanding the foregoing or anything else in this Agreement to the contrary, to the extent that any of the information contained in the financial statements required to be

 

  

  

  

 

delivered hereunder shall be incorrect in any manner and as a result thereof (or for any other reason), the Leverage Ratio was determined incorrectly for any period, then Agent shall recalculate the Leverage Ratio based upon the correct information and shall recalculate the Applicable Commitment Fee Rate for the relevant periods and Borrower shall be required to pay on demand by Agent any amounts the Borrower should have paid had the Applicable Commitment Fee Rate been calculated correctly for such periods (or, to the extent that Borrower has paid any amounts in excess of the amounts Borrower should have paid, then the Banks shall credit such over-payment to the Debt owing by Borrower to each such Bank).

 

“Applicable LIBOR Margin” shall mean:

 

(a)           for the period prior to the Amendment No. 2 Effective Date through the day immediately prior to the Amendment No. 2 Effective Date, the number of basis points as provided for in this Agreement without giving effect to the Amendment No. 2;

 

(b)           for the period from the Amendment No. 2 Effective Date through and including August 31, 2010, 150.0 basis points; and

 

(c)           commencing with the financial statements for the fiscal quarter ending June 30, 2010, the number of basis points set forth in the following matrix, based upon the result of the computation of the Leverage Ratio, shall be used to establish the number of basis points that will go into effect on September 1, 2010 and thereafter:

 

	
   Leverage Ratio

	
Applicable LIBOR Margin

	
Greater than or equal to 1.50 to 1.00

	
175.0 basis points

	
Greater than or equal to 0.50 to 1.00 but less than 1.50 to 1.00

	
150.0 basis points

	
Less than 0.50 to 1.00

	
125.0 basis points

 

Changes to the Applicable LIBOR Margin shall be effective on the first day of the month following the date upon which Agent received, or, if earlier, Agent should have received, pursuant to Section 5.3 (a) or (b) hereof, the financial statements of the Companies. The above matrix does not modify or waive, in any respect, the requirements of Section 5.7 hereof, the rights of the Banks to charge the Default Rate, or the rights and remedies of Agent and the Banks pursuant to Articles VII and VIII hereof.  Notwithstanding the foregoing or anything else in this Agreement to the contrary, to the extent that any of the information contained in the financial statements required to be delivered hereunder shall be incorrect in any manner and as a result thereof (or for any other reason), the Leverage Ratio was determined incorrectly for any period, then Agent shall recalculate the Leverage Ratio based upon the correct information and shall recalculate the Applicable LIBOR Margin for the relevant periods and Borrower shall be required to pay on demand by Agent any amounts the Borrower should have paid had the Applicable LIBOR Margin been calculated correctly for such periods (or, to the extent that Borrower has paid any

 

  

  

  

 

amounts in excess of the amounts Borrower should have paid, then the Banks shall credit such over-payment to the Debt owing by Borrower to each such Bank).

 

“Base Rate” shall mean a rate per annum equal to the greatest of (a) the Prime Rate or (b) one-half of one percent (1/2%) in excess of the Federal Funds Effective Rate and (c) the applicable LIBOR Rate for a LIBOR Loan made that day with a one month Interest Period, plus 1.50% per annum..  Any change in the Base Rate shall be effective immediately from and after such change in the Base Rate.

 

“Change in Control” shall mean (a) the acquisition, or, if earlier, the shareholder or director approval of the acquisition, ownership or voting control, directly or indirectly, beneficially or of record, on or after the Restatement Date, by any Person or group (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 of the SEC under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as then in effect), of shares representing more than thirty-three percent (33%) of the aggregate ordinary Voting Power represented by the issued and outstanding capital stock of Borrower; (b) the occupation of a majority of the seats (other than vacant seats) on the board of directors of Borrower by Persons who were neither (i) nominated by the board of directors of Borrower nor (ii) appointed by directors so nominated; or (c) the approval by the shareholders or directors of Borrower of a plan of complete liquidation of Borrower or an agreement or agreements for the sale or disposition by Borrower of all or substantially all of Borrower’s assets; provided that purchases or other acquisitions of Equity Interests by, and sales or other transfers of Equity Interests to or within the Davey ESOP in accordance with its terms shall not be deemed or construed to cause, trigger or otherwise result in a Change in Control.

