EX-10.1 2 tm226790d1_ex10-1.htm EXHIBIT 10.1

 

Exhibit 10.1

 

AMENDMENT NO. 1 TO AMENDED AND RESTATED CREDIT AGREEMENT

 

This AMENDMENT NO. 1 TO AMENDED AND RESTATED CREDIT AGREEMENT (this “Amendment”) dated as of February 14, 2022, is made by and among CARPENTER TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION, a Delaware corporation (“Carpenter”), BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., a national banking association organized and existing under the laws of the United States (“Bank of America”), in its capacity as administrative agent for the Lenders generally (in such capacity, the “Administrative Agent”), and each of the Lenders (defined below). Except as expressly provided herein, capitalized terms used but not otherwise defined herein have the respective meanings ascribed to them in the Credit Agreement, as defined below.

 

W I T N E S S E T H:

 

WHEREAS, the Borrower, Bank of America, as Administrative Agent, Swing Line Lender and L/C Issuer, and certain banks and other financial institutions (the “Lenders”) have entered into that Amended and Restated Credit Agreement dated as of March 26, 2021 (the “Credit Agreement”);

 

WHEREAS, the Borrower has notified the Administrative Agent that it anticipates being in default of the Interest Coverage Ratio covenant contained in Section 7.12(a) of the Credit Agreement for the Measurement Period ending March 31, 2022 and for certain Measurement Periods thereafter and has requested that the Lenders amend the Credit Agreement to provide relief from such covenant, and the Required Lenders are willing to so amend the Credit Agreement on the terms and conditions provided herein;

 

WHEREAS, certain loans and/or other extensions of credit (the “Loans”) under the Credit Agreement denominated in Sterling (the “Impacted Currency”) incur or are permitted to incur interest, fees, commissions or other amounts based on the London Interbank Offered Rate as administered by the ICE Benchmark Administration (“LIBOR”) in accordance with the terms of the Credit Agreement; and

 

WHEREAS, applicable parties under the Credit Agreement have determined in accordance with the Credit Agreement that LIBOR for the Impacted Currency should be replaced with a successor rate in accordance with the Credit Agreement and, in connection therewith, the Administrative Agent has determined that certain conforming changes are necessary or advisable.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the mutual covenants contained herein, and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto agree as follows:

 

1.         Amendments to Credit Agreement. Subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, the Credit Agreement shall be amended (i) to delete red or green stricken text (indicated textually in the same manner as the following examples: stricken text and stricken text) and (ii) to add the blue or green double-underlined text (indicated textually in the same manner as the following examples: double-underlined text and double-underlined text), in each case, as set forth in the conformed copy of the Credit Agreement attached hereto as Annex A. The amendments to the Credit Agreement are limited to the extent specifically described herein (including as set forth in Annex A) and no other terms, covenants or provisions of the Credit Agreement or any other Loan Document are intended to be affected hereby.

 

2.        Conditions Precedent. This Amendment shall become effective as of the first date when each of the following conditions shall have been satisfied:

 

 

 

 

(a)       the Administrative Agent shall have received counterparts of this Amendment, duly executed by the Borrower, the Administrative Agent and the Required Lenders, which counterparts may be delivered by facsimile or other electronic means, followed, in the case of the Borrower and each Guarantors, with originals as soon as reasonably practicable;

 

(b)       the Administrative Agent shall have received, for the benefit of each Lender providing a signature page hereto, an amendment fee in the amount of 0.05% of such Lender’s Commitment;

 

(c)       the Administrative Agent shall have received reimbursement from the Borrower for its costs incurred in connection with this Amendment and all reasonable fees and expenses of counsel to the Administrative Agent, to the extent billed, shall have been paid; and

 

(d)       the Administrative Agent shall have received such other documents, instruments, opinions, certifications, undertakings, further assurances and other matters as the Administrative Agent shall reasonably request on or prior to the date hereof.

 

3.         Representations and Warranties. In order to induce the Administrative Agent and the Lenders to enter into this Amendment, the Borrowers represent and warrant to the Administrative Agent and the Lenders as follows:

 

(a)       The representations and warranties contained in Article V of the Credit Agreement and in the other Loan Documents are true and correct in all material respects (except for those representations and warranties of the Borrowers that are qualified by materiality or a Material Adverse Effect qualifier, which representations and warranties shall be true in all respects) on and as of the date hereof, except to the extent that such representations and warranties specifically refer to an earlier date, in which case they are true and correct in all material respects (except for those representations and warranties of the Borrowers that are qualified by materiality or a Material Adverse Effect qualifier, which representations and warranties shall be true in all respects) as of such earlier date;

 

(b)       There are no Persons who are required to be Guarantors pursuant to the terms of the Credit Agreement and the other Loan Document as of the date hereof;

 

(c)       This Amendment has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Borrowers and the Guarantors party hereto and constitutes a legal, valid and binding obligation of such parties, except as may be limited by general principles of equity or by the effect of any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or similar law affecting creditors’ rights generally; and

 

(d)       No Default or Event of Default has occurred and is continuing.

 

4.        Entire Agreement. This Amendment, together with the Loan Documents (collectively, the “Relevant Documents”), sets forth the entire understanding and agreement of the parties hereto in relation to the subject matter hereof and supersedes any prior negotiations and agreements among the parties relating to such subject matter. No promise, condition, representation or warranty, express or implied, not set forth in the Relevant Documents shall bind any party hereto, and no such party has relied on any such promise, condition, representation or warranty. Each of the parties hereto acknowledges that, except as otherwise expressly stated in the Relevant Documents, no representations, warranties or commitments, express or implied, have been made by any party to the other in relation to the subject matter hereof or thereof. None of the terms or conditions of this Amendment may be changed, modified, waived or canceled orally or otherwise, except in writing and in accordance with Section 11.01 of the Credit Agreement.

 

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5.        Full Force and Effect of Amendment. Except as hereby specifically amended, modified or supplemented, the Credit Agreement and all other Loan Documents are hereby confirmed and ratified in all respects and shall be and remain in full force and effect according to their respective terms.

 

6.         Counterparts. This Amendment may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original as against any party whose signature appears thereon, and all of which shall together constitute one and the same instrument. Delivery of an executed counterpart of a signature page of this Amendment by telecopy, facsimile or other electronic transmission (including .pdf) shall be effective as delivery of a manually executed counterpart of this Amendment.

 

7.         Governing Law. This Amendment shall in all respects be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York.

 

8.         Enforceability. Should any one or more of the provisions of this Amendment be determined to be illegal or unenforceable as to one or more of the parties hereto, all other provisions nevertheless shall remain effective and binding on the parties hereto.

 

9.         References. All references in any of the Loan Documents to the “Credit Agreement” shall mean the Credit Agreement, as amended hereby.

 

10.      Successors and Assigns. This Amendment shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the Borrowers, the Administrative Agent, the Guarantors, the Lenders and their respective successors and assignees to the extent such assignees are permitted assignees as provided in Section 11.06 of the Credit Agreement.

 

11.       Loan Document. This Amendment shall constitute a “Loan Document” under and as defined in the Credit Agreement.

 

[Signature pages follow.]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this instrument to be made, executed and delivered by their duly authorized officers as of the day and year first above written.

 

  BORROWER:
   
  CARPENTER TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
   
  By:   /s/ Timothy Lain

  Name:   Timothy Lain
  Title: Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

 

Carpenter Technology Corporation

Amendment No. 1 to Amended and Restated Credit Agreement (2022)

Signature Page

 

 

 

 

  ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT:
   
  BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.
   
  By:   /s/ Ronaldo Naval

  Name:   Ronaldo Naval
  Title: Vice President

 

Carpenter Technology Corporation

Amendment No. 1 to Amended and Restated Credit Agreement (2022)

Signature Page

 

 

 

 

  LENDER, SWING LINE LENDER AND L/C ISSUER:
   
  BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.
   
  By:   /s/ Kevin Dobosz

  Name:   Kevin Dobosz
  Title: Senior Vice President

 

Carpenter Technology Corporation

Amendment No. 1 to Amended and Restated Credit Agreement (2022)

Signature Page

 

 

 

 

  LENDER:
   
  JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
   
  By:   /s/ Anthony Galea

  Name:   Anthony Galea
  Title: Executive Director

 

Carpenter Technology Corporation

Amendment No. 1 to Amended and Restated Credit Agreement (2022)

Signature Page

 

 

 

 

  LENDER:
   
  PNC BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
   
  By:   /s/ Joseph McElhinny

  Name:   Joseph McElhinny
  Title: Vice President

 

Carpenter Technology Corporation

Amendment No. 1 to Amended and Restated Credit Agreement (2022)

Signature Page

 

 

 

 

  LENDER:
   
  WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
   
  By:   /s/ Jonathan D. Beck

  Name:   Jonathan D. Beck
  Title: Director

 

Carpenter Technology Corporation

Amendment No. 1 to Amended and Restated Credit Agreement (2022)

Signature Page

 

 

 

 

  LENDER:
   
  U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
   
  By:   /s/ Steven L. Sawyer

  Name:   Steven L. Sawyer
  Title: Senior Vice President

 

Carpenter Technology Corporation

Amendment No. 1 to Amended and Restated Credit Agreement (2022)

Signature Page

 

 

 

 

  LENDER:
   
  KEYBANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
   
  By:   /s/ Andrew Sennett

  Name:   Andrew Sennett
  Title: Vice President

 

Carpenter Technology Corporation

Amendment No. 1 to Amended and Restated Credit Agreement (2022)

Signature Page

 

 

 

 

 

ANNEX A

TO

AMENDMENT NO. 1 TO CREDIT AGREEMENT

  

Amended Credit Agreement

 

[See attached.] 

 

 

 

Published CUSIP Number: 14428UAG3

Revolver CUSIP Number: 14428UAH1

 

AMENDED AND RESTATED CREDIT AGREEMENT

 

Dated as of March 26, 2021

 

among

 

CARPENTER TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION

and

CERTAIN OF ITS SUBSIDIARIES,

as Borrowers,

 

CERTAIN SUBSIDIARIES OF CARPENTER TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION PARTY HERETO,

as Guarantors,

 

BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.,
as Administrative Agent, Swing Line Lender and L/C Issuer,

 

and

 

THE OTHER LENDERS PARTY HERETO

 

JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.,
as Syndication Agent

 

PNC BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION,
US BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
and
WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
each, as a Documentation Agent

 

and

 

BofA SECURITIES, INC.,
and
JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A.,
as Joint Lead Arrangers and Joint Bookrunners

 

 

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

  

Section  Page
ARTICLE IDEFINITIONS AND ACCOUNTING TERMS 1
     
1.01Defined Terms 1
1.02Other Interpretive Provisions 42
1.03Accounting Terms 43
1.04Rounding 43
1.05Exchange Rates; Currency Equivalents 43
1.06Additional Alternative Currencies 44
1.07Change of Currency 45
1.08Times of Day 45
1.09Letter of Credit Amounts 46

  

ARTICLE IITHE COMMITMENTS AND CREDIT EXTENSIONS 46
     
2.01Committed Loans 46
2.02Borrowings, Conversions and Continuations of Committed Loans 47
2.03[Reserved] 48
2.04Letters of Credit 49
2.05Swing Line Loans 58
2.06Prepayments 62
2.07Termination or Reduction of Commitments 63
2.08Repayment of Loans 63
2.09Interest 63
2.10Fees 64
2.11Computation of Interest and Fees 65
2.12Evidence of Debt 65
2.13Payments Generally; Administrative Agent’s Clawback 66
2.14Sharing of Payments by Lenders 68
2.15Subsidiary Borrowers 69
2.16Increase in Commitments 71
2.17Cash Collateral 72
2.18Defaulting Lenders 73

  

ARTICLE IIITAXES, YIELD PROTECTION AND ILLEGALITY 76
     
3.01Taxes 76
3.02Illegality 80
3.03Inability to Determine Rates 81
3.04Increased Costs; Reserves on Eurocurrency Rate Loans 86
3.05Compensation for Losses 88
3.06Mitigation Obligations; Replacement of Lenders 89
3.07Survival 89

  

ARTICLE IVCONDITIONS PRECEDENT TO CREDIT EXTENSIONS 90
     
4.01Conditions of Initial Credit Extension 90
4.02Conditions to all Credit Extensions 92

 

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

  

Section Page

 

ARTICLE VREPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES 93
     
5.01Existence, Qualification and Power; Compliance with Laws 93
5.02Authorization; No Contravention 93
5.03Governmental and Other Authorizations 93
5.04Binding Effect 93
5.05Financial Condition 94
5.06Litigation 94
5.07No Default 94
5.08Ownership of Property; Liens 94
5.09Environmental Compliance 95
5.10Insurance 95
5.11Taxes 95
5.12ERISA and Foreign Benefit Plan Compliance 95
5.13Subsidiaries; Equity Interests 96
5.14Margin Regulation; Investment Company Act 97
5.15Disclosure 97
5.16Intellectual Property 97
5.17Compliance with Laws 98
5.18Representations as to Foreign Loan Parties 98
5.19Collateral Representations 99
5.20OFAC 99
5.21Anti-Corruption Laws 99
5.22Affected Financial Institutions 99
5.23Covered Entity 99
5.24Beneficial Ownership Certification 99

 

ARTICLE VIAFFIRMATIVE COVENANTS 100
     
6.01Information 100
6.02Payment of Obligations 103
6.03Preservation of Existence, Etc 103
6.04Maintenance of Properties 103
6.05Maintenance of Insurance 103
6.06Compliance with Laws 103
6.07Books and Records 104
6.08Inspection Rights 104
6.09Compliance with ERISA 104
6.10Use of Proceeds 104
6.11Approvals and Authorizations 104
6.12Anti-Corruption Laws 105
6.13Information Regarding Collateral 105
6.14Covenant to Give Security 105
6.15Further Assurances 106
6.16Post-Closing Matters 106

 

ii

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

Section Page

 

ARTICLE VIINEGATIVE COVENANTS 107
     
7.01Liens 107
7.02Indebtedness 109
7.03Investments 110
7.04Fundamental Changes 112
7.05Dispositions 113
7.06Restricted Payments 114
7.07ERISA 114
7.08Change in Nature of Business 115
7.09Transactions with Affiliates 115
7.10Burdensome Agreements 115
7.11Use of Proceeds 115
7.12Financial Covenants 116
7.13Sanctions and Anti-Corruption Laws 116

  

ARTICLE VIIIEVENTS OF DEFAULT AND REMEDIES 116
     
8.01Events of Default 116
8.02Remedies Upon Event of Default 119
8.03Application of Funds 119

 

ARTICLE IXADMINISTRATIVE AGENT 121
     
9.01Appointment and Authority 121
9.02Rights as a Lender 121
9.03Exculpatory Provisions 122
9.04Reliance by Administrative Agent, L/C Issuer and Lenders 123
9.05Delegation of Duties 123
9.06Resignation of Administrative Agent 124
9.07Non-Reliance on Administrative Agent and Other Lenders 125
9.08No Other Duties, Etc 125
9.09Administrative Agent May File Proofs of Claim 126
9.10Collateral and Guaranty Matters 127
9.11Secured Cash Management Agreements; Secured Hedge Agreements; Foreign Obligation Loan Documents 128
9.12Recovery of Erroneous Payments 128
9.13Certain ERISA Matters 129

 

ARTICLE XCONTINUING GUARANTY 130
     
10.01Guaranty 130
10.02Rights of Lenders 131
10.03Certain Waivers 131
10.04Obligations Independent 131
10.05Subrogation 131
10.06Termination; Reinstatement 132
10.07Stay of Acceleration 132
10.08Condition of Borrowers 132
10.09Appointment of Borrower 132
10.10Right of Contribution 132
10.11Keepwell 133
10.12Additional Guarantors 133

 

iii

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

Section Page

  

ARTICLE XIMISCELLANEOUS 133
     
11.01Amendments, Etc 133
11.02Notices; Effectiveness; Electronic Communication 135
11.03No Waiver; Cumulative Remedies; Enforcement 137
11.04Expenses; Indemnity; Damage Waiver 138
11.05Payments Set Aside 140
11.06Successors and Assigns 140
11.07Treatment of Certain Information; Confidentiality 146
11.08Right of Setoff 147
11.09Interest Rate Limitation 147
11.10Counterparts; Integration; Effectiveness 147
11.11Survival of Representations and Warranties 148
11.12Severability 149
11.13Replacement of Lenders 149
11.14Governing Law; Jurisdiction; Etc 150
11.15Waiver of Jury Trial 151
11.16Subordination 151
11.17No Advisory or Fiduciary Responsibility 152
11.18Electronic Execution of Assignments and Certain Other Documents 152
11.19USA PATRIOT Act 153
11.20Judgment Currency 153
11.21Acknowledgement and Consent to Bail-In of Affected Financial Institutions 154
11.22Acknowledgement Regarding Any Supported QFCs 154
11.23Amendment and Restatement; No Novation 155

 

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SCHEDULES

 

1.01Existing Letter of Credit
2.01Commitments and Applicable Percentages
5.13Subsidiaries
5.19(b)Deposit Accounts
5.19(c)Properties
7.01Existing Liens
7.02Existing Indebtedness
7.03Existing Investments
11.02Administrative Agent’s Office; Certain Addresses for Notices

  

EXHIBITS

 

Form of:

ACommitted Loan Notice
BSwing Line Loan Notice
CNotice of Loan Prepayment
DNote
EMonthly Report
FCompliance Certificate
G-1Assignment and Assumption
G-2Administrative Questionnaire
HSubsidiary Borrower Request and Assumption Agreement
ISubsidiary Borrower Notice
J-1-4Forms of U.S. Tax Compliance Certificates
KJoinder Agreement
LSecured Party Designation Notice

 

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AMENDED AND RESTATED CREDIT AGREEMENT

 

This CREDIT AGREEMENT (“Agreement”) is entered into as of March 26, 2021, among CARPENTER TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION, a Delaware corporation (“Carpenter”), the Subsidiary Borrowers (as hereinafter defined and, together with Carpenter, the “Borrowers” and, each a “Borrower”), the Guarantors (as hereinafter defined), the Lenders (as hereinafter defined), and BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., as Administrative Agent, Swing Line Lender and L/C Issuer.

 

The Borrowers are party to that certain Credit Agreement, dated as of March 31, 2017, among the Borrowers, the Lenders party thereto and Bank of America, N.A., as administrative agent (as the same may have been amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time prior to the date hereof, the “Existing Credit Agreement”).

 

The Borrowers have requested, and the Administrative Agent, the Lenders party hereto, the Swing Line Lender and the L/C Issuer have agreed, to amend and restate the Existing Credit Agreement and extend certain credit facilities to the Borrowers on the terms and conditions set forth herein. The amendment and restatement of the Existing Credit Agreement, and the continuation of the loans and other obligations thereunder as Loans and Obligations hereunder, are subject to the provisions of this Agreement, including the application of Section 11.23 hereof.

 

In consideration of the mutual covenants and agreements herein contained, the parties hereto covenant and agree as follows:

 

ARTICLE I
DEFINITIONS AND ACCOUNTING TERMS

 

1.01       Defined Terms. As used in this Agreement, the following terms shall have the meanings set forth below:

 

2023 Notes” means Carpenter’s outstanding $300,000,000 4.450% Senior Notes due 2023.

 

2028 Notes” means Carpenter’s outstanding $400,000,000 6.375% Senior Notes due 2028.

 

Additional Secured Obligations” means (a) all obligations arising under Secured Cash Management Agreements and Secured Hedge Agreements and (b) all costs and expenses incurred in connection with enforcement and collection of the foregoing, including the reasonable and documented fees, charges and disbursements of counsel, in each case whether direct or indirect (including those acquired by assumption), absolute or contingent, due or to become due, now existing or hereafter arising and including interest, expenses and fees that accrue after the commencement by or against any Loan Party or any Affiliate thereof of any proceeding under any Debtor Relief Laws naming such Person as the debtor in such proceeding, regardless of whether such interest, expenses and fees are allowed claims in such proceeding; provided that Additional Secured Obligations of a Loan Party shall exclude any Excluded Swap Obligations with respect to such Loan Party.

 

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Administrative Agent” means Bank of America in its capacity as administrative agent under any of the Loan Documents, or any successor administrative agent.

 

Administrative Agent’s Office” means, with respect to any currency, the Administrative Agent’s address and, as appropriate, account as set forth on Schedule 11.02 with respect to such currency, or such other address or account with respect to such currency as the Administrative Agent may from time to time notify to Carpenter and the Lenders.

 

Administrative Questionnaire” means an Administrative Questionnaire in substantially the form of Exhibit G-2 or any other form approved by the Administrative Agent.

 

Affected Financial Institution” means (a) any EEA Financial Institution, or (b) any UK Financial Institution.

 

Affiliate” means, with respect to any Person, another Person that directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, Controls or is Controlled by or is under common Control with the Person specified.

 

Aggregate Commitments” mean the Commitments of all the Lenders. The initial amount of the Aggregate Commitments in effect on the Closing Date is $300,000,000.

 

Agreement” means this Credit Agreement.

 

Alternative Currency” means each of the following currencies: Euro, Sterling, Canadian Dollars, Krona, and Singapore dollars, together each other currency (other than Dollars) that is approved in accordance with Section 1.06; provided that for each Alternative Currency, such requested currency is an Eligible Currency.

 

Alternative Currency Equivalent” means, at any time, with respect to any amount denominated in Dollars, the equivalent amount thereof in the applicable Alternative Currency as determined by the Administrative Agent or the L/C Issuer, as the case may be, by reference to Bloomberg (or such other publicly available service for displaying exchange rates), to be the exchange rate for the purchase of such Alternative Currency with Dollars at approximately 11:00 a.m. on the date two (2) Business Days prior to the date as of which the foreign exchange computation is made; provided, however, that if no such rate is available, the “Alternative Currency Equivalent” shall be determined by the Administrative Agent or the L/C Issuer, as the case may be, using any reasonable method of determination its deems appropriate in its sole discretion (and such determination shall be conclusive absent manifest error).

 

Alternative Currency Sublimit” means an amount equal to the lesser of (a) $75,000,000 and (b) the Aggregate Commitments. The Alternative Currency Sublimit is part of, and not in addition to, the Aggregate Commitments.

 

Applicable Currency” means Dollars or any Alternative Currency, as applicable.

 

Applicable Foreign Loan Party Documents” has the meaning specified in Section 5.18(a).

 

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Applicable Law” means, as to any Person, all applicable Laws binding upon such Person or to which such a Person is subject.

 

Applicable Percentage” means with respect to any Lender at any time, the percentage (carried out to the ninth decimal place) of the Aggregate Commitments represented by such Lender’s Commitment at such time, subject to adjustment as provided in Section 2.18. If the commitment of each Lender to make Loans and the obligation of the L/C Issuer to make L/C Credit Extensions have been terminated pursuant to Section 8.02 or if the Aggregate Commitments have expired, then the Applicable Percentage of each Lender shall be determined based on the Applicable Percentage of such Lender most recently in effect, giving effect to any subsequent assignments. The initial Applicable Percentage of each Lender is set forth opposite the name of such Lender on Schedule 2.01 or in the Assignment and Assumption pursuant to which such Lender becomes a party hereto, as applicable.

 

Applicable Rate” means, from time to time, the following percentages per annum, based upon the Debt Rating as set forth below:

 

Pricing
Level
  Debt Rating  Commitment
Fee
   Eurocurrency
Rate + Letter of
Credit Fee
   Base Rate 
1  BBB+ / Baa1 or better   0.275%   1.250%   0.250%
2  BBB / Baa2   0.300%   1.500%   0.500%
3  BBB- / Baa3   0.325%   1.750%   0.750%
4  BB+ / Ba1   0.350%   2.000%   1.000%
5  BB / Ba2 or worse   0.375%   2.250%   1.250%

 

Debt Rating, as used herein, means, as of any date of determination, the rating as determined by either S&P, Moody’s or Fitch Ratings Inc. of Carpenter’s non-credit-enhanced, senior unsecured long-term debt, based on the two highest ratings given (such two highest ratings, the “Debt Ratings”); provided that (a) if the Debt Ratings differ by one level, then the Pricing Level for the higher of the Debt Ratings shall apply (with the Debt Rating for Pricing Level 1 being the highest and the Debt Rating for Pricing Level 5 being the lowest); (b) if there is a split in the Debt Ratings of more than one level, then the Pricing Level that is one level lower than the Pricing Level of the higher Debt Rating shall apply; (c) if Carpenter has only one Debt Rating, the Pricing Level that is one level lower than that of such Debt Rating shall apply; and (d) if Carpenter does not have any Debt Rating, Pricing Level 5 shall apply.

 

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Initially, the Applicable Rate shall be determined based upon the Debt Rating specified in the certificate delivered pursuant to Section 4.01(a)(vii). Thereafter, each change in the Applicable Rate resulting from a publicly announced change in the Debt Rating shall be effective, in the case of an upgrade, during the period commencing on the date of delivery by Carpenter to the Administrative Agent of notice thereof pursuant to Section 6.01(f) (provided that in the event notice given pursuant to such Section 6.01(f) is delivered on a date that is after the date a change in the Debt Rating is publicly announced, the change in the Applicable Rate shall be effective during the period commencing on the date the change in the Debt Rating was publicly announced if such announcement date is specified in the notice given pursuant to such Section 6.01(f)) and ending on the date immediately preceding the effective date of the next such change and, in the case of a downgrade, during the period commencing on the date of the public announcement thereof and ending on the date immediately preceding the effective date of the next such change.

 

Applicable Reference Rate” means, for any Eurocurrency Rate Loan denominated in any LIBOR Quoted CurrencyDollars, LIBOR, for any Eurocurrency Rate Loan denominated in Euros, EURIBOR, for any Eurocurrency Rate Loan denominated in Canadian Dollars, the CDOR Rate, for any Eurocurrency Rate Loan denominated in Krona, STIBOR, and for any Eurocurrency Rate Loan denominated in Singapore dollars, SIBOR, and for any Eurocurrency Rate Loan denominated in Sterling, SONIA, and for any other Alternative Currency, the reference rate quote on the applicable screen page that the Administrative Agent designates to determine the Eurocurrency Rate for such currency (or such other commercially available source providing such quotations as designated by the Administrative Agent from time to time) as applicable,.

 

Applicable Successor Rate” shall have the meaning assigned to such term in Section 3.03(c).

 

Applicable Time” means, with respect to any borrowings and payments in any Alternative Currency, the local time in the place of settlement for such Alternative Currency as may be determined by the Administrative Agent or the L/C Issuer, as the case may be, to be necessary for timely settlement on the relevant date in accordance with normal banking procedures in the place of payment.

 

Applicant Borrower” has the meaning specified in Section 2.15.

 

Approved Fund” means any Fund that is administered or managed by (a) a Lender, (b) an Affiliate of a Lender or (c) an entity or an Affiliate of an entity that administers or manages a Lender.

 

Arrangers” means, collectively, BAS and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., each in its capacity as joint lead arranger. JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. may perform its responsibilities hereunder through its affiliate, J.P. Morgan Securities LLC.

 

Asset Coverage Ratio” means, as of any date of measurement, the ratio of (a) the sum of (x) 80% of the value of Eligible Receivables plus (y) 50% of the difference of (i) the value of Eligible Inventory minus (ii) the Consignment Reserve to (b) the Total Outstandings, each as of such date of measurement.

 

Assignee Group” means two or more Eligible Assignees that are Affiliates of one another or two or more Approved Funds managed by the same investment advisor.

 

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Assignment and Assumption” means an assignment and assumption entered into by a Lender and an assignee (with the consent of any party whose consent is required by Section 11.06(b)), and accepted by the Administrative Agent, in substantially the form of Exhibit G-1 or any other form (including electronic documentation generated by MarkitClear or other electronic platform) approved by the Administrative Agent.

 

Attributable Indebtedness” means, at any date (a) in respect of any Finance Lease of any Person, the capitalized amount thereof that would appear on a balance sheet of such Person prepared as of such date in accordance with GAAP, (b) in respect of any Synthetic Lease Obligation of any Person, the capitalized or principal amount of the remaining payments under the relevant lease or other agreement that would appear on a balance sheet of such Person prepared as of such date in accordance with GAAP if such lease or other agreement were accounted for as a Finance Lease and (c) in respect of any Sale/Leaseback Transaction, the lesser of (i) the present value, discounted in accordance with GAAP at the debt rate implicit in the related lease, of the obligations of the lessee for rental payments over the remaining term of such lease (including any period for which such lease has been extended or may, at the option of the lessor be extended) and (ii) the fair market value of the assets subject to such transaction.

 

Availability Period” means the period from and including the Closing Date to the earliest of (a) the Maturity Date, (b) the date of termination of the Aggregate Commitments pursuant to Section 2.07, and (c) the date of termination of the commitment of each Lender to make Loans and of the obligation of the L/C Issuer to make L/C Credit Extensions pursuant to Section 8.02.

 

Available Liquidity” means, on any date of measurement, the sum of (i) the aggregate amount of Committed Loans available to be drawn hereunder, plus (ii) the aggregate amount of non-restricted, domestically-held cash and Cash Equivalents of Domestic Loan Parties, plus (iii) up to $5,000,000 of non-restricted cash and Cash Equivalents of Carpenter held in accounts with the Administrative Agent in the United Kingdom; provided however, that if the Administrative Agent has a perfected security interest in the accounts where such cash and Cash Equivalents are held, for the benefit of the Secured Parties, the full amount of non-restricted cash and Cash Equivalents in such account will be included.

 

Bail-In Action” means the exercise of any Write-Down and Conversion Powers by the applicable Resolution Authority in respect of any liability of an Affected Financial Institution.

 

Bail-In Legislation” means, (a) with respect to any EEA Member Country implementing Article 55 of Directive 2014/59/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of the European Union, the implementing law, rule, regulation or requirement for such EEA Member Country from time to time which is described in the EU Bail-In Legislation Schedule, and (b) with respect to the United Kingdom, Part I of the United Kingdom Banking Act 2009 (as amended from time to time) and any other law, regulation or rule applicable in the United Kingdom relating to the resolution of unsound or failing banks, investment firms or other financial institutions or their affiliates (other than through liquidation, administration or other insolvency proceedings).

 

Bank of America” means Bank of America, N.A. and its successors.

 

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Bank of America Fee Letter” means that certain letter agreement, dated as of February 17, 2021, among the Administrative Agent, BAS and Carpenter.

 

Bankruptcy Event” means, with respect to any Person, (a) a court or governmental agency having jurisdiction in the premises shall enter a decree or order for relief in respect of such Person in an involuntary case under any Debtor Relief Law now or hereafter in effect, or appoint a receiver, liquidator, assignee, custodian, trustee, sequestrator or similar official of such Person or for any substantial part of its property or ordering the winding up or liquidation of its affairs, (b) an involuntary case under any applicable Debtor Relief Law now or hereafter in effect is commenced against such Person and such petition remains unstayed and in effect for a period of 60 consecutive days, (c) such Person shall commence a voluntary case under any applicable Debtor Relief Law now or hereafter in effect, or consent to the entry of an order for relief in an involuntary case under any such law, or consent to the appointment or taking possession by a receiver, liquidator, assignee, custodian, trustee, sequestrator or similar official of such Person or any substantial part of its property or make any general assignment for the benefit of creditors or (d) such Person shall admit in writing its inability to pay its debts generally as they become due or any action shall be taken by such Person in furtherance of any of the aforesaid purposes.

 

BAS” mean BofA Securities, Inc. and its successor, in its capacity as an Arranger and sole bookrunner.

 

Base Rate” means for any day a fluctuating rate per annum equal to the highest of (a) the Federal Funds Rate plus 1/2 of 1%, (b) the rate of interest in effect for such day as publicly announced from time to time by Bank of America as its “prime rate” and (c) the Eurocurrency Rate plus 1%, subject to the interest rate floor set forth therein; provided that if the Base Rate shall be less than zero, such rate shall be deemed to be zero percent for purposes of this Agreement. The “prime rate” is a rate set by Bank of America based upon various factors including Bank of America’s costs and desired return, general economic conditions and other factors, and is used as a reference point for pricing some loans, which may be priced at, above, or below such announced rate. Any change in such prime rate announced by Bank of America shall take effect at the opening of business on the day specified in the public announcement of such change.

 

Base Rate Committed Loan” means a Committed Loan that is a Base Rate Loan.

 

Base Rate Loan” means a Loan that bears interest based on the Base Rate. All Base Rate Loans shall be denominated in Dollars.

 

Beneficial Ownership Certification” means a certification regarding beneficial ownership required by the Beneficial Ownership Regulation.

 

Beneficial Ownership Regulation” means 31 C.F.R. § 1010.230.

 

Benefit Plan” means any of (a) an “employee benefit plan” (as defined in ERISA) that is subject to Title I of ERISA, (b) a “plan” as defined in and subject to Section 4975 of the Code or (c) any Person whose assets include (for purposes of ERISA Section 3(42) or otherwise for purposes of Title I of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code) the assets of any such “employee benefit plan” or “plan”.

 

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Borrower” and “Borrowers” each has the meaning specified in the introductory paragraph hereto.

 

Borrower Materials” has the meaning specified in the last paragraph of Section 6.01.

 

Borrowing” means a Committed Borrowing or a Swing Line Borrowing, as the context may require.

 

Business Day” means any day other than a Saturday, Sunday or other day on which commercial banks are authorized to close under the Laws of, or are in fact closed in, the state where the Administrative Agent’s Office with respect to Obligations denominated in Dollars is located; provided that and:

 

(a)       if such day relates to any interest rate settings as to a Eurocurrency Rate Loan denominated in Dollars, any fundings, disbursements, settlements and payments in Dollars in respect of any such Eurocurrency Rate Loan, or any other dealings in Dollars to be carried out pursuant to this Agreement in respect of any such Eurocurrency Rate Loan, means any such day that is also a London Banking Day;

 

(b)       if such day relates to any interest rate settings as to a Eurocurrency Rate Loan denominated in Euro, any fundings, disbursements, settlements and payments in Euro in respect of any such Eurocurrency Rate Loan, or any other dealings in Euro to be carried out pursuant to this Agreement in respect of any such Eurocurrency Rate Loan, means a Business Day that is also a TARGET Day;

 

(c)       if such day relates to any interest rate setting as to a Eurocurrency Rate Loan denominated in Sterling, means a day other than a day when banks are closed for general business in London because such day is a Saturday, Sunday or a legal holiday under the laws of the United Kingdom; and

 

(cd) if such day relates to any interest rate settings as to a Eurocurrency Rate Loan denominated in a currency other than Dollars or, Euro, or Sterling means any such day on which dealings in deposits in the relevant currency are conducted by and between banks in the London or other applicable offshore interbank market for such currency; and

 

(de) if such day relates to any fundings, disbursements, settlements and payments in a currency other than Dollars or, Euro or Sterling in respect of a Eurocurrency Rate Loan denominated in a currency other than Dollars or, Euro, or Sterling or any other dealings in any currency other than Dollars or, Euro or Sterling to be carried out pursuant to this Agreement in respect of any such Eurocurrency Rate Loan (other than any interest rate settings), means any such day on which banks are open for foreign exchange business in the principal financial center of the country of such currency.

 

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Canadian Dollars” and “C$” mean the lawful currency of Canada.

 

Carpenter” has the meaning specified in the introductory paragraph hereto.

 

Carpenter’s 2020 Form 10-K” means Carpenter’s annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2020, as filed with the SEC pursuant to the Exchange Act.

 

Carpenter’s Latest Form 10-Q” means Carpenter’s quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended December 31, 2020, as filed with the SEC pursuant to the Exchange Act.

 

Cash Collateralize” means to pledge and deposit with or deliver to the Administrative Agent, for the benefit of the Administrative Agent, L/C Issuer or Swing Line Lender (as applicable) and the Lenders, as collateral for L/C Obligations, Obligations in respect of Swing Line Loans, or obligations of Lenders to fund participations in respect of either thereof (as the context may require), cash or deposit account balances or, if the L/C Issuer or Swing Line Lender benefitting from such collateral shall agree in its sole discretion, other credit support, in each case pursuant to documentation in form and substance satisfactory to (a) the Administrative Agent and (b) the L/C Issuer or the Swing Line Lender (as applicable). “Cash Collateral” shall have a meaning correlative to the foregoing and shall include the proceeds of such cash collateral and other credit support.

 

Cash Equivalents” means:

 

(a)       securities issued or directly and fully guaranteed or insured by the United States of America or any agency or instrumentality thereof (provided that the full faith and credit of the United States of America is pledged in support thereof) having maturities of not more than twelve months from the date of acquisition;

 

(b)       Dollar-denominated certificates of deposit of (A) any Lender, (B) any United States commercial bank of recognized standing having capital and surplus in excess of $500,000,000 or (C) any bank whose (or whose parent company’s) short-term commercial paper rating from S&P is at least A-1 or the equivalent thereof or from Moody’s is at least P-1 or the equivalent thereof (any such bank being an “Approved Bank”), in each case with maturities of not more than 270 days from the date of acquisition;

 

(c)       commercial paper and variable or fixed rate notes issued by any Approved Bank (or by the parent company thereof) or any variable rate notes issued by, or guaranteed by, any domestic corporation not an Affiliate of Carpenter rated A-1 (or the equivalent thereof) or better by S&P or P-1 (or the equivalent thereof) or better by Moody’s and maturing within six months of the date of acquisition;

 

(d)       repurchase agreements with a bank or trust company (including any of the Lenders) or recognized securities dealer having capital and surplus in excess of $500,000,000 for direct obligations issued by or fully guaranteed by the United States of America in which Carpenter or one or more of its Subsidiaries shall have a perfected first priority security interest (subject to no other Liens) and having, on the date of purchase thereof, a fair market value of at least 100% of the amount of the repurchase obligations;

 

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(e)       Investments, classified in accordance with GAAP as current assets, in money market investment programs registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, which are administered by reputable financial institutions having capital of at least $500,000,000 and the portfolios of which are limited to Investments of the character described in the foregoing clauses (a) through (d); and

 

(f)       without duplication, any other Marketable Securities recorded as “Cash Equivalents” on the consolidated balance sheet of Carpenter and its Consolidated Subsidiaries.

 

Cash Management Agreement” means any agreement to provide cash management services, including treasury, depository, overdraft, credit or debit card, electronic funds transfer and other cash management arrangements.

 

Cash Management Bank” means any Person in its capacity as a party to a Cash Management Agreement that, (a) at the time it enters into a Cash Management Agreement with a Loan Party or any Subsidiary, is a Lender or an Affiliate of a Lender, or (b) at the time it (or its Affiliate) becomes a Lender, is a party to a Cash Management Agreement with a Loan Party or any Subsidiary, in each case in its capacity as a party to such Cash Management Agreement (even if such Person ceases to be a Lender or such Person’s Affiliate ceased to be a Lender); provided, however, that for any of the foregoing to be included as a “Secured Cash Management Agreement” on any date of determination by the Administrative Agent, the applicable Cash Management Bank (other than the Administrative Agent or an Affiliate of the Administrative Agent) must have delivered a Secured Party Designation Notice to the Administrative Agent prior to such date of determination.

 

Change in Law” means the occurrence, after the date of this Agreement, of any of the following: (a) the adoption or taking effect of any law, rule, regulation or treaty, (b) any change in any law, rule, regulation or treaty or in the administration, interpretation, implementation or application thereof by any Governmental Authority or (c) the making or issuance of any request, rule, guideline or directive (whether or not having the force of law) by any Governmental Authority; provided that notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, (i) the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and all requests, rules, guidelines or directives thereunder or issued in connection therewith and (ii) all requests, rules, guidelines or directives promulgated by the Bank for International Settlements, the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (or any successor or similar authority) or the United States or foreign regulatory authorities, in each case pursuant to Basel III, shall in each case be deemed to be a “Change in Law”, regardless of the date enacted, adopted or issued.

 

Change of Control” means an event or series of events by which:

 

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(a)       any “person” or “group” (as such terms are used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the Exchange Act, but excluding any employee benefit plan of such person or its subsidiaries, and any person or entity acting in its capacity as trustee, agent or other fiduciary or administrator of any such plan) becomes the “beneficial owner” (as defined in Rules 13d-3 and 13d-5 under the Exchange Act, except that a person or group shall be deemed to have “beneficial ownership” of all securities that such person or group has the right to acquire, whether such right is exercisable immediately or only after the passage of time (such right, an “option right”)), directly or indirectly, of 35% or more of the equity securities of Carpenter entitled to vote for members of the board of directors or equivalent governing body of Carpenter on a fully-diluted basis (and taking into account all such securities that such person or group has the right to acquire pursuant to any option right); or

 

(b)       during any period of 12 consecutive months, a majority of the members of the board of directors or other equivalent governing body of Carpenter cease to be composed of individuals (i) who were members of that board or equivalent governing body on the first day of such period, (ii) whose election or nomination to that board or equivalent governing body was approved by individuals referred to in clause (i) above constituting at the time of such election or nomination at least a majority of that board or equivalent governing body or (iii) whose election or nomination to that board or other equivalent governing body was approved by individuals referred to in clauses (i) and (ii) above constituting at the time of such election or nomination at least a majority of that board or equivalent governing body.

 

Closing Date” means the first date all the conditions precedent in Section 4.01 are satisfied or waived in accordance with Section 11.01.

 

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

 

Collateral” means all of the “Collateral” referred to in the Collateral Documents and all of the other property that is or is intended under the terms of the Collateral Documents to be subject to Liens in favor of the Administrative Agent for the benefit of the Secured Parties.

 

Collateral Documents” means, collectively, the Security Agreement, each Security Joinder Agreement and any other agreement, instrument or document that creates or purports to create a Lien in favor of the Administrative Agent for the benefit of the Secured Parties.

 

Commitment” means, as to each Lender, its obligation to (a) make Committed Loans to the Borrowers pursuant to Section 2.01, (b) purchase participations in L/C Obligations, and (c) purchase participations in Swing Line Loans, in an aggregate principal amount at any one time outstanding not to exceed the Dollar amount set forth opposite such Lender’s name on Schedule 2.01 or in the Assignment and Assumption pursuant to which such Lender becomes a party hereto, as applicable, as such amount may be adjusted from time to time in accordance with this Agreement.

 

Committed Borrowing” means a borrowing consisting of simultaneous Committed Loans of the same Type, in the same currency and, in the case of Eurocurrency Rate Loans, having the same Interest Period made by each of the Lenders pursuant to Section 2.01.

 

Committed Loan” has the meaning specified in Section 2.01.

 

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Committed Loan Notice” means a notice of (a) a Committed Borrowing, (b) a conversion of Committed Loans from one Type to the other, or (c) a continuation of Eurocurrency Rate Loans, pursuant to Section 2.02(a), which, if in writing, shall be substantially in the form of Exhibit A or such other form as may be approved by the Administrative Agent (including any form on an electronic platform or electronic transmission system as shall be approved by the Administrative Agent), appropriately completed and signed by a Responsible Officer of Carpenter.

 

Commodity Exchange Act” means the Commodity Exchange Act (7 U.S.C. § 1 et seq.), as amended from time to time, and any successor statute.

 

Compliance Certificate” has the meaning specified in Section 6.01(d).

 

Connection Income Taxes” means Other Connection Taxes that are imposed on or measured by net income (however denominated) or that are franchise Taxes or branch profits Taxes.

 

Consignment Reserve” means a reserve in relation to Inventory at customer locations in an amount equal to $10,000,000.

 

Consolidated Capitalization” means the sum of, without duplication, (a) Consolidated Indebtedness and (b) the consolidated stockholders’ equity (determined in accordance with GAAP) of the common and preferred stockholders of Carpenter recorded on Carpenter’s consolidated financial statements.

 

Consolidated EBITDA” means, for any Measurement Period, the sum of (a) Consolidated Net Income for such period plus (b) an amount which, in the determination of Consolidated Net Income for such period, has been deducted for (i) Consolidated Interest Expense, (ii) provisions for Federal, state, local and foreign income, value added and similar taxes, (iii) depreciation, amortization (including, without limitation, amortization of goodwill and other intangibles but excluding amortization of prepaid cash expenses that were paid in a prior period) and other non-cash expense (but excluding any such non-cash expense to the extent that it represents amortization of a prepaid cash expense that was paid in a prior period or an accrual of, or a reserve for, cash charges or expenses in any future period) and (iv) cash expenses (as opposed to revenue losses) related to the COVID-19 pandemic, but limited to an amount, for any Measurement Period, not exceeding $10,000,000; provided that, notwithstanding the foregoing, all (A) actuarially determined non-cash retiree medical expenses equivalent to any amount that is funded under the Voluntary Employee Beneficiary Association Trust established by Carpenter pursuant to Section 501(c)(9) of the Code and (B) actuarially determined non-cash income or expense related to a Pension Plan to the extent included in the income statement of Carpenter and its Consolidated Subsidiaries, shall be excluded from Consolidated Net Income under clause (b)(iii) above.

 

Consolidated Indebtedness” means at any date the Indebtedness of Carpenter and its Consolidated Subsidiaries, determined on a consolidated basis as of such date.

 

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Consolidated Interest Expense” means, for any Measurement Period, the total interest expense, including the interest component of all payments under Finance Lease Obligations and the implied interest component of Synthetic Lease Obligations (regardless of whether accounted for as interest expense under GAAP), all commissions, discounts and other fees and charges owed with respect to letters of credit and bankers’ acceptances that are typically treated as interest expense in accordance with GAAP, of Carpenter and its Consolidated Subsidiaries, in each case as determined in accordance with GAAP and as determined on a consolidated basis for such period.

 

Consolidated Net Income” means, for any Measurement Period, the net income (or net loss) after taxes of Carpenter and its Consolidated Subsidiaries for such period, as determined in accordance with GAAP; provided that there shall be excluded from the calculation of Consolidated Net Income non-operating, non-recurring gains and losses and extraordinary gains and losses of Carpenter and its Consolidated Subsidiaries; provided, further, that the net income of any Consolidated Subsidiary shall be excluded from Consolidated Net Income to the extent that the declaration or payment of dividends or similar distributions by such Consolidated Subsidiary from such income is not at the time permitted by the terms of its charter or by-laws or any judgment, decree, order, law, statute, rule, regulation, agreement, indenture or other instrument which is binding on such Consolidated Subsidiary.

 

Consolidated Subsidiary” means with respect to any Person at any date any Subsidiary of such Person or other entity the accounts of which would be consolidated with those of such Person in its consolidated financial statements if such statements were prepared as of such date in accordance with GAAP.

 

Consolidated Tangible Net Worth” means, at any date of determination, the consolidated stockholders’ equity of Carpenter and its Consolidated Subsidiaries, less intangible assets and goodwill of Carpenter and its Consolidated Subsidiaries, in each case as determined in accordance with GAAP.

 

Contractual Obligation” means, as to any Person, any provision of any security issued by such Person or of any agreement, instrument or other undertaking to which such Person is a party or by which it or any of its property is bound.

 

Control” means the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management or policies of a Person, whether through the ability to exercise voting power, by contract or otherwise. “Controlling” and “Controlled” have meanings correlative thereto.

 

Covered Entity” has the meaning specified in Section 11.22(b).

 

Credit Extension” means each of the following: (a) a Borrowing and (b) an L/C Credit Extension.

 

Debt Rating” has the meaning specified in the definition of “Applicable Rate.”

 

Debt to Capital Ratio” means the ratio of Consolidated Indebtedness to Consolidated Capitalization.

 

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Debtor Relief Laws” means the Bankruptcy Code of the United States, and all other liquidation, conservatorship, bankruptcy, assignment for the benefit of creditors, moratorium, rearrangement, receivership, insolvency, reorganization, or similar debtor relief Laws of the United States or other applicable jurisdictions from time to time in effect and affecting the rights of creditors generally.

 

Default” means any event or condition that constitutes an Event of Default or that, with the giving of any notice, the passage of time, or both, would be an Event of Default.

 

Default Rate” means (a) when used with respect to Obligations other than Letter of Credit Fees, an interest rate equal to (i) the Base Rate plus (ii) the Applicable Rate, if any, applicable to Base Rate Loans plus (iii) 2% per annum; provided, however, that with respect to a Eurocurrency Rate Loan, the Default Rate shall be an interest rate equal to the interest rate (including any Applicable Rate) otherwise applicable to such Loan plus 2% per annum, and (b) when used with respect to Letter of Credit Fees, a rate equal to the Applicable Rate plus 2% per annum.

 

Defaulting Lender” means, subject to Section 2.18, any Lender that (a) has failed to (i) fund any portion of the Committed Loans, participations in L/C Obligations or participations in Swing Line Loans required to be funded by it hereunder within two Business Days of the date required to be funded by it hereunder unless such Lender notifies the Administrative Agent and Carpenter in writing that such failure is the result of such Lender’s determination that one or more conditions precedent to funding (each of which conditions precedent, together with any applicable default, shall be specifically identified in such writing) has not been satisfied, or (ii) pay to the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer, the Swing Line Lender or any other Lender any other amount required to be paid by it hereunder (including in respect of its participation in Letters of Credit or Swing Line Loans) within two Business Days of the date when due, (b) has notified Carpenter, the Administrative Agent or the L/C Issuer or Swing Line Lender in writing that it does not intend to comply with its obligations under the Loan Documents, or has made a public statement to that effect (unless such writing or public statement relates to such Lender’s obligation to fund a Loan hereunder and states that such position is based on such Lender’s determination that a condition precedent to funding (which condition precedent, together with any applicable default, shall be specifically identified in such writing or public statement) cannot be satisfied), (c) has failed, within three Business Days after written request by the Administrative Agent or Carpenter, to confirm in writing to the Administrative Agent and Carpenter that it will comply with its prospective funding obligations hereunder (provided that such Lender shall cease to be a Defaulting Lender pursuant to this clause (c) upon receipt of such written confirmation by the Administrative Agent and the Borrower), or (d) has, or has a direct or indirect parent company that has, (i) become the subject of a proceeding under any Debtor Relief Law, (ii) had appointed for it a receiver, custodian, conservator, trustee, administrator, assignee for the benefit of creditors or similar Person charged with reorganization or liquidation of its business or assets, including the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other state or federal regulatory authority acting in such a capacity or (iii) become the subject of a Bail-In Action; provided that a Lender shall not be a Defaulting Lender solely by virtue of the ownership or acquisition of any equity interest in that Lender or any direct or indirect parent company thereof by a Governmental Authority so long as such ownership interest does not result in or provide such Lender with immunity from the jurisdiction of courts within the United States or from the enforcement of judgments or writs of attachment on its assets or permit such Lender (or such Governmental Authority) to reject, repudiate, disavow or disaffirm any contracts or agreements made with such Lender. Any determination by the Administrative Agent that a Lender is a Defaulting Lender under clauses (a) through (d) above shall be conclusive and binding absent manifest error, and such Lender shall be deemed to be a Defaulting Lender (subject to Section 2.18) upon delivery of written notice of such determination to Carpenter, the L/C Issuer, each Swing Line Lender and each Lender.

 

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Designated Jurisdiction” means any country, region or territory to the extent that such country, region or territory itself is the subject of any Sanction.

 

Designated Lender” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.15.

 

Disposition” or “Dispose” means the sale, transfer, license or other disposition (including any Sale/Leaseback Transaction) of any property by any Person, including any sale, assignment, transfer or other disposal, with or without recourse, of any notes, accounts receivable or payment intangible or any rights or claims associated therewith.

 

Disqualified Stock” of any Person means any Equity Interest of such Person which by its terms (or by the terms of any security for which it is convertible or for which it is exchangeable or exercisable), or upon the happening of any event or condition (including an event which would constitute a Change of Control), (a) matures or is mandatorily redeemable or subject to any mandatory repurchase requirement, pursuant to a sinking fund or otherwise, (b) is convertible into or exchangeable for Indebtedness or Disqualified Stock or (c) is redeemable or subject to any repurchase requirement arising at the option of the holder thereof, in whole or in part, on or prior to the date that is ninety-one (91) days following the Maturity Date; provided, however, that any Equity Interest in any Person that would not constitute Disqualified Stock but for the terms thereof giving holders thereof the right to require such Person to redeem or purchase such Equity Interest upon the occurrence of an asset sale event or a Change of Control shall not constitute Disqualified Stock if any such requirement is subject to the prior repayment in full in cash of all Obligations, the cancellation or expiration of all Letters of Credit and the termination of the Commitments.

 

Dollar” and “$” mean lawful money of the United States.

 

Dollar Equivalent” means, for any amount, at the time of determination thereof, (a) if such amount is expressed in Dollars, such amount, (b) if such amount is expressed in an Alternative Currency, the equivalent of such amount in Dollars determined by using the rate of exchange for the purchase of Dollars with the Alternative Currency last provided (either by publication or otherwise provided to the Administrative Agent or the L/C Issuer, as applicable) by the applicable Bloomberg source (or such other publicly available source for displaying exchange rates) on date that is two (2) Business Days immediately preceding the date of determination (or if such service ceases to be available or ceases to provide such rate of exchange, the equivalent of such amount in dollars as determined by the Administrative Agent or the L/C Issuer, as applicable, using any method of determination it deems appropriate in its sole discretion) and (c) if such amount is denominated in any other currency, the equivalent of such amount in Dollars as determined by the Administrative Agent or the L/C Issuer, as applicable, using any method of determination it deems appropriate in its sole discretion. Any determination by the Administrative Agent or the L/C Issuer pursuant to clauses (b) or (c) above shall be conclusive absent manifest error.

 

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Domestic Borrower” means any Borrower that is organized under the laws of any political subdivision of the United States.

 

Domestic Loan Party” means any Loan Party that is organized under the laws of any political subdivision of the United States.

 

Domestic Subsidiary” means any Subsidiary that is organized under the laws of any political subdivision of the United States.

 

EEA Financial Institution” means (a) any credit institution or investment firm established in any EEA Member Country which is subject to the supervision of an EEA Resolution Authority, (b) any entity established in an EEA Member Country which is a parent of an institution described in clause (a) of this definition, or (c) any financial institution established in an EEA Member Country which is a Subsidiary of an institution described in clauses (a) or (b) of this definition and is subject to consolidated supervision with its parent.

 

EEA Member Country” means any of the member states of the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway.

 

EEA Resolution Authority” means any public administrative authority or any Person entrusted with public administrative authority of any EEA Member Country (including any delegee) having responsibility for the resolution of any EEA Financial Institution.

 

Eligible Assignee” means any Person that meets the requirements to be an assignee under Section 11.06(b)(iii) and (v) (subject to such consents, if any, as may be required under Section 11.06(b)(iii)).

