UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
Form 10-K
For the fiscal year ended December 31 , 2022
or
For the transition period from ___ to ___
Commission File Number 001-34481
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) | (I.R.S. Employer Identification Number) | |||||||
(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)
(609 ) 716-4000
(Registrant's telephone number, including area code)
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
| Title of each class | Trading Symbol | Name of each exchange on which registered | ||||||||||||
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes o No ý
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes o No ý
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ý No o
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§ 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes ý No o
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer or a smaller reporting company or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer”, “smaller reporting company” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.:
Large accelerated filer o | x | ||||||||||
Non-accelerated filer o | Smaller reporting company | ||||||||||
| Emerging growth company | |||||||||||
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. o
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. ☒
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The aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting common stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant, based on the closing price of $5.94 on June 30, 2022, the last business day of the registrant's most recently completed second fiscal quarter, as reported on the New York Stock Exchange, was approximately $119.1 million.
As of March 10, 2023, the Registrant had 29,926,879 shares of common stock outstanding.
DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE
Auditor Name: KPMG LLP Auditor Location: Short Hills, New Jersey Auditor Firm ID: 185
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MISTRAS GROUP, INC.
ANNUAL REPORT ON FORM 10-K
TABLE OF CONTENTS
DISCLOSURES REGARDING FOREIGN JURISDICTIONS THAT PREVENT INSPECTIONS | |||||||||||
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ITEM 1. BUSINESS
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This Annual Report on Form 10-K (this "Annual Report") contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), regarding Mistras Group, Inc. ("Mistras," "MISTRAS," "the Company," "us," "we," "our" and similar expressions) and our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. Such forward-looking statements include those that express plans, anticipation, intent, contingency, goals, targets or future development and/or otherwise are not statements of historical fact. These forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations and projections about future events and they are subject to risks and uncertainties known and unknown that could cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such statements.
In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology, such as “goals,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “seeks,” “estimates,” “may,” “could,” “should,” “would,” “predicts,” “appears,” “projects,” or the negative of such terms or other similar expressions, although the absence of such words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. Factors that could cause or contribute to differences in results and outcomes from those in our forward-looking statements include, without limitation, those discussed elsewhere in this Annual Report in Part I, Item 1A. “Risk Factors,” Part II, Item 7, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and in this Item 1. We undertake no obligation to (and expressly disclaim any obligation to) revise or update any forward-looking statements made herein whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable securities laws. However, you should consult any further disclosures we may make on these or related topics in our reports on Form 8-K or Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC").
The following discussions should be read in conjunction with the sections of this Annual Report entitled “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and “Risk Factors.”
OUR BUSINESS
Overview
We are a leading "one source" multinational provider of integrated technology-enabled asset protection solutions, helping to maximize the safety and operational uptime for civilization’s most critical industrial and civil assets.
Backed by an innovative, data-driven asset protection portfolio, proprietary technologies, and a decades-long legacy of industry leadership, we help clients with asset-intensive infrastructure in the oil and gas, petrochemical, aerospace and defense, renewable and non-renewable energy, civil infrastructure, and manufacturing industries towards achieving and maintaining operational excellence. By supporting these organizations that help fuel our vehicles and power our society; inspecting components that are trusted for commercial, defense, and space craft; and building real-time monitoring equipment to enable safe travel across bridges, we help the world move, innovate and create a safe and sustainable future for generations to come.
Our core capabilities include Non-Destructive Testing (“NDT”) field inspections enhanced by advanced robotics, laboratory quality control and assurance testing, sensing technologies and NDT equipment, asset and mechanical integrity engineering services, and light mechanical maintenance and access services. We enhance value for our clients by integrating asset protection throughout supply chains and centralizing integrity data through a suite of Industrial Internet of Things ("IIoT") -connected digital software and monitoring solutions.
We offer our customers “One Source for Asset Protection Solutions®” and are a leading global provider of technology-enabled asset protection solutions used to evaluate the safety, structural integrity and reliability of critical energy, industrial and public infrastructure.
Our asset protection solutions are intended to help maximize safety and uptime of our customers' assets and facilities. These mission critical solutions enhance our customers’ ability to comply with governmental safety and environmental regulations, extend the useful life of their assets, increase productivity, minimize repair costs, manage risk and avoid catastrophic disasters.
We deliver value through a comprehensive “OneSource™” portfolio of customized solutions, utilizing a proven systematic method that creates a closed-loop lifecycle for addressing continuous asset protection and improvement.
Our specialized asset protection solutions include:
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•Field Inspections
•Data Management and Services
•Monitoring
•Laboratory Testing
•Maintenance
•Engineering Consulting
•Access
•Equipment
Our OneSource model emphasizes the integration of these solutions and the asset integrity data associated with them to service our customers throughout their assets’ lifetimes and are delivered to our customers in three primary ways: data services, field operations, and shop work. Under this business model, many customers outsource their inspection, integrity data management and other asset protection needs to us on a “run-and-maintain” basis to ensure the continued safety and structural and operational integrity of their assets. Revenue streams include data services revenue derived from the selling of licenses and analyzing and synthesizing customer data through our OneSuite™ platform; field operations revenue derived from work performed in the field at customer locations; and shop work revenue derived from inspecting and testing materials in our laboratories for our customers.
We have established long-term relationships as a critical solutions provider to many of the leading companies with asset-intensive infrastructure in our target markets. These markets primarily consist of:
•Oil and Gas (Downstream, Midstream and Upstream)
•Aerospace and Defense
•Industrial
•Power Generation and Transmission
•Infrastructure, Research and Engineering
•Other Process Industries
•Petrochemical
A majority of our revenues are generated by deploying technicians at our customers' locations. Most of our revenues from aerospace and defense as well as certain manufacturing customers are generated by performing inspections and testing at our various in-house laboratories.
We generated revenues of $687.4 million, $677.1 million and $592.6 million for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020, respectively. We generated net income of $6.6 million, a net income of $3.9 million and net loss of $99.5 million for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021, and 2020, respectively. For the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020, we generated approximately 83%, 82% and 80%, respectively, of our revenues from our Services segment. Our revenues are diversified, with our top ten customers accounting for approximately 33%, 33% and 32% of our revenues during the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020, respectively, with no customer accounting for greater than 10% of our revenues in any such year.
OUR SPECIALIZED SOLUTIONS
As a OneSource provider of asset protection solutions, we combine our industry-leading services, products, data management solutions and technologies to provide a unique, custom-tailored solution for each customer’s individual asset protection needs, ranging from routine inspections to complex, plant-wide asset integrity management.
Field Inspections
Our field inspections portfolio includes traditional and advanced NDT techniques, along with predictive maintenance assessments of fixed and rotating assets and inline inspection for pipelines. We offer these solutions on an individual basis, or as parts of enterprise inspection and testing programs.
NDT is the examination of an asset without materially impacting its integrity. The ability to inspect infrastructure assets and not interfere with their operating performance makes NDT a highly-attractive alternative to many traditional techniques, which may require shutting down an asset or entire facility. Typical issues for which our technicians inspect include corrosion, cracking, leaking, faults and flaws in piping, storage tanks and pressure vessels, as well as a wide range of other industrial assets and public infrastructure.
Our automated data acquisition solutions utilize smart sensing and monitoring, robotic inspection systems, and digitized spot inspections to provide asset integrity data with greater insight into current and future asset conditions.
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Field inspection services lend themselves to integration with our other offerings, and as such have often served as the initial entry point to more advanced customer engagements that require additional solutions. After an initial field inspection is performed, we are able to provide multiple supplemental solutions that further serve to solidify our relationships with our customers and drive additional revenue.
Data Solutions
The asset protection solutions that we provide throughout our customers’ asset lifecycles generate asset integrity data that needs to be effectively archived, managed, and analyzed. A common difficulty that our customers face is the ability to easily access and analyze data from multiple data collection and input contractors. We recognize that this data is most valuable to our customers when it is accessible and integrated (regardless of vendor, tool, or facility), and have taken significant steps to digitalizing asset protection processes through the release of the first-ever asset protection software ecosystem MISTRAS OneSuite.
The OneSuite software platform offers functions of our popular software and services brands as integrated apps on a cloud environment. OneSuite serves as a single access portal for customers' data activities and provides access to 90 plus integrated applications being offered on one centralized platform.
Plant Condition Management Software (PCMS®). Our world-class enterprise inspection database management software ("IDMS") - Plant Condition Management Software ("PCMS") - was developed specifically for process industries and equipment, and enables the storage, organization and analysis of inspection data.
PCMS offers wide-ranging support for mechanical integrity programs, including:
•Comprehensive inspection tracking, scheduling and analysis
•Corrosion analysis and trending
•Integrated risk-based inspection ("RBI") calculators
•Safety relief valve management
PCMS compares data to prior operations, similar assets, industrial standards and specific risk conditions, such as use with highly-flammable or corrosive materials. It also develops asset integrity management plans based on RBI calculations that specify an optimal schedule for the testing, maintenance and retirement of assets.
In many instances, customers of our field inspections and consulting services also have licensed PCMS for storage and analysis of collected inspection and Mechanical Integrity ("MI") data.
We believe PCMS is one of the most widely used plant condition management software systems in North American refineries. We estimate it is currently used by approximately 50% of the U.S. refiners, as well as by leading midstream pipeline energy companies and major energy companies in Canada and Europe. This provides us with recurring maintenance and support fees and marketing opportunities for additional software and solutions.
Pipeline Data. Following our acquisitions of companies such as Onstream and New Century Software, that support the midstream sector of the oil and gas industry, we believe we provide among the most comprehensive, data-driven pipeline protection solutions available to the industry. These proprietary pipeline data analysis solutions enable deep integration of inline inspection ("ILI") big data with real-time risk analytics and business intelligence ("BI") to provide capabilities for supporting pipeline integrity, which we believe provides us with an important competitive advantage.
MISTRAS Digital®. We have also invested resources in digitalizing and optimizing the collection, transfer, and visibility of field inspection data. MISTRAS Digital is an electronic platform that digitally delivers field inspection assignments and related data, captures inspection results, and delivers electronic reporting and productivity tracking via relevant key performance indicators ("KPIs") to multiple members of a customer organization, including those not directly associated with the inspection function. Customers have made clear that the timely and accurate delivery of field data to their "IDMS" is an important feature for them. MISTRAS Digital integrates with PCMS and other inspection data management systems to provide additional productivity improvements.
Monitoring
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Online Monitoring. Our online condition-monitoring solutions provide real-time reports and analysis of infrastructure to alert facility personnel to damages before critical failures occur, while our flexible, IIoT-compatible, cloud-based online monitoring portal centralizes and analyzes all collected monitoring data. These monitoring solutions are often installed in hazardous or hard-to-reach locations, helping to enhance safety by reducing the need to send technicians into unsafe locations. We offer monitoring solutions for a wide range of assets and applications, including:
•Wind Turbine Blades
•Tube Leaking
•Power Transformer Health and Reliability
•Stator Vane Cracking
•Bridge Structural Health Monitoring
•Wall Thickness Tracking
•High-Energy Piping (HEP) Integrity
•Fluid Corrosivity
•Through-Valve Leaking
We have continued to develop new technologies to provide monitoring of wind blade integrity through our Sensoria™ blade monitoring technology. Sensoria helps provide real-time monitoring and damage detection of wind turbine blades and allows our customers to maximize uptime, performance and safety of wind turbine blades. This tool provides additional growth and expansion of our capabilities to serve both new and existing wind turbines and greatly enhances our product offerings within the renewable energy industry.
With expertise in monitoring hardware and services, we design and install monitoring systems, and provide commissioning, training, reporting, technical support and annual maintenance services. We offer a variety of secure, web-based solutions that monitor structural integrity and analyze conditions against our library of historical inspection data, allowing users to stay aware of potential concerns and prioritize future inspections and maintenance. We also offer custom-developed software that integrates with sensing technologies, reporting platforms, and onsite IDMSs; stores and trends monitoring data; and provides immediate automated data analysis. Much of our monitoring is based on acoustical emissions technology.
Laboratory Testing
Our network of in-house laboratories located across North America and Europe offers quality assurance and quality control ("QA/QC") solutions for new and existing metal and alloy components, materials, and composites.
Our in-house laboratories work with our customers to test and measure utilized components throughout their lifetimes, from preparation and production to post-processing and in-service component monitoring. Our laboratory QA/QC solutions help to meet customer needs throughout their manufacturing cycles, with a focus on optimizing production logistics. Our in-house laboratory solutions include:
•Non-destructive evaluation/inspection ("NDE"/"NDI")
•Destructive testing ("DT")
•Metallurgical testing
•Chemical analysis testing
•Mechanical services
•Machining services
•Pre-machining
•Casting repair solutions
•Finishing services
We often inspect and test components prior to assembly to screen for defects and discontinuities introduced in the manufacturing process. We also inspect existing components to ensure they remain fit-for-purpose.
Our laboratories hold a wide variety of certifications, such as: Nadcap (formerly NADCAP, the National Aerospace and Defense Contractors Accreditation Program), AS9100/ISO-9001, Federal Aviation Administration Repair Station, and the International Traffic in Arms Regulations/Export Administration Regulations, that allow us to perform inspections which meet or exceed stringent regulatory and manufacturers' requirements. With these certifications come a comprehensive range of approvals from prime contractors of major projects, militaries and internationally-renowned original equipment manufacturers ("OEMs") from many of our key markets, including the oil and gas, aerospace and defense, power generation and industrial markets.
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Maintenance
We perform maintenance and light mechanical services to prepare assets for inspection and to return them to working condition post inspection. These services include corrosion removal, mitigation and prevention; insulation installation and removal; electrical services; heat tracing, industrial cleaning; pipefitting; and welding. Our light mechanical services are often offered as complementary, value-added solutions to inspections, such as removing insulation in order to inspect piping, then re-installing insulation.
Our multi-disciplined technicians offer maintenance and light mechanical services in hard-to-access areas, in combination with rope access or diving strategies.
Mechanical services are still a small part of our business, and we carefully try to avoid providing any such services that conflict with our inspection services.
Engineering Consulting
We provide a broad range of engineering consulting services, primarily for process equipment, technologies and facilities. Our engineering consultations include plant operations and management support, turnaround/shutdown planning, profit improvement, facilities planning studies, engineering design, process safety reviews, energy optimization evaluations, benchmarking/key performance indicator development and technical training.
Our Asset Integrity Management ("AIMS") and MI services help improve asset reliability and regulatory compliance through a systematic, engineering-based approach to ensure the ongoing integrity and safety of equipment and industrial facilities. AIMS/MI services can include conducting an inventory of infrastructure assets; developing, implementing and training personnel in executing inspection and maintenance procedures; and managing MI programs. We help to identify gaps between existing and desired practices and establish quality assurance standards for fabrication, engineering and installation of infrastructure assets.
Access
Much of our work is conducted in hard-to-access locations, including those in at-height, subsea and confined locations. We utilize scaffolding and rope access to access at-height and confined assets; certified divers for subsea inspection and maintenance; and unmanned (drone) aerial, land-based and subsea systems to deliver a wide range of inspection applications, with an emphasis on minimizing at-height access and confined space entry.
Equipment
We design and manufacture portable, handheld, wireless and turnkey NDT equipment, along with corresponding data acquisition sensors and software, for spot inspections and long-term, unattended monitoring applications.
We sell these solutions as individual components, or as complete systems, which include a combination of sensors, amplifiers, signal processing electronics, knowledge-based software and decision and feedback electronics. We also sell integrated service-and-system technology packages, in which our field technicians utilize our proprietary and specialized testing procedures and hardware, advanced pattern recognition, neural network software and databases to compare test results against our prior testing data or industry standards.
We provide a range of acoustic emission ("AE") products and are a leader in the design and manufacture of AE sensors, instruments and turnkey systems used for monitoring and testing materials, pressure components, processes, and structures. We also design and manufacture ultrasonic testing ("UT") equipment.
Most of our hardware products are fabricated, assembled and tested in our ISO-9001-certified facility in Princeton Junction, New Jersey. We also design and manufacture automated ultrasonic systems and scanners in France.
Centers of Excellence
Another differentiator in our business model is our Centers of Excellence ("COEs"), which offer support for asset, technology or industry-specific solutions. Our subject matter experts engage in strategic sales opportunities to offer customers value-added solutions using advanced technologies and methods. The COEs help to standardize our approach to common problems in our key market segments. Our COEs include:
•Acoustic Emission
•Aerospace
•American Petroleum Institute ("API") Turnarounds
•AIMS/MI/Engineering
•Automated Ultrasonics
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•Data Solutions
•Fossil Power
•Guided Wave Ultrasonics
•Infrastructure
•PCMS Software and Services
•Mechanical Services
•MISTRAS Digital®
•Nuclear Power
•Offshore
•Phased Array
•Pipeline
•Power Generation
•Predictive Maintenance
•Refractory Inspection
•Rope Access/Wind
•Substation Reliability
•Tank Inspection
•Transportation
•Tube Inspection
•Unmanned Systems
ASSET PROTECTION INDUSTRY OVERVIEW
Asset protection plays a crucial role in assuring the integrity and reliability of critical infrastructure. As an asset protection solutions provider, we seek to maximize the uptime and safety of critical infrastructure, by helping customers to detect, locate, mitigate, and prevent damages such as corrosion, cracks, leaks, manufacturing flaws and other concerns to operating and structural integrity. In addition to these core utilities, the storage and analysis of collected inspection and MI data is also a key aspect of asset protection.
NDT has historically been a prominent solution in the asset protection industry due to its capacity to detect defects without compromising the integrity of the tested materials or equipment. Traditionally, the supply of NDT inspection services has been provided by many relatively small vendors, who provide services in a more localized geographic region. A trend has emerged, however, for customers to increasingly engage a select few vendors capable of providing a wider spectrum of asset protection solutions for global infrastructure, in addition to an increased demand for advanced non-destructive testing ("ANDT") solutions and data acquisition software, both of which require a highly-trained workforce.
Due to these trends, those vendors offering integrated solutions, scalable operations, skilled personnel and a global footprint are expected to have a distinct competitive advantage. Moreover, we believe that vendors that are able to effectively deliver both advanced solutions and data analytics, by virtue of their access to customers’ data, create a significant barrier to entry for competitors, leading to the opportunity to further create significant recurring revenues.
Key Dynamics of the Asset Protection Industry
We believe the following represent key dynamics of the asset protection industry, and that the market available to us will continue to grow as these macro-market trends continue to develop:
Extending the Useful Life of Aging Infrastructure While Increasing Utilization. Due to the prohibitive costs and challenges of building new infrastructure, many companies have chosen to extend the useful life of existing assets through enhancements, rather than replacing these assets. This has resulted in the significant aging and increased utilization of existing infrastructure in our target markets. Demand for refined petroleum products, combined with high plant-utilization rates, drives refineries to upgrade facilities to make them more efficient and expand capacities. Because aging infrastructure requires more frequent inspection and maintenance in comparison to new infrastructure, companies and public authorities continue to spend on asset protection to ensure their aging infrastructure assets continue to operate effectively.
Outsourcing of Non-Core Activities and Technical Resource Constraints. Due to the increasing sophistication and automation of NDT programs, a decreasing supply of skilled professionals and increasing governmental regulations, companies are increasingly outsourcing NDT to third-party providers with advanced solution portfolios, engineering expertise and trained workforces.
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Digital Transformation of Asset Protection. Plants in the oil and gas and process industries are recognizing the need to evolve their traditional, paper-based mechanical integrity programs in favor of digitalized solutions. The rise of big data intelligence and the need to gain actionable insights from raw asset integrity data are growing trends that provide opportunities for contractors with a wide range of asset protection expertise and integrated data platforms to help customers maximize uptime while controlling costs.
Increasing Corrosion from Low-Quality Inputs. The increased availability and low cost of crude oil from areas such as shale plays and oil sands resources have led to the use of lower-grade raw materials and feedstock. This leads to higher rates of corrosion, especially in refining processes involving petroleum with higher sulfur content, which increases the need for asset protection solutions to detect and/or proactively prevent corrosion-related issues.
Increasing Use of Advanced Materials. Customers in various target markets - particularly aerospace and defense - are increasingly utilizing advanced materials, such as composites and other unique technologies in their assets. These materials often cannot be tested using traditional NDT techniques. We believe that demand for more advanced testing and assessment solutions will increase as the utilization of these advanced materials increases during the design, manufacturing, operating and quality control phases.
Meeting Safety Regulations. Owners and operators of refineries, pipelines and petrochemical and chemical plants increasingly face strict government regulations and more stringent process safety enforcement standards. This includes the continued implementation of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s National Emphasis Program. Failure to meet these standards can result in significant financial liabilities, increased scrutiny by government and industry regulators, higher insurance premiums and tarnished corporate brand value. As a result, these owners and operators are seeking highly-reliable asset protection suppliers with a track record of assisting organizations in meeting increasingly stringent regulations. Our customers benefit from our extensive engineering consulting base that supports them in devising mechanical integrity programs that both meet regulatory compliance standards and enable enhanced safety and uptime at the customer's facilities.
Expanding Addressable End-Markets. The continued emergence of and advances in asset protection technologies and software-based systems are increasing the demand for asset protection solutions in applications where existing techniques were previously ineffective. This has been true for the wind energy market, which has been receptive to updating traditional blade inspection processes in favor of unattended, remote monitoring solutions such as Sensoria.
Expanding Aerospace and Defense Industry. We believe that increased demand will continue to come over the next several years from the commercial industry due to the approximately decade-long backlog for next-generation commercial aircraft to be built, driving the need for advanced solutions that drive cost and quality efficiencies. Demand continues to be stable in the defense industry while demand in the outerspace industry is growing.