 

“Commitment” shall mean the obligation hereunder of the Banks to make Loans pursuant to the Revolving Credit Commitments and to participate in the issuance of Letters of Credit up to the Total Commitment Amount.

 

“Commitment Period” shall mean the period from the Original Closing Date to December 19, 2014, or such earlier date on which the Commitment shall have been terminated pursuant to Article VIII hereof.

 

 “Note” shall mean any Revolving Credit Note or any other note delivered pursuant to this Agreement.

 

“Total Commitment Amount” shall mean, at any time, the Total Revolving Commitment Amount.

 

2.7 Amendment to Article I.  Article I of the Credit Agreement is hereby amended to add at the end thereof, the following new Section 1.2:

 

SECTION 1.2   ACCOUNTING PRINCIPLES.  Should any changes in U.S. generally accepted principles from those used in the preparation of the audited consolidated financial statements of Borrower referred to in Section 5.3(b) occur by reason of any change in the rules, regulations, pronouncements, opinion or other requirements of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) (or any successor thereto or agency with similar function), or if Borrower adopts the International Financial

 

  

  

  

Reporting Standards, and such change in accounting principles and/or adoption of such standards results in a change in the method or results of calculation of financial covenants and/or defined terms contained in this Agreement, then at the option of the Required Banks or Borrower, the parties will enter into good faith negotiations to amend such financial covenants and/or defined terms in such manner as the parties shall agree, each acting reasonably, in order to reflect fairly such changes and/or adoption so that the criteria for evaluating the financial condition of Borrower shall be the same in commercial effect after, as well as before, such changes and/or adoption are made (in which case the method and calculation of financial covenants and/or defined terms related thereto hereunder shall be determined in the manner so agreed); provided that, until so amended, such calculations shall continue to be computed in accordance with GAAP prior to such change therein or adoption.

 

2.8 Amendment to Section 2.1.  Section 2.1 of the Credit Agreement is hereby amended to delete the third paragraph therefrom in its entirety and to insert in place thereof the following:

 

Each borrowing from the Banks hereunder shall be made pro rata according to the Banks’ respective Commitment Percentages. The Loans may be made as Revolving Loans, and Letters of Credit may be issued, as follows:

 

2.9 Amendment to Section 2.1B.  Section 2.1B of the Credit Agreement is hereby amended and restated in its entirety as follows:

 

[Reserved.]

 

2.10 Amendment to Section 2.4.  Section 2.4 of the Credit Agreement is hereby amended to delete the final sentence therefrom in its entirety.

 

2.11 Amendment to Section 2.5  Section 2.5 of the Credit Agreement is hereby amended to delete the final paragraph therefrom in its entirety and to replace it with the following:

 

On the effective date of any increase in the Total Revolving Commitment Amount in accordance with this Section, Schedule 1 hereto shall be deemed automatically amended to reflect the new Revolving Credit Commitments and Commitment Percentages of each Bank.  For the avoidance of doubt, with respect to any increases in the Total Revolving Commitment Amount provided for in accordance with this Section prior to the Amendment No. 2 Effective Date, such increased Total Revolving Commitment Amount shall be deemed to be replaced in full, as of the Amendment No. 2 Effective Date, by the Total Revolving Commitment Amount as identified on Exhibit A to the Amendment No. 2.

 

2.12 Amendment to Section 5.7.  Section 5.7 of the Credit Agreement is hereby amended and restated in its entirety to read as follows:

 

SECTION 5.7         FINANCIAL COVENANTS.

 

  

  

  

(a)           LEVERAGE RATIO.  Borrower shall not suffer or permit at any time the Leverage Ratio to exceed 2.50 to 1.00.