 

Eligible Currency” means any lawful currency other than Dollars that is readily available, freely transferable and convertible into Dollars in the international interbank market available to the Lenders in such market and as to which a Dollar Equivalent may be readily calculated. If, after the designation by the Lenders of any currency as an Alternative Currency, any change in currency controls or exchange regulations or any change in the national or international financial, political or economic conditions are imposed in the country in which such currency is issued, results in, in the reasonable opinion of the Required Lenders (in the case of any Committed Loans to be denominated in an Alternative Currency) or the L/C Issuer (in the case of any Letter of Credit to be denominated in an Alternative Currency), (a) such currency no longer being readily available, freely transferable and convertible into Dollars, (b) a Dollar Equivalent no longer being readily calculable with respect to such currency, (c) providing such currency is no longer practicable for the Lenders or (d) such currency no longer being a currency in which the Required Lenders are willing to make such Credit Extensions (each of clauses (a), (b), (c), and (d), a “Disqualifying Event”), then the Administrative Agent shall promptly notify the Lenders and Carpenter, and such country’s currency shall no longer be an Alternative Currency until such time as the Disqualifying Event(s) no longer exist. Within five (5) Business Days after receipt of such notice from the Administrative Agent, the Borrowers shall repay all Loans in such currency to which the Disqualifying Event applies or convert such Loans into the Dollar Equivalent of Loans in Dollars, subject to the other terms contained herein.

 

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Eligible Institution” means any bank whose (or whose parent company’s) short-term commercial paper rating from S&P is at least A-1 or the equivalent thereof or from Moody’s is at least P-1 or the equivalent thereof or otherwise acceptable to the Administrative Agent.

 

Eligible Inventory” means Inventory owned by a Loan Party and subject to the Lien of the Collateral Documents, the value of which, for purposes of the Asset Coverage Ratio, shall be based upon the book value of such Inventory (determined in accordance with GAAP using the LIFO method but adding back any LIFO reserves shown on Carpenter’s balance sheet); provided, however, that none of the following classes of Inventory shall be deemed to be Eligible Inventory:

 

(a)       Inventory located on leaseholds as to which the lessor has not entered into a consent and agreement providing the Administrative Agent with the right to receive notices of default, the right to repossess such Inventory at any time and such other rights as may be reasonably requested by the Administrative Agent; provided that such Inventory will not be excluded until the end of the period provided in Section 6.16;

 

(b)       Inventory that is obsolete, unusable or otherwise unavailable for sale;

 

(c)       Inventory consisting of work in progress, promotional, marketing, packaging or shipping materials and supplies;

 

(d)       Inventory that fails to meet all standards imposed by any Governmental Authority having regulatory authority over such Inventory or its use or sale;

 

(e)       Inventory that is subject to any licensing, patent, royalty, trademark, trade name or copyright agreement with any third party from which Carpenter or any of its Subsidiaries has received notice of a dispute in respect of any such agreement;

 

(f)       Inventory located outside the United States;

 

(g)       Inventory that is subject to any deposit or down payment;

 

(h)       Inventory in respect of which the Security Agreement, after giving effect to the related filings of financing statements that have then been made, if any, does not or has ceased to create a valid and perfected first priority lien or security interest in favor of the Administrative Agent, on behalf of the Secured Parties, securing the Obligations; and

 

(i)        Inventory that the Administrative Agent determines is otherwise not eligible in its reasonable credit judgment.

 

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Eligible Investments” means, as of any date of determination, the cash, Cash Equivalents and Marketable Securities which (a) are owned by Carpenter and held in banks or other financial institutions located in the United States, (b) are not subject to any Lien and (c) collectively, have an average credit quality rated by S&P as A or better and an average maturity not greater than 365 days.

 

Eligible Receivables” means Receivables of a Loan Party that are subject to the Lien of the Collateral Documents, the value of which, for purposes of the Asset Coverage Ratio, shall be based upon their book value (determined in accordance with GAAP); provided, however, that none of the following classes of Receivables shall be deemed to be Eligible Receivables:

 

(a)       Receivables that do not arise out of fully-completed sales of goods or rendering of services in the ordinary course of the Borrower’s or the relevant Loan Party’s business;

 

(b)       Receivables that have not been invoiced in writing (which may be by manual or electronic means), are payable other than in Dollars or that are otherwise on terms other than those normal or customary in the relevant Loan Party’s business;

 

(c)       Receivables owing from any Person that is an Affiliate of the Borrower;

 

(d)       Receivables more than sixty (60) days past the date due;

 

(e)       Receivables owing from any Person as to which an aggregate amount of more than 20% of the Receivables owing therefrom are excluded under clause (d) above;

 

(f)       Receivables owing from any Person that (i) has disputed liability for any Receivable owing from such Person or (ii) has otherwise asserted any claim, demand or liability against Carpenter or any of its Subsidiaries, whether by action, suit, counterclaim or otherwise; provided that for purposes of this clause (f), such Receivables shall be excluded only to the extent of the amounts being disputed or amount of the claims asserted by such Person at any date of determination;

 

(g)       Receivables that, when aggregated with other Receivables owing by the account debtor, exceed 15% of the aggregate Eligible Receivables, but only to the extent of such excess;

 

(h)       Receivables owing from any Person that shall take or be the subject of any action or proceeding of a type described in Section 8.01(e);

 

(i)       Receivables representing any manufacturer’s or supplier’s credits, discounts, incentive plans or similar arrangements entitling Carpenter or any of its Subsidiaries to discounts on future purchase therefrom;

 

(j)       Receivables arising out of sales on a bill-and-hold, guaranteed sale, sale-or-return, sale on approval or consignment basis or subject to any right of return, setoff or charge back;

 

(k)       Receivables in respect of which the Security Agreement, after giving effect to the related filings of financing statements that have then been made, if any, does not or has ceased to create a valid and perfected first priority lien or security interest in favor of the Administrative Agent, on behalf of the Secured Parties, securing the Obligations;

 

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(l)       Receivables that the Administrative Agent determines are otherwise not eligible in its reasonable credit judgment;

 

provided, that Receivables arising out of sales to account debtors outside the United States that are not backed by an irrevocable letter of credit issued by an Eligible Institution shall be limited to the amount of such Receivables that does not exceed 20% of the aggregate Eligible Receivables, on any date of measurement.

 

Environmental Laws” means any and all Federal, state, local, and foreign statutes, laws, regulations, ordinances, rules, judgments, orders, decrees, permits, concessions, grants, franchises, licenses, agreements or governmental restrictions relating to pollution and the protection of the environment or the release of any materials into the environment, including those related to hazardous substances or wastes, air emissions and discharges to waste or public systems.

 

Environmental Liability” means any liability, contingent or otherwise (including any liability for damages, costs of environmental remediation, fines, penalties or indemnities), of Carpenter, any other Borrower or any of their respective Subsidiaries directly or indirectly resulting from or based upon (a) violation of any Environmental Law, (b) the generation, use, handling, transportation, storage, treatment or disposal of any Hazardous Materials, (c) exposure to any Hazardous Materials, (d) the release or threatened release of any Hazardous Materials into the environment or (e) any contract, agreement or other consensual arrangement pursuant to which liability is assumed or imposed with respect to any of the foregoing.

 

Equity Equivalents” means with respect to any Person any rights, warrants, options, convertible securities, exchangeable securities, indebtedness or other rights, in each case exercisable for or convertible or exchangeable into, directly or indirectly, Equity Interests of such Person or securities exercisable for or convertible or exchangeable into Equity Interests of such Person, whether at the time of issuance or upon the passage of time or the occurrence of some future event.

 

Equity Interests” means, with respect to any Person, all of the shares of capital stock of (or other ownership or profit interests in) such Person, all of the warrants, options or other rights for the purchase or acquisition from such Person of shares of capital stock of (or other ownership or profit interests in) such Person, all of the securities convertible into or exchangeable for shares of capital stock of (or other ownership or profit interests in) such Person or warrants, rights or options for the purchase or acquisition from such Person of such shares (or such other interests), and all of the other ownership or profit interests in such Person (including partnership, member or trust interests therein), whether voting or nonvoting, and whether or not such shares, warrants, options, rights or other interests are outstanding on any date of determination.

 

ERISA” means the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974.

 

ERISA Affiliate” means any trade or business (whether or not incorporated) under common control with any Borrower within the meaning of Section 414(b) or (c) of the Code (and Sections 414(m) and (o) of the Code for purposes of provisions relating to Section 412 of the Code).

 

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ERISA Event” means (a) a Reportable Event with respect to a Pension Plan; (b) a withdrawal by any Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate from a Pension Plan subject to Section 4063 of ERISA during a plan year in which such entity was a “substantial employer” (as defined in Section 4001(a)(2) of ERISA) or a cessation of operations that is treated as such a withdrawal under Section 4062(e) of ERISA; (c) a complete or partial withdrawal by any Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate from a Multiemployer Plan or the receipt of notification that a Multiemployer Plan is in reorganization; (d) the filing of a notice of intent to terminate a Pension Plan, or the treatment of a Pension Plan amendment as a termination, under Section 4041 or 4041A of ERISA; (e) the commencement of proceedings by the PBGC to terminate a Pension Plan; (f) any event or condition which constitutes grounds under Section 4042 of ERISA for the termination of, or the appointment of a trustee to administer, any Pension Plan; (g) with respect to any Pension Plan that is not a Multiemployer Plan, a reduction in the adjusted funding target attainment percentage (within the meaning of Section 436(j)(2) of the Code), as certified by the Plan’s actuary with respect to a plan year, or as deemed by operation of Section 436 of the Code in the absence of such certification, below 60%; (h) the receipt by any Borrower or an ERISA Affiliate of any notice that a Multiemployer Plan is in endangered or critical status or the determination that any Pension Plan that is not a Multiemployer Plan is in at-risk status; or (i) the imposition of any liability under Title IV of ERISA, other than for PBGC premiums due but not delinquent under Section 4007 of ERISA, upon any Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate.

 

EU Bail-In Legislation Schedule” means the EU Bail-In Legislation Schedule published by the Loan Market Association (or any successor person), as in effect from time to time.

 

Euro” and “EUR” mean the lawful currency of the Participating Member States.

 

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Eurocurrency Rate” means:

 

(a) for any Interest Period with respect to any Credit Extension:

 

(i)       denominated in a LIBOR Quoted CurrencyDollars, the rate per annum equal to the London Interbank Offered Rate as administered by ICE Benchmark Administration (or any other Person that takes over the administration of such rate for the relevant currency for a period equal in length to such Interest Period) (“LIBOR”), as published on the applicable Bloomberg screen page (or such other commercially available source providing such quotations as may be designated by the Administrative Agent from time to time) (in such case, the “LIBOR Rate”) at or about 11:00 a.m. (London time) on the Rate Determination Date, for deposits in the relevant currency, with a term equivalent to such Interest Period;

 

(ii)       denominated in Euros, the rate per annum equal to the Euro Interbank Offered Rate (“EURIBOR”), or a comparable or successor rate which rate is approved by the Administrative Agent, as published on the applicable Bloomberg screen page (or such other commercially available source providing such quotations as may be designated by the Administrative Agent from time to time) (in such case, the “EURIBOR Rate”) at or about 11:00 a.m. (Brussels, Belgium time) on the Rate Determination Date with a term equivalent to such Interest Period;

 

(iii)       denominated in Canadian dollars, the rate per annum equal to the Canadian Dollar Offered Rate (“CDOR”), or a comparable or successor rate which rate is approved by the Administrative Agent, as published on the applicable Bloomberg screen page (or such other commercially available source providing such quotations as may be designated by the Administrative Agent from time to time) (in such case, the “CDOR Rate”) at or about 10:00 a.m. (Toronto, Ontario time) on the Rate Determination Date with a term equivalent to such Interest Period;

 

(iv)       denominated in Krona, the rate per annum equal to the Stockholm Interbank Offered Rate (“STIBOR”), or a comparable or successor rate which rate is approved by the Administrative Agent, as published on the applicable Bloomberg screen page (or such other commercially available source providing such quotations as may be designated by the Administrative Agent from time to time) at or about 11:00 a.m. (Stockholm, Sweden time) on the Rate Determination Date with a term equivalent to such Interest Period;

 

(v)       denominated in Singapore dollars, the rate per annum equal to the Singapore Interbank Offered Rate (“SIBOR”), or a successor thereto approved by the Administrative Agent, as published on the applicable Bloomberg screen page (or such other commercially available source providing such quotations as may be designated by the Administrative Agent from time to time) at or about 11:00 a.m. (Singapore time) on the Rate Determination Date with a term equivalent to such Interest Period;

 

(vi)       denominated in Sterling, the rate per annum equal to SONIA, determined pursuant to the definition thereof, plus the SONIA Adjustment;

 

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(vii) with respect to any Credit Extension denominated in any other Non-LIBOR Quoted Ccurrency, the rate per annum as designated with respect to such Alternative Currency at the time such Alternative Currency is approved by the Administrative Agent and the relevant Lenders pursuant to Section 1.06(a); and

 

(b)       for any interest calculation with respect to a Base Rate Loan on any date, the rate per annum equal to LIBOR, at or about 11:00 a.m., London time determined two London Banking Days prior to such date for U.S. Dollar deposits with a term of one (1) month commencing that day;

 

provided that, (i) to the extent a comparable or successor rate is approved by the Administrative Agent in connection with any rate set forth in this definition, the approved rate shall be applied in a manner consistent with market practice; provided, further that, to the extent such market practice is not administratively feasible for the Administrative Agent, such approved rate shall be applied in a manner as otherwise reasonably determined by the Administrative Agent and (ii) if the Eurocurrency Rate shall be less than zero percent, such rate shall be deemed to be zero percent for purposes of this Agreement.

 

Eurocurrency Rate Loan” means a Committed Loan that bears interest at a rate based on clause (a) of the definition of “Eurocurrency Rate”. Eurocurrency Rate Loans may be denominated in Dollars or in an Alternative Currency. All Committed Loans denominated in an Alternative Currency or made to a Foreign Loan Party must be Eurocurrency Rate Loans.

 

Event of Default” has the meaning specified in Section 8.01.

 

Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and any successor statute thereto, together with the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

 

Excluded Accounts” means any account of a Domestic Loan Party in which proceeds of Collateral are deposited or maintained but (i) which have a balance at any time of not greater than $1,000,000 individually or $5,000,000 in the aggregate for all such accounts or (ii) are not held with a financial institution in the United States.

 

Excluded Swap Obligation” means, with respect to any Loan Party, any Swap Obligation if, and to the extent that, all or a portion of the Guaranty of such Loan Party of, or the grant by such Loan Party of a Lien to secure, such Swap Obligation (or any Guarantee thereof) is or becomes illegal under the Commodity Exchange Act or any rule, regulation or order of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (or the application or official interpretation thereof) by virtue of such Loan Party’s failure for any reason to constitute an “eligible contract participant” as defined in the Commodity Exchange Act (determined after giving effect to Section 10.11 and any other “keepwell”, support or other agreement for the benefit of such Loan Party and any and all guarantees of such Loan Party’s Swap Obligations by other Loan Parties) at the time the Guaranty of such Loan Party, or grant by such Loan Party of a Lien, becomes effective with respect to such Swap Obligation. If a Swap Obligation arises under a Master Agreement governing more than one Swap Contract, such exclusion shall apply only to the portion of such Swap Obligation that is attributable to Swap Contracts for which such Guaranty or Lien is or becomes excluded in accordance with the first sentence of this definition.

 

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Excluded Taxes” means any of the following Taxes imposed on or with respect to any Recipient or required to be withheld or deducted from a payment to a Recipient, (a) Taxes imposed on or measured by net income (however denominated), franchise Taxes, and branch profits Taxes, in each case, (i) imposed as a result of such Recipient being organized under the laws of, or having its principal office or, in the case of any Lender, its Lending Office located in, the jurisdiction imposing such Tax (or any political subdivision thereof) or (ii) that are Other Connection Taxes, (b) in the case of a Lender, U.S. federal withholding Taxes imposed on amounts payable to or for the account of such Lender with respect to an applicable interest in a Loan or Commitment pursuant to a law in effect on the date on which (i) such Lender acquires such interest in the Loan or Commitment (other than pursuant to an assignment request by Carpenter under Section 11.13) or (ii) such Lender changes its Lending Office, except in each case to the extent that, pursuant to Section 3.01, amounts with respect to such Taxes were payable either to such Lender’s assignor immediately before such Lender became a party hereto or to such Lender immediately before it changed its Lending Office, (c) Taxes attributable to such Recipient’s failure to comply with Section 3.01(f) and (d) any withholding Taxes imposed pursuant to FATCA.

 

Existing Credit Agreement” means that certain Credit Agreement dated as of March 31, 2017 among Carpenter, the Subsidiary Borrowers, the banks and other financial institutions from time to time party thereto as lenders and Bank of America, as administrative agent.

 

Existing Letters of Credit” means the letters of credit described by the date of issuance, letter of credit number, undrawn amount, currency, name of beneficiary and date of expiry on Schedule 1.01.

 

Facility Termination Date” means the date as of which all of the following shall have occurred: (a) the Aggregate Commitments have terminated, (b) all Obligations have been paid in full (other than contingent indemnification obligations), and (c) all Letters of Credit have terminated or expired (other than Letters of Credit as to which other arrangements with respect thereto satisfactory to the Administrative Agent and the L/C Issuer shall have been made).

 

FATCA” means Sections 1471 through 1474 of the Code, as of the Closing Date (or any amended or successor version that is substantively comparable and not materially more onerous to comply with), any current or future regulations or official interpretations thereof, any agreements entered into pursuant to Section 1471(b)(1) of the Code and any fiscal or regulatory legislation, rules or practices adopted pursuant to any intergovernmental agreement, treaty or convention among Governmental Authorities entered into in connection with the implementation of the foregoing.

 

Federal Funds Rate” means, for any day, the rate per annum equal to the weighted average of the rates on overnight Federal funds transactions with members of the Federal Reserve System, as published by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York on the Business Day next succeeding such day; provided that (a) if such day is not a Business Day, the Federal Funds Rate for such day shall be such rate on such transactions on the next preceding Business Day as so published on the next succeeding Business Day, and (b) if no such rate is so published on such next succeeding Business Day, the Federal Funds Rate for such day shall be the average rate (rounded upward, if necessary, to a whole multiple of 1/100 of 1%) charged to Bank of America on such day on such transactions as determined by the Administrative Agent.

 

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Finance Lease” of any Person means any lease of (or other arrangement conveying the right to use) real or personal property, or a combination thereof, which obligations are required to be classified and accounted for as finance leases on a balance sheet of such Person under GAAP (subject to Section 1.03 hereof).

 

Finance Lease Obligations” means, with respect to any Person, all obligations of such Person as lessee under Finance Leases, in each case taken at the amount capitalized thereof determined in accordance with GAAP (subject to Section 1.03 hereof).

 

Foreign Benefit Plan” means any employee benefit plan, pension plan or welfare plan not subject to ERISA which is maintained or contributed to for the benefit of the employees of a Foreign Loan Party or its Subsidiaries which, under Applicable Law, (a) is required to be funded through a trust or similar funding vehicle or (b) creates or could result in a Lien on any property of such Foreign Loan Party or any of its Subsidiaries.

 

Foreign Lender” means, with respect to any Borrower, (a) if such Borrower is a U.S. Person, a Lender that is not a U.S. Person, and (b) if such Borrower is not a U.S. Person, a Lender that is resident or organized under the Laws of a jurisdiction other than that in which such Borrower is resident for tax purposes (including such a Lender when acting in the capacity of the L/C Issuer). For purposes of this definition, the United States, each State thereof and the District of Columbia shall be deemed to constitute a single jurisdiction.

 

Foreign Loan Party” means any Loan Party that is incorporated or organized under the laws of a jurisdiction other than the United States, a State thereof or the District of Columbia.

 

Foreign Obligation Loan Documents” means all legal documentation entered into between the applicable Foreign Loan Party and the Foreign Obligation Provider in connection with the Foreign Subsidiary Secured Obligations.

 

Foreign Obligation Provider” shall have the meaning set forth in the definition of “Foreign Subsidiary Secured Obligations”.

 

Foreign Requirement of Law” means, as to any Person, any law (including common law), treaty, rule or regulation or judgment, decree, determination or award of an arbitrator or a court or other Governmental Authority other than the government of the United States, including without limitation, any Environmental Laws or exchange control, financial assistance, corporate benefit, corporate interest, absence of misuse of assets, minimum capitalization, fraudulent conveyance, mandatory labor advice or similar rules or regulations, in each case imposing a legal obligation or binding upon such Person or any of its property or to which such Person or any of its property is subject.

 

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Foreign Subsidiary” means any Subsidiary that is organized under the laws of a jurisdiction other than the United States, a State thereof or the District of Columbia.

 

Foreign Subsidiary Secured Obligations” means all unpaid principal of, accrued and unpaid interest and fees and reimbursement obligations, and all expenses, reimbursements, indemnities and other obligations under or with respect to, any loans, letters of credit, acceptances, guarantees, overdraft facilities, other credit extensions or accommodations or similar obligations owing by any Foreign Subsidiary to any Lender or any office, branch or Affiliate of such Lender and designated in writing by the Borrowers to the Administrative Agent as a “Foreign Subsidiary Secured Obligation” (each, a “Foreign Obligation Provider”); provided that for any of the foregoing to be included as a Secured Obligation on any date of determination by the Administrative Agent, the applicable Lender (other than the Administrative Agent or an Affiliate of the Administrative Agent) must have delivered a Secured Party Designation Notice to the Administrative Agent prior to such date of determination.

 

FRB” means the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System of the United States.

 

Fronting Exposure” means, at any time there is a Defaulting Lender, (a) with respect to the L/C Issuer, such Defaulting Lender’s Applicable Percentage of the outstanding L/C Obligations other than L/C Obligations as to which such Defaulting Lender’s participation obligation has been reallocated to other Lenders or Cash Collateralized in accordance with the terms hereof, and (b) with respect to the Swing Line Lender, such Defaulting Lender’s Applicable Percentage of Swing Line Loans other than Swing Line Loans as to which such Defaulting Lender’s participation obligation has been reallocated to other Lenders or Cash Collateralized in accordance with the terms hereof.

 

Fund” means any Person (other than a natural person) that is (or will be) engaged in making, purchasing, holding or otherwise investing in commercial loans and similar extensions of credit in the ordinary course of its activities.

 

GAAP” means generally accepted accounting principles in the United States set forth in the opinions and pronouncements of the Accounting Principles Board and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and statements and pronouncements of the Financial Accounting Standards Board or such other principles as may be approved by a significant segment of the accounting profession in the United States, that are applicable to the circumstances as of the date of determination, consistently applied.

 

Governmental Authority” means the government of the United States or any other nation, or of any political subdivision thereof, whether state or local, and any agency, authority, instrumentality, regulatory body, court, central bank or other entity exercising executive, legislative, judicial, taxing, regulatory or administrative powers or functions of or pertaining to government (including the Financial Conduct Authority, the Prudential Regulation Authority and any supra-national bodies such as the European Union or the European Central Bank).

 

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Guarantee” means, as to any Person, (a) any obligation, contingent or otherwise, of such Person guaranteeing or having the economic effect of guaranteeing any Indebtedness or other obligation payable or performable by another Person (the “primary obligor”) in any manner, whether directly or indirectly, and including any obligation of such Person, direct or indirect, (i) to purchase or pay (or advance or supply funds for the purchase or payment of) such Indebtedness or other obligation, (ii) to purchase or lease property, securities or services for the purpose of assuring the obligee in respect of such Indebtedness or other obligation of the payment or performance of such Indebtedness or other obligation, (iii) to maintain working capital, equity capital or any other financial statement condition or liquidity or level of income or cash flow of the primary obligor so as to enable the primary obligor to pay such Indebtedness or other obligation, or (iv) entered into for the purpose of assuring in any other manner the obligee in respect of such Indebtedness or other obligation of the payment or performance thereof or to protect such obligee against loss in respect thereof (in whole or in part), or (b) any Lien on any assets of such Person securing any Indebtedness or other obligation of any other Person, whether or not such Indebtedness or other obligation is assumed by such Person (or any right, contingent or otherwise, of any holder of such Indebtedness to obtain any such Lien). The amount of any Guarantee shall be deemed to be an amount equal to the stated or determinable amount of the related primary obligation, or portion thereof, in respect of which such Guarantee is made or, if not stated or determinable, the maximum reasonably anticipated liability in respect thereof as determined by the guaranteeing Person in good faith. The term “Guarantee” as a verb has a corresponding meaning.

 

Guaranteed Obligations” has the meaning specified in Section 10.01.

 

Guarantors” means, collectively, (a) the Subsidiary Guarantors as are or may from time to time become parties to this Agreement pursuant to Section 10.12, and (b) with respect to Secured Obligations owing by any Loan Party or any of its Subsidiaries and any Swap Obligation of a Specified Loan Party (determined before giving effect to Sections 10.01 and 10.11) under the Guaranty, each Borrower.

 

Guaranty” means, collectively, the Guarantee made by the Guarantors under Article X in favor of the Secured Parties, together with each other guaranty delivered pursuant to Section 10.12.

 

Hazardous Materials” means all explosive or radioactive substances or wastes and all hazardous or toxic substances, wastes or other pollutants, including petroleum or petroleum distillates, asbestos or asbestos-containing materials, polychlorinated biphenyls, radon gas, infectious or medical wastes and all other substances or wastes of any nature regulated pursuant to any Environmental Law.

 

Hedge Bank” means any Person in its capacity as a party to a Swap Contract that (a) at the time it enters into a Swap Contract required by or not prohibited under Articles VI or VII, is a Lender or an Affiliate of a Lender, or (b) at the time it (or its Affiliate) becomes a Lender, is a party to a Swap Contract required by or not prohibited under Articles VI or VII, in each case, in its capacity as a party to such Swap Contract (even if such Person ceases to be a Lender or such Person’s Affiliate ceased to be a Lender); provided, in the case of a Secured Hedge Agreement with a Person who is no longer a Lender (or Affiliate of a Lender), such Person shall be considered a Hedge Bank only through the stated termination date (without extension or renewal) of such Secured Hedge Agreement and provided further that for any of the foregoing to be included as a “Secured Hedge Agreement” on any date of determination by the Administrative Agent, the applicable Hedge Bank (other than the Administrative Agent or an Affiliate of the Administrative Agent) must have delivered a Secured Party Designation Notice to the Administrative Agent prior to such date of determination.

 

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Indebtedness” of any Person means at any date, without duplication, (a) all obligations of such Person for borrowed money, including, without limitation, obligations for borrowed money incurred by any Person in respect of any asset securitization transaction, (b) all obligations of such Person evidenced by bonds, debentures, notes or other similar instruments, (c) all obligations of such Person under conditional sale or other title retention agreements relating to property purchased by such Person to the extent of the value of such property (other than customary reservations or retentions of title under agreements with suppliers entered into in the ordinary course of business), (d) all obligations, other than intercompany items, of such Person to pay the deferred purchase price of property or services (other than trade accounts payable arising in the ordinary course of business and not past due for more than 60 days after the date on which such trade account was created), (e) the Attributable Indebtedness of such Person in respect of Finance Lease Obligations and Synthetic Lease Obligations (regardless of whether accounted for as indebtedness under GAAP), (f) all obligations of such Person to purchase securities or other property which arise out of or in connection with the sale of the same or substantially similar securities or property, (g) all non-contingent obligations (and, for purposes of Section 7.02 and Section 8.01(f), all contingent obligations) of such Person to reimburse any bank or other Person in respect of amounts paid under a letter of credit, bankers’ acceptance or similar instrument, (h) all Guarantees of such Person, (i) all Disqualified Stock of such Person, (j) the obligations of such Person in respect of any Swap Contract, calculated as the Swap Termination Value as of such date and (k) the Indebtedness of any other Person (including any partnership in which such Person is a general partner and any unincorporated joint venture in which such Person is a joint venturer) to the extent such Person would be liable therefor under Applicable Law or any agreement or instrument by virtue of such Person’s ownership interest in or other relationship with such entity, except to the extent the terms of such Indebtedness provide that such person shall not be liable therefor.

 

Indemnified Taxes” means (a) Taxes, other than Excluded Taxes, imposed on or with respect to any payment made by or on account of any obligation of any Loan Party under any Loan Document and (b) to the extent not otherwise described in clause (a), Other Taxes.

 

Indemnitees” has the meaning specified in Section 11.04(b).

 

Information” has the meaning specified in Section 11.07.

 

Intercompany Debt” has the meaning specified in Section 7.02(d)

 

Interest Coverage Ratio” means for any Measurement Period the ratio of (a) Consolidated EBITDA to (b) Consolidated Interest Expense for such period.

 

Interest Payment Date” means, (a) as to any Eurocurrency Rate Loan (other than a BaseEurocurrency Rate Loan denominated in Sterling), the last day of each Interest Period applicable to such Loan and the Maturity Date; provided, however, that if any Interest Period for a Eurocurrency Rate Loan exceeds three months, the respective dates that fall every three months after the beginning of such Interest Period shall also be Interest Payment Dates; and (b) as to any Eurocurrency Rate Loan denominated in Sterling, the last Business Day of each month and the Maturity Date and (c) as to any Base Rate Loan (including a Swing Line Loan), the last Business Day of each March, June, September and December and the Maturity Date.

 

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Interest Period” means as to each Eurocurrency Rate Loan (other than such Loans denominated in Sterling), the period commencing on the date such Eurocurrency Rate Loan is disbursed or converted to or continued as a Eurocurrency Rate Loan and ending on the date one, two, three or six months thereafter (in each case, subject to availability for the interest rate applicable to the relevant currency), as selected by Carpenter in its Committed Loan Notice; provided that:

 

(i)       any Interest Period that would otherwise end on a day that is not a Business Day shall be extended to the next succeeding Business Day unless such Business Day falls in another calendar month, in which case such Interest Period shall end on the next preceding Business Day;

 

(ii)       any Interest Period that begins on the last Business Day of a calendar month (or on a day for which there is no numerically corresponding day in the calendar month at the end of such Interest Period) shall end on the last Business Day of the calendar month at the end of such Interest Period; and

 

(iii)       no Interest Period shall extend beyond the Maturity Date.; and

 

(iv)       as to each Eurocurrency Rate Loan denominated in Sterling (and notwithstanding anything in Section 2.02(a) or any Loan Notice to the contrary), the period commencing on the date such Eurocurrency Rate Loan is disbursed or converted to or continued as a Eurocurrency Rate Loan and ending on the following day.

 

Inventory” has the meaning specified in the Security Agreement.

 

Investment” in any Person means (a) the acquisition (whether for cash, property, services, assumption of Indebtedness, securities or otherwise) of assets, shares of Equity Interests, bonds, notes, debentures, time deposits or other securities of such other Person, (b) any deposit with, or advance, loan or other extension of credit to or for the benefit of such Person (other than deposits made in connection with the purchase of equipment or inventory in the ordinary course of business) or (c) any other capital contribution to or investment in such Person, including by way of Guarantees of any obligation of such Person, any support for a letter of credit issued on behalf of such Person incurred for the benefit of such Person or in the case of any Subsidiary of Carpenter, any release, cancellation, compromise or forgiveness in whole or in part of any Indebtedness owing by such Subsidiary.

 

IRS” means the United States Internal Revenue Service.

 

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ISP” means, with respect to any Letter of Credit, the “International Standby Practices 1998” published by the Institute of International Banking Law & Practice, Inc. (or such later version thereof as may be in effect at the time of issuance).

 

Issuer Documents” means with respect to any Letter of Credit, the Letter of Credit Application, and any other document, agreement and instrument entered into by the L/C Issuer and Carpenter (or any Subsidiary) or in favor of the L/C Issuer and relating to such Letter of Credit.

 

Joinder Agreement” means a joinder agreement substantially in the form of Exhibit K executed and delivered by a Subsidiary Guarantor in accordance with the provisions of Section 10.12.

 

Krona” and “kr” mean the lawful currency of Sweden.

 

Laws” means, collectively, all international, foreign, Federal, state and local statutes, treaties, rules, guidelines, regulations, ordinances, codes and administrative or judicial precedents or authorities, including the interpretation or administration thereof by any Governmental Authority charged with the enforcement, interpretation or administration thereof, and all applicable administrative orders, directed duties, requests, licenses, authorizations and permits of, and agreements with, any Governmental Authority, in each case whether or not having the force of law.

 

L/C Advance” means, with respect to each Lender, such Lender’s funding of its participation in any L/C Borrowing in accordance with its Applicable Percentage. All L/C Advances shall be denominated in Dollars.

 

L/C Borrowing” means an extension of credit resulting from a drawing under any Letter of Credit which has not been reimbursed on the date when made or refinanced as a Committed Borrowing. All L/C Borrowings shall be denominated in Dollars.

 

L/C Credit Extension” means, with respect to any Letter of Credit, the issuance thereof or extension of the expiry date thereof, or the increase of the amount thereof.

 

L/C Issuer” means Bank of America in its capacity as issuer of Letters of Credit hereunder, or any successor issuer of Letters of Credit hereunder.

 

L/C Obligations” means, as at any date of determination, the aggregate amount available to be drawn under all outstanding Letters of Credit plus the aggregate of all Unreimbursed Amounts, including all L/C Borrowings. For purposes of computing the amount available to be drawn under any Letter of Credit, the amount of such Letter of Credit shall be determined in accordance with Section 1.09. For all purposes of this Agreement, if on any date of determination a Letter of Credit has expired by its terms but any amount may still be drawn thereunder by reason of the operation of Rule 3.14 of the ISP, such Letter of Credit shall be deemed to be “outstanding” in the amount so remaining available to be drawn.

 

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Lender” means each of the Persons identified as a “Lender” on the signature pages hereto, each other Person that becomes a “Lender” in accordance with this Agreement and, unless the context requires otherwise, includes the Swing Line Lender. The term “Lender” shall include any Designated Lender.

 

Lending Office” means, as to the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer or any Lender, the office or offices of such Person described as such in such Person’s Administrative Questionnaire, or such other office or offices as such Person may from time to time notify Carpenter and the Administrative Agent; which office may include any Affiliate of such Person or any domestic or foreign branch of such Person or such Affiliate.

 

Letter of Credit” means any letter of credit issued hereunder and shall include the Existing Letters of Credit. A Letter of Credit may be a commercial letter of credit or a standby letter of credit. Letters of Credit may be issued in Dollars or in an Alternative Currency.

 

Letter of Credit Application” means an application and agreement for the issuance or amendment of a Letter of Credit in the form from time to time in use by the L/C Issuer.

 

Letter of Credit Expiration Date” means the day that is seven days prior to the Maturity Date then in effect (or, if such day is not a Business Day, the next preceding Business Day).

 

Letter of Credit Fee” has the meaning specified in Section 2.04(h).

 

Letter of Credit Sublimit” means an amount equal to the lesser of (a) $40,000,000 and (b) the Aggregate Commitments. The Letter of Credit Sublimit is part of, and not in addition to, the Aggregate Commitments.

 

LIBOR” has the meaning specified in the definition of Eurocurrency Rate.

 

LIBOR Quoted Currency” means Dollars, Sterling and any currency whose Screen Rate is determined by reference to LIBOR, but in each case only so long as there is a published LIBOR rate with respect thereto.

 

LIBOR Successor Rate” has the meaning specified in Section 3.03(c).

 

Lien” means, with respect to any asset, any mortgage, pledge, hypothecation, assignment, deposit arrangement, encumbrance, lien (statutory or other), charge, or preference, priority or other security interest or preferential arrangement of any kind or nature whatsoever (including any conditional sale or other title retention agreement, any financing lease having substantially the same economic effect as any of the foregoing, and the filing of any financing statement under the Uniform Commercial Code or comparable Laws of any jurisdiction), including the interest of a purchaser of accounts receivable, chattel paper, payment intangibles or promissory notes.

 

Liquidity Period” means the period beginning on the Closing Date and ending on the later to occur of (i) March 31June 30, 2022 or (ii) the last day of the first Measurement Period for which the Interest Coverage Ratio is at least 32.00 to 1.00.

 

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Loan” means an extension of credit by a Lender to a Borrower under Article II in the form of a Committed Loan or a Swing Line Loan.

 

Loan Documents” means this Agreement, each Subsidiary Borrower Request and Assumption Agreement, each Joinder Agreement, each Note, each Issuer Document, the Bank of America Fee Letter, the Guaranty, the Collateral Documents, any agreement creating or perfecting rights in Cash Collateral pursuant to the provisions of Section 2.17, all other certificates, agreements, documents and instruments executed and delivered, in each case, by or on behalf of any Loan Party pursuant to the foregoing (but specifically excluding any Secured Hedge Agreement or any Secured Cash Management Agreement) and any amendments, modifications or supplements thereto or to any other Loan Document or waivers hereof or to any other Loan Document.

 

Loan Parties” means, collectively, each Borrower and each Guarantor.

 

London Banking Day” means any day on which dealings in Dollar deposits are conducted by and between banks in the London interbank eurodollar market.

 

Marketable Securities” means the U.S. Government and Government-guaranteed agency securities, U.S. Government-sponsored agency obligations, corporate debt and other obligations permitted for investment by Carpenter and all of its Wholly-Owned Subsidiaries in the “Policy Guidelines for Short-Term Excess Cash Investments,” dated as of April, 2020, furnished by Carpenter to the Administrative Agent, as modified and amended from time to time and reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent.

 

Master Agreement” has the meaning set forth in the definition of “Swap Contract.”

 

Material Adverse Effect” means (a) a material adverse change in, or a material adverse effect on, the operations, business, properties, liabilities (actual or contingent) or financial condition of Carpenter and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole; (b) a material impairment of the ability of the Loan Parties, taken as a whole, to perform their obligations under the Loan Documents; or (c) a material adverse effect upon the legality, validity, binding effect or enforceability against any Loan Party of the Loan Documents to which it is party.

 

Maturity Date” means March 31, 2024; provided, however, that if by November 30, 2022 the 2023 Notes have not been redeemed or repurchased, or refinanced with indebtedness having a maturity date of October 1, 2024 or later, then the Maturity Date shall be November 30, 2022, provided further, that if such date is not a Business Day, the Maturity Date shall be the next preceding Business Day.

 

Measurement Period” means, at any date of determination, the most recently completed four (4) fiscal quarters of Carpenter and its Subsidiaries for which financial statements have been (or are required to have been) delivered in accordance with Section 6.01(a) and (b).; provided that for purposes of calculating the Interest Coverage Ratio (i) on the June 30, 2022 testing date, “Measurement Period” shall mean the two (2) fiscal quarter period of Carpenter and its Subsidiaries ending on such date and (ii) on the September 30, 2022 testing date, “Measurement Period” shall mean the three (3) fiscal quarter period of Carpenter and its Subsidiaries ending on such date.

 

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Moody’s” means Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. and any successor thereto.

 

Multiemployer Plan” means any employee benefit plan of the type described in Section 4001(a)(3) of ERISA, to which any Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate makes or is obligated to make contributions, or during the preceding five plan years, has made or been obligated to make contributions or to which any Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate has any liability (contingent or otherwise).

 

Multiple Employer Plan” means a Plan which has two or more contributing sponsors (including any Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate) at least two of whom are not under common control, as such a plan is described in Section 4064 of ERISA and to which any Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate has any liability (contingent or otherwise).

 

Non-Consenting Lender” has the meaning specified in Section 11.13.

 

Non-Defaulting Lender” means, at any time, each Lender that is not a Defaulting Lender at such time.

 

Non-LIBOR Quoted Currency” means any currency other than a LIBOR Quoted Currency.

 

Note” means a promissory note made by a Borrower in favor of a Lender evidencing Loans made by such Lender to such Borrower, substantially in the form of Exhibit D.

 

Notice of Loan Prepayment” means a notice of prepayment with respect to a Loan, which shall be substantially in the form of Exhibit C or such other form as may be approved by the Administrative Agent (including any form on an electronic platform or electronic transmission system as shall be approved by the Administrative Agent), appropriately completed and signed by a Responsible Officer.

 

Obligations” means (a) all advances to, and debts, liabilities, obligations, covenants and duties of, any Loan Party arising under any Loan Document or otherwise with respect to any Loan, or Letter of Credit and (b) all costs and expenses incurred in connection with enforcement and collection of the foregoing, including the fees, charges and disbursements of counsel, in each case whether direct or indirect (including those acquired by assumption), absolute or contingent, due or to become due, now existing or hereafter arising and including interest, expenses and fees that accrue after the commencement by or against any Loan Party or any Affiliate thereof pursuant to any proceeding under any Debtor Relief Laws naming such Person as the debtor in such proceeding, regardless of whether such interest, expenses and fees are allowed claims in such proceeding; provided that the Obligations of a Loan Party shall exclude any Excluded Swap Obligations with respect to such Loan Party.

 

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OFAC” means the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of the Treasury.

 

Organization Documents” means, (a) with respect to any corporation, the certificate or articles of incorporation and the bylaws (or equivalent or comparable constitutive documents with respect to any non-U.S. jurisdiction); (b) with respect to any limited liability company, the certificate or articles of formation or organization and operating agreement; and (c) with respect to any partnership, joint venture, trust or other form of business entity, the partnership, joint venture or other applicable agreement of formation or organization and any agreement, instrument, filing or notice with respect thereto filed in connection with its formation or organization with the applicable Governmental Authority in the jurisdiction of its formation or organization and, if applicable, any certificate or articles of formation or organization of such entity.

 

Other Connection Taxes” means, with respect to any Recipient, Taxes imposed as a result of a present or former connection between such Recipient and the jurisdiction imposing such Tax (other than connections arising from such Recipient having executed, delivered, become a party to, performed its obligations under, received payments under, received or perfected a security interest under, engaged in any other transaction pursuant to or enforced any Loan Document, or sold or assigned an interest in any Loan or Loan Document).

 

Other Taxes” means all present or future stamp, court or documentary, intangible, recording, filing or similar Taxes that arise from any payment made under, from the execution, delivery, performance, enforcement or registration of, from the receipt or perfection of a security interest under, or otherwise with respect to, any Loan Document, except any such Taxes that are Other Connection Taxes imposed with respect to an assignment (other than an assignment made pursuant to Section 11.13).

 

Outstanding Amount” means (a) with respect to Committed Loans on any date, the Dollar Equivalent amount of the aggregate outstanding principal amount thereof after giving effect to any borrowings and prepayments or repayments of such Committed Loans occurring on such date; (b) with respect to Swing Line Loans on any date, the aggregate outstanding principal amount thereof after giving effect to any borrowings and prepayments or repayments of such Swing Line Loans occurring on such date; and (c) with respect to any L/C Obligations on any date, the Dollar Equivalent amount of the aggregate outstanding amount of such L/C Obligations on such date after giving effect to any L/C Credit Extension occurring on such date and any other changes in the aggregate amount of the L/C Obligations as of such date, including as a result of any reimbursements by Carpenter of Unreimbursed Amounts.

 

Overnight Rate” means, for any day, (a) with respect to any amount denominated in Dollars, the greater of (i) the Federal Funds Rate and (ii) an overnight rate determined by the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer, or the Swing Line Lender, as the case may be, in accordance with banking industry rules on interbank compensation, and (b) with respect to any amount denominated in an Alternative Currency, an overnight rate determined by the Administrative Agent, as the case may be, in accordance with banking industry rules on interbank compensation.

 

Participant” has the meaning specified in Section 11.06(d).

 

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Participant Register” has the meaning specified in Section 11.06(d).

 

Participating Member State” means any member state of the European Union that has the Euro as its lawful currency in accordance with legislation of the European Union relating to Economic and Monetary Union.

 

Patriot Act” has the meaning specified in Section 11.19.

 

PBGC” means the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation.

 

Pension Act” means the Pension Protection Act of 2006.

 

Pension Funding Rules” means the rules of the Code and ERISA regarding minimum required contributions (including any installment payment thereof) to Pension Plans and set forth in, with respect to plan years ending prior to the effective date of the Pension Act, Section 412 of the Code and Section 302 of ERISA, each as in effect prior to the Pension Act and, thereafter, Section 412, 430, 431, 432 and 436 of the Code and Sections 302, 303, 304 and 305 of ERISA.

 

Pension Plan” means any employee pension benefit plan (including a Multiple Employer Plan or a Multiemployer Plan) that is maintained or is contributed to by any Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate and is either covered by Title IV of ERISA or is subject to the minimum funding standards under Section 412 of the Code.

 

Permitted Lien” has the meaning set forth in Section 7.01.

 

Person” means any natural person, corporation, limited liability company, trust, joint venture, association, company, partnership, Governmental Authority or other entity.

 

Plan” means any employee benefit plan within the meaning of Section 3(3) of ERISA (including a Pension Plan), maintained for employees of any Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate or any such Plan to which any Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate is required to contribute on behalf of any of its employees.

 

Platform” has the meaning specified in the last paragraph of Section 6.01.

 

Pre-Adjustment Successor Rate” has the meaning specified in Section 3.03(c).

 

PTE” means a prohibited transaction class exemption issued by the U.S. Department of Labor, as any such exemption may be amended from time to time.

 

Public Lender” has the meaning specified in the last paragraph of Section 6.01.

 

Purchase Money Indebtedness” means Indebtedness of Carpenter or any Subsidiary incurred for the purpose of financing all or any part of the purchase price or cost of construction or improvement of real or personal property used in the business of Carpenter or such Subsidiary.

 

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Qualified ECP Guarantor” shall mean, at any time, each Loan Party with total assets exceeding $10,000,000 or that qualifies at such time as an “eligible contract participant” under the Commodity Exchange Act and can cause another person to qualify as an “eligible contract participant” at such time under §1a(18)(A)(v)(II) of the Commodity Exchange Act.

 

Rate Determination Date” means two (2) Business Days prior to the commencement of such Interest Period (or such other day as is generally treated as the rate fixing day by market practice in such interbank market, as determined by the Administrative Agent; provided that to the extent such market practice is not administratively feasible for the Administrative Agent, then “Rate Determination Date” means such other day as otherwise reasonably determined by the Administrative Agent).

 

Receivables” means any of the Loan Parties’ presently existing and hereafter arising or acquired accounts receivable, notes receivable and other rights to payment for goods sold or leased or for services rendered, whether or not they have been earned by performance, and all rights in any merchandise or goods which any of the same may represent, and all rights, title, security, guarantees, indemnities and warranties with respect to each of the foregoing, including, without limitation, any right of stoppage in transit, and any other assets which are customarily transferred, or in respect of which security interests are customarily granted, in connection with securitization transactions involving accounts receivables.

 

Recipient” means the Administrative Agent, any Lender, the L/C Issuer or any other recipient of any payment to be made by or on account of any obligation of any Loan Party hereunder.

 

Register” has the meaning specified in Section 11.06(c).

 

Related Adjustment” means, in determining any LIBOR Successor Rate, the first relevant available alternative set forth in the order below that can be determined by the Administrative Agent applicable to such LIBOR Successor Rate:

 

(a)       the spread adjustment, or method for calculating or determining such spread adjustment, that has been selected or recommended by the Relevant Governmental Body for the relevant Pre-Adjustment Successor Rate (taking into account the interest period, interest payment date or payment period for interest calculated and/or tenor thereto) and which adjustment or method (x) is published on an information service as selected by the Administrative Agent from time to time in its reasonable discretion or (y) solely with respect to Term SOFR, if not currently published, which was previously so recommended for Term SOFR and published on an information service reasonably acceptable to the Administrative Agent; or

 

(b)       the spread adjustment that would apply (or has previously been applied) to the fallback rate for a derivative transaction referencing the ISDA Definitions (taking into account the interest period, interest payment date or payment period for interest calculated and/or tenor thereto).

 

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Related Parties” means, with respect to any Person, such Person’s Affiliates and the partners, directors, officers, employees, agents, trustees, administrators, managers, advisors and representatives of such Person and of such Person’s Affiliates.

 

Relevant Governmental Body” means the Federal Reserve Board and/or the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, or a committee officially endorsed or convened by the Federal Reserve Board and/or the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

 

Replacement Date” has the meaning specified in Section 3.03(c).

 

Reportable Event” means any of the events set forth in Section 4043(c) of ERISA, other than events for which the 30 day notice period has been waived.

 

Request for Credit Extension” means (a) with respect to a Borrowing, conversion or continuation of Committed Loans, a Committed Loan Notice, (b) with respect to an L/C Credit Extension, a Letter of Credit Application, and (c) with respect to a Swing Line Loan, a Swing Line Loan Notice.

 

Required Lenders” means, as of any date of determination, Lenders having more than 50% of the Aggregate Commitments or, if the commitment of each Lender to make Loans and the obligation of the L/C Issuer to make L/C Credit Extensions have been terminated pursuant to Section 8.02, Lenders holding in the aggregate more than 50% of the Total Outstandings (with the aggregate amount of each Lender’s risk participation and funded participation in L/C Obligations and Swing Line Loans being deemed “held” by such Lender for purposes of this definition); provided that the Commitment of, and the portion of the Total Outstandings held or deemed held by, any Defaulting Lender shall be excluded for purposes of making a determination of Required Lenders.

 

Rescindable Amount” has the meaning as defined in Section 2.13(b)(ii).

 

Resolution Authority” means an EEA Resolution Authority or, with respect to any UK Financial Institution, a UK Resolution Authority.

 

Responsible Officer” means the chief executive officer, president, chief financial officer, treasurer, assistant treasurer or controller of a Loan Party, solely for purposes of the delivery of incumbency certificates, Organizational Documents and resolutions pursuant to Section 4.01, the secretary or any assistant secretary of a Loan Party and, solely for purposes of notices given pursuant to Article II, any other officer or employee of the applicable Loan Party so designated by any of the foregoing officers in a notice to the Administrative Agent or any other officer or employee of the applicable Loan Party designated in or pursuant to an agreement between the applicable Loan Party and the Administrative Agent. Any document delivered hereunder that is signed by a Responsible Officer of a Loan Party shall be conclusively presumed to have been authorized by all necessary corporate, partnership and/or other action on the part of such Loan Party and such Responsible Officer shall be conclusively presumed to have acted on behalf of such Loan Party. To the extent requested by the Administrative Agent, each Responsible Officer will provide an incumbency certificate and to the extent requested by the Administrative Agent, appropriate authorization documentation, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent.

 

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Restricted Payment” means any dividend or other distribution (whether in cash, securities or other property) with respect to any capital stock or other Equity Interest of Carpenter or any Subsidiary, or any payment (whether in cash, securities or other property), including any sinking fund or similar deposit, on account of the purchase, redemption, retirement, acquisition, cancellation or termination of any such capital stock or other Equity Interest, or on account of any return of capital to Carpenter’s stockholders, partners or members (or the equivalent Person thereof).

 

Restricted Period” means the period beginning on the Closing Date and ending on the later to occur of (i) JuneSeptember 30, 2022 or (ii) the last day of the first Measurement Period for which the Interest Coverage Ratio is 3.50 to 1.00 or higher.

 

Revaluation Date” means (a) with respect to any Loan, each of the following: (i) each date of a Borrowing of a Eurocurrency Rate Loan denominated in an Alternative Currency, (ii) each date of a continuation of a Eurocurrency Rate Loan denominated in an Alternative Currency pursuant to Section 2.02, and (iii) such additional dates as the Administrative Agent shall determine or the Required Lenders shall require; and (b) with respect to any Letter of Credit, each of the following: (i) each date of issuance of a Letter of Credit denominated in an Alternative Currency, (ii) each date of an amendment of any such Letter of Credit having the effect of increasing the amount thereof (solely with respect to the increased amount), (iii) each date of any payment by the L/C Issuer under any Letter of Credit denominated in an Alternative Currency, (iv) in the case of all Existing Letters of Credit denominated in Alternative Currencies, the Closing Date, and (v) such additional dates as the Administrative Agent or the L/C Issuer shall determine or the Required Lenders shall require.

 

Sale/Leaseback Transaction” means any direct or indirect arrangement with any Person or to which any such Person is a party providing for the leasing to Carpenter or any of its Subsidiaries of any property, whether owned by Carpenter or any of its Subsidiaries as of the Closing Date or later acquired, which has been or is to be sold or transferred by Carpenter or any of its Subsidiaries to such Person or to any other Person from whom funds have been, or are to be, advanced by such Person on the security of such property

 

S&P” means Standard & Poor’s Financial Services LLC, a subsidiary of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. and any successor thereto.

 

Same Day Funds” means (a) with respect to disbursements and payments in Dollars, immediately available funds, and (b) with respect to disbursements and payments in an Alternative Currency, same day or other funds as may be determined by the Administrative Agent or the L/C Issuer, as the case may be, to be customary in the place of disbursement or payment for the settlement of international banking transactions in the relevant Alternative Currency.

 

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Sanction(s)” means any economic or financial sanctions or trade embargoes administered or enforced by the United States Government (including, without limitation, OFAC), the United Nations Security Council, the European Union, Her Majesty’s Treasury (“HMT”) or other sanctions authority having jurisdiction over Carpenter and its Subsidiaries or their respective operations.

 

Screen Rate” means the Applicable Reference Rate quote for an Applicable Currency on the applicable screen page the Administrative Agent designates to determine such Applicable Reference Rate for such Applicable Currency (or such other commercially available source providing such quotations for such Applicable Currency as may be designated by the Administrative Agent from time to time).

 

SEC” means the Securities and Exchange Commission, or any Governmental Authority succeeding to any of its principal functions.

 

Secured Cash Management Agreement” means any Cash Management Agreement between any Loan Party and any of its Subsidiaries and any Cash Management Bank.

 

Secured Hedge Agreement” means any interest rate, currency, foreign exchange, or commodity Swap Contract required by or not prohibited under Article VI or VII between any Loan Party and any of its Subsidiaries and any Hedge Bank that is designated in writing by the Borrowers to the Administrative Agent as a “Secured Hedge Agreement”.

 

Secured Obligations” means all Obligations, all Foreign Subsidiary Secured Obligations and all Additional Secured Obligations.

 

Secured Parties” means, collectively, the Administrative Agent, the Lenders, the L/C Issuer, each Hedge Bank that is party to a Secured Hedge Agreement, the Cash Management Banks, Foreign Obligation Providers, the Indemnitees, each co-agent or sub-agent appointed by the Administrative Agent from time to time pursuant to Section 9.05 and each other holder from time to time of the Secured Obligations.

 

Secured Party Designation Notice” means a notice from any Lender or an Affiliate, branch or office of a Lender substantially in the form of Exhibit L.

 

Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and any successor statute thereto, together with the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

 

Security Agreement” means the Security Agreement, dated as of the Closing Date, executed by each of the Domestic Loan Parties in favor of the Administrative Agent for the benefit of the Secured Parties, including any Security Joinder Agreements as required by Section 6.14.

 

Security Joinder Agreement” means any Security Joinder Agreement, substantially in the form thereof attached to the Security Agreement, executed and delivered by a Domestic Loan Party to the Administrative Agent.