Crude Oil Prices. Volatility in the energy sector has been profound during the 2015-2022 period. The collapse of world oil prices in 2015 and 2016 undermined industry expansion. While energy prices recovered in 2017 and 2018, they once more declined, and subsequently rebounded in the second half of 2021 and the first half of 2022 with near record high prices and crack spreads. This resulted in refineries delaying turnarounds during 2022 until oil prices decreased and stabilized in the second half of 2022. The on-going war in Ukraine, coupled with macroeconomic uncertainty in 2023, are expected to continue to significantly impact oil prices for the foreseeable future.
Expanding Pipeline Integrity Regulations: The United States Pipeline & Hazardous Materials Safety Administration’s “Mega Rule” adopted in October 2019, expands pipeline integrity regulations on more than 500,000 miles of pipelines that carry natural gas, oil and other hazardous materials throughout the United States. Some of these requirements will take operators decades to fulfill. These regulations require inspection and integrity data records throughout a pipeline’s lifetime to be “reliable, traceable, verifiable, and complete,” increasing the demand for integrated inspection, engineering, monitoring, and data management and analysis solutions.
Consolidation of Refineries: Consolidation of refinery ownership will create both pressure on refinery service providers due to increased customer purchasing power and provide an opportunity to those same refinery service providers to become preferred providers to these larger customers.
Our Competitive Strengths
We believe the following competitive strengths contribute to our being a leading provider of asset protection solutions and will allow us to further capitalize on growth opportunities in our industry:
OneSource Provider for Asset Protection Solutions. We believe we have one of the most comprehensive portfolios of integrated asset protection solutions worldwide, which positions us to be a leading single-source provider for our customers’ asset
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protection requirements. This is particularly a competitive strength in regards to turnarounds and shutdowns - during which facilities temporarily cease portions of their operations in order to perform plant-wide inspections, maintenance and repairs - as the services being requested and performed during these work stoppages make up significant portions of refinery, process and power plant maintenance budgets. Demand for our solutions increases during these outages, as facilities seek third-party providers to perform a wide spectrum of asset protection operations while the plant is offline. In addition, as companies are increasingly outsourcing their NDT needs to third-party providers, we believe that the ability to offer a comprehensive package of solutions provides us with a competitive advantage.
Integrated Data Management: Our expertise and proprietary research and development in data solutions throughout the asset protection cycle provides a competitive advantage. With solutions for integrated data acquisition, storage, visualization and analytics, our integrated data solutions well-position us for the oil and gas increasing movement towards digitalizing and centralizing asset protection to fewer, highly-skilled and multi-disciplined vendors. Many of our data solutions are platform-agnostic, allowing us to integrate into customers' existing operations, and thereby expanding the potential customer pool for our solutions. Our presence in our customers’ operations throughout their asset lifecycles also ideally positions us to be their primary vendor to centralize their asset integrity data collection, management and analysis, creating mutually-beneficial opportunities to scale our relationships.
Long-Standing Trusted Provider to a Diversified and Growing Customer Base. We have become a trusted partner to a large and growing customer base across numerous global markets through our proven, decades-long track record of successful operations. Our customers include some of the largest and most well-recognized firms in the oil and gas, chemicals, power generation and transmission and aerospace and defense industries, as well as public authorities.
Repository of Customer-Specific Inspection Data. Through our world-class enterprise data management and analysis software, PCMS, we have accumulated extensive, proprietary process data that allows us to provide our customers with value-added services, such as benchmarking, "RBI" and reliability-centered maintenance.
Proprietary Products, Software and Technology Packages. Our deep knowledge base in asset protection services and equipment enables us to offer technology packages, in which our field technicians utilize our proprietary and specialized testing procedures and hardware, advanced pattern recognition, neural network software and databases to compare test results against our prior testing data or national and international structural integrity standards.
Deep Domain Knowledge and Extensive Industry Experience. We have extensive asset protection experience and data, dating back several decades of operations. We have gained this through our industry leadership in developing advanced asset protection solutions, including research and development of advanced NDT technologies and applications, process engineering technologies, online plant asset integrity management with sensor fusion; and enterprise software solutions for plant-wide and fleet-wide inspection data archiving and management.
Technological Research and Development. The NDT industry continues to move towards more advanced, automated solutions, requiring service providers to find safer and more cost-efficient inspection techniques. We believe that we remain ahead of the technological curve by backing our extensive industry expertise with the investment of resources in research and development. Some of the advanced inspection technologies developed by our internal research and development teams include our Sensoria wind blade monitoring technology, an automated radiographic testing ("aRT") crawler for corrosion under insulation ("CUI") inspections in aboveground pipelines and piping; our Large Structure Inspection ("LSI") scanner, and our real-time radiography ("RTR") crawler for 360° inspections of pipeline girth welds.
Collaborating with Our Customers. We have historically expanded our asset protection solution portfolio in response to our customers’ unique performance specifications. Our technology packages have often been developed in close cooperation and partnership with key customers and industry organizations.
Experienced Management Team. Our management team has a track record of asset protection organizational leadership. These individuals also have successfully driven operational growth organically and through acquisitions, which we believe is important to facilitate future growth in the asset protection industry.
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Our Growth Strategy
Our growth strategy emphasizes the following key elements:
Continue to Digitalize Asset Protection Data and Processes. We place a data-centric focus on asset protection, enabling our customers to ease some of their biggest areas of concern (particularly the timely and accurate transfer of asset integrity data from the field to their IDMS, as well as the data’s visibility and accessibility once uploaded). We expect that the demand for big data intelligence and remote data visibility will continue to grow, and are investing in data solutions that help our customers visualize and generate actionable insight from their asset integrity data, regardless of data input. We are also actively seeking to optimize our customers’ asset protection workflows and processes, by creating digital paths between data applications to increase data visibility and reduce manual data entry and human error.
We have continued providing our customers with innovative asset protection software ecosystem through our MISTRAS OneSuite platform. The software platform offers functions of our popular software and services brands as integrated apps on a cloud environment. OneSuite serves as a single access portal for customers' data activities and provides access to 90 plus integrated applications being offered on one centralized platform.
Expand Our Focus in the Aerospace and Defense Industries. We believe that the introduction of next-generation airframes and aircraft engines has created an inherent demand for inspection, testing, machining and mechanical services required for the production of parts. The recent interest in the use of additive manufacturing techniques to create components also necessitates advanced inspection and testing solutions. We consummated two acquisitions of aerospace inspection companies in 2017, enhancing our capabilities and focus on providing solutions to our customers in the aerospace and defense industries throughout their manufacturing value chains in this growing area.
Expand Our Focus in the Pipeline Integrity Industry. We intend to continue broadening our solutions for the pipeline market. Recent industry regulations significantly expanded pipeline integrity management regulations, requiring pipeline owner/operators to inspect, document, and assess the risk of operating conditions for existing lines. This provides us with the opportunity to provide asset protection solutions for both the new construction and integrity phases. In 2019, we acquired a company that provides pipeline integrity management software and services to energy transportation companies. We acquired an inline inspection provider in 2018 and have implemented our PCMS software for several pipeline operators to support their integrity data management.
Expanding our Mechanical Services Portfolio. We believe that performing mechanical services to complement inspections, such as removing and reapplying insulation or preparing surfaces for coating or painting, is an important market differentiator for us. This is particularly true, for example, when considering the cost-efficiencies our customers realize when our rope access technicians perform these services at height without the use of scaffolding. Many of our customers already require these services, but utilize multiple vendors to do so, creating an opportunity for us to provide greater value to a customer base that increasingly requires enhanced speed and efficiency.
Continue to Develop Technology-Enabled and Digital Asset Protection Solutions. We intend to maintain and enhance our technological leadership by continuing to invest in developing new technology, applications and data services. The release of our OneSuite ecosystem underscores our dedication to continue deepening synergies between our solutions to provide our customers with uniquely-integrated offerings, which we believe makes us a more attractive vendor for customers seeking to centralize their asset protection. We have actively continued to develop technologies that enhance the flow of data throughout multiple operational phases and facilities, through solutions such as MISTRAS Digital, our integrated pipeline integrity data portfolio, and our cloud-based monitoring data portal, and Sensoria, our wind blade monitoring technology.
Expand our Solution Offerings to Existing Customers. We believe that branching into adjacent, complementary services, such as mechanical services, increases our value proposition and our ability to capture additional business. Many of our customers are multinational corporations with asset protection requirements at multiple locations. We believe that expanding our solution offerings and merging and visualizing data across facilities for enterprise data analysis, combined with the trend of customers outsourcing asset protection to service providers with integrated offerings, provides opportunities for significant additional recurring revenues.
Continue to Expand Our Customer Base into New End Markets. We believe we have significant opportunities to expand our customer base in relatively new end markets, including wind and other alternative energy, natural gas transportation industries pipeline integrity and additive manufacturing. We believe that the development of our Sensoria tool, which allows our customers to maximize uptime, performance and safety of wind turbine blades, provides additional growth and expansion of our capabilities to serve both new and existing wind turbines and greatly enhances our product offerings within the renewable energy industry. The expansion of our addressable markets is being driven by the increased recognition and adoption of advanced asset protection technologies that are supplanting traditional methods.
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Capitalize on Acquisitions. We have completed several acquisitions to supplement and enhance our solutions, add new customers, expand our sales channels and accelerate our expected growth. Due to our current debt levels and restrictions related to the debt covenants in our credit facility, we do not expect to make any acquisitions in 2023 other than small acquisitions with the banks’ approval. However, once we reduce our debt, we expect to make selective acquisitions beyond 2023.
Our Segments
We have three operating segments: (i) Services, (ii) International and (iii) Products and Systems:
Services provides asset protection solutions in North America, with the largest concentration in the United States, followed by Canada, consisting primarily of NDT, inspection, mechanical and engineering services that are used to evaluate the structural integrity and reliability of critical energy, industrial and public infrastructure and commercial aerospace components. This segment includes data services revenue derived from the selling of licenses and analyzing and synthesizing customer data through our OneSuite platform, field operations revenue derived from work performed in the field at customer locations, and shop revenue derived from operations designing, building, and customizing products in our laboratories for our customers. PCMS software and pipeline related software and data analysis solutions are included in this segment.
International offers services, products and systems similar to those of the other segments to select markets within Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and South America, but not to customers in China and South Korea, which are served by the Products and Systems segment. This segment includes data services revenue derived from the selling of licenses and analyzing and synthesizing customer data through our OneSuite platform, field operations revenue derived from work performed in the field at customer locations, and shop revenue derived from operations designing, building and customizing products in our laboratories for our customers.
Products and Systems designs, manufactures, sells, installs and services our asset protection products and systems, including equipment and instrumentation, predominantly in the United States.
For a discussion of segment revenues, operating results and other financial information, including geographic areas in which we generated revenues, see “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in Item 7, as well as Note 2-Revenue and Note 19-Segment Disclosure in the notes to our audited consolidated financial statements in Item 8 of this Annual Report.
Our Target Markets
Overview
We operate in a highly competitive, but fragmented market. Domestically, the market is serviced by several national competitors and many regional and/or local companies. Internationally, our primary competitors are divisions of large companies, with additional competition from small independent local companies which may be limited to a specific product, service or technology and focused on a niche market or geographic region. We focus our strategic sales, marketing and product development efforts on a range of infrastructure-intensive based industries and governmental authorities. We view energy-related infrastructure and commercial aerospace as our largest market opportunities. We perform inspection and mechanical services for customers in both industries.
There are a number of economic factors which drive the aerospace market, including:
•The multi-year backlog for next generation commercial aircraft to be built, including several large and mid-sized aircraft built by Boeing and Airbus, among other manufacturers; and
•The continuing regulatory scrutiny to ensure public safety serves to ensure the continued need for inspection and mechanical services to be performed.
In the energy market, there are various economic indicators that drive our business, especially in the U.S. domestic markets. It is unclear what the short and long term effects of the war between Russia and Ukraine is likely to have on the world economy and certain of our target markets, including particularly the oil and gas market. Excerpted below are forecasts from various Energy Information Administration (EIA) outlook reports, which are subject to change based on these factors:
Electricity generation from coal is projected to fall throughout the mid 2020's and the decrease will be partially offset by an increase in the forecast of combined utility-scale solar and wind generation.
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The EIA noted U.S. crude oil production averaged 11.2 million barrels per day (bpd) in 2021 and rose to an average 11.9 million bpd in 2022. The EIA forecasts production to continue to increase to an average 12.4 million bpd in 2023 and further increase to 12.8 million bpd in 2024.
Revenue by Target Market
The following charts represent our revenue by target market for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020. The petrochemical market was previously consolidated within the oil and gas target market for the year ended December 31, 2020. We have separately broken out this information beginning with the year ended December 31, 2020, as we have continued to provide services and products to this market, and continue to expect increases in future periods. For comparability purposes, Petrochemical comprised 3% of total revenues for the year ended December 31, 2020, which was included within the oil and gas target market previously.
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Oil and Gas
We supply oil and gas asset protection solutions to downstream (refining), midstream (transportation and storage) and upstream (exploration and production) operations.
We use our vast solutions portfolio to help identify current and future asset performance, and actively prevent, mitigate or otherwise address potential issues, including corrosion, cracking, leaking and other damages that may lead to safety, productivity or environmental concerns. Our solutions help identify conditions that if not remedied, could lead to potential catastrophic failures in tanks, vessels, valves, buried and above ground pipelines, pumps, motors, compressors and other critical assets found throughout the oil and gas production and delivery supply chain.
We actively seek to evolve our solutions through technological enhancements and research and development to discover new applications. Online monitoring and permanently-mounted sensors, as well as the use of drones and other alternative delivery devices, are all being considered as oil and gas infrastructure owners look to “smart” technologies that reduce human intervention while delivering highly-accurate inspection and integrity data. We also have actively sought to further enhance our integrated approach to asset protection, through the development of our complementary mechanical service portfolio.
In general, the oil and gas market is poised to leverage digital solutions to facilitate process improvements as well as increase plant reliability and improve process and personnel safety. This provides an opportunity for us to synergistically leverage our digital asset protection solutions, including MISTRAS Digital and OneSuite. Digital transmission of data in various industry sectors, with built-in analytic functions, will allow our customers to better leverage inspection data that is being generated in the field.
While we expect off-stream inspection of critical assets to remain a routine practice, we anticipate an increase in the demand for non-invasive or on-stream inspections. Non-invasive inspections enable companies to minimize the costs associated with shutting down equipment during testing, while enabling the economic and safety advantages of advanced planning and/or predictive maintenance.
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Aerospace and Defense
The aerospace industry continued to rebound from COVID-19 throughout 2022 with backlog and production levels approaching and exceeding pre-pandemic levels for certain OEMs for the first time since the pandemic. We serve this rapidly-growing target market by providing a full range of inspection, testing, machining, mechanical, finishing, additive manufacturing and equipment solutions, for which we are Nadcap certified. Our state-of-the-art in-house labratories maintain numerous accreditations from industry organizations, including Nadcap, and some of the largest manufacturers in the world, such as Boeing, Safran, Airbus, Bombardier and Embraer.
Advanced composite materials found in new classes of aircraft require advanced asset protection solutions, including x-ray of critical engine components, ultrasonic fatigue testing of complete aircraft structures and corrosion detection and other critical components. Many OEMs are shifting towards condition-based maintenance utilizing embedded monitoring sensors to track component structural and operational integrity over time as opposed to performing maintenance on time-based intervals. We expect demand for our solutions to increase with the adoption of these new-age materials and distributed online sensor networks. We also expect demand for asset protection solutions to increase with the continued adoption of additive manufacturing techniques.
Industrials
The quality control requirements driven by the need for zero-to-low-defect component tolerance within automated, robotic-intensive industries such as automotive, consumer electronics and medical industries serve as key drivers for increased demand in asset protection, particularly for in-house inspection and testing. We expect that increasingly stringent quality-control requirements and competitive forces will drive the demand for more-costly finishing and polishing which, in turn, creates opportunities for integrated partnerships between us and our customers throughout the production lifecycle.
Power Generation and Transmission
We provide asset protection solutions for customers in the combined cycle, fossil, nuclear, transmission and distribution and wind/alternative energy industries. We believe that in recent years, acceptance of asset protection solutions has grown in this industry due to the aging of critical power generation and transmission infrastructure.
During the fourth quarter of 2021, we received a U.S. patent for the technology behind Sensoria, our innovative 24/7/365 rotor blade monitoring system and sensors that enable blade integrity management for wind turbine owners and operators. Sensoria is a remote rotor blade monitor that detects and reports damages in real-time, including cracks, lightning strikes, skin ruptures and perforations, delaminations, and more. By sending immediate damage alerts to operators, Sensoria enables them to maximize blade uptime and generating capacity while preventing damages from worsening. This tool provides additional growth and expansion of our capabilities to serve both new and existing wind turbines and greatly enhances our product offerings within the renewable energy industry.
The growing availability of cheap natural gas, along with environmental concerns with coal, has stimulated the construction of new natural gas-fired power plants across North America, creating opportunities for us to provide specialized solutions in multiple phases. These include facility design consultations, NDT services during construction and plant operations and long-term condition monitoring. We anticipate sharp growth in these types of plants as natural gas pricing remains low, and the environmental impacts of coal remain unattractive to the public.
We also offer solutions for inspection, maintenance, monitoring and data services for wind turbines and their components. These include NDT services — often performed through rope and/or drone access — to identify corrosion, cracking, and other defects that can affect the safety and operational effectiveness of wind turbines, along with remedial solutions to repair minor damages identified during inspections.
Other Process Industries
Our asset protection solutions are crucial for process industries, or industries in which raw materials are treated or prepared in a series of stages, including chemicals, pharmaceuticals, food processing, pulp and paper and metals and mining. As the process facilities are increasingly facing aging infrastructure, high utilization, growing capacity constraints and increasing capital costs, we believe asset protection solutions will continue to grow in importance in maintenance planning, quality and cost control and prevention of catastrophic failure.
Infrastructure, Research and Engineering
We believe that high-profile infrastructure catastrophes have caused public authorities to more actively seek ways to prevent similar events from occurring. Public authorities tasked with new construction and maintenance of existing public infrastructure
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increasingly use asset protection solutions to inspect these assets, including the use of embedded sensors to enable online monitoring throughout the life of the asset.
We have provided testing and structural health monitoring and data solutions on bridges and structures worldwide, including some of the largest and most well-known bridges in the United States and United Kingdom. Our sensors continuously monitor these assets, alerting owner/operators when defects are detected. Our monitoring teams also provide regular reports that include early warnings of suspect areas before an alarm is generated.
Petrochemical
We provide asset protection NDT services for customers within the petrochemical industry, as they transform byproducts into goods which are utilized in many end products such as plastics, soaps, fertilizers, synthetic fibers and rubber. Our solutions help identify conditions that if not remedied, could lead to potential catastrophic failures in tanks, vessels, valves, buried and above ground pipelines, pumps, motors, compressors and other critical assets found throughout the petrochemical production process.
We actively seek to evolve our solutions through technological enhancements and R&D to discover new applications. Online monitoring and permanently-mounted sensors provide real-time data to petrochemical owners and operators and provide an opportunity for us to synergistically leverage our asset protection solutions into our MISTRAS Digital platform, OneSuite. Digital transmission of data in various industry sectors, with built-in analytic functions, will allow our customers to better leverage inspection data that is being generated in the field. We also have actively sought to further enhance our integrated approach to asset protection, through the development of our complementary mechanical service portfolio.
Customers
We provide our asset protection solutions to a global customer base of diverse companies primarily in our target markets. No customer represented 10% or more of our revenue in any of the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 or 2020.
Geographic Areas
We have operations in 10 countries and occasionally conduct business in a few other countries. Most of our revenues are derived from our U.S., Canadian and European operations and we do not have operations in Russia, and we do not do business in Russia, Ukraine or other areas which are impacted by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. See Note 2-Revenue and Note 19-Segment Disclosure to our audited consolidated financial statements in this Annual Report for further disclosure of our revenues, long-lived assets and other financial information regarding our international operations.
Sales and Marketing
We sell our asset protection solutions through our direct sales and marketing activities worldwide. In addition, our project and laboratory managers, as well as our management, are trained on our solutions and often are the source of sales leads and customer contacts. Our direct sales and marketing teams work closely with our customers to demonstrate the benefits and capabilities of our asset protection solutions, refine our asset protection solutions based on changing market and customer needs and identify potential opportunities. We divide our sales and marketing efforts into services sales, products and systems sales and marketing and utilize marketing automation and customer relationship management ("CRM") systems to collect, manage and collaborate customer information with our teams globally. Our CRM systems also provide critical data to provide accurate forecasting and reporting.
Manufacturing
Most of our hardware products are manufactured in our Princeton Junction, New Jersey facility. This facility includes the capabilities and personnel to fully produce all of our AE products and NDT Automation Ultrasonic equipment. We also design and manufacture automated ultrasonic systems and scanners in France.
Human Capital
As of December 31, 2022, we had approximately 5,400 employees worldwide, of which 3,600 were located in the United States, 600 in Canada and 1,200 in our other non-U.S. locations. As described below, we value our employees and have established various programs to promote the satisfaction, health and safety of our employees. Less than 0.01% of our employees in the United States are unionized.
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Our employees are key to achieving our goals and strategy. We have committed resources throughout our organization to ensure that we are attracting, developing, and retaining talented employees needed to support all aspects of our activities. Our core values and business ethics guide and direct all activities undertaken by us.