 

(b)           BALANCE SHEET LEVERAGE RATIO.  Borrower shall not suffer or permit at any time the Balance Sheet Leverage Ratio to exceed 0.60 to 1.00.

 

Notwithstanding anything contained in this Section 5.7 to the contrary, in the event any Material Indebtedness Agreement of Borrower evidencing Indebtedness in an original principal amount of $5,000,000 or more contains a Leverage Ratio, Balance Sheet Leverage Ratio or other financial covenant more restrictive than contained in this Section 5.7 (a “More Restrictive Covenant”), this Agreement shall be deemed to have been amended to include such More Restrictive Covenant (including any amendments thereto that are more restrictive than the initial More Restrictive Covenant) in place of or in addition to the covenants contained herein as of the date such More Restrictive Covenant first became binding on Borrower; provided, however, that so long as no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing (i) upon (x) the satisfaction of all Indebtedness evidenced by or incurred pursuant to any such Material Indebtedness Agreement and (y) effective upon the delivery of a Compliance Certificate in accordance with Section 5.3(c) for the period in which such Indebtedness has been satisfied in full, reflecting compliance with such More Restrictive Covenant during such period, any such covenant so incorporated herein shall be deemed deleted and the provisions hereof shall thereupon be those in effect prior to the date such More Restrictive Covenant first became binding on Borrower, (ii) upon (x) the amendment of any More Restrictive Covenant by the holder of such Indebtedness in a manner that is less restrictive, but remains more restrictive than contained in this Section 5.7 as of the date immediately prior to the date such More Restrictive Covenant became effective hereunder (an “Amended More Restrictive Covenant”) and (y) effective upon the delivery of a Compliance Certificate in accordance with Section 5.3(c) for the period in which such Amended More Restrictive Covenant is to become binding on Borrower, reflecting compliance with such More Restrictive Covenant during such period, this Agreement shall be deemed to include such Amended More Restrictive Covenant and the More Restrictive Covenant amended by such Amended Restrictive Covenant shall be deemed deleted, and (iii) upon (x) the amendment of any More Restrictive Covenant or Amended More Restrictive Covenant in a manner that is less restrictive than contained in this Section 5.7 and (y) effective upon the delivery of a Compliance Certificate in accordance with Section 5.3(c) for the period in which such amendment is to become binding on Borrower, reflecting compliance with such More Restrictive Covenant or Amended More Restrictive Covenant during such period, any such covenant so incorporated herein shall be deemed deleted and the provisions hereof shall thereupon be those in effect prior to the date such More Restrictive Covenant first became binding on Borrower.

 

2.13 Amendment to Section 5.8(d).  Section 5.8(d) of the Credit Agreement is hereby amended and restated in its entirety to read as follows:

 

(d)           unsecured Indebtedness incurred under lines of credit established by Agent or other financial institutions customarily engaged in the business of lending

 

  

  

  

money; provided, however, that the maximum amount of Indebtedness permitted by this subpart (d) shall at no time exceed Fifteen Million Dollars ($15,000,000);

 

2.14 Amendment to Section 5.8(i).  Section 5.8(i) of the Credit Agreement is hereby amended and restated in its entirety to read as follows:

 

(i)           any (i) loans granted to a Company for the purchase of fixed assts, or (ii) Indebtedness incurred by a Company in connection with any capital leases, so long as the aggregate amount of all such loans and capital leases for all Companies (excluding capital leases between the Borrower or a Subsidiary Guarantor and a Subsidiary Guarantor) does not exceed Twelve Million Dollars ($12,000,000) at any time; and

 

2.15 Amendment to Section 5.8. Section 5.8 of the Credit Agreement is hereby amended to delete the word “and” after clause (i), delete “.” at the end of clause (j) and insert in its place “; and” and to add the following new clause (k) thereto:

 

(k)           unsecured Indebtedness issued pursuant to the Senior Note Purchase Agreements, and all guaranties by any Company of such Indebtedness.