 

Senior Notes” means, collectively, the 2023 Notes and the 2028 Notes.

 

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Significant Subsidiaries” means, with respect to any Borrower, any significant subsidiary (as such term is defined in Regulation S-X of the SEC (17 C.F.R. §210.1-02(w)), or any successor provision) of such Borrower; provided, however, that, notwithstanding the foregoing, each Subsidiary Borrower shall constitute a Significant Subsidiary.

 

SOFR” with respect to any Business Day means the secured overnight financing rate published for such day by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, as the administrator of the benchmark (or a successor administrator) on the Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s website (or any successor source) at approximately 8:00 a.m. on the immediately succeeding Business Day and, in each case, that has been selected or recommended by the Relevant Governmental Body.

 

“SONIA” means, with respect to any applicable determination date, the Sterling Overnight Index Average Reference Rate published on the fifth Business Day preceding such date on the applicable Reuters screen page (or such other commercially available source providing such quotations as may be designated by the Administrative Agent from time to time); provided however that if such determination date is not a Business Day, SONIA means such rate that applied on the first Business Day immediately prior thereto.

 

“SONIA Adjustment” means, with respect to SONIA, 0.03262% per annum.

 

Special Notice Currency” means at any time an Alternative Currency, other than the currency of a country that is a member of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development at such time located in North America or Europe.

 

Specified Loan Party” means any Loan Party that is not then an “eligible contract participant” under the Commodity Exchange Act (determined prior to giving effect to Section 10.11).

 

Sterling” and “£” mean the lawful currency of the United Kingdom.

 

Subsidiary” of a Person means a corporation, partnership, joint venture, limited liability company or other business entity of which a majority of the shares of securities or other interests having ordinary voting power for the election of directors or other governing body (other than securities or interests having such power only by reason of the happening of a contingency) are at the time beneficially owned, or the management of which is otherwise controlled, directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, or both, by such Person. Unless otherwise specified, all references herein to a “Subsidiary” or to “Subsidiaries” shall refer to a Subsidiary or Subsidiaries of Carpenter.

 

Subsidiary Borrower” has the meaning specified in Section 2.15.

 

Subsidiary Borrower Notice” has the meaning specified in Section 2.15.

 

Subsidiary Borrower Request and Assumption Agreement” has the meaning specified in Section 2.15.

 

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Subsidiary Guarantor” means any Domestic Subsidiary that has become a party hereto by execution of a Joinder Agreement.

 

Successor Rate Conforming Changes” means, with respect to any proposed Successor Rate for an Applicable Currency, any conforming changes to the definition of Base Rate, Interest Period, timing and frequency of determining rates and making payments of interest and other technical, administrative or operational matters (including, for the avoidance of doubt, the definition of Business Day, timing of borrowing requests or prepayment, conversion or continuation notices and length of lookback periods) as may be appropriate, in the discretion of the Administrative Agent, to reflect the adoption and implementation of such Successor Rate and to permit the administration thereof by the Administrative Agent in a manner substantially consistent with market practice for such Applicable Currency (or, if the Administrative Agent determines that adoption of any portion of such market practice for such Applicable Currency is not administratively feasible or that no market practice for the administration of such Successor Rate for such Applicable Currency exists, in such other manner of administration as the Administrative Agent determines is reasonably necessary in connection with the administration of this Agreement and any other Loan Document).

 

Swap Contract” means (a) any and all rate swap transactions, basis swaps, credit derivative transactions, forward rate transactions, commodity swaps, commodity options, forward commodity contracts, equity or equity index swaps or options, bond or bond price or bond index swaps or options or forward bond or forward bond price or forward bond index transactions, interest rate options, forward foreign exchange transactions, cap transactions, floor transactions, collar transactions, currency swap transactions, cross-currency rate swap transactions, currency options, spot contracts, or any other similar transactions or any combination of any of the foregoing (including any options to enter into any of the foregoing), whether or not any such transaction is governed by or subject to any master agreement, and (b) any and all transactions of any kind, and the related confirmations, which are subject to the terms and conditions of, or governed by, any form of master agreement published by the International Swaps and Derivatives Association, Inc., any International Foreign Exchange Master Agreement, or any other master agreement (any such master agreement, together with any related schedules, a “Master Agreement”), including any such obligations or liabilities under any Master Agreement.

 

Swap Obligations” means with respect to any Loan Party any obligation to pay or perform under any agreement, contract or transaction that constitutes a “swap” within the meaning of Section 1a(47) of the Commodity Exchange Act.

 

Swap Termination Value” means, in respect of any one or more Swap Contracts, after taking into account the effect of any legally enforceable netting agreement relating to such Swap Contracts, (a) for any date on or after the date such Swap Contracts have been closed out and termination value(s) determined in accordance therewith, such termination value(s), and (b) for any date prior to the date referenced in clause (a), the amount(s) determined as the mark-to-market value(s) for such Swap Contracts, as determined based upon one or more mid-market or other readily available quotations provided by any recognized dealer in such Swap Contracts (which may include a Lender or any Affiliate of a Lender).

 

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Swing Line Borrowing” means a borrowing of a Swing Line Loan pursuant to Section 2.05.

 

Swing Line Lender” means Bank of America in its capacity as provider of Swing Line Loans, or any successor swing line lender hereunder.

 

Swing Line Loan” has the meaning specified in Section 2.05(a).

 

Swing Line Loan Notice” means a notice of a Swing Line Borrowing pursuant to Section 2.05(b), which, if in writing, shall be substantially in the form of Exhibit B or such other form as approved by the Administrative Agent (including any form on an electronic platform or electronic transmission system as shall be approved by the Administrative Agent), appropriately completed and signed by a Responsible Officer of Carpenter.

 

Swing Line Sublimit” means an amount equal to the lesser of (a) $50,000,000 and (b) the Aggregate Commitments. The Swing Line Sublimit is part of, and not in addition to, the Aggregate Commitments.

 

Synthetic Lease Obligation” means the monetary obligation of a Person under (a) a so-called synthetic, off-balance sheet or tax retention lease, or (b) an agreement for the use or possession of property creating obligations that do not appear on the balance sheet of such Person but which, upon the insolvency or bankruptcy of such Person, would be characterized as the indebtedness of such Person (without regard to accounting treatment).

 

TARGET2” means the Trans-European Automated Real-time Gross Settlement Express Transfer payment system which utilizes a single shared platform and which was launched on November 19, 2007.

 

TARGET Day” means any day on which TARGET2 (or, if such payment system ceases to be operative, such other payment system, if any, determined by the Administrative Agent to be a suitable replacement) is open for the settlement of payments in Euro.

 

Taxes” means all present or future taxes, levies, imposts, duties, deductions, withholdings (including backup withholding), assessments, fees or other charges imposed by any Governmental Authority, including any interest, additions to tax or penalties applicable thereto.

 

Term SOFR” means the forward-looking term rate for any period that is approximately (as determined by the Administrative Agent) as long as any of the Interest Period options set forth in the definition of “Interest Period” and that is based on SOFR and that has been selected or recommended by the Relevant Governmental Body, in each case as published on an information service as selected by the Administrative Agent from time to time in its reasonable discretion.

 

Total Outstandings” means the aggregate Outstanding Amount of all Loans and all L/C Obligations.

 

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Type” means with respect to a Committed Loan, its character as a Base Rate Loan or a Eurocurrency Rate Loan.

 

UCC” means the Uniform Commercial Code as in effect in the State of New York; provided that, if perfection or the effect of perfection or non-perfection or the priority of any security interest in any Collateral is governed by the Uniform Commercial Code as in effect in a jurisdiction other than the State of New York, “UCC” means the Uniform Commercial Code as in effect from time to time in such other jurisdiction for purposes of the provisions hereof relating to such perfection, effect of perfection or non-perfection or priority.

 

UCP” means, with respect to any Letter of Credit, the Uniform Customs and Practice for Documentary Credits, International Chamber of Commerce (“ICC”) Publication No. 600 (or such later version thereof as may be in effect at the time of issuance).

 

UK Financial Institution” means any BRRD Undertaking (as such term is defined under the PRA Rulebook (as amended form time to time) promulgated by the United Kingdom Prudential Regulation Authority) or any person subject to IFPRU 11.6 of the FCA Handbook (as amended from time to time) promulgated by the United Kingdom Financial Conduct Authority, which includes certain credit institutions and investment firms, and certain affiliates of such credit institutions or investment firms.

 

UK Resolution Authority” means the Bank of England or any other public administrative authority having responsibility for the resolution of any UK Financial Institution.

 

United States” and “U.S.” mean the United States of America.

 

U.S. Person” means any Person that is a “United States Person” as defined in Section 7701(a)(30) of the Code.

 

U.S. Tax Compliance Certificate” has the meaning specified in Section 3.01(f)(ii)(B)(III).

 

Unreimbursed Amount” has the meaning specified in Section 2.04(c)(i).

 

Wholly-Owned Subsidiary” means, with respect to any Person at any date, any Subsidiary of such Person all of the shares of capital stock or other ownership interests of which (except directors’ qualifying shares) are at the time directly or indirectly owned by such Person.

 

Withholding Agent” means any Loan Party and the Administrative Agent.

 

Write-Down and Conversion Powers” means, (a) with respect to any EEA Resolution Authority, the write-down and conversion powers of such EEA Resolution Authority from time to time under the Bail-In Legislation for the applicable EEA Member Country, which write-down and conversion powers are described in the EU Bail-In Legislation Schedule, and (b) with respect to the United Kingdom, any powers of the applicable Resolution Authority under the Bail-In Legislation to cancel, reduce, modify or change the form of a liability of any UK Financial Institution or any contract or instrument under which that liability arises, to convert all or part of that liability into shares, securities or obligations of that person or any other person, to provide that any such contract or instrument is to have effect as if a right had been exercised under it or to suspend any obligation in respect of that liability or any of the powers under that Bail-In Legislation that are related to or ancillary to any of those powers.

 

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1.02       Other Interpretive Provisions. With reference to this Agreement and each other Loan Document, unless otherwise specified herein or in such other Loan Document:

 

(a)       The definitions of terms herein shall apply equally to the singular and plural forms of the terms defined. Whenever the context may require, any pronoun shall include the corresponding masculine, feminine and neuter forms. The words “include,” “includes” and “including” shall be deemed to be followed by the phrase “without limitation.” The word “will” shall be construed to have the same meaning and effect as the word “shall.” Unless the context requires otherwise, (i) any definition of or reference to any agreement, instrument or other document (including any Organization Document) shall be construed as referring to such agreement, instrument or other document as from time to time amended, supplemented or otherwise modified (subject to any restrictions on such amendments, supplements or modifications set forth herein or in any other Loan Document), (ii) any reference herein to any Person shall be construed to include such Person’s successors and assigns, (iii) the words “hereto,” “herein,” “hereof” and “hereunder,” and words of similar import when used in any Loan Document, shall be construed to refer to such Loan Document in its entirety and not to any particular provision thereof, (iv) all references in a Loan Document to Articles, Sections, Exhibits and Schedules shall be construed to refer to Articles and Sections of, and Exhibits and Schedules to, the Loan Document in which such references appear, (v) any reference to any law shall include all statutory and regulatory provisions consolidating, amending, replacing or interpreting such law and any reference to any law or regulation shall, unless otherwise specified, refer to such law or regulation as amended, modified or supplemented from time to time, and (vi) the words “asset” and “property” shall be construed to have the same meaning and effect and to refer to any and all tangible and intangible assets and properties, including cash, securities, accounts and contract rights.

 

(b)       In the computation of periods of time from a specified date to a later specified date, the word “from” means “from and including;” the words “to” and “until” each mean “to but excluding;” and the word “through” means “to and including.”

 

(c)       Section headings herein and in the other Loan Documents are included for convenience of reference only and shall not affect the interpretation of this Agreement or any other Loan Document.

 

(d)       Any reference herein to a merger, transfer, consolidation, amalgamation, consolidation, assignment, sale, disposition or transfer, or similar term, shall be deemed to apply to a division of or by a limited liability company, or an allocation of assets to a series of a limited liability company (or the unwinding of such a division or allocation), as if it were a merger, transfer, consolidation, amalgamation, consolidation, assignment, sale, disposition or transfer, or similar term, as applicable, to, of or with a separate Person. Any division of a limited liability company shall constitute a separate Person hereunder (and each division of any limited liability company that is a Subsidiary, joint venture or any other like term shall also constitute such a Person or entity).

 

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1.03       Accounting Terms.

 

(a)       Generally. All accounting terms not specifically or completely defined herein shall be construed in conformity with, and all financial data (including financial ratios and other financial calculations) required to be submitted pursuant to this Agreement shall be prepared in conformity with, GAAP applied on a consistent basis, as in effect from time to time, applied in a manner consistent with that used in preparing Carpenter’s 2020 Form 10-K, except as otherwise specifically prescribed herein.

 

(b)       Changes in GAAP. If at any time any change in GAAP would affect the computation of any financial ratio or requirement set forth in any Loan Document (including, without limitation, compliance with any basket or carve-out set forth in any of the Loan Documents), and either Carpenter or the Required Lenders shall so request, the Administrative Agent, the Lenders and Carpenter shall negotiate in good faith to amend such ratio or requirement to preserve the original intent thereof in light of such change in GAAP (subject to the approval of the Required Lenders); provided that, until so amended, (i) such ratio or requirement shall continue to be computed in accordance with GAAP prior to such change therein and (ii) Carpenter shall provide to the Administrative Agent and the Lenders financial statements and other documents required under this Agreement or as reasonably requested hereunder setting forth a reconciliation between calculations of such ratio or requirement made before and after giving effect to such change in GAAP. Without limiting the foregoing, leases shall continue to be classified and accounted for on a basis consistent with that reflected in the financial statements referred to in Section 5.05(a) for all purposes of this Agreement, notwithstanding any changes in GAAP with respect thereto.

 

1.04       Rounding. Any financial ratios required to be maintained by Carpenter pursuant to this Agreement shall be calculated by dividing the appropriate component by the other component, carrying the result to one place more than the number of places by which such ratio is expressed herein and rounding the result up or down to the nearest number (with a rounding-up if there is no nearest number).

 

1.05       Exchange Rates; Currency Equivalents.

 

(a)       The Administrative Agent or the L/C Issuer, as applicable, shall determine the Dollar Equivalent amounts of Credit Extensions and Outstanding Amounts denominated in Alternative Currencies. Such Dollar Equivalent shall become effective as of such Revaluation Date and shall be the Dollar Equivalent of such amounts until the next Revaluation Date to occur. Except for purposes of financial statements delivered by Carpenter hereunder or calculating financial covenants hereunder or except as otherwise provided herein, the applicable amount of any currency (other than Dollars) for purposes of the Loan Documents shall be such Dollar Equivalent amount as so determined by the Administrative Agent or the L/C Issuer, as applicable.

 

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(b)       Wherever in this Agreement in connection with a Borrowing, conversion, continuation or prepayment of a Eurocurrency Rate Loan or the issuance, amendment or extension of a Letter of Credit, an amount, such as a required minimum or multiple amount, is expressed in Dollars, but such Borrowing, Eurocurrency Rate Loan or Letter of Credit is denominated in an Alternative Currency, such amount shall be the relevant Alternative Currency Equivalent of such Dollar amount (rounded to the nearest unit of such Alternative Currency, with 0.5 of a unit being rounded upward), as determined by the Administrative Agent or the L/C Issuer, as the case may be.

 

(c)       The Administrative Agent does not warrant, nor accept responsibility, nor shall the Administrative Agent have any liability with respect to the administration, submission or any other matter related to the rates in the definition of “Eurocurrency Rate” or with respect to any rate that is an alternative or replacement for or successor to any of such rate (including, without limitation, any Successor Rate) or the effect of any of the foregoing, or of any Successor Rate Conforming Changes.

 

1.06       Additional Alternative Currencies.

 

(a)       Carpenter may from time to time request that Eurocurrency Rate Loans be made and/or Letters of Credit be issued in a currency other than those specifically listed in the definition of “Alternative Currency”; provided that (i) such requested currency is an Eligible Currency and (ii) such requested currency shall only be treated as a “LIBOR Quoted Currency” to the extent that there is published LIBOR rate for such currency. In the case of any such request with respect to the making of Eurocurrency Rate Loans, such request shall be subject to the approval of the Administrative Agent and each Lender; and in the case of any such request with respect to the issuance of Letters of Credit, such request shall be subject to the approval of the Administrative Agent and the L/C Issuer.

 

(b)       Any such request shall be made to the Administrative Agent not later than 11:00 a.m., twenty (20) Business Days prior to the date of the desired Credit Extension (or such other time or date as may be agreed by the Administrative Agent and, in the case of any such request pertaining to Letters of Credit, the L/C Issuer, in its or their sole discretion). In the case of any such request pertaining to Eurocurrency Rate Loans, the Administrative Agent shall promptly notify each Lender thereof; and in the case of any such request pertaining to Letters of Credit, the Administrative Agent shall promptly notify the L/C Issuer thereof. Each Lender (in the case of any such request pertaining to Eurocurrency Rate Loans) or the L/C Issuer (in the case of a request pertaining to Letters of Credit) shall notify the Administrative Agent, not later than 11:00 a.m., ten (10) Business Days after receipt of such request whether it consents, in its sole discretion, to the making of Eurocurrency Rate Loans or the issuance of Letters of Credit, as the case may be, in such requested currency.

 

(c)       Any failure by a Lender or the L/C Issuer, as the case may be, to respond to such request within the time period specified in the preceding sentence shall be deemed to be a refusal by such Lender or the L/C Issuer, as the case may be, to permit Eurocurrency Rate Loans to be made or Letters of Credit to be issued in such requested currency. If the Administrative Agent and all the Lenders consent to making Eurocurrency Rate Loans in such requested currency and the Administrative Agent and such Lenders reasonably determine that an appropriate interest rate is available to be used for such requested currency, the Administrative Agent shall so notify Carpenter and (i) the Administrative Agent and such Lenders may amend the definition of Eurocurrency Rate for any Non-LIBOR Quoted Currency to the extent necessary to add the applicable Eurocurrency Rate for such currency and (ii) to the extent the definition of Eurocurrency Rate reflects the appropriate interest rate for such currency or has been amended to reflect the appropriate rate for such currency, such currency shall thereupon be deemed for all purposes to be an Alternative Currency for purposes of any Borrowings of Eurocurrency Rate Loans. If the Administrative Agent and the L/C Issuer consent to the issuance of Letters of Credit in such requested currency, the Administrative Agent shall so notify Carpenter and (x) the Administrative Agent and the L/C Issuer may amend the definition of Eurocurrency Rate for any Non-LIBOR Quoted Currency to the extent necessary to add the applicable Eurocurrency Rate for such currency and (y) to the extent the definition of Eurocurrency Rate reflects the appropriate interest rate for such currency or has been amended to reflect the appropriate rate for such currency, such currency shall thereupon be deemed for all purposes to be an Alternative Currency, for purposes of any Letter of Credit issuances. If the Administrative Agent shall fail to obtain consent to any request for an additional currency under this Section 1.06, the Administrative Agent shall promptly so notify Carpenter.

 

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1.07       Change of Currency.

 

(a)        Each obligation of the Borrowers to make a payment denominated in the national currency unit of any member state of the European Union that adopts the Euro as its lawful currency after the date hereof shall be redenominated into Euro at the time of such adoption. If, in relation to the currency of any such member state, the basis of accrual of interest expressed in this Agreement in respect of that currency shall be inconsistent with any convention or practice in the London interbank market for the basis of accrual of interest in respect of the Euro, such expressed basis shall be replaced by such convention or practice with effect from the date on which such member state adopts the Euro as its lawful currency; provided that, if any Borrowing in the currency of such member state is outstanding immediately prior to such date, such replacement shall take effect, with respect to such Borrowing, at the end of the then current Interest Period.

 

(b)       Each provision of this Agreement shall be subject to such reasonable changes of construction as the Administrative Agent may from time to time specify to be appropriate to reflect the adoption of the Euro by any member state of the European Union and any relevant market conventions or practices relating to the Euro.

 

(c)       Each provision of this Agreement also shall be subject to such reasonable changes of construction as the Administrative Agent may from time to time specify to be appropriate to reflect a change in currency of any other country and any relevant market conventions or practices relating to the change in currency.

 

1.08       Times of Day. Unless otherwise specified, all references herein to times of day shall be references to Eastern time (daylight or standard, as applicable).

 

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1.09       Letter of Credit Amounts. Unless otherwise specified herein, the amount of a Letter of Credit at any time shall be deemed to be the Dollar Equivalent of the stated amount of such Letter of Credit in effect at such time; provided, however, that with respect to any Letter of Credit that, by its terms or the terms of any Issuer Document related thereto, provides for one or more automatic increases in the stated amount thereof, the amount of such Letter of Credit shall be deemed to be the Dollar Equivalent of the maximum stated amount of such Letter of Credit after giving effect to all such increases, whether or not such maximum stated amount is in effect at such time.

 

ARTICLE II
THE COMMITMENTS AND CREDIT EXTENSIONS

 

2.01       Committed Loans. Subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, each Lender severally agrees to make loans (each such loan, a “Committed Loan”) to the Borrowers in Dollars or in one or more Alternative Currencies from time to time, on any Business Day during the Availability Period, in an aggregate amount not to exceed at any time outstanding the amount of such Lender’s Commitment; provided, however, that after giving effect to any Committed Borrowing, (a) the Total Outstandings shall not exceed the Aggregate Commitments, (b) the aggregate Outstanding Amount of the Committed Loans of any Lender, plus such Lender’s Applicable Percentage of the Outstanding Amount of all L/C Obligations, plus such Lender’s Applicable Percentage of the Outstanding Amount of all Swing Line Loans shall not exceed such Lender’s Commitment and (c) the aggregate Outstanding Amount of all Loans denominated in Alternative Currencies and Outstanding Amount of all L/C Obligations denominated in Alternative Currencies shall not exceed the Alternative Currency Sublimit. Within the limits of each Lender’s Commitment, and subject to the other terms and conditions hereof, the Borrowers may borrow under this Section 2.01, prepay under Section 2.06, and reborrow under this Section 2.01. Committed Loans may be Base Rate Loans or Eurocurrency Rate Loans, as further provided herein.

 

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2.02       Borrowings, Conversions and Continuations of Committed Loans.

 

(a)       Each Committed Borrowing, each conversion of Committed Loans from one Type to the other, and each continuation of Eurocurrency Rate Loans shall be made upon Carpenter’s irrevocable notice to the Administrative Agent, which may be given by: (A) telephone or (B) a Committed Loan Notice; provided that any telephonic notice must be confirmed immediately by delivery to the Administrative Agent of a Committed Loan Notice. Each such Committed Loan Notice must be received by the Administrative Agent not later than 11:00 a.m. (i) three Business Days prior to the requested date of any Borrowing of, conversion to or continuation of Eurocurrency Rate Loans denominated in Dollars or of any conversion of Eurocurrency Rate Loans denominated in Dollars to Base Rate Committed Loans, (ii) four Business Days (or five Business Days in the case of a Special Notice Currency) prior to the requested date of any Borrowing or continuation of Eurocurrency Rate Loans denominated in Alternative Currencies, and (iii) on the requested date of any Borrowing of Base Rate Committed Loans. Each telephonic notice by Carpenter pursuant to this Section 2.02(a) must be confirmed promptly by delivery to the Administrative Agent of a written Committed Loan Notice, appropriately completed and signed by a Responsible Officer of Carpenter. Each Borrowing of, conversion to or continuation of Eurocurrency Rate Loans shall be in a principal amount of $2,000,000 or a whole multiple of $1,000,000 in excess thereof. Except as provided in Sections 2.04(c) and 2.05(c), each Committed Borrowing of or conversion to Base Rate Committed Loans shall be in a principal amount of $1,000,000 or a whole multiple of $100,000 in excess thereof. Each Committed Loan Notice (whether telephonic or written) shall specify (i) whether Carpenter is requesting a Committed Borrowing, a conversion of Committed Loans from one Type to the other, or a continuation of Eurocurrency Rate Loans, (ii) the requested date of the Borrowing, conversion or continuation, as the case may be (which shall be a Business Day), (iii) the principal amount of Committed Loans to be borrowed, converted or continued, (iv) the Type of Committed Loans to be borrowed or to which existing Committed Loans are to be converted, (v) if applicable, the duration of the Interest Period with respect thereto, (vi) the currency of the Committed Loans to be borrowed, and (vii) if applicable, the Subsidiary Borrower. If Carpenter fails to specify a currency in a Committed Loan Notice requesting a Borrowing, then the Committed Loans so requested shall be made in Dollars. If Carpenter fails to specify a Type of Committed Loan in a Committed Loan Notice or if Carpenter fails to give a timely notice requesting a conversion or continuation, then the applicable Committed Loans shall be made as, or converted to, Base Rate Loans; provided, however, that in the case of a failure to timely request a continuation of Committed Loans denominated in an Alternative Currency (other than Sterling), such Loans shall be continued as Eurocurrency Rate Loans in their original currency with an Interest Period of one month. Any automatic conversion to Base Rate Loans shall be effective as of the last day of the Interest Period then in effect with respect to the applicable Eurocurrency Rate Loans. If Carpenter requests a Borrowing of, conversion to, or continuation of Eurocurrency Rate Loans in any such Committed Loan Notice, but fails to specify an Interest Period, it will be deemed to have specified an Interest Period of one month. No Committed Loan may be converted into or continued as a Committed Loan denominated in a different currency, but instead must be prepaid in the original currency of such Committed Loan and reborrowed in the other currency.

 

(b)       Following receipt of a Committed Loan Notice, the Administrative Agent shall promptly notify each Lender of the amount (and currency) of its Applicable Percentage of the applicable Committed Loans, and if no timely notice of a conversion or continuation is provided by Carpenter, the Administrative Agent shall notify each Lender of the details of any automatic conversion to Base Rate Loans or continuation of Committed Loans denominated in a currency other than Dollars, in each case as described in the preceding subsection. In the case of a Committed Borrowing, each Lender shall make the amount of its Committed Loan available to the Administrative Agent in Same Day Funds at the Administrative Agent’s Office for the applicable currency not later than 1:00 p.m., in the case of any Committed Loan denominated in Dollars, and not later than the Applicable Time specified by the Administrative Agent in the case of any Committed Loan in an Alternative Currency, in each case on the Business Day specified in the applicable Committed Loan Notice. Upon satisfaction of the applicable conditions set forth in Section 4.02 (and, if such Borrowing is the initial Credit Extension, Section 4.01), the Administrative Agent shall make all funds so received available to Carpenter or the other applicable Borrower in like funds as received by the Administrative Agent either by (i) crediting the account of such Borrower on the books of Bank of America with the amount of such funds or (ii) wire transfer of such funds, in each case in accordance with instructions provided to (and reasonably acceptable to) the Administrative Agent by Carpenter; provided, however, that if, on the date the Committed Loan Notice with respect to such Borrowing denominated in Dollars is given by Carpenter, there are L/C Borrowings outstanding, then the proceeds of such Borrowing, first, shall be applied to the payment in full of any such L/C Borrowings, and, second, shall be made available to the applicable Borrower as provided above.

 

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(c)       Except as otherwise provided herein, a Eurocurrency Rate Loan may be continued or converted only on the last day of an Interest Period for such Eurocurrency Rate Loan. During the existence of a Default, no Loans may be requested as, converted to or continued as Eurocurrency Rate Loans (whether in Dollars or any Alternative Currency) without the consent of the Required Lenders, and the Required Lenders may demand that any or all of the then outstanding Eurocurrency Rate Loans denominated in an Alternative Currency be prepaid, or redenominated into Dollars in the amount of the Dollar Equivalent thereof, on the last day of the then current Interest Period with respect thereto.

 

(d)       The Administrative Agent shall promptly notify Carpenter and the Lenders of the interest rate (including the establishment of any Successor Rate pursuant to Section 3.03(b)) applicable to any Interest Period for Eurocurrency Rate Loans upon determination of such interest rate. At any time that Base Rate Loans are outstanding, the Administrative Agent shall notify Carpenter and the Lenders of any change in Bank of America’s prime rate used in determining the Base Rate promptly following the public announcement of such change.

 

(e)       After giving effect to all Committed Borrowings, all conversions of Committed Loans from one Type to the other, and all continuations of Committed Loans as the same Type, there shall not be more than ten Interest Periods in effect with respect to Committed Loans.

 

(f)       With respect to any Committed Loan denominated in Sterling (for which the applicable interest rate is based on SONIA, which is a daily rate, as a successor rate to LIBOR for Loans denominated in Sterling), the Administrative Agent will have the right to make Successor Rate Conforming Changes from time to time and, notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein or in any other Loan Document, any amendments implementing such Successor Rate Conforming Changes will become effective without any further action or consent of any other party to this Agreement or any other Loan Document; provided that, with respect to any such amendment effected, the Administrative Agent shall post each such amendment implementing such Successor Rate Conforming Changes to the Borrowers and the Lenders reasonably promptly after such amendment becomes effective.

 

2.03       [Reserved].

 

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2.04       Letters of Credit.

 

(a)       The Letter of Credit Commitment.

 

(i)       Subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, (A) the L/C Issuer agrees, in reliance upon the agreements of the Lenders set forth in this Section 2.04, (1) from time to time on any Business Day during the period from the Closing Date until the Letter of Credit Expiration Date, to issue Letters of Credit denominated in Dollars or in one or more Alternative Currencies for the account of Carpenter or its Subsidiaries, and to amend or extend Letters of Credit previously issued by it, in accordance with subsection (b) below, and (2) to honor drawings under the Letters of Credit; and (B) the Lenders severally agree to participate in Letters of Credit issued for the account of Carpenter or its Subsidiaries and any drawings thereunder; provided that after giving effect to any L/C Credit Extension with respect to any Letter of Credit, (x) the Total Outstandings shall not exceed the Aggregate Commitments, (y) the aggregate Outstanding Amount of the Committed Loans of any Lender, plus such Lender’s Applicable Percentage of the Outstanding Amount of all L/C Obligations, plus such Lender’s Applicable Percentage of the Outstanding Amount of all Swing Line Loans shall not exceed such Lender’s Commitment, and (z) (i) the Outstanding Amount of the L/C Obligations shall not exceed the Letter of Credit Sublimit and (ii) the aggregate Outstanding Amount of all Loans denominated in Alternative Currencies and Outstanding Amount of all L/C Obligations denominated in Alternative Currencies shall not exceed the Alternative Currency Sublimit. Each request by Carpenter for the issuance or amendment of a Letter of Credit shall be deemed to be a representation by Carpenter that the L/C Credit Extension so requested complies with the conditions set forth in the proviso to the preceding sentence. Within the foregoing limits, and subject to the terms and conditions hereof, Carpenter’s ability to obtain Letters of Credit shall be fully revolving, and accordingly Carpenter may, during the foregoing period, obtain Letters of Credit to replace Letters of Credit that have expired or that have been drawn upon and reimbursed. All Existing Letters of Credit shall be deemed to have been issued pursuant to this Agreement and from and after the Closing Date shall be subject to and governed by the terms and conditions hereof.

 

(ii)       The L/C Issuer shall not issue any Letter of Credit, if:

 

(A)       subject to Section 2.04(b)(iii), the expiry date of such requested Letter of Credit would occur more than twelve months after the date of issuance or last extension, unless the Required Lenders have approved such expiry date; or

 

(B)       the expiry date of such requested Letter of Credit would occur after the Letter of Credit Expiration Date, unless all the Lenders have approved such expiry date.

 

(iii)       The L/C Issuer shall not be under any obligation to issue any Letter of Credit if:

 

(A)       any order, judgment or decree of any Governmental Authority or arbitrator shall by its terms purport to enjoin or restrain the L/C Issuer from issuing such Letter of Credit, or any Law applicable to the L/C Issuer or any request or directive (whether or not having the force of law) from any Governmental Authority with jurisdiction over the L/C Issuer shall prohibit, or request that the L/C Issuer refrain from, the issuance of letters of credit generally or such Letter of Credit in particular or shall impose upon the L/C Issuer with respect to such Letter of Credit any restriction, reserve or capital requirement (for which the L/C Issuer is not otherwise compensated hereunder) not in effect on the Closing Date, or shall impose upon the L/C Issuer any unreimbursed loss, cost or expense which was not applicable on the Closing Date and which the L/C Issuer in good faith deems material to it;

 

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(B)       the issuance of such Letter of Credit would violate one or more policies of the L/C Issuer applicable to letters of credit generally;

 

(C)       except as otherwise agreed by the Administrative Agent and the L/C Issuer, such Letter of Credit is in an initial stated amount less than $50,000, in the case of a commercial Letter of Credit, or $100,000, in the case of a standby Letter of Credit;

 

(D)       except as otherwise agreed by the Administrative Agent and the L/C Issuer, such Letter of Credit is to be denominated in a currency other than Dollars or an Alternative Currency;

 

(E)       any Lender is at that time a Defaulting Lender, unless the L/C Issuer has entered into arrangements, including the delivery of Cash Collateral, satisfactory to the L/C Issuer (in its sole discretion) with Carpenter or such Lender to eliminate the L/C Issuer’s actual or potential Fronting Exposure (after giving effect to Section 2.18(a)(iv)) with respect to the Defaulting Lender arising from either the Letter of Credit then proposed to be issued or that Letter of Credit and all other L/C Obligations as to which the L/C Issuer has actual or potential Fronting Exposure, as it may elect in its sole discretion; or

 

(F)       the L/C Issuer does not as of the issuance date of the requested Letter of Credit issue Letters of Credit in the requested currency.

 

(iv)       The L/C Issuer shall not amend any Letter of Credit if the L/C Issuer would not be permitted at such time to issue such Letter of Credit in its amended form under the terms hereof.

 

(v)       The L/C Issuer shall be under no obligation to amend any Letter of Credit if (A) the L/C Issuer would have no obligation at such time to issue such Letter of Credit in its amended form under the terms hereof, or (B) the beneficiary of such Letter of Credit does not accept the proposed amendment to such Letter of Credit.

 

(vi)       The L/C Issuer shall act on behalf of the Lenders with respect to any Letters of Credit issued by it and the documents associated therewith, and the L/C Issuer shall have all of the benefits and immunities (A) provided to the Administrative Agent in Article IX with respect to any acts taken or omissions suffered by the L/C Issuer in connection with Letters of Credit issued by it or proposed to be issued by it and Issuer Documents pertaining to such Letters of Credit as fully as if the term “Administrative Agent” as used in Article IX included the L/C Issuer with respect to such acts or omissions, and (B) as additionally provided herein with respect to the L/C Issuer.

 

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(b)       Procedures for Issuance and Amendment of Letters of Credit; Auto-Extension Letters of Credit.

 

(i)       Each Letter of Credit shall be issued or amended, as the case may be, upon the request of Carpenter delivered to the L/C Issuer (with a copy to the Administrative Agent) in the form of a Letter of Credit Application, appropriately completed and signed by a Responsible Officer of Carpenter. Such Letter of Credit Application must be received by the L/C Issuer and the Administrative Agent not later than 11:00 a.m. at least two Business Days (or five Business Days, in the case of a Letter of Credit denominated in an Alternative Currency) (or such later date and time as the Administrative Agent and the L/C Issuer may agree in a particular instance in their sole discretion) prior to the proposed issuance date or date of amendment, as the case may be. In the case of a request for an initial issuance of a Letter of Credit, such Letter of Credit Application shall specify in form and detail satisfactory to the L/C Issuer: (A) the proposed issuance date of the requested Letter of Credit (which shall be a Business Day); (B) the amount and currency thereof and in the absence of specification of currency shall be deemed a request for a Letter of Credit denominated in Dollars; (C) the expiry date thereof; (D) the name and address of the beneficiary thereof; (E) the documents to be presented by such beneficiary in case of any drawing thereunder; (F) the full text of any certificate to be presented by such beneficiary in case of any drawing thereunder; (G) the purpose and nature of the requested Letter of Credit; and (H) such other matters as the L/C Issuer may require. In the case of a request for an amendment of any outstanding Letter of Credit, such Letter of Credit Application shall specify in form and detail satisfactory to the L/C Issuer (A) the Letter of Credit to be amended; (B) the proposed date of amendment thereof (which shall be a Business Day); (C) the nature of the proposed amendment; and (D) such other matters as the L/C Issuer may require. Additionally, Carpenter shall furnish to the L/C Issuer and the Administrative Agent such other documents and information pertaining to such requested Letter of Credit issuance or amendment, including any Issuer Documents, as the L/C Issuer or the Administrative Agent may require.

 

(ii)       Promptly after receipt of any Letter of Credit Application, the L/C Issuer will confirm with the Administrative Agent (by telephone or in writing) that the Administrative Agent has received a copy of such Letter of Credit Application from Carpenter and, if not, the L/C Issuer will provide the Administrative Agent with a copy thereof. Unless the L/C Issuer has received written notice from any Lender, the Administrative Agent or any Borrower, at least one Business Day prior to the requested date of issuance or amendment of the applicable Letter of Credit, that one or more applicable conditions contained in Article IV shall not then be satisfied, then, subject to the terms and conditions hereof, the L/C Issuer shall, on the requested date, issue a Letter of Credit for the account of Carpenter (or the applicable Subsidiary) or enter into the applicable amendment, as the case may be, in each case in accordance with the L/C Issuer’s usual and customary business practices provided that any commercial Letter of Credit issued hereunder shall provide solely for cash payment upon presentation of a sight draft. Immediately upon the issuance of each Letter of Credit, each Lender shall be deemed to, and hereby irrevocably and unconditionally agrees to, purchase from the L/C Issuer a risk participation in such Letter of Credit in an amount equal to the product of such Lender’s Applicable Percentage times the amount of such Letter of Credit.

 

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(iii)       If Carpenter so requests in any applicable Letter of Credit Application, the L/C Issuer may, in its sole and absolute discretion, agree to issue a Letter of Credit that has automatic extension provisions (each, an “Auto-Extension Letter of Credit”); provided that any such Auto-Extension Letter of Credit must permit the L/C Issuer to prevent any such extension at least once in each twelve-month period (commencing with the date of issuance of such Letter of Credit) by giving prior notice to the beneficiary thereof not later than a day (the “Non-Extension Notice Date”) in each such twelve-month period to be agreed upon at the time such Letter of Credit is issued. Unless otherwise directed by the L/C Issuer, Carpenter shall not be required to make a specific request to the L/C Issuer for any such extension. Once an Auto-Extension Letter of Credit has been issued, the Lenders shall be deemed to have authorized (but may not require) the L/C Issuer to permit the extension of such Letter of Credit at any time to an expiry date not later than the Letter of Credit Expiration Date; provided, however, that the L/C Issuer shall not permit any such extension if (A) the L/C Issuer has determined that it would not be permitted, or would have no obligation, at such time to issue such Letter of Credit in its revised form (as extended) under the terms hereof (by reason of the provisions of clause (ii) or (iii) of Section 2.04(a) or otherwise), or (B) it has received notice (which may be by telephone or in writing) on or before the day that is seven Business Days before the Non-Extension Notice Date (1) from the Administrative Agent that the Required Lenders have elected not to permit such extension or (2) from the Administrative Agent, any Lender or Carpenter that one or more of the applicable conditions specified in Section 4.02 is not then satisfied, and in each such case directing the L/C Issuer not to permit such extension.

 

(iv)       Promptly after its delivery of any Letter of Credit or any amendment to a Letter of Credit to an advising bank with respect thereto or to the beneficiary thereof, the L/C Issuer will also deliver to Carpenter and the Administrative Agent a true and complete copy of such Letter of Credit or amendment.

 

(c)       Drawings and Reimbursements; Funding of Participations.

 

(i)       Upon receipt from the beneficiary of any Letter of Credit of any notice of a drawing under such Letter of Credit, the L/C Issuer shall notify Carpenter and the Administrative Agent thereof. In the case of a Letter of Credit denominated in an Alternative Currency, Carpenter shall reimburse the L/C Issuer in such Alternative Currency, unless (A) the L/C Issuer (at its option) shall have specified in such notice that it will require reimbursement in Dollars, or (B) in the absence of any such requirement for reimbursement in Dollars, Carpenter shall have notified the L/C Issuer promptly following receipt of the notice of drawing that Carpenter will reimburse the L/C Issuer in Dollars. In the case of any such reimbursement in Dollars of a drawing under a Letter of Credit denominated in an Alternative Currency, the L/C Issuer shall notify Carpenter of the Dollar Equivalent of the amount of the drawing promptly following the determination thereof. Not later than 11:00 a.m. on the date of any payment by the L/C Issuer under a Letter of Credit to be reimbursed in Dollars, or the Applicable Time on the date of any payment by the L/C Issuer under a Letter of Credit to be reimbursed in an Alternative Currency (each such date, an “Honor Date”), Carpenter shall reimburse the L/C Issuer through the Administrative Agent in an amount equal to the amount of such drawing and in the applicable currency. In the event that (A) a drawing denominated in an Alternative Currency is to be reimbursed in Dollars pursuant to the second sentence in this Section 2.04(c)(i) and (B) the Dollar amount paid by Carpenter, whether on or after the Honor Date, shall not be adequate on the date of that payment to purchase in accordance with normal banking procedures a sum denominated in the Alternative Currency equal to the drawing, Carpenter agrees, as a separate and independent obligation, to indemnify the L/C Issuer for the loss resulting from its inability on that date to purchase the Alternative Currency in the full amount of the drawing. If Carpenter fails to so reimburse the L/C Issuer on the Honor Date, the Administrative Agent shall promptly notify each Lender of the Honor Date, the amount of the unreimbursed drawing (expressed in Dollars in the amount of the Dollar Equivalent thereof in the case of a Letter of Credit denominated in an Alternative Currency) (the “Unreimbursed Amount”), and the amount of such Lender’s Applicable Percentage thereof. In such event, Carpenter shall be deemed to have requested a Committed Borrowing of Base Rate Loans to be disbursed on the Honor Date in an amount equal to the Unreimbursed Amount, without regard to the minimum and multiples specified in Section 2.02 for the principal amount of Base Rate Loans, but subject to the amount of the unutilized portion of the Aggregate Commitments and the conditions set forth in Section 4.02 (other than the delivery of a Committed Loan Notice). Any notice given by the L/C Issuer or the Administrative Agent pursuant to this Section 2.04(c)(i) may be given by telephone if immediately confirmed in writing; provided that the lack of such an immediate confirmation shall not affect the conclusiveness or binding effect of such notice.

 

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(ii)       Each Lender shall upon any notice pursuant to Section 2.04(c)(i) make funds available to the Administrative Agent (and the Administrative Agent may apply Cash Collateral provided for this purpose) for the account of the L/C Issuer, in Dollars, at the Administrative Agent’s Office for Dollar-denominated payments in an amount equal to its Applicable Percentage of the Unreimbursed Amount not later than 1:00 p.m. on the Business Day specified in such notice by the Administrative Agent, whereupon, subject to the provisions of Section 2.04(c)(iii), each Lender that so makes funds available shall be deemed to have made a Base Rate Committed Loan to Carpenter in such amount. The Administrative Agent shall remit the funds so received to the L/C Issuer in Dollars.

 

(iii)       With respect to any Unreimbursed Amount that is not fully refinanced by a Committed Borrowing of Base Rate Loans because the conditions set forth in Section 4.02 cannot be satisfied or for any other reason, Carpenter shall be deemed to have incurred from the L/C Issuer an L/C Borrowing in the amount of the Unreimbursed Amount that is not so refinanced, which L/C Borrowing shall be due and payable on demand (together with interest) and shall bear interest at the Default Rate. In such event, each Lender’s payment to the Administrative Agent for the account of the L/C Issuer pursuant to Section 2.04(c)(ii) shall be deemed payment in respect of its participation in such L/C Borrowing and shall constitute an L/C Advance from such Lender in satisfaction of its participation obligation under this Section 2.04.

 

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(iv)       Until each Lender funds its Committed Loan or L/C Advance pursuant to this Section 2.04(c) to reimburse the L/C Issuer for any amount drawn under any Letter of Credit, interest in respect of such Lender’s Applicable Percentage of such amount shall be solely for the account of the L/C Issuer.

 

(v)       Each Lender’s obligation to make Committed Loans or L/C Advances to reimburse the L/C Issuer for amounts drawn under Letters of Credit, as contemplated by this Section 2.04(c), shall be absolute and unconditional and shall not be affected by any circumstance, including (A) any setoff, counterclaim, recoupment, defense or other right which such Lender may have against the L/C Issuer, Carpenter, any Subsidiary or any other Person for any reason whatsoever; (B) the occurrence or continuance of a Default, or (C) any other occurrence, event or condition, whether or not similar to any of the foregoing; provided, however, that each Lender’s obligation to make Committed Loans pursuant to this Section 2.04(c) is subject to the conditions set forth in Section 4.02 (other than delivery by Carpenter of a Committed Loan Notice). No such making of an L/C Advance shall relieve or otherwise impair the obligation of Carpenter to reimburse the L/C Issuer for the amount of any payment made by the L/C Issuer under any Letter of Credit, together with interest as provided herein.

 

(vi)       If any Lender fails to make available to the Administrative Agent for the account of the L/C Issuer any amount required to be paid by such Lender pursuant to the foregoing provisions of this Section 2.04(c) by the time specified in Section 2.04(c)(ii), the L/C Issuer shall be entitled to recover from such Lender (acting through the Administrative Agent), on demand, such amount with interest thereon for the period from the date such payment is required to the date on which such payment is immediately available to the L/C Issuer at a rate per annum equal to the applicable Overnight Rate from time to time in effect, plus any administrative, processing or similar fees customarily charged by the L/C Issuer in connection with the foregoing. If such Lender pays such amount (with interest and fees as aforesaid), the amount so paid shall constitute such Lender’s Committed Loan included in the relevant Committed Borrowing or L/C Advance in respect of the relevant L/C Borrowing, as the case may be. A certificate of the L/C Issuer submitted to any Lender (through the Administrative Agent) with respect to any amounts owing under this clause (vi) shall be conclusive absent manifest error.

 

(d)       Repayment of Participations.

 

(i)       At any time after the L/C Issuer has made a payment under any Letter of Credit and has received from any Lender such Lender’s L/C Advance in respect of such payment in accordance with Section 2.04(c), if the Administrative Agent receives for the account of the L/C Issuer any payment in respect of the related Unreimbursed Amount or interest thereon (whether directly from Carpenter or otherwise, including proceeds of Cash Collateral applied thereto by the Administrative Agent), the Administrative Agent will distribute to such Lender its Applicable Percentage thereof in Dollars and in the same funds as those received by the Administrative Agent.

 

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(ii)       If any payment received by the Administrative Agent for the account of the L/C Issuer pursuant to Section 2.04(c)(i) is required to be returned under any of the circumstances described in Section 11.05 (including pursuant to any settlement entered into by the L/C Issuer in its discretion), each Lender shall pay to the Administrative Agent for the account of the L/C Issuer its Applicable Percentage thereof on demand of the Administrative Agent, plus interest thereon from the date of such demand to the date such amount is returned by such Lender, at a rate per annum equal to the applicable Overnight Rate from time to time in effect. The obligations of the Lenders under this clause shall survive the payment in full of the Obligations and the termination of this Agreement.

 

(e)       Obligations Absolute. The obligation of Carpenter to reimburse the L/C Issuer for each drawing under each Letter of Credit and to repay each L/C Borrowing shall be absolute, unconditional and irrevocable, and shall be paid strictly in accordance with the terms of this Agreement under all circumstances, including the following:

 

(i)       any lack of validity or enforceability of such Letter of Credit, this Agreement, or any other Loan Document;

 

(ii)      the existence of any claim, counterclaim, setoff, defense or other right that Carpenter or any Subsidiary may have at any time against any beneficiary or any transferee of such Letter of Credit (or any Person for whom any such beneficiary or any such transferee may be acting), the L/C Issuer or any other Person, whether in connection with this Agreement, the transactions contemplated hereby or by such Letter of Credit or any agreement or instrument relating thereto, or any unrelated transaction;

 

(iii)     any draft, demand, certificate or other document presented under such Letter of Credit proving to be forged, fraudulent, invalid or insufficient in any respect or any statement therein being untrue or inaccurate in any respect; or any loss or delay in the transmission or otherwise of any document required in order to make a drawing under such Letter of Credit;

 

(iv)     waiver by the L/C Issuer of any requirement that exists for the L/C Issuer’s protection and not the protection of Carpenter or any waiver by the L/C Issuer which does not in fact materially prejudice Carpenter;

 

(v)      honor of a demand for payment presented electronically even if such Letter of Credit requires that demand be in the form of a draft;

 

(vi)     any payment made by the L/C Issuer in respect of an otherwise complying item presented after the date specified as the expiration date of, or the date by which documents must be received under, such Letter of Credit if presentation after such date is authorized by the UCC, the ISP or the UCP, as applicable;

 

(vii)    any payment by the L/C Issuer under such Letter of Credit against presentation of a draft or certificate that does not strictly comply with the terms of such Letter of Credit; or any payment made by the L/C Issuer under such Letter of Credit to any Person purporting to be a trustee in bankruptcy, debtor-in-possession, assignee for the benefit of creditors, liquidator, receiver or other representative of or successor to any beneficiary or any transferee of such Letter of Credit, including any arising in connection with any proceeding under any Debtor Relief Law;

 

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(viii)   any adverse change in the relevant exchange rates or in the availability of the relevant Alternative Currency to Carpenter or any Subsidiary or in the relevant currency markets generally; or

 

(ix)      any other circumstance or happening whatsoever, whether or not similar to any of the foregoing, including any other circumstance that might otherwise constitute a defense available to, or a discharge of, Carpenter or any Subsidiary.

 

Carpenter shall promptly examine a copy of each Letter of Credit and each amendment thereto that is delivered to it and, in the event of any claim of noncompliance with Carpenter’s instructions or other irregularity, Carpenter will immediately notify the L/C Issuer. Carpenter shall be conclusively deemed to have waived any such claim against the L/C Issuer and its correspondents unless such notice is given as aforesaid.

 

(f)       Role of L/C Issuer. Each Lender and Carpenter agree that, in paying any drawing under a Letter of Credit, the L/C Issuer shall not have any responsibility to obtain any document (other than any sight draft, certificates and documents expressly required by the Letter of Credit) or to ascertain or inquire as to the validity or accuracy of any such document or the authority of the Person executing or delivering any such document. None of the L/C Issuer, the Administrative Agent, any of their respective Related Parties nor any correspondent, participant or assignee of the L/C Issuer shall be liable to any Lender for (i) any action taken or omitted in connection herewith at the request or with the approval of the Lenders or the Required Lenders, as applicable; (ii) any action taken or omitted in the absence of gross negligence or willful misconduct; or (iii) the due execution, effectiveness, validity or enforceability of any document or instrument related to any Letter of Credit or Issuer Document. Carpenter hereby assumes all risks of the acts or omissions of any beneficiary or transferee with respect to its use of any Letter of Credit; provided, however, that this assumption is not intended to, and shall not, preclude Carpenter’s pursuing such rights and remedies as it may have against the beneficiary or transferee at law or under any other agreement. None of the L/C Issuer, the Administrative Agent, any of their respective Related Parties nor any correspondent, participant or assignee of the L/C Issuer shall be liable or responsible for any of the matters described in clauses (i) through (v) of Section 2.04(e); provided, however, that anything in such clauses to the contrary notwithstanding, Carpenter may have a claim against the L/C Issuer, and the L/C Issuer may be liable to Carpenter, to the extent, but only to the extent, of any direct, as opposed to consequential or exemplary, damages suffered by Carpenter which Carpenter proves were caused by the L/C Issuer’s willful misconduct or gross negligence or the L/C Issuer’s willful failure to pay under any Letter of Credit after the presentation to it by the beneficiary of a sight draft and certificate(s) strictly complying with the terms and conditions of a Letter of Credit. In furtherance and not in limitation of the foregoing, the L/C Issuer may accept documents that appear on their face to be in order, without responsibility for further investigation, regardless of any notice or information to the contrary, and the L/C Issuer shall not be responsible for the validity or sufficiency of any instrument transferring or assigning or purporting to transfer or assign a Letter of Credit or the rights or benefits thereunder or proceeds thereof, in whole or in part, which may prove to be invalid or ineffective for any reason. The L/C Issuer may send a Letter of Credit or conduct any communication to or from the beneficiary via the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (“SWIFT”) message or overnight courier, or any other commercially reasonable means of communicating with a beneficiary.

 

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(g)       Applicability of ISP and UCP. Unless otherwise expressly agreed by the L/C Issuer and Carpenter when a Letter of Credit is issued (including any such agreement applicable to an Existing Letter of Credit), (i) the rules of the ISP shall apply to each standby Letter of Credit, and (ii) the rules of the Uniform Customs and Practice for Documentary Credits, as most recently published by the International Chamber of Commerce at the time of issuance shall apply to each commercial Letter of Credit. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the L/C Issuer shall not be responsible to Carpenter for, and the L/C Issuer’s rights and remedies against Carpenter shall not be impaired by, any action or inaction of the L/C Issuer required or permitted under any law, order, or practice that is required or permitted to be applied to any Letter of Credit or this Agreement, including the Law or any order of a jurisdiction where the L/C Issuer or the beneficiary is located, the practice stated in the ISP or UCP, as applicable, or in the decisions, opinions, practice statements, or official commentary of the ICC Banking Commission, the Bankers Association for Finance and Trade - International Financial Services Association (BAFT-IFSA), or the Institute of International Banking Law & Practice, whether or not any Letter of Credit chooses such law or practice.

 

(h)       Letter of Credit Fees. Carpenter shall pay to the Administrative Agent for the account of each Lender in accordance with its Applicable Percentage, in Dollars, a Letter of Credit fee (the “Letter of Credit Fee”) for each Letter of Credit equal to the Applicable Rate times the Dollar Equivalent of the daily amount available to be drawn under such Letter of Credit; provided that any Letter of Credit Fees otherwise payable for the account of a Defaulting Lender with respect to any Letter of Credit as to which such Defaulting Lender has not provided Cash Collateral satisfactory to the L/C Issuer pursuant to this Section 2.04 shall be payable, to the maximum extent permitted by Applicable Law, to the other Lenders in accordance with the upward adjustments in their respective Applicable Percentages allocable to such Letter of Credit pursuant to Section 2.18(a), with the balance of such fee, if any, payable to the L/C Issuer for its own account. For purposes of computing the daily amount available to be drawn under any Letter of Credit, the amount of such Letter of Credit shall be determined in accordance with Section 1.09. Letter of Credit Fees shall be (i) due and payable on the first Business Day after the end of each March, June, September and December, commencing with the first such date to occur after the issuance of such Letter of Credit, on the Letter of Credit Expiration Date and thereafter on demand and (ii) computed on a quarterly basis in arrears. If there is any change in the Applicable Rate during any quarter, the daily amount available to be drawn under each Letter of Credit shall be computed and multiplied by the Applicable Rate separately for each period during such quarter that such Applicable Rate was in effect. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, upon the request of the Required Lenders, while any Event of Default exists, all Letter of Credit Fees shall accrue at the Default Rate.