The health and safety of our employees is paramount. We have also developed key initiatives and strategies regarding our talent and people initiatives. Below, we describe some of the key initiatives and values around health and safety. Management regularly updates our Board of Directors with regards to our safety and people strategy and how we are performing in these areas. In 2020, our Board established the Environmental, Social and Safety Committee. This Committee, which consists of independent directors, monitors and oversees the strategic direction of our initiatives in support of our core values and our environmental, social and governance initiatives.
Talent, Leadership and Employee Development
Employee development and engagement begins with our senior management team, which has considerable industry experience and expertise. Leveraging this experience and expertise, our senior management team is able to continuously review our organizational structure and provide opportunities for the growth and development for our employees. This process helps us develop leaders at all levels within the organization, and to engage employees with rewarding opportunities, competitive salary and benefits, to advance their careers and contribute to our success.
As part of our continued commitment to our employees, we have established various programs to promote lifelong learning and development opportunities for our employees. These include a mix of voluntary and mandatory training programs, which are provided in-person, virtually or on the job. We also provide employees the ability to continue to gain additional professional certifications to contribute to their career advancement. We utilize a web-based training center which is available to field technicians for career advancement and includes over 500 web-based classes. In addition, we are committed to ensuring all employees are compensated at a living wage. All local minimum wage requirements are met and where no wage laws are in place, employees are compensated competitively, in accordance with industry standards.
We also provide leadership development using third-party leadership organizations to members of our executive management team, and we make available coaching and leadership development to all levels of management, including our General Managers who work in the field. Our human rights policy places a high priority on diversity and equal opportunity and provides our employees with management’s expectations related to human rights and labor practices.
Another program we instituted focuses on our connection by a common thread of caring – about one another, our customers, the environment, and the work we do. We seek to foster a culture of togetherness, safety, respect, and contribution which enables each individual member to feel that he or she is a part of something bigger. A community of caring professionals with a genuine passion for helping people and making a difference together – that is the heart of the program we call “Caring Connects.”
Our Safety-Conscious Culture
We consider safety the backbone of our operations. Our asset protection solutions aim to ensure that industrial assets and facilities remain in safe, reliable working condition, which in turn enhances safety for our clients, the public, and the environment. Our labratory and field personnel are trained to operate according to strict safety and quality standards so that our processes and procedures regarding hazardous materials, worker safety, and accident prevention are sound and effective. Further to this, we are constantly evaluating these processes and procedures to ensure that they remain of high quality and are effective, and consider changes in the manner in which work is performed or lessons that have been learned from any sources, such as industry data. We work to help ensure that our clients are in full compliance with all federal, state, and local regulations. Our practices, policies and procedures are designed to help ensure we perform our duties through the use of safe, industry-best practices, seeking to minimize risk wherever possible.
We emphasize a “MISTRAS’ safety-conscious” culture with the intent that it becomes embedded in the day-to-day work of all our employees. We use various training tools and other practices to instill attitudes, beliefs, perceptions, and values that all employees share in the mandate to create and maintain a safe work environment for all.
We continuously monitor our safety performance through analysis of our company-wide safety statistics, which help us to determine behavioral trends while also instilling a culture of proactivity. For the year ended December 31, 2022, our Total Recordable Incident Rate was 0.41 while Days Away, Restricted and Transferred Rate was 0.15 and Lost Work Day Rate
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remained at historical lows of 0.03. For the year ended December 31, 2021, our Total Recordable Incident Rate (“TRIR”) was 0.15, when excluding COVID-19 related cases.
Seasonality
Our business is seasonal. This seasonality relates primarily to our oil and gas target market, and to a lesser extent within our other target markets. U.S. refineries’ non-peak periods are generally in the fall, when they are retooling to produce more heating oil for winter, and in the spring, when they are retooling to produce more gasoline for summer. The peak periods for these customers are the summer and winter months, when they run at peak capacity and are not retooling or performing turnarounds or shut downs. As a result, our revenues in the summer and winter months are typically lower than our revenues in the fall and spring, when demand for our asset protection solutions from the oil and gas as well as the fossil and nuclear power industries increases during their non-peak production periods. Because we are increasing our work in the fall and spring, our cash flows are lower in those quarters than in the summer and winter, as collections of receivables lag behind revenues. We expect that this seasonality will continue.
Competition
We operate in a highly competitive, but fragmented, market. Our primary competitors are divisions of large companies and various small companies which generally are limited to a specific product or technology and focused on a niche market or geographic region. We believe that few, if any, of our competitors currently provide the full range of asset protection and NDT products, enterprise software ("PCMS") and the traditional and advanced services solutions that we offer. Our competition with respect to NDT services include Acuren, SGS Group, the Team Qualspec division of Team, Inc. and APPLUS RTD. Our competition with respect to our PCMS software includes UltraPIPE, Lloyd’s Register Capstone, Inc. and Meridium Systems. In the traditional NDT market, we believe the principal competitive factors include project management, availability of qualified personnel, execution, price, reputation and quality, whereas in the advanced NDT market, reputation, quality and size tend to be the most significant competitive factors. We believe that the NDT market has significant barriers to entry which would make it difficult for new competitors to enter the market. These barriers include: (i) having to acquire or develop advanced NDT services, products and systems technologies, which in our case occurred over many years of customer engagements and at significant internal research and development expense, (ii) complex regulations and safety codes that require significant industry experience, (iii) license requirements and evolved quality and safety programs, (iv) costly and time-consuming certification processes, (v) capital requirements and (vi) emphasis by large customers on size and critical mass, length of relationship and past service record.
Research and Development
Our research and development is principally conducted by engineers and scientists at our Princeton Junction, New Jersey headquarters, and supplemented by other employees in the United States and throughout the world, including France, Greece the United Kingdom, Brazil and the Netherlands. Our total professional staff includes employees who hold Ph.D.’s and engineers and employees who hold Level III certification, the highest level of certification from the American Society of Non-Destructive Testing (ASNT).
We make strategic research and development investments in technologies that support integration with our other solution offerings to enhance cost- and time-efficiencies, maximize uptime and safety and improve the flow of data from field technicians to inspection databases. We have invested, and continue to invest, resources in the development of MISTRAS Digital, an electronic platform that digitally delivers field inspection assignments and related data, capture inspection results, and provide electronic reporting and productivity tracking. We have also invested significant research and development in pre-machining and advanced testing technologies in a purpose-built facility for an aerospace customer, with the goal of reducing the customer’s production cycle logistics and costs.
We also work with customers to develop new products or applications for our technology, including:
•Testing of new composites
•Detecting crack propagation
•Wireless and communications technologies
•Development of permanently embedded inspection systems to provide continuous, online, in-service monitoring of critical structural components
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Research and development expenses are reflected in our Consolidated Statements of Income (Loss) as research and engineering expenses. Our company-sponsored research and engineering expenses were approximately $2.0 million, $2.5 million and $2.9 million for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020, respectively. While we have historically funded most of our research and development expenditures, from time to time we also receive customer-sponsored research and development funding. Most of the projects are in our target markets, however, a few of the projects could lead to other future market opportunities.
Intellectual Property
Our success depends, in part, on our ability to maintain and protect our proprietary technology and to conduct our business without infringing on the proprietary rights of others. We utilize a combination of intellectual property safeguards, including patents, copyrights, trademarks and trade secrets, as well as employee and third-party confidentiality agreements, to protect our intellectual property.
As of December 31, 2022, we held seven U.S. patents by direct ownership and six patent applications pending in the United States. All the patent applications pending have been filed since 2018. While we do not rely on these patents or licenses to provide a majority of our proprietary asset protection solutions, certain of these patents do provide us with a competitive advantage and we believe they will be an asset to our growth strategy. Our trademarks and service marks provide us and our solutions with a certain amount of brand recognition in our markets. We do not consider any single patent, trademark or service mark material to our financial condition or results of operations.
As of December 31, 2022, the primary trademarks and service marks that we held in the United States included MISTRAS®, our stylized globe design and our tag line "One Source for Asset Protection Solutions". Other key trademarks or service marks that we utilize in localized markets or product advertising include:
•Onstream® (word and logo)
•PCMS® (word and logo)
•Ropeworks®
•MISTRAS Digital®
•OneSuite™
•Sensoria™
•OneSource™
•CALIPERAY™ (word and logo)
•Physical Acoustics PAC logo
•Streamview™
•Sensor Highway™
•TankPAC®
•VPAC™
•Transformer Clinic™
•FieldCal™
•UTwin®
•AEwin®
•Pocket AE®
•Pocket UT®
Many elements of our asset protection solutions involve proprietary know-how, technology or data that are not covered by patents or patent applications because they are not patentable or would be difficult to enforce, including technical processes, algorithms and procedures. We believe that this proprietary know-how, technology and data is the most important component of our intellectual property used in our asset protection solutions and is a primary differentiator of our solutions from those of our competitors. We rely on various trade secret protection techniques and agreements with our customers, service providers and vendors to protect these assets. All of our employees are subject to confidentiality requirements through our employee handbook. In addition, many of our employees have entered into confidentiality and proprietary information agreements with us. Our employee handbook and these agreements require our employees not to use or disclose our confidential information and to assign to us all the inventions, designs and technologies they develop during the course of employment with us, as well as addressing other intellectual property protection issues. We also seek confidentiality agreements from our customers and business partners before we disclose any sensitive aspects of our technologies or business strategies. We are not currently involved in any material intellectual property claims.
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Governmental Regulations
We are subject to numerous environmental, legal and regulatory requirements related to our operations worldwide. In the United States, these laws and regulations include, among others: the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, the Resources Conservation and Recovery Act, the Clean Air Act, the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, the Toxic Substances Control Act, the Atomic Energy Act, the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974, and applicable regulations. In addition to the federal laws and regulations, states and other countries where we do business often have numerous environmental, legal and regulatory requirements by which we must abide. We evaluate and address the environmental impact of our operations by assessing properties in order to avoid future liabilities and comply with environmental, legal and regulatory requirements.
Executive Officers
The following were our executive officers as of December 31, 2022 and their background and experience. On February 8, 2023, we terminated Jonathan's Wolk's employment with us, with immediate effect, and Dennis Bertolotti, our President and Chief Executive Officer, temporarily assumed Mr. Wolk's duties.
| Name | Age | Position | ||||||||||||
| Sotirios J. Vahaviolos | 76 | Executive Chairman and Director | ||||||||||||
| Dennis Bertolotti | 63 | President, Chief Executive Officer and Director | ||||||||||||
| Edward J. Prajzner | 56 | Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer | ||||||||||||
| Michael C. Keefe | 66 | Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary | ||||||||||||
| Michael J. Lange | 62 | Senior Group Executive Vice President | ||||||||||||
| Jonathan H. Wolk | 61 | Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer | ||||||||||||
Sotirios J. Vahaviolos has been our Executive Chairman since August 10, 2017. Prior to being named Executive Chairman, Dr. Vahaviolos had been our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer since he founded Mistras in 1978 under the name Physical Acoustics Corporation and was also our President until June 1, 2016. Prior to founding the Company, Dr. Vahaviolos worked at AT&T Bell Laboratories. Dr. Vahaviolos received a B.S. in Electrical Engineering and graduated first in his engineering class from Fairleigh Dickinson University and received Masters Degrees in Electrical Engineering and Philosophy and a Ph.D. (EE) from the Columbia University School of Engineering. During Dr. Vahaviolos’ career in non-destructive testing, he has been elected Fellow of The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, a member of The American Society for Nondestructive Testing ("ASNT") where he served as its President from 1992-1993 and its Chairman from 1993-1994, a member of Acoustic Emission Working Group ("AEWG") and an honorary life member of the International Committee for Nondestructive Testing. Additionally, he was the recipient of ASNT’s Gold Medal in 2001 and AEWG’s Gold Medal in 2005. He was also one of the six founders of NDT Academia International in 2008 headquartered in Brescia, Italy.
Dennis Bertolotti joined Mistras when Conam Inspection Services was acquired in 2003, where Mr. Bertolotti was a Vice President at the time of the acquisition. Since then, Mr. Bertolotti has had increasing levels of responsibility with Mistras, and became our President and Chief Executive Officer and Director, effective August 10, 2017. From June 1, 2016 to August 9, 2017, Mr. Bertolotti was our President and Chief Operating Officer. Mr. Bertolotti has been in the NDT business for over 40 years, and previously held ASNT Level III certifications and various American Petroleum Institute, or API, certifications, and received his Associate of Science degree in NDT from Moraine Valley Community College in 1983. Mr. Bertolotti has also received a Bachelor of Science and MBA from Otterbein College.
Edward J. Prajzner joined Mistras in January 2018 as our Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer becoming our Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer effective February 27, 2020. Prior to joining Mistras, Mr. Prajzner worked at CECO Environmental Corp., a global service provider to environmental, energy and filtration industries, and served as Chief Financial Officer and Secretary from 2014 to 2017, Vice President of Finance and Chief Accounting Officer from 2013 until his appointment as Chief Financial Officer in 2014, and Corporate Controller and Chief Accounting Officer from 2012 to 2013. Mr. Prajzner also served in senior finance roles at CDI Corporation (now AE Industrial Partners) and American Infrastructure (now Allan Myers). Mr. Prajzner began his career in public accounting at Ernst & Young, received his B.S. in accountancy from Villanova University, his MBA in finance from Temple University and is a certified public accountant.
Michael C. Keefe joined Mistras in December 2009. Prior to joining Mistras, Mr. Keefe worked at International Fight League, a then publicly-traded sports promotion company, from 2007 until 2009, in various executive positions. From 1990 until 2006,
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Mr. Keefe served in various legal roles with Lucent Technologies and AT&T, the last four years as Vice President, Corporate and Securities Law and Assistant Secretary. Mr. Keefe received a BS in Business Administration (Accounting) from Seton Hall University and a J.D. from Seton Hall University School of Law.
Michael J. Lange joined Mistras when we acquired Quality Services Laboratories in November 2000, and was elected a Director in 2003. Mr. Lange has held various executive level positions with Mistras, becoming Senior Executive Vice President, effective June 1, 2016. Mr. Lange is a well-recognized authority in Radiography and has held an ASNT Level III Certificate for almost 20 years. Mr. Lange received an Associate of Science degree in NDT from the Spartan School of Aeronautics.
Jonathan H. Wolk joined Mistras in November 2013 and his active employment ended with the Company on February 8, 2023. During his employment at Mistras, Mr. Wolk served as Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer until August 10, 2017, when Mr. Wolk became Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. Mr. Wolk was also acting Chief Financial Officer from August 10, 2017 until the appointment of Mr. Prajzner on January 5, 2018.
Our executive officers are appointed by, and serve at the discretion of, our board of directors. There are no family relationships among any of our directors or executive officers.
Our Website and Available Information
Our website address is www.mistrasgroup.com. We file reports with the SEC, including Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Current Reports on Form 8-K and Proxy Statements. All of the materials we file with or furnish to the SEC are available free of charge on our website at http://investors.mistrasgroup.com/sec.cfm, as soon as reasonably practicable after having been electronically submitted to the SEC. Information contained on or connected to our website is not incorporated by reference into this Annual Report and should not be considered part of this Annual Report or any other filing with the SEC. All of our SEC filings are also available at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. In addition, materials we file with the SEC may be read and copied at the SEC’s Public Reference Room at 100 F Street, NE, Washington, DC 20549. The public may obtain information on the operation of the Public Reference Room by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330.
ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS
This section describes the major risks to us, our business and our common stock. You should carefully read and consider the risks described below, together with the other information contained in this Annual Report, including our financial statements and the notes thereto and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” before making an investment decision. The statements contained in this section constitute cautionary statements under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. If any of these risks occur, our business, financial condition, results of operations and future growth prospects may be adversely affected. As a result, the trading price of our common stock would likely decline, and you may lose all or part of your investment. You should understand that it is not possible to predict or identify all risk factors that could impact us. For example, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a dramatic negative impact on the health of citizens of many countries, and resulted in major disruptions in economies and markets around the world, including our key markets. In addition, it is unclear what effects the war between Russia and Ukraine is likely to have on the world economy and certain of our target markets, including particularly the oil and gas market, in the near and long term. In addition, macroeconomic factors such as inflation, unemployment, and interest rates, amongst others, will impact our business. Accordingly, you should not consider the following to be a complete discussion of all risks and uncertainties pertaining to us and our common stock.
Risks Related to Our Business
Due to our dependency on customers in the oil and gas industry, we are susceptible to prolonged negative trends relating to this industry that could adversely affect our operating results.
Our customers in the oil and gas industry have accounted for a substantial portion of our historical revenues. Specifically, they accounted for approximately 56%, 54%, and 54% of our revenues for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020, respectively. Although we have expanded our customer base into industries other than the oil and gas industry, we still receive a majority of our revenues from this industry. Our services are vital to the operators of plants, refineries, and pipelines, and we have expanded our services offerings, such as expanding our mechanical and in-line inspection services capabilities. However, economic slowdowns or low oil prices have, and could continue to, result in cutbacks in contracts for our services. In addition, low oil prices could depress the level of new exploration and construction, which would adversely affect our market opportunities. If the price of oil were to decrease, our revenues, profits and cash flows may be reduced. If the price of oil
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reaches record, or near record levels as it did in 2022, we may experience delays or deferrals in performing inspection services to customers in the oil and gas industry.
While we continue to expand our market presence in the aerospace, power generation and transmission, and the chemical processing industries, among others, these markets are also cyclical in nature and as such, are subject to economic downturns. In addition, it is unclear what effects the war between Russia and Ukraine is likely to have on the world economy and certain of our target markets, including particularly the oil and gas market, in the near and long term.
We may be affected by climate change and market or regulatory responses to climate change
Climate change could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial condition, and liquidity. Restrictions on emissions, including those that have already been adopted and others that are expected to be adopted in the future, could affect our customers that (i) use commodities to produce energy, (ii) use significant amounts of fossil fuel to produce or deliver commodities, or (iii) manufacture or produce goods that consume significant amounts of fossil fuels or burn fossil fuels. Significant cost increases, government regulation, or changes of consumer preferences for goods or services relating to alternative sources of energy or emissions reductions could materially affect the markets we serve (including the oil and gas industry), which in turn could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial condition and liquidity. Government incentives encouraging the use of alternative sources of energy also could affect certain of our customers and the markets we serve in an unpredictable manner. Any of these factors, individually or with one or more of the other factors, or other unforeseen impacts of climate change could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial condition and liquidity.
Our international operations are subject to risks relating to non-U.S. operations.
For the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020, we generated approximately 29%, 30%, and 31% of our revenues outside the United States, respectively. In addition, our international operations as a percentage of our business may increase over time. Our primary operations outside the United States are in Canada, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Brazil. We also have operations in Belgium, Greece and India. There are numerous risks inherent in doing business in international markets, including:
•fluctuations in currency exchange rates and interest rates;
•varying regional and geopolitical business and economic conditions and demands;
•compliance with applicable foreign regulations and licensing requirements, and U.S. laws and regulation with respect to conducting business in other countries, including export controls, sanctions, anti-terrorist and anti-bribery laws;
•the cost and uncertainty of obtaining data and creating solutions that are relevant to particular geographic markets;
•the need to provide sufficient levels of technical support in different locations;
•the complexity of maintaining effective policies and procedures in locations around the world;
•political instability and civil unrest;
•increased risk of hacking, malware or security breaches of our data and databases;
•restrictions or limitations on outsourcing contracts or services abroad;
•restrictions or limitations on the repatriation of funds, or tax consequences on the non-repatriation of overseas operationally generated funds; and
•other potentially adverse tax consequences.
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We expect to continue expanding and our success depends on how effectively we manage our growth.
While we have not fully recovered to pre-COVID19 levels across all end markets in which we operate, we expect to grow in the scope of our operations over the long-term. To effectively manage our anticipated future growth, we must continue to implement and improve our managerial, operational, compliance, financial and reporting systems and capabilities, expand our facilities and continue to recruit and train additional qualified personnel. We expect that all these measures will require significant expenditures and will demand the attention of management. Failure to manage our growth effectively could lead us to over or under-invest in technology and operations, result in weaknesses in our infrastructure, systems, compliance programs or controls, and give rise to operational mistakes, the loss of business opportunities, the loss of employees and reduced productivity among remaining employees. Our anticipated growth could require significant capital expenditures and may divert financial resources from other projects, such as the development of new solutions. If our management is unable to effectively manage our anticipated growth, our expenses may increase more than expected, our profit margins may suffer, our revenues could decline or may grow more slowly than expected and we may be unable to implement our business strategy as anticipated.
Our operating results could be adversely affected by a reduction in business with our significant customers.
We derive a significant amount of revenues from a few customers. Taken as a group, our top ten customers were responsible for approximately 33%, 33%, and 32% of our revenues for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020, respectively. This concentration pertains almost exclusively to our Services segment, which accounted for 83%, 82% and 80% of our revenues for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020, respectively. These customers are primarily in the oil and gas sector. Generally, our customers do not have an obligation to make purchases from us and may stop ordering our products and services or may terminate existing orders or contracts at any time with little or no financial penalty. The loss of any of our significant customers, any substantial decline in sales to these customers or any significant change in the timing or volume of purchases by our significant customers could result in lower revenues and could harm our business, financial condition or results of operations.
Our business, and the industries we currently serve, are currently subject to governmental regulation, and may become subject to modified or new government regulation that may negatively impact our ability to market our asset protection solutions.