 

2.16 Amendment to Section 5.9(d).  Section 5.9(d) of the Credit Agreement is hereby amended to delete the words “Section 5.8(j)” therefrom and to insert in place thereof the words “Section 5.8(i)”.

 

2.17 Amendment to Section 5.9.  Section 5.9 of the Credit Agreement is hereby amended to delete the final sentence thereof and to insert in its place the following:

 

No Company shall enter into any contract or agreement that would prohibit Agent or the Banks from acquiring a security interest, mortgage or other Lien on, or a collateral assignment of, any of the property or assets of a Company; provided, however, that nothing herein contained shall be deemed or construed to prohibit Agent or any of the Banks, as the case may be, from entering into a sharing or intercreditor agreement in commercially customary form under which any such security interest, mortgage or other Lien on, or collateral assignment of, any such property or assets of a Company shall be shared equally and ratably between and among Agent, each of the Banks, as the case may be, and the holders of the Notes issued and outstanding under either of the Senior Note Purchase Agreements if and to the extent any Indebtedness due and owing to Agent or any of the Banks has been or is to be issued and outstanding under Section 10.3 of either of the Senior Note Purchase Agreements and such security interest, mortgage or other Lien on or collateral assignment of any such property or assets has been or is to be created or incurred within the limitations of Section 10.4(i) of either of the Senior Note Purchase Agreements.

 

2.18 Amendment to Section 5.11(ix).  Clause (ix) of Section 5.11 to the Credit Agreement is hereby amended by deleting it in its entirety and replacing it with the following new clause (ix):

 

(ix) Sales, contributions or transfers of assets and or/Acquisitions made by the Companies pursuant to Section 5.12(b) or Section 5.13 hereof, and the creation of

 

  

  

  

Subsidiaries in connection therewith and/or for the purposes of managing tax and/or regulatory matters so long as each such Subsidiary becomes a Guarantor of Payment if required pursuant to Section 5.20 hereof;

 

2.19 Amendment to Section 5.12(b).  Section 5.12(b) of the Credit Agreement is hereby amended by deleting it in its entirety and replacing it with the following new Section 5.12(b):

 

(b) Borrower or any Subsidiary may sell, lease, contribute, transfer or otherwise dispose of any of its assets to (i) Borrower (in the case of sales, leases, contributions, transfers or other dispositions by any Subsidiary) (ii) any Wholly-Owned Subsidiary that is a Guarantor of Payment, or (iii) any Guarantor of Payment, of which Borrower and/or one or more Wholly-Owned Subsidiaries, that are Guarantors of Payment, shall own not less than the same percentage of Voting Power as Borrower and/or one or more Wholly-Owned Subsidiaries (that are Guarantors of Payment) then own of the Subsidiary making such sale, lease, contribution, transfer or other disposition.

 

2.20 Amendment to Section 5.13.  Section 5.13 of the Credit Agreement is hereby amended by deleting the words “Restatement Date” therefrom and inserting in place thereof the words “Amendment No. 2 Effective Date.”

 

2.21 Amendment to Section 5.16.  Section 5.16 of the Credit Agreement is hereby amended by deleting it in its entirety and replacing it with the following new Section 5.16:

 

SECTION 5.16    AFFILIATE TRANSACTIONS.  No Company shall, or shall permit any Subsidiary to, directly or indirectly, enter into or permit to exist any material transaction (including, without limitation, the purchase, sale, lease or exchange of any property or the rendering of any service) with any Affiliate of a Company on terms that are less favorable to such Company or such Subsidiary, as the case may be, than those that might be obtained at the time in a transaction with a non-Affiliate; provided, however, that the foregoing shall not prohibit the payment of customary and reasonable directors’ fees to directors who are not employees of a Company or any Affiliate of a Company or any transaction permitted under Sections 5.11, 5.12 or 5.13.