 

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(i)       Fronting Fee and Documentary and Processing Charges Payable to L/C Issuer. Carpenter shall pay directly to the L/C Issuer for its own account, in Dollars, a fronting fee (i) with respect to each commercial Letter of Credit, at the rate specified in the Bank of America Fee Letter, computed on the Dollar Equivalent of the amount of such Letter of Credit, and payable upon the issuance thereof, (ii) with respect to any amendment of a commercial Letter of Credit increasing the amount of such Letter of Credit, at a rate separately agreed between Carpenter and the L/C Issuer, computed on the Dollar Equivalent of the amount of such increase, and payable upon the effectiveness of such amendment, and (iii) with respect to each standby Letter of Credit, at the rate per annum specified in the Bank of America Fee Letter, computed on the Dollar Equivalent of the daily amount available to be drawn under such Letter of Credit on a quarterly basis in arrears; provided that, notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the Bank of America Fee Letter, all fronting fees on commercial Letters of Credit shall be paid as set forth above, by applying the rate specified in the Bank of America Fee Letter without any per annum adjustment and payable upon issuance or effectiveness, as applicable. Such fronting fee shall be due and payable on the tenth Business Day after the end of each March, June, September and December in respect of the most recently-ended quarterly period (or portion thereof, in the case of the first payment), commencing with the first such date to occur after the issuance of such Letter of Credit, on the Letter of Credit Expiration Date and thereafter on demand. For purposes of computing the daily amount available to be drawn under any Letter of Credit, the amount of such Letter of Credit shall be determined in accordance with Section 1.09. In addition, Carpenter shall pay directly to the L/C Issuer for its own account, in Dollars, the customary issuance, presentation, amendment and other processing fees, and other standard costs and charges, of the L/C Issuer relating to letters of credit as from time to time in effect. Such customary fees and standard costs and charges are due and payable on demand and are nonrefundable.

 

(j)       Conflict with Issuer Documents. In the event of any conflict between the terms hereof and the terms of any Issuer Document, the terms hereof shall control.

 

(k)       Letters of Credit Issued for Subsidiaries. Notwithstanding that a Letter of Credit issued or outstanding hereunder is in support of any obligations of, or is for the account of, a Subsidiary, Carpenter shall be obligated to reimburse the L/C Issuer hereunder for any and all drawings under such Letter of Credit. Carpenter hereby acknowledges that the issuance of Letters of Credit for the account of Subsidiaries inures to the benefit of Carpenter, and that Carpenter’s business derives substantial benefits from the businesses of such Subsidiaries.

 

2.05       Swing Line Loans.

 

(a)       The Swing Line. Subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, the Swing Line Lender agrees, in its sole discretion (it being understood that unless a Default or an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing or any Lender is a Defaulting Lender (subject to Section 2.18), the Swing Line Lender anticipates funding Swing Line Loans in accordance with the terms hereof) and in reliance upon the agreements of the other Lenders set forth in this Section 2.05, to make loans in Dollars (each such loan, a “Swing Line Loan”) to any Domestic Borrower from time to time on any Business Day during the Availability Period in an aggregate amount not to exceed at any time outstanding the amount of the Swing Line Sublimit, notwithstanding the fact that such Swing Line Loans, when aggregated with the Applicable Percentage of the Outstanding Amount of Committed Loans and L/C Obligations of the Lender acting as Swing Line Lender, may exceed the amount of such Lender’s Commitment; provided, however, that after giving effect to any Swing Line Loan, (i) the Total Outstandings shall not exceed the Aggregate Commitments, and (ii) the aggregate Outstanding Amount of the Committed Loans of any Lender, plus such Lender’s Applicable Percentage of the Outstanding Amount of all L/C Obligations, plus such Lender’s Applicable Percentage of the Outstanding Amount of all Swing Line Loans shall not exceed such Lender’s Commitment, and provided, further, that no Domestic Borrower shall use the proceeds of any Swing Line Loan to refinance any outstanding Swing Line Loan. Within the foregoing limits, and subject to the other terms and conditions hereof, each Domestic Borrower may borrow under this Section 2.05, prepay under Section 2.06, and reborrow under this Section 2.05. Each Swing Line Loan shall be a Base Rate Loan or a Loan bearing interest at such other interest rate as may be agreed between such Domestic Borrower and the Swing Line Lender from time to time. Immediately upon the making of a Swing Line Loan, each Lender shall be deemed to, and hereby irrevocably and unconditionally agrees to, purchase from the Swing Line Lender a risk participation in such Swing Line Loan in an amount equal to the product of such Lender’s Applicable Percentage times the amount of such Swing Line Loan.

 

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(b)       Borrowing Procedures. Each Swing Line Borrowing shall be made upon any Domestic Borrower’s irrevocable notice to the Swing Line Lender and the Administrative Agent, which may be given by: (A) telephone or (B) a Swing Line Loan Notice; provided that any telephonic notice must be confirmed immediately by delivery to the Swing Line Lender and the Administrative Agent of a Swing Line Loan Notice. Each such Swing Line Loan Notice must be received by the Swing Line Lender and the Administrative Agent not later than 1:00 p.m. on the requested borrowing date, and shall specify (i) the amount to be borrowed, which shall be a minimum of $1,000,000 or a whole multiple of $100,000 in excess thereof, and (ii) the requested borrowing date, which shall be a Business Day. Each such telephonic notice must be confirmed promptly by delivery to the Swing Line Lender and the Administrative Agent of a written Swing Line Loan Notice, appropriately completed and signed by a Responsible Officer of such Domestic Borrower. Promptly after receipt by the Swing Line Lender of any telephonic Swing Line Loan Notice, the Swing Line Lender will confirm with the Administrative Agent (by telephone or in writing) that the Administrative Agent has also received such Swing Line Loan Notice and, if not, the Swing Line Lender will notify the Administrative Agent (by telephone or in writing) of the contents thereof. Unless the Swing Line Lender has received notice (by telephone or in writing) from the Administrative Agent (including at the request of any Lender) prior to 2:00 p.m. on the date of the proposed Swing Line Borrowing (A) directing the Swing Line Lender not to make such Swing Line Loan as a result of the limitations set forth in the first proviso to the first sentence of Section 2.05(a), or (B) that one or more of the applicable conditions specified in Article IV is not then satisfied, then, subject to the terms and conditions hereof, the Swing Line Lender will, not later than 3:00 p.m. on the borrowing date specified in such Swing Line Loan Notice, make the amount of its Swing Line Loan available to such Domestic Borrower at its office by crediting the account of such Domestic Borrower on the books of the Swing Line Lender in Same Day Funds.

 

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(c)       Refinancing of Swing Line Loans.

 

(i)       The Swing Line Lender at any time in its sole and absolute discretion may request, on behalf of a Domestic Borrower (which hereby irrevocably authorizes the Swing Line Lender to so request on its behalf), that each Lender make a Base Rate Committed Loan in an amount equal to such Lender’s Applicable Percentage of the amount of Swing Line Loans then outstanding. Such request shall be made in writing (which written request shall be deemed to be a Committed Loan Notice for purposes hereof) and in accordance with the requirements of Section 2.02, without regard to the minimum and multiples specified therein for the principal amount of Base Rate Loans, but subject to the unutilized portion of the Aggregate Commitments and the conditions set forth in Section 4.02. The Swing Line Lender shall furnish such Domestic Borrower with a copy of the applicable Committed Loan Notice promptly after delivering such notice to the Administrative Agent. Each Lender shall make an amount equal to its Applicable Percentage of the amount specified in such Committed Loan Notice available to the Administrative Agent in Same Day Funds (and the Administrative Agent may apply Cash Collateral available with respect to the applicable Swing Line Loan) for the account of the Swing Line Lender at the Administrative Agent’s Office for Dollar-denominated payments not later than 1:00 p.m. on the day specified in such Committed Loan Notice, whereupon, subject to Section 2.05(c)(ii), each Lender that so makes funds available shall be deemed to have made a Base Rate Committed Loan to such Domestic Borrower in such amount. The Administrative Agent shall remit the funds so received to the Swing Line Lender.

 

(ii)       If for any reason any Swing Line Loan cannot be refinanced by such a Committed Borrowing in accordance with Section 2.05(c)(i), the request for Base Rate Committed Loans submitted by the Swing Line Lender as set forth herein shall be deemed to be a request by the Swing Line Lender that each of the Lenders fund its risk participation in the relevant Swing Line Loan and each Lender’s payment to the Administrative Agent for the account of the Swing Line Lender pursuant to Section 2.05(c)(i) shall be deemed payment in respect of such participation.

 

(iii)       If any Lender fails to make available to the Administrative Agent for the account of the Swing Line Lender any amount required to be paid by such Lender pursuant to the foregoing provisions of this Section 2.05(c) by the time specified in Section 2.05(c)(i), the Swing Line Lender shall be entitled to recover from such Lender (acting through the Administrative Agent), on demand, such amount with interest thereon for the period from the date such payment is required to the date on which such payment is immediately available to the Swing Line Lender at a rate per annum equal to the applicable Overnight Rate from time to time in effect, plus any administrative, processing or similar fees customarily charged by the Swing Line Lender in connection with the foregoing. If such Lender pays such amount (with interest and fees as aforesaid), the amount so paid shall constitute such Lender’s Committed Loan included in the relevant Committed Borrowing or funded participation in the relevant Swing Line Loan, as the case may be. A certificate of the Swing Line Lender submitted to any Lender (through the Administrative Agent) with respect to any amounts owing under this clause (iii) shall be conclusive absent manifest error.

 

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(iv)       Each Lender’s obligation to make Committed Loans or to purchase and fund risk participations in Swing Line Loans pursuant to this Section 2.05(c) shall be absolute and unconditional and shall not be affected by any circumstance, including (A) any setoff, counterclaim, recoupment, defense or other right which such Lender may have against the Swing Line Lender, any Domestic Borrower or any other Person for any reason whatsoever, (B) the occurrence or continuance of a Default, or (C) any other occurrence, event or condition, whether or not similar to any of the foregoing; provided, however, that each Lender’s obligation to make Committed Loans pursuant to this Section 2.05(c) is subject to the conditions set forth in Section 4.02. No such funding of risk participations shall relieve or otherwise impair the obligation of any Domestic Borrower to repay Swing Line Loans, together with interest as provided herein.

 

(d)       Repayment of Participations.

 

(i)       At any time after any Lender has purchased and funded a risk participation in a Swing Line Loan, if the Swing Line Lender receives any payment on account of such Swing Line Loan, the Swing Line Lender will distribute to such Lender its Applicable Percentage thereof in the same funds as those received by the Swing Line Lender.

 

(ii)       If any payment received by the Swing Line Lender in respect of principal or interest on any Swing Line Loan is required to be returned by the Swing Line Lender under any of the circumstances described in Section 11.05 (including pursuant to any settlement entered into by the Swing Line Lender in its discretion), each Lender shall pay to the Swing Line Lender its Applicable Percentage thereof on demand of the Administrative Agent, plus interest thereon from the date of such demand to the date such amount is returned, at a rate per annum equal to the applicable Overnight Rate. The Administrative Agent will make such demand upon the request of the Swing Line Lender. The obligations of the Lenders under this clause shall survive the payment in full of the Obligations and the termination of this Agreement.

 

(e)       Interest for Account of Swing Line Lender. The Swing Line Lender shall be responsible for invoicing the Domestic Borrowers for interest on the Swing Line Loans. Until each Lender funds its Base Rate Committed Loan or risk participation pursuant to this Section 2.05 to refinance such Lender’s Applicable Percentage of any Swing Line Loan, interest in respect of such Applicable Percentage shall be solely for the account of the Swing Line Lender.

 

(f)       Payments Directly to Swing Line Lender. The Domestic Borrowers shall make all payments of principal and interest in respect of the Swing Line Loans directly to the Swing Line Lender.

 

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2.06       Prepayments. i) The Borrowers may, upon notice from Carpenter to the Administrative Agent pursuant to delivery to the Administrative Agent of a Notice of Loan Prepayment, at any time or from time to time voluntarily prepay Committed Loans in whole or in part without premium or penalty; provided that (i) such notice must be received by the Administrative Agent not later than 11:00 a.m. (A) three Business Days prior to any date of prepayment of Eurocurrency Rate Loans denominated in Dollars, (B) four Business Days (or five, in the case of prepayment of Loans denominated in Special Notice Currencies) prior to any date of prepayment of Eurocurrency Rate Loans denominated in Alternative Currencies, and (C) on the date of prepayment of Base Rate Committed Loans; (ii) any prepayment of Eurocurrency Rate Loans denominated in Dollars shall be in a principal amount of $1,000,000 or a whole multiple of $500,000 in excess thereof; (iii) any prepayment of Eurocurrency Rate Loans denominated in Alternative Currencies shall be in a minimum principal amount of $1,000,000 or a whole multiple of $500,000 in excess thereof; and (iv) any prepayment of Base Rate Committed Loans shall be in a principal amount of $500,000 or a whole multiple of $100,000 in excess thereof or, in each case, if less, the entire principal amount thereof then outstanding. Each such notice shall specify the date and amount of such prepayment and the Type(s) of Committed Loans to be prepaid and, if Eurocurrency Rate Loans are to be prepaid, the Interest Period(s) of such Loans. The Administrative Agent will promptly notify each Lender of its receipt of each such notice, and of the amount of such Lender’s Applicable Percentage of such prepayment. If such notice is given by Carpenter, the Borrowers shall make such prepayment and the payment amount specified in such notice shall be due and payable on the date specified therein. Any prepayment of a Eurocurrency Rate Loan shall be accompanied by all accrued interest on the amount prepaid, together with any additional amounts required pursuant to Section 3.05. Subject to Section 2.18, each such prepayment shall be applied to the Committed Loans of the Lenders in accordance with their respective Applicable Percentages.

 

(b)       [reserved].

 

(c)       The Domestic Borrowers may, upon notice to the Swing Line Lender pursuant to delivery to the Swing Line Lender of a Notice of Loan Prepayment (with a copy to the Administrative Agent), at any time or from time to time, voluntarily prepay Swing Line Loans in whole or in part without premium or penalty; provided that (i) such notice must be received by the Swing Line Lender and the Administrative Agent not later than 1:00 p.m. on the date of the prepayment, and (ii) any such prepayment shall be in a minimum principal amount of $100,000. Each such notice shall specify the date and amount of such prepayment. If such notice is given by any Domestic Borrower, the Domestic Borrowers shall make such prepayment and the payment amount specified in such notice shall be due and payable on the date specified therein.

 

(d)       If the Administrative Agent notifies Carpenter at any time that the Total Outstandings at such time exceed an amount equal to 105% of the Aggregate Commitments then in effect, then, within two (2) Business Days after receipt of such notice, the Borrowers shall prepay Loans and/or Carpenter shall Cash Collateralize the L/C Obligations in an aggregate amount sufficient to reduce such Outstanding Amount as of such date of payment to an amount not to exceed 100% of the Aggregate Commitments then in effect; provided, however, that Carpenter shall not be required to Cash Collateralize the L/C Obligations pursuant to this Section 2.06(c) unless after the prepayment in full of the Loans the Total Outstandings exceed the Aggregate Commitments then in effect. The Administrative Agent may, at any time and from time to time after the initial deposit of such Cash Collateral, request that additional Cash Collateral be provided in order to protect against the results of further exchange rate fluctuations.

 

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(e)       If the Administrative Agent notifies Carpenter at any time that the Outstanding Amount of all Loans and L/C Obligations denominated in Alternative Currencies at such time exceeds an amount equal to 105% of the Alternative Currency Sublimit then in effect, then, within two (2) Business Days after receipt of such notice, the Borrowers shall prepay Loans and/or Cash Collateralize Letters of Credit in an aggregate amount sufficient to reduce such Outstanding Amount as of such date of payment to an amount not to exceed 100% of the Alternative Currency Sublimit then in effect.

 

2.07       Termination or Reduction of Commitments. Carpenter may, upon notice to the Administrative Agent, terminate the Aggregate Commitments, or from time to time permanently reduce the Aggregate Commitments; provided that (i) any such notice shall be received by the Administrative Agent not later than 11:00 a.m. five Business Days prior to the date of termination or reduction, (ii) any such partial reduction shall be in an aggregate amount of $10,000,000 or any whole multiple of $1,000,000 in excess thereof, (iii) Carpenter shall not terminate or reduce the Aggregate Commitments if, after giving effect thereto and to any concurrent prepayments hereunder, the Total Outstandings would exceed the Aggregate Commitments, and (iv) if, after giving effect to any reduction of the Aggregate Commitments, the Letter of Credit Sublimit, the Alternative Currency Sublimit or the Swing Line Sublimit exceeds the amount of the Aggregate Commitments, such sublimit shall be automatically reduced by the amount of such excess. The Administrative Agent will promptly notify the Lenders of any such notice of termination or reduction of the Aggregate Commitments. The amount of any such Aggregate Commitment reduction shall not be applied to the Letter of Credit Sublimit or the Alternative Currency Sublimit unless otherwise specified by Carpenter. Any reduction of the Aggregate Commitments shall be applied to the Commitment of each Lender according to its Applicable Percentage. All fees accrued until the effective date of any termination of the Aggregate Commitments shall be paid on the effective date of such termination.

 

2.08       Repayment of Loans. ii) Each Borrower shall repay to the Lenders on the Maturity Date the aggregate principal amount of Committed Loans made to such Borrower outstanding on such date.

 

(b)       The Domestic Borrowers shall repay each Swing Line Loan on the earlier to occur of (i) the date ten (10) Business Days after such Loan is made and (ii) the Maturity Date.

 

2.09       Interest. iii) Subject to the provisions of subsection (b) below, (i) each Eurocurrency Rate Loan shall bear interest on the outstanding principal amount thereof for each Interest Period at a rate per annum equal to the Eurocurrency Rate for such Interest Period plus the Applicable Rate, (ii) each Base Rate Committed Loan shall bear interest on the outstanding principal amount thereof from the applicable borrowing date at a rate per annum equal to the Base Rate plus the Applicable Rate and (iii) each Swing Line Loan shall bear interest on the outstanding principal amount thereof from the applicable borrowing date at a rate per annum equal to the Base Rate plus the Applicable Rate or at such other interest rate as may be agreed between Carpenter and the Swing Line Lender from time to time. To the extent that any calculation of interest or any fee required to be paid under this Agreement shall be based on (or result in) a calculation that is less than zero, such calculation shall be deemed to be zero for purposes of this Agreement.

 

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(b)           (1)       If any amount of principal of any Loan is not paid when due (without regard to any applicable grace periods), whether at stated maturity, by acceleration or otherwise, such amount shall thereafter bear interest at a fluctuating interest rate per annum at all times equal to the Default Rate to the fullest extent permitted by Applicable Laws.

 

(ii)       If any amount (other than principal of any Loan) payable by any Borrower under any Loan Document is not paid when due (without regard to any applicable grace periods), whether at stated maturity, by acceleration or otherwise, then upon the request of the Required Lenders, such amount shall thereafter bear interest at a fluctuating interest rate per annum at all times equal to the Default Rate to the fullest extent permitted by Applicable Laws.

 

(iii)       Upon the request of the Required Lenders, while any Event of Default exists, the Borrowers shall pay interest on the principal amount of all outstanding Obligations hereunder at a fluctuating interest rate per annum at all times equal to the Default Rate to the fullest extent permitted by Applicable Laws.

 

(iv)       Accrued and unpaid interest on past due amounts (including interest on past due interest) shall be due and payable upon demand.

 

(c)       Interest on each Loan shall be due and payable in arrears on each Interest Payment Date applicable thereto and at such other times as may be specified herein. Interest hereunder shall be due and payable in accordance with the terms hereof before and after judgment, and before and after the commencement of any proceeding under any Debtor Relief Law.

 

(d)       For the purposes of the Interest Act (Canada), (i) whenever a rate of interest or fee rate hereunder is calculated on the basis of a year (the “deemed year”) that contains fewer days than the actual number of days in the calendar year of calculation, such rate of interest or fee rate shall be expressed as a yearly rate by multiplying such rate of interest or fee rate by the actual number of days in the calendar year of calculation and dividing it by the number of days in the deemed year, (ii) the principle of deemed reinvestment of interest shall not apply to any interest calculation hereunder and (iii) the rates of interest stipulated herein are intended to be nominal rates and not effective rates or yields.

 

2.10       Fees. In addition to certain fees described in subsections (h) and (i) of Section 2.04:

 

(a)       Commitment Fee. Carpenter shall pay to the Administrative Agent for the account of each Lender in accordance with its Applicable Percentage, a commitment fee in Dollars equal to the Applicable Rate times the actual daily amount by which the Aggregate Commitments exceed the sum of (i) the Outstanding Amount of Committed Loans and (ii) the Outstanding Amount of L/C Obligations, subject to adjustment as provided in Section 2.18. For the avoidance of doubt, the Outstanding Amount of Swing Line Loans shall not be counted towards or considered usage of the Aggregate Commitments for purposes of determining the commitment fee. The commitment fee shall accrue at all times during the Availability Period, including at any time during which one or more of the conditions in Article IV is not met, and shall be due and payable quarterly in arrears on the last Business Day of each March, June, September and December, commencing with the first such date to occur after the Closing Date, and on the last day of the Availability Period. The commitment fee shall be calculated quarterly in arrears, and if there is any change in the Applicable Rate during any quarter, the actual daily amount shall be computed and multiplied by the Applicable Rate separately for each period during such quarter that such Applicable Rate was in effect.

 

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(b)       Other Fees. (2) Carpenter shall pay to the Arrangers and the Administrative Agent for their own respective accounts, in Dollars, fees in the amounts, at the times and to the parties specified in the Bank of America Fee Letter. Such fees shall be fully earned when paid and shall not be refundable for any reason whatsoever.

 

(ii)       Carpenter shall pay to the Lenders, in Dollars, such fees as shall have been separately agreed upon in writing in the amounts and at the times so specified. Such fees shall be fully earned when paid and shall not be refundable for any reason whatsoever.

 

2.11       Computation of Interest and Fees. All computations of interest for Base Rate Loans shall be made on the basis of a year of 365 or 366 days, as the case may be, and actual days elapsed. All other computations of fees and interest shall be made on the basis of a 360-day year and actual days elapsed (which results in more fees or interest, as applicable, being paid than if computed on the basis of a 365-day year), or, in the case of interest in respect of Committed Loans denominated in Alternative Currencies as to which market practice differs from the foregoing, in accordance with such market practice. Interest shall accrue on each Loan for the day on which the Loan is made, and shall not accrue on a Loan, or any portion thereof, for the day on which the Loan or such portion is paid, provided that any Loan that is repaid on the same day on which it is made shall, subject to Section 2.13(a), bear interest for one day. Each determination by the Administrative Agent of an interest rate or fee hereunder shall be conclusive and binding for all purposes, absent manifest error.

 

2.12       Evidence of Debt.

 

(a)        The Credit Extensions made by each Lender shall be evidenced by one or more accounts or records maintained by such Lender and by the Administrative Agent in the ordinary course of business. The accounts or records maintained by the Administrative Agent and each Lender shall be conclusive absent manifest error of the amount of the Credit Extensions made by the Lenders to the Borrowers and the interest and payments thereon. Any failure to so record or any error in doing so shall not, however, limit or otherwise affect the obligation of the Borrowers hereunder to pay any amount owing with respect to the Obligations. In the event of any conflict between the accounts and records maintained by any Lender and the accounts and records of the Administrative Agent in respect of such matters, the accounts and records of the Administrative Agent shall control in the absence of manifest error. Upon the request of any Lender to a Borrower made through the Administrative Agent, such Borrower shall execute and deliver to such Lender (through the Administrative Agent) a Note, which shall evidence such Lender’s Loans to such Borrower in addition to such accounts or records. Each Lender may attach schedules to a Note and endorse thereon the date, Type (if applicable), amount, currency and maturity of its Loans and payments with respect thereto.

 

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(b)       In addition to the accounts and records referred to in subsection (a), each Lender and the Administrative Agent shall maintain in accordance with its usual practice accounts or records evidencing the purchases and sales by such Lender of participations in Letters of Credit and Swing Line Loans. In the event of any conflict between the accounts and records maintained by the Administrative Agent and the accounts and records of any Lender in respect of such matters, the accounts and records of the Administrative Agent shall control in the absence of manifest error.

 

2.13       Payments Generally; Administrative Agent’s Clawback. (a) General. All payments to be made by the Borrowers shall be made without condition or deduction for any counterclaim, defense, recoupment or setoff. Except as otherwise expressly provided herein and except with respect to principal of and interest on Loans denominated in an Alternative Currency, all payments by the Borrowers hereunder shall be made to the Administrative Agent, for the account of the respective Lenders to which such payment is owed, at the applicable Administrative Agent’s Office in Dollars and in Same Day Funds not later than 2:00 p.m. on the date specified herein. Except as otherwise expressly provided herein, all payments by the Borrowers hereunder with respect to principal and interest on Loans denominated in an Alternative Currency shall be made to the Administrative Agent, for the account of the respective Lenders to which such payment is owed, at the applicable Administrative Agent’s Office in such Alternative Currency and in Same Day Funds not later than the Applicable Time specified by the Administrative Agent on the dates specified herein. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Administrative Agent may require that any payments due under this Agreement be made in the United States. If, for any reason, any Borrower is prohibited by any Law from making any required payment hereunder in an Alternative Currency, such Borrower shall make such payment in Dollars in the Dollar Equivalent of the Alternative Currency payment amount. The Administrative Agent will promptly distribute to each Lender its Applicable Percentage (or other applicable share as provided herein) of such payment in like funds as received by wire transfer to such Lender’s Lending Office. All payments received by the Administrative Agent (i) after 2:00 p.m., in the case of payments in Dollars, or (ii) after the Applicable Time specified by the Administrative Agent in the case of payments in an Alternative Currency, shall in each case be deemed received on the next succeeding Business Day and any applicable interest or fee shall continue to accrue. If any payment to be made by any Borrower shall come due on a day other than a Business Day, payment shall be made on the next following Business Day, and such extension of time shall be reflected in computing interest or fees, as the case may be.

 

(b)       (3) Funding by Lenders; Presumption by Administrative Agent. Unless the Administrative Agent shall have received notice from a Lender prior to the proposed date of any Committed Borrowing of Eurocurrency Rate Loans (or, in the case of any Committed Borrowing of Base Rate Loans, prior to 12:00 noon on the date of such Committed Borrowing) that such Lender will not make available to the Administrative Agent such Lender’s share of such Committed Borrowing, the Administrative Agent may assume that such Lender has made such share available on such date in accordance with Section 2.02 (or, in the case of a Committed Borrowing of Base Rate Loans, that such Lender has made such share available in accordance with and at the time required by Section 2.02) and may, in reliance upon such assumption, make available to the applicable Borrower a corresponding amount. In such event, if a Lender has not in fact made its share of the applicable Committed Borrowing available to the Administrative Agent, then the applicable Lender and the applicable Borrower severally agree to pay to the Administrative Agent forthwith on demand such corresponding amount in Same Day Funds with interest thereon, for each day from and including the date such amount is made available to such Borrower to but excluding the date of payment to the Administrative Agent, at (A) in the case of a payment to be made by such Lender, the Overnight Rate, plus any administrative, processing or similar fees customarily charged by the Administrative Agent in connection with the foregoing, and (B) in the case of a payment to be made by such Borrower, the interest rate applicable to Base Rate Loans. If such Borrower and such Lender shall pay such interest to the Administrative Agent for the same or an overlapping period, the Administrative Agent shall promptly remit to such Borrower the amount of such interest paid by such Borrower for such period. If such Lender pays its share of the applicable Committed Borrowing to the Administrative Agent, then the amount so paid shall constitute such Lender’s Committed Loan included in such Committed Borrowing. Any payment by such Borrower shall be without prejudice to any claim such Borrower may have against a Lender that shall have failed to make such payment to the Administrative Agent.

 

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(ii)       Payments by Borrowers; Presumptions by Administrative Agent. Unless the Administrative Agent shall have received notice from the Borrowers prior to the date on which any payment is due to the Administrative Agent for the account of the Lenders or the L/C Issuer hereunder that the Borrowers will not make such payment, the Administrative Agent may assume that the Borrowers have made such payment on such date in accordance herewith and may, in reliance upon such assumption, distribute to the Lenders or the L/C Issuer, as the case may be, the amount due.

 

With respect to any payment that the Administrative Agent makes for the account of the Lenders or the L/C Issuer hereunder as to which the Administrative Agent determines (which determination shall be conclusive absent manifest error) that any of the following applies (such payment referred to as the “Rescindable Amount”): (1) the Borrowers have not in fact made such payment; (2) the Administrative Agent has made a payment in excess of the amount so paid by the Borrowers (whether or not then owed); or (3) the Administrative Agent has for any reason otherwise erroneously made such payment; then each of the Lenders or the L/C Issuer, as the case may be, severally agrees to repay to the Administrative Agent forthwith on demand the Rescindable Amount so distributed to such Lender or the L/C Issuer, in immediately available funds with interest thereon, for each day from and including the date such amount is distributed to it to but excluding the date of payment to the Administrative Agent, at the greater of the Federal Funds Rate and a rate determined by the Administrative Agent in accordance with banking industry rules on interbank compensation.

 

A notice of the Administrative Agent to any Lender or Borrower with respect to any amount owing under this subsection (b) shall be conclusive, absent manifest error.

 

(c)       Failure to Satisfy Conditions Precedent. If any Lender makes available to the Administrative Agent funds for any Loan to be made by such Lender to any Borrower as provided in the foregoing provisions of this Article II, and such funds are not made available to such Borrower by the Administrative Agent because the conditions to the applicable Credit Extension set forth in Article IV are not satisfied or waived in accordance with the terms hereof, the Administrative Agent shall return such funds (in like funds as received from such Lender) to such Lender, without interest.

 

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(d)       Obligations of Lenders Several. The obligations of the Lenders hereunder to make Committed Loans, to fund participations in Letters of Credit and Swing Line Loans and to make payments pursuant to Section 11.04(c) are several and not joint. The failure of any Lender to make any Committed Loan, to fund any such participation or to make any payment under Section 11.04(c) on any date required hereunder shall not relieve any other Lender of its corresponding obligation to do so on such date, and no Lender shall be responsible for the failure of any other Lender to so make its Committed Loan, to purchase its participation or to make its payment under Section 11.04(c).

 

(e)       Funding Source. Nothing herein shall be deemed to obligate any Lender to obtain the funds for any Loan in any particular place or manner or to constitute a representation by any Lender that it has obtained or will obtain the funds for any Loan in any particular place or manner.

 

2.14       Sharing of Payments by Lenders. If any Lender shall, by exercising any right of setoff or counterclaim or otherwise, obtain payment in respect of any principal of or interest on any of the Committed Loans made by it, or the participations in L/C Obligations or in Swing Line Loans held by it resulting in such Lender’s receiving payment of a proportion of the aggregate amount of such Committed Loans or participations and accrued interest thereon greater than its pro rata share thereof as provided herein, then the Lender receiving such greater proportion shall (a) notify the Administrative Agent of such fact, and (b) purchase (for cash at face value) participations in the Committed Loans and subparticipations in L/C Obligations and Swing Line Loans of the other Lenders, or make such other adjustments as shall be equitable, so that the benefit of all such payments shall be shared by the Lenders ratably in accordance with the aggregate amount of principal of and accrued interest on their respective Committed Loans and other amounts owing them, provided that:

 

(i)       if any such participations or subparticipations are purchased and all or any portion of the payment giving rise thereto is recovered, such participations or subparticipations shall be rescinded and the purchase price restored to the extent of such recovery, without interest; and

 

(ii)       the provisions of this Section shall not be construed to apply to (x) any payment made by or on behalf of any Borrower pursuant to and in accordance with the express terms of this Agreement (including the application of funds arising from the existence of a Defaulting Lender), (y) the application of Cash Collateral provided for in Section 2.17, or (z) any payment obtained by a Lender as consideration for the assignment of or sale of a participation in any of its Committed Loans or subparticipations in L/C Obligations or Swing Line Loans to any assignee or participant, other than to Carpenter or any Subsidiary thereof (as to which the provisions of this Section shall apply).

 

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Each Loan Party consents to the foregoing and agrees, to the extent it may effectively do so under Applicable Law, that any Lender acquiring a participation pursuant to the foregoing arrangements may exercise against such Loan Party rights of setoff and counterclaim with respect to such participation as fully as if such Lender were a direct creditor of such Loan Party in the amount of such participation.

 

2.15       Subsidiary Borrowers.

 

(a)       Carpenter may at any time, upon not less than fifteen (15) Business Days’ notice from Carpenter to the Administrative Agent (or such shorter period as may be agreed by the Administrative Agent in its reasonable discretion), designate any Wholly-Owned Subsidiary of Carpenter, which, for the avoidance of doubt, may be a Foreign Subsidiary of Carpenter, (an “Applicant Borrower”) as a Subsidiary Borrower to receive Loans hereunder by delivering to the Administrative Agent (which shall promptly deliver counterparts thereof to each Lender) a duly executed notice and agreement in substantially the form of Exhibit H (a “Subsidiary Borrower Request and Assumption Agreement”). The parties hereto acknowledge and agree that prior to any Applicant Borrower becoming entitled to utilize the credit facilities provided for herein the Administrative Agent and the Lenders shall have received such supporting resolutions, incumbency certificates, opinions of counsel and other documents or information, in form, content and scope reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent (including, without limitation, and subject to customary assumptions and qualifications, opinions with respect to (i) the recognition and enforcement of (x) the choice of the law of the State of New York as the governing law of the Loan Documents in the Applicant Borrower’s jurisdiction of formation and (y) any judgment obtained in New York in relation to a Loan Document and (ii) the necessity that the Loan Documents be filed, recorded or enrolled with any court or other authority in the Applicant Borrower’s jurisdiction of formation or that any stamp, registration or similar tax be paid on or in relation to the Loan Documents or the transactions contemplated by the Loan Documents), as may be required by the Administrative Agent or the Lenders in their sole discretion, and Notes signed by such new Borrowers to the extent any Lenders so require; provided that, for the avoidance of doubt, any Foreign Subsidiary that is designated as a Subsidiary Borrower shall not be required to grant a security interest in any of its assets. If the Administrative Agent and each Lender agrees that an Applicant Borrower shall be entitled to receive Loans hereunder, then promptly following receipt of all such requested resolutions, incumbency certificates, opinions of counsel and other documents or information, the Administrative Agent shall send a notice in substantially the form of Exhibit I (a “Subsidiary Borrower Notice”) to Carpenter and the Lenders specifying the effective date upon which the Applicant Borrower shall constitute a Subsidiary Borrower for purposes hereof, whereupon each of the Lenders agrees to permit such Subsidiary Borrower to receive Loans hereunder, on the terms and conditions set forth herein, and each of the parties agrees that such Subsidiary Borrower otherwise shall be a Borrower for all purposes of this Agreement; provided that no Committed Loan Notice or Letter of Credit Application may be submitted by or on behalf of such Subsidiary Borrower until the date five Business Days after such effective date; provided further, that effective as of the Closing Date, the Lenders agree that each of the following Subsidiaries may become a “Subsidiary Borrower” pursuant hereto (subject to satisfaction of the other conditions set forth in this Section 2.15) without any requirement of further written consent from the Lenders: (i) Carpenter Technology (Europe) S.A., a company organized and existing under the laws of Belgium, (ii) Carpenter Technology (UK) Limited, a company organized and existing under the laws of England and Wales, (iii) Carpenter Powder Products AB, a company organized and existing under the laws of Sweden, (iv) Carpenter Technology (Canada) Ltd., and (v) Carpenter Technology Luxembourg S.a.r.l., a company organized and existing under the laws of Luxembourg.

 

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(b)       Carpenter and all other Domestic Borrowers shall be jointly and severally liable for all Secured Obligations owing from Domestic Loan Parties and their Domestic Subsidiaries and hereby guarantee the full and prompt payment of all other Secured Obligations as Guarantors under Article X hereof. Subsidiary Borrowers that are Foreign Subsidiaries shall be jointly and severally liable for all Secured Obligations owing from Foreign Subsidiaries, unless joint liability will result in a material adverse tax consequence to any Borrower or Subsidiary, in which case, the Secured Obligations of such any Subsidiary Borrower that would otherwise result in such material adverse tax consequence will be several in nature; provided that the Secured Obligations of each Subsidiary Borrower that is a Foreign Subsidiary shall not be joint and several in nature to the extent and for so long as any Foreign Requirement of Law would be violated thereby if Carpenter and its Subsidiaries have taken all commercially reasonable steps in the determination of the Administrative Agent to avoid or cure such violation, in which case, such Secured Obligations of such Subsidiary Borrower will be several in nature.

 

(c)       Each Subsidiary of Carpenter that is or becomes a “Subsidiary Borrower” pursuant to this Section 2.15 hereby irrevocably appoints Carpenter as its agent for all purposes relevant to this Agreement and each of the other Loan Documents and agrees that (i) Carpenter may execute such documents and provide such authorizations on behalf of such Subsidiary Borrowers as Carpenter deems appropriate in its sole discretion and each Subsidiary Borrower shall be obligated by all of the terms of any such document and/or authorization executed on its behalf, (ii) any notice or communication delivered by the Administrative Agent, L/C Issuer or a Lender to Carpenter shall be deemed delivered to each Borrower and (iii) the Administrative Agent, L/C Issuer or the Lenders may accept, and be permitted to rely on, any document, authorization, instrument or agreement executed by Carpenter on behalf of each of the Subsidiary Borrowers.

 

(d)       Carpenter may from time to time, upon not less than fifteen (15) Business Days’ notice from Carpenter to the Administrative Agent (or such shorter period as may be agreed by the Administrative Agent in its sole discretion), terminate a Subsidiary Borrower’s status as such, provided that (i) there are no outstanding Loans payable by such Subsidiary Borrower, or other amounts payable by such Subsidiary Borrower on account of any Loans made to it, as of the effective date of such termination and (ii) after giving pro forma effect to any such termination and any related prepayment of Loans, Carpenter shall be in pro forma compliance with the covenants set forth in Section 7.12 of this Agreement, calculated as of the date of such termination. The Administrative Agent will promptly notify the Lenders of any such termination of a Subsidiary Borrower’s status.

 

(e)       Each of the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer, the Swing Line Lender and each Lender at its option may make any Credit Extension or otherwise perform its obligations hereunder through any Lending Office (each, a “Designated Lender”); provided that any exercise of such option shall not affect the obligation of such Borrower to repay any Credit Extension in accordance with the terms of this Agreement. Any Designated Lender shall be considered a Lender; provided that in the case of an Affiliate or branch of a Lender, all provisions applicable to a Lender shall apply to such Affiliate or branch of such Lender to the same extent as such Lender; provided that for the purposes only of voting in connection with any Loan Document, any participation by any Designated Lender in any outstanding Credit Extension shall be deemed a participation of such Lender.

 

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2.16       Increase in Commitments.

 

(a)       Request for Increase. Provided no Default or Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, upon notice to the Administrative Agent (which shall promptly notify the Lenders), Carpenter may from time to time request an increase in the Aggregate Commitments by an amount (for all such requests) not exceeding $200,000,000; provided that any such request for an increase shall be in a minimum amount of $5,000,000. At the time of sending such notice, Carpenter (in consultation with the Administrative Agent) shall specify the time period within which each Lender is requested to respond (which shall in no event be less than ten Business Days from the date of delivery of such notice to the Lenders).

 

(b)       Lender Elections to Increase. Each Lender shall notify the Administrative Agent within such time period whether or not it agrees to increase its Commitment and, if so, whether by an amount equal to, greater than, or less than its Applicable Percentage of such requested increase. Any Lender not responding within such time period shall be deemed to have declined to increase its Commitment.

 

(c)       Notification by Administrative Agent; Additional Lenders. The Administrative Agent shall notify Carpenter and each Lender of the Lenders’ responses to each request made hereunder. To achieve the full amount of a requested increase and subject to the approval of the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer and the Swing Line Lender (which approvals shall not be unreasonably withheld), Carpenter may also invite additional Eligible Assignees to become Lenders pursuant to a joinder agreement in form and substance satisfactory to the Administrative Agent and its counsel.

 

(d)       Effective Date and Allocations. If the Aggregate Commitments are increased in accordance with this Section, the Administrative Agent and Carpenter shall determine the effective date (the “Increase Effective Date”) and the final allocation of such increase. The Administrative Agent shall promptly notify Carpenter and the Lenders of the final allocation of such increase and the Increase Effective Date.

 

(e)       Conditions to Effectiveness of Increase. As a condition precedent to such increase, Carpenter shall deliver to the Administrative Agent a certificate of each Borrower dated as of the Increase Effective Date (in sufficient copies for each Lender) signed by a Responsible Officer of such Borrower (i) certifying and attaching the resolutions adopted by such Borrower approving or consenting to such increase, and (ii) in the case of Carpenter, certifying that, before and after giving effect to such increase, (A) the representations and warranties contained in Article V and the other Loan Documents are true and correct on and as of the Increase Effective Date, except to the extent that such representations and warranties specifically refer to an earlier date, in which case they are true and correct as of such earlier date, and except that for purposes of this Section 2.16, the representations and warranties contained in subsections (a) and (b) of Section 5.05 shall be deemed to refer to the most recent statements furnished pursuant to clauses (a) and (b), respectively, of Section 6.01, and (B) no Default exists. The Borrowers shall prepay any Committed Loans outstanding on the Increase Effective Date (and pay any additional amounts required pursuant to Section 3.05) to the extent necessary to keep the outstanding Committed Loans ratable with any revised Applicable Percentages arising from any nonratable increase in the Commitments under this Section.

 

(f)       Conflicting Provisions. This Section shall supersede any provisions in Section 2.14 or 11.01 to the contrary.

 

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2.17       Cash Collateral.

 

(a)       Certain Credit Support Events. Upon the request of the Administrative Agent or the L/C Issuer (i) if the L/C Issuer has honored any full or partial drawing request under any Letter of Credit and such drawing has resulted in an L/C Borrowing, or (ii) if, as of the Letter of Credit Expiration Date, any L/C Obligation for any reason remains outstanding, Carpenter shall, in each case, promptly (but in any case within five (5) Business Days) Cash Collateralize the then Outstanding Amount of all L/C Obligations. At any time that there shall exist a Defaulting Lender, immediately upon the request of the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer or the Swing Line Lender, Carpenter shall deliver Cash Collateral to the Administrative Agent in an amount sufficient to cover all Fronting Exposure (after giving effect to Section 2.18(a)(iv) and any Cash Collateral provided by the Defaulting Lender). Additionally, if the Administrative Agent notifies Carpenter at any time that the Outstanding Amount of all L/C Obligations at such time exceeds 105% of the Letter of Credit Sublimit then in effect, then within two (2) Business Days after receipt of such notice, Carpenter shall provide Cash Collateral for the Outstanding Amount of the L/C Obligations in an amount not less than the amount by which the Outstanding Amount of all L/C Obligations exceeds the Letter of Credit Sublimit.

 

(b)       Grant of Security Interest. All Cash Collateral (other than credit support not constituting funds subject to deposit) shall be maintained in blocked, non-interest bearing deposit accounts at Bank of America. Carpenter, and to the extent provided by any Lender, such Lender, hereby grants to (and subjects to the control of) the Administrative Agent, for the benefit of the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer and the Lenders (including the Swing Line Lender), and agrees to maintain, a first priority security interest in all such cash, deposit accounts and all balances therein, and all other property so provided as collateral pursuant hereto, and in all proceeds of the foregoing, all as security for the obligations to which such Cash Collateral may be applied pursuant to Section 2.17(c). If at any time the Administrative Agent determines that Cash Collateral is subject to any right or claim of any Person other than the Administrative Agent as herein provided, or that the total amount of such Cash Collateral is less than the applicable Fronting Exposure and other obligations secured thereby, Carpenter or the relevant Defaulting Lender will, promptly upon demand by the Administrative Agent, pay or provide to the Administrative Agent additional Cash Collateral in an amount sufficient to eliminate such deficiency.

 

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(c)       Application. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Agreement, Cash Collateral provided under any of this Section 2.17 or Sections 2.04, 2.05, 2.06, 2.18 or 8.02 in respect of Letters of Credit or Swing Line Loans shall be held and applied to the satisfaction of the specific L/C Obligations, Swing Line Loans, obligations to fund participations therein (including, as to Cash Collateral provided by a Defaulting Lender, any interest accrued on such obligation) and other obligations for which the Cash Collateral was so provided, prior to any other application of such property as may be provided for herein.

 

(d)       Release. Cash Collateral (or the appropriate portion thereof) provided to reduce Fronting Exposure or other obligations shall be released promptly following (i) the elimination of the applicable Fronting Exposure or other obligations giving rise thereto (including by the termination of Defaulting Lender status of the applicable Lender (or, as appropriate, its assignee following compliance with Section 11.06(b)(vi))) or (ii) the Administrative Agent’s good faith determination that there exists excess Cash Collateral; provided that (x) Cash Collateral furnished by or on behalf of Carpenter shall not be released during the continuance of a Default or Event of Default (and following application as provided in this Section 2.17 may be otherwise applied in accordance with Section 8.03), and (y) the Person providing Cash Collateral and the L/C Issuer or Swing Line Lender, as applicable, may agree that Cash Collateral shall not be released but instead held to support future anticipated Fronting Exposure or other obligations.

 

2.18       Defaulting Lenders.

 

(a)       Defaulting Lender Adjustments. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Agreement, if any Lender becomes a Defaulting Lender, then, until such time as such Lender is no longer a Defaulting Lender, to the extent permitted by Applicable Law:

 

(i)       Waivers and Amendments. Such Defaulting Lender’s right to approve or disapprove any amendment, waiver or consent with respect to this Agreement shall be restricted as set forth in the definition of Required Lenders and in Section 11.01.

 

(ii)       Reallocation of Payments. Any payment of principal, interest, fees or other amounts received by the Administrative Agent for the account of such Defaulting Lender (whether voluntary or mandatory, at maturity, pursuant to Article VIII or otherwise, and including any amounts made available to the Administrative Agent by such Defaulting Lender pursuant to Section 11.08) shall be applied at such time or times as may be determined by the Administrative Agent as follows: first, to the payment of any amounts owing by such Defaulting Lender to the Administrative Agent hereunder; second, to the payment on a pro rata basis of any amounts owing by such Defaulting Lender to the L/C Issuer or Swing Line Lender hereunder; third, if so determined by the Administrative Agent or requested by the L/C Issuer or the Swing Line Lender, to be held as Cash Collateral for the L/C Issuer’s Fronting Exposure with respect to such Defaulting Lender; fourth, as Carpenter may request (so long as no Default or Event of Default exists), to the funding of any Loan in respect of which such Defaulting Lender has failed to fund its portion thereof as required by this Agreement, as determined by the Administrative Agent; fifth, if so determined by the Administrative Agent and Carpenter, to be held in a non-interest bearing deposit account and released in order to (x) satisfy such Defaulting Lender’s potential future funding obligations with respect to Loans under this Agreement and (y) Cash Collateralize the L/C Issuer’s future Fronting Exposure with respect to such Defaulting Lender with respect to future Letters of Credit issued under this Agreement; sixth, to the payment of any amounts owing to the Lenders, the L/C Issuer or Swing Line Lender as a result of any judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction obtained by any Lender, the L/C Issuer or the Swing Line Lender against such Defaulting Lender as a result of such Defaulting Lender’s breach of its obligations under this Agreement; seventh, so long as no Default or Event of Default exists, to the payment of any amounts owing to Carpenter as a result of any judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction obtained by Carpenter against such Defaulting Lender as a result of such Defaulting Lender’s breach of its obligations under this Agreement; and eighth, to such Defaulting Lender or as otherwise directed by a court of competent jurisdiction; provided that if (x) such payment is a payment of the principal amount of any Loans or L/C Borrowings in respect of which such Defaulting Lender has not fully funded its appropriate share, and (y) such Loans or L/C Borrowings were made or the related Letters of Credit were issued at a time when the conditions set forth in Section 4.02 were satisfied or waived, such payment shall be applied solely to pay the Loans of, and L/C Borrowings owed to, all Non-Defaulting Lenders on a pro rata basis prior to being applied to the payment of any Loans of, or L/C Borrowings owed to such Defaulting Lender. Any payments, prepayments or other amounts paid or payable to a Defaulting Lender that are applied (or held) to pay amounts owed by a Defaulting Lender or to post Cash Collateral pursuant to this Section shall be deemed paid to and redirected by such Defaulting Lender, and each Lender irrevocably consents hereto.

 

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(iii)       Certain Fees. (a) No Defaulting Lender shall be entitled to receive any fee payable under Section 2.10(a) for any period during which that Lender is a Defaulting Lender (and Carpenter shall not be required to pay any such fee that otherwise would have been required to have been paid to that Defaulting Lender).

 

(B)       Each Defaulting Lender shall be entitled to receive Letter of Credit Fees for any period during which that Lender is a Defaulting Lender only to the extent allocable to its Applicable Percentage of the stated amount of Letters of Credit for which it has provided Cash Collateral.

 

(C)       With respect to any fee payable under Section 2.10(a) or Letter of Credit Fee not required to be paid to any Defaulting Lender pursuant to clause (A) or (B) above, Carpenter shall (x) pay to each Non-Defaulting Lender that portion of any such fee otherwise payable to such Defaulting Lender with respect to such Defaulting Lender’s participation in L/C Obligations or Swing Line Loans that has been reallocated to such Non-Defaulting Lender pursuant to clause (iv) below, (y) pay to the L/C Issuer and Swing Line Lender, as applicable, the amount of any such fee otherwise payable to such Defaulting Lender to the extent allocable to the L/C Issuer’s or Swing Line Lender’s Fronting Exposure to such Defaulting Lender, and (z) not be required to pay the remaining amount of any such fee.

 

(iv)       Reallocation of Participations to Reduce Fronting Exposure. All or any part of such Defaulting Lender’s participation in L/C Advances and Swing Line Loans shall be reallocated among the Non-Defaulting Lenders in accordance with their respective Applicable Percentages (calculated without regard to such Defaulting Lender’s Commitment) but only to the extent that (x) the conditions set forth in Section 4.02 are satisfied at the time of such reallocation (and, unless Carpenter shall have otherwise notified the Administrative Agent at such time, Carpenter shall be deemed to have represented and warranted that such conditions are satisfied at such time), and (y) such reallocation does not cause the aggregate Outstanding Amount of the Committed Loans of any Non-Defaulting Lender, plus such Non-Defaulting Lender’s Applicable Percentage of the Outstanding Amount of all L/C Obligations, plus such Non-Defaulting Lender’s Applicable Percentage of the Outstanding Amount of all Swing Line Loans to exceed such Non-Defaulting Lender’s Commitment. No reallocation hereunder shall constitute a waiver or release of any claim of any party hereunder against a Defaulting Lender arising from that Lender having become a Defaulting Lender, including any claim of a Non-Defaulting Lender as a result of such Non-Defaulting Lender’s increased exposure following such reallocation.

 

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(v)       Cash Collateral, Repayment of Swing Line Loans. If the reallocation described in clause (iv) above cannot, or can only partially, be effected, Carpenter shall, without prejudice to any right or remedy available to it hereunder or under law, (x) first, prepay Swing Line Loans in an amount equal to the Swing Line Lender’s Fronting Exposure and (y) second, Cash Collateralize the L/C Issuer’s Fronting Exposure.

 

(b)       Defaulting Lender Cure. If Carpenter, the Administrative Agent, the Swing Line Lender and the L/C Issuer agree in writing in their sole discretion that a Lender is no longer be deemed to be a Defaulting Lender, the Administrative Agent will so notify the parties hereto, whereupon as of the effective date specified in such notice and subject to any conditions set forth therein (which may include arrangements with respect to any Cash Collateral), that Lender will, to the extent applicable, purchase at par that portion of outstanding Loans of the other Lenders or take such other actions as the Administrative Agent may determine to be necessary to cause the Committed Loans and funded and unfunded participations in Letters of Credit and Swing Line Loans to be held by the Lenders in accordance with their Applicable Percentages (without giving effect to Section 2.18(a)(iv)), whereupon such Lender will cease to be a Defaulting Lender; provided that no adjustments will be made retroactively with respect to fees accrued or payments made by or on behalf of Carpenter while that Lender was a Defaulting Lender; and provided, further, that except to the extent otherwise expressly agreed by the affected parties, no change hereunder from Defaulting Lender to Lender will constitute a waiver or release of any claim of any party hereunder arising from that Lender’s having been a Defaulting Lender.

 

(c)       New Swing Line Loans/Letters of Credit. So long as any Lender is a Defaulting Lender, (i) the Swing Line Lender shall not be required to fund any Swing Line Loans unless it is satisfied that it will have no Fronting Exposure after giving effect to such Swing Line Loan and (ii) the L/C Issuer shall not be required to issue, extend, renew or increase any Letter of Credit unless it is satisfied that it will have no Fronting Exposure after giving effect thereto.

 

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ARTICLE III
TAXES, YIELD PROTECTION AND ILLEGALITY

 

3.01       Taxes.

 

(a)       Payments Free of Taxes. Any and all payments by or on account of any obligation of any Loan Party under any Loan Document shall be made without deduction or withholding for any Taxes, except as required by Applicable Law. If any Applicable Law (as determined in the good faith discretion of an applicable Withholding Agent) requires the deduction or withholding of any Tax from any such payment by a Withholding Agent, then the applicable Withholding Agent shall be entitled to make such deduction or withholding and shall timely pay the full amount deducted or withheld to the relevant Governmental Authority in accordance with Applicable Law and, if such Tax is an Indemnified Tax, then the sum payable by the applicable Loan Party shall be increased as necessary so that after such deduction or withholding has been made (including such deductions and withholdings applicable to additional sums payable under this Section 3.01) the applicable Recipient receives an amount equal to the sum it would have received had no such deduction or withholding been made.

 

(b)       Payment of Other Taxes by the Borrowers. The Loan Parties shall timely pay to the relevant Governmental Authority in accordance with Applicable Law, or, at the option of the Administrative Agent, timely reimburse it for the payment of, any Other Taxes.