We are required to comply with various government regulations and licensing requirements. For example, the transportation and overnight storage of radioactive materials used in providing certain of our asset protection solutions such as radiography are subject to regulation under federal and state laws and licensing requirements. Our Services segment is currently licensed to handle radioactive materials by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, more than 20 state regulatory agencies and the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission. If we allegedly fail to comply with these regulations, we may be investigated and incur significant legal expenses associated with such investigations, and if we are found to have violated these regulations, we may be fined or lose one or more of our licenses or permits, which would prevent or restrict our ability to provide radiography services. In addition, while we are being investigated, we may be required to suspend work on the projects associated with our alleged noncompliance, resulting in loss of profits or customers, and damage to our reputation. Many of our customers have strict requirements concerning safety or loss time occurrences and if we are unable to meet these requirements it could result in lost revenues. In the future, governmental agencies may seek to change current regulations or impose additional regulations on our business. Any modified or new government regulation applicable to our current or future asset protection solutions may negatively impact the marketing and provision of those solutions and increase our costs of providing these solutions and have a corresponding adverse effect on our margins.
Additionally, greenhouse gases that result from human activities, including burning of fossil fuels, have been the focus of increased scientific and political scrutiny and are being subjected to various legal requirements. International agreements, national laws, state laws and various regulatory schemes limit or otherwise regulate emissions of greenhouse gases, and additional restrictions are under consideration by different governmental entities. We derive a significant amount of revenues and profits from such industries, including oil and gas, power generation and transmission, and chemicals processing. Such regulations could negatively impact our customers, which could negatively impact the market for the services and products we provide. This could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
We rely on certification of our NDT solutions by industry standards-setting bodies. We and/or our subsidiaries currently have International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9001:2008 certification, ISO 14001:2004 certification and OHSAS 18001:2007 certification. In addition, we currently have Nadcap (formerly National Aerospace and Defense Contractors Accreditation Program) and similar certifications for certain of our locations. We continually review our NDT solutions for compliance with the requirements of industry specification standards and the Nadcap special processes quality requirements.
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However, if we fail to maintain our ISO, Nadcap or other certifications, our business may be harmed because our customers generally require that we have these certifications before they purchase our NDT solutions.
An accident or incident involving our asset protection solutions could expose us to claims, harm our reputation and adversely affect our ability to compete for business and, as a result, harm our operating performance.
We could be exposed to liabilities arising out of the solutions we provide. For instance, we furnish the results of our testing and inspections for use by our customers in their assessment of their assets, facilities, plants and other structures. If such results were to be incorrect or incomplete, as a result of, for instance, poorly designed inspections, malfunctioning testing equipment or our employees’ failure to adequately test or properly record data, we could be subject to claims. Further, if an accident or incident involving a structure we tested occurs and causes personal injuries or property damage, such as the collapse of a bridge or an explosion in a facility, and particularly if these injuries or damages could have been prevented by our customers had we provided them with correct or complete results, we would likely face significant claims relating to personal injury, property damage or other losses. Even if our results are correct and complete, we may face claims for such injuries or damage simply because we tested the structure or facility in question. In addition, during the course of a single engagement, such as the inspection of a pipeline, we often perform tests on thousands of welds. Even if the accuracy of only a small number of these test results are questioned, a customer may attempt to refuse payment for the entire project. While we do have insurance, our insurance coverage does not cover non-payment by customers and may not be adequate to cover the damages from any of the prior referenced claims, forcing us to bear these uninsured damages directly, which could harm our operating results and may result in additional expenses and possible loss of revenues. An accident or incident for which we are found partially or fully responsible, even if fully insured, or even an incident at a customer or site for which we provide services although we were found not to be responsible, may also result in negative publicity, which would harm our reputation among our customers and the public, cause us to lose existing and future contracts or make it more difficult for us to compete effectively, thereby significantly harming our operating performance. In addition, the occurrence of an accident or incident might also make it more expensive or extremely difficult for us to insure against similar events in the future.
Many of the sites at which we work are inherently dangerous workplaces. If we fail to maintain a safe work environment, we may incur losses and lose business.
Many of our customers, particularly in the oil and gas and chemical industries, require their inspectors and other contractors working at their facilities to have good safety records because of the inherent danger at these sites. If our employees are injured at the work place, we could incur costs for the injuries and lost productivity. In addition, safety records are impacted by the number and amount of workplace incidents involving a contractor’s employees. If our safety record is not within the levels required by our customers, or compares unfavorably to our competitors, we could lose business, be prevented from working at certain facilities or suffer other adverse consequences, all of which could negatively impact our business, revenues, reputation and profitability.
If our software or system produces inaccurate information or are incompatible with the systems used by our customers and
make us unable to successfully provide our solutions, it could lead to a loss of revenues and customers.
Our software and systems are complex and, accordingly, may contain undetected errors or failures. Software or system defects or inaccurate data may cause incorrect recording, reporting or display of information related to our asset protection solutions. Any such failures, defects and inaccurate data may prevent us from successfully providing our asset protection solutions, which could result in lost revenues. Software or system defects or inaccurate data may lead to customer dissatisfaction and could cause our customers to seek to hold us liable for any damages incurred. As a result, we could lose customers, our reputation may be harmed and our financial condition and results of operations could be materially adversely affected.
We currently serve a commercial, and industrial customer base that uses a wide variety of constantly changing hardware, software solutions and operating systems. Our asset protection solutions need to interface with these systems in order to gather and assess data. Our business depends on the following factors, among others:
•our ability to integrate our technology with new and existing hardware and software systems, of either Mistras or a customer;
•our ability to anticipate and support new standards, especially internet-based standards; and
•our ability to integrate additional software modules under development by either us or a customer, with our existing technology and operational processes.
If we are unable to adequately address any of these factors, our results of operations and prospects for growth and profitability
would be adversely impacted.
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If we are unable to attract and retain a sufficient number of trained certified technicians, engineers and scientists at competitive wages, changes in laws and other labor issues could materially affect our financial performance.
We believe that our success depends, in part, upon our ability to attract, develop and retain a sufficient number of trained certified technicians, engineers and scientists at competitive wages. The demand for such employees fluctuates as the demand for NDT and inspection services fluctuates. When the demand for qualified technicians increases, we will often experience increased labor costs, which we may not recover in the amounts we can charge our customers. The markets for our products and services require us to use personnel trained and certified in accordance with standards set by domestic or international standard-setting bodies, such as the American Society of Non-Destructive Testing or the API. Because of the limited supply of these certified technicians, we expend substantial resources maintaining in-house training and certification programs. If we fail to attract sufficient new personnel or fail to motivate and retain our current personnel, our ability to perform under existing contracts and orders or to pursue new business may be harmed, preventing us from growing our business or causing us to lose customers and revenues, and the costs of performing such contracts and orders may increase, which would likely reduce our margins.
In addition, if our costs of labor or related costs increase for other reasons or if new or revised labor laws, rules or regulations or healthcare laws are adopted or implemented that further increase our labor costs, our financial performance could be materially adversely affected.
We operate in competitive markets and if we are unable to compete successfully, we could lose market share and revenues and our margins could decline.
We face strong competition from NDT and a variety of niche asset protection providers, both larger and smaller than we are. Some of our competitors have greater financial resources than we do and could focus their substantial financial resources to develop a competing business model or develop products or services that are more attractive to potential customers than what we offer. Some of our competitors are business units of companies substantially larger than us and could attempt to combine asset protection solutions into an integrated offering to customers who already purchase other types of products or services from them. Our competitors may offer asset protection solutions at lower prices than ours in order to attempt to gain market share. Smaller niche competitors with small customer bases could be aggressive in their pricing in order to retain customers. These competitive factors could reduce our market share, revenues and profits.
The success of our businesses depends, in part, on our ability to develop new asset protection solutions, increase the functionality of our current offerings and meet the needs and demands of our customers.
The market for asset protection solutions is impacted by technological change, uncertain product lifecycles, shifts in customer demands and evolving industry standards and regulations. If we fail to execute effective business strategies, or fail to successfully develop and market new asset protection solutions that comply with present or emerging industry regulations and technology standards, our competitive standing and results could suffer. Also, new regulations or technology standards could increase our cost of doing business.
From time to time, our customers have requested greater value and functionality in our solutions. As part of our strategy to enhance our asset protection solutions and grow our business, we continue to make investments in the research and development of new technologies, inspection tools and methodologies. We believe our future success will depend, in part, on our ability to continue to design new, competitive and broader asset protection solutions, enhance our current solutions and provide new, value-added services. Many traditional NDT and inspection services are subject to price competition by our customers. Accordingly, the need to demonstrate our value-added services is becoming more important. Developing new solutions will require continued investment, and we may experience unforeseen technological or operational challenges. In addition, our asset protection software is complex and can be expensive to develop, and new software and software enhancements can require long development and testing periods. If we are unable to develop new asset protection solutions or enhancements that meet market demands on a timely basis, including against possible alternative products developed and marketed by our competitors, we may experience a loss of customers or otherwise be likely to lose opportunities to earn revenues and to gain customers or access to markets, and our business and results of operations will be adversely affected.
Even if we develop new solutions, if our customers, or potential customers, do not see the value our solutions have over competing products and services, our operating results could be adversely impacted. In addition, because the asset protection solutions industry is evolving, we could lose insight into trends that may be emerging, which would further harm our competitive position by making it difficult to predict and respond to customer needs. If the market for our asset protection solutions does not continue to develop, our ability to grow our business would be limited and we might not be able to maintain
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profitability. If we cannot convince our customers of the advantages and value of our advanced NDT services, we could lose large contracts or suffer lower profit margin.
The seasonal nature of our business reduces our revenues and profitability in the winter and summer and related cash flows.
Our business is seasonal. The fall and spring revenues are typically higher than our revenues in the winter and summer because demand for our asset protection solutions from the oil and gas as well as the fossil and nuclear power industries increases during their non-peak production periods. For instance, U.S. refineries’ non-peak periods are generally in the fall, when they are retooling to produce more heating oil for winter, and in the spring, when they are retooling to produce more gasoline for summer. As a result of these trends, we generally have reduced cash flows in the fall and spring, as collections of receivables lag behind revenues, normally requiring us to increase our borrowings under our credit agreement. In addition, most of our operating expenses, such as employee compensation and property rental expense, are relatively fixed over the short term. Moreover, our spending levels are based in part on our expectations regarding future revenues. As a result, if revenues for a particular quarter are below expectations, we may not be able to proportionately reduce operating expenses for that quarter. We expect that the impact of seasonality will continue.
Our credit agreement contains financial and operating restrictions that may limit our access to credit. If we fail to comply with financial or other covenants in our credit agreement, we may be required to repay indebtedness to our existing lenders, which may harm our liquidity.
Our credit agreement contains financial covenants that require us to maintain compliance with specified financial ratios. If we
fail to comply with these covenants, the lenders could prevent us from borrowing under our credit agreement, require us to pay
all amounts outstanding, require that we cash collateralize letters of credit issued under the credit agreement and restrict us from
making acquisitions. If the maturity of our indebtedness is accelerated, we then may not have sufficient funds available for
repayment or the ability to borrow or obtain sufficient funds to replace the accelerated indebtedness on terms acceptable to us,
or at all. We believe that it is probable, based on the New Credit Agreement (as defined herein), that we will be able to comply
with the financial covenants in our credit agreement and that sufficient credit remains available under the credit agreement to
meet our liquidity needs. However, due to the uncertainties being caused by the significant volatility in oil prices and volatility
in the aerospace production, such matters cannot be predicted with certainty.
Our current credit agreement also imposes restrictions on our ability to engage in certain activities, such as creating liens,
making certain investments, incurring more debt, disposing of certain property, paying dividends and making distributions and
entering into a new line of business. While these restrictions have not impeded our business operations to date, if our plans
change, these restrictions could be burdensome or require that we pay fees to have the restrictions waived. In addition, due to
our current debt levels and restrictions related to the debt covenants in our credit facility, we do not expect to make any
acquisitions in 2023 other than small acquisitions with the banks’ approval.
We face risks regarding our information technology and security.
Significant disruptions of our information technology systems or breaches of information security could adversely affect our
business. We rely upon information technology systems to operate many parts of our business. We routinely collect, store and
transmit large amounts of sensitive or confidential information, including data from the results of our testing and inspections.
We deploy and operate various technical and procedural controls to maintain the confidentiality and integrity of such sensitive
or confidential information. Furthermore, as we automate more of our inspection process and procedures, including through the
use of MISTRAS Digital, we become more vulnerable to security breaches and other system disruptions. In addition, we rely on
third parties for significant elements of our information technology infrastructure and, as a result, we are managing many
independent vendor relationships with third parties who may or could have access to our confidential information. The size and
complexity of our information technology and information security systems, and those of our third-party vendors with whom we contract (and the large amounts of confidential information that is present on them), make such systems potentially vulnerable to service interruptions or to security breaches from inadvertent or intentional actions by our employees or vendors, or from attacks by malicious third parties. Such attacks are of ever-increasing levels of sophistication and expertise, including organized criminal groups, “hacktivists” and others. Due to the nature of some of these attacks, there is a risk that they may remain undetected for a period of time. While we have invested in the protection of data and information technology, there can be no assurance that our efforts will prevent service interruptions or security breaches. Any such interruption or breach of our systems could adversely affect our business operations and/or result in the loss of critical or sensitive confidential information, and could result in financial, legal, business and reputational harm to us. We maintain cyber liability insurance. However, this insurance may not be sufficient to cover the financial, legal, business or reputational losses that may result from an interruption or breach of our systems. The occurrence or perception of security breaches in connection with our asset protection solutions or
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our customers’ concerns about internet security or the security of our solutions, whether warranted or not, would likely harm our reputation and business, inhibit market acceptance of our asset protection solutions and cause us to lose customers, any of
which would harm our financial condition and results of operations.
In addition, much of our computer and communications hardware is located at a single facility. We have a back-up data-center
and storage in a different geographic area. Should a natural disaster or some other event occur that damages our primary data
center or significantly disrupts its operation, such as human error, fire, flood, power loss, telecommunications failure, break-ins,
terrorist attacks, acts of war and similar events, we could suffer temporary interruption of key functions and capabilities before
the back-up facility is fully operational.
Events such as natural disasters, industrial accidents, epidemics, pandemics, war and acts of terrorism, and adverse weather
conditions could disrupt our business or the business of our customers, which could significantly harm our operations, financial results and cash flow.
Our operations and those of our customers are susceptible to the occurrence of catastrophic events outside our control, which
may include events like epidemics, pandemics and other health crises, severe weather conditions, industrial accidents, and acts
of war and terrorism, to name a few. We continue to actively monitor the war between Russia and Ukraine and the sanctions
imposed upon Russia in order to assess impacts to our customers and our operations. At this time, we do not believe there is a
material impact on our operations, however the future impact of the conflict, and additional sanctions imposed, are uncertain.
Any such events could cause a serious business disruption that reduces our customers’ need or interest in purchasing our asset
protection solutions. In the past, such events have resulted in order cancellations and delays because customer equipment,
facilities or operations have been damaged, or are not then operational or available. A large portion of our customer base has
operations in the Gulf of Mexico, which is subject to hurricanes and tropical storms. Hurricane-related disruptions to our
customers’ operations have adversely affected our revenues in the past. Such events in the future may result in substantial delays in the provision of solutions to our customers and the loss of valuable equipment. In addition, our results can be adversely impacted by severe winter weather conditions, which can result in lost workdays and temporary closures of customer facilities or outdoor projects.
In addition, these events could disrupt commodity prices or financial markets or have other negative macroeconomic impacts,
such as the on-going war between Ukraine and Russia, which could harm our business.
Our long-term growth strategy may include acquisitions. We may not be able to identify suitable acquisition candidates or integrate acquired businesses successfully, which may adversely impact our results. Furthermore, acquisitions that we have completed or may complete in the future could expose us to a number of unanticipated operational and financial risks.
A significant factor in our growth over the years has been based upon our ability to make acquisitions and successfully integrate these acquired businesses. We have used acquisitions both to expand into new markets and to enhance our position in existing markets. This strategy has provided us with many benefits and has helped fuel our growth, but also carries with it many risks. We have not made a material acquisition in the past four years, and we do not expect to make material acquisitions in 2023. Non-U.S. acquisitions provide the potential for greater exposure to risks associated with international operations.
We have a significant amount of goodwill and other intangible assets on our balance sheet from our acquisitions. If our acquisitions do not perform as planned and we do not realize the benefits and profitability we expect, we could incur significant write-downs and impairment charges to our earnings due to the impairment of the goodwill and other intangible assets we have acquired or acquire in the future.
Risks Related to Our Common Stock
A significant stockholder has significant influence over the direction of our business. The concentrated ownership of our common stock may prevent other stockholders from influencing significant corporate decisions.
Dr. Sotirios J. Vahaviolos, our founder and Executive Chairman, owns approximately 6% of our outstanding common stock, his three adult children own an additional 6%, in the aggregate, and a grantor retained annuity trust he created, for which his daughter is the sole trustee, owns approximately 23%. As a result, Dr. Vahaviolos and his family have significant control over our Company and have the ability to exert substantial influence over all matters requiring approval by our shareholders, including the election and removal of directors, amendments to our certificate of incorporation, and any proposed merger, consolidation or sale of all or substantially all of our assets and other corporate transactions. This concentration of ownership could be disadvantageous to other shareholders with differing interests from Dr. Vahaviolos and his family.
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We currently have no plans to pay dividends on our common stock.
We have not declared or paid any cash dividends on our common stock to date, and we do not anticipate declaring or paying any dividends on our common stock in the foreseeable future. To the extent we do not pay dividends on our common stock, investors must look solely to stock appreciation for a return on their investment.
Shares eligible for future sale may cause the market price for our common stock to decline even if our business is doing well.
Future sales by us or by our existing stockholders of substantial amounts of our common stock in the public market, or the perception that these sales may occur, could cause the market price of our common stock to decline. This could also impair our ability to raise additional capital in the future through the sale of our equity securities. We cannot predict the size of future issuances of our common stock or the effect, if any, that future sales and issuances of shares of our common stock, or the perception of such sales or issuances, would have on the market price of our common stock. We currently have approximately 170 million shares of common stock available for issuance.
Provisions of our charter, bylaws and of Delaware law could discourage, delay or prevent a change of control of our company, which may adversely affect the market price of our common stock.
Certain provisions of our certificate of incorporation and bylaws could discourage, delay or prevent a merger, acquisition, or other change of control that stockholders may consider favorable, including transactions in which our stockholders might otherwise receive a premium for their shares. These provisions also could limit the price that investors might be willing to pay in the future for shares of our common stock, thereby depressing the market price of our common stock. Stockholders who wish to participate in these transactions may not have the opportunity to do so. Furthermore, these provisions could prevent or frustrate attempts by our stockholders to replace or remove our management. These provisions:
•allow the authorized number of directors to be changed only by resolution of our board of directors;
•require that vacancies on the board of directors, including newly created directorships, be filled only by a majority vote of directors then in office;
•authorize our board of directors to issue, without stockholder approval, preferred stock that, if issued, could operate as a “poison pill” to dilute the stock ownership of a potential hostile acquirer to prevent an acquisition that is not approved by our board of directors;
•require that stockholder actions must be effected at a duly called stockholder meeting by prohibiting stockholder action by written consent;
•prohibit cumulative voting in the election of directors, which may otherwise allow holders of less than a majority of stock to elect some directors; and
•establish advance notice requirements for stockholder nominations to our board of directors or for stockholder proposals that can be acted on at stockholder meetings and limit the right to call special meetings of stockholders to the Chairman of our board, our Chief Executive Officer, our board of directors acting pursuant to a resolution adopted by a majority of directors or our Secretary upon the written request of stockholders entitled to cast not less than 35% of all the votes entitled to be cast at such meeting.
In addition, because we are incorporated in Delaware, we are governed by the provisions of Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, which may, unless certain criteria are met, prohibit large stockholders, in particular those owning 15% or more of our outstanding voting stock, from merging or combining with us for a prescribed period of time.
General Risk Factors
Our stock price could fluctuate for numerous reasons, including variations in our results.
Our quarterly operating results have fluctuated in the past and may do so in the future. Accordingly, we believe that
period-to-period comparisons of our results of operations may be the best indicators of our business. You should not rely upon
the results of one quarter as an indication of future performance. Our revenues and operating results may fall below the expectations of securities analysts or investors in any future period. Our failure to meet these expectations may cause the market price of our common stock to decline, perhaps substantially. Our quarterly revenues and operating results may vary depending on a number of factors, including those listed previously under “—Risks Related to Our Business.” In addition, the price of our
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common stock is subject to general economic, market, industry, and competitive conditions, the risk factors discussed herein
and numerous other conditions outside of our control.
The COVID-19 pandemic has adversely affected our business and operations and may continue to do so in the future.
Throughout 2022, conditions continued to improve and subside related to the COVID-19 coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in domestic and international markets and operations began approaching pre-pandemic levels of activity.
While we recovered during 2022 from most of the negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business and operations, we are unable to predict the nature or duration of the COVID-19 pandemic and the effect the pandemic will have on our business, financial condition, liquidity, cash flow and results of operations in the future. If the pandemic re-emerges, or another similar outbreak occurs, longer or in a manner more adverse that expected, or has a greater adverse impact on our customers, our financial conditions could be adversely impacted and we may encounter difficulties meeting the financial covenants in our credit agreement.
Deteriorations in economic conditions in certain markets or other factors may cause us to recognize impairment charges for our goodwill.