 

2.22 Amendment to Section 6.10.  Section 6.10 of the Credit Agreement is hereby amended by deleting it in its entirety and replacing it with the following new Section 6.10:

 

SECTION 6.10    EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS.  Schedule 6.10 hereto identifies each ERISA Plan.  Since the Restatement Date, no ERISA Event has occurred or is expected to occur with respect to an ERISA Plan that could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.  Full payment has been made of all amounts which a Controlled Group member is required, under applicable law or under the governing documents, to have been paid as a contribution to or a benefit under each ERISA Plan.  The liability of each Controlled Group member with respect to each ERISA Plan has been fully funded based upon reasonable and proper actuarial assumptions, has been fully insured, or has been fully reserved for on its financial statements.  No changes have occurred or are expected to occur that would cause a material increase in the cost of

 

  

  

  

providing benefits under the ERISA Plan that could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.  With respect to each ERISA Plan that is intended to be qualified under Code Section 401(a):  (a) the ERISA Plan and any associated trust operationally comply with the applicable requirements of Code Section 401(a), (b) the ERISA Plan and any associated trust have been amended to comply with all such requirements as currently in effect, other than those requirements for which a retroactive amendment can be made within the “remedial amendment period” available under Code Section 401(b) (as extended under Treasury Regulations and other Treasury pronouncements upon which taxpayers may rely), (c) the ERISA Plan and any associated trust have received a favorable determination letter from the Internal Revenue Service stating that the ERISA Plan qualifies under Code Section 401(a), that the associated trust qualifies under Code Section 501(a) and, if applicable, that any cash or deferred arrangement under the ERISA Plan qualifies under Code Section 401(k), unless the ERISA Plan was first adopted at a time for which the above-described “remedial amendment period” has not yet expired, (d) the ERISA Plan currently satisfies the requirements of Code Section 410(b), without regard to any retroactive amendment that may be made within the above-described “remedial amendment period”, and (e) no contribution made to the ERISA Plan is subject to an excise tax under Code Section 4972.  With respect to all Pension Plans, the aggregate “accumulated benefit obligation” of Controlled Group members with respect to such Pension Plans (as determined in accordance with Statement of Accounting Standards No. 87, “Employers’ Accounting for Pensions”) does not exceed the aggregate fair market value of all Pension Plan assets by more than 15% of Consolidated Net Worth. If all Controlled Group members withdrew from all Multiemployer Plans in a “complete withdrawal” (within the meaning of ERISA Section 4203) such withdrawal would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

Section 3.   Effectiveness.  This Amendment shall be effective on the date (the  “Amendment No. 2 Effective Date”) upon which the following conditions are satisfied:

 

3.1 Delivery.  This Amendment shall have been executed by Borrower, Agent and each Bank, and counterparts hereof as so executed shall have been delivered to Agent, and each Guarantor of Payment shall have acknowledged the terms hereof.

 

3.2 Notes.  Borrower shall have executed and delivered to each Bank, if so requested, its Revolving Credit Note or a replacement Revolving Credit Note.

 

3.3 Master Note Purchase Agreement. Borrower shall have delivered to Agent a fully executed copy of the Master Note Purchase Agreement.

 

3.4 Banks.  Agent shall have received fully executed Assignment Agreements, including the fees associated therewith, for each Bank listed on Schedule 1 to the Credit Agreement (as amended by this Amendment) that is not a Bank to the Credit Agreement prior to the effective date of this Amendment.

 

 

  

  

  

3.5 Legal Opinion.  Borrower shall have delivered to Agent an opinion of counsel for Borrower and each Guarantor of Payment, in form and substance satisfactory to Agent and the Banks.

 

3.6 Officer’s Certificate, Resolutions, Organizational Documents.  Borrower and each Guarantor of Payment shall have delivered to each Bank an officer’s certificate certifying the names of the officers of Borrower or such Guarantor of Payment authorized to sign the Amendment and the Notes, as applicable, together with the true signatures of such officers and certified copies of (a) the resolutions of the board of directors of Borrower and each Guarantor of Payment evidencing approval of the execution and delivery of the Amendment and the Notes, as applicable, and (b) the Organizational Documents of Borrower and each Guarantor of Payment.