 

(c)       Indemnification by the Lenders. Each Lender shall severally indemnify the Administrative Agent, within ten (10) days after demand therefor, for (i) any Indemnified Taxes attributable to such Lender (but only to the extent that any Loan Party has not already indemnified the Administrative Agent for such Indemnified Taxes and without limiting the obligation of the Loan Parties to do so), (ii) any Taxes attributable to such Lender’s failure to comply with the provisions of Section 11.06(d) relating to the maintenance of a Participant Register and (iii) any Excluded Taxes attributable to such Lender, in each case, that are payable or paid by the Administrative Agent in connection with any Loan Document, and any reasonable expenses arising therefrom or with respect thereto, whether or not such Taxes were correctly or legally imposed or asserted by the relevant Governmental Authority. A certificate as to the amount of such payment or liability delivered to any Lender by the Administrative Agent shall be conclusive absent manifest error. Each Lender hereby authorizes the Administrative Agent to set off and apply any and all amounts at any time owing to such Lender under any Loan Document or otherwise payable by the Administrative Agent to the Lender from any other source against any amount due to the Administrative Agent under this clause (c).

 

(d)       Indemnification by a Borrower. Each of the Loan Parties shall, and does hereby, jointly and severally (for the avoidance of doubt, subject to Section 2.15(b)) indemnify each Recipient, within ten (10) days after demand therefor, for the full amount of any Indemnified Taxes (including Indemnified Taxes imposed or asserted on or attributable to amounts payable under this Section) payable or paid by such Recipient or required to be withheld or deducted from a payment to such Recipient and any reasonable expenses arising therefrom or with respect thereto, whether or not such Indemnified Taxes were correctly or legally imposed or asserted by the relevant Governmental Authority. A certificate as to the amount of such payment or liability delivered to any Borrower by a Lender (with a copy to the Administrative Agent), or by the Administrative Agent on its own behalf or on behalf of a Lender, shall be conclusive absent manifest error.

 

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(e)       Evidence of Payments. As soon as practicable after any payment of Taxes by any Borrower to a Governmental Authority as provided in this Section 3.01, such Borrower shall deliver to the Administrative Agent the original or a certified copy of a receipt issued by such Governmental Authority evidencing such payment, a copy of any return required by Applicable Laws to report such payment or other evidence of such payment reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent.

 

(f)       Status of Lenders; Tax Documentation. (4) Any Lender that is entitled to an exemption from or reduction of withholding Tax with respect to payments made under any Loan Document shall deliver to the Borrowers and the Administrative Agent, at the time or times reasonably requested by the Borrowers or the Administrative Agent, such properly completed and executed documentation reasonably requested by the Borrowers or the Administrative Agent as will permit such payments to be made without withholding or at a reduced rate of withholding. In addition, any Lender, if reasonably requested by the Borrowers or the Administrative Agent, shall deliver such other documentation prescribed by Applicable Law or reasonably requested by the Borrowers or the Administrative Agent as will enable the Borrowers or the Administrative Agent to determine whether or not such Lender is subject to backup withholding or information reporting requirements. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the preceding two sentences, the completion, execution and submission of such documentation (other than such documentation set forth in Section 3.01(f)(ii)(A), (ii)(B) and (ii)(D) below) shall not be required if in the Lender’s reasonable judgment such completion, execution or submission would subject such Lender to any material unreimbursed cost or expense or would materially prejudice the legal or commercial position of such Lender.

 

(ii)       Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, in the event that a Borrower is a U.S. Person:

 

(A)       any Lender that is a U.S. Person shall deliver to such Borrower and the Administrative Agent on or prior to the date on which such Lender becomes a Lender under this Agreement (and from time to time thereafter upon the reasonable request of such Borrower or the Administrative Agent), executed copies of IRS Form W-9 certifying that such Lender is exempt from U.S. federal backup withholding tax;

 

(B)       any Foreign Lender shall, to the extent it is legally entitled to do so, deliver to such Borrower and the Administrative Agent (in such number of copies as shall be requested by the recipient) on or prior to the date on which such Foreign Lender becomes a Lender under this Agreement (and from time to time thereafter upon the reasonable request of such Borrower or the Administrative Agent), whichever of the following is applicable:

 

(I)       in the case of a Foreign Lender claiming the benefits of an income tax treaty to which the United States is a party (x) with respect to payments of interest under any Loan Document, executed copies of IRS Form W-8BEN-E (or W-8BEN, as applicable) establishing an exemption from, or reduction of, U.S. federal withholding Tax pursuant to the “interest” article of such tax treaty and (y) with respect to any other applicable payments under any Loan Document, IRS Form W-8BEN-E (or W-8BEN, as applicable) establishing an exemption from, or reduction of, U.S. federal withholding Tax pursuant to the “business profits” or “other income” article of such tax treaty;

 

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(II)       executed copies of IRS Form W-8ECI;

 

(III)       in the case of a Foreign Lender claiming the benefits of the exemption for portfolio interest under Section 881(c) of the Code, (x) a certificate substantially in the form of Exhibit J-1 to the effect that such Foreign Lender is not a “bank” within the meaning of Section 881(c)(3)(A) of the Code, a “10 percent shareholder” of such Borrower within the meaning of Section 881(c)(3)(B) of the Code, or a “controlled foreign corporation” described in Section 881(c)(3)(C) of the Code (a “U.S. Tax Compliance Certificate”) and (y) executed copies of IRS Form W-8BEN-E (or W-8BEN, as applicable); or

 

(IV)       to the extent a Foreign Lender is not the beneficial owner, executed copies of IRS Form W-8IMY, accompanied by IRS Form W-8ECI, IRS Form W-8BEN-E (or W-8BEN, as applicable), a U.S. Tax Compliance Certificate substantially in the form of Exhibit J-2 or Exhibit J-3, IRS Form W-9, and/or other certification documents from each beneficial owner, as applicable; provided that if the Foreign Lender is a partnership and one or more direct or indirect partners of such Foreign Lender are claiming the portfolio interest exemption, such Foreign Lender may provide a U.S. Tax Compliance Certificate substantially in the form of Exhibit J-4 on behalf of each such direct and indirect partner;

 

(C)       any Foreign Lender shall, to the extent it is legally entitled to do so, deliver to such Borrower and the Administrative Agent (in such number of copies as shall be requested by the recipient) on or prior to the date on which such Foreign Lender becomes a Lender under this Agreement (and from time to time thereafter upon the reasonable request of such Borrower or the Administrative Agent), executed copies of any other form prescribed by Applicable Law as a basis for claiming exemption from or a reduction in U.S. federal withholding Tax, duly completed, together with such supplementary documentation as may be prescribed by Applicable Law to permit such Borrower or the Administrative Agent to determine the withholding or deduction required to be made; and

 

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(D)       if a payment made to a Lender under any Loan Document would be subject to U.S. federal withholding Tax imposed by FATCA if such Lender were to fail to comply with the applicable reporting requirements of FATCA (including those contained in Section 1471(b) or 1472(b) of the Code, as applicable), such Lender shall deliver to such Borrower and the Administrative Agent at the time or times prescribed by law and at such time or times reasonably requested by such Borrower or the Administrative Agent such documentation prescribed by Applicable Law (including as prescribed by Section 1471(b)(3)(C)(i) of the Code) and such additional documentation reasonably requested by such Borrower or the Administrative Agent as may be necessary for such Borrower and the Administrative Agent to comply with their obligations under FATCA and to determine that such Lender has complied with such Lender’s obligations under FATCA or to determine the amount to deduct and withhold from such payment. Solely for purposes of this clause (D), “FATCA” shall include any amendments made to FATCA after the Closing Date.

 

(iii)       Each Lender agrees that if any form or certification it previously delivered pursuant to this Section 3.01 expires or becomes obsolete or inaccurate in any respect, it shall update such form or certification or promptly notify Carpenter and the Administrative Agent in writing of its legal inability to do so.

 

(iv)       Each of the Borrowers shall promptly deliver to the Administrative Agent or any Lender, as the Administrative Agent or such Lender shall reasonably request, on or prior to the Closing Date (or such later date on which it first becomes a Borrower), and in a timely fashion thereafter, such documents and forms required by any relevant taxing authorities under the Laws of any jurisdiction, duly executed and completed by such Borrower, as are required to be furnished by such Lender or the Administrative Agent under such Laws in connection with any payment by the Administrative Agent or any Lender of Excluded Taxes or Indemnified Taxes, or otherwise in connection with the Loan Documents, with respect to such jurisdiction.

 

(g)       Treatment of Certain Refunds. Unless required by Applicable Laws, at no time shall the Administrative Agent have any obligation to file for or otherwise pursue on behalf of a Lender or the L/C Issuer, or have any obligation to pay to any Lender or the L/C Issuer, any refund of Taxes withheld or deducted from funds paid for the account of such Lender or the L/C Issuer, as the case may be. If any Recipient determines, in its sole discretion exercised in good faith, that it has received a refund of any Taxes as to which it has been indemnified by any Loan Party or with respect to which any Loan Party has paid additional amounts pursuant to this Section 3.01, it shall pay to the Loan Party an amount equal to such refund (but only to the extent of indemnity payments made, or additional amounts paid, by a Loan Party under this Section 3.01 with respect to the Taxes giving rise to such refund), net of all out-of-pocket expenses (including Taxes) incurred by such Recipient, and without interest (other than any interest paid by the relevant Governmental Authority with respect to such refund), provided that the Loan Party, upon the request of the Recipient, agrees to repay the amount paid over to the Loan Party (plus any penalties, interest or other charges imposed by the relevant Governmental Authority) to the Recipient in the event the Recipient is required to repay such refund to such Governmental Authority. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this subsection, in no event will the applicable Recipient be required to pay any amount to the Loan Party pursuant to this subsection the payment of which would place the Recipient in a less favorable net after-Tax position than such Recipient would have been in if the Tax subject to indemnification and giving rise to such refund had not been deducted, withheld or otherwise imposed and the indemnification payments or additional amounts with respect to such Tax had never been paid. This subsection shall not be construed to require any Recipient to make available its Tax returns (or any other information relating to its Taxes that it deems confidential) to any Loan Party or any other Person.

 

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(h)       Survival. Each party’s obligations under this Section 3.01 shall survive the resignation or replacement of the Administrative Agent or any assignment of rights by, or the replacement of, a Lender, the termination of the Commitments and the repayment, satisfaction or discharge of all other Obligations.

 

(i)       Defined Terms. For the purposes of this Section 3.01, the term “Lender” includes the L/C Issuer and the term “Applicable Law” includes FATCA.

 

3.02       Illegality.

 

(a)       If any Lender determines that any Law has made it unlawful, or that any Governmental Authority has asserted that it is unlawful, for any Lender or its applicable Lending Office to make, maintain or fund Loans whose interest is determined by reference to the Eurocurrency Rate (whether denominated in Dollars or an Alternative Currency), or to determine or charge interest rates based upon the relevant Eurocurrency Rate, or any Governmental Authority has imposed material restrictions on the authority of such Lender to determine or charge interest rates based upon the relevant Eurocurrency Rate to purchase or sell, or to take deposits of, Dollars or any Alternative Currency in the applicable interbank market, then, on notice thereof by such Lender to Carpenter through the Administrative Agent, (i) any obligation of such Lender to make or continue Eurocurrency Rate Loans in the affected currency or currencies or, in the case of Eurocurrency Rate Loans in Dollars, to convert Base Rate Committed Loans to Eurocurrency Rate Loans, shall be suspended, and (ii) if such notice asserts the illegality of such Lender making or maintaining Base Rate Loans the interest rate on which is determined by reference to the Eurocurrency Rate component of the Base Rate, the interest rate on which Base Rate Loans of such Lender shall, if necessary to avoid such illegality, be determined by the Administrative Agent without reference to the Eurocurrency Rate component of the Base Rate, in each case until such Lender notifies the Administrative Agent and Carpenter that the circumstances giving rise to such determination no longer exist. Upon receipt of such notice, (x) the Borrowers shall, upon demand from such Lender (with a copy to the Administrative Agent), prepay or, if applicable and such Loans are denominated in Dollars, convert all Eurocurrency Rate Loans of such Lender to Base Rate Loans (the interest rate on which Base Rate Loans of such Lender shall, if necessary to avoid such illegality, be determined by the Administrative Agent without reference to the Eurocurrency Rate component of the Base Rate), either on the last day of the Interest Period therefor, if such Lender may lawfully continue to maintain such Eurocurrency Rate Loans to such day, or immediately, if such Lender may not lawfully continue to maintain such Eurocurrency Rate Loans and (y) if such notice asserts the illegality of such Lender determining or charging interest rates based upon the Eurocurrency Rate, the Administrative Agent shall during the period of such suspension compute the Base Rate applicable to such Lender without reference to the Eurocurrency Rate component thereof until the Administrative Agent is advised in writing by such Lender that it is no longer illegal for such Lender to determine or charge interest rates based upon the Eurocurrency Rate. Upon any such prepayment or conversion, the Borrowers shall also pay accrued interest on the amount so prepaid or converted.

 

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(b)       If, in any applicable jurisdiction, the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer or any Lender or any Designated Lender determines that any Law has made it unlawful, or that any Governmental Authority has asserted that it is unlawful, for the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer or any Lender or its applicable Designated Lender to (i) perform any of its obligations hereunder or under any other Loan Document, (ii) to fund or maintain its participation in any Loan or Letter of Credit or (iii) issue, make, maintain, fund or charge interest or fees with respect to any Credit Extension, such Person shall promptly notify the Administrative Agent, then, upon the Administrative Agent notifying Carpenter, and until such notice by such Person is revoked, any obligation of such Person to issue, make, maintain, fund or charge interest or fees with respect to any such Credit Extension shall be suspended, and to the extent required by Applicable Law, cancelled. Upon receipt of such notice, Carpenter shall, (A) repay that Person’s participation in the Loans or other applicable Obligations on the last day of the Interest Period for each Loan or other Obligation occurring after the Administrative Agent has notified Carpenter or, if earlier, the date specified by such Person in the notice delivered to the Administrative Agent (being no earlier than the last day of any applicable grace period permitted by Applicable Law), (B) to the extent applicable to the L/C Issuer, Cash Collateralize that portion of applicable L/C Obligations comprised of the aggregate undrawn amount of Letters of Credit to the extent not otherwise Cash Collateralized and (C) take all reasonable actions requested by such Person to mitigate or avoid such illegality.

 

3.03       Inability to Determine Rates.

 

(a)       If in connection with any request for a Eurocurrency Rate Loan or a conversion to or continuation thereof, (i) the Administrative Agent determines that (A) deposits (whether in Dollars or an Alternative Currency) are not being offered to banks in the applicable offshore interbank eurodollar market for such currency for the applicable amount and Interest Period of such Eurocurrency Rate Loan, (B) (x) adequate and reasonable means do not exist for determining the Eurocurrency Rate for any requested Interest Period with respect to a proposed Eurocurrency Rate Loan (whether denominated in Dollars or an Alternative Currency) or in connection with an existing or proposed Base Rate Loan and (y) the circumstances described in Section 3.03(c)(i) do not apply, or (C) a fundamental change has occurred in the foreign exchange or interbank markets with respect to such Alternative Currency (including, without limitation, changes in national or international financial, political or economic conditions or currency exchange rates or exchange controls) (in each case with respect to this clause (i), “Impacted Loans”), or (ii) the Administrative Agent or the Required Lenders determine that for any reason the Eurocurrency Rate for any requested Interest Period with respect to a proposed Eurocurrency Rate Loan (whether denominated in Dollars or an Alternative Currency) does not adequately and fairly reflect the cost to such Lenders of funding such Eurocurrency Rate Loan, the Administrative Agent will promptly so notify the Borrowers and each Lender. Thereafter, (x) the obligation of the Lenders to make or maintain Eurocurrency Rate Loans in the affected currencies shall be suspended, (to the extent of the affected Eurocurrency Rate Loans or Interest Periods), and (y) in the event of a determination described in the preceding sentence with respect to the Eurocurrency Rate component of the Base Rate, the utilization of the Eurocurrency Rate component in determining the Base Rate shall be suspended, in each case until the Administrative Agent (or, in the case of a determination by the Required Lenders described in clause (ii) of Section 3.03(a), until the Administrative Agent upon instruction of the Required Lenders) revokes such notice. Upon receipt of such notice, (i) any Borrower may revoke any pending request for a Borrowing of, conversion to or continuation of Eurocurrency Rate Loans in the affected currency or currencies (to the extent of the affected Eurocurrency Rate Loans or Interest Periods) or, failing that, will be deemed to have converted such request into a request for a Committed Borrowing of Base Rate Loans denominated in Dollars in the Dollar Equivalent of the amount specified therein and (ii) (A) any outstanding affected Eurocurrency Rate Loans denominated in Dollars will be deemed to have been converted into Base Rate Loans at the end of the applicable Interest Period and (B) any outstanding affected Eurocurrency Rate Loans denominated in an Alternative Currency, at the Borrowers’ election, shall either (1) be converted into a Committed Borrowing of Base Rate Loans denominated in Dollars in the Dollar Equivalent of the amount of such outstanding Eurocurrency Rate Loan at the end of the applicable Interest Period or (2) be prepaid at the end of the applicable Interest Period in full; provided that if no election is made by the Borrowers by the earlier of (x) the date that is three Business Days after receipt by the Borrowers of such notice and (y) the last day of the current Interest Period for the applicable Eurocurrency Rate Loan, the Borrowers shall be deemed to have elected clause (1) above.

 

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(b)       Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Administrative Agent has made the determination described in clause (i) of Section 3.03(a), the Administrative Agent, in consultation with the Borrowers and the affected Lenders, may establish an alternative interest rate for the Impacted Loans, in which case, such alternative rate of interest shall apply with respect to the Impacted Loans until (i) the Administrative Agent revokes the notice delivered with respect to the Impacted Loans under clause (i) of the first sentence of Section 3.03(a), (ii) the Administrative Agent or the Required Lenders notify the Administrative Agent and the Borrowers that such alternative interest rate does not adequately and fairly reflect the cost to such Lenders of funding the Impacted Loans, or (iii) any Lender determines that any Law has made it unlawful, or that any Governmental Authority has asserted that it is unlawful, for such Lender or its applicable Lending Office to make, maintain or fund Loans whose interest is determined by reference to such alternative rate of interest or to determine or charge interest rates based upon such rate or any Governmental Authority has imposed material restrictions on the authority of such Lender to do any of the foregoing and provides the Administrative Agent and the Borrowers written notice thereof.

 

(c)       Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement or any other Loan Documents, if the Administrative Agent determines (which determination shall be conclusive absent manifest error), or the Borrowers or Required Lenders notify the Administrative Agent (with, in the case of the Required Lenders, a copy to the Borrowers) that the Borrowers or Required Lenders (as applicable) have determined, that:

 

(i)       adequate and reasonable means do not exist for ascertaining the Applicable Reference Rate for an Applicable Currency for any requested Interest Period hereunder or any other tenors of such Applicable Reference Rate, including, without limitation, because the Screen Rate for such Applicable Currency is not available or published on a current basis and such circumstances are unlikely to be temporary; or

 

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(ii)       the administrator of the Screen Rate for an Applicable Currency or a Governmental Authority having jurisdiction over the Administrative Agent or such administrator has made a public statement identifying a specific date after which the Applicable Reference Rate for an Applicable Currency or the Screen Rate for an Applicable Currency shall no longer be made available, or used for determining the interest rate of loans denominated in such Applicable Currency, provided that, in each case, at the time of such statement, there is no successor administrator that is satisfactory to the Administrative Agent that will continue to provide the Applicable Reference Rate for such Applicable Currency after such specific date (such specific date, the “Scheduled Unavailability Date”); or

 

(iii)       the administrator of the Screen Rate for any Applicable Currency or a Governmental Authority having jurisdiction over the Administrative Agent or such administrator has made a public statement announcing that all Interest Periods and other tenors of the Applicable Reference Rate for any Applicable Currency are no longer representative, or

 

(iv)       syndicated loans currently being executed, or that include language similar to that contained in this Section 3.03, are being executed or amended (as applicable) to incorporate or adopt a new benchmark interest rate to replace the Applicable Reference Rate for an Applicable Currency;

 

then,

 

(I)       with respect to Dollars, in the case of clauses (c)(i) through (iii) above, on a date and time determined by the Administrative Agent (any such date, the “Replacement Date”), which date shall be at the end of an Interest Period or on the relevant interest payment date, as applicable, for interest calculated and shall occur within a reasonable period of time after the occurrence of any of the events or circumstances under clauses (c)(i), (ii) or (iii) above and, solely with respect to clause (ii) above, no later than the Scheduled Unavailability Date, the Applicable Reference Rate with respect to Dollars will be replaced hereunder and under any Loan Document with, subject to the proviso below, the first available alternative set forth in the order below for any payment period for interest calculated that can be determined by the Administrative Agent, in each case, without any amendment to, or further action or consent of any other party to, this Agreement or any other Loan Document (the “LIBOR Successor Rate”; and any such rate before giving effect to the Related Adjustment, the “Pre-Adjustment Successor Rate”):

 

(1) Term SOFR plus the Related Adjustment; and

 

(2) SOFR plus the Related Adjustment;

 

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(II)       with respect to Dollars, in the case of clause (c)(iv) above, the Borrowers and Administrative Agent may amend this Agreement solely for the purpose of replacing the Applicable Reference Rate for Dollars under this Agreement and under any other Loan Document in accordance with the definition of “LIBOR Successor Rate” and such amendment will become effective at 5:00 p.m., on the fifth Business Day  after the Administrative Agent shall have notified all Lenders and the Borrowers of the occurrence of the circumstances described in clause (c)(iv) above unless, prior to such time, Lenders comprising the Required Lenders have delivered to the Administrative Agent written notice that such Required Lenders object to the implementation of a LIBOR Successor Rate pursuant to such clause;

 

provided that, in the case of either clause (I) or clause (II) above, if the Administrative Agent determines that Term SOFR has become available, is administratively feasible for the Administrative Agent and would have been identified as the Pre-Adjustment Successor Rate in accordance with the foregoing if it had been so available at the time that the LIBOR Successor Rate then in effect was so identified, and the Administrative Agent notifies the Borrowers and each Lender of such availability, then from and after the beginning of the Interest Period, relevant interest payment date or payment period for interest calculated, in each case, commencing no less than thirty (30) days after the date of such notice, the Pre-Adjustment Successor Rate shall be Term SOFR and the LIBOR Successor Rate shall be Term SOFR plus the relevant Related Adjustment; and

 

(III)       with respect to any Applicable Currency other than Dollars, in the case of clauses (c)(i) through (iv) above, the Administrative Agent and the Borrowers may amend this Agreement solely for the purpose of replacing the Applicable Reference Rate for the Applicable Currency in accordance with this Section 3.03 with another alternate benchmark rate giving due consideration to any evolving or then existing convention for similar syndicated credit facilities syndicated in the U.S. and denominated in the Applicable Currency for such alternate benchmark rate and, in each case, including any mathematical or other adjustments to such benchmark giving due consideration to any evolving or then existing convention for similar syndicated credit facilities syndicated in the U.S. and denominated in the Applicable Currency for such benchmarks, each of which adjustments or methods for calculating such adjustments shall be published on one or more information services as selected by the Administrative Agent from time to time in its reasonable discretion and may be periodically updated (each, an “Adjustment;” and any such proposed rate, an “Applicable Successor Rate” and together with the LIBOR Successor Rate, a “Successor Rate”), and any such amendment shall become effective at 5:00 p.m. on the fifth Business Day after the Administrative Agent shall have posted such proposed amendment to all Lenders and the Borrowers unless, prior to such time, Lenders comprising the Required Lenders have delivered to the Administrative Agent written notice that such Required Lenders object to such amendment.

 

The Administrative Agent will promptly (in one or more notices) notify the Borrowers and each Lender of (x) any occurrence of any of the events, periods or circumstances under clauses (c)(i) through (iii) above, (y) a Replacement Date and (z) the Successor Rate.

 

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Any Successor Rate for an Applicable Currency shall be applied in a manner consistent with market practice; provided that to the extent such market practice is not administratively feasible for the Administrative Agent, such Successor Rate for such Applicable Currency shall be applied in a manner as otherwise reasonably determined by the Administrative Agent.

 

Notwithstanding anything else herein, if at any time any Successor Rate as so determined would otherwise be less than zero percent, the Successor Rate will be deemed to be zero percent for the purposes of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents.

 

In connection with the implementation of a Successor Rate for any currency, the Administrative Agent will have the right to make Successor Rate Conforming Changes with respect to such currency from time to time and, notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein or in any other Loan Document, any amendments implementing such Successor Rate Conforming Changes will become effective without any further action or consent of any other party to this Agreement; provided that, with respect to any such amendment effected, the Administrative Agent shall post each such amendment implementing such Successor Rate Conforming Changes for the Applicable Currency to the Lenders reasonably promptly after such amendment becomes effective.

 

If the events or circumstances of the type described in Sections 3.03(c)(i) through (iii) have occurred with respect to the Successor Rate then in effect, then the successor rate thereto shall be determined in accordance with the definition of “Successor Rate.”

 

(d)       Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, (i) after any such determination by the Administrative Agent or receipt by the Administrative Agent of any such notice described under Sections 3.03(c)(i) through (iii), with respect to Dollars, if the Administrative Agent determines that none of the LIBOR Successor Rates are available on or prior to the Replacement Date, (ii) if the events or circumstances described in Section 3.03(c)(iv) have occurred with respect to an Applicable Reference Rate for any Applicable Currency but a Successor Rate is not available (or in the case of the LIBOR Successor Rate, none of the LIBOR Successor Rates are available), or (iii) if the events or circumstances of the type described in Section 3.03(c)(i) through (iii) have occurred with respect to the Successor Rate then in effect for any Applicable Currency, and, solely with respect to the LIBOR Successor Rate, the Administrative Agent determines that none of the LIBOR Successor Rates are available, then in each case, the Administrative Agent and the Borrowers may amend this Agreement solely for the purpose of replacing the Applicable Reference Rate for such Applicable Currency or any then current Successor Rate for such Applicable Currency in accordance with this Section 3.03 at the end of any Interest Period, relevant interest payment date or payment period for interest calculated, as applicable, with another alternate benchmark rate giving due consideration to any evolving or then existing convention for similar Dollar or Applicable Currency denominated syndicated credit facilities for such alternate benchmarks and, in each case, including any Related Adjustments and any other mathematical or other adjustments to such benchmark giving due consideration to any evolving or then existing convention for similar Dollar or Applicable Currency denominated syndicated credit facilities for such benchmarks, which adjustment or method for calculating such adjustment shall be published on an information service as selected by the Administrative Agent from time to time in its reasonable discretion and may be periodically updated. For the avoidance of doubt, any such proposed rate and adjustments shall constitute a Successor Rate. Any such amendment shall become effective at 5:00 p.m. on the fifth Business Day after the Administrative Agent shall have posted such proposed amendment to all Lenders and the Borrowers unless, prior to such time, Lenders comprising the Required Lenders have delivered to the Administrative Agent written notice that such Required Lenders object to such amendment.

 

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(e)       If, at the end of any Interest Period, relevant interest payment date or payment period for interest calculated, no Successor Rate for an Applicable Currency has been determined in accordance with clauses (c) or (d) of this Section 3.03 and the circumstances under clauses (c)(i) or (c)(iii) above exist or the Scheduled Unavailability Date has occurred (as applicable), the Administrative Agent will promptly so notify the Borrowers and each Lender. Thereafter, (x) the obligation of the Lenders to make or maintain Eurocurrency Rate Loans denominated in each such Applicable Currency shall be suspended (to the extent of the affected Eurocurrency Rate Loans, Interest Periods, interest payment dates or payment periods), and (y) the Eurocurrency Rate component shall no longer be utilized in determining the Base Rate, until the LIBOR Successor Rate has been determined in accordance with clauses (c) or (d) of this Section 3.03. Upon receipt of such notice, (i) the Borrowers may revoke any pending request for a Borrowing of, conversion to or continuation of Eurocurrency Rate Loans in each such affected Applicable Currency (to the extent of the affected Eurocurrency Rate Loans, Interest Periods, interest payment dates or payment periods) or, failing that, will be deemed to have converted each such request into a request for a Committed Borrowing of Base Rate Loans (subject to the foregoing clause (y)) denominated in Dollars in the Dollar Equivalent of the amount specified therein and (ii) (A) any outstanding affected Eurocurrency Rate Loans denominated in Dollars will be deemed to have been converted into Base Rate Loans (subject to the foregoing clause (y)) at the end of the applicable Interest Period and (B) any outstanding affected Eurocurrency Rate Loans denominated in an Alternative Currency, at the Borrowers’ election, shall either (1) be converted into a Committed Borrowing of Base Rate Loans (subject to the foregoing clause (y)) denominated in Dollars in the Dollar Equivalent of the amount of such outstanding Eurocurrency Rate Loan at the end of the applicable Interest Period or (2) be prepaid at the end of the applicable Interest Period in full; provided that if no election is made by the Borrowers by the earlier of (x) the date that is three Business Days after receipt by the Borrowers of such notice and (y) the last day of the current Interest Period for the applicable Eurocurrency Rate Loan, the Borrowers shall be deemed to have elected clause (1) above.

 

3.04    Increased Costs; Reserves on Eurocurrency Rate Loans.

 

(a)         Increased Costs Generally. If any Change in Law shall:

 

(i)         impose, modify or deem applicable any reserve, special deposit, compulsory loan, insurance charge or similar requirement against assets of, deposits with or for the account of, or credit extended or participated in by, any Lender (except any reserve requirement contemplated by Section 3.04(e), other than as set forth below) or the L/C Issuer;

 

(ii)       subject any Recipient to any Taxes (other than (A) Indemnified Taxes, (B) Taxes described in clauses (b) through (d) of the definition of “Excluded Taxes” and (C) Connection Income Taxes) on its loans, loan principal, letters of credit, commitments, or other obligations, or its deposits, reserves, other liabilities or capital attributable thereto; or

 

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(iii)       impose on any Lender or the L/C Issuer or the London interbank market any other condition, cost or expense (other than Taxes) affecting this Agreement or Eurocurrency Rate Loans made by such Lender or any Letter of Credit or participation therein;

 

and the result of any of the foregoing shall be to increase the cost to such Lender of making, converting to, continuing or maintaining any Loan the interest on which is determined by reference to the Eurocurrency Rate (or of maintaining its obligation to make any such Loan), or to increase the cost to such Lender or the L/C Issuer of participating in, issuing or maintaining any Letter of Credit (or of maintaining its obligation to participate in or to issue any Letter of Credit), or to reduce the amount of any sum received or receivable by such Lender or the L/C Issuer hereunder (whether of principal, interest or any other amount) then, upon request of such Lender or the L/C Issuer, Carpenter will pay (or cause the applicable Subsidiary Borrower to pay) to such Lender or the L/C Issuer, as the case may be, such additional amount or amounts as will compensate such Lender or the L/C Issuer, as the case may be, for such additional costs incurred or reduction suffered.

 

(b)       Capital Requirements. If any Lender or the L/C Issuer determines that any Change in Law affecting such Lender or the L/C Issuer or any Lending Office of such Lender or such Lender’s or the L/C Issuer’s holding company, if any, regarding capital or liquidity requirements has or would have the effect of reducing the rate of return on such Lender’s or the L/C Issuer’s capital or on the capital of such Lender’s or the L/C Issuer’s holding company, if any, as a consequence of this Agreement, the Commitments of such Lender or the Loans made by, or participations in Letters of Credit or Swing Line Loans held by, such Lender, or the Letters of Credit issued by the L/C Issuer, to a level below that which such Lender or the L/C Issuer or such Lender’s or the L/C Issuer’s holding company could have achieved but for such Change in Law (taking into consideration such Lender’s or the L/C Issuer’s policies and the policies of such Lender’s or the L/C Issuer’s holding company with respect to capital adequacy and liquidity), then from time to time Carpenter will pay (or cause the applicable Subsidiary Borrower to pay) to such Lender or the L/C Issuer, as the case may be, such additional amount or amounts as will compensate such Lender or the L/C Issuer or such Lender’s or the L/C Issuer’s holding company for any such reduction suffered.

 

(c)       Certificates for Reimbursement. A certificate of a Lender or the L/C Issuer setting forth the amount or amounts necessary to compensate such Lender or the L/C Issuer or its holding company, as the case may be, as specified in subsection (a) or (b) of this Section and delivered to Carpenter shall be conclusive absent manifest error. Carpenter shall pay (or cause the applicable Subsidiary Borrower to pay) such Lender or the L/C Issuer, as the case may be, the amount shown as due on any such certificate within ten (10) days after receipt thereof.

 

(d)       Delay in Requests. Failure or delay on the part of any Lender or the L/C Issuer to demand compensation pursuant to the foregoing provisions of this Section shall not constitute a waiver of such Lender’s or the L/C Issuer’s right to demand such compensation; provided that no Borrower shall be required to compensate a Lender or the L/C Issuer pursuant to the foregoing provisions of this Section 3.04 for any increased costs incurred or reductions suffered more than six months prior to the date that such Lender or the L/C Issuer, as the case may be, notifies Carpenter of the Change in Law giving rise to such increased costs or reductions and of such Lender’s or the L/C Issuer’s intention to claim compensation therefor (except that, if the Change in Law giving rise to such increased costs or reductions is retroactive, then the six-month period referred to above shall be extended to include the period of retroactive effect thereof).

 

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(e)         Additional Reserve Requirements. Carpenter shall pay (or cause the applicable Subsidiary Borrower to pay) to each Lender, (i) as long as such Lender shall be required to maintain reserves with respect to liabilities or assets consisting of or including eurocurrency funds or deposits (currently known as “Eurocurrency liabilities”), additional interest on the unpaid principal amount of each Eurocurrency Rate Loan equal to the actual costs of such reserves allocated to such Loan by such Lender (as determined by such Lender in good faith, which determination shall be conclusive), and (ii) as long as such Lender shall be required to comply with any reserve ratio requirement or analogous requirement of any other central banking or financial regulatory authority imposed in respect of the maintenance of the Commitments or the funding of the Eurocurrency Rate Loans, such additional costs (expressed as a percentage per annum and rounded upwards, if necessary, to the nearest five decimal places) equal to the actual costs allocated to such Commitment or Loan by such Lender (as determined by such Lender in good faith, which determination shall be conclusive), which in each case shall be due and payable on each date on which interest is payable on such Loan, provided Carpenter shall have received at least ten (10) days’ prior notice (with a copy to the Administrative Agent) of such additional interest or costs from such Lender. If a Lender fails to give notice ten (10) days prior to the relevant Interest Payment Date, such additional interest or costs shall be due and payable ten (10) days from receipt of such notice.

 

3.05     Compensation for Losses. Upon demand of any Lender (with a copy to the Administrative Agent) from time to time, Carpenter shall promptly compensate (or cause the applicable Subsidiary Borrower to compensate) such Lender for and hold such Lender harmless from any loss, cost or expense incurred by it as a result of:

 

(a)         any continuation, conversion, payment or prepayment of any Loan other than a Base Rate Loan on a day other than the last day of the Interest Period for such Loan (whether voluntary, mandatory, automatic, by reason of acceleration, or otherwise);

 

(b)         any failure by any Borrower (for a reason other than the failure of such Lender to make a Loan) to prepay, borrow, continue or convert any Loan other than a Base Rate Loan on the date or in the amount notified by Carpenter or the applicable Subsidiary Borrower;

 

(c)         any failure by any Borrower to make payment of any Loan or drawing under any Letter of Credit (or interest due thereon) denominated in an Alternative Currency on its scheduled due date or any payment thereof in a different currency; or

 

(d)         any assignment of a Eurocurrency Rate Loan on a day other than the last day of the Interest Period therefor as a result of a request by Carpenter pursuant to Section 11.13;

 

including any loss of anticipated profits, any foreign exchange losses and any loss or expense arising from the liquidation or reemployment of funds obtained by it to maintain such Loan, from fees payable to terminate the deposits from which such funds were obtained or from the performance of any foreign exchange contract. Carpenter shall also pay (or cause the applicable Subsidiary Borrower to pay) any customary administrative fees charged by such Lender in connection with the foregoing.

 

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For purposes of calculating amounts payable by Carpenter (or the applicable Subsidiary Borrower) to the Lenders under this Section 3.05, each Lender shall be deemed to have funded each Eurocurrency Rate Loan made by it at the Eurocurrency Rate for such Loan by a matching deposit or other borrowing in the offshore interbank market for such currency for a comparable amount and for a comparable period, whether or not such Eurocurrency Rate Loan was in fact so funded.

 

3.06   Mitigation Obligations; Replacement of Lenders.

 

(a)       Designation of a Different Lending Office. If any Lender requests compensation under Section 3.04, or requires any Borrower to pay any Indemnified Taxes or additional amounts to any Lender, the L/C Issuer, or any Governmental Authority for the account of any Lender or the L/C Issuer pursuant to Section 3.01, or if any Lender gives a notice pursuant to Section 3.02, then at the request of Carpenter, such Lender or the L/C Issuer shall, as applicable, use reasonable efforts to designate a different Lending Office for funding or booking its Loans hereunder or to assign its rights and obligations hereunder to another of its offices, branches or affiliates, if, in the judgment of such Lender or the L/C Issuer, such designation or assignment (i) would eliminate or reduce amounts payable pursuant to Section 3.01 or 3.04, as the case may be, in the future, or eliminate the need for the notice pursuant to Section 3.02, as applicable, and (ii) in each case, would not subject such Lender or the L/C Issuer, as the case may be, to any unreimbursed cost or expense and would not otherwise be disadvantageous to such Lender or the L/C Issuer, as the case may be. Carpenter hereby agrees to pay (or to cause the applicable Subsidiary Borrower to pay) all reasonable costs and expenses incurred by any Lender or the L/C Issuer in connection with any such designation or assignment.

 

(b)       Replacement of Lenders. If any Lender requests compensation under Section 3.04, or if any Borrower is required to pay any Indemnified Taxes or additional amounts to any Lender or any Governmental Authority for the account of any Lender pursuant to Section 3.01 and, in each case, such Lender has declined or is unable to designate a different lending office in accordance with Section 3.06(a), such Borrower may replace such Lender in accordance with Section 11.13.

 

3.07   Survival. All of the Borrowers’ obligations under this Article III shall survive termination of the Aggregate Commitments, repayment of all other Obligations hereunder, resignation of the Administrative Agent and the Facility Termination Date.

 

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ARTICLE IV
CONDITIONS PRECEDENT TO CREDIT EXTENSIONS

 

4.01    Conditions of Initial Credit Extension. The obligation of the L/C Issuer and each Lender to make its initial Credit Extension hereunder is subject to satisfaction of the following conditions precedent:

 

(a)         The Administrative Agent’s receipt of the following, each of which shall be originals or telecopies (followed promptly by originals) unless otherwise specified, each properly executed by a Responsible Officer of the signing Loan Party, each dated the Closing Date (or, in the case of certificates of governmental officials, a recent date on or before the Closing Date) and each in form and substance satisfactory to the Administrative Agent and each of the Lenders:

 

(i)       executed counterparts of this Agreement, the Security Agreement and each other Collateral Document;

 

(ii)       Notes executed by the Borrowers in favor of each Lender requesting a Note;

 

(iii)       such certificates of resolutions or other action, incumbency certificates and/or other certificates of Responsible Officers of each Loan Party as the Administrative Agent may require evidencing the identity, authority and capacity of each Responsible Officer thereof authorized to act as a Responsible Officer in connection with this Agreement and the other Loan Documents to which such Loan Party, is a party;

 

(iv)       such documents and certifications as the Administrative Agent may reasonably require to evidence that each Loan Party is (A) duly organized or formed and (B) validly existing, in good standing and qualified to engage in business in each jurisdiction where its ownership, lease or operation of properties or the conduct of its business requires such qualification, except to the extent that failure to do so could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect;

 

(v)       a favorable opinion of counsel to the Loan Parties, addressed to the Administrative Agent and each Lender (which opinion shall expressly permit reliance by successors and permitted assigns of the addressees thereof);

 

(vi)       a certificate of a Responsible Officer of each of Loan Party either (A) attaching copies of all consents, licenses and approvals required in connection with the execution, delivery and performance by such Loan Party and the validity against such Loan Party of the Loan Documents to which it is a party, and such consents, licenses and approvals shall be in full force and effect, or (B) stating that no such consents, licenses or approvals are so required;

 

(vii)       a certificate signed by a Responsible Officer of Carpenter certifying (A) that the conditions specified in Sections 4.02(a) and (b) have been satisfied, (B) that there has been no event or circumstance since June 30, 2020 that has had or could be reasonably expected to have, either individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect; and (C) the current Debt Ratings;

 

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(viii)       a duly completed Compliance Certificate as of the last day of the fiscal quarter of Carpenter ended December 31, 2020, signed by a Responsible Officer of Carpenter, together with the consolidated balance sheet of Carpenter and its Consolidated Subsidiaries as of the fiscal quarter ended December 31, 2020, together with related consolidated statements of operations and retained earnings and cash flows for such fiscal quarter and the then elapsed portion of such fiscal year;

 

(ix)        searches of UCC filings in the jurisdiction of incorporation or formation, as applicable, of each Loan Party and each jurisdiction where any Collateral is located or where a filing would need to be made in order to perfect the Administrative Agent’s security interest in the Collateral, copies of the financing statements on file in such jurisdictions and evidence that no Liens exist other than Permitted Liens;

 

(x)        completed UCC financing statements for each appropriate jurisdiction as is necessary, in the Administrative Agent’s sole discretion, to perfect the Administrative Agent’s security interest in the Collateral;

 

(xi)        evidence that all insurance required to be maintained pursuant to the Loan Documents has been obtained and is in effect;

 

(xii)       such other assurances, certificates, documents, consents or opinions as the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer, the Swing Line Lender or the Required Lenders reasonably may require.

 

(b)       Any fees required to be paid on or before the Closing Date shall have been paid (including, without limitation, all fees to be paid pursuant to Section 2.10(b)) to the Administrative Agent, the Arrangers and the Lenders and any other accrued and unpaid fees or commissions due hereunder.

 

(c)       Unless waived by the Administrative Agent, Carpenter shall have paid all reasonable fees, charges and disbursements of counsel to the Administrative Agent (directly to such counsel if requested by the Administrative Agent) to the extent actually incurred and invoiced prior to or on the Closing Date, plus such additional amounts of such fees, charges and disbursements as shall constitute its reasonable estimate of such fees, charges and disbursements incurred or to be incurred by it through the closing proceedings (provided that such estimate shall not thereafter preclude a final settling of accounts between Carpenter and the Administrative Agent).

 

(d)       (i) Upon the reasonable request of any Lender made at least seven (7) days prior to the Closing Date, the Borrowers shall have provided to such Lender, and such Lender shall be reasonably satisfied with, the documentation and other information so requested in connection with applicable “know your customer” and anti-money-laundering rules and regulations, including, without limitation, the Patriot Act, in each case at least three (3) days prior to the Closing Date and (ii) at least three (3) days prior to the Closing Date, any Loan Party that qualifies as a “legal entity customer” under the Beneficial Ownership Regulation shall have delivered, to each Lender that so requests, a Beneficial Ownership Certification in relation to such Loan Party.

 

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Without limiting the generality of the provisions of the last paragraph of Section 9.03, for purposes of determining compliance with the conditions specified in this Section 4.01, each Lender that has signed this Agreement shall be deemed to have consented to, approved or accepted or to be satisfied with, each document or other matter required thereunder to be consented to or approved by or acceptable or satisfactory to a Lender unless the Administrative Agent shall have received notice from such Lender prior to the proposed Closing Date specifying its objection thereto.

 

4.02    Conditions to all Credit Extensions. The obligation of each Lender to honor any Request for Credit Extension (other than a Committed Loan Notice requesting only a conversion of Committed Loans to the other Type, or a continuation of Eurocurrency Rate Loans) is subject to the following conditions precedent:

 

(a)         The representations and warranties of (i) the Borrowers and each other Loan Party contained in Article V and (ii) each Borrower and each other Loan Party contained in each other Loan Document or in any document furnished at any time under or in connection herewith or therewith, shall be true and correct in all material respects (unless such representation and warranty is subject to a materiality or Material Adverse Effect qualifier in which case it will be true and correct in all respects) on and as of the date of such Credit Extension, except to the extent that such representations and warranties specifically refer to an earlier date, in which case they shall be true and correct as of such earlier date, and except that for purposes of this Section 4.02, the representations and warranties contained in subsections (a) and (b) of Section 5.05 shall be deemed to refer to the most recent statements furnished pursuant to clauses (a) and (b), respectively, of Section 6.01.

 

(b)         No Default shall exist, or would result from such proposed Credit Extension or the application of the proceeds thereof.

 

(c)         The Administrative Agent and, if applicable, the L/C Issuer or the Swing Line Lender shall have received a Request for Credit Extension in accordance with the requirements hereof.

 

(d)         If the applicable Borrower is a Subsidiary Borrower, then the conditions of Section 2.15 to the designation of such Borrower as a Subsidiary Borrower shall have been met to the satisfaction of the Administrative Agent.

 

(e)          In the case of a Credit Extension to be denominated in an Alternative Currency, such currency remains an Eligible Currency.

 

Each Request for Credit Extension (other than a Committed Loan Notice requesting only a conversion of Committed Loans to the other Type or a continuation of Eurocurrency Rate Loans) submitted by Carpenter shall be deemed to be a representation and warranty that the conditions specified in Sections 4.02(a) and (b) have been satisfied on and as of the date of the applicable Credit Extension.

 

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ARTICLE V
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES

 

Each Loan Party represents and warrants to the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer and the Lenders as of the date made, or deemed made, that:

 

5.01       Existence, Qualification and Power; Compliance with Laws. Each Loan Party and their respective Subsidiaries (a) are corporations or other entities duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the Laws of the jurisdiction of their respective incorporation or organization, (b) have all requisite power and authority and all governmental licenses, authorizations, consents and approvals (i) to own or lease their respective assets and carry on their respective business and (ii) to execute, deliver, and perform their respective obligations under the Loan Documents to which they are a party, (c) are duly qualified and licensed and are in good standing under the Laws of each jurisdiction where their ownership, lease or operation of properties or the conduct of their respective businesses require such qualification or license and (d) are in compliance with all Laws, except in each case referred to in clause (b)(i), (c) and this clause (d), to the extent that failure to do so could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

5.02       Authorization; No Contravention. The execution, delivery and performance by each Loan Party of each Loan Document to which it is party, has been duly authorized by all necessary corporate or similar action, and do not and will not (a) contravene the terms of its Organization Documents, (b) conflict with or result in any breach or contravention of, or the creation of any Lien under, or require any payment to be made under (i) any material Contractual Obligation to which such Person is a party or affecting such Person or any material properties of such Person or any of its Subsidiaries or (ii) any order, injunction, writ or decree of any Governmental Authority or any arbitral award to which such Person or its property is subject or (c) violate any Law.

 

5.03       Governmental and Other Authorizations. No approval, consent, exemption, authorization, or other action by, or notice to, or filing with, any Governmental Authority or any other Person is necessary or required in connection with (a) the execution, delivery or performance by, or enforcement against, any Loan Party of this Agreement or any other Loan Document, (b) the grant by any Loan Party of the Liens granted by it pursuant to the Collateral Documents, (c) the perfection or maintenance of the Liens created under the Collateral Documents (including the first priority nature thereof) or (d) the exercise by the Administrative Agent or any Lender of its rights under the Loan Documents or the remedies in respect of the Collateral pursuant to the Collateral Documents, other than (i) authorizations, approvals, actions, notices and filings which have been duly obtained and (ii) filings to perfect the Liens created by the Collateral Documents.

 

5.04       Binding Effect. This Agreement has been, and each other Loan Document, when delivered hereunder, will have been, duly executed and delivered by each Loan Party that is party thereto. This Agreement constitutes, and each other Loan Document to which any Loan Party is a party when executed and delivered will constitute, a legal, valid and binding obligation of such Loan Party enforceable against such Loan Party in accordance with its terms, except as enforceability may be limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or similar Laws affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights generally and by equitable principles of general applicability (regardless of whether enforcement is sought by proceedings in equity or at law).

 

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5.05      Financial Condition.

 

(a)           Annual Financial Statements. The consolidated balance sheet of Carpenter and its Consolidated Subsidiaries as of June 30, 2020 and the related consolidated statements of income and cash flows for the fiscal year then ended, reported on by PricewaterhouseCoopers and set forth in Carpenter’s 2020 Form 10-K, fairly present in all material respects, in conformity with GAAP, the consolidated financial position of Carpenter and its Consolidated Subsidiaries as of such date and their consolidated results of operations and cash flows for such fiscal year.

 

(b)           Interim Financial Statements. The unaudited consolidated balance sheet of Carpenter and its Consolidated Subsidiaries as of December 31, 2020 and the related unaudited consolidated statements of income and cash flows for the six months then ended, set forth in Carpenter’s Latest Form 10-Q, fairly present in all material respects, in conformity with GAAP applied on a basis consistent with the financial statements referred to in Section 5.05(a), the consolidated financial position of Carpenter and its Consolidated Subsidiaries as of such date and their consolidated results of operations and cash flows for such six-month period (subject to normal year-end audit adjustments and the absence of footnotes required under GAAP).

 

(c)          Material Adverse Effect. Since June 30, 2020, there has been no Material Adverse Effect, and no event or development has occurred which could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

5.06      Litigation. There are no actions, suits, investigations or legal, equitable, arbitration or administrative proceedings pending or, to the knowledge of any Loan Party, threatened against or affecting Carpenter or any of its Subsidiaries or against any of their properties or revenues that (a) purport to affect or pertain to any Loan Document or (b) if determined adversely, could reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

5.07     No Default. Neither any Loan Party nor any Subsidiary thereof is in default in any respect under any Contractual Obligation which default could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. No Default or Event of Default has occurred or exists or would result from the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the other Loan Documents.

 

5.08     Ownership of Property; Liens. Carpenter and each Subsidiary has good record and marketable title in fee simple to, or valid leasehold interests in, all real property necessary in the ordinary conduct of its business, except for such defects in title as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect. As of the Closing Date, the property of Carpenter and its Subsidiaries is subject to no Liens, other than Liens permitted by Section 7.01.

 

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5.09     Environmental Compliance. Carpenter and its Subsidiaries conduct in the ordinary course of business a review of the effect of existing Environmental Laws and claims alleging potential liability or responsibility for violation of any Environmental Law on their respective businesses, operations and properties, and as a result thereof each Borrower has reasonably concluded that such Environmental Laws and claims would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

5.10     Insurance. The properties of Carpenter and its Subsidiaries are insured with financially sound and reputable insurance companies not Affiliates of Carpenter, in such amounts, with such deductibles and covering such risks as are customarily carried by companies engaged in similar businesses and owning similar properties in localities where Carpenter or its Subsidiaries operate.

 

5.11     Taxes. Carpenter and its Subsidiaries have filed all Federal, state, material local, material foreign and other material tax returns and reports required to be filed, and have paid all Federal, state, material local, material foreign and other material taxes, assessments, fees and other governmental charges levied or imposed upon them or their properties, income or assets otherwise due and payable, except those which are being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings and for which adequate reserves have been provided in accordance with GAAP. There is no proposed tax assessment against Carpenter or any Subsidiary that would, if made, have a Material Adverse Effect. Neither any Loan Party nor any Subsidiary thereof is party to any tax sharing agreement other than such an agreement by and between Carpenter and/or its Subsidiaries. The filing and recording of any and all documents to perfect the security interests granted to the Administrative Agent for the benefit of the Secured Parties will not result in any documentary , stamp or other taxes that have not or will not be timely paid.

 

5.12      ERISA and Foreign Benefit Plan Compliance.

 

(a)           Except as would not have a Material Adverse Effect, each Pension Plan (but only to the knowledge of Carpenter or any ERISA Affiliate with respect to any Multiemployer Plan) is in compliance in all material respects with the applicable provisions of ERISA, the Code and other Federal or state Laws. Each Plan that is intended to qualify under Section 401(a) of the Code has received a favorable determination letter from the IRS to the effect that the form of such Plan is qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code and the trust related thereto has been determined by the IRS to be exempt from federal income tax under Section 501(a) of the Code or an application for such a letter is currently being processed by the IRS with respect thereto and, to the knowledge of Carpenter, nothing has occurred which would prevent, or cause the loss of, such qualification and which would result in a Material Adverse Effect. Except as would not have a Material Adverse Effect, (i) each Borrower and each ERISA Affiliate have made all required contributions to each Plan subject to Section 412 of the Code, and (ii) no application for a funding waiver or an extension of any amortization period pursuant to Section 412 of the Code has been made with respect to any Plan.

 

(b)          There are no pending or, to the knowledge of Carpenter, threatened claims, actions or lawsuits (other than routine claims for benefits), or action by any Governmental Authority, with respect to any Pension Plan that could be reasonably expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. There has been no prohibited transaction or violation of the fiduciary responsibility rules with respect to any Pension Plan that has resulted or could be reasonably expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

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(c)         Except as would not result in a Material Adverse Effect, (i) no ERISA Event has occurred, and no Borrower nor any ERISA Affiliate is aware of any fact, event or circumstance that could reasonably be expected to constitute or result in an ERISA Event with respect to any Pension Plan; (ii) no Borrower nor any ERISA Affiliate has incurred, or reasonably expects to incur, any liability to the PBGC other than for the payment of premiums, and there are no premium payments which have become due that are unpaid; (iii) each Borrower and each ERISA Affiliate have met all applicable requirements under the Pension Funding Rules in respect of each Pension Plan, and no waiver of the minimum funding standards under the Pension Funding Rules has been applied for or obtained; (iv) as of the most recent valuation date for any Pension Plan, the funding target attainment percentage (as defined in Section 430(d)(2) of the Code) is 60% or higher and no Borrower nor any ERISA Affiliate knows of any facts or circumstances that could reasonably be expected to cause the funding target attainment percentage for any such plan to drop below 60% as of the most recent valuation date; (v) no Borrower nor any ERISA Affiliate has engaged in a transaction that could be subject to Section 4069 or Section 4212(c) of ERISA; and (vi) no Pension Plan has been terminated by the plan administrator thereof nor by the PBGC, and no event or circumstance has occurred or exists that could reasonably be expected to cause the PBGC to institute proceedings under Title IV of ERISA to terminate any Pension Plan.