While we significantly recovered during 2022, future deterioration in industry or economic conditions in which we operate, including disruptions in Europe or elsewhere as a result of the war between Russia and Ukraine, disruptions to our business, not effectively integrating acquired businesses, or other factors, may cause impairment charges to our goodwill in future periods.
We are subject to privacy and data security/protection laws in the jurisdictions in which we operate and may be exposed to substantial costs and liabilities associated with such laws and regulations.
The regulatory environment surrounding information security and privacy is increasingly demanding, with frequent imposition of new and changing requirements. The European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”), which became effective in May 2018, imposed significant new requirements on how companies process and transfer personal data, as well as significant fines for non-compliance. In addition to GDPR, many states in the U.S. and provinces in Canada have enacted, or are considering, data privacy requirements similar to GDPR, and thus we will need to ensure our procedures comply with these various state and provincial laws. Compliance with changes in privacy and information security laws and standards may result in significant expense due to increased investment in technology and the development of new operational processes, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. In addition, the payment of potentially significant fines or penalties in the event of a breach of privacy and information security laws, as well as the negative publicity associated with such a breach, could damage our reputation and adversely impact product demand and customer relationships.
If we lose key members of our senior management team upon whom we are dependent, we may be less effective in managing our operations and may have more difficulty achieving our strategic objectives.
Our future success depends to a considerable degree upon the availability, contributions, vision, skills, experience and effort of our senior management team. We have in place various compensation programs, such as an annual cash incentive program, equity incentive program and a severance policy, each designed to incentivize and retain our key senior managers. At this time, we do not have any reason to believe that we may lose the services of any of these key persons in the foreseeable future and we believe our compensation programs will help us retain these individuals. However, an unplanned loss or interruption of the service of numerous key members of our senior management team could harm our business, financial condition and results of operations and could significantly reduce our ability to manage our operations and implement our strategy.
Intellectual property may impact our business and results of operations.
Our ability to compete effectively depends in part upon the maintenance and protection of the intellectual property related to our asset protection solutions. Patent protection is unavailable for certain aspects of the technology and operational processes important to our business and any patent or patent applications, trademarks or copyrights held by us or to be issued to us, may not adequately protect us. To date, we have relied principally on copyright, trademark and trade secrecy laws, as well as confidentiality agreements and licensing arrangements, and more recently, patent protection, to establish and protect our intellectual property. However, we have not obtained confidentiality agreements from all our customers. Although we obligate our employees to confidentiality, we cannot be certain that these obligations will be honored or enforceable in all circumstances.
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We may require additional capital to support business growth, which might not be available.
We intend to continue making investments to support our business growth and may require additional funds to respond to business challenges or opportunities, including the need to develop new, or enhance our current, asset protection solutions, enhance our operating infrastructure or acquire businesses and technologies. Accordingly, we may need to engage in equity or debt financings to secure additional funds. If we raise additional funds through further issuances of equity or convertible debt securities, our current stockholders could suffer significant dilution, and any new equity securities we issue could have rights, preferences and privileges superior to those of holders of our common stock. Our current credit facility meets our current needs, except that due to our current debt levels, the facility limits our ability to make acquisitions without the banks' approval until our debt ratio improves. If we were to secure other debt financing in the future, it could involve restrictive covenants relating to our capital-raising activities and other financial and operational matters, which may make it more difficult for us to obtain additional capital and to pursue business opportunities, including potential acquisitions. In addition, no assurance can be given that adequate or acceptable financing will be available to us, in which case we may not be able to grow our business, including through acquisitions, or respond to business challenges.
ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS
None.
ITEM 2. PROPERTIES
As of December 31, 2022, we operated approximately 120 facilities in 11 countries, with our corporate headquarters located in Princeton Junction, New Jersey. Our headquarters in Princeton Junction is our primary location, where most of our manufacturing and research and development is conducted. While we lease most of our facilities, as of December 31, 2022, we owned properties located in Monroe, North Carolina; Trainer, Pennsylvania; LaPorte, Texas; Burlington, Washington; Evanston, Wyoming; and Jonquiere, Quebec, Canada. Our Services segment utilizes approximately 80 facilities throughout North America (including Canada and Mexico). Our Products and Systems segment’s primary location is in our Princeton Junction, NJ facility. Our International segment has approximately 40 facilities including locations in Belgium, Brazil, France, Germany, Greece, India, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. We believe that all of our facilities are well maintained and are suitable and adequate for the foreseeable future.
ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
We are subject to periodic legal proceedings, investigations and claims that arise in the ordinary course of business. See “Legal Proceedings and Government Investigations - Litigation and Commercial Claims” in Note 18-Commitments and Contingencies to our audited consolidated financial statements contained in Item 8 of this Annual Report for a description of legal proceedings involving us and our business, which is incorporated herein by reference.
ITEM 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES
None.
ITEM 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASE OF EQUITY SECURITIES
Market for Common Stock
Our common stock currently trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol “MG.”
Holders of Record
As of March 10, 2023, there were 10 holders of record of our common stock. The number of record holders was determined from the records of our transfer agent and does not include beneficial owners of common stock whose shares are held in the names of various security brokers, dealers, and registered clearing agencies. The transfer agent of our common stock is American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, 6201 15th Avenue, Brooklyn, New York 11219.
Dividends
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No cash dividends have been paid on our Common Stock to date. We currently intend to retain our future earnings, if any, to finance the expansion of our business and do not expect to pay any cash dividends in the foreseeable future.
Purchases of Equity Securities
The following sets forth the shares of our common stock we acquired during the fourth quarter of 2022. All purchases were effected pursuant to the surrender of shares by employees to satisfy minimum tax withholding obligations in connection with the vesting of restricted stock units.
| Month Ending | Total Number of Shares (or Units) Purchased | Average Price Paid per Share (or Unit) | Total Number of Shares Purchased as Part of a Publicly Announced Plans or Programs | Approximate Dollar Value of Shares that May Yet Be Purchased Under the Plans or Programs | |||||||||||||||||||
| October 31, 2022 | 22,166 | $ | 4.78 | — | $ | — | |||||||||||||||||
| November 30, 2022 | — | $ | — | — | $ | — | |||||||||||||||||
| December 31, 2022 | 25,227 | $ | 4.93 | — | $ | — | |||||||||||||||||
`ITEM 6. [RESERVED]
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ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
The following Management’s Discussion and Analysis (this “MD&A”) provides a discussion of our results of operations and financial position for the year ended December 31, 2022. This section generally discusses 2022 and 2021 items and year-to-year comparisons between 2022 and 2021. Discussions of 2020 items and year-to-year comparisons between 2021 and 2020 is included in Part II–Item 7, Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021 filed with the SEC on March 14, 2022, which discussion is incorporated herein by reference. This MD&A should be read together with our audited consolidated financial statements and related notes included in Item 8 in this Annual Report. Unless otherwise specified or the context otherwise requires, “Mistras,” "MISTRAS," the "Company,” “we,” “us” and “our” refer to Mistras Group, Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries. This MD&A includes the following sections:
•Forward-Looking Statements
•COVID-19 Update
•Overview
•Note about Non-GAAP Measures
•Consolidated Results of Operations
•Liquidity and Capital Resources
•Critical Accounting Estimates
•Recent Accounting Pronouncements
Forward-Looking Statements
This Annual Report on Form 10-K, including this MD&A, contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act. Such forward-looking statements include those that express plans, anticipation, intent, contingency, goals, targets or future development and/or otherwise are not statements of historical fact. These forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations and projections about future events and they are subject to risks and uncertainties known and unknown that could cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such statements. See “Forward-Looking Statements” at the beginning of Item 1 of this Annual Report.
COVID-19 and Other Updates
While our business and operations were negatively impacted the past several years by the COVID-19 pandemic, at the time of this Annual Report, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have to a large degree subsided, and we have begun approaching pre-pandemic levels of activity in certain end markets, particularly oil and gas.
We are currently unable to predict with certainty the effect that inflationary pressures and the Russian-Ukrainian war may have on our business, results of operations or liquidity or in other ways which we cannot yet determine. To date, our European operations have experienced increased costs associated with higher energy costs, among others, due in part to the on-going war. We will continue to monitor market conditions and respond accordingly.
Overview
We are a leading "one source" multinational provider of integrated technology-enabled asset protection solutions, helping to maximize the safety and operational uptime for civilization’s most critical industrial and civil assets.
Backed by an innovative, data-driven asset protection portfolio, proprietary technologies, and decades-long legacy of industry leadership, we help clients with asset-intensive infrastructure in the oil and gas, aerospace and defense, industrials, power generation and transmission (including alternative and renewable energy), other process industries and infrastructure, research and engineering and other industries towards achieving and maintaining operational excellence. By supporting these organizations that help fuel our vehicles and power our society; inspecting components that are trusted for commercial, defense, and space craft; and building real-time monitoring systems to help avoid catastrophic incidents, we help the world at large.
We enhance value for our clients by integrating asset protection throughout supply chains and centralizing integrity data through a suite of Industrial Internet of Things ("IIoT")-connected digital software and monitoring solutions, including
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OneSuite, which serves as an ecosystem platform, pulling together all of our software and data services capabilities, for the benefit of our customers.
Our core capabilities also include NDT field inspections enhanced by advanced robotics, laboratory quality control and assurance testing, sensing technologies and NDT equipment, asset and mechanical integrity engineering services, and light mechanical maintenance and access services.
Our operations consist of three reportable segments: Services, International, and Products and Systems.
•Services provides asset protection solutions predominantly in North America, with the largest concentration in the United States, followed by Canada, consisting primarily of NDT, inspection, mechanical and engineering services that are used to evaluate the structural integrity and reliability of critical energy, industrial and public infrastructure and commercial aerospace components. This segment includes data services revenue derived from the selling of licenses and analyzing and synthesizing customer data through our OneSuite platform, field operations revenue derived from work performed in the field at customer locations, and shop revenue derived from operations designing, building, and customizing products in our laboratories for our customers. PCMS software and pipeline related software and data analysis solutions are included in this segment.
•International offers services, products and systems similar to those of the other segments to select markets within Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and South America, but not to customers in China and South Korea, which are served by the Products and Systems segment. This segment includes data services revenue derived from the selling of licenses and analyzing and synthesizing customer data through our OneSuite platform, field operations revenue derived from work performed in the field at customer locations, and shop revenue derived from operations designing, building, and customizing products in our laboratories for our customers, in the specified non-US regions.
•Products and Systems designs, manufactures, sells, installs and services our asset protection products and systems, including equipment and instrumentation, predominantly in the United States.
Given the role our solutions play in enhancing the safe and efficient operation of infrastructure, we have historically provided a majority of our solutions to our customers on a regular, recurring basis. We perform these services largely at our customers’ facilities, while primarily servicing our aerospace customers at our network of state-of-the-art, in-house laboratories. These solutions typically include NDT and inspection services, and can also include a wide range of mechanical services, including heat tracing, pre-inspection insulation stripping, coating applications, re-insulation, engineering assessments and long-term condition-monitoring. Under this business model, many customers outsource their inspection to us on a “run and maintain” basis. We have established long-term relationships as a critical solutions provider to many of the leading companies with asset-intensive infrastructure in our target markets. These markets include companies in the oil and gas, aerospace and defense, industrials, power generation and transmission (including alternative and renewable energy), other process industries and infrastructure, research and engineering and other industries.
We have focused on providing our advanced asset protection solutions to our customers using proprietary, technology-enabled software and testing instruments, including those developed by our Products and Systems segment. We have made numerous acquisitions in an effort to grow our base of experienced, certified personnel, expand our service lines and technical capabilities, increase our geographical reach, complement our existing offerings, and leverage our fixed costs. We have increased our capabilities and the size of our customer base through the development of applied technologies and managed support services, organic growth and the integration of acquired companies. These acquisitions have provided us with additional service lines, technologies, resources and customers which we believe enhance our advantages over our competition.
We believe long-term growth can be realized in our target markets. Our level of business and financial results are impacted by world-wide macro- and micro-economic conditions generally, as well as those within our target markets. Among other things, we expect the timing of our oil and gas customers' inspection spend to be impacted by oil price fluctuations.
We have continued providing our customers with an innovative asset protection software ecosystem through our MISTRAS OneSuite platform. The software platform offers functions of our popular software and services brands as integrated apps on a cloud environment. OneSuite serves as a single access portal for customers' data activities and provides access to 90 plus applications being offered on one centralized platform.
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We have continued to develop new technologies to provide monitoring of wind blade integrity through our Sensoria tool. Sensoria helps provide real-time monitoring and damage detection of wind turbine blades and allows our customers to maximize uptime, performance and safety of wind turbine blades. This tool provides additional growth and expansion of our capabilities to serve both new and existing wind turbines and greatly enhances our product offerings within the renewable energy industry.
2022 Developments
Throughout 2022, conditions have continued to improve related to the COVID-19 coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in domestic and international markets and operations are approaching pre-pandemic levels of activity.
We have eliminated substantially all of the cost reduction initiatives undertaken in 2020, including re-installing the savings plan employer match and increasing wages back to pre-pandemic amounts. Our cash position and liquidity remains strong. As of December 31, 2022, our cash and cash equivalents balance was approximately $20.5 million.
In April 2021, the Biden Administration announced aggressive initiatives to battle climate change, which includes a significant reduction in the use of fossil fuels and a transition to electric vehicles and increased use of alternative energy. Any legislation or regulations that may be adopted to implement these measures may negatively impact our customers in the oil and gas market over the long-term, which presently is our largest market, although this initiative will likely benefit the alternative energy market, such as wind energy, for which we provide products and services. At this time, it is difficult to determine the magnitude and timing of the impact that climate change initiatives and legislation, if any, will have on these markets and the resulting impact on our business and operational results.
We are currently unable to predict the overall impact that the volatility in oil prices and climate change initiatives to reduce the use of fossil fuels may have on our business, results of operations, liquidity or in other ways which we cannot yet determine.
We are currently unable to predict with certainty the overall impact that the factors discussed above and the effect of the Russian-Ukrainian war may have on our business, results of operations or liquidity or in other ways which we cannot yet determine. To date, our European operations experienced increased costs associated with higher energy costs, among others, due in part to the Russian-Ukrainian war. We will continue to monitor market conditions and respond accordingly. Refer to Item 1A. Risk Factors in Part I of our 2022 Annual Report.
Note about Non-GAAP Measures
We prepare our consolidated financial statements in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("U.S. GAAP"). In this MD&A under the heading "Income (Loss) from Operations", the non-GAAP financial performance measure "Income (loss) before special items" is used for each of our three operating segments, "Corporate and Eliminations" and "Total Company", with tables reconciling the measure to a financial measure under GAAP. This presentation excludes from "Income (Loss) from Operations" (i) transaction expenses related to acquisitions, such as professional fees and due diligence costs, (ii) the net changes in the fair value of acquisition-related contingent consideration liabilities, (iii) impairment charges, (iv) reorganization and other costs, which includes items such as severance, labor relations matters and asset and lease termination costs and (v) other special items. These adjustments have been excluded from the GAAP measure because these expenses and credits are not related to our or any individual segment's core business operations. The acquisition related costs and special items can be a net expense or credit in any given period. Our management uses this non-GAAP measure as a measure of operating performance and liquidity to assist in comparing performance from period to period on a consistent basis, as a measure for planning and forecasting overall expectations and for evaluating actual results against such expectations. We believe investors and other users of our financial statements benefit from the presentation of this non-GAAP measure in evaluating our performance. Income (loss) before special items excludes the identified adjustments, which provides additional tools to compare our core business operating performance on a consistent basis and measure underlying trends and results in our business. Income (loss) before special items is not used to determine incentive compensation for executives or employees, nor is it a replacement for the reported GAAP financial performance and/or necessarily comparable to the non-GAAP financial measures of other companies.
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Consolidated Results of Operations
Year ended December 31, 2022 vs. Year ended December 31, 2021
The following table summarizes our Consolidated Statements of Income (Loss) for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021:
| For the year ended December 31, | |||||||||||
| 2022 | 2021 | ||||||||||
| ($ in thousands) | |||||||||||
| Revenues | $ | 687,373 | $ | 677,131 | |||||||
| Gross profit | 198,173 | 197,147 | |||||||||
| Gross profit as a % of Revenue | 28.8 | % | 29.1 | % | |||||||
| Income from operations | 19,799 | 18,170 | |||||||||
| Income from operations as a % of Revenue | 2.9 | % | 2.7 | % | |||||||
| Income before provision for income taxes | 9,294 | 7,288 | |||||||||
| Net income | 6,574 | 3,893 | |||||||||
| Net income attributable to Mistras Group, Inc. | $ | 6,499 | $ | 3,860 | |||||||
Revenues
Revenues by segment for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 were as follows:
| For the year ended December 31, | |||||||||||
| 2022 | 2021 | ||||||||||
| ($ in thousands) | |||||||||||
| Revenues | |||||||||||
| Services | $ | 573,336 | $ | 555,387 | |||||||
| International | 112,425 | 117,245 | |||||||||
| Products and Systems | 12,727 | 13,831 | |||||||||
| Corporate and eliminations | (11,115) | (9,332) | |||||||||
| $ | 687,373 | $ | 677,131 | ||||||||
Revenue was $687.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2022, an increase of $10.2 million, or 1.5%, compared with the year ended December 31, 2021. The increase was driven by the Services segment, which experienced a revenue increase of $17.9 million, or 3.2%, driven by single-digit organic growth in certain end markets. The International segment revenues decreased by $4.8 million, or 4.1%, due predominantly to low double-digit unfavorable impact of foreign exchange rates which was partially offset by mid single-digit organic growth. The Products and Systems segment decreased by $1.1 million, or 8.0%, driven by lower sales volume.
Oil and gas customer revenue comprised approximately 56% and 54% of total revenue for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. Aerospace and defense customer revenue comprised approximately 12% and 10% of total revenue for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. Our top ten customers comprised approximately 33% of total revenue for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, with no customer accounting for 10% or more of total revenue in either period.
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| For the year ended December 31, | |||||||||||
| 2022 | 2021 | ||||||||||
| ($ in thousands) | |||||||||||
| Oil and Gas Revenue by sub-category | |||||||||||
| Upstream | $ | 152,590 | $ | 135,615 | |||||||
| Midstream | 111,144 | 109,527 | |||||||||
| Downstream | 124,018 | 121,778 | |||||||||
| Total | $ | 387,752 | $ | 366,920 | |||||||
Oil and gas upstream customer revenue increased approximately $17.0 million, or 13%, for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to the year ended December 31, 2021, due to continued market share gains and expanded exploration operations, as compared to the prior period.
Midstream customer revenues were flat for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to the year ended December 31, 2021. During 2022, we experienced the growth of our pipe inspection services including our Onstream business within this sub-category.
Downstream customer revenue increased $2.2 million, or 2%, for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to the year ended December 31, 2021 even with delays in timing associated with customer turnarounds in 2022.
Gross Profit
Gross profit by segment for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 were as follows:
| For the year ended December 31, | |||||||||||
| 2022 | 2021 | ||||||||||
| ($ in thousands) | |||||||||||
| Gross profit | |||||||||||
| Services | $ | 159,049 | $ | 155,384 | |||||||
| % of segment revenue | 27.7 | % | 28.0 | % | |||||||
| International | 33,591 | 34,282 | |||||||||
| % of segment revenue | 29.9 | % | 29.2 | % | |||||||
| Products and Systems | 5,490 | 7,001 | |||||||||
| % of segment revenue | 43.1 | % | 50.6 | % | |||||||
| Corporate and eliminations | 43 | 480 | |||||||||
| $ | 198,173 | $ | 197,147 | ||||||||
| % of total revenue | 28.8 | % | 29.1 | % | |||||||
Gross profit increased $1.0 million, or 0.5%, for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to the year ended December 31, 2021, with a sales increase of $10.2 million, or 1.5%. During 2022 certain end markets returned to pre-pandemic levels and continued organic growth across target end markets resulted in increased sales as compared to the prior period. Gross profit margin was 28.8% and 29.1% for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively, due primarily to inflationary pressures in 2022 as compared to 2021. Services segment gross profit margins had a year-on-year decrease of 30 basis points to 27.7% for the year ended December 31, 2022, due primarily to inflationary pressures and the end of government wage subsidies received in Canada. International segment gross margins had a year-on-year increase of 70 basis points to 29.9% for the year ended December 31, 2022, due primarily to sales mix and continued growth in end markets including aerospace and defense. Products and Systems segment gross margins decreased by 750 basis points for the year ended December 31, 2022 to 43.1%, driven by unfavorable sales mix.
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Operating Expenses
Operating expenses for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 was as follows:
| For the year ended December 31, | |||||||||||
| 2022 | 2021 | ||||||||||
| ($ in thousands) | |||||||||||
| Operating Expenses | |||||||||||
| Selling, general and administrative expenses | $ | 166,595 | $ | 161,334 | |||||||
| Bad debt provision for troubled customers, net of recoveries | 42 | — | |||||||||
| Research and engineering | 1,994 | 2,518 | |||||||||
| Depreciation and amortization | 10,661 | 11,950 | |||||||||
| Acquisition-related expense, net | 76 | 1,133 | |||||||||
| Legal settlement and litigation charges (benefit), net | (994) | 2,042 | |||||||||
| $ | 178,374 | $ | 178,977 | ||||||||
| % of total revenue | 26.0 | % | 26.4 | % | |||||||
Operating expenses decreased $0.6 million, or (0.3)%, for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to the year ended December 31, 2021 due to insurance recoveries in the current period that were not received in the prior period and decreased costs related to acquisitions in 2022 as compared to 2021. Selling, general and administrative expenses increased $5.3 million, or 3.3% for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to the year ended December 31, 2021 primarily due to our elimination of substantially all temporary cost reduction and efficiency program initiatives undertaken during the first quarter of 2020 in response to COVID-19 as more fully described in "Overview" 2022 Developments. Transactional foreign exchange expense, which is included within selling, general and administrative expenses, was approximately $0.6 million lower in 2022 as compared to 2021, due to volatility in certain foreign currencies.