 

3.7 Good Standing Certificates.  Borrower shall have delivered to Agent a good standing certificate for Borrower and each Guarantor of Payment, issued on or about the Restatement Date by the Secretaries of State of Ohio and California

 

3.8 Fees and Expenses.  Borrower shall have paid (i) to the Agent, for the benefit of the Lenders, in immediately available funds, an amendment fee equal to 25 basis points multiplied by the sum of the outstanding Revolving Credit Commitments as of the date of this Amendment and (ii) all costs, fees and expenses in connection with the preparation and negotiation of this Amendment and the other documents being executed or delivered in connection therewith in accordance with the terms of the Credit Agreement, including, without limitation, the fees and expenses of legal counsel.

 

3.9 No Default.  After giving effect to this Amendment, all of the representations and warranties set forth in Section 4 below and in the Credit Agreement will be true and correct and no Default or Event of Default shall exist.

 

Section 4.   Representations and Warranties.  Borrower hereby represents and warrants to Agent and the Banks that (a) Borrower has the legal power and authority to execute and deliver this Amendment, (b) the officers executing this Amendment have been duly authorized to execute and deliver the same and bind Borrower with respect to the provisions hereof, (c) the execution and delivery hereof by Borrower and the performance and observance by Borrower of the provisions hereof do not violate or conflict with the organizational agreements of Borrower or any law applicable to Borrower or result in a breach of any provision of or constitute a default under any other agreement, instrument or document binding upon or enforceable against Borrower, (d) no Default or Event of Default exists under the Credit Agreement, nor will any occur immediately after the execution and delivery of this Amendment or by the performance or observance of any provision hereof, (e) Borrower is not aware of any claim or offset against, or defense or counterclaim to, any of Borrower’s obligations or liabilities under the Credit Agreement or any Related Writing, and (f) this Amendment constitutes a valid and binding obligation of Borrower in every respect, enforceable in accordance with its terms.

 

Section 5.   Miscellaneous.

 

5.1 Waiver.  Borrower, by signing below, hereby waives and releases Agent and each of the Banks and their respective directors, officers, employees, attorneys, affiliates and

 

  

  

  

 subsidiaries from any and all claims, offsets, defenses and counterclaims of which Borrower is aware, such waiver and release being with full knowledge and understanding of the circumstances and effect thereof and after having consulted legal counsel with respect thereto.

 

5.2 Credit Agreement Unaffected.  Each reference that is made in the Credit Agreement or any Related Writing to the Credit Agreement shall hereafter be construed as a reference to the Credit Agreement as amended hereby.  Except as herein otherwise specifically provided, all provisions of the Credit Agreement shall remain in full force and effect and be unaffected hereby.  This Amendment is a Related Writing, as defined in the Credit Agreement.

 

5.3 Counterparts.     This Amendment may be executed in any number of counterparts, by different parties hereto in separate counterparts and by facsimile signature, each of which when so executed and delivered shall be deemed to be an original and all of which taken together shall constitute but one and the same agreement.

 

5.4 Governing Law.  The rights and obligations of all parties hereto shall be governed by the laws of the State of Ohio, without regard to principles of conflicts of laws.

 

[Remainder of page intentionally left blank.]

  

  

  

5.5 JURY TRIAL WAIVER.  BORROWER, AGENT AND EACH OF THE BANKS HEREBY WAIVE ANY RIGHT TO HAVE A JURY PARTICIPATE IN RESOLVING ANY DISPUTE, WHETHER SOUNDING IN CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, AMONG BORROWER, AGENT AND THE BANKS, OR ANY THEREOF, ARISING OUT OF, IN CONNECTION WITH, RELATED TO, OR INCIDENTAL TO THE RELATIONSHIP ESTABLISHED AMONG THEM IN CONNECTION WITH THIS AGREEMENT OR ANY NOTE OR OTHER INSTRUMENT, DOCUMENT OR AGREEMENT EXECUTED OR DELIVERED IN CONNECTION HEREWITH OR THE TRANSACTIONS RELATED THERETO.