 

(d)        With respect to any Foreign Benefit Plan, (i) each Foreign Benefit Plan is in compliance with Applicable Law except as would not result in a Material Adverse Effect or to the extent set forth in subparagraph (ii), (ii) the aggregate of the accumulated benefit obligations under all Foreign Benefit Plans does not exceed the current fair market value of the assets held in the trust or similar funding vehicles for such Foreign Benefit Plans in an amount in excess of $20,000,000, and (iii) reasonable reserves have been established in accordance with prudent business practice or where required by ordinary accounting practices in the jurisdiction in which each material Foreign Benefit Plan is maintained. There are no actions, suits or claims (other than routine claims for benefits) pending, or to the knowledge of Carpenter, threatened against it or any of the Borrowers or any of their respective Subsidiaries with respect to any Foreign Benefit Plan, except as would not result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

5.13    Subsidiaries; Equity Interests. Schedule 5.13 sets forth as of the Closing Date a complete and accurate list of all Subsidiaries of each Loan Party, the jurisdiction of formation of each such Subsidiary, the number of outstanding shares of each class of Equity Interests, the number and percentage of outstanding shares of each class of Equity Interests of each such Subsidiary owned (directly or indirectly) by any Person, the number and effect, if exercised, of all Equity Equivalents with respect to Equity Interests of each such Subsidiary, the true and correct U.S. taxpayer identification number of Carpenter and each Loan Party that is a Domestic Subsidiary and the true and correct unique identification number of each Subsidiary Borrower that is a Foreign Subsidiary that has been issued by its jurisdiction of organization and the name of such jurisdiction.

 

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5.14       Margin Regulation; Investment Company Act.

 

(a)           None of Carpenter and its Subsidiaries is engaged principally, or as one of its important activities, in the business of extending credit for the purpose of purchasing or carrying “margin stock” within the meaning of Regulation U. No part of the Letters of Credit or proceeds of the Loans will be used, directly, or indirectly, for the purpose of purchasing or carrying any “margin stock” within the meaning of Regulation U. Following the application of the proceeds of each Borrowing or drawing under each Letter of Credit, not more than 25% of the value of the assets (either of the applicable Borrower only or of such Borrower and its Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis) subject to the provisions of Section 7.01 or 7.05 or subject to any restriction contained in any agreement or instrument between any Borrower and any Lender or any Affiliate of any Lender relating to Indebtedness and within the scope of Section 8.01(f) will be margin stock. None of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement (including the direct or indirect use of the proceeds of the Loans) will violate or result in a violation of the Securities Act, the Exchange Act or regulations issued pursuant thereto, or Regulations T, U or X.

 

(b)           None of Carpenter, any Person Controlling Carpenter, or any Subsidiary is or is required to be registered as an “investment company” under the Investment Company Act of 1940.

 

5.15       Disclosure. No report, financial statement, certificate or other information furnished by or on behalf of any Loan Party to the Administrative Agent or any Lender in connection with any Loan Document, taken as a whole, contains any misstatement of material fact or omits to state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not materially misleading; provided that, with respect to projected financial information, the Borrowers represent only that such information was prepared in good faith based upon assumptions believed to be reasonable at the time (it being understood that such projected financial information is subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are beyond the control of the Borrowers, and that no assurances can be given that such projections will be realized).

 

5.16       Intellectual Property. Carpenter and its Subsidiaries own, or possess the right to use, all of the trademarks, service marks, trade names, copyrights, patents, patent rights, franchises, licenses, trade secrets (including unpatented proprietary or confidential information, systems or procedures protected as trade secrets) and other intellectual property rights (collectively, “Intellectual Property”) that are reasonably necessary for the operation of their respective businesses, without conflict with the rights of any other Person, except where the failure to own or possess the right to use any such Intellectual Property would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. To the knowledge of any Borrower, no slogan or other advertising device, product, process, method, substance, part or other material now employed, or now contemplated to be employed, by Carpenter or any Subsidiary infringes upon any rights held by any other Person, except where such infringement would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. No claim or litigation regarding any of the foregoing is pending or, to the knowledge of any Borrower, threatened, and no patent, invention, device, application, principle or any Law is pending or, to the knowledge of any Borrower, proposed, which, in either case, could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

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5.17     Compliance with Laws. Each Borrower and each Subsidiary thereof is in compliance in all material respects with the requirements of all Laws and all orders, writs, injunctions and decrees applicable to it or to its properties, except in such instances in which (a) such requirement of Law or order, writ, injunction or decree is being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings diligently conducted or (b) the failure to comply therewith, either individually or in the aggregate, could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

5.18     Representations as to Foreign Loan Parties. Each Foreign Loan Party represents and warrants to the Administrative Agent and the Lenders that:

 

(a)          Such Foreign Loan Party is subject to civil and commercial Laws with respect to its obligations under this Agreement and the other Loan Documents to which it is a party (collectively as to such Foreign Loan Party, the “Applicable Foreign Loan Party Documents”), and the execution, delivery and performance by such Foreign Loan Party of the Applicable Foreign Loan Party Documents constitute and will constitute private and commercial acts and not public or governmental acts. Neither such Foreign Loan Party nor any of its property has any immunity from jurisdiction of any court or from any legal process (whether through service or notice, attachment prior to judgment, attachment in aid of execution, execution or otherwise) under the Laws of the jurisdiction in which such Foreign Loan Party is organized and existing in respect of its obligations under the Applicable Foreign Loan Party Documents.

 

(b)          The Applicable Foreign Loan Party Documents are in proper legal form under the Laws of the jurisdiction in which such Foreign Loan Party is organized and existing for the enforcement thereof against such Foreign Loan Party under the Laws of such jurisdiction, and to ensure the legality, validity, enforceability, priority or admissibility in evidence of the Applicable Foreign Loan Party Documents. It is not necessary to ensure the legality, validity, enforceability, priority or admissibility in evidence of the Applicable Foreign Loan Party Documents that the Applicable Foreign Loan Party Documents be filed, registered or recorded with, or executed or notarized before, any court or other authority in the jurisdiction in which such Foreign Loan Party is organized and existing or that any registration charge or stamp or similar tax be paid on or in respect of the Applicable Foreign Loan Party Documents or any other document.

 

(c)         There is no material tax, levy, impost, duty, fee, assessment or other governmental charge, or any deduction or withholding, imposed by any Governmental Authority in or of the jurisdiction in which such Foreign Loan Party is organized and existing either (i) on or by virtue of the execution or delivery of the Applicable Foreign Loan Party Documents or (ii) on any payment to be made by such Foreign Loan Party pursuant to the Applicable Foreign Loan Party Documents.

 

(d)         The execution, delivery and performance of the Applicable Foreign Loan Party Documents executed by such Foreign Loan Party are, under applicable foreign exchange control regulations of the jurisdiction in which such Foreign Loan Party is incorporated or organized and existing, not subject to any notification or authorization except such as have been made or obtained.

 

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5.19     Collateral Representations.

 

(a)          Collateral Documents. The provisions of the Collateral Documents are effective to create in favor of the Administrative Agent for the benefit of the Secured Parties a legal, valid and enforceable first priority Lien on all right, title and interest of the respective Loan Parties in the Collateral described therein. Except for filings completed prior to the Closing Date and as contemplated hereby and by the Collateral Documents, no filing or other action will be necessary to perfect or protect such Liens.

 

(b)          Deposit Accounts. Set forth on Schedule 5.19(b), as of the Closing Date and as of the last date such Schedule 5.19(b) was required to be updated in accordance with Sections 6.01(e) or 6.14, is a description of all deposit accounts of the Domestic Loan Parties, including (i) the name of the applicable Domestic Loan Party, (ii) the depository institution and average amount held in such deposit account for the most recent fiscal quarter for which financial statements have been (or are required to have been) delivered, (iii) whether such account is a zero balance account or a payroll account, and (iv) whether such account is an account where proceeds of Inventory or Receivables are or may be deposited or maintained.

 

(c)          Properties. Set forth on Schedule 5.19(c), as of the Closing Date and as of the last date such Schedule 5.19(c) was required to be updated in accordance with Sections 6.01(e) or 6.14, is a list of (A) each headquarter location of the Domestic Loan Parties, (B) each other location where any significant administrative or governmental functions are performed, (C) each other location where the Domestic Loan Parties maintain any books or records (electronic or otherwise) and (D) each location where any personal property Collateral is located at any premises owned or leased by a Domestic Loan Party (in each case, including (1) an indication if such location is leased or owned, (2), if leased, the name of the lessor, and if owned, the name of the Loan Party owning such property, and (3) the address of such property (including, the city, county, state and zip code)).

 

5.20     OFAC. Neither Carpenter, nor any of its Subsidiaries, or, to the knowledge of Carpenter and its Subsidiaries, any director, officer, employee, agent or representative thereof is an individual or entity that is controlled by individuals or entities that are (i) currently the subject of any Sanctions, (ii) included on OFAC’s List of Specially Designated Nationals, HMT’s Consolidated List of Financial Sanctions Targets and the Investment Ban List, or any similar list enforced by any other sanctions authority having jurisdiction over Carpenter’s or any of its Subsidiary’s respective operations or (iii) located, organized or resident in a Designated Jurisdiction.

 

5.21     Anti-Corruption Laws. Carpenter and its Subsidiaries have conducted their business in compliance in all material respects with the United States Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, the UK Bribery Act 2010 and other similar anti-corruption legislation in other jurisdictions, and have instituted and maintained policies and procedures reasonably designed to promote and achieve compliance with such laws.

 

5.22     Affected Financial Institutions. No Loan Party is an Affected Financial Institution.

 

5.23       Covered Entity. No Loan Party is a Covered Entity.

 

5.24       Beneficial Ownership Certification. The information included in the Beneficial Ownership Certification, if applicable, is true and correct in all respects.

  

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ARTICLE VI
AFFIRMATIVE COVENANTS

 

The Loan Parties hereby covenant and agree that on the Closing Date and thereafter until the Facility Termination Date, each Loan Party shall, and shall cause each of its Subsidiaries to:

 

6.01       Information. Furnish, or cause to be furnished, to the Administrative Agent and each Lender, in form and detail satisfactory to the Administrative Agent and the Required Lenders:

 

(a)       Annual Financial Statements. As soon as available and in any event within ninety (90) days (or, if earlier and if applicable to Carpenter, the annual report deadline under the Exchange Act rules and regulations) after the end of each fiscal year of Carpenter, a consolidated balance sheet and income statement of Carpenter and its Consolidated Subsidiaries, as of the end of such fiscal year, and the related consolidated statements of operations and retained earnings and cash flows for such fiscal year, setting forth in comparative form consolidated figures for the preceding fiscal year, all such financial statements to be in reasonable form and detail and audited by independent certified public accountants of recognized national standing reasonably acceptable to the Administrative Agent and accompanied by an opinion of such accountants (which shall not be subject to any qualifications or exceptions as to the scope of the audit nor to any qualifications or exceptions not reasonably acceptable to the Required Lenders) to the effect that such consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with GAAP and present fairly the consolidated financial position and consolidated results of operations and cash flows of Carpenter and its Consolidated Subsidiaries in accordance with GAAP consistently applied (except for changes with which such accountants concur).

 

(b)       Quarterly Financial Statements. As soon as available, and in any event within forty-five (45) days (or, if earlier and if applicable to Carpenter, the quarterly report deadline under the Exchange Act rules and regulations) after the end of each of the first three fiscal quarters in each fiscal year of Carpenter, a consolidated balance sheet of Carpenter and its Consolidated Subsidiaries as of the end of such fiscal quarter, together with related consolidated statements of operations and retained earnings and cash flows for such fiscal quarter and the then elapsed portion of such fiscal year, setting forth in comparative form consolidated figures for the corresponding periods of the preceding fiscal year, all such financial statements to be in form and detail and reasonably acceptable to the Administrative Agent, and accompanied by a certificate of the chief financial officer of Carpenter to the effect that such quarterly financial statements have been prepared in accordance with GAAP and present fairly in all material respects the consolidated financial position and consolidated results of operations and cash flows of Carpenter and its Consolidated Subsidiaries in accordance with GAAP consistently applied, subject to changes resulting from normal year-end audit adjustments and the absence of footnotes required by GAAP.

 

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(c)       Monthly Report. Not later than the fifteenth (15th) Business Day of each month, a certificate signed by the chief executive officer, chief financial officer, treasurer or controller of Carpenter, demonstrating compliance with the financial covenants contained in Sections 7.12(c) and (d) as of the last Business Day of the preceding month, in the form attached hereto as Exhibit E.

 

(d)       Compliance Certificate. At the time of delivery of the financial statements provided for in Sections 6.01(a) and 6.01(b) above, a duly completed compliance certificate signed by the chief executive officer, chief financial officer, treasurer or controller of Carpenter, substantially in the form of Exhibit F (the “Compliance Certificate”) (i) demonstrating compliance with the financial covenants contained in Section 7.12 by calculation thereof as of the end of the fiscal period covered by such financial statements, (ii) stating that no Default or Event of Default exists, or if any Default or Event of Default does exist, specifying the nature and extent thereof and what action Carpenter proposes to take with respect thereto, and (iii) stating whether, since the date of the most recent financial statements delivered hereunder, there has been any material change in GAAP as applied in the preparation of the financial statements of Carpenter and its Consolidated Subsidiaries, and, if so, describing such change.

 

(e)       Updated Schedules. Concurrently with the delivery of the Compliance Certificate referred to in Section 6.01(d), updated Schedules 5.19(b) and 5.19(c) to this Agreement (which may be attached to the Compliance Certificate) to the extent required to make the representations related to such Schedules true and correct as of the date of such Compliance Certificate.

 

(f)       Reports. Promptly after the same are filed or made available, copies, which may be in electronic format, of each annual report, proxy or financial statement or other report or communication sent to the stockholders of Carpenter, and copies of all annual, regular, periodic and special reports and registration statements which Carpenter may file or be required to file with the SEC under Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, and not otherwise required to be delivered to the Administrative Agent pursuant hereto.

 

(g)       Notices. Prompt notice, after obtaining knowledge thereof, of: (i) the occurrence of any Default or Event of Default; (ii) any matter that has resulted or may result in a Material Adverse Effect, including (A) breach or non-performance of, or any default under, a Contractual Obligation of Carpenter or any Subsidiary, which could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; (B) any dispute, litigation, investigation, proceeding or suspension between Carpenter or any Subsidiary and of Governmental Authority, which could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; (C) the commencement of, or any material development in, any litigation or proceeding affecting any Loan Party or any Subsidiary, including pursuant to any applicable Environmental Law, which could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; (D) any litigation, investigation or proceeding affecting any Loan Party or any Subsidiary in which the amount involved exceeds $25,000,000, or in which injunctive relief or similar relief is sought, which relief, if granted, could be reasonably expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; (E) the occurrence of any ERISA Event, which could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; (F) any material change in accounting policies or financial reporting practice by Carpenter or any Subsidiary; and (G) of any announcement by Moody’s, S&P, or Fitch Ratings Inc. of any change in Carpenter’s Debt Rating. Each notice pursuant to this Section 6.01(g) shall (i) be accompanied by a statement of a Responsible Officer of Carpenter setting forth details of the occurrence referred to therein and stating what action Carpenter has taken and proposes to take with respect thereto and (ii) describe with particularity any and all provisions of this Agreement or other Loan Document that have been breached.

 

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(h)       Annual Business Plan and Budget. Prior to the 30th day after the beginning of each fiscal year of Carpenter (commencing with the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2021), an annual business plan and budget of Carpenter and its Consolidated Subsidiaries.

 

(i)       Other Information. With reasonable promptness upon request therefor, such other information regarding the business, properties or financial condition of Carpenter or any Subsidiary as the Administrative Agent or the Required Lenders may reasonably request.

 

(j)       Lender Communications. Documents required to be delivered pursuant to Section 6.01(a), (b) or (f) (to the extent any such documents are included in materials otherwise filed with the SEC) may be delivered electronically and if so delivered, shall be deemed to have been delivered on the date (i) on which Carpenter posts such documents, or provides a link thereto on Carpenter’s website on the Internet at the website address listed on Schedule 11.02; or (ii) on which such documents are posted on Carpenter’s behalf on an Internet or intranet website, if any, to which each Lender and the Administrative Agent have access (whether a commercial, third-party website or whether sponsored by the Administrative Agent); provided that: (i) Carpenter shall deliver paper copies of such documents to the Administrative Agent or any Lender that requests Carpenter to deliver such paper copies until a written request to cease delivering paper copies is given by the Administrative Agent or such Lender and (ii) Carpenter shall notify the Administrative Agent and each Lender (by telecopier or electronic mail) of the posting of any such documents and provide to the Administrative Agent by electronic mail electronic versions (i.e., soft copies) of such documents. Notwithstanding anything contained herein, in every instance Carpenter shall be required to provide a paper copy of the Compliance Certificates required by Section 6.01(d) to the Administrative Agent. Except for such Compliance Certificates, the Administrative Agent shall have no obligation to request the delivery or to maintain copies of the documents referred to above, and in any event shall have no responsibility to monitor compliance by Carpenter with any such request for delivery, and each Lender shall be solely responsible for requesting delivery to it or maintaining its copies of such documents.

 

Each Borrower hereby acknowledges that (a) the Administrative Agent and/or the Arranger will make available to the Lenders and the L/C Issuer materials and/or information provided by or on behalf of such Borrower hereunder (collectively, “Borrower Materials”) by posting Borrower Materials on IntraLinks or another similar electronic system (the “Platform”) and (b) certain of the Lenders (each, a “Public Lender”) may have personnel who do not wish to receive material non-public information with respect to any of the Borrowers or their respective Affiliates, or the respective securities of any of the foregoing, and who may be engaged in investment and other market-related activities with respect to such Persons’ securities. Each Borrower hereby agrees that (w) all Borrower Materials that are to be made available to Public Lenders shall be clearly and conspicuously marked “PUBLIC” which, at a minimum, shall mean that the word “PUBLIC” shall appear prominently on the first page thereof; (x) by marking Borrower Materials “PUBLIC,” the Borrowers shall be deemed to have authorized the Administrative Agent, the Arranger, the L/C Issuer and the Lenders to treat such Borrower Materials as not containing any material non-public information with respect to the Borrowers or their respective securities for purposes of United States Federal and state securities laws (provided, however, that to the extent such Borrower Materials constitute Information, they shall be treated as set forth in Section 11.07); (y) all Borrower Materials marked “PUBLIC” are permitted to be made available through a portion of the Platform designated “Public Side Information;” and (z) the Administrative Agent and the Arranger shall be entitled to treat any Borrower Materials that are not marked “PUBLIC” as being suitable only for posting on a portion of the Platform not designated “Public Side Information.” Notwithstanding the foregoing, no Borrower shall be under any obligation to mark any Borrower Materials “PUBLIC.”

 

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6.02       Payment of Obligations. Pay and discharge as the same shall become due and payable (after giving effect to all applicable grace and cure periods), all its obligations and liabilities which if not paid and discharged could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, including: (a) all tax liabilities, assessments and governmental charges or levies upon it or its properties or assets, unless the same are being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings and adequate reserves in accordance with GAAP are being maintained by Carpenter or such Subsidiary; and (b) all lawful claims which, if unpaid, would by Law become a Lien (other than a Permitted Lien) upon its property.

 

6.03       Preservation of Existence, Etc. Preserve, renew and maintain in full force and effect its legal existence and good standing under the Laws of the jurisdiction of its organization; take all reasonable action to maintain all rights, privileges, permits licenses and franchises necessary in the normal conduct of its business, except in a transaction permitted by Section 7.04 or 7.05 and except where failure to do so could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; and preserve or renew all of its registered patents, trademarks, trade names and service marks, the non-preservation or non-maintenance of which could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

6.04       Maintenance of Properties. (a) Maintain, preserve and protect all of its material properties and equipment necessary in the operation of its business in good working order and condition, ordinary wear and tear and casualty excepted; and (b) make all necessary repairs thereto and renewals and replacements thereof except where the failure to do so could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

6.05       Maintenance of Insurance. Maintain with financially sound and reputable insurance companies not Affiliates of Carpenter, insurance with respect to its properties and business against loss or damage of the kinds customarily insured against by Persons engaged in the same or similar business, of such types and in such amounts as are customarily carried under similar circumstances by such other Persons.

 

6.06       Compliance with Laws. Comply in all material respects with the requirements of all Laws and all orders, writs, injunctions and decrees applicable to it or to its business or property, except in such instances in which (a) such requirement of Law or order, writ, injunction or decree is being contested in good faith or a bona fide dispute exists with respect thereto or (b) the failure to comply therewith could not be reasonably expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

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6.07       Books and Records. Maintain proper books of record and account, in which full, true and correct entries in conformity with GAAP shall be made of all financial transactions and matters involving the assets and business of Carpenter or such Subsidiary, as the case may be; and maintain such books of record and account in material conformity with all applicable requirements of any Governmental Authority having regulatory jurisdiction over Carpenter or such Subsidiary, as the case may be.

 

6.08       Inspection Rights. Permit representatives and independent contractors of the Administrative Agent (on behalf of the Administrative Agent and the Lenders) to visit and inspect any of its properties, to examine its corporate, financial and operating records, and make copies thereof or abstracts therefrom, and to discuss its affairs, finances and accounts with its directors, officers, and independent public accountants, at such reasonable times during normal business hours and as often as may be reasonably desired, upon reasonable advance notice to Carpenter all at the expense of Carpenter (provided that Carpenter shall only be obligated to reimburse the Administrative Agent for such expense in connection with one such visit per fiscal year so long as no Event of Default then exists); provided, however, that when an Event of Default exists, the Administrative Agent or any Lender (or any of their respective representatives or independent contractors) may do any of the foregoing at the expense of Carpenter at any time during normal business hours and without advance notice; provided, further, that Carpenter or any of its Subsidiaries reserves the right to restrict access to any of its facilities in accordance with reasonably adopted procedures relating to safety and security, it being acknowledged and agreed that such restriction shall not limit access to the books and records of Carpenter and its Subsidiaries and that any inspection that is restricted during normal business hours due to safety and security concerns may be conducted at a reasonable and mutually agreeable time outside of normal business hours.

 

6.09       Compliance with ERISA. Except as would not have a Material Adverse Effect, maintain, cause or make and cause of each of its ERISA Affiliates to maintain, cause or make (a) each Plan (other than any Multiemployer Plan) in compliance in all material respects with the applicable provisions of ERISA, the Code and other Federal or state Law; (b) each Pension Plan which is qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code to maintain such qualification; and (c) all required contributions to any Plan subject to Section 412 of the Code.

 

6.10       Use of Proceeds. Use the proceeds of the Credit Extensions (a) to repay or refinance, as applicable, certain Indebtedness of the Borrowers (including, without limitation, Indebtedness under the Existing Credit Agreement) in accordance with the terms hereof and pay any fees, commissions and expenses incurred in connection with the foregoing and (b) for working capital, capital expenditures and other lawful general corporate purposes not in contravention of any Law or of any Loan Document, including, without limitation, making Investments permitted by this Agreement.

 

6.11       Approvals and Authorizations. In the case of each Foreign Loan Party, maintain all authorizations, consents, approvals and licenses from, exemptions of, and filings and registrations with, each Governmental Authority of the jurisdiction in which each Foreign Loan Party is organized and existing, and all approvals and consents of each other Person in such jurisdiction, in each case that are required in connection with the Loan Documents, except where failure to do so could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

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6.12       Anti-Corruption Laws. Conduct its business in compliance with the United States Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, the UK Bribery Act 2010 and other applicable anti-corruption legislation in other jurisdictions and with all applicable Sanctions, and maintain policies and procedures designed to promote and achieve compliance with such laws and Sanctions.

 

6.13       Information Regarding Collateral. Not effect any change (a) in any Domestic Loan Party’s legal name, (b) in the location of any Domestic Loan Party’s chief executive office, (c) in any Domestic Loan Party’s identity or organizational structure, (d) in any Domestic Loan Party’s Federal Taxpayer Identification Number or organizational identification number, if any, or (e) in any Domestic Loan Party’s jurisdiction of organization (in each case, including by merging with or into any other entity, reorganizing, dissolving, liquidating, reorganizing or organizing in any other jurisdiction), until (i) it shall have given the Administrative Agent prior written notice (in the form of certificate signed by a Responsible Officer) of its intention so to do, clearly describing such change and providing such other information in connection therewith as the Administrative Agent may reasonably request and (ii) it shall have taken all action reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent to maintain the perfection and priority of the security interest of the Administrative Agent for the benefit of the Secured Parties in the Collateral, if applicable.

 

6.14       Covenant to Give Security.

 

(a)       Account Control Agreements. Cause each deposit or other account, other than Excluded Accounts, into which proceeds of Collateral are deposited or maintained to be subject to a deposit account control agreement providing the Administrative Agent with “control” (as such term is used in Article 9 of the UCC), with springing dominion, in form and substance satisfactory to the Administrative Agent, subject, in the case of Loan Parties existing on the Closing Date, to Section 6.16.

 

(b)       Landlord Waivers. In the case of any Domestic Loan Party, use commercially reasonable effort to, within sixty (60) days of becoming party to the Security Agreement, provide to the Administrative Agent such estoppel letters, consents and waivers from the landlords with respect to the following real property to the extent requested by the Administrative Agent (such letters, consents and waivers to be in form and substance satisfactory to the Administrative Agent): (i) each headquarter location of such Domestic Loan Party and each other location in the United States where any significant administrative or governmental functions are performed books or records (electronic or otherwise) are maintained and (ii)  any other premises in the United States leased by such Domestic Loan Party where any personal property Collateral of such Domestic Loan Party having a book value of greater than $10,000,000 is located, subject, in the case of Loan Parties existing on the Closing Date, to Section 6.16.

 

(c)       Updated Schedules. Promptly upon request by the Administrative Agent, provide the Administrative Agent with an updated Schedules 5.19(b) and 5.19(c).

 

(d)       Further Assurances. At any time upon request of the Administrative Agent, promptly execute and deliver any and all further instruments, documents and opinions of counsel and take all such other action as the Administrative Agent may reasonably deem necessary or desirable to maintain in favor of the Administrative Agent, for the benefit of the Secured Parties, Liens and insurance rights on the Collateral that are duly perfected in accordance with the requirements of, or the obligations of the Loan Parties under, the Loan Documents and all Applicable Laws.

 

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(e)            New Domestic Loan Parties. Concurrently with any entity becoming a Domestic Loan Party, either as a Subsidiary Borrower or as a Subsidiary Guarantor, cause such entity to deliver to the Administrative Agent:

 

(i)       a Security Joinder Agreement, duly executed by such Domestic Loan Party (with all schedules thereto appropriately completed);

 

(ii)       if requested by the Administrative Agent, favorable opinions of counsel (which shall cover, among other things, the legality, validity, binding effect and enforceability of the documentation referred to in the foregoing clause (i));

 

(iii)       current copies of the documents of the types referred to in clauses (iii) and (vi) of Section 4.01(a) and in Section 4.01(d) with respect to such Domestic Loan Party, all certified by the applicable Governmental Authority or appropriate officer as the Administrative Agent may elect, all in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent; and

 

(iv)       to the extent required by Section 6.14(a) above, a deposit account control agreement; and

 

(v)       and such other documents or agreements as the Administrative Agent may reasonably request, including without limitation, updated Schedules 5.13 and 5.19(b).

 

6.15       Further Assurances. Promptly upon reasonable request by the Administrative Agent, or any Lender through the Administrative Agent, (a) correct any material defect or error that may be discovered in any Loan Document or, in the case of any Foreign Loan Party, in the execution, acknowledgment, filing or recordation thereof, and (b) do, execute, acknowledge, deliver, record, re-record, file, re-file, register and re-register any and all such further acts, deeds, certificates, assurances, documents and other instruments (including, in the case of any Foreign Loan Party, promptly completing any registration or stamping of documents as may be applicable) as the Administrative Agent, or any Lender through the Administrative Agent, may reasonably require from time to time and to the extent necessary, in order to (i) carry out more effectively the purposes of the Loan Documents, (ii) to the fullest extent permitted by Applicable Law, subject any Loan Party’s or any of its Subsidiaries’ properties, assets, rights or interests to the Liens now or hereafter intended to be covered by any of the Collateral Documents, (iii) perfect and maintain the validity, effectiveness and priority of any of the Collateral Documents and any of the Liens intended to be created thereunder and (iv) assure, convey, grant, assign, transfer, preserve, protect and confirm more effectively unto the Secured Parties the rights granted or now or hereafter intended to be granted to the Secured Parties under any Loan Document or under any other instrument executed in connection with any Loan Document to which any Loan Party or any of its Subsidiaries is or is to be a party, and cause each of its Subsidiaries to do so. Notwithstanding the foregoing or any other provision of this Agreement, in no event shall a Foreign Loan Party be required to grant to the Administrative Agent any security interest in any of the assets of such Foreign Loan Party.

 

6.16      Post-Closing Matters. Not later than sixty (60) days after the Closing Date (or such later date as the Administrative Agent may agree in its sole discretion), satisfy the requirements of Sections 6.14(a) and (b) with respect all entities constituting Loan Parties as of the Closing Date.

 

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ARTICLE VII
NEGATIVE COVENANTS

 

Each Loan Party covenants and agrees that on the Closing Date and thereafter until the Facility Termination Date, no Loan Party shall, nor shall it permit any Subsidiary to, directly or indirectly:

 

7.01      Liens.

 

Create, incur, assume or suffer to exist any Lien upon any of its property, assets or revenues, whether now owned or hereafter acquired, except for the following (the “Permitted Liens”):

 

(a)         Liens pursuant to any Loan Document;

 

(b)         Liens existing on the Closing Date and listed on Schedule 7.01 and any renewals or extensions thereof, provided that (i) such liens shall not subsequently apply to any other property or assets of Carpenter and its Subsidiaries (other than accessions to and the proceeds of the property or assets subject to such Liens to the extent provided by the terms thereof on the date hereof), (ii) the amount secured or benefited thereby is not increased except as contemplated by Section 7.02(b), (iii) the direct or any contingent obligor with respect thereto is not changed, and (iv) any renewal or extension of the obligations secured or benefited thereby is permitted by Section 7.02(b);

 

(c)         Liens for Taxes not yet due or which are being contested in good faith and by appropriate proceedings diligently conducted, if adequate reserves with respect thereto are maintained on the books of the applicable Person in accordance with GAAP (and as to which the property or assets subject to any such Lien is not yet subject to foreclosure, sale or loss on account thereof);

 

(d)         statutory Liens such as carriers’, warehousemen’s, mechanics’, materialmen’s, repairmen’s or other like Liens arising in the ordinary course of business which are not overdue for a period of more than thirty (30) days or which are being contested in good faith and by appropriate proceedings diligently conducted; provided that adequate reserves with respect thereto are maintained on the books of the applicable Person;

 

(e)         pledges or deposits in the ordinary course of business in connection with workers’ compensation, unemployment insurance and other social security legislation, other than any Lien imposed by ERISA;

 

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(f)          deposits to secure the performance of bids, trade contracts and leases (other than Indebtedness), statutory obligations, surety and appeal bonds, performance bonds and other obligations of a like nature incurred in the ordinary course of business;

 

(g)         easements, rights-of-way, restrictions and other similar encumbrances affecting real property which, in the aggregate, are not substantial in amount, and which do not in any case materially detract from the value of the property subject thereto or materially interfere with the ordinary conduct of the business of the applicable Person;

 

(h)         Liens securing judgments for the payment of money (or appeal or other surety bonds relating to such judgments) not constituting an Event of Default under Section 8.01(h);

 

(i)          Liens securing Indebtedness permitted under Section 7.02(c); provided that (i) such Liens do not at any time encumber any property other than the property financed by such Indebtedness and the proceeds thereof and improvements, accessions and appurtenances thereto, and (ii) the Indebtedness secured thereby does not exceed the cost or fair market value, whichever is lower, of the property being acquired on the date of acquisition;

 

(j)          bankers’ Liens, rights of setoff and other similar Liens existing solely with respect to cash and Cash Equivalents on deposit in one or more accounts maintained by Carpenter or any of its Subsidiaries with any Lender, in each case in the ordinary course of business in favor of the bank or banks with which such accounts are maintained, securing solely the customary amounts owing to such bank with respect to cash management and operating account arrangements; provided, that in no case shall any such Liens secure (either directly or indirectly) the repayment of any Indebtedness;

 

(k)         any interest or title of a lessor, licensor or sublessor under any lease, license or sublease entered into by any Loan Party or any Subsidiary thereof in the ordinary course of business and covering only the assets so leased, licensed or subleased;

 

(l)          Liens on property of a Person existing at the time such Person is merged into or consolidated with Carpenter or any Subsidiary of Carpenter or becomes a Subsidiary of Carpenter; provided that such Liens were not created in contemplation of such merger, consolidation or Investment and do not extend to any assets other than those of the Person merged into or consolidated with Carpenter or such Subsidiary or acquired by Carpenter or such Subsidiary, and the applicable Indebtedness secured by such Lien is permitted under Section 7.02(f)(i);

 

(m)        any zoning, building or similar laws or rights reserved to or vested in any Governmental Authority;

 

(n)         Liens securing Indebtedness permitted under Section 7.02(f)(i); provided that no such Lien shall extend to or cover any Collateral;

 

(o)         (i) Liens on assets of a Foreign Subsidiary in favor of any Foreign Obligation Provider securing the Foreign Subsidiary Secured Obligations permitted pursuant to Section 7.02(h) or (ii) Liens affecting property of Foreign Subsidiaries with an aggregate value not to exceed $5,000,000; and

 

(p)          Any encumbrance or restriction (including put and call arrangements) with respect to Equity Interests of any joint venture or similar arrangement pursuant to any joint venture or similar agreement in connection with an investment permitted hereunder.

 

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7.02       Indebtedness.

 

Create, incur, assume or permit to exist any Indebtedness except:

 

(a)          Indebtedness under the Loan Documents;

 

(b)         Indebtedness of Carpenter and its Subsidiaries outstanding on the Closing Date and disclosed on Schedule 7.02 and any extensions, renewals or refinancings thereof; provided that (i) the amount of such Indebtedness is not increased at the time of such refinancing, refunding, renewal or extension except by an amount equal to a reasonable premium or other reasonable amount paid, and fees and expenses reasonably incurred, in connection with such refinancing and by an amount equal to any existing commitments unutilized thereunder and (ii) the terms relating to principal amount, amortization, maturity, collateral (if any) and subordination (if any), and other material terms taken as a whole, of any such refinancing, refunding, renewing or extending Indebtedness, and of any agreement entered into and of any instrument issued in connection therewith, are no less favorable in any material respect to the Loan Parties or the Lenders than the terms of any agreement or instrument governing the Indebtedness being refinanced, refunded, renewed or extended and the interest rate applicable to any such extending, renewing or refinancing Indebtedness does not exceed the then applicable market interest rate;

 

(c)         Indebtedness in respect of Finance Leases, Synthetic Lease Obligations and purchase money obligations for fixed or capital assets within the limitations set forth in Section 7.01(i); provided that such Indebtedness is issued and any Liens securing such Indebtedness are created concurrently with, or within 180 days after, the acquisition of the asset financed and provided further that during the Restricted Period, such Indebtedness may only be incurred for the acquisition of new equipment;

 

(d)         Unsecured Indebtedness of (i) Carpenter owed to any Subsidiary of Carpenter and (ii) any Subsidiary of Carpenter owed to Carpenter or any other Subsidiary of Carpenter, in each case to the extent such Indebtedness (x) if owed by a Loan Party, is subordinated to the Obligations hereunder and (y) is otherwise permitted under the provisions of Section 7.03 (“Intercompany Debt”);

 

(e)         Indebtedness consisting of obligations (contingent or otherwise) of Carpenter or any Subsidiary existing or arising under any Swap Contract, provided that (i) such obligations are (or were) entered into by such Person in the ordinary course of business for the purpose of directly mitigating risks associated with fluctuations in interest rates or foreign exchange rates, and not for purposes of speculation or taking a “market view;” and (ii) such Swap Contract does not contain any provision exonerating the non-defaulting party from its obligation to make payments on outstanding transactions to the defaulting party;

 

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(f)       (i) Indebtedness of Carpenter and its Subsidiaries not otherwise permitted by this Section 7.02 that is incurred after the Closing Date in an aggregate principal amount not to exceed $300,000,000 at any time outstanding; provided that (A) up to $50,000,000 aggregate principal amount of such Indebtedness may be secured, but only so long as the Restricted Period is not in effect at the time of incurrence, (B) no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing immediately before and immediately after giving effect to such incurrence and (C) after giving pro forma effect to the incurrence of such Indebtedness and to the concurrent retirement of any other Indebtedness of Carpenter or any Subsidiary (including, in each case, any Indebtedness incurred or retired in connection therewith and including all other transactions that are required to be given pro forma effect under this Credit Agreement that have occurred since the date of the last financial statements delivered to the Administrative Agent pursuant to Section 6.01(a) or (b)), Carpenter shall be in compliance with the financial covenants set forth in Section 7.12 as if measured on such date of incurrence and retirement; (ii) unsecured Indebtedness of Carpenter that is not Guaranteed by any Subsidiary other than the Subsidiary Borrowers and which such Indebtedness (and any Subsidiary Borrower’s guarantee thereof) is subordinated in right and time of payment to the Obligations; and (iii) any Disqualified Stock which is only exchangeable or convertible into unsecured, subordinated Indebtedness of Carpenter as contemplated in sub-clause (ii) of this Section 7.02(f);

 

(g)          Indebtedness under the Senior Notes and any Indebtedness issued, or the net proceeds of which are used to renew, refund, refinance, replace, defease or discharge the Senior Notes; provided that (i) the aggregate outstanding principal amount of the Senior Notes and any such Indebtedness does not exceed the sum of (A) $700,000,000 plus (B) the amount of any customary fees and expenses, including premiums related to any such renewals, refundings, refinancings, replacements, defeasances or discharges, and, in the case of a renewal, refunding, refinancing or replacement, the issuance of such Indebtedness and (ii) the maturity date of such Indebtedness is not earlier than October 1, 2024;

 

(h)          Indebtedness under any Foreign Obligation Loan Document in an aggregate amount outstanding at any time not exceeding $25,000,000.

 

7.03       Investments.

 

Make or hold any Investment, except:

 

(a)       Investments held by Carpenter or such Subsidiary in the form of Cash Equivalents and Eligible Investments;

 

(b)       advances to officers, directors and employees of Carpenter and Subsidiaries in an aggregate amount not to exceed $2,000,000 at any time outstanding, for travel, entertainment, relocation and analogous ordinary business purposes;

 

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(c)         (i) Investments by Carpenter and its Subsidiaries in their respective Subsidiaries outstanding on the date hereof, (ii) additional Investments by Carpenter and its Subsidiary in any Loan Party, (iii) additional investments by any Subsidiary that is not a Loan Party in any other Subsidiary that is not a Loan Party and (iv) Investments by the Loan Parties in joint ventures or any Subsidiary that is not a Loan Party (A) existing on the date hereof and listed on Schedule 7.03 or (B) so long as no Default has occurred and is continuing or would result from such Investment, Investments made after the date hereof provided that the aggregate amount of Investments outstanding under this clause (iv)(B), net of all dividends, distributions, returns of capital and payments in respect of Indebtedness received after the Closing Date by the Loan Parties from any joint ventures or any Subsidiaries that are not Loan Parties, shall not exceed, during the Restricted Period, five percent (5%) of Consolidated Tangible Net Worth, and thereafter, twenty-five percent (25%) of Consolidated Tangible Net Worth;

 

(d)          Investments consisting of extensions of credit in the nature of accounts receivable or notes receivable arising from the sale or lease of goods or services in the ordinary course of business, and Investments received in satisfaction or partial satisfaction thereof from financially troubled account debtors to the extent reasonably necessary in order to prevent or limit loss;

 

(e)          Investments permitted by Section 7.04;

 

(f)           Investments consisting of the acquisition by Carpenter or any of its Subsidiaries of assets or Equity Interests of any other Person; provided, that (i) no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, (ii) the Person whose assets or Equity Interests are acquired pursuant to this clause (f) shall be engaged in substantially the same or related line of business as Carpenter and its Subsidiaries are engaged in as of the Closing Date, (iii) the Person to be (or whose assets are to be) acquired does not oppose such purchase or other acquisition (except to the extent the proceeds of a Credit Extension are not used, directly or indirectly, to finance or refinance such purchase or other acquisition; it being understood that this subclause (iii) shall not apply as to any purchase or other acquisition of any assets or Equity Interests in the context of a Bankruptcy Event or any related proceeding under applicable Debtor Relief Laws), and (iv) after giving effect to any such acquisition, Carpenter shall be in pro forma compliance with the covenants set forth in Section 7.12 after giving effect to such acquisition (including all related transactions and the incurrence of any indebtedness in connection therewith); and provided further that, if such acquisition is consummated during the Restricted Period, Carpenter shall have Available Liquidity of not less than $200,000,000 after giving pro forma effect to such acquisition (including all related transactions and the incurrence of any indebtedness in connection therewith);

 

(g)          Investments of a Subsidiary that is acquired after the Closing Date or of a Person merged into Carpenter or merged or consolidated with a Subsidiary of Carpenter in accordance with Section 7.04 after the Closing Date to the extent that such Investments were not made in contemplation of or in connection with such acquisition, merger or consolidation or were in existence on the date of such acquisition, merger or consolidation; and

 

(h)          Investments, other than those permitted by clause (a) through (g) of this Section 7.03, in an aggregate outstanding amount not to exceed $10,000,000.

 

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7.04       Fundamental Changes.

 

Merge, dissolve, liquidate, consolidate with or into another Person, or Dispose of (whether in one transaction or in a series of transactions) all or substantially all of its assets (whether now owned or hereafter acquired) to or in favor of any Person, except that, so long as no Default or Event of Default exists or would result therefrom:

 

(a)          any Subsidiary may merge or consolidate with (i) a Borrower, provided that such Borrower shall be the continuing or surviving Person, or in the case of a merger or consolidation involving Carpenter, Carpenter shall be the continuing or surviving Person, or (ii) any one or more Subsidiaries; provided that (A) when any Loan Party is merging with another Subsidiary, such Loan Party shall be the continuing or surviving Person and (B) when Wholly-Owned Subsidiary is merging or consolidating with another Subsidiary, the Wholly-Owned Subsidiary shall be the continuing or surviving Person;

 

(b)          any Loan Party (other than Carpenter) may Dispose of all or substantially all of its assets (upon voluntary liquidation or otherwise), to another Loan Party, and any Subsidiary that is not a Loan Party may Dispose of all or substantially all of its assets (including any Disposition that is in the nature of a liquidation) to a Loan Party or to a Subsidiary that is not a Loan Party; provided that in the case of a transfer to a non-Loan Party, if the transferor in such a transaction is a Wholly-Owned Subsidiary, then the transferee must also be a Wholly-Owned Subsidiary;

 

(c)          in connection with an Investment pursuant to Section 7.03(f), any Subsidiary of Carpenter may merge into or consolidate with any other Person or permit any other Person to merge into or consolidate with it; provided that (i) the Person surviving such merger shall be a Wholly-Owned Subsidiary of Carpenter and (ii) in the case of any such merger to which any Loan Party (other than Carpenter) is a party, such Loan Party shall be the continuing or surviving Person;

 

(d)          so long as no Default has occurred and is continuing or would result therefrom, each of Carpenter and any of its Subsidiaries may merge into or consolidate with any other Person or permit any other Person to merge into or consolidate with it; provided, however, that in each case, immediately after giving effect thereto (i) in the case of any such merger to which Carpenter is a party, Carpenter is the surviving Person, and (ii) in the case of any such merger to which any Loan Party (other than Carpenter) is a party, such Loan Party is the surviving Person and if either such Person is a Borrower, a Borrower is the surviving Person;

 

(e)          any Subsidiary of Carpenter may dissolve or liquidate at any time if Carpenter determines in good faith that such dissolution or liquidation is not materially disadvantageous to the Lenders and so long as the relevant Person complies with the provisions of Section 7.04(b); and

 

(f)           any Subsidiary of Carpenter may convert its form from a corporation, limited liability company, partnership, association or other entity into a corporation, limited liability company, partnership, association or other entity at any time in Carpenter’s sole discretion.

 

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7.05       Dispositions.

 

Make any Disposition or enter into any agreement to make any Disposition, except:

 

(a)          Dispositions of obsolete or worn out property, whether now owned or hereafter acquired, in the ordinary course of business;

 

(b)          Dispositions of inventory in the ordinary course of business;

 

(c)          Dispositions of equipment or real property to the extent that (i) such property is exchanged for credit against the purchase price of similar replacement property or (ii) the proceeds of such Disposition are reasonably promptly applied to the purchase price of such replacement property;

 

(d)          Dispositions of property (i) to Carpenter or to a Wholly-Owned Subsidiary of Carpenter; provided that if the transferor of the property is a Loan Party, the transferee must be a Loan Party or (ii) to a joint venture, any non-Wholly-Owned Subsidiary of Carpenter or any Subsidiary that is not a Loan Party, to the extent cash for the fair market value of such property is received from such Disposition or such Disposition constitutes an Investment permitted by Section 7.03(c);

 

(e)          Dispositions permitted by Section 7.04;

 

(f)           Dispositions of Cash Equivalents and Eligible Investments in the ordinary course of business;

 

(g)          the sale, assignment, transfer, Disposition, discount or forgiveness of accounts receivable (x) in the ordinary course of business (exclusive of factoring or similar arrangements) or (y) in connection with the collection or compromise thereof, so long as the account debtor with respect thereto has instituted or consented to the institution of any proceeding under any Debtor Relief Law; and

 

(h)          in addition to the Dispositions permitted by clause (a) through clause (g) of this Section 7.05, Dispositions of property of Carpenter or any Subsidiary, including Equity Interests of any Subsidiary; provided that such Dispositions consummated during the term of this Agreement in the aggregate do not exceed twenty-five percent (25%) of the total assets of Carpenter and its Subsidiaries as of the Closing Date; provided further that to the extent the property subject to any such Disposition represents more than five percent (5%) of the total assets of Carpenter and its Subsidiaries as of the Closing Date, (i) no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing and (ii) after giving effect to each such Disposition and the application of proceeds thereof, Carpenter shall be in pro forma compliance as of the date of the Disposition with the covenants set forth in Section 7.12 of this Agreement;

 

provided, however, that any Disposition pursuant to clauses (a) through (h) of property having a book value in excess of $25,000,000 shall be for fair market value.

 

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7.06       Restricted Payments.

 

Declare or make, directly or indirectly, any Restricted Payment, or incur any obligation (contingent or otherwise) to do so, except that (so long as in the case of clauses (c) and (d) no Default shall have occurred and be continuing at the time of any action described below or would result therefrom):

 

(a)          each Subsidiary may make Restricted Payments to any Person that owns Equity Interests in such Subsidiary, ratably according to their respective holdings of the type of Equity Interest in respect of which such Restricted Payment is being made;

 

(b)          Carpenter and each Subsidiary may declare and make dividend payments or other distributions payable solely in the Equity Interests (exclusive of Disqualified Stock) of such Person;

 

(c)          Carpenter and each Subsidiary may purchase, redeem or otherwise acquire shares of its Equity Interests (exclusive of Disqualified Stock); provided that, (i) after giving pro forma effect to any such purchase, redemption or other acquisition for value (including any indebtedness incurred in connection therewith and including all other transactions that are required to be given pro forma effect under this Credit Agreement that have occurred since the date of the last financial statements delivered to the Administrative Agent pursuant to Section 6.01(a) or (b)), the Debt to Capital Ratio shall not exceed 55% as of the date of such purchase, redemption or other acquisition, and (ii) immediately prior to and after giving effect to any such proposed action, no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, and provided further that during the Restricted Period the aggregate amount of Restricted Payments made pursuant to this clause (c) shall not exceed $15,000,000 in any twelve month period; and

 

(d)          Carpenter may declare or pay cash dividends to its stockholders; provided that, (i) after giving pro forma effect to the payment of any such dividend (including any indebtedness incurred in connection therewith and including all other transactions that are required to be given pro forma effect under this Credit Agreement that have occurred since the date of the last financial statements delivered to the Administrative Agent pursuant to Section 6.01(a) or (b)), the Debt to Capital Ratio shall not exceed 55% as of the date of such payment and (ii) immediately prior to and after giving effect to any such proposed action, no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, and provided further that during the Restricted Period the aggregate amount of Restricted Payments made pursuant to this clause (d) shall not exceed $50,000,000 in any twelve month period.

 

7.07       ERISA. No Borrower will, nor will it cause or permit any Subsidiary or ERISA Affiliate to, at any time engage in a transaction which could be subject to Section 4069 or 4212(c) of ERISA, or permit any (a) Pension Plan (other than a Multiemployer Plan) to engage in any non-exempt “prohibited transaction” (as defined in Section 4975 of the Code); (b) Pension Plan (other than a Multiemployer Plan) to fail to comply with ERISA or any other Applicable Laws; or (c) Pension Plan (other than a Multiemployer Plan) to fail to satisfy any “minimum funding standard” (as defined in Section 302 of ERISA), which, with respect to each event listed above, could be reasonably expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

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7.08       Change in Nature of Business. Carpenter will not, nor will it cause or permit any Subsidiary to, at any time, engage in any material line of business substantially different from those lines of business conducted by Carpenter and its Subsidiaries on the Closing Date.

 

7.09       Transactions with Affiliates. Carpenter will not, nor will it cause or permit any of its Subsidiaries to, enter into any transaction of any kind with any Affiliate of Carpenter, other than arm’s-length transactions with Affiliates that are otherwise permitted hereunder, provided that the foregoing restrictions shall not apply to transactions between or among Carpenter and any of its Wholly-Owned Subsidiaries or between and among any Wholly-Owned Subsidiaries.

 

7.10       Burdensome Agreements. Carpenter will not, nor will it cause or permit any of its Subsidiaries to, enter into any Contractual Obligation that limits in any material manner the ability (a) of any Subsidiary to make Restricted Payments to Carpenter, (b) of any Subsidiary to otherwise transfer property to Carpenter or (c) of Carpenter or any Subsidiary to create, incur, assume or suffer to exist Liens on property of such Person (other than, (i) with respect to clause (a), (A) any agreement or instrument of a Person acquired by Carpenter or any of its Subsidiaries as in effect at the time of such acquisition (except to the extent such agreement or instrument was entered into or created in connection with or in contemplation of such acquisition), which limitation is not applicable to any Person or the properties or assets of any Person, other than the Person or the property or assets of the Person so acquired, (B) any agreement for the sale or other Disposition of assets, to the extent such sale is permitted pursuant to Section 7.05, that contains customary restrictions pending its sale or other Disposition, including restrictions on distributions by a Subsidiary pending its sale or other Disposition, and (C) customary restrictions found in joint venture agreements entered into in connection with Investments permitted pursuant to Section 7.03(c), and (ii) with respect to clauses (b) and (c), (A) Contractual Obligations entered into in connection with Permitted Liens, (B) customary non-assignment provisions in leases, licenses and other contracts otherwise permitted by this Agreement and entered into in the ordinary course of business so long as such restrictions relate only to the assets subject thereto, (C) any agreement or instrument of a Person acquired by Carpenter or any of its Subsidiaries as in effect at the time of such acquisition (except to the extent such agreement or instrument was entered into or created in connection with or in contemplation of such acquisition), which limitation is not applicable to any Person or the properties or assets of any Person, other than the Person or the property or assets of the Person, so acquired, (D) any agreement for the sale or other Disposition of assets, to the extent such sale or Disposition is permitted pursuant to Section 7.05, that contains customary restrictions pending its sale or other Disposition, including restrictions on distributions by a Subsidiary pending its sale or other Disposition and (E) customary restrictions found in joint venture agreements entered into in connection with Investments permitted pursuant to Section 7.03(c)).

 

7.11       Use of Proceeds. Carpenter will not, nor will it cause or permit any of its Subsidiaries to, use the proceeds of any Credit Extension, whether directly or indirectly, and whether immediately, incidentally or ultimately, to purchase or carry margin stock (within the meaning of Regulation U of the FRB) or to extend credit to others for the purpose of purchasing or carrying margin stock or to refund indebtedness originally incurred for such purpose.

 

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7.12       Financial Covenants.

 

(a)       Interest Coverage Ratio. Permit the Interest Coverage Ratio to be less than 2.00 to 1.00 for the Measurement Period ending June 30, 2022, less than 3.00 to 1.00 for the Measurement Period ending March 31September 30, 2022 or less than 3.50 to 1.00 for each Measurement Period thereafter.

 

(b)       Debt to Capital Ratio. Permit the Debt to Capital Ratio to exceed 55% as of the last day of any Measurement Period.

 

(c)       Available Liquidity. During the Liquidity Period, permit Available Liquidity to be less than $150,000,000, to be tested as of the end of each month.

 

(d)       Asset Coverage Ratio. Permit the Asset Coverage Ratio to be less than 1.10 to 1.00 as of the end of each month.

 

7.13       Sanctions and Anti-Corruption Laws.

 

(a)       Directly or, to its knowledge, indirectly, use the proceeds of any Credit Extension, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any Subsidiary, joint venture partner or other individual or entity, to fund any activities of or business with any individual, or entity, or in any Designated Jurisdiction, that, at the time of such funding, is the subject of Sanctions, or in any other manner that will result in a violation by any individual or entity participating in the transaction (whether as Lender, Arranger, Administrative Agent, L/C Issuer, Swing Line Lender or otherwise) of Sanctions.

 

(b)       Directly or, to its knowledge, indirectly, use the proceeds of any Credit Extension for any purpose which would breach the United States Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, the UK Bribery Act 2010 and other similar anti-corruption legislation in other jurisdictions applicable to Carpenter or any of its Subsidiaries or their respective operations.

 

ARTICLE VIII
EVENTS OF DEFAULT AND REMEDIES

 

8.01       Events of Default. An Event of Default shall exist upon the occurrence of any of the following specified events or conditions (each an “Event of Default”):

 

(a)       Payment. Any Borrower or any other Loan Party shall fail to pay: (i) as and when due and in the currency required hereunder (whether by scheduled maturity, mandatory prepayment, acceleration or otherwise) any amount of principal of any Loan or any L/C Obligation; (ii) within three Business Days of when due (whether by scheduled maturity, mandatory prepayment, acceleration or otherwise) any interest on any Committed Loan or L/C Obligation, or any fee due hereunder; or (iii) within five Business Days after the same become due, any other amount payable hereunder or under any other Loan Document.

 

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(b)       Representation and Warranties. Any representation, warranty or statement made or deemed to be made by any Borrower or any other Loan Party herein, in any of the other Loan Documents or in any statement or certificate delivered or required to be delivered pursuant hereto or thereto shall prove untrue in any material respect on the date as of which it was made or deemed to have been made (unless such representation, warranty or statement is subject to a materiality or Material Adverse Effect qualifier in which case it will be true and correct in all respects).