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Income (Loss) from Operations
The following table shows a reconciliation of segment income (loss) from operations to income (loss) before special items (unaudited) for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021:
| For the year ended December 31, | |||||||||||
| 2022 | 2021 | ||||||||||
| ($ in thousands) | |||||||||||
| Services: | |||||||||||
| Income from operations (GAAP) | $ | 49,616 | $ | 48,458 | |||||||
| Bad debt provision for troubled customers, net of recoveries | 42 | — | |||||||||
| Reorganization and other costs | 99 | 129 | |||||||||
| Legal settlement and insurance (recoveries) charges, net | (841) | 1,650 | |||||||||
| Acquisition-related expense, net | 45 | 1,128 | |||||||||
| Income before special items (unaudited, non-GAAP) | $ | 48,961 | $ | 51,365 | |||||||
| International: | |||||||||||
| Income from operations (GAAP) | $ | 3,566 | $ | 1,839 | |||||||
| Reorganization and other costs | (43) | 424 | |||||||||
| Legal settlement and litigation charges, net | — | 737 | |||||||||
| Income before special items (unaudited, non-GAAP) | $ | 3,523 | $ | 3,000 | |||||||
| Products and Systems: | |||||||||||
| Loss from operations (GAAP) | $ | (992) | $ | (117) | |||||||
| Reorganization and other costs | — | 27 | |||||||||
| Loss before special items (unaudited, non-GAAP) | $ | (992) | $ | (90) | |||||||
| Corporate and Eliminations: | |||||||||||
| Loss from operations (GAAP) | $ | (32,391) | $ | (32,010) | |||||||
| Legal settlement and insurance (recoveries) charges, net | (153) | (345) | |||||||||
| Loss on debt modification | 693 | 278 | |||||||||
| Reorganization and other costs | 139 | 93 | |||||||||
| Acquisition-related expense, net | 31 | 5 | |||||||||
| Loss before special items (unaudited, non-GAAP) | $ | (31,681) | $ | (31,979) | |||||||
| Total Company: | |||||||||||
| Income from operations (GAAP) | $ | 19,799 | $ | 18,170 | |||||||
| Bad debt provision for troubled customers, net of recoveries | 42 | — | |||||||||
| Legal settlement and insurance (recoveries) charges, net | (994) | 2,042 | |||||||||
| Loss on debt modification | 693 | 278 | |||||||||
| Reorganization and other costs | 195 | 673 | |||||||||
| Acquisition-related expense, net | 76 | 1,133 | |||||||||
| Income before special items (unaudited, non-GAAP) | $ | 19,811 | $ | 22,296 | |||||||
See "Note about Non-GAAP Measures" in this Annual Report for an explanation of our use of non-GAAP measures.
Total Company income from operations (GAAP) increased by $1.6 million, or 9.0% compared to the year ended December 31, 2021. Total Company income before special items (non-GAAP) decreased by $2.5 million or 11.1% compared with the year
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ended December 31, 2021. Operating expenses, excluding special items (non-GAAP), as a percentage of revenue, was 25.9% for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to 25.8% for the year ended December 31, 2021. The primary driver for the increase in total company income was increased sales in 2022 compared to 2021. Income before special items as a percentage of revenue decreased by 40 basis points to 2.9% for the year ended December 31, 2022 from 3.3% for the year ended December 31, 2021. Our discussion below is qualified by the unknown impact that the COVID-19 pandemic, or similar future health crisis, and the Russia - Ukraine war will continue to have on our business and the economy in general, including the resulting economic disruption of both. Refer to Item 1A. Risk Factors in Part I of this Annual Report for further discussion.
Interest Expense
Interest expense was $10.5 million and $10.9 million for the years ended December 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021, respectively. The decrease was due to the Company having entered into the New Credit Agreement providing for interest to be payable based on Secured Overnight Financing Rate ("SOFR") plus a credit spread adjustment and applicable SOFR margin ranging from 1.25% to 2.75%, and the removal of the previously existing minimum LIBOR floor.
Income Taxes
Our effective income tax rate was approximately 29.3% for the year ended December 31, 2022, compared to 46.6% for the year ended December 31, 2021. The decrease in effective tax rate was primarily driven by a $1.7 million US R&D tax credit benefit, partially offset by the recording of a $1.1 million valuation allowance recorded in 2022 which was related to certain Canadian entities.
On December 27, 2020, the United States enacted the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, (the "Appropriations Act") an additional stimulus package providing financial relief for individuals and small business. The Appropriations Act contains a variety of tax provisions, including full expensing of business meals in 2021 and 2022, and expansion of the employee retention tax credit. We are currently evaluating the impact of this guidance on our consolidated financial position, results of operations, and cash flows, but does not expect it to have a material impact.
Further in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the American Rescue Plan Act was signed into law on March 11, 2021. This act, among other things, provides economic relief provisions to individuals and funding to certain businesses and programs. The Company does not expect this act to have a material impact.
On August 19, 2022, the United States enacted the Inflation Reduction Act, (the "Inflation Act"), a package intended to reduce inflation. The Inflation Act contains a variety of tax provisions, including a 15% corporate minimum tax, a tax on stock repurchases, and various tax credit opportunities. We evaluated the impact of this guidance on our consolidated financial position, results of operations, and cash flows, and do not expect it to have a material impact.
Income tax expense varies as a function of pre-tax income and the level of non-deductible expenses, such as certain amounts of meals and entertainment expense, valuation allowances, and other permanent differences. It is also affected by discrete items that may occur in any given year but are not consistent from year to year. Our effective income tax rate may fluctuate over the next few years due to many variables including the amount and future geographic distribution of our pre-tax income, changes resulting from our acquisition strategy, and increases or decreases in our permanent differences.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Overview
We have funded our operations from cash provided from operations, bank borrowings and lease financings. Management believes that our existing cash and cash equivalents, anticipated cash flows from operating activities, and available borrowings under our New Credit Agreement will be more than sufficient to meet anticipated cash needs over the next 12 months and for the foreseeable future. We generated operating cash flows of $26.4 million and $42.3 million for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. Capital expenditures for the purchase of property, plant and equipment and of intangible assets was $13.4 million and $19.3 million for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively.
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Cash Flows Table
The following table summarizes our cash flows for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021:
| For the year ended December 31, | ||||||||||||||
| ($ in thousands) | 2022 | 2021 | ||||||||||||
| Net cash provided by (used in): | ||||||||||||||
| Operating activities | $ | 26,406 | $ | 42,261 | ||||||||||
| Investing activities | (12,238) | (18,551) | ||||||||||||
| Financing activities | (16,323) | (23,245) | ||||||||||||
| Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents | (1,467) | (2,115) | ||||||||||||
| Net change in cash and cash equivalents | $ | (3,622) | $ | (1,650) | ||||||||||
Cash Flows from Operating Activities
Cash provided by operating activities for the year ended December 31, 2022 was $26.4 million, a decrease of $15.9 million from the prior year. The decrease was primarily attributable to movements in working capital driven primarily by a decrease in net accounts receivable collections, a decrease in accrued expenses and other liabilities and in prepaid expenses and other assets in the current year as compared to the prior year.
Cash Flows from Investing Activities
Net cash used in investing activities for the year ended December 31, 2022 was $12.2 million, a decrease of $6.3 million from the prior year. The Company used $5.9 million more cash for purchases of property, plant and equipment and intangible assets in 2022 compared to 2021.
Cash Flows from Financing Activities
Net cash used in financing activities for the year ended December 31, 2022 was $16.3 million, compared to $23.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2021. During the year ended December 31, 2022, we entered into a new credit agreement which replaced our prior credit agreement, as detailed more in Note 11-Long-Term Debt . As part of this transaction, the prior revolving credit facility and term loan were repaid in full. Net repayment of debt and revolver was approximately $13.5 million higher compared to 2021, when excluding this transaction. In addition, for the year ended December 31, 2022 we incurred approximately $0.5 million less payments for contingent considerations, offset in part by $0.9 million taxes paid related to net share settlement of share-based awards.
Effect of Exchange Rate Changes on Cash and Cash Equivalents
The effect of exchange rate changes on our cash and cash equivalents was a decrease of $1.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2022, compared to a decrease of $2.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2021. The primary driver of the change was foreign currency fluctuations during the year related to the Euro and the US Dollar.
Cash Balance and Credit Facility Borrowings
The terms of our New Credit Agreement are described in Note 11-Long-Term Debt of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in this Annual Report, under the heading "Senior Credit Facility", the provisions of which are incorporated herein.
As of December 31, 2022, we had cash and cash equivalents totaling $20.5 million and available borrowing capacity of up to $121.7 million under our New Credit Agreement. Borrowings of $186.6 million and letters of credit of $3.0 million were outstanding under the New Credit Agreement at December 31, 2022. We finance our operations primarily through our existing cash balances, cash collected from operations, bank borrowings and lease financing. We believe these sources are sufficient to fund our operations for the foreseeable future. See 11-Long-Term Debt of the notes to the consolidated financial statements for additional information.
As of December 31, 2022, we were in compliance with the terms of the New Credit Agreement and will continuously monitor our compliance with the covenants contained in the New Credit Agreement.
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The New Credit Agreement permits us to borrow up to $100 million in non-US dollar currencies and to use up to $20 million of the credit limit for the issuance of letters of credit. Additionally, the New Credit Agreement requires quarterly payments on the term loan of $1.56 million through June 30, 2024, then increasing to $2.34 million through June 30, 2025, and to $3.12 million for each quarterly payment thereafter through maturity on July 30, 2027.
Liquidity and Capital Resources Outlook
Future Sources of Cash
We expect our future sources of cash to include cash flow generated from our operating activities and borrowings under our New Credit Agreement. Our revolving credit facility is available for cash advances required for working capital and for letters of credit to support our operations. Acquisitions, if any, are funded through available cash and borrowings under the New Credit Agreement.
Future Uses of Cash
We expect our future uses of cash will primarily be for repayment of debt, purchases or manufacture of field-testing equipment to support growth, additional investments in technology and software products and the replacement of existing assets and equipment used in our operations. We often make purchases to support new sources of revenues, particularly in our Services segment. In addition, we annually fund a certain amount of replacement equipment, including a portion of our fleet vehicles. We historically spend approximately 2% to 3% of our total revenues on capital expenditures, excluding acquisitions, and expect to fund these expenditures through a combination of cash and lease financing. Our cash capital expenditures, excluding acquisitions, for each of the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 were approximately 2.0% and 2.8% of revenues, respectively. We continue to take steps to reduce spending and preserve cash.
Our New Credit Agreement, does not limit the Company’s ability to acquire other businesses or companies except for certain provisions as described within Note 11-Long-Term Debt. We did not have any acquisitions in 2022. In some cases, additional equipment will be needed to upgrade the capabilities of these acquired companies. In addition, our future capital spending may increase as we pursue growth opportunities. Other investments in infrastructure, training and software may also be required to match our growth, but we plan to continue using a disciplined approach to building our business. In addition, we will use cash to fund our operating leases, finance leases, long-term debt repayments and various other obligations as they arise as noted within Note 11-Long-Term Debt and Note 17- Leases.
We also expect to use cash to support our working capital requirements for our operations, particularly in the event of further growth and due to the impacts of seasonality on our business. Our future working capital requirements will depend on many factors, including the rate of our revenue growth, our introduction of new solutions and enhancements to existing solutions and our expansion of sales and marketing and product development activities. To the extent that our cash and cash equivalents and future cash flows from operating activities are insufficient to fund our future activities, we may need to raise additional funds through bank credit arrangements, or public or private equity, or debt financings. We also may need to raise additional funds in the event we determine in the future to effect one or more acquisitions of businesses, technologies or products that will complement our existing operations. In the event additional funding is required, we may not be able to obtain bank credit arrangements or effect an equity or debt financing on acceptable terms.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
During the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, we did not have any relationships with unconsolidated entities or financial partnerships, such as entities often referred to as structured finance or special purpose entities, which would have been established for the purpose of facilitating off-balance sheet arrangements or other contractually narrow or limited purposes.
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Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
The preparation of financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP requires that we make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. We have established policies and control procedures intended to ensure that estimation methods, including any judgments made as part of such methods, are well-controlled, independently reviewed and applied consistently from period to period. The accounting policies that we believe require more significant estimates and assumptions include revenue recognition, acquisitions, long-lived assets and goodwill. We base our estimates and assumptions on historical experience, known or expected trends and various other assumptions that we believe to be reasonable. As future events and their effects cannot be determined with precision, actual results could differ significantly from these estimates, which may cause our future results to be significantly affected.
We believe that the following critical accounting policies comprise the more significant estimates and assumptions used in the preparation of our consolidated financial statements.
Revenue Recognition
The majority of our revenues are derived from providing services on a time and material basis and are short-term in nature. We account for revenue in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification ("ASC") Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers.
Performance Obligations
A performance obligation is a promise in a contract to transfer a distinct good or service to the customer, and is the unit of account in ASC Topic 606. A contract’s transaction price is allocated to each distinct performance obligation and recognized as revenue when, or as, the performance obligation is satisfied. The majority of our contracts have a single performance obligation as the promise to transfer the individual goods or services is not separately identifiable from other promises in the contracts and is, therefore, not distinct. We provide highly integrated and bundled inspection services to our customers. Some of our contracts have multiple performance obligations, most commonly due to the contract providing both goods and services. For contracts with multiple performance obligations, we allocate the contract’s transaction price to each performance obligation using our best estimate of the standalone selling price of each distinct good or service in the contract. The primary method used to estimate standalone selling price is a relative selling price based on price lists.
Contract modifications are not routine in the performance of our contracts. Generally, when contracts are modified, the modification is to account for changes in scope to the goods and services that are provided. In most instances, contract modifications are for goods or services that are distinct, and, therefore, are accounted for as a separate contract.
Our performance obligations are satisfied over time as work progresses or at a point in time. The majority of our revenue recognized over time as work progresses is related to our service deliverables, which includes providing testing, inspection and mechanical services to our customers. Revenue is recognized over time based on time and material incurred to date which best portrays the transfer of control to the customer. We also utilize an available practical expedient that provides for revenue to be recognized in an amount that corresponds directly with the value to the customer of the entity’s performance completed to date. Fixed fee arrangements are determined based on expected labor, material and overhead to be consumed on fulfillment of such services. Revenue is recognized on a cost-to-cost method tracked on an input basis.
The majority of our revenue recognized at a point in time is related to product sales when the customer obtains control of the asset, which is generally upon shipment to the customer. Contract costs include labor, material and overhead.
We expect any significant remaining performance obligations to be satisfied within one year.
Contract Estimates
The majority of our revenues are short-term in nature. We have many Master Service Agreements ("MSAs") that specify an overall framework and contract terms, where we and our customers agree upon services or products to be provided. The actual contracting to provide services or furnish products are triggered by a work order, purchase order, or some similar document issued pursuant to an MSA which sets forth the scope of services and/or identifies the products to be provided. From time to time, we may enter into long-term contracts, which can range from several months to several years. Revenue on such long-term contracts is recognized as work is performed based on total costs incurred to date in relation to the total estimated costs for the performance of the contract at completion. This includes contract estimates of costs to be incurred for the performance of the
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contract. Cost estimation is based upon the professional knowledge and experience of our project managers, engineers and financial professionals. Factors that are considered in estimating the work to be completed include the availability of materials, the effect of any delays in our project performance and the recoverability of any claims. Whenever revisions of estimates, contract costs and/or contract values indicate that the contract costs will exceed estimated revenues, thus creating a loss, a provision for the total estimated loss is recorded in that period.
Long-Lived Assets
We perform a review of long-lived assets (or asset groups) for impairment when events or changes in circumstances indicate the carrying value of such assets may not be recoverable. If an indication of impairment is present, we compare the estimated undiscounted future net cash flows to be generated by the asset (or asset group) to its carrying amount. If the undiscounted future net cash flows are less than the carrying amount of the asset (or asset group), we record an impairment loss equal to the excess of the asset’s carrying amount over its fair value. We estimate fair value based on valuation techniques such as a discounted cash flow analysis or a comparison to fair values of similar assets. As of December 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021, we had $77.6 million and $86.6 million in net property, plant and equipment, respectively, and $49.0 million and $59.4 million in intangible assets, net, respectively. See Note 9-Intangible Assets to the consolidated financial statements for the impairment charge recorded in 2020.
Goodwill
Goodwill represents the excess purchase price of acquired businesses over the fair values attributed to underlying net tangible assets and identifiable intangible assets. We test goodwill for impairment at a “reporting unit” level (which for us is represented by (i) our Services segment, (ii) our Products and Systems segment, (iii) the European component of our International segment and (iv) the Brazilian component of our International segment). Our annual impairment test is conducted on the first day of our fourth quarter, which is October 1. Goodwill is also tested for impairment whenever an event occurs or circumstances change that would more likely than not reduce the fair value of a reporting unit below its carrying amount.
In testing for goodwill impairment, we have the option to first assess qualitative factors to determine whether the existence of events or circumstances lead to a determination that it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount. If, after assessing the totality of events and circumstances, we conclude that it is not more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, then performing a quantitative impairment test is not necessary. If we conclude otherwise, we are required to perform a quantitative impairment test.
An impairment will be recorded in the amount that the fair value is less than the carrying value. We consider the income and market approaches to estimating the fair value of our reporting units, which requires significant judgment in evaluation of economic and industry trends, estimated future cash flows, discount rates and other factors. Sustained declines in our stock price and related market capitalization could impact key assumptions in the overall estimated fair values of our reporting units and could result in non-cash impairment charges that could be material to our consolidated balance sheet or results of operations.
We performed an annual quantitative impairment test as of October 31, 2022 noting no indicators of impairment in any of the Company's reporting units. Also, as of December 31, 2022, there are no indicators of an impairment. See Note 8-Goodwill to the consolidated financial statements for additional information.
Acquisitions
We allocate the purchase price of acquired businesses to their identifiable tangible assets and liabilities as well as identifiable intangible assets, such as customer relationships, technology, non-compete agreements and trade names. Allocations are based on estimated fair values of assets and liabilities, which reflects assumptions that would be made by typical market participants if they were to buy or sell each asset on an individual asset basis. Certain estimates and judgments are required in the application of the fair value techniques, including estimates of the respective acquisitions' future performance and related cash flows, selection of a discount rate and economic lives, and use of Level 3 measurements as defined in ASC 820 Fair Value Measurements and Disclosure. Deferred taxes are recorded for any differences between the assigned values and tax bases of assets and liabilities. We typically engage third-party valuation experts to assist in determining the fair values for both identifiable tangible and intangible assets. The judgments made in determining the estimated fair value assigned to each class of assets acquired and liabilities assumed, as well as asset lives, could materially impact our results of operations. See Note 7-Acquisitions to the consolidated financial statements for additional information.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
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For information about recent accounting pronouncements, see Note 1-Summary of Significant Accounting Policies and Practices to the consolidated financial statements.
ITEM 7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
Interest Rate Sensitivity
Our investment portfolio primarily includes cash equivalents for which the market values are not significantly affected by changes in interest rates. Our interest rate risk results primarily from our variable rate indebtedness under our new credit facility, which is influenced by movements in short-term rates. Borrowings under our $190 million revolving credit facility as well as our $125 million term loan bear interest at SOFR, plus a credit spread adjustment and applicable SOFR margin, ranging from 1.25% to 2.75%, based upon our Total Consolidated Debt Leverage Ratio. Based on the amount of our variable rate debt of $186.6 million at December 31, 2022, an increase in interest rates by one hundred basis points from our current rate would increase annual interest expense by approximately $1.9 million.
Foreign Currency Risk
We have foreign currency exposure related to our operations in foreign locations. This foreign currency exposure, particularly the Euro, British Pound Sterling, Brazilian Real, Canadian Dollar and the Indian Rupee, arises primarily from the translation of our foreign subsidiaries’ financial statements into U.S. Dollars. Gains and losses relating to nonfunctional currency transactions, are reported in the Consolidated Statements of Income (Loss). For example, a portion of our annual sales and operating costs are denominated in British Pound Sterling and we have exposure related to sales and operating costs increasing or decreasing based on changes in currency exchange rates. If the U.S. Dollar increases in value against these foreign currencies, the value in U.S. Dollars of the assets and liabilities originally recorded in these foreign currencies will decrease. Conversely, if the U.S. Dollar decreases in value against these foreign currencies, the value in U.S. Dollars of the assets and liabilities originally recorded in these foreign currencies will increase. Thus, increases and decreases in the value of the U.S. Dollar relative to these foreign currencies have a direct impact on the value in U.S. Dollars of our foreign currency denominated assets and liabilities, even if the value of these items has not changed in their original currency. Translation adjustments for these movements are recorded as a separate component of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) in Stockholder Equity. For the year ended December 31, 2022, a 10% movement, favorable or unfavorable, in the average U.S. Dollar exchange rates would cause a change in adjusted operating income of approximately $0.1 million. We do not currently enter into forward exchange contracts to hedge exposures denominated in foreign currencies. We may consider entering into hedging or forward exchange contracts in the future, as sales in international currencies increase due to growth in our International segment.