 

THE DAVEY TREE EXPERT COMPANY

By: /s/ David E. Adante 

Name: David E. Adante 

Title: Executive Vice President, CFO & Secretary

                                                

and  /s/ Joseph R. Paul 

Name: Joseph R. Paul                                           

Title: Treasurer 

KEYBANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION,

as Agent and as a Bank

By: /s/ James A. Gelle 

Name: /s/ James A. Gelle                                                                

Title: Vice President 

FIRSTMERIT BANK, N.A.

By: /s/ Robert G. Morlan 

Name: Robert G. Morlan 

Title: Senior Vice President 

PNC BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION

By: /s/ Joseph G. Moran 

Name: Joseph G. Moran 

Title: Sr. Vice President                                                                

WELLS FARGO BANK, N.A.

By: /s/ Andrew T. Cavallari                                                                

Name: Andrew T. Cavallari                                                                

Title: Vice President 

  

  

  

GUARANTOR ACKNOWLEDGMENT AND AGREEMENT

The undersigned consents and agrees to and acknowledges the terms of the foregoing Amendment No. 2 to Credit Agreement. The undersigned further agrees that the obligations of the undersigned pursuant to the Guaranty of Payment executed by the undersigned shall remain in full force and effect and be unaffected hereby.

The undersigned hereby waives and releases Agent and each of the Banks and their respective directors, officers, employees, attorneys, affiliates and subsidiaries from any and all claims, offsets, defenses and counterclaims of which the undersigned is aware, such waiver and release being with full knowledge and understanding of the circumstances and effect thereof and after having consulted legal counsel with respect thereto.

JURY TRIAL WAIVER.  THE UNDERSIGNED, AGENT AND EACH OF THE BANKS HEREBY WAIVE ANY RIGHT TO HAVE A JURY PARTICIPATE IN RESOLVING ANY DISPUTE, WHETHER SOUNDING IN CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, AMONG BORROWER, THE UNDERSIGNED, AGENT AND THE BANKS, OR ANY THEREOF, ARISING OUT OF, IN CONNECTION WITH, RELATED TO, OR INCIDENTAL TO THE RELATIONSHIP ESTABLISHED AMONG THEM IN CONNECTION WITH THIS AGREEMENT OR ANY NOTE OR OTHER INSTRUMENT, DOCUMENT OR AGREEMENT EXECUTED OR DELIVERED IN CONNECTION HEREWITH OR THE TRANSACTIONS RELATED THERETO.

 

THE DAVEY TREE EXPERT COMPANY

By: /s/ David E. Adante 

Name: David E. Adante 

Title: Executive Vice President, CFO & Secretary

 

WOLF TREE, INC.

By: /s/ Nicholas R. Sucic                                                                

Name: Nicholas R. Sucic                     

Title:  Controller

                                           

THE CARE OF TREES, INC.

By: /s/ Joseph R. Paul 

Name: Joseph R. Paul 

Title:  Treasurer

  

  

  

EXHIBIT A

SCHEDULE 1

 

	
 

BANKING INSTITUTIONS

	
COMMITMENT

PERCENTAGE

	
REVOLVING CREDIT

COMMITMENT AMOUNT

	  	  	  
	
KeyBank National Association

	
34.461156578571%

	
$48,245,619.21

	
Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.

	
26.065161842857%

	
$36,491,226.58

	
PNC Bank, National Association.

	
23.809523685714%

	
$33,333,333.16

	
FirstMerit Bank, N.A.

	
15.664157892857%

	
$21,929,821.05

	
Total Percentage

   Total Commitment Amount

	
100%

 

	
$140,000,000.00

  

  

  

EXHIBIT B

SCHEDULE 2

 

 

GUARANTORS OF PAYMENT

 

1.  Davey Tree Surgery Company, an Ohio corporation

 

2.  Wolf Tree, Inc., a Tennessee corporation

 

3.  The Care of Trees, Inc., an Illinois corporation

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