 

(c)       Covenants. Any Loan Party shall:

 

(i)       default in the due performance or observance of any term, covenant or agreement contained in Sections 6.01, 6.02, 6.03 (but solely as it relates to legal existence in its jurisdiction of organization), 6.05, 6.10 or 6.14(a) or in Article VII or Article X; or

 

(ii)       default in the due performance or observance by it of any term, covenant or agreement (other than those referred to in Section 8.01(a), 8.01(b) or 8.01(c)(i)) contained in this Agreement and such default shall continue unremedied for a period of at least thirty (30) days after the earlier of an executive officer of such Borrower becoming aware of such default or notice thereof given by the Administrative Agent.

 

(d)       Other Loan Documents. Any Loan Party shall default in the due performance or observance of any term, covenant or agreement in any of the other Loan Documents and such default shall continue unremedied for a period of at least thirty (30) days after the earlier of an executive officer of such Loan Party becoming aware of such default or notice thereof given by the Administrative Agent.

 

(e)       Bankruptcy, etc. A Bankruptcy Event shall occur with respect to Carpenter, any of its Significant Subsidiaries or any other Loan Party.

 

(f)       Cross-Default. (i) Carpenter or any Subsidiary (A) fails to make payment when due (whether by scheduled maturity, required prepayment, acceleration, demand or otherwise), in respect of any Indebtedness or Guarantee (other than in respect of Indebtedness outstanding under the Loan Documents) having an aggregate principal amount (including undrawn committed or available amounts and including amounts owing to all creditors under any combined or syndicated credit arrangement) of more than $25,000,000, (B) fails to perform or observe any other condition or covenant, or any other event shall occur or condition shall exist, under any agreement or instrument relating to any such Indebtedness or Guarantee, if the effect of such failure, event or condition is to cause or permit such Indebtedness to be declared to be due and payable prior to its stated maturity, or such Guarantee to become payable, or cash collateral in respect thereof to be demanded or (C) shall be required by the terms of such Indebtedness or Guarantee to offer to prepay or repurchase such Indebtedness or the primary Indebtedness underlying such Guarantee (or any portion thereof) prior to the stated maturity thereof; or (ii) there occurs under any Swap Contract an Early Termination Date (as defined in such Swap Contract) resulting from (A) any event of default under such Swap Contract as to which Carpenter or any Subsidiary is the Defaulting Party (as defined in such Swap Contract) or (B) any Termination Event (as so defined) under such Swap Contract as to which Carpenter or any Subsidiary is an Affected Party (as so defined) and, in either event, the Swap Termination Value owed by Carpenter or such Subsidiary as a result thereof is greater than the $25,000,000.

 

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(g)       Judgments. One or more judgments, orders, decrees or arbitration awards is entered against Carpenter or any Subsidiary involving in the aggregate a liability (to the extent not covered by independent third-party insurance as to which the insurer does not dispute coverage), as to any single or related series of transactions, incidents or conditions, of $25,000,000 or more, and the same shall remain undischarged, unvacated and unstayed pending appeal for a period of thirty (30) days after the entry thereof, or any non-monetary judgment, order or decree is entered against Carpenter or such Subsidiary which has or would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, and there shall be any period of 30 consecutive days during which a stay of enforcement of such judgment or order, by reason of a pending appeal or otherwise, shall not be in effect.

 

(h)       ERISA. (i) An ERISA Event occurs with respect to a Pension Plan or Multiemployer Plan which has resulted or could reasonably be expected to result in liability of any Borrower under Title IV of ERISA to the Pension Plan, Multiemployer Plan or the PBGC in an aggregate amount in excess of $25,000,000, (ii) any Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate fails to pay when due, after the expiration of any applicable grace period, any installment payment with respect to its withdrawal liability under Section 4201 of ERISA under a Multiemployer Plan in an aggregate amount in excess of $25,000,000, (iii) institution of any steps by a Foreign Loan Party or any other Person to terminate a Foreign Benefit Plan if as a result of such termination, a Foreign Loan Party or any of its respective Significant Subsidiaries is or could reasonably be expected to be required to make a contribution to such Foreign Benefit Plan or has incurred or could reasonably be expected to incur a liability or obligation to such Foreign Benefit Plan, in excess of $25,000,000 or (iv) a contribution failure with respect to any Foreign Benefit Plan sufficient to give rise to a Lien under Applicable Law occurs which has or could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(i)       Invalidity of Loan Documents. Any Loan Document, at any time after its execution and delivery and for any reason other than as expressly permitted hereunder or satisfaction in full of all the Obligations, ceases to be in full force and effect, or is declared by a court of competent jurisdiction to be null and void, invalid or unenforceable in any respect; any Borrower or any other Loan Party denies that it has any or further liability or obligation under any Loan Document, or purports to revoke, terminate or rescind any Loan Document; or any provision of Article X of this Agreement shall for any reason cease to be valid and binding on or enforceable against Carpenter or Carpenter shall so state in writing.

 

(j)       Ownership. There shall occur a Change of Control.

 

(k)       Collateral Documents. Any Collateral Document after delivery thereof pursuant to the terms of the Loan Documents shall for any reason cease to create a valid and perfected first priority Lien on the Collateral purported to be covered thereby, or any Loan Party shall assert the invalidity of such Liens.

 

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8.02       Remedies Upon Event of Default. If any Event of Default occurs and is continuing, the Administrative Agent shall, at the request of, or may, with the consent of, the Required Lenders, take any or all of the following actions:

 

(a)       declare the commitment of each Lender to make Loans and any obligation of the L/C Issuer to make L/C Credit Extensions to be terminated, whereupon such commitments and obligation shall be terminated;

 

(b)       declare the unpaid principal amount of all outstanding Loans, all interest accrued and unpaid thereon, and all other amounts owing or payable hereunder or under any other Loan Document to be immediately due and payable, without presentment, demand, protest or other notice of any kind, all of which are hereby expressly waived by the Borrowers;

 

(c)       require that Carpenter Cash Collateralize the L/C Obligations (in an amount equal to the then Outstanding Amount thereof); and

 

(d)       exercise on behalf of itself, the Lenders and the L/C Issuer all rights and remedies available to it, the Lenders and the L/C Issuer under the Loan Documents, including but not limited to any deposit account control agreement;

 

provided, however, that upon the occurrence of an actual or deemed entry of an order for relief with respect to any Borrower under the Bankruptcy Code of the United States, the obligation of each Lender to make Loans and any obligation of the L/C Issuer to make L/C Credit Extensions shall automatically terminate, the unpaid principal amount of all outstanding Loans and all interest and other amounts as aforesaid shall automatically become due and payable, and the obligation of Carpenter to Cash Collateralize the L/C Obligations as aforesaid shall automatically become effective, in each case without further act of the Administrative Agent or any Lender.

 

8.03       Application of Funds.

 

(a)       After the exercise of remedies provided for in Section 8.02 (or after the Loans have automatically become immediately due and payable and the L/C Obligations have automatically been required to be Cash Collateralized as set forth in the proviso to Section 8.02), any amounts received on account of the Secured Obligations shall, subject to the provisions of Section 2.17 and Section 2.18 be applied by the Administrative Agent in the following order:

 

First, to payment of that portion of the Secured Obligations constituting fees, indemnities, expenses and other amounts (including fees, charges and disbursements of counsel to the Administrative Agent and amounts payable under Article III) arising under the Loan Documents and the Foreign Obligation Loan Documents and payable to the Administrative Agent in its capacity as such;

 

Second, to payment of that portion of the Secured Obligations constituting fees, indemnities and other amounts (other than principal, interest and Letter of Credit Fees) payable to the Lenders, the Foreign Obligation Providers and the L/C Issuer (including fees, charges and disbursements of counsel to the respective Lenders, the Foreign Obligations Providers and the L/C Issuer and amounts payable under Article III), ratably among them in proportion to the respective amounts described in this clause Second payable to them;

 

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Third, to payment of that portion of the Secured Obligations constituting accrued and unpaid Letter of Credit Fees and interest on the Loans, L/C Borrowings and other Secured Obligations arising under the Loan Documents and the Foreign Obligation Loan Documents, ratably among the Lenders, the Foreign Obligation Providers and the L/C Issuer in proportion to the respective amounts described in this clause Third payable to them;

 

Fourth, to payment of that portion of the Secured Obligations constituting unpaid principal of the Loans, L/C Borrowings and Secured Obligations then owing under the Foreign Obligation Loan Documents, the Secured Hedge Agreements and Secured Cash Management Agreements, to the Administrative Agent for the account of the L/C Issuer to Cash Collateralize that portion of L/C Obligations comprised of the aggregate undrawn amount of Letters of Credit to the extent not otherwise Cash Collateralized by Carpenter pursuant to Section 2.04 or Section 2.17, and to the Foreign Obligation Providers to cash collateralize undrawn contingent liability obligations owing to such Foreign Obligation Provider under the Foreign Obligation Loan Documents to the extent not otherwise cash collateralized by the applicable Foreign Loan Party, in each case ratably among the Administrative Agent, the Lenders, the L/C Issuer, the Hedge Banks, the Cash Management Banks and the Foreign Obligation Providers in proportion to the respective amounts described in this clause Fourth held by them; and

 

Last, the balance, if any, after all of the Secured Obligations have been indefeasibly paid in full, to Carpenter or as otherwise required by Law.

 

(b)       Subject to Section 2.04(c) and Section 2.17, amounts used to Cash Collateralize the aggregate undrawn amount of Letters of Credit pursuant to clause Fourth above shall be applied to satisfy drawings under such Letters of Credit as they occur. If any amount remains on deposit as Cash Collateral after all Letters of Credit have either been fully drawn or expired, such remaining amount shall be applied to the other Secured Obligations, if any, in the order set forth above. If any amount remains on deposit as Cash Collateral after all Letters of Credit have either been fully drawn or expired, such remaining amount shall be applied to the other Secured Obligations, if any, in the order set forth above. Excluded Swap Obligations with respect to any Loan Party shall not be paid with amounts received from such Loan Party or its assets, but appropriate adjustments shall be made with respect to payments from other Loan Parties to preserve the allocation to Secured Obligations otherwise set forth above in this Section 8.03.

 

(c)       Notwithstanding the foregoing, Secured Obligations arising under Secured Cash Management Agreements, Foreign Obligation Loan Documents and Secured Hedge Agreements shall be excluded from the application described above if the Administrative Agent has not received a Secured Party Designation Notice, together with such supporting documentation as the Administrative Agent may request, from the applicable Cash Management Bank, Foreign Obligation Provider or Hedge Bank, as the case may be. Each Cash Management Bank, Hedge Bank or Foreign Obligation Provider not a party to this Agreement that has given the notice contemplated by the preceding sentence shall, by such notice, be deemed to have acknowledged and accepted the appointment of the Administrative Agent pursuant to the terms of Article IX for itself and its Affiliates as if a “Lender” party hereto.

 

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ARTICLE IX
ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT

 

9.01       Appointment and Authority.

 

(a)       Appointment. Each of the Lenders and the L/C Issuer hereby irrevocably appoints Bank of America to act on its behalf as the Administrative Agent hereunder and under the other Loan Documents and authorizes the Administrative Agent to take such actions on its behalf and to exercise such powers as are delegated to the Administrative Agent by the terms hereof or thereof, together with such actions and powers as are reasonably incidental thereto. The provisions of this Article are solely for the benefit of the Administrative Agent, the Lenders and the L/C Issuer, and neither Carpenter nor any Loan Party shall have rights as a third party beneficiary of any of such provisions. It is understood and agreed that the use of the term “agent” herein or in any other Loan Documents (or any other similar term) with reference to the Administrative Agent is not intended to connote any fiduciary or other implied (or express) obligations arising under agency doctrine of any Applicable Law. Instead such term is used as a matter of market custom, and is intended to create or reflect only an administrative relationship between contracting parties. In addition, to the extent required under the laws of any jurisdiction other than the United States of America, each of the Lenders and Secured Parties hereby grants to the Administrative Agent any required powers of attorney to execute any Collateral Document or other Loan Document governed by the laws of such jurisdiction on such Lender’s or Secured Party’s behalf.

 

(b)       Collateral Agent. The Administrative Agent shall also act as the “collateral agent” under the Loan Documents, and each of the Lenders (including in its capacities as a potential Hedge Bank, potential Foreign Obligation Provider and a potential Cash Management Bank) and the L/C Issuer hereby irrevocably appoints and authorizes the Administrative Agent to act as the agent of such Lender and the L/C Issuer for purposes of acquiring, holding and enforcing any and all Liens on Collateral granted by any of the Loan Parties to secure any of the Secured Obligations, together with such powers and discretion as are reasonably incidental thereto. In this connection, the Administrative Agent, as “collateral agent” and any co-agents, sub-agents and attorneys-in-fact appointed by the Administrative Agent pursuant to Section 9.05 for purposes of holding or enforcing any Lien on the Collateral (or any portion thereof) granted under the Collateral Documents, or for exercising any rights and remedies thereunder at the direction of the Administrative Agent, shall be entitled to the benefits of all provisions of this Article IX and Article XI (including Section 11.04(c), as though such co-agents, sub-agents and attorneys-in-fact were the “collateral agent” under the Loan Documents) as if set forth in full herein with respect thereto.

 

9.02       Rights as a Lender. The Person serving as the Administrative Agent hereunder shall have the same rights and powers in its capacity as a Lender as any other Lender and may exercise the same as though it were not the Administrative Agent and the term “Lender” or “Lenders” shall, unless otherwise expressly indicated or unless the context otherwise requires, include the Person serving as the Administrative Agent hereunder in its individual capacity. Such Person and its Affiliates may accept deposits from, lend money to, own securities of, act as the financial advisor or in any other advisory capacity for and generally engage in any kind of business with the Borrowers or any Subsidiary or other Affiliate thereof as if such Person were not the Administrative Agent hereunder and without any duty to account therefor to the Lenders or to provide notice to or consent of the Lenders with respect thereto.

 

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9.03           Exculpatory Provisions.

 

(a)            The Administrative Agent shall not have any duties or obligations except those expressly set forth herein and in the other Loan Documents, and its duties hereunder shall be administrative in nature. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Administrative Agent:

 

(i)       shall not be subject to any fiduciary or other implied duties, regardless of whether a Default has occurred and is continuing;

 

(ii)       shall not have any duty to take any discretionary action or exercise any discretionary powers, except discretionary rights and powers expressly contemplated hereby or by the other Loan Documents that the Administrative Agent is required to exercise as directed in writing by the Required Lenders (or such other number or percentage of the Lenders as shall be expressly provided for herein or in the other Loan Documents), provided that the Administrative Agent shall not be required to take any action that, in its opinion or the opinion of its counsel, may expose the Administrative Agent to liability or that is contrary to any Loan Document or Applicable Law, including, for the avoidance of doubt, any action that may be in violation of the automatic stay under any Debtor Relief Law or that may effect a forfeiture, modification or termination of property of a Defaulting Lender in violation of any Debtor Relief Law; and

 

(iii)       shall not, except as expressly set forth herein and in the other Loan Documents, have any duty to disclose, and shall not be liable for the failure to disclose, any information relating to any of the Borrowers or any of their respective Affiliates that is communicated to or obtained by the Person serving as the Administrative Agent or any of its Affiliates in any capacity.

 

(b)           Neither the Administrative Agent nor any of its Related Parties shall be liable for any action taken or not taken by the Administrative Agent under or in connection with this Agreement or any other Loan Document or the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby (i) with the consent or at the request of the Required Lenders (or such other number or percentage of the Lenders as shall be necessary), or as the Administrative Agent shall believe in good faith shall be necessary, under the circumstances as provided in Sections 11.01 and 8.02) or (ii) in the absence of its own gross negligence or willful misconduct as determined by a court of competent jurisdiction by final and nonappealable judgment. The Administrative Agent shall be deemed not to have knowledge of any Default unless and until notice describing such Default is given in writing to the Administrative Agent by Carpenter, a Lender or the L/C Issuer.

 

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(c)       Neither the Administrative Agent nor any of its Related Parties have any duty or obligation to any Lender or participant or any other Person to ascertain or inquire into (i) any statement, warranty or representation made in or in connection with this Agreement or any other Loan Document, (ii) the contents of any certificate, report or other document delivered hereunder or thereunder or in connection herewith or therewith, (iii) the performance or observance of any of the covenants, agreements or other terms or conditions set forth herein or therein or the occurrence of any Default, (iv) the satisfaction of any condition set forth in Article IV or elsewhere herein, other than to confirm receipt of items expressly required to be delivered to the Administrative Agent, or (v) the validity, enforceability, effectiveness or genuineness of this Agreement, any other Loan Document or any other agreement, instrument or document, or the creation, perfection or priority of any Lien purported to be created by the Collateral Documents.

 

9.04       Reliance by Administrative Agent, L/C Issuer and Lenders. The Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer and the Lenders shall be entitled to rely and act upon any notices (including, without limitation, telephonic or electronic notices, Committed Loan Notices, Letter of Credit Applications, Notice of Loan Prepayment and Swing Line Loan Notices) purportedly given by or on behalf of the proper Person even if (i) such notices were not made in a manner specified herein, were incomplete or were not preceded or followed by any other form of notice specified herein, or (ii) the terms thereof, as understood by the recipient, varied from any confirmation thereof. The Administrative Agent also may rely upon any statement made to it orally or by telephone and believed by it to have been made by the proper Person, and shall not incur any liability for relying thereon. In determining compliance with any condition hereunder to the making of a Loan, or the issuance, extension, renewal or increase of a Letter of Credit, that by its terms must be fulfilled to the satisfaction of a Lender or the L/C Issuer, the Administrative Agent may presume that such condition is satisfactory to such Lender or the L/C Issuer unless the Administrative Agent shall have received notice to the contrary from such Lender or the L/C Issuer prior to the making of such Loan or the issuance of such Letter of Credit. The Administrative Agent may consult with legal counsel (who may be counsel for Carpenter), independent accountants and other experts selected by it, and shall not be liable for any action taken or not taken by it in accordance with the advice of any such counsel, accountants or experts. For purposes of determining compliance with the conditions specified in Section 4.01, each Lender that has signed this Agreement shall be deemed to have consented to, approved or accepted or to be satisfied with, each document or other matter required thereunder to be consented to or approved by or acceptable or satisfactory to a Lender unless the Administrative Agent shall have received notice from such Lender prior to the proposed Closing Date specifying its objections. Carpenter shall indemnify the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer, each Lender and the Related Parties of each of them from all losses, costs, expenses and liabilities resulting from the reliance in good faith by such Person on each notice purportedly given by or on behalf of Carpenter or a Subsidiary Borrower. All telephonic notices to and other telephonic communications with the Administrative Agent may be recorded by the Administrative Agent, and each of the parties hereto hereby consents to such recording.

 

9.05       Delegation of Duties. The Administrative Agent may perform any and all of its duties and exercise its rights and powers hereunder or under any other Loan Document by or through any one or more sub agents appointed by the Administrative Agent. The Administrative Agent and any such sub agent may perform any and all of its duties and exercise its rights and powers by or through their respective Related Parties. The exculpatory provisions of this Article shall apply to any such sub agent and to the Related Parties of the Administrative Agent and any such sub agent, and shall apply to their respective activities in connection with the syndication of the credit facility provided for herein as well as activities as Administrative Agent. The Administrative Agent shall not be responsible for the negligence or misconduct of any sub-agents except to the extent that a court of competent jurisdiction determines in a final and non-appealable judgment that the Administrative Agent acted with gross negligence or willful misconduct in the selection of such sub-agents.

 

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9.06       Resignation of Administrative Agent.

 

(a)       The Administrative Agent may at any time give notice of its resignation to the Lenders, the L/C Issuer and Carpenter. Upon receipt of any such notice of resignation, the Required Lenders shall have the right, in consultation with Carpenter, to appoint a successor, which shall be a bank with an office in the United States, or an Affiliate of any such bank with an office in the United States. If no such successor shall have been so appointed by the Required Lenders and shall have accepted such appointment within thirty (30) days after the retiring Administrative Agent gives notice of its resignation (the “Resignation Effective Date”), then the retiring Administrative Agent may on behalf of the Lenders and the L/C Issuer, appoint a successor Administrative Agent meeting the qualifications set forth above; provided that in no event shall any successor Administrative Agent be a Defaulting Lender. Whether or not a successor has been appointed, such resignation shall become effective in accordance with such notice on the Resignation Effective Date.

 

(b)       With effect from the Resignation Effective Date (i) the retiring Administrative Agent shall be discharged from its duties and obligations hereunder and under the other Loan Documents (except that in the case of any collateral security held by the Administrative Agent on behalf of the Lenders or the L/C Issuer under any of the Loan Documents, the retiring Administrative Agent shall continue to hold such collateral security until such time as a successor Administrative Agent is appointed) and (ii) except for any indemnity payments or other amounts then owed to the retiring Administrative Agent, all payments, communications and determinations provided to be made by, to or through the Administrative Agent shall instead be made by or to each Lender and the L/C Issuer directly, until such time, if any, as the Required Lenders appoint a successor Administrative Agent as provided for above. Upon the acceptance of a successor’s appointment as Administrative Agent hereunder, such successor shall succeed to and become vested with all of the rights, powers, privileges and duties of the retiring Administrative Agent (other than as provided in Section 3.01(g) and other than any rights to indemnity payments or other amounts owed to the retiring Administrative Agent as of the Resignation Effective Date), and the retiring Administrative Agent shall be discharged from all of its duties and obligations hereunder or under the other Loan Documents (if not already discharged therefrom as provided above in this Section). The fees payable by Carpenter to a successor Administrative Agent shall be the same as those payable to its predecessor unless otherwise agreed between Carpenter and such successor. After the retiring Administrative Agent’s resignation hereunder and under the other Loan Documents, the provisions of this Article and Section 11.04 shall continue in effect for the benefit of such retiring Administrative Agent, its sub agents and their respective Related Parties in respect of any actions taken or omitted to be taken by any of them (i) while the retiring Administrative Agent was acting as Administrative Agent and (ii) after such resignation for as long as any of them continues to act in any capacity hereunder or under the other Loan Documents, including, without limitation, (1) acting as collateral agent or otherwise holding any collateral security on behalf of any of the Secured Parties and (2) in respect of any actions taken in connection with transferring the agency to any successor Administrative Agent.

 

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(c)          Any resignation by Bank of America as Administrative Agent pursuant to this Section shall also constitute its resignation as L/C Issuer and Swing Line Lender. If Bank of America resigns as an L/C Issuer, it shall retain all the rights, powers, privileges and duties of the L/C Issuer hereunder with respect to all Letters of Credit outstanding as of the effective date of its resignation as L/C Issuer and all L/C Obligations with respect thereto, including the right to require the Lenders to make Base Rate Loans or fund risk participations in Unreimbursed Amounts pursuant to Section 2.04(c). If Bank of America resigns as Swing Line Lender, it shall retain all the rights of the Swing Line Lender provided for hereunder with respect to Swing Line Loans made by it and outstanding as of the effective date of such resignation, including the right to require the Lenders to make Base Rate Loans or fund risk participations in outstanding Swing Line Loans pursuant to Section 2.05(c). Upon the appointment by Carpenter of a successor L/C Issuer or Swing Line Lender hereunder (which successor shall in all cases be a Lender other than a Defaulting Lender) and upon the acceptance of such successor’s appointment hereunder, (i) such successor shall succeed to and become vested with all of the rights, powers, privileges and duties of the retiring L/C Issuer and Swing Line Lender, (ii) the retiring L/C Issuer and Swing Line Lender shall be discharged from all of their respective duties and obligations hereunder or under the other Loan Documents, and (iii) the successor L/C Issuer shall issue letters of credit in substitution for the Letters of Credit, if any, outstanding at the time of such succession or make other arrangements satisfactory to the retiring L/C Issuer to effectively assume the obligations of the retiring L/C Issuer with respect to such Letters of Credit.

 

9.07       Non-Reliance on Administrative Agent and Other Lenders. Each Lender and the L/C Issuer acknowledges that it has, independently and without reliance upon the Administrative Agent or any other Lender or any of their Related Parties and based on such documents and information as it has deemed appropriate, made its own credit analysis and decision to enter into this Agreement. Each Lender and the L/C Issuer also acknowledges that it will, independently and without reliance upon the Administrative Agent or any other Lender or any of their Related Parties and based on such documents and information as it shall from time to time deem appropriate, continue to make its own decisions in taking or not taking action under or based upon this Agreement, any other Loan Document or any related agreement or any document furnished hereunder or thereunder.

 

9.08       No Other Duties, Etc. Anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding, none of the bookrunners, arrangers, syndications agents, documentation agents or co-agents shall have any powers, duties or responsibilities under this Agreement or any of the other Loan Documents, except in its capacity, as applicable, as the Administrative Agent, a Lender or the L/C Issuer hereunder.

 

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9.09       Administrative Agent May File Proofs of Claim.

 

(a)          In case of the pendency of any proceeding under any Debtor Relief Law or any other judicial proceeding relative to any Loan Party, the Administrative Agent (irrespective of whether the principal of any Loan or L/C Obligation shall then be due and payable as herein expressed or by declaration or otherwise and irrespective of whether the Administrative Agent shall have made any demand on any Borrower) shall be entitled and empowered, by intervention in such proceeding or otherwise:

 

(i)       to file and prove a claim for the whole amount of the principal and interest owing and unpaid in respect of the Loans, L/C Obligations and all other Secured Obligations that are owing and unpaid and to file such other documents as may be necessary or advisable in order to have the claims of the Lenders, the L/C Issuer and the Administrative Agent (including any claim for the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Lenders, the L/C Issuer and the Administrative Agent and their respective agents and counsel and all other amounts due the Lenders, the L/C Issuer and the Administrative Agent under Sections 2.04(h) and (i), 2.10 and 11.04) allowed in such judicial proceeding; and

 

(ii)      to collect and receive any monies or other property payable or deliverable on any such claims and to distribute the same;

 

and any custodian, receiver, assignee, trustee, liquidator, sequestrator or other similar official in any such judicial proceeding is hereby authorized by each Lender and the L/C Issuer to make such payments to the Administrative Agent and, in the event that the Administrative Agent shall consent to the making of such payments directly to the Lenders and the L/C Issuer, to pay to the Administrative Agent any amount due for the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Administrative Agent and its agents and counsel, and any other amounts due the Administrative Agent under Sections 2.10 and 11.04.

 

(b)          Nothing contained herein shall be deemed to authorize the Administrative Agent to authorize or consent to or accept or adopt on behalf of any Lender or the L/C Issuer any plan of reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or composition affecting the Secured Obligations or the rights of any Lender or the L/C Issuer to authorize the Administrative Agent to vote in respect of the claim of any Lender or the L/C Issuer in any such proceeding.

 

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(c)          The Secured Parties hereby irrevocably authorize the Administrative Agent, at the direction of the Required Lenders, to credit bid all or any portion of the Secured Obligations (including accepting some or all of the Collateral in satisfaction of some or all of the Secured Obligations pursuant to a deed in lieu of foreclosure or otherwise) and in such manner purchase (either directly or through one or more acquisition vehicles) all or any portion of the Collateral (i) at any sale thereof conducted under the provisions of the Bankruptcy Code of the United States, including under Sections 363, 1123 or 1129 of the Bankruptcy Code of the United States, or any similar Laws in any other jurisdictions to which a Loan Party is subject, (ii) at any other sale or foreclosure or acceptance of collateral in lieu of debt conducted by (or with the consent or at the direction of) the Administrative Agent (whether by judicial action or otherwise) in accordance with any Applicable Law. In connection with any such credit bid and purchase, the Secured Obligations owed to the Secured Parties shall be entitled to be, and shall be, credit bid on a ratable basis (with Secured Obligations with respect to contingent or unliquidated claims receiving contingent interests in the acquired assets on a ratable basis that would vest upon the liquidation of such claims in an amount proportional to the liquidated portion of the contingent claim amount used in allocating the contingent interests) in the asset or assets so purchased (or in the Equity Interests or debt instruments of the acquisition vehicle or vehicles that are used to consummate such purchase). In connection with any such bid (A) the Administrative Agent shall be authorized to form one or more acquisition vehicles to make a bid, (B) to adopt documents providing for the governance of the acquisition vehicle or vehicles (provided that any actions by the Administrative Agent with respect to such acquisition vehicle or vehicles, including any disposition of the assets or Equity Interests thereof shall be governed, directly or indirectly, by the vote of the Required Lenders, irrespective of the termination of this Agreement and without giving effect to the limitations on actions by the Required Lenders contained in clauses (a) through (i) of Section 11.01 of this Agreement), and (C) to the extent that Secured Obligations that are assigned to an acquisition vehicle are not used to acquire Collateral for any reason (as a result of another bid being higher or better, because the amount of Secured Obligations assigned to the acquisition vehicle exceeds the amount of debt credit bid by the acquisition vehicle or otherwise), such Secured Obligations shall automatically be reassigned to the Lenders pro rata and the Equity Interests and/or debt instruments issued by any acquisition vehicle on account of the Secured Obligations that had been assigned to the acquisition vehicle shall automatically be cancelled, without the need for any Secured Party or any acquisition vehicle to take any further action.

 

9.10       Collateral and Guaranty Matters.

 

(a)          Each of the Lenders (including in its capacities as a potential Cash Management Bank, potential Foreign Obligation Provider and a potential Hedge Bank) and the L/C Issuer irrevocably authorize the Administrative Agent, at its option and in its discretion,

 

(i)       to release any Lien on any property granted to or held by the Administrative Agent under any Loan Document (A) upon the Facility Termination Date, (B) that is sold or otherwise disposed of or to be sold or otherwise disposed of as part of or in connection with any sale or other disposition permitted hereunder or under any other Loan Document, or (C) if approved, authorized or ratified in writing by the Required Lenders in accordance with Section 11.01;

 

(ii)      to subordinate any Lien on any property granted to or held by the Administrative Agent under any Loan Document to the holder of any Lien on such property that is permitted by Section 7.01(i);

 

(iii)     to release any Guarantor from its obligations under the Guaranty if such Person ceases to be a Subsidiary as a result of a transaction permitted under the Loan Documents; and

 

(iv)     upon receipt of notice from Carpenter that it desires to terminate any Subsidiary Borrower’s or Subsidiary Guarantor’s status as Loan Party hereunder in accordance with the terms hereof, to take any action necessary to terminate any perfection documents related to the security interests in such entity’s assets created under the Security Agreement.

 

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(b)          Upon request by the Administrative Agent at any time, the Required Lenders will confirm in writing the Administrative Agent’s authority to release or subordinate its interest in particular types or items of property, or to release any Guarantor from its obligations under the Guaranty pursuant to this Section 9.10. In each case as specified in this Section 9.10, the Administrative Agent will, at the Borrower’s expense, execute and deliver to the applicable Loan Party such documents as such Loan Party may reasonably request to evidence the release of such item of Collateral from the assignment and security interest granted under the Collateral Documents or to subordinate its interest in such item, or to release such Guarantor from its obligations under the Guaranty, in each case in accordance with the terms of the Loan Documents and this Section 9.10.

 

9.11       Secured Cash Management Agreements; Secured Hedge Agreements; Foreign Obligation Loan Documents. Except as otherwise expressly set forth in the Guaranty or any Collateral Document, no Cash Management Bank, Foreign Obligation Provider or Hedge Bank that obtains the benefit of the provisions of Section 8.03, the Guaranty or any Collateral by virtue of the provisions hereof or any Collateral Document shall have any right to notice of any action or to consent to, direct or object to any action hereunder or under any other Loan Document, any Foreign Obligation Loan Documents or otherwise in respect of the Collateral (including the release or impairment of any Collateral) (or to notice of or to consent to any amendment, waiver or modification of the provisions hereof or of the Guaranty or any Collateral Document) other than in its capacity as a Lender and, in such case, only to the extent expressly provided in the Loan Documents or Foreign Obligation Loan Documents. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Article IX to the contrary, the Administrative Agent shall not be required to verify the payment of, or that other satisfactory arrangements have been made with respect to, Secured Obligations arising under Secured Cash Management Agreements, Foreign Obligation Loan Documents and Secured Hedge Agreements except to the extent expressly provided herein and unless the Administrative Agent has received a Secured Party Designation Notice of such Secured Obligations, together with such supporting documentation as the Administrative Agent may request, from the applicable Cash Management Bank, Foreign Obligation Provider or Hedge Bank, as the case may be. The Administrative Agent shall not be required to verify the payment of, or that other satisfactory arrangements have been made with respect to, Secured Obligations arising under Secured Cash Management Agreements, Secured Hedge Agreements or Foreign Obligation Loan Documents in the case of a Facility Termination Date.

 

9.12       Recovery of Erroneous Payments. Without limitation of any other provision in this Agreement, if at any time the Administrative Agent makes a payment hereunder in error to any Lender or the L/C Issuer (the “Credit Party”), whether or not in respect of a Secured Obligation due and owing by the Borrower at such time, where such payment is a Rescindable Amount, then in any such event, each Credit Party receiving a Rescindable Amount severally agrees to repay to the Administrative Agent forthwith on demand the Rescindable Amount received by such Credit Party in immediately available funds in the currency so received, with interest thereon, for each day from and including the date such Rescindable Amount is received by it to but excluding the date of payment to the Administrative Agent, at the greater of the Federal Funds Rate and a rate determined by the Administrative Agent in accordance with banking industry rules on interbank compensation. Each Credit Party irrevocably waives any and all defenses, including any “discharge for value” (under which a creditor might otherwise claim a right to retain funds mistakenly paid by a third party in respect of a debt owed by another) or similar defense to its obligation to return any Rescindable Amount. The Administrative Agent shall inform each Credit Party promptly upon determining that any payment made to such Credit Party comprised, in whole or in part, a Rescindable Amount.

 

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9.13       Certain ERISA Matters.

 

(a)          Each Lender (x) represents and warrants, as of the date such Person became a Lender party hereto, to, and (y) covenants, from the date such Person became a Lender party hereto to the date such Person ceases being a Lender party hereto, for the benefit of, the Administrative Agent and not, for the avoidance of doubt, to or for the benefit of Carpenter or any other Loan Party, that at least one of the following is and will be true:

 

(i)       such Lender is not using “plan assets” (within the meaning of Section 3(42) of ERISA or otherwise) of one or more Benefit Plans with respect to such Lender’s entrance into, participation in, administration of and performance of the Loans, the Letters of Credit, the Commitments or this Agreement,

 

(ii)      the transaction exemption set forth in one or more PTEs, such as PTE 84-14 (a class exemption for certain transactions determined by independent qualified professional asset managers), PTE 95-60 (a class exemption for certain transactions involving insurance company general accounts), PTE 90-1 (a class exemption for certain transactions involving insurance company pooled separate accounts), PTE 91-38 (a class exemption for certain transactions involving bank collective investment funds) or PTE 96-23 (a class exemption for certain transactions determined by in-house asset managers), is applicable with respect to such Lender’s entrance into, participation in, administration of and performance of the Loans, the Letters of Credit, the Commitments and this Agreement,

 

(iii)     (A) such Lender is an investment fund managed by a “Qualified Professional Asset Manager” (within the meaning of Part VI of PTE 84-14), (B) such Qualified Professional Asset Manager made the investment decision on behalf of such Lender to enter into, participate in, administer and perform the Loans, the Letters of Credit, the Commitments and this Agreement, (C) the entrance into, participation in, administration of and performance of the Loans, the Letters of Credit, the Commitments and this Agreement satisfies the requirements of sub-sections (b) through (g) of Part I of PTE 84-14 and (D) to the best knowledge of such Lender, the requirements of subsection (a) of Part I of PTE 84-14 are satisfied with respect to such Lender’s entrance into, participation in, administration of and performance of the Loans, the Letters of Credit, the Commitments and this Agreement, or

 

(iv)    such other representation, warranty and covenant as may be agreed in writing between the Administrative Agent, in its sole discretion, and such Lender.

 

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(b)          In addition, unless either (1) clause (i) in the immediately preceding clause (a) is true with respect to a Lender or (2) a Lender has provided another representation, warranty and covenant in accordance with clause (iv) in the immediately preceding clause (a), such Lender further (x) represents and warrants, as of the date such Person became a Lender party hereto, to, and (y) covenants, from the date such Person became a Lender party hereto to the date such Person ceases being a Lender party hereto, for the benefit of, the Administrative Agent and not, for the avoidance of doubt, to or for the benefit of Carpenter or any other Loan Party, that the Administrative Agent is not a fiduciary with respect to the assets of such Lender involved in such Lender’s entrance into, participation in, administration of and performance of the Loans, the Letters of Credit, the Commitments and this Agreement (including in connection with the reservation or exercise of any rights by the Administrative Agent under this Agreement, any Loan Document or any documents related hereto or thereto).

 

ARTICLE X
CONTINUING GUARANTY

 

10.01     Guaranty. Each Guarantor hereby absolutely and unconditionally, jointly and severally guarantees (for the avoidance of doubt, subject to Section 2.15(b)), as primary obligor and as a guaranty of payment and performance and not merely as a guaranty of collection, prompt payment when due, whether at stated maturity, by required prepayment, upon acceleration, demand or otherwise, and at all times thereafter, of any and all Secured Obligations (for each Guarantor, subject to the proviso in this sentence, its “Guaranteed Obligations”); provided that (a) the Guaranteed Obligations of a Guarantor shall exclude any Excluded Swap Obligations with respect to such Guarantor, (b) Guarantors that are Foreign Subsidiaries shall jointly and severally guarantee only Secured Obligations owing from Foreign Subsidiaries, unless such joint liability will result in a material adverse tax consequent to any Borrower or any Subsidiary and (c) the liability of each Guarantor individually with respect to this Guaranty shall be limited to an aggregate amount equal to the largest amount that would not render its obligations hereunder subject to avoidance under Section 548 of the Bankruptcy Code of the United States or any comparable provisions of any applicable state law or other Applicable Law. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Guaranteed Obligations shall include any such indebtedness, obligations, and liabilities, or portion thereof, which may be or hereafter become unenforceable or compromised or shall be an allowed or disallowed claim under any proceeding or case commenced by or against any debtor under any Debtor Relief Laws. The Administrative Agent’s books and records showing the amount of the Obligations shall be admissible in evidence in any action or proceeding, and shall be binding upon each Guarantor, and conclusive for the purpose of establishing the amount of the Secured Obligations. This Guaranty shall not be affected by the genuineness, validity, regularity or enforceability of the Secured Obligations or any instrument or agreement evidencing any Secured Obligations, or by the existence, validity, enforceability, perfection, non-perfection or extent of any collateral therefor, or by any fact or circumstance relating to the Secured Obligations which might otherwise constitute a defense to the obligations of the Guarantors, or any of them, under this Guaranty, and each Guarantor hereby irrevocably waives any defenses it may now have or hereafter acquire in any way relating to any or all of the foregoing.

 

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10.02    Rights of Lenders. Each Guarantor consents and agrees that the Secured Parties may, at any time and from time to time, without notice or demand, and without affecting the enforceability or continuing effectiveness hereof: (a) amend, extend, renew, compromise, discharge, accelerate or otherwise change the time for payment or the terms of the Secured Obligations or any part thereof; (b) take, hold, exchange, enforce, waive, release, fail to perfect, sell, or otherwise dispose of any security for the payment of this Guaranty or any Secured Obligations; (c) apply such security and direct the order or manner of sale thereof as the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer and the Lenders in their sole discretion may determine; and (d) release or substitute one or more of any endorsers or other guarantors of any of the Secured Obligations. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, each Guarantor consents to the taking of, or failure to take, any action which might in any manner or to any extent vary the risks of such Guarantor under this Guaranty or which, but for this provision, might operate as a discharge of such Guarantor.

 

10.03    Certain Waivers. Each Guarantor waives (a) any defense arising by reason of any disability or other defense of any Borrower or any other guarantor, or the cessation from any cause whatsoever (including any act or omission of any Secured Party) of the liability of the Borrowers or any other Loan Party; (b) any defense based on any claim that such Guarantor’s obligations exceed or are more burdensome than those of any Borrower or any other Loan Party; (c) the benefit of any statute of limitations affecting any Guarantor’s liability hereunder; (d) any right to proceed against any Borrower or any other Loan Party, proceed against or exhaust any security for the Secured Obligations, or pursue any other remedy in the power of any Secured Party whatsoever; (e) any benefit of and any right to participate in any security now or hereafter held by any Secured Party; and (f) to the fullest extent permitted by law, any and all other defenses or benefits that may be derived from or afforded by Applicable Law limiting the liability of or exonerating guarantors or sureties. Each Guarantor expressly waives all setoffs and counterclaims and all presentments, demands for payment or performance, notices of nonpayment or nonperformance, protests, notices of protest, notices of dishonor and all other notices or demands of any kind or nature whatsoever with respect to the Secured Obligations, and all notices of acceptance of this Guaranty or of the existence, creation or incurrence of new or additional Secured Obligations.

 

10.04    Obligations Independent. The obligations of each Guarantor hereunder are those of primary obligor, and not merely as surety, and are independent of the Secured Obligations and the obligations of any other guarantor, and a separate action may be brought against each Guarantor to enforce this Guaranty whether or not any Borrower or any other person or entity is joined as a party.

 

10.05    Subrogation. No Guarantor shall exercise any right of subrogation, contribution, indemnity, reimbursement or similar rights with respect to any payments it makes under this Guaranty until all of the Secured Obligations and any amounts payable under this Guaranty have been indefeasibly paid and performed in full and the Facility Termination Date has occurred. If any amounts are paid to a Guarantor in violation of the foregoing limitation, then such amounts shall be held in trust for the benefit of the Secured Parties and shall forthwith be paid to the Secured Parties to reduce the amount of the Secured Obligations, whether matured or unmatured.

 

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10.06     Termination; Reinstatement. This Guaranty is a continuing and irrevocable guaranty of all Secured Obligations now or hereafter existing and shall remain in full force and effect until the Facility Termination Date. Notwithstanding the foregoing, this Guaranty shall continue in full force and effect or be revived, as the case may be, if any payment by or on behalf of any Borrower or any Guarantor is made, or any of the Secured Parties exercises its right of setoff, in respect of the Secured Obligations and such payment or the proceeds of such setoff or any part thereof is subsequently invalidated, declared to be fraudulent or preferential, set aside or required (including pursuant to any settlement entered into by any of the Secured Parties in their discretion) to be repaid to a trustee, receiver or any other party, in connection with any proceeding under any Debtor Relief Laws or otherwise, all as if such payment had not been made or such setoff had not occurred and whether or not the Secured Parties are in possession of or have released this Guaranty and regardless of any prior revocation, rescission, termination or reduction. The obligations of each Guarantor under this Section 10.06 shall survive termination of this Guaranty.

 

10.07     Stay of Acceleration. If acceleration of the time for payment of any of the Secured Obligations is stayed, in connection with any case commenced by or against any Guarantor or any Borrower under any Debtor Relief Laws, or otherwise, all such amounts shall nonetheless be payable by each Guarantor, jointly and severally, immediately upon demand by the Secured Parties.

 

10.08    Condition of Borrowers. Each Guarantor acknowledges and agrees that it has the sole responsibility for, and has adequate means of, obtaining from the Borrowers and any other guarantor such information concerning the financial condition, business and operations of the Borrowers and any such other guarantor as such Guarantor requires, and that none of the Secured Parties has any duty, and such Guarantor is not relying on the Secured Parties at any time, to disclose to it any information relating to the business, operations or financial condition of the Borrowers or any other guarantor (each Guarantor waiving any duty on the part of the Secured Parties to disclose such information and any defense relating to the failure to provide the same).

 

10.09     Appointment of Borrower. Each of the Loan Parties hereby appoints Carpenter to act as its agent for all purposes of this Agreement, the other Loan Documents and all other documents and electronic platforms entered into in connection herewith and agrees that (a) Carpenter may execute such documents and provide such authorizations on behalf of such Loan Parties as Carpenter deems appropriate in its sole discretion and each Loan Party shall be obligated by all of the terms of any such document and/or authorization executed on its behalf, (b) any notice or communication delivered by the Administrative Agent, L/C Issuer or a Lender to Carpenter shall be deemed delivered to each Loan Party and (c) the Administrative Agent, L/C Issuer or the Lenders may accept, and be permitted to rely on, any document, authorization, instrument or agreement executed by Carpenter on behalf of each of the Loan Parties.

 

10.10     Right of Contribution. The Guarantors agree among themselves that, in connection with payments made hereunder, each Guarantor shall have contribution rights against the other Guarantors as permitted under Applicable Law.

 

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10.11    Keepwell. Each Loan Party that is a Qualified ECP Guarantor at the time the Guaranty or the grant of a Lien under the Loan Documents, in each case, by any Specified Loan Party becomes effective with respect to any Swap Obligation, hereby jointly and severally, absolutely, unconditionally and irrevocably undertakes to provide such funds or other support to each Specified Loan Party with respect to such Swap Obligation as may be needed by such Specified Loan Party from time to time to honor all of its obligations under the Loan Documents in respect of such Swap Obligation (but, in each case, only up to the maximum amount of such liability that can be hereby incurred without rendering such Qualified ECP Guarantor’s obligations and undertakings under this Article X voidable under Applicable Law relating to fraudulent conveyance or fraudulent transfer, and not for any greater amount). The obligations and undertakings of each Qualified ECP Guarantor under this Section 10.11 shall remain in full force and effect until the Secured Obligations have been indefeasibly paid and performed in full. Each Loan Party intends this Section 10.11 to constitute, and this Section 10.11 shall be deemed to constitute, a guarantee of the obligations of, and a “keepwell, support, or other agreement” for the benefit of, each Specified Loan Party for all purposes of the Commodity Exchange Act.

 

10.12     Additional Guarantors.

 

(a)          To the extent Carpenter desires to have the Receivables and Inventory of any Domestic Subsidiary be included in the Asset Coverage Ratio, Carpenter shall cause such Domestic Subsidiary to become a Guarantor hereunder (each a “Subsidiary Guarantor”) by executing and delivering to the Administrative Agent a Joinder Agreement in the form of Exhibit K.

 

(b)          Carpenter may from time to time, upon not less than fifteen (15) Business Days’ written notice from Carpenter to the Administrative Agent (or such shorter period as may be agreed by the Administrative Agent in its sole discretion), terminate a Domestic Subsidiary’s status as a Subsidiary Guarantor; provided that, after giving pro forma effect to any such termination, Carpenter shall be in pro forma compliance on the date of such termination with the financial covenants set forth in Section 7.12. Any Receivables and Inventory of such Subsidiary Guarantor shall, as of the effective date of such termination, no longer be included in the Asset Coverage Ratio. The Administrative Agent will promptly notify the Lenders of any such termination of a Subsidiary Guarantor’s status and such Subsidiary Guarantor shall be automatically released from any obligations under any Guaranty or any other Loan Document without further action by Carpenter or the Administrative Agent.

 

ARTICLE XI
MISCELLANEOUS

 

11.01     Amendments, Etc. No amendment or waiver of any provision of this Agreement or any other Loan Document, and no consent to any departure by Carpenter or any other Borrower therefrom, shall be effective unless in writing signed by the Required Lenders and Carpenter or the applicable Borrower, as the case may be, and acknowledged by the Administrative Agent, and each such waiver or consent shall be effective only in the specific instance and for the specific purpose for which given; provided, however, that no such amendment, waiver or consent shall:

 

(a)          waive any condition set forth in Section 4.01(a) or Section 4.01(b) without the written consent of each Lender;

 

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(b)          extend or increase the Commitment of any Lender (or reinstate any Commitment terminated pursuant to Section 8.02) without the written consent of such Lender;

 

(c)          postpone any date fixed by this Agreement or any other Loan Document for any payment (excluding mandatory prepayments) of principal, interest, fees or other amounts due to the Lenders (or any of them) or any scheduled or mandatory reduction of the Aggregate Commitments hereunder or under any other Loan Document without the written consent of each Lender directly affected thereby;

 

(d)          reduce the principal of, or the rate of interest specified herein on, any Loan or L/C Borrowing, or (subject to clause (iv) of the second proviso to this Section 11.01) any fees or other amounts payable hereunder or under any other Loan Document without the written consent of each Lender directly affected thereby; provided, however, that only the consent of the Required Lenders shall be necessary (i) to amend the definition of “Default Rate” or to waive any obligation of any Borrower to pay interest or Letter of Credit Fees at the Default Rate or (ii) to amend any financial covenant hereunder (or any defined term used therein) even if the effect of such amendment would be to reduce the rate of interest on any Loan or L/C Borrowing or to reduce any fee payable hereunder;

 

(e)          without the written consent of each directly Lender directly affected thereby, amend or modify Section 2.15 or Section 8.03 in any manner or change Section 2.14 or any other provision hereof in a manner that would have the effect of (i) altering the ratable reduction of Commitments or the pro rata sharing of payments otherwise required hereunder, (ii) subordinating the Liens securing the Secured Obligations to Liens securing other Indebtedness (except as otherwise provided in Section 9.10), or (iii) subordinating the Secured Obligations hereunder to any other Indebtedness or other obligation;

 

(f)           amend Section 1.06 or the definition of “Alternative Currency” without the written consent of each Lender and the L/C Issuer;

 

(g)          change any provision of this Section or the definition of “Required Lenders” or any other provision hereof specifying the number or percentage of Lenders required to amend, waive or otherwise modify any rights hereunder or make any determination or grant any consent hereunder without the written consent of each Lender;

 

(h)          release the Guarantors from the guaranty given pursuant to Article X without the written consent of each Lender; or

 

(i)           release all or substantially all of the Collateral in any transaction or series of related transactions, without the written consent of each Lender;

 

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and, provided further, that (i) no amendment, waiver or consent shall, unless in writing and signed by the L/C Issuer in addition to the Lenders required above, affect the rights or duties of the L/C Issuer under this Agreement or any Issuer Document relating to any Letter of Credit issued or to be issued by it; (ii) no amendment, waiver or consent shall, unless in writing and signed by the Swing Line Lender in addition to the Lenders required above, affect the rights or duties of the Swing Line Lender under this Agreement; (iii) no amendment, waiver or consent shall, unless in writing and signed by the Administrative Agent in addition to the Lenders required above, affect the rights or duties of the Administrative Agent under this Agreement or any other Loan Document; and (iv) the Bank of America Fee Letter may be amended, or rights or privileges thereunder waived, in a writing executed only by the parties thereto. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, no Defaulting Lender shall have any right to approve or disapprove any amendment, waiver or consent hereunder (and any amendment, waiver or consent which by its terms requires the consent of all Lenders or each affected Lender may be effected with the consent of the applicable Lenders other than Defaulting Lenders), except that (x) the Commitment of any Defaulting Lender may not be increased or extended without the consent of such Lender and (y) any waiver, amendment or modification requiring the consent of all Lenders or each affected Lender that by its terms affects any Defaulting Lender more adversely than other affected Lenders shall require the consent of such Defaulting Lender.

 

Notwithstanding any provision herein to the contrary, this Agreement may be amended with the written consent of the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer, the Borrowers and the Lenders affected thereby to amend the definition of “Alternative Currency” or “Eurocurrency Rate” or Section 1.06 solely to add additional currency options and the applicable interest rate with respect thereto, in each case solely to the extent permitted pursuant to Section 1.06.

 

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, this Agreement may be amended and restated without the consent of any Lender (but with the consent of the Loan Parties and the Administrative Agent) if, upon giving effect to such amendment and restatement, such Lender shall no longer be a party to this Agreement (as so amended and restated), the Commitments of such Lender shall have terminated, such Lender shall have no other commitment or other obligation hereunder and shall have been paid in full all principal, interest and other amounts owing to it or accrued for its account under this Agreement.

 

11.02       Notices; Effectiveness; Electronic Communication.

 

(a)       Notices Generally. Except in the case of notices and other communications expressly permitted to be given by telephone (and except as provided in subsection (b) below), all notices and other communications provided for herein shall be in writing and shall be delivered by hand or overnight courier service, mailed by certified or registered mail or sent by telecopier as follows, and all notices and other communications expressly permitted hereunder to be given by telephone shall be made to the applicable telephone number, as follows:

 

(i)       if to a Borrower or any other Loan Party, the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer or the Swing Line Lender, to the address, telecopier number, electronic mail address or telephone number specified for such Person on Schedule 11.02; and

 

(ii)       if to any other Lender, to the address, telecopier number, electronic mail address or telephone number specified in its Administrative Questionnaire (including, as appropriate, notices delivered solely to the Person designated by a Lender on its Administrative Questionnaire then in effect for the delivery of notices that may contain material non-public information relating to the Borrowers).

 

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Notices and other communications sent by hand or overnight courier service, or mailed by certified or registered mail, shall be deemed to have been given when received; notices and other communications sent by telecopier shall be deemed to have been given when sent (except that, if not given during normal business hours for the recipient, shall be deemed to have been given at the opening of business on the next business day for the recipient). Notices and other communications delivered through electronic communications to the extent provided in subsection (b) below, shall be effective as provided in such subsection (b).

 

(b)       Electronic Communications. Notices and other communications to the Lenders and the L/C Issuer hereunder may be delivered or furnished by electronic communication (including e mail and Internet or intranet websites) pursuant to procedures approved by the Administrative Agent, provided that the foregoing shall not apply to notices to any Lender or the L/C Issuer pursuant to Article II if such Lender or the L/C Issuer, as applicable, has notified the Administrative Agent that it is incapable of receiving notices under such Article by electronic communication. The Administrative Agent or Carpenter may, in its discretion, agree to accept notices and other communications to it hereunder by electronic communications pursuant to procedures approved by it, provided that approval of such procedures may be limited to particular notices or communications.

 

Unless the Administrative Agent otherwise prescribes, (i) notices and other communications sent to an e-mail address shall be deemed received upon the sender’s receipt of an acknowledgement from the intended recipient (such as by the “return receipt requested” function, as available, return e-mail or other written acknowledgement), provided that if such notice or other communication is not sent during the normal business hours of the recipient, such notice or communication shall be deemed to have been sent at the opening of business on the next business day for the recipient, and (ii) notices or communications posted to an Internet or intranet website shall be deemed received upon the deemed receipt by the intended recipient at its e-mail address as described in the foregoing clause (i) of notification that such notice or communication is available and identifying the website address therefor.