Fair Value of Financial Instruments
We do not have material exposure to market risk with respect to investments, as our investments consist primarily of highly liquid investments purchased with a remaining maturity of three months or less. We do not use derivative financial instruments for speculative or trading purposes; however, this does not preclude our adoption of specific hedging strategies in the future.
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ITEM 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
To the Stockholders and Board of Directors
Mistras Group, Inc.:
Opinions on the Consolidated Financial Statements and Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Mistras Group, Inc. and subsidiaries (the Company) as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, the related consolidated statements of income (loss), comprehensive income (loss), equity, and cash flows for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2022, and the related notes (collectively, the consolidated financial statements). We also have audited the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2022, based on criteria established in Internal Control – Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission.
In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2022, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. Also in our opinion, the Company maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2022 based on criteria established in Internal Control – Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission.
Basis for Opinions
The Company’s management is responsible for these consolidated financial statements, for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting, and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, included in the accompanying Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s consolidated financial statements and an opinion on the Company’s internal control over financial reporting based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audits to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the consolidated financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud, and whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects.
Our audits of the consolidated financial statements included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the consolidated financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the consolidated financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the consolidated financial statements. Our audit of internal control over financial reporting included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, and testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk. Our audits also included performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinions.
Definition and Limitations of Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.
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Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.
Critical Audit Matter
The critical audit matter communicated below is a matter arising from the current period audit of the consolidated financial statements that was communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that: (1) relates to accounts or disclosures that are material to the consolidated financial statements and (2) involved our especially challenging, subjective, or complex judgments. The communication of a critical audit matter does not alter in any way our opinion on the consolidated financial statements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matter below, providing a separate opinion on the critical audit matter or on the accounts or disclosures to which it relates.
Valuation of goodwill for the Services and European reporting units
As discussed in Note 1 to the consolidated financial statements, the Company tests goodwill for impairment annually on October 1 or more frequently if an event occurs or circumstances change that would more likely than not reduce the fair value of a reporting unit below its carrying amount. The Company considers the income and market approaches to estimate the fair value of its reporting units. As of December 31, 2022, the Company had goodwill of $199.6 million, of which a portion related to the Services and European reporting units. There were no impairment charges recorded during the year ended December 31, 2022.
We identified the evaluation of goodwill impairment for the Services and European reporting units as a critical audit matter. Auditor judgment was required to evaluate the selection of discount rates and forecasted revenue growth rates, gross margins, and selling, general, and administrative expense used in the income approach as they represented subjective determinations of future market or economic conditions. Additionally, the audit effort associated with the evaluation of goodwill for impairment for the Services and European reporting units required specialized skills and knowledge.
The following are the primary procedures we performed to address this critical audit matter. We evaluated the design and tested the operating effectiveness of certain internal controls related to the Company’s goodwill impairment evaluation process, including controls related to management’s selection of discount rates and forecasted revenue growth rates, gross margins, and selling, general, and administrative expense. We evaluated the reasonableness of management’s forecasted revenue growth rates, gross margins, and selling, general, and administrative expense by comparing the forecasts to historical revenue growth rates, gross margins, and selling, general, and administrative expense and relevant industry reports. We performed sensitivity analyses over the forecasted gross margins to assess the impact of changes in those assumptions on the Company’s determination of the fair value of its reporting units. We evaluated the Company’s ability to accurately estimate future revenue growth rates, gross margins, and selling, general, and administrative expense by comparing the historical projected revenue growth rates, gross margins, and selling, general, and administrative expense to actual results for the same period. In addition, we involved valuation professionals with specialized skills and knowledge who assisted in:
•evaluating the Company’s methodology used to estimate the discount rates
•evaluating the Company’s discount rates by comparing them against discount rate ranges that were independently developed using publicly available market data for comparable entities
•testing the estimate of fair values of the Services and European reporting units by using the Company’s projected cash flows as well as our independently developed discount rate ranges and comparing the results to the Company’s fair values.
/s/ KPMG LLP
We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2013
Short Hills, New Jersey
March 15, 2023
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Mistras Group, Inc. and Subsidiaries
Consolidated Balance Sheets
(in thousands, except share and per share data)
| December 31, | |||||||||||
| 2022 | 2021 | ||||||||||
| ASSETS | |||||||||||
| Current Assets | |||||||||||
| Cash and cash equivalents | $ | $ | |||||||||
| Accounts receivable, net | |||||||||||
| Inventories | |||||||||||
| Prepaid expenses and other current assets | |||||||||||
| Total current assets | |||||||||||
| Property, plant and equipment, net | |||||||||||
| Intangible assets, net | |||||||||||
| Goodwill | |||||||||||
| Deferred income taxes | |||||||||||
| Other assets | |||||||||||
| Total Assets | $ | $ | |||||||||
| LIABILITIES AND EQUITY | |||||||||||
| Current Liabilities | |||||||||||
| Accounts payable | $ | $ | |||||||||
| Accrued expenses and other current liabilities | |||||||||||
| Current portion of long-term debt | |||||||||||
| Current portion of finance lease obligations | |||||||||||
| Income taxes payable | |||||||||||
| Total current liabilities | |||||||||||
| Long-term debt, net of current portion | |||||||||||
| Obligations under finance leases, net of current portion | |||||||||||
| Deferred income taxes | |||||||||||
| Other long-term liabilities | |||||||||||
| Total Liabilities | $ | $ | |||||||||
| Commitments and contingencies | |||||||||||
| Equity | |||||||||||
Preferred stock, | |||||||||||
Common stock, $ | |||||||||||
| Additional paid-in capital | |||||||||||
| Accumulated Deficit | ( | ( | |||||||||
| Accumulated other comprehensive loss | ( | ( | |||||||||
| Total Mistras Group, Inc. stockholders’ equity | |||||||||||
| Non-controlling interests | |||||||||||
| Total Equity | |||||||||||
| Total Liabilities and Equity | $ | $ | |||||||||
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
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Mistras Group, Inc. and Subsidiaries
Consolidated Statements of Income (Loss)
(in thousands, except per share data)
| For the year ended December 31, | |||||||||||||||||
| 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | |||||||||||||||
| Revenue | $ | $ | $ | ||||||||||||||
| Cost of revenue | |||||||||||||||||
| Depreciation | |||||||||||||||||
| Gross profit | |||||||||||||||||
| Selling, general and administrative expenses | |||||||||||||||||
| Bad debt provision for troubled customers, net of recoveries | |||||||||||||||||
| Impairment charges | |||||||||||||||||
| Legal settlement and litigation charges (benefit), net | ( | ( | |||||||||||||||
| Research and engineering | |||||||||||||||||
| Depreciation and amortization | |||||||||||||||||
| Acquisition-related expense, net | |||||||||||||||||
| Income (loss) from operations | ( | ||||||||||||||||
| Interest expense | |||||||||||||||||
| Income (loss) before provision (benefit) for income taxes | ( | ||||||||||||||||
| Provision (benefit) for income taxes | ( | ||||||||||||||||
| Net income (loss) | ( | ||||||||||||||||
| Less: net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests, net of taxes | ( | ||||||||||||||||
| Net income (loss) attributable to Mistras Group, Inc. | $ | $ | $ | ( | |||||||||||||
| Earnings (loss) per common share | |||||||||||||||||
| Basic | $ | $ | $ | ( | |||||||||||||
| Diluted | $ | $ | $ | ( | |||||||||||||
| Weighted average common shares outstanding: | |||||||||||||||||
| Basic | |||||||||||||||||
| Diluted | |||||||||||||||||
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
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Mistras Group, Inc. and Subsidiaries
Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss)
(in thousands)
| For the year ended December 31, | |||||||||||||||||
| 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | |||||||||||||||
| Net income (loss) | $ | $ | $ | ( | |||||||||||||
| Other comprehensive income (loss): | |||||||||||||||||
| Foreign currency translation adjustments | ( | ( | |||||||||||||||
| Comprehensive loss | ( | ( | ( | ||||||||||||||
| Less: net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests, net of taxes | ( | ||||||||||||||||
| Less: Foreign currency translation adjustments attributable to noncontrolling interests | ( | ( | |||||||||||||||
| Comprehensive loss attributable to Mistras Group, Inc. | $ | ( | $ | ( | $ | ( | |||||||||||
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
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Mistras Group, Inc. and Subsidiaries
Consolidated Statements of Equity
(in thousands)
| Common Stock | Additional paid-in capital | Retained earnings (deficit) | Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) | Total Mistras Group, Inc. Stockholders’ Equity | Noncontrolling Interest | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Shares | Amount | Total Equity | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Balance at December 31, 2019 | $ | $ | $ | $ | ( | $ | $ | $ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Net loss | — | — | — | ( | — | ( | ( | ( | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other comprehensive income, net of tax | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Share-based compensation | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Net settlement on vesting of restricted stock units | ( | — | — | ( | — | ( | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Exercise of stock options | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Balance at December 31, 2020 | $ | $ | $ | ( | $ | ( | $ | $ | $ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Net income | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other comprehensive loss, net of tax | — | — | — | — | ( | ( | ( | ( | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Share-based compensation | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Net settlement of restricted stock units | ( | — | — | ( | — | ( | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Balance at December 31, 2021 | $ | $ | $ | ( | $ | ( | $ | $ | $ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Net income | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other comprehensive loss, net of tax | — | — | — | — | ( | ( | ( | ( | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Share-based compensation | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Net settlement of restricted stock units | ( | — | — | ( | — | ( | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Balance at December 31, 2022 | $ | $ | $ | ( | $ | ( | $ | $ | $ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
50
Mistras Group, Inc. and Subsidiaries
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
(in thousands)
| For the year ended December 31, | |||||||||||||||||
| 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | |||||||||||||||
| Cash flows from operating activities | |||||||||||||||||
| Net income (loss) | $ | $ | $ | ( | |||||||||||||
| Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by operating activities | |||||||||||||||||
| Depreciation and amortization | |||||||||||||||||
| Deferred income taxes | ( | ( | |||||||||||||||
| Share-based compensation expense | |||||||||||||||||
| Impairment charges | |||||||||||||||||
| Bad debt provision for troubled customers, net of recoveries | |||||||||||||||||
| Foreign currency (gain) loss | ( | ||||||||||||||||
| Payment of finance costs | ( | ||||||||||||||||
| Fair value adjustments to contingent consideration | |||||||||||||||||
| Other | |||||||||||||||||
| Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net of effect of acquisitions and dispositions | |||||||||||||||||
| Accounts receivable | ( | ( | |||||||||||||||
| Inventories | ( | ||||||||||||||||
| Prepaid expenses and other assets | ( | ||||||||||||||||
| Accounts payable | ( | ( | ( | ||||||||||||||
| Accrued expenses and other liabilities | ( | ||||||||||||||||
| Income taxes payable | ( | ||||||||||||||||
| Payment of contingent consideration in excess of initial estimate | ( | ||||||||||||||||
| Net cash provided by operating activities | |||||||||||||||||
| Cash flows from investing activities | |||||||||||||||||
| Purchase of property, plant and equipment | ( | ( | ( | ||||||||||||||
| Purchase of intangible assets | ( | ( | ( | ||||||||||||||
| Acquisition of businesses, net of cash acquired | ( | ||||||||||||||||
| Proceeds from sale of equipment | |||||||||||||||||
| Net cash used in investing activities | ( | ( | ( | ||||||||||||||
| Cash flows from financing activities | |||||||||||||||||
| Repayment of finance lease obligations | ( | ( | ( | ||||||||||||||
| Proceeds from borrowings of long-term debt | |||||||||||||||||
| Repayment of long-term debt | ( | ( | ( | ||||||||||||||
| Proceeds from revolver | |||||||||||||||||
| Repayments of revolver | ( | ( | ( | ||||||||||||||
| Payments of financing costs | ( | ( | ( | ||||||||||||||
| Payment of contingent consideration for business acquisitions | ( | ( | ( | ||||||||||||||
| Taxes paid related to net share settlement of share-based awards | ( | ( | ( | ||||||||||||||
| Net cash used in financing activities | ( | ( | ( | ||||||||||||||
| Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents | ( | ( | |||||||||||||||
| Net change in cash and cash equivalents | ( | ( | |||||||||||||||
| Cash and cash equivalents: | |||||||||||||||||
| Beginning of period | |||||||||||||||||
| End of period | $ | $ | $ | ||||||||||||||
| Supplemental disclosure of cash paid | |||||||||||||||||
| Interest, net | $ | $ | $ | ||||||||||||||
| Income taxes, net | $ | ( | $ | $ | ( | ||||||||||||
| Noncash investing and financing | |||||||||||||||||
| Equipment acquired through finance lease obligations | $ | $ | $ | ||||||||||||||
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
51
Mistras Group, Inc. and Subsidiaries
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(tabular dollars in thousands, except per share data)
1. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies and Practices
Description of Business
Mistras Group, Inc. and subsidiaries (the Company) is a leading “one source” multinational provider of integrated technology-enabled asset protection solutions helping to maximize the safety and operational uptime for civilization's most critical industrial and civil assets.
Backed by an innovative, data-driven asset protection portfolio, proprietary technologies and decades-long legacy of industry leadership, the Company helps clients with asset-intensive infrastructure in the oil and gas, aerospace and defense, industrials, power generation and transmission (including alternative and renewable energy), other process industries and infrastructure, research and engineering and other industries towards achieving and maintaining operational excellence. By supporting these organizations that help fuel our vehicles and power our society; inspecting components that are trusted for commercial, defense, and space craft; and building real-time monitoring systems to help avoid catastrophic incidents, the Company helps the world at large.
The Company enhances value for its clients by integrating asset protection throughout supply chains and centralizing integrity data through a suite of IIoT - connected digital software and monitoring solutions, including OneSuite, which serves as an ecosystem platform, pulling together all of the Company’s software and data services capabilities, for the benefit of its customers.
The Company's core capabilities also include non-destructive testing (“NDT”) field inspections enhanced by advanced robotics, laboratory quality control and assurance testing, sensing technologies and NDT equipment, asset and mechanical integrity engineering services, and light mechanical maintenance and access services.
Recent Developments
Issues related to the COVID-19 coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic have subsided significantly during 2022 as compared to 2021. The Russian-Ukrainian war is creating disruption in the oil and gas market and the supply chain in general, which is resulting in some disruption to our business operations. With oil prices high, refineries are working at full capacity and are deferring maintenance and inspection work as much as possible, which is impacting our business as well.
Overall, the Company has taken actions to help ensure the health and safety of Company employees and those of its customers and suppliers; maintain business continuity and financial strength and stability; and serve customers as they provide essential products and services to the world.
Earlier in 2022, the Company eliminated substantially all of the COVID related cost reduction initiatives undertaken in 2020, including re-installment of the savings plan employer match and increasing wages back to pre-pandemic amounts.
The Company is currently unable to predict with certainty the overall impact that the factors discussed above and the effect of inflationary pressures may have on its business, results of operations or liquidity or in other ways which the Company cannot yet determine. The Company’s European operations are currently experiencing increased costs associated with higher energy costs, among others, due in part to the Russian-Ukrainian war. The Company will continue to monitor market conditions and respond accordingly.
Principles of Consolidation
The Company follows guidance on the consolidation of variable interest entities ("VIEs") that requires companies to utilize a qualitative approach to determine whether it is the primary beneficiary of a VIE. The process for identifying the primary beneficiary of a VIE requires consideration of the factors that indicate a party has the power to direct the activities that most significantly impact the VIE’s economic performance, including powers granted to the VIE’s program manager, powers contained in the VIE governing board and, to a certain extent, a company’s economic interest in the VIE. The Company analyzes its joint ventures and classifies them as either:
•a VIE that must be consolidated because the Company is the primary beneficiary, or the joint venture is not a VIE and the Company holds the majority voting interest with no significant participative rights available to the other partners; or
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•a VIE that does not require consolidation and is treated as an equity method investment because the Company is not the primary beneficiary or the joint venture is not a VIE and the Company does not hold the majority voting interest.
As part of the above analysis, if it is determined that the Company has the power to direct the activities that most significantly impact the joint venture’s economic performance, the Company considers whether or not it has the obligation to absorb losses or rights to receive benefits of the VIE that could potentially be significant to the VIE.
The Company became the primary beneficiary in July 2020 of a VIE in which the Company has a 49 % interest in a limited partnership, and a 49 % shareholder in the corporate general partner of the limited partnership. The Company consolidated the financial statements of the VIE with the financial statements of the Company. As of and for the year ended December 31, 2022, the VIE had immaterial assets and had approximately $4.7 million revenue. The Company is the primary sub-contractor of the VIE.
The accompanying audited consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Mistras Group, Inc. as well as its wholly-owned subsidiaries, majority-owned subsidiaries and consolidated VIE. For subsidiaries in which the Company’s ownership interest is less than 100%, the non-controlling interests are reported in stockholders’ equity in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets. The non-controlling interests in net results, net of tax, is classified separately in the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Income (Loss). All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. The results of operations of companies acquired are included from the date of acquisition.
Reclassifications
Certain amounts in prior periods have been reclassified to conform to the current year presentation. Such reclassifications did not have a material effect on the Company's financial condition or results of operations as previously reported.
Use of Estimates
The preparation of financial statements in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("U.S. GAAP") requires that the Company make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenue and expenses and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements. The Company bases its estimates and assumptions on historical experience, known or expected trends and various other assumptions that it believes to be reasonable. As future events and their effects cannot be determined with precision, actual results could differ significantly from these estimates, which may cause the Company’s future results to be significantly affected.
Cash and Cash Equivalents
The Company considers all highly liquid investments purchased with an original maturity of three months or less to be cash equivalents.
Accounts Receivable and Allowance for Credit Losses
The Company maintains an allowance for credit losses on its accounts receivable balances, which represents its best estimate of current expected credit losses over the contractual life of the accounts receivable. When evaluating the adequacy of its allowance for credit losses each reporting period, the Company analyzes accounts receivable balances with similar risk characteristics on a collective basis, considering factors such as the aging of receivable balances, payment terms (primarily with 30 day terms), geographic location, historical loss experience, current information and future expectations (generally considered one year which is consistent with expected collectability of the Company's trade receivables).
Concentration of Credit Risk
For each of the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, no customer represented 10% or more of the Company's revenue.
53
Inventories
Inventories are stated at the lower of cost or net realizable value, as determined by using the first-in, first-out method, or market. Work in process and finished goods inventory include material, direct labor, variable costs and overhead.
Purchased and Internal-Use Software
The Company capitalizes certain costs that are incurred to purchase or to create and implement internal-use software, which includes software coding, installation and testing. Capitalized costs are amortized on a straight-line basis over three years , the estimated useful life of the software.
Property, Plant and Equipment
Property, plant and equipment are recorded at cost. Depreciation of property, plant and equipment is computed utilizing the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets. Amortization of leasehold improvements is computed utilizing the straight-line method over the shorter of the remaining lease term or estimated useful life. Repairs and maintenance costs are expensed as incurred.
Goodwill
Goodwill represents the excess purchase price of acquired businesses over the fair values attributed to underlying net tangible assets and identifiable intangible assets. The Company tests goodwill for impairment at a “reporting unit” level (which for the Company is represented by (i) its Services segment, (ii) its Products and Systems segment, (iii) the European component of its International segment and (iv) the Brazilian component of its International segment). The Company's annual impairment test is conducted on the first day of the Company's fourth quarter, which is October 1. Goodwill is also tested for impairment whenever an event occurs or circumstances change that would more likely than not reduce the fair value of a reporting unit below its carrying amount.
In testing for goodwill impairment, the Company has the option to first assess qualitative factors to determine whether the existence of events or circumstances lead to a determination that it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount. If, after assessing the totality of events and circumstances, the Company concludes that it is not more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, then performing a quantitative impairment test is not necessary. If the Company concludes otherwise, the Company is required to perform a quantitative impairment test.
See Note 8-Goodwill for additional information related to the Company's goodwill impairment test during 2022.
Impairment of Long-lived Assets
The Company reviews the recoverability of its long-lived assets (or asset groups) whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of the long-lived asset (group) might not be recoverable. The assessment for potential impairment is based primarily on the Company’s ability to recover the carrying value of its long-lived assets from expected future undiscounted cash flows. If the total expected future undiscounted cash flows are less than the carrying amount of the assets, a loss is recognized for the difference between fair value (computed based upon the expected future discounted cash flows) and the carrying value of the assets.
54
Research and Engineering
Research and product development costs are expensed as incurred.
Advertising, Promotions and Marketing
Fair Value of Financial Instruments
Foreign Currency Translation
The financial position and results of operations of the Company’s foreign subsidiaries are measured using their functional currencies, which are their local currencies. Assets and liabilities of foreign subsidiaries are translated into the U.S. Dollar at the exchange rates in effect at the balance sheet date. Income and expenses are translated at the average exchange rate during the period. Translation gains and losses are reported as a component of other comprehensive income (loss) for the period and included in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) within stockholders’ equity.
Self-Insurance
The Company is self-insured for certain losses relating to workers’ compensation and health benefit claims. The Company maintains third-party excess insurance coverage for all workers' compensation and health benefit claims in excess of approximately $0.3 million per occurrence to reduce its exposure from such claims. Self-insured losses are accrued when it is probable that an uninsured claim has been incurred but not reported and the amount of the loss can be reasonably estimated at the balance sheet date.
Share-based Compensation
The value of services received from employees and directors in exchange for an award of an equity instrument is measured based on the grant-date fair value of the award. Such value is recognized as a non-cash expense on a straight-line basis over the minimum period the individual provides services, which is typically the vesting period of the award with the exception of awards with graded vesting that contain an internal performance measure where each tranche is recognized on a straight-line basis over its vesting period subject to the probability of meeting the performance requirements and adjusted for the number of shares expected to be earned. Awards to certain employees eligible for retirement prior to the award becoming fully vested are amortized to expense over the period through the date that the employee first becomes eligible to retire and is no longer required to provide service to earn the award. As share-based compensation expense is based on awards ultimately expected to vest, the amount of expense is reduced for estimated forfeitures. The cost of these awards is recorded in selling, general and administrative expenses in the Company’s Consolidated Statements of Income (Loss).
55
Income Taxes
Income taxes are accounted for under the asset and liability method. We recognize deferred tax assets and liabilities at enacted income tax rates for the temporary differences between the financial reporting bases and the tax bases of our assets and liabilities. Any effects of changes in income tax rates or tax laws are included in the provision for income taxes in the period of enactment. Our net deferred tax assets primarily consist of net operating loss carry forwards, or NOLs. A valuation allowance is provided if it is more likely than not that some or all of a deferred income tax asset will not be realized. A current tax liability or asset is recognized for the estimated taxes payable or refundable on tax returns for the current and prior years.
We recognize the tax benefit from an uncertain tax position only if it is more likely than not that the tax position will be sustained on examination by the taxing authorities, based on the technical merits of the position. The tax benefits recognized in the financial statements from such a position are measured based on the largest benefit that has a greater than 50% likelihood of being realized upon ultimate resolution.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
In March 2020 and updated in January 2021, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") 2020-04 and 2021-01, “Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848): Facilitation of the Effects of Reference Rate Reform on Financial Reporting.” The amendments provide optional guidance for a limited period of time to ease the potential burden in accounting for (or recognizing the effects of) reference rate reform on financial reporting. The guidance provides optional expedients and exceptions for applying U.S. GAAP to contract modifications and hedging relationships, subject to meeting certain criteria, that reference LIBOR or another rate that is expected to be discontinued. The amendments in ASU 2020-04 are effective for all entities as of March 12, 2020 through December 31, 2024. The Company is currently evaluating applicable contracts and the available expedients provided by the new guidance.
2. Revenue
The Company derives the majority of its revenue by providing services on a time and material basis that are short-term in
nature. The Company accounts for revenue in accordance with ASC Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers.
Performance Obligations
The Company provides highly integrated and bundled inspection services to its customers. The majority of the Company's contracts have a single performance obligation as the promise to transfer the individual goods or services is not separately identifiable from other promises in the contracts and is, therefore, not distinct. For contracts with multiple performance obligations, the Company allocates the contract’s transaction price to each performance obligation using the Company's best estimate of the standalone selling price of each distinct good or service in the contract. The primary method used to estimate standalone selling price is a relative selling price based on price lists.
Contract modifications are not routine in the performance of the Company's contracts. Generally, when contracts are modified, the modification is to account for changes in scope to the goods and services that are provided. In most instances, contract modifications are for goods or services that are distinct, and, therefore, are accounted for as a separate contract.
The Company's performance obligations are satisfied over time as work progresses or at a point in time. The majority of the Company's revenue is recognized over time as work progresses for the Company's service deliverables, which includes providing testing, inspection and mechanical services to the Company's customers. Revenue is recognized over time, based on time and material incurred to date which best portrays the transfer of control to the customer. The Company also utilizes an available practical expedient that provides for revenue to be recognized in an amount that corresponds directly with the value to the customer of the entity’s performance completed to date. Fixed fee arrangements are determined based on expected labor, material, and overhead to be consumed on fulfillment of such services. For these arrangements, revenue is recognized on a cost-to-cost method tracked on an input basis.
The majority of the Company's revenue recognized at a point in time is related to product sales when the customer obtains control of the asset, which is generally upon shipment to the customer. Contract costs include labor, material and overhead.
The Company expects any significant remaining performance obligations to be satisfied within one year .
Contract Estimates
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Revenue by Category
The following series of tables present the Company's disaggregated revenue:
Revenue by industry was as follows (in thousands):
| Year ended December 31, 2022 | Services | International | Products | Corp/Elim | Total | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Oil & Gas | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Aerospace & Defense | $ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Industrials | $ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Power Generation and Transmission | $ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other Process Industries | $ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Infrastructure, Research & Engineering | $ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Petrochemical | $ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other | ( | $ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | $ | $ | $ | $ | ( | $ | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Year ended December 31, 2021 | Services | International | Products | Corp/Elim | Total | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Oil & Gas | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Aerospace & Defense | $ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Industrials | $ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Power Generation and Transmission | $ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other Process Industries | $ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Infrastructure, Research & Engineering | $ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Petrochemical | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other | ( | $ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | $ | $ | $ | $ | ( | $ | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Year ended December 31, 2020 | Services | International | Products | Corp/Elim | Total | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Oil & Gas | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Aerospace & Defense | $ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Industrials | $ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Power Generation and Transmission | $ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other Process Industries | $ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Infrastructure, Research & Engineering | $ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Petrochemical | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other | ( | $ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | $ | ( | $ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Revenue per key geographic location was as follows (in thousands):
| Year ended December 31, 2022 | Services | International | Products | Corp/Elim | Total | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| United States | $ | $ | $ | $ | ( | $ | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other Americas | ( | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Europe | ( | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Asia-Pacific | ( | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | $ | $ | $ | $ | ( | $ | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Year ended December 31, 2021 | Services | International | Products | Corp/Elim | Total | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| United States | $ | $ | $ | $ | ( | $ | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other Americas | ( | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Europe | ( | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Asia-Pacific | ( | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | $ | $ | $ | $ | ( | $ | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Year ended December 31, 2020 | Services | International | Products | Corp/Elim | Total | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| United States | $ | $ | $ | $ | ( | $ | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other Americas | $ | $ | $ | $ | ( | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Europe | $ | $ | $ | $ | ( | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Asia-Pacific | $ | $ | $ | $ | ( | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | $ | $ | $ | $ | ( | $ | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Contract Balances
The timing of revenue recognition, billings and cash collections results in billed accounts receivable, unbilled receivables (contract assets), and customer advances and deposits (contract liabilities) on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. Amounts are generally billed as work progresses in accordance with agreed-upon contractual terms, generally at periodic intervals (e.g., weekly, bi-weekly or monthly). Generally, billing occurs subsequent to revenue recognition, resulting in contract assets. However, the Company sometimes receives advances or deposits from its customers before revenue is recognized, resulting in contract liabilities. These assets and liabilities are aggregated on an individual contract basis and reported on the Consolidated Balance Sheets at the end of each reporting period within accounts receivable, net or accrued expenses and other current liabilities.
Revenue recognized for 2022 and 2021, that was included in the contract liability balance at the beginning of the year was $4.7 million and $4.6 million, respectively. Changes in the contract asset and liability balances during the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, were not impacted by any other factors. The Company applies the practical expedient to expense incremental
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3. Earnings per Share
Basic earnings (loss) per share is computed by dividing net income (loss) by the weighted average number of shares outstanding during the period. Diluted earnings per share is computed by dividing net income by the sum of (i) the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the period and (ii) the dilutive effect of assumed conversion of equity awards using the treasury stock method. With respect to the number of weighted average shares outstanding (denominator), diluted shares reflects: (i) the exercise of options to acquire common stock to the extent that the options’ exercise prices are less than the average market price of common stock during the period and (ii) the pro forma vesting of restricted stock units.
| For the year ended December 31, | |||||||||||||||||
| 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | |||||||||||||||
| Basic earnings (loss) per share: | |||||||||||||||||
| Numerator: | |||||||||||||||||
| Net income (loss) attributable to Mistras Group, Inc. | $ | $ | $ | ( | |||||||||||||
| Denominator | |||||||||||||||||
| Weighted average common shares outstanding | |||||||||||||||||
| Basic earnings (loss) per share | $ | $ | $ | ( | |||||||||||||
| Diluted earnings (loss) per share: | |||||||||||||||||
| Numerator: | |||||||||||||||||
| Net income (loss) attributable to Mistras Group, Inc. | $ | $ | $ | ( | |||||||||||||
| Denominator | |||||||||||||||||
| Weighted average common shares outstanding | |||||||||||||||||
| Dilutive effect of stock options outstanding | |||||||||||||||||
| Dilutive effect of restricted stock units outstanding | |||||||||||||||||
| Diluted earnings (loss) per share | $ | $ | $ | ( | |||||||||||||
The following potential common stock were excluded from the computation of diluted earnings per share, as the effect would have been anti-dilutive:
| For the year ended December 31, | |||||||||||||||||
| 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | |||||||||||||||
Potential common stock attributable to restricted stock units (RSUs) and performance stock units (PSUs) outstanding (1) | |||||||||||||||||
| Potential common stock attributable to stock options outstanding | |||||||||||||||||
| Total | |||||||||||||||||
(1) For the year ended December 31, 2020, 254 shares related to RSUs/PSUs, were excluded from the calculation of diluted EPS due to the net loss for the period.
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4. Accounts Receivable
Accounts receivable consist of the following (in thousands):
| December 31, | |||||||||||
| 2022 | 2021 | ||||||||||
| Trade accounts receivable | $ | $ | |||||||||
| Allowance for credit losses | ( | ( | |||||||||
| Accounts receivable, net | $ | $ | |||||||||
The Company had $13.5 million and $11.9 million of unbilled revenues accrued as of December 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021, respectively, which is included within the trade accounts receivable balance above. Unbilled revenue is generally billed in the subsequent quarter to their revenue recognition. The Company considers unbilled receivables as short-term in nature as they are normally converted to trade receivables within 90 days, thus future changes in economic conditions will not have a significant effect on the credit loss estimate.
The Company was contracted to perform inspections of welds on various pipeline projects in Texas for a customer. As of December 31, 2019, approximately $1.4 million of past due receivables were outstanding from this customer. The Company received notice from the customer in December 2019, alleging that the work performed was not in compliance with the contract. The Company filed a lawsuit to recover the $1.4 million and other amounts due to the Company and the customer filed a counterclaim, alleging breach of contract and seeking its damages. The Company recorded a full reserve for this receivable during 2019 and the status of this situation has not changed since 2019. See Note 18-Commitments and Contingencies for additional details.
5. Inventories
| December 31, | |||||||||||
| 2022 | 2021 | ||||||||||
| Raw materials | $ | $ | |||||||||
| Work in progress | |||||||||||
| Finished goods | |||||||||||
| Consumable supplies | |||||||||||
| Inventories | $ | $ | |||||||||
6. Property, Plant and Equipment
Property, plant and equipment consist of the following:
| December 31, | |||||||||||||||||
| Useful Life | 2022 | 2021 | |||||||||||||||
| (Years) | (in thousands) | ||||||||||||||||
| Land | $ | $ | |||||||||||||||
| Building and improvements | |||||||||||||||||
| Office furniture and equipment | |||||||||||||||||
| Machinery and equipment | |||||||||||||||||
| Accumulated depreciation and amortization | ( | ( | |||||||||||||||
| Property, plant and equipment, net | $ | $ | |||||||||||||||
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7. Acquisitions
Acquisitions
During the year ended December 31, 2021, the Company completed one acquisition for a small NDT services company in Canada. The Company acquired 100 % of the common stock in exchange for approximately $0.4 million during the first quarter of 2021. The results of the acquisition's operations are included within the Services segment and are not material to the consolidated financial statements. The Company completed its acquisition accounting for this transaction in accordance with the acquisition method of accounting for business combinations during the year ended December 31, 2021.
Assets and liabilities of the acquired business were included in the Consolidated Balance Sheet based on their respective estimated fair value on the date of acquisition as determined in a purchase price allocation, using available information and making assumptions management believes are reasonable.
Acquisition-Related expense
In the course of its acquisition activities, the Company incurs costs in connection with due diligence, professional fees, and other expenses. Additionally, the Company adjusts the fair value of acquisition-related contingent consideration liabilities on a quarterly basis. These amounts are recorded as acquisition-related expense, net, on the Consolidated Statements of Income (Loss) and were as follows for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020 (in thousands):
| For the year ended December 31, | |||||||||||||||||
| 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | |||||||||||||||
| Due diligence, professional fees and other transaction costs | $ | $ | $ | ||||||||||||||
| Adjustments to fair value of contingent consideration liabilities | |||||||||||||||||
| Acquisition-related expense, net | $ | $ | $ | ||||||||||||||
As of December 31, 2022, the Company’s contingent consideration liabilities are recorded on the Consolidated Balance Sheet in accrued expenses and other current liabilities.
8. Goodwill
| Services | International | Products and Systems | Total | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Balance at December 31, 2020 | $ | $ | $ | $ | |||||||||||||||||||
| Adjustments to preliminary purchase price allocations | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Foreign currency translation | ( | ( | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Balance at December 31, 2021 | $ | $ | $ | $ | |||||||||||||||||||
| Foreign currency translation | ( | ( | ( | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Balance at December 31, 2022 | $ | $ | $ | $ | |||||||||||||||||||
The Company reviews goodwill for impairment on a reporting unit basis on October 1 of each year and whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate the carrying value of goodwill may not be recoverable.
During the first quarter of 2020, the Company’s market capitalization declined significantly compared to the fourth quarter of 2019. Over the same period, the equity value of the Company’s peer group, and the overall U.S. stock market also declined significantly amid market volatility. In addition, oil prices had dropped significantly. These declines were driven in large part by the uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic and other macroeconomic events such as the geopolitical tensions between OPEC and Russia. Based on these factors, the Company concluded that multiple triggering events occurred and, accordingly, an interim quantitative goodwill impairment test was performed for each reporting unit as of March 31, 2020
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("testing date"). During the first quarter of 2020, the Company also performed an analysis to determine any impairment of long-lived assets (see Note 9-Intangible Assets) based on the triggering events noted above.
Based upon the results of the interim quantitative goodwill impairment test during the first quarter of 2020, the Company recorded an aggregate impairment charge of $77.1 million, which consisted of $57.2 million in the services reporting unit within the Services segment, and $19.3 million in the European reporting unit and $0.6 million in the Brazilian reporting unit, both within the International segment. The impairment was calculated based on the difference between the estimated fair value and the carrying value of the reporting units and are included in Impairment charges on the Consolidated Statements of Income (Loss) for the year ended December 31, 2020. The Company performed a quantitative annual impairment test as of October 1, 2022 and 2021 and the Company did not identify any changes in circumstances that would indicate the carrying value of goodwill may not be recoverable. Additionally, through December 31, 2022, the Company did not identify any changes in circumstances that would indicate the carrying value of goodwill may not be recoverable. Significant adverse changes in future periods could negatively affect the Company's key assumptions and may result in future goodwill impairment charges which could be material.
9. Intangible Assets
The gross carrying amount and accumulated amortization of intangible assets were as follows (in thousands):
| December 31, | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022 | 2021 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Useful Life (Years) | Gross Amount | Accumulated Amortization | Net Carrying Amount | Gross Amount | Accumulated Amortization | Net Carrying Amount | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Customer relationships | $ | $ | ( | $ | $ | $ | ( | $ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Software/Technology | ( | ( | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Covenants not to compete | ( | ( | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other | ( | ( | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | $ | $ | ( | $ | $ | $ | ( | $ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
As described in Note 8- Goodwill, during the first quarter of 2020, there were negative market indicators that were determined to be triggering events indicating a potential impairment of certain long-lived assets within asset groups in the Services, International, and Products and Systems segments, as well as Corporate and Eliminations. The asset groups are groupings of assets and liabilities determined at the lowest level for which identifiable cash flows are largely independent of the cash flows of other assets and liabilities. Recoverability testing indicated that certain intangible assets and right of use assets (See Note 17-Leases) were potentially impaired. For asset groups that required an impairment measurement, similar to the valuations performed to determine the goodwill impairment, the Company used income and market approaches to estimate the fair value of the long-lived assets, which requires significant judgment in evaluation of the useful lives of the assets, economic and industry trends, estimated future cash flows, discount rates, and other factors. The result of the analysis was an aggregate impairment charge of $28.8 million, which consisted of $25.9 million to software/technology, $2.2 million to customer relationships, $0.5 million to other intangibles and $0.2 million to covenants not to compete, all of which are in the Services reporting unit within the Services segment and are included in on the Consolidated Statements of Income (Loss) for the year ended December 31, 2020.
Amortization expense for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020, was approximately $9.1 million, $9.7 million, and $11.0 million, respectively, including amortization of software/technology for these periods of $2.9 million, $3.0 million, and $3.6 million, respectively.
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Expected Amortization Expense | |||||
| 2023 | $ | ||||
| 2024 | |||||
| 2025 | |||||
| 2026 | |||||
| 2027 | |||||
| Thereafter | |||||
| Total | $ | ||||
10. Accrued Expenses and Other Current Liabilities
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities consist of the following (in thousands):
| December 31, | |||||||||||
| 2022 | 2021 | ||||||||||
| Accrued salaries, wages and related employee benefits | $ | $ | |||||||||
| Contingent consideration | |||||||||||
| Accrued workers' compensation and health benefits | |||||||||||
| Deferred revenues | |||||||||||
| Right-of-use liability - Operating | |||||||||||
| Pension accrual | |||||||||||
| Other accrued expenses | |||||||||||
| Total accrued expenses and other current liabilities | $ | $ | |||||||||
11. Long-Term Debt
Long-term debt consisted of the following (in thousands):
| December 31, | |||||||||||
| 2022 | 2021 | ||||||||||
| Senior credit facility | $ | $ | |||||||||
Senior secured term loan, net of unamortized debt issuance costs of $ | |||||||||||
| Other | |||||||||||
| Total debt | |||||||||||
| Less: Current portion | ( | ( | |||||||||
| Long-term debt, net of current portion | $ | $ | |||||||||
Senior Credit Facility
Prior to entering into the New Credit Agreement (defined and described below), the Company had a credit agreement with its banking group (the "Credit Agreement") which provided the Company with a $150 million revolving credit facility and a $100 million term loan. The Credit Agreement was most recently amended on May 19, 2021 and had a maturity date of December 12, 2023.
On August 1, 2022, the Company entered into a new credit agreement (the “New Credit Agreement”) which replaced the prior Credit Agreement and provides the Company with a $190 million 5 -year committed revolving credit facility and a $125 million term loan with a balance of $121.4 million as of December 31, 2022. The New Credit Agreement permits the Company to borrow up to $100 million in non-US dollar currencies and to use up to $20 million of the credit limit for the issuance of letters of credit. Both the revolving line of credit and the term loan under the New Credit Agreement have a maturity date of July 30, 2027.
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The New Credit Agreement has the following key terms, conditions and financial covenants:
•Borrowings bear interest at Secured Overnight Financing Rate ("SOFR") plus a credit spread adjustment and applicable SOFR margin ranging from 1.25 % to 2.75 %, based upon our Total Consolidated Debt Leverage Ratio (defined below); under the Credit Agreement, the margin was based upon the LIBOR margin.
◦Total Consolidated Debt Leverage Ratio means the ratio of (a) Total Consolidated Debt to (b) EBITDA (as defined in the New Credit Agreement) for the trailing four consecutive fiscal quarters.
◦Total Consolidated Debt means all indebtedness (including subordinated debt) of the Company on a consolidated basis.
•The Company has the benefit of the lowest SOFR margin if its Total Consolidated Debt Leverage Ratio is equal to or less than 1.25 to 1.0, and the margin increases as the ratio increases, to the maximum margin if the ratio is greater than 3.75 to 1.0. The New Credit Agreement is secured by liens on substantially all the assets of the Company and certain of its U.S subsidiaries and is guaranteed by those U.S subsidiaries.
•The Company has to maintain a Total Consolidated Debt Leverage Ratio of no more than 4.0 to 1.0 at the end of each quarter through June 30, 2023 and stepping down to a maximum permitted ratio of no more than 3.75 to 1.0 for the remainder of the term.
•The Company has to maintain a Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio of 1.25 to 1.0 for the duration of the New Credit Agreement, as defined in the New Credit Agreement.
•The New Credit Agreement limits the Company’s ability to, among other things, create liens, make investments, incur more indebtedness, merge or consolidate, make dispositions of property, pay dividends, make distributions to stockholders or repurchase our stock, enter into a new line of business, enter into transactions with affiliates and enter into burdensome agreements.
•The New Credit Agreement does not limit the Company’s ability to acquire other businesses or companies except that the acquired business or company must be in the Company's line of business, the Company must be in compliance with the financial covenants on a pro forma basis after taking into account the acquisition, and the Company must provide written notice at least business days prior to the date of an acquisition of $10 million or more.
•Quarterly payments on the term loan of $1.56 million through June 30, 2024, then increasing to $2.34 million through June 30, 2025, and to $3.12 million for each quarterly payment thereafter through maturity.
The New Credit Agreement was accounted for as a modification and the Company expensed $0.8 million in unamortized capitalized debt issuance costs and fees during the three months ended September 30, 2022, which was included in selling, general and administrative expenses on the Consolidated Statements of Income (Loss). The Company incurred $1.6 million in financing costs for the New Credit Agreement, of which $0.2 million of third party costs were expensed and included in selling, general and administrative expenses on the Consolidated Statements of Income (Loss).
As of December 31, 2022, the Company had borrowings of $186.6 million and a total of $3.0 million of letters of credit outstanding under the New Credit Agreement. The Company has capitalized costs associated with debt modifications of $1.4 million as of December 31, 2022, which is included in Other assets on the Consolidated Balance Sheet and will be amortized into interest expense over the remaining term of the Credit Agreement through July 30, 2027.
As of December 31, 2022, the Company was in compliance with the terms of the New Credit Agreement