 

(c)       The Platform. THE PLATFORM IS PROVIDED “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE.” THE AGENT PARTIES (AS DEFINED BELOW) DO NOT WARRANT THE ACCURACY OR COMPLETENESS OF THE BORROWER MATERIALS OR THE ADEQUACY OF THE PLATFORM, AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIM LIABILITY FOR ERRORS IN OR OMISSIONS FROM THE BORROWER MATERIALS. NO WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, INCLUDING ANY WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, NON-INFRINGEMENT OF THIRD PARTY RIGHTS OR FREEDOM FROM VIRUSES OR OTHER CODE DEFECTS, IS MADE BY ANY AGENT PARTY IN CONNECTION WITH THE BORROWER MATERIALS OR THE PLATFORM. In no event shall the Administrative Agent or any of its Related Parties (collectively, the “Agent Parties”) have any liability to any Borrower, any Lender, the L/C Issuer or any other Person for losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses of any kind (whether in tort, contract or otherwise) arising out of any Borrower’s, any Loan Party’s or the Administrative Agent’s transmission of Borrower Materials through the Internet, except to the extent that such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses are determined by a court of competent jurisdiction by a final and nonappealable judgment to have resulted from the gross negligence or willful misconduct of such Agent Party; provided, however, that in no event shall any Agent Party have any liability to any Borrower, any Loan Party, any Lender, the L/C Issuer or any other Person for indirect, special, incidental, consequential or punitive damages (as opposed to direct or actual damages).

 

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(d)       Change of Address, Etc. Each of the Borrowers, the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer and the Swing Line Lender may change its address, telecopier or telephone number for notices and other communications hereunder by notice to the other parties hereto. Each other Lender may change its address, telecopier or telephone number for notices and other communications hereunder by notice to Carpenter, the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer and the Swing Line Lender. In addition, each Lender agrees to notify the Administrative Agent from time to time to ensure that the Administrative Agent has on record (i) an effective address, contact name, telephone number, telecopier number and electronic mail address to which notices and other communications may be sent and (ii) accurate wire instructions for such Lender. Furthermore, each Public Lender agrees to cause at least one individual at or on behalf of such Public Lender to at all times have selected the “Private Side Information” or similar designation on the content declaration screen of the Platform in order to enable such Public Lender or its delegate, in accordance with such Public Lender’s compliance procedures and Applicable Law, including United States Federal and state securities laws, to make reference to Borrower Materials that are not made available through the “Public Side Information” portion of the Platform and that may contain material non-public information with respect to Carpenter or its securities for purposes of United States Federal or state securities laws.

 

(e)       Reliance by Administrative Agent, L/C Issuer and Lenders. The Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer and the Lenders shall be entitled to rely and act upon any notices (including telephonic Committed Loan Notices and Swing Line Loan Notices) purportedly given by or on behalf of any Borrower even if (i) such notices were not made in a manner specified herein, were incomplete or were not preceded or followed by any other form of notice specified herein, or (ii) the terms thereof, as understood by the recipient, varied from any confirmation thereof. The Loan Parties shall indemnify the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer, each Lender and the Related Parties of each of them from all losses, costs, expenses and liabilities resulting from the reliance by such Person on each notice purportedly given by or on behalf of any Borrower. All telephonic notices to and other telephonic communications with the Administrative Agent may be recorded by the Administrative Agent, and each of the parties hereto hereby consents to such recording.

 

11.03       No Waiver; Cumulative Remedies; Enforcement. No failure by any Lender or the Administrative Agent to exercise, and no delay by any such Person in exercising, any right, remedy, power or privilege hereunder shall operate as a waiver thereof; nor shall any single or partial exercise of any right, remedy, power or privilege hereunder preclude any other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right, remedy, power or privilege. The rights, remedies, powers and privileges herein provided are cumulative and not exclusive of any rights, remedies, powers and privileges provided by law.

 

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Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein or in any other Loan Document, the authority to enforce rights and remedies hereunder and under the other Loan Documents against the Loan Parties or any of them shall be vested exclusively in, and all actions and proceedings at law in connection with such enforcement shall be instituted and maintained exclusively by, the Administrative Agent in accordance with Section 8.02 for the benefit of all the Lenders and the L/C Issuer; provided, however, that the foregoing shall not prohibit (a) the Administrative Agent from exercising on its own behalf the rights and remedies that inure to its benefit (solely in its capacity as Administrative Agent) hereunder and under the other Loan Documents, (b) the L/C Issuer or the Swing Line Lender from exercising the rights and remedies that inure to its benefit (solely in its capacity as L/C Issuer or Swing Line Lender, as the case may be) hereunder and under the other Loan Documents, (c) any Lender from exercising setoff rights in accordance with Section 11.08 (subject to the terms of Section 2.14), or (d) any Lender from filing proofs of claim or appearing and filing pleadings on its own behalf during the pendency of a proceeding relative to any Loan Party under any Debtor Relief Law; and provided, further, that if at any time there is no Person acting as Administrative Agent hereunder and under the other Loan Documents, then (i) the Required Lenders shall have the rights otherwise ascribed to the Administrative Agent pursuant to Section 8.02 and (ii) in addition to the matters set forth in clauses (b), (c) and (d) of the preceding proviso and subject to Section 2.14, any Lender may, with the consent of the Required Lenders, enforce any rights and remedies available to it and as authorized by the Required Lenders.

 

11.04       Expenses; Indemnity; Damage Waiver.

 

(a)       Costs and Expenses. Carpenter shall pay (i) all reasonable out of pocket expenses incurred by the Administrative Agent and its Affiliates (including the reasonable fees, charges and disbursements of counsel for the Administrative Agent), in connection with the syndication of the credit facilities provided for herein, the preparation, negotiation, execution, delivery and administration of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents or any amendments, modifications or waivers of the provisions hereof or thereof (whether or not the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby shall be consummated), (ii) all reasonable out of pocket expenses incurred by the L/C Issuer in connection with the issuance, amendment, renewal or extension of any Letter of Credit or any demand for payment thereunder and (iii) all out of pocket expenses incurred by the Administrative Agent, any Lender or the L/C Issuer (including the fees, charges and disbursements of any counsel for the Administrative Agent, any Lender or the L/C Issuer), in connection with the enforcement or protection of its rights (A) in connection with this Agreement and the other Loan Documents, including its rights under this Section, or (B) in connection with the Loans made or Letters of Credit issued hereunder, including all such out of pocket expenses incurred during any workout, restructuring or negotiations in respect of such Loans or Letters of Credit.

 

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(b)       Indemnification by Carpenter. Carpenter shall indemnify the Administrative Agent (and any sub-agent thereof), each Lender and the L/C Issuer, and each Related Party of any of the foregoing Persons (each such Person being called an “Indemnitee”) against, and hold each Indemnitee harmless from, any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities and related expenses (limited, in the case of legal counsel, to the reasonable fees and expenses of one primary legal counsel to the Indemnitees, taken as a whole (or in the case of an actual or asserted conflict of interest by an Indemnitee, additional counsel to the affected Indemnitees)), incurred by any Indemnitee or asserted against any Indemnitee by any third party or by any Loan Party arising out of, in connection with, or as a result of (i) the execution or delivery of this Agreement, any other Loan Document or any agreement or instrument contemplated hereby or thereby, the performance by the parties hereto of their respective obligations hereunder or thereunder, the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby, or, in the case of the Administrative Agent (and any sub-agent thereof) and its Related Parties only, the administration of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents (including in respect of any matters addressed in Section 3.01), (ii) any Loan or Letter of Credit or the use or proposed use of the proceeds therefrom (including any refusal by the L/C Issuer to honor a demand for payment under a Letter of Credit if the documents presented in connection with such demand do not strictly comply with the terms of such Letter of Credit), (iii) any actual or alleged presence or release of Hazardous Materials on or from any property owned or operated by any Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, or any Environmental Liability related in any way to any Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, or (iv) any actual or prospective claim, litigation, investigation or proceeding relating to any of the foregoing, whether based on contract, tort or any other theory, whether brought by a third party or by Carpenter or any other Loan Party, and regardless of whether any Indemnitee is a party thereto; provided that such indemnity shall not, as to any Indemnitee, be available (x) to the extent that such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or related expenses (i) are determined by a court of competent jurisdiction by final and nonappealable judgment to have resulted from the gross negligence or willful misconduct of such Indemnitee (or any of its Related Parties) or (ii) result from a claim brought by Carpenter or any other Loan Party against an Indemnitee for breach in bad faith of such Indemnitee’s obligations hereunder or under any other Loan Document, if Carpenter or such other Loan Party has obtained a final and nonappealable judgment in its favor on such claim as determined by a court of competent jurisdiction or (y) in the case of disputes solely between or among Indemnitees and not relating to or in connection with acts or omissions by any Borrower, any other Loan Party or any of their respective Affiliates, except that in the event of such dispute involving a claim or proceeding brought against the Administrative Agent or the Arrangers (in each case, in its capacity as such) by the other Indemnitees, such indemnity shall be available to the Administrative Agent or the Arrangers (in each case, in its capacity as such), as applicable (subject to the other limitations and exceptions set forth in this proviso). Without limiting the provisions of Section 3.01, this Section 11.04(b) shall not apply to any Taxes other than Taxes that represent losses, claims, damages, etc. arising from any non-Tax claim.

 

(c)       Reimbursement by Lenders. To the extent that Carpenter for any reason fails to indefeasibly pay any amount required under subsection (a) or (b) of this Section to be paid by it to the Administrative Agent (or any sub-agent thereof), the L/C Issuer, the Swing Line Lender or any Related Party of any of the foregoing, each Lender severally agrees to pay to the Administrative Agent (or any such sub-agent), the L/C Issuer, the Swing Line Lender or such Related Party, as the case may be, such Lender’s Applicable Percentage (determined as of the time that the applicable unreimbursed expense or indemnity payment is sought) of such unpaid amount, provided that the unreimbursed expense or indemnified loss, claim, damage, liability or related expense, as the case may be, was incurred by or asserted against the Administrative Agent (or any such sub-agent), the L/C Issuer or the Swing Line Lender in its capacity as such, or against any Related Party of any of the foregoing acting for the Administrative Agent (or any such sub-agent), the L/C Issuer or the Swing Line Lender in connection with such capacity. The obligations of the Lenders under this subsection (c) are subject to the provisions of Section 2.13(d).

 

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(d)       Waiver of Consequential Damages, Etc. To the fullest extent permitted by Applicable Law, no party hereto shall assert, and hereby waives, any claim against any Indemnitee, on any theory of liability, for special, indirect, consequential or punitive damages (as opposed to direct or actual damages) arising out of, in connection with, or as a result of, this Agreement, any other Loan Document or any agreement or instrument contemplated hereby, the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby, any Loan or Letter of Credit or the use of the proceeds thereof. No Indemnitee referred to in subsection (b) above shall be liable for any damages arising from the use by unintended recipients of any information or other materials distributed to such unintended recipients by such Indemnitee through telecommunications, electronic or other information transmission systems in connection with this Agreement or the other Loan Documents or the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby other than for direct or actual damages resulting from the gross negligence or willful misconduct of such Indemnitee as determined by a final and nonappealable judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction.

 

(e)       Payments. All amounts due under this Section shall be payable not later than ten Business Days after demand therefor.

 

(f)       Survival. The agreements in this Section and the indemnity provisions of Section 11.02(e) shall survive the resignation of the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer and the Swing Line Lender, the replacement of any Lender, the termination of the Aggregate Commitments and the repayment, satisfaction or discharge of all the other Obligations.

 

11.05       Payments Set Aside. To the extent that any payment by or on behalf of any Borrower is made to the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer or any Lender, or the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer or any Lender exercises its right of setoff, and such payment or the proceeds of such setoff or any part thereof is subsequently invalidated, declared to be fraudulent or preferential, set aside or required (including pursuant to any settlement entered into by the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer or such Lender in its discretion) to be repaid to a trustee, receiver or any other party, in connection with any proceeding under any Debtor Relief Law or otherwise, then (a) to the extent of such recovery, the obligation or part thereof originally intended to be satisfied shall be revived and continued in full force and effect as if such payment had not been made or such setoff had not occurred, and (b) each Lender and the L/C Issuer severally agrees to pay to the Administrative Agent upon demand its applicable share (without duplication) of any amount so recovered from or repaid by the Administrative Agent, plus interest thereon from the date of such demand to the date such payment is made at a rate per annum equal to the applicable Overnight Rate from time to time in effect, in the applicable currency of such recovery or payment. The obligations of the Lenders and the L/C Issuer under clause (b) of the preceding sentence shall survive the payment in full of the Obligations and the termination of this Agreement.

 

11.06       Successors and Assigns.

 

(a)       Successors and Assigns Generally. The provisions of this Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns permitted hereby, except that neither any Borrower nor any other Loan Parties may assign or otherwise transfer any of its rights or obligations hereunder without the prior written consent of the Administrative Agent and each Lender and no Lender may assign or otherwise transfer any of its rights or obligations hereunder except (i) to an assignee in accordance with the provisions of subsection (b) of this Section, (ii) by way of participation in accordance with the provisions of subsection (d) of this Section or (iii) by way of pledge or assignment of a security interest subject to the restrictions of subsection (e) of this Section (and any other attempted assignment or transfer by any party hereto shall be null and void). Nothing in this Agreement, expressed or implied, shall be construed to confer upon any Person (other than the parties hereto, their respective successors and assigns permitted hereby, Participants to the extent provided in subsection (d) of this Section and, to the extent expressly contemplated hereby, the Related Parties of each of the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer and the Lenders) any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or by reason of this Agreement.

 

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(b)       Assignments by Lenders. Any Lender may at any time assign to one or more assignees all or a portion of its rights and obligations under this Agreement (including all or a portion of its Commitment and the Loans (including for purposes of this subsection (b), participations in L/C Obligations and in Swing Line Loans) at the time owing to it); provided that any such assignment shall be subject to the following conditions:

 

(i)       Minimum Amounts.

 

(A)       in the case of an assignment of the entire remaining amount of the assigning Lender’s Commitment and the Loans at the time owing to it or in the case of an assignment to a Lender, an Affiliate of a Lender or an Approved Fund, no minimum amount need be assigned; and

 

(B)       in any case not described in subsection (b)(i)(A) of this Section, the aggregate amount of the Commitment (which for this purpose includes Loans outstanding thereunder) or, if the Commitment is not then in effect, the principal outstanding balance of the Loans of the assigning Lender subject to each such assignment, determined as of the date the Assignment and Assumption with respect to such assignment is delivered to the Administrative Agent or, if “Trade Date” is specified in the Assignment and Assumption, as of the Trade Date, shall not be less than $5,000,000 unless each of the Administrative Agent and, so long as no Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, Carpenter otherwise consents (each such consent not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed); provided, however, that concurrent assignments to members of an Assignee Group and concurrent assignments from members of an Assignee Group to a single Eligible Assignee (or to an Eligible Assignee and members of its Assignee Group) will be treated as a single assignment for purposes of determining whether such minimum amount has been met.

 

(ii)       Proportionate Amounts. Each partial assignment shall be made as an assignment of a proportionate part of all the assigning Lender’s rights and obligations under this Agreement with respect to the Loans or the Commitment assigned, except that this clause (ii) shall not apply to the Swing Line Lender’s rights and obligations in respect of Swing Line Loans;

 

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(iii)       Required Consents. No consent shall be required for any assignment except to the extent required by subsection (b)(i)(B) of this Section and, in addition:

 

(A)       the consent of Carpenter (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed) shall be required unless (1) an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing at the time of such assignment or (2) such assignment is to a Lender, an Affiliate of a Lender or an Approved Fund; provided that the Borrower shall be deemed to have consented to any such assignment unless it shall object thereto by written notice to the Administrative Agent within five (5) Business Days after having received notice thereof; and provided, further, that the Borrower’s consent shall not be required during the primary syndication of the credit facility provided herein;

 

(B)       the consent of the Administrative Agent (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed) shall be required if such assignment is to a Person that is not a Lender, an Affiliate of such Lender or an Approved Fund with respect to such Lender;

 

(C)       the consent of the L/C Issuer (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed) shall be required for any assignment that increases the obligation of the assignee to participate in exposure under one or more Letters of Credit (whether or not then outstanding); and

 

(D)       the consent of the Swing Line Lender (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed) shall be required for any assignment.

 

(iv)       Assignment and Assumption. The parties to each assignment shall execute and deliver to the Administrative Agent an Assignment and Assumption, together with a processing and recordation fee in the amount of $3,500; provided, however, that the Administrative Agent may, in its sole discretion, elect to waive such processing and recordation fee in the case of any assignment. The assignee, if it is not a Lender, shall deliver to the Administrative Agent an Administrative Questionnaire.

 

(v)       No Assignment to Certain Persons. No such assignment shall be made to (A) Carpenter or any of Carpenter’s Affiliates or Subsidiaries, (B) any Defaulting Lender or any of its Subsidiaries or any Person who, upon becoming a Lender hereunder, would constitute any of the foregoing Persons described in this clause (B) or (C) a natural person (or holding company, investment vehicle or trust for, or owned and operated for the primary benefit of, a natural person).

 

(vi)       Certain Additional Payments. In connection with any assignment of rights and obligations of any Defaulting Lender hereunder, no such assignment shall be effective unless and until, in addition to the other conditions thereto set forth herein, the parties to the assignment shall make such additional payments to the Administrative Agent in an aggregate amount sufficient, upon distribution thereof as appropriate (which may be outright payment, purchases by the assignee of participations or subparticipations, or other compensating actions, including funding, with the consent of Carpenter and the Administrative Agent, the applicable pro rata share of Loans previously requested but not funded by the Defaulting Lender, to each of which the applicable assignee and assignor hereby irrevocably consent), to (x) pay and satisfy in full all payment liabilities then owed by such Defaulting Lender to the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer, the Swing Line Lender and each other Lender hereunder (and interest accrued thereon), and (y) acquire (and fund as appropriate) its full pro rata share of all Loans and participations in Letters of Credit and Swing Line Loans in accordance with its Applicable Percentage. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event that any assignment of rights and obligations of any Defaulting Lender hereunder shall become effective under Applicable Law without compliance with the provisions of this paragraph, then the assignee of such interest shall be deemed to be a Defaulting Lender for all purposes of this Agreement until such compliance occurs.

 

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Subject to acceptance and recording thereof by the Administrative Agent pursuant to subsection (c) of this Section, from and after the effective date specified in each Assignment and Assumption, the assignee thereunder shall be a party to this Agreement and, to the extent of the interest assigned by such Assignment and Assumption, have the rights and obligations of a Lender under this Agreement including, for the avoidance of doubt, the obligation to provide Carpenter or Administrative Agent with any documentation required by Section 3.01(f), and the assigning Lender thereunder shall, to the extent of the interest assigned by such Assignment and Assumption, be released from its obligations under this Agreement (and, in the case of an Assignment and Assumption covering all of the assigning Lender’s rights and obligations under this Agreement, such Lender shall cease to be a party hereto) but shall continue to be entitled to the benefits of Sections 3.01, 3.04, 3.05, and 11.04 with respect to facts and circumstances occurring prior to the effective date of such assignment; provided that except to the extent otherwise expressly agreed by the affected parties, no assignment by a Defaulting Lender will constitute a waiver or release of any claim of any party hereunder arising from that Lender’s having been a Defaulting Lender. Upon request, each Borrower (at its expense) shall execute and deliver a Note to the assignee Lender. Any assignment or transfer by a Lender of rights or obligations under this Agreement that does not comply with this subsection shall be treated for purposes of this Agreement as a sale by such Lender of a participation in such rights and obligations in accordance with subsection (d) of this Section.

 

(c)       Register. The Administrative Agent, acting solely for this purpose as an agent of the Borrowers (and such agency being solely for tax purposes), shall maintain at the Administrative Agent’s Office a copy of each Assignment and Assumption delivered to it (or the equivalent thereof in electronic form) and a register for the recordation of the names and addresses of the Lenders, and the Commitments of, and principal amounts (and stated interest) of the Loans and L/C Obligations owing to, each Lender pursuant to the terms hereof from time to time (the “Register”). The entries in the Register shall be conclusive absent manifest error, and the Borrowers, the Administrative Agent and the Lenders shall treat each Person whose name is recorded in the Register pursuant to the terms hereof as a Lender hereunder for all purposes of this Agreement, notwithstanding notice to the contrary. The Register shall be available for inspection by the Borrowers and any Lender, at any reasonable time and from time to time upon reasonable prior notice. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Agreement, the Loans and L/C Borrowings are registered obligations, the right, title and interest of the Lenders and the L/C Issuers and their assignees in and to such Loans and L/C Borrowings shall be transferable only upon notation of such transfer in the Register and no assignment thereof shall be effective until recorded therein. This Section 11.06(c) and Section 11.06(d) shall be construed so that the Loans and the L/C Borrowings are at all times maintained in the “registered form” within the meaning of Section 5f.103-1(c) of the United States Treasury Regulations or, if different, 871(h)(2) and 881(c)(2) of the Code.

 

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(d)       Participations. Any Lender may at any time, without the consent of, or notice to, any Borrower or the Administrative Agent, sell participations to any Person (other than a natural person, a Defaulting Lender, Carpenter or any of Carpenter’s Affiliates or Subsidiaries) (each, a “Participant”) in all or a portion of such Lender’s rights and/or obligations under this Agreement (including all or a portion of its Commitment and/or the Loans (including such Lender’s participations in L/C Obligations and/or Swing Line Loans) owing to it); provided that (i) such Lender’s obligations under this Agreement shall remain unchanged, (ii) such Lender shall remain solely responsible to the other parties hereto for the performance of such obligations and (iii) the Borrowers, the Administrative Agent, the Lenders and the L/C Issuer shall continue to deal solely and directly with such Lender in connection with such Lender’s rights and obligations under this Agreement. For the avoidance of doubt, each Lender shall be responsible for the indemnity under Section 11.04(d) with respect to any payments made by such Lender to its Participants. Any agreement or instrument pursuant to which a Lender sells such a participation shall provide that such Lender shall retain the sole right to enforce this Agreement and to approve any amendment, modification or waiver of any provision of this Agreement; provided that such agreement or instrument may provide that such Lender will not, without the consent of the Participant, agree to any amendment, waiver or other modification described in the first proviso to Section 11.01 that affects such Participant. Each Borrower agrees that each Participant shall be entitled to the benefits of Sections 3.01, 3.04 and 3.05 (subject to the requirements and limitations therein, including the requirements under Section 3.01(f) (it being understood that the documentation required under Section 3.01(f) shall be delivered to the participating Lender)) to the same extent as if it were a Lender and had acquired its interest by assignment pursuant to subsection (b) of this Section; provided that such Participant (A) agrees to be subject to the provisions of Section 3.06 (and, for the avoidance of doubt, Section 11.13) as if it were an assignee under subsection (b) of this Section; and (B) shall not be entitled to receive any greater payment under Sections 3.01 or 3.04, with respect to any participation, than its participating Lender would have been entitled to receive. A Participant that would be a Foreign Lender if it were a Lender shall not be entitled to the benefits of Section 3.01 unless Carpenter is notified of the participation sold to such Participant and such Participant agrees, for the benefit of the Borrowers, to comply with Section 3.01(f) as though it were a Lender. To the extent permitted by law, each Participant also shall be entitled to the benefits of Section 11.08 as though it were a Lender, provided such Participant agrees to be subject to Section 2.14 as though it were a Lender. Each Lender that sells a participation shall, acting solely for this purpose as a non-fiduciary agent of the Borrowers, maintain a register on which it enters the name and address of each Participant and the principal amounts (and stated interest) of each Participant’s interest in the Loans or other obligations under the Loan Documents (the “Participant Register”); provided that no Lender shall have any obligation to disclose all or any portion of the Participant Register to any Person (including the identity of any Participant or any information relating to a Participant’s interest in any commitments, loans, letters of credit or its other obligations under any Loan Document) except to the extent that such disclosure is necessary to establish that such commitment, loan, letter of credit or other obligation is in “registered form” within the meaning of Section 5f.103-1(c) of the United States Treasury Regulations or, if different, Section 871(h)(2) or 881(c)(2) of the Code. The entries in the Participant Register shall be conclusive absent manifest error, and such Lender shall treat each Person whose name is recorded in the Participant Register as the owner of such participation for all purposes of this Agreement notwithstanding any notice to the contrary. For the avoidance of doubt, the Administrative Agent (in its capacity as Administrative Agent) shall have no responsibility for maintaining a Participant Register.

 

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(e)       Certain Pledges. Any Lender may at any time pledge or assign a security interest in all or any portion of its rights under this Agreement (including under its Note(s), if any) to secure obligations of such Lender, including any pledge or assignment to secure obligations to a Federal Reserve Bank; provided that no such pledge or assignment shall release such Lender from any of its obligations hereunder or substitute any such pledgee or assignee for such Lender as a party hereto.

 

(f)       Resignation as L/C Issuer or Swing Line Lender after Assignment. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, if at any time Bank of America assigns all of its Commitment and Loans pursuant to subsection (b) above, Bank of America may, (i) upon thirty (30) days’ notice to Carpenter and the Lenders, resign as L/C Issuer and/or (ii) upon thirty (30) days’ notice to Carpenter, resign as Swing Line Lender. In the event of any such resignation as L/C Issuer or Swing Line Lender, Carpenter shall be entitled to appoint from among the Lenders a successor L/C Issuer or Swing Line Lender hereunder; provided, however, that no failure by Carpenter to appoint any such successor shall affect the resignation of Bank of America as L/C Issuer or Swing Line Lender, as the case may be. If Bank of America resigns as L/C Issuer, it shall retain all the rights, powers, privileges and duties of the L/C Issuer hereunder with respect to all Letters of Credit outstanding as of the effective date of its resignation as L/C Issuer and all L/C Obligations with respect thereto (including the right to require the Lenders to make Base Rate Committed Loans or fund risk participations in Unreimbursed Amounts pursuant to Section 2.04(c)). If Bank of America resigns as Swing Line Lender, it shall retain all the rights of the Swing Line Lender provided for hereunder with respect to Swing Line Loans made by it and outstanding as of the effective date of such resignation, including the right to require the Lenders to make Base Rate Committed Loans or fund risk participations in outstanding Swing Line Loans pursuant to Section 2.05(c). Upon the appointment of a successor L/C Issuer and/or Swing Line Lender, (a) such successor shall succeed to and become vested with all of the rights, powers, privileges and duties of the retiring L/C Issuer or Swing Line Lender, as the case may be, and (b) the successor L/C Issuer shall issue letters of credit in substitution for the Letters of Credit, if any, outstanding at the time of such succession or make other arrangements satisfactory to Bank of America to effectively assume the obligations of Bank of America with respect to such Letters of Credit.

 

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11.07       Treatment of Certain Information; Confidentiality. Each of the Administrative Agent, the Lenders and the L/C Issuer agrees to maintain the confidentiality of the Information (as defined below), except that Information may be disclosed (a) to its Related Parties (it being understood that the Persons to whom such disclosure is made will be informed of the confidential nature of such Information and instructed to keep such Information confidential), (b) to the extent required or requested by, or required to be disclosed to, any rating agency or regulatory or similar authority purporting to have jurisdiction over such Person or its Related Parties (including any self-regulatory authority, such as the National Association of Insurance Commissioners), (c) to the extent required by Applicable Laws or regulations or by any subpoena or similar legal process, (d) to any other party hereto, (e) in connection with the exercise of any remedies hereunder or under any other Loan Document or any action or proceeding relating to this Agreement or any other Loan Document or the enforcement of rights hereunder or thereunder, (f) subject to an agreement containing provisions substantially the same as those of this Section, to (i) any assignee of or Participant in, or any prospective assignee of or Participant in, any of its rights or obligations under this Agreement or any Eligible Assignee invited to be a Lender pursuant to Section 2.17(c) or (ii) any actual or prospective counterparty (or its advisors) to any swap or derivative transaction relating to a Borrower and its obligations, (g) to the CUSIP Service Bureau or any similar agency in connection with the issuance and monitoring of CUSIP numbers with respect to the credit facility provided for herein and to Gold Sheets and other similar bank trade publications, such information to consist of deal terms and other information customarily found in such publications, (h) with the consent of Carpenter or (i) to the extent such Information (x) becomes publicly available other than as a result of a breach of this Section or (y) becomes available to the Administrative Agent, any Lender, the L/C Issuer or any of their respective Affiliates on a nonconfidential basis from a source other than Carpenter.

 

For purposes of this Section, “Information” means all information received from Carpenter or any Subsidiary relating to Carpenter or any Subsidiary or any of their respective businesses, other than any such information that is available to the Administrative Agent, any Lender or the L/C Issuer on a nonconfidential basis prior to disclosure by Carpenter or any Subsidiary, provided that, in the case of information received from Carpenter or any Subsidiary after the date hereof, such information is clearly identified at the time of delivery as confidential. Any Person required to maintain the confidentiality of Information as provided in this Section shall be considered to have complied with its obligation to do so if such Person has exercised the same degree of care to maintain the confidentiality of such Information as such Person would accord to its own confidential information.

 

Each of the Administrative Agent, the Lenders and the L/C Issuer acknowledges that (a) the Information may include material non-public information concerning Carpenter or a Subsidiary, as the case may be, (b) it has developed compliance procedures regarding the use of material non-public information and (c) it will handle such material non-public information in accordance with Applicable Law, including United States Federal and state securities laws.

 

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11.08       Right of Setoff. If an Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, each Lender, the L/C Issuer and each of their respective Affiliates is hereby authorized at any time and from time to time, to the fullest extent permitted by Applicable Law, to set off and apply any and all deposits (general or special, time or demand, provisional or final, in whatever currency) at any time held and other obligations (in whatever currency) at any time owing by such Lender, the L/C Issuer or any such Affiliate to or for the credit or the account of any Borrower or any other Loan Party against any and all of the obligations of such Borrower or such Loan Party now or hereafter existing under this Agreement or any other Loan Document to such Lender or the L/C Issuer, irrespective of whether or not such Lender or the L/C Issuer shall have made any demand under this Agreement or any other Loan Document and although such obligations of such Borrower or such Loan Party may be contingent or unmatured or are owed to a branch or office of such Lender or the L/C Issuer different from the branch or office holding such deposit or obligated on such indebtedness; provided that in the event that any Defaulting Lender shall exercise any such right of setoff, (x) all amounts so set off shall be paid over immediately to the Administrative Agent for further application in accordance with the provisions of Section 2.18 and, pending such payment, shall be segregated by such Defaulting Lender from its other funds and deemed held in trust for the benefit of the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer, and the Lenders, and (y) the Defaulting Lender shall provide promptly to the Administrative Agent a statement describing in reasonable detail the Secured Obligations owing to such Defaulting Lender as to which it exercised such right of setoff. The rights of each Lender, the L/C Issuer and their respective Affiliates under this Section are in addition to other rights and remedies (including other rights of setoff) that such Lender, the L/C Issuer or their respective Affiliates may have. Each Lender and the L/C Issuer agrees to notify Carpenter and the Administrative Agent promptly after any such setoff and application, provided that the failure to give such notice shall not affect the validity of such setoff and application.

 

11.09       Interest Rate Limitation. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in any Loan Document, the interest paid or agreed to be paid under the Loan Documents shall not exceed the maximum rate of non-usurious interest permitted by Applicable Law (the “Maximum Rate”). If the Administrative Agent or any Lender shall receive interest in an amount that exceeds the Maximum Rate, the excess interest shall be applied to the principal of the Loans or, if it exceeds such unpaid principal, refunded to Carpenter. In determining whether the interest contracted for, charged, or received by the Administrative Agent or a Lender exceeds the Maximum Rate, such Person may, to the extent permitted by Applicable Law, (a) characterize any payment that is not principal as an expense, fee, or premium rather than interest, (b) exclude voluntary prepayments and the effects thereof, and (c) amortize, prorate, allocate, and spread in equal or unequal parts the total amount of interest throughout the contemplated term of the Obligations hereunder.

 

11.10       Counterparts; Integration; Effectiveness.

 

(a)       This Agreement may be executed in counterparts (and by different parties hereto in different counterparts), each of which shall constitute an original, but all of which when taken together shall constitute a single contract. This Agreement and the other Loan Documents constitute the entire contract among the parties relating to the subject matter hereof and supersede any and all previous agreements and understandings, oral or written, relating to the subject matter hereof. Except as provided in Section 4.01, this Agreement shall become effective when it shall have been executed by the Administrative Agent and when the Administrative Agent shall have received counterparts hereof that, when taken together, bear the signatures of each of the other parties hereto. Delivery of an executed counterpart of a signature page of this Agreement or any other Loan Document, or any certificate delivered thereunder, by fax transmission or e-mail transmission (e.g. “pdf” or “tif”) shall be effective as delivery of a manually executed counterpart of this Agreement or such other Loan Document or certificate. Without limiting the foregoing, to the extent a manually executed counterpart is not specifically required to be delivered under the terms of any Loan Document, upon the request of any party, such fax transmission or e-mail transmission shall be promptly followed by such manually executed counterpart.

 

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(b)       This Agreement and any document, amendment, approval, consent, information, notice, certificate, request, statement, disclosure or authorization related to this Agreement (each a “Communication”), including Communications required to be in writing, may be in the form of an Electronic Record and may be executed using Electronic Signatures. Each of the Loan Parties agrees that any Electronic Signature on or associated with any Communication shall be valid and binding on each of the Loan Parties to the same extent as a manual, original signature, and that any Communication entered into by Electronic Signature, will constitute the legal, valid and binding obligation of each of the Loan Parties enforceable against such in accordance with the terms thereof to the same extent as if a manually executed original signature was delivered.  Any Communication may be executed in as many counterparts as necessary or convenient, including both paper and electronic counterparts, but all such counterparts are one and the same Communication.  For the avoidance of doubt, the authorization under this paragraph may include, without limitation, use or acceptance by the Administrative Agent and each of the Secured Parties of a manually signed paper Communication which has been converted into electronic form (such as scanned into PDF format), or an electronically signed Communication converted into another format, for transmission, delivery and/or retention. The Administrative Agent and each of the Secured Parties may, at its option, create one or more copies of any Communication in the form of an imaged Electronic Record (“Electronic Copy”), which shall be deemed created in the ordinary course of the such Person’s business, and destroy the original paper document.  All Communications in the form of an Electronic Record, including an Electronic Copy, shall be considered an original for all purposes, and shall have the same legal effect, validity and enforceability as a paper record. Notwithstanding anything contained herein to the contrary, the Administrative Agent is under no obligation to accept an Electronic Signature in any form or in any format unless expressly agreed to by the Administrative Agent pursuant to procedures approved by it; provided, further, without limiting the foregoing, (i) to the extent the Administrative Agent has agreed to accept such Electronic Signature, the Administrative Agent and each of the Secured Parties shall be entitled to rely on any such Electronic Signature purportedly given by or on behalf of any Loan Party without further verification and (ii) upon the request of the Administrative Agent or any Lender, any Electronic Signature shall be promptly followed by such manually executed counterpart.  For purposes hereof, “Electronic Record” and “Electronic Signature” shall have the meanings assigned to them, respectively, by 15 USC §7006, as it may be amended from time to time.

 

11.11       Survival of Representations and Warranties. All representations and warranties made hereunder and in any other Loan Document or other document delivered pursuant hereto or thereto or in connection herewith or therewith shall survive the execution and delivery hereof and thereof. Such representations and warranties have been or will be relied upon by the Administrative Agent and each Lender, regardless of any investigation made by the Administrative Agent or any Lender or on their behalf and notwithstanding that the Administrative Agent or any Lender may have had notice or knowledge of any Default at the time of any Credit Extension, and shall continue in full force and effect as long as any Loan or any other Obligation hereunder shall remain unpaid or unsatisfied or any Letter of Credit shall remain outstanding.

 

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11.12       Severability. If any provision of this Agreement or the other Loan Documents is held to be illegal, invalid or unenforceable, (a) the legality, validity and enforceability of the remaining provisions of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents shall not be affected or impaired thereby and (b) the parties shall endeavor in good faith negotiations to replace the illegal, invalid or unenforceable provisions with valid provisions the economic effect of which comes as close as possible to that of the illegal, invalid or unenforceable provisions. The invalidity of a provision in a particular jurisdiction shall not invalidate or render unenforceable such provision in any other jurisdiction. Without limiting the foregoing provisions of this Section 11.12, if and to the extent that the enforceability of any provisions in this Agreement relating to Defaulting Lenders shall be limited by Debtor Relief Laws, as determined in good faith by the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer or the Swing Line Lender, as applicable, then such provisions shall be deemed to be in effect only to the extent not so limited.

 

11.13       Replacement of Lenders. If (i) any Lender requests compensation under Section 3.04, (ii) any Borrower is required to pay any Indemnified Taxes or additional amounts to any Lender or any Governmental Authority for the account of any Lender pursuant to Section 3.01, (iii) the obligation of any Lender to make Eurocurrency Rate Loans has been suspended pursuant to Section 3.02, (iv) a Lender (a “Non-Consenting Lender”) does not consent to a proposed change, waiver, discharge or termination with respect to any Loan Document that has been approved by the Required Lenders as provided in Section 11.01 but requires unanimous consent of all Lenders or all Lenders directly affected thereby (as applicable) or (v) any Lender is a Defaulting Lender, then Carpenter may, at its sole expense and effort, upon notice to such Lender and the Administrative Agent, require such Lender to assign and delegate, without recourse (in accordance with and subject to the restrictions contained in, and consents required by, Section 11.06), all of its interests, rights and obligations under this Agreement and the related Loan Documents to an assignee that shall assume such obligations (which assignee may be another Lender, if a Lender accepts such assignment), provided that:

 

(a)       Carpenter shall have paid (or caused a Subsidiary Borrower to pay) to the Administrative Agent the assignment fee specified in Section 11.06(b);

 

(b)       such Lender shall have received payment of an amount equal to the outstanding principal of its Loans and L/C Advances, accrued interest thereon, accrued fees and all other amounts payable to it hereunder and under the other Loan Documents (including any amounts under Section 3.05) from the assignee (to the extent of such outstanding principal and accrued interest and fees) or Carpenter or applicable Subsidiary Borrower (in the case of all other amounts);

 

(c)       in the case of any such assignment resulting from a claim for compensation under Section 3.04 or payments required to be made pursuant to Section 3.01, such assignment will result in a reduction in such compensation or payments thereafter;

 

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(d)       such assignment does not conflict with Applicable Laws; and

 

(e)       in the case of any such assignment resulting from a Non-Consenting Lender’s failure to consent to a proposed change, waiver, discharge or termination with respect to any Loan Document, the applicable replacement bank, financial institution or Fund consents to the proposed change, waiver, discharge or termination; provided that the failure by such Non-Consenting Lender to execute and deliver an Assignment and Assumption shall not impair the validity of the removal of such Non-Consenting Lender and the mandatory assignment of such Non-Consenting Lender’s Commitments and outstanding Loans and participations in L/C Obligations and Swing Line Loans pursuant to this Section 11.13 shall nevertheless be effective without the execution by such Non-Consenting Lender of an Assignment and Assumption.

 

A Lender shall not be required to make any such assignment or delegation if, prior thereto, as a result of a waiver by such Lender or otherwise, the circumstances entitling Carpenter to require such assignment and delegation cease to apply.

 

11.14       Governing Law; Jurisdiction; Etc.

 

(a)       GOVERNING LAW. THIS AGREEMENT AND THE OTHER LOAN DOCUMENTS AND ANY CLAIMS, CONTROVERSY, DISPUTE OR CAUSE OF ACTION (WHETHER IN CONTRACT OR TORT OR OTHERWISE) BASED UPON, ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR ANY OTHER LOAN DOCUMENT (EXCEPT, AS TO ANY OTHER LOAN DOCUMENT, AS EXPRESSLY SET FORTH THEREIN) AND THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY AND THEREBY SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH, THE LAW OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.

 

(b)       SUBMISSION TO JURISDICTION. EACH BORROWER AND EACH OTHER LOAN PARTY IRREVOCABLY AND UNCONDITIONALLY AGREES THAT IT WILL NOT COMMENCE ANY ACTION, LITIGATION OR PROCEEDING OF ANY KIND OR DESCRIPTION, WHETHER IN LAW OR EQUITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT OR IN TORT OR OTHERWISE, AGAINST THE ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT, ANY LENDER, THE L/C ISSUER, OR ANY RELATED PARTY OF THE FOREGOING IN ANY WAY RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR ANY OTHER LOAN DOCUMENT OR THE TRANSACTIONS RELATING HERETO OR THERETO, IN ANY FORUM OTHER THAN THE COURTS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK SITTING IN NEW YORK COUNTY AND OF THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT OF THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK, AND ANY APPELLATE COURT FROM ANY THEREOF, AND EACH OF THE PARTIES HERETO IRREVOCABLY AND UNCONDITIONALLY SUBMITS TO THE JURISDICTION OF SUCH COURTS AND AGREES THAT ALL CLAIMS IN RESPECT OF ANY SUCH ACTION, LITIGATION OR PROCEEDING MAY BE HEARD AND DETERMINED IN SUCH NEW YORK STATE COURT OR, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, IN SUCH FEDERAL COURT. EACH OF THE PARTIES HERETO AGREES THAT A FINAL JUDGMENT IN ANY SUCH ACTION, LITIGATION OR PROCEEDING SHALL BE CONCLUSIVE AND MAY BE ENFORCED IN OTHER JURISDICTIONS BY SUIT ON THE JUDGMENT OR IN ANY OTHER MANNER PROVIDED BY LAW. NOTHING IN THIS AGREEMENT OR IN ANY OTHER LOAN DOCUMENT SHALL AFFECT ANY RIGHT THAT THE ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT, ANY LENDER OR THE L/C ISSUER MAY OTHERWISE HAVE TO BRING ANY ACTION OR PROCEEDING RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR ANY OTHER LOAN DOCUMENT AGAINST ANY BORROWER OR ANY OTHER LOAN PARTY OR ITS PROPERTIES IN THE COURTS OF ANY JURISDICTION.

 

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(c)       WAIVER OF VENUE. EACH BORROWER AND EACH OTHER LOAN PARTY IRREVOCABLY AND UNCONDITIONALLY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ANY OBJECTION THAT IT MAY NOW OR HEREAFTER HAVE TO THE LAYING OF VENUE OF ANY ACTION OR PROCEEDING ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR ANY OTHER LOAN DOCUMENT IN ANY COURT REFERRED TO IN PARAGRAPH (B) OF THIS SECTION. EACH OF THE PARTIES HERETO HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, THE DEFENSE OF AN INCONVENIENT FORUM TO THE MAINTENANCE OF SUCH ACTION OR PROCEEDING IN ANY SUCH COURT.

 

(d)       SERVICE OF PROCESS. EACH PARTY HERETO IRREVOCABLY CONSENTS TO SERVICE OF PROCESS IN THE MANNER PROVIDED FOR NOTICES IN SECTION 11.02. NOTHING IN THIS AGREEMENT WILL AFFECT THE RIGHT OF ANY PARTY HERETO TO SERVE PROCESS IN ANY OTHER MANNER PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW.

 

11.15       Waiver of Jury Trial. EACH PARTY HERETO HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ANY RIGHT IT MAY HAVE TO A TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY LEGAL PROCEEDING DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR ANY OTHER LOAN DOCUMENT OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY OR THEREBY (WHETHER BASED ON CONTRACT, TORT OR ANY OTHER THEORY). EACH PARTY HERETO (A) CERTIFIES THAT NO REPRESENTATIVE, AGENT OR ATTORNEY OF ANY OTHER PERSON HAS REPRESENTED, EXPRESSLY OR OTHERWISE, THAT SUCH OTHER PERSON WOULD NOT, IN THE EVENT OF LITIGATION, SEEK TO ENFORCE THE FOREGOING WAIVER AND (B) ACKNOWLEDGES THAT IT AND THE OTHER PARTIES HERETO HAVE BEEN INDUCED TO ENTER INTO THIS AGREEMENT AND THE OTHER LOAN DOCUMENTS BY, AMONG OTHER THINGS, THE MUTUAL WAIVERS AND CERTIFICATIONS IN THIS SECTION.

 

11.16       Subordination. Each Loan Party (a “Subordinating Loan Party”) hereby subordinates the payment of all obligations and indebtedness of any other Loan Party owing to it, whether now existing or hereafter arising, including but not limited to any obligation of any such other Loan Party to the Subordinating Loan Party as subrogee of the Secured Parties or resulting from such Subordinating Loan Party’s performance under the Guaranty, to the indefeasible payment in full in cash of all Obligations. If the Secured Parties so request, any such obligation or indebtedness of any such other Loan Party to the Subordinating Loan Party shall be enforced and performance received by the Subordinating Loan Party as trustee for the Secured Parties and the proceeds thereof shall be paid over to the Secured Parties on account of the Secured Obligations, but without reducing or affecting in any manner the liability of the Subordinating Loan Party under this Agreement. Without limitation of the foregoing, so long as no Default has occurred and is continuing, the Loan Parties may make and receive payments with respect to Intercompany Debt; provided, that in the event that any Loan Party receives any payment of any Intercompany Debt at a time when such payment is prohibited by this Section 11.16, such payment shall be held by such Loan Party, in trust for the benefit of, and shall be paid forthwith over and delivered, upon written request, to the Administrative Agent.

 

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11.17       No Advisory or Fiduciary Responsibility. In connection with all aspects of each transaction contemplated hereby (including in connection with any amendment, waiver or other modification hereof or of any other Loan Document), each Borrower and each other Loan Party acknowledges and agrees, and acknowledges its Affiliates’ understanding, that: (i) (A) the arranging and other services regarding this Agreement provided by the Administrative Agent and the Arrangers are arm’s-length commercial transactions between such Borrower, each other Loan Party and their respective Affiliates, on the one hand, and the Administrative Agent and the Arrangers, on the other hand, (B) each of the Borrowers and the other Loan Parties have consulted its own legal, accounting, regulatory and tax advisors to the extent it has deemed appropriate, and (C) each of the Borrowers and the other Loan Parties is capable of evaluating, and understands and accepts, the terms, risks and conditions of the transactions contemplated hereby and by the other Loan Documents; (ii) (A) the Administrative Agent and each Arranger each is and has been acting solely as a principal and, except as expressly agreed in writing by the relevant parties, has not been, is not, and will not be acting as an advisor, agent or fiduciary for the Borrowers, any other Loan Party, or any of their respective Affiliates, or any other Person and (B) neither the Administrative Agent nor any Arranger has any obligation to the Borrowers, the other Loan Parties or any of their respective Affiliates with respect to the transactions contemplated hereby except those obligations expressly set forth herein and in the other Loan Documents; and (iii) the Administrative Agent and the Arrangers and their respective Affiliates may be engaged in a broad range of transactions that involve interests that differ from those of the Borrowers, any other Loan Party and their respective Affiliates, and neither the Administrative Agent nor any Arranger has any obligation to disclose any of such interests to the Borrowers, any other Loan Parties or their respective Affiliates. To the fullest extent permitted by law, each of the Borrowers and the other Loan Parties hereby waives and releases any claims that it may have against the Administrative Agent, the Arrangers and the Lenders with respect to any breach or alleged breach of agency or fiduciary duty in connection with any aspect of any transaction contemplated hereby.

 

11.18       Electronic Execution of Assignments and Certain Other Documents. The words “execute,” “execution,” “signed,” “signature,” and words of like import in or related to any document to be signed in connection with this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby (including without limitation Assignment and Assumptions, amendments or other modifications, Committed Loan Notices, Swing Line Loan Notices, waivers and consents) shall be deemed to include electronic signatures, the electronic matching of assignment terms and contract formations on electronic platforms approved by the Administrative Agent, or the keeping of records in electronic form, each of which shall be of the same legal effect, validity or enforceability as a manually executed signature or the use of a paper-based recordkeeping system, as the case may be, to the extent and as provided for in any Applicable Law, including the Federal Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act, the New York State Electronic Signatures and Records Act, or any other similar state laws based on the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act; provided that notwithstanding anything contained herein to the contrary the Administrative Agent is under no obligation to agree to accept electronic signatures in any form or in any format unless expressly agreed to by the Administrative Agent pursuant to procedures approved by it.

 

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11.19       USA PATRIOT Act. Each Lender that is subject to the Patriot Act (as hereinafter defined) and the Administrative Agent (for itself and not on behalf of any Lender) hereby notifies the Borrowers that pursuant to the requirements of the USA PATRIOT Act (Title III of Pub. L. 107-56 (signed into law October 26, 2001)) (the “Patriot Act”), it is required to obtain, verify and record information that identifies each Borrower, each other Loan Party and their Subsidiaries, which information includes the name, address and tax identification numbers of each Borrower and each other Loan Party and other information that will allow such Lender or the Administrative Agent, as applicable, to identify such Borrower and each other Loan Party in accordance with the Patriot Act. Each Borrower and each other Loan Party shall, promptly following a request by the Administrative Agent or any Lender, provide all documentation and other information that the Administrative Agent or such Lender requests in order to comply with its ongoing obligations under applicable “know your customer” and anti-money laundering rules and regulations, including the Patriot Act.

 

11.20       Judgment Currency. If, for the purposes of obtaining judgment in any court, it is necessary to convert a sum due hereunder or any other Loan Document in one currency into another currency, the rate of exchange used shall be that at which in accordance with normal banking procedures the Administrative Agent could purchase the first currency with such other currency on the Business Day preceding that on which final judgment is given. The obligation of each Loan Party in respect of any such sum due from it to the Administrative Agent or any Lender hereunder or under the other Loan Documents shall, notwithstanding any judgment in a currency (the “Judgment Currency”) other than that in which such sum is denominated in accordance with the applicable provisions of this Agreement (the “Agreement Currency”), be discharged only to the extent that on the Business Day following receipt by the Administrative Agent or such Lender, as the case may be, of any sum adjudged to be so due in the Judgment Currency, the Administrative Agent or such Lender, as the case may be, may in accordance with normal banking procedures purchase the Agreement Currency with the Judgment Currency. If the amount of the Agreement Currency so purchased is less than the sum originally due to the Administrative Agent or any Lender from any Loan Party in the Agreement Currency, such Loan Party agrees, as a separate obligation and notwithstanding any such judgment, to indemnify the Administrative Agent or such Lender, as the case may be, against such loss. If the amount of the Agreement Currency so purchased is greater than the sum originally due to the Administrative Agent or any Lender in such currency, the Administrative Agent or such Lender, as the case may be, agrees to return the amount of any excess to such Loan Party (or to any other Person who may be entitled thereto under Applicable Law).

 

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11.21       Acknowledgement and Consent to Bail-In of Affected Financial Institutions. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in any Loan Document or in any other agreement, arrangement or understanding among any such parties, each party hereto acknowledges that any liability of any Lender or L/C Issuer that is an Affected Financial Institution arising under any Loan Document, to the extent such liability is unsecured, may be subject to the Write-Down and Conversion Powers of the applicable Resolution Authority and agrees and consents to, and acknowledges and agrees to be bound by:

 

(a)       the application of any Write-Down and Conversion Powers by the applicable Resolution Authority to any such liabilities arising hereunder which may be payable to it by any Lender or L/C Issuer that is an Affected Financial Institution; and

 

(b)       the effects of any Bail-In Action on any such liability, including, if applicable:

 

(i)       a reduction in full or in part or cancellation of any such liability;

 

(ii)       a conversion of all, or a portion of, such liability into shares or other instruments of ownership in such Affected Financial Institution, its parent undertaking, or a bridge institution that may be issued to it or otherwise conferred on it, and that such shares or other instruments of ownership will be accepted by it in lieu of any rights with respect to any such liability under this Agreement or any other Loan Document; or

 

(iii)       the variation of the terms of such liability in connection with the exercise of the Write-Down and Conversion Powers of the applicable Resolution Authority.

 

11.22       Acknowledgement Regarding Any Supported QFCs. To the extent that the Loan Documents provide support, through a guarantee or otherwise, for any Swap Contract or any other agreement or instrument that is a QFC (such support, “QFC Credit Support”, and each such QFC, a “Supported QFC”), the parties acknowledge and agree as follows with respect to the resolution power of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation under the Federal Deposit Insurance Act and Title II of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (together with the regulations promulgated thereunder, the “U.S. Special Resolution Regimes”) in respect of such Supported QFC and QFC Credit Support (with the provisions below applicable notwithstanding that the Loan Documents and any Supported QFC may in fact be stated to be governed by the laws of the State of New York and/or of the United States or any other state of the United States):

 

(a)       In the event a Covered Entity that is party to a Supported QFC (each, a “Covered Party”) becomes subject to a proceeding under a U.S. Special Resolution Regime, the transfer of such Supported QFC and the benefit of such QFC Credit Support (and any interest and obligation in or under such Supported QFC and such QFC Credit Support, and any rights in property securing such Supported QFC or such QFC Credit Support) from such Covered Party will be effective to the same extent as the transfer would be effective under the U.S. Special Resolution Regime if the Supported QFC and such QFC Credit Support (and any such interest, obligation and rights in property) were governed by the laws of the United States or a state of the United States. In the event a Covered Party or a BHC Act Affiliate of a Covered Party becomes subject to a proceeding under a U.S. Special Resolution Regime, Default Rights under the Loan Documents that might otherwise apply to such Supported QFC or any QFC Credit Support that may be exercised against such Covered Party are permitted to be exercised to no greater extent than such Default Rights could be exercised under the U.S. Special Resolution Regime if the Supported QFC and the Loan Documents were governed by the laws of the United States or a state of the United States. Without limitation of the foregoing, it is understood and agreed that rights and remedies of the parties with respect to a Defaulting Lender shall in no event affect the rights of any Covered Party with respect to a Supported QFC or any QFC Credit Support.

 

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(b)       As used in this Section 11.22, the following terms have the following meanings:

 

BHC Act Affiliate” of a party means an “affiliate” (as such term is defined under, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 U.S.C. 1841(k)) of such party.

 

Covered Entity” means any of the following: (i) a “covered entity” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 252.82(b); (ii) a “covered bank” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 47.3(b); or (iii) a “covered FSI” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 382.2(b).

 

Default Right” has the meaning assigned to that term in, and shall be interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. §§ 252.81, 47.2 or 382.1, as applicable.

 

QFC” has the meaning assigned to the term “qualified financial contract” in, and shall be interpreted in accordance with, 12 U.S.C. 5390(c)(8)(D).

 

11.23       Amendment and Restatement; No Novation. This Agreement constitutes an amendment and restatement of the Existing Credit Agreement, effective from and after the Closing Date. The execution and delivery of this Agreement shall not constitute a novation of any indebtedness or other obligations owing to the Lenders or the Administrative Agent under the Existing Credit Agreement based on facts or events occurring or existing prior to the execution and delivery of this Agreement. On the Closing Date, the credit facilities described in the Existing Credit Agreement, shall be amended, supplemented, modified and restated in their entirety by the facilities described herein, and all loans and other obligations of the Borrowers outstanding as of such date under the Existing Credit Agreement, shall be deemed to be loans and obligations outstanding under the corresponding facilities described herein, without any further action by any Person, except that the Administrative Agent shall make such transfers of funds as are necessary in order that the outstanding balance of such Loans, together with any Loans funded on the Closing Date, reflect the respective Commitment of the Lenders hereunder.

 

[Signature Pages Follow]

 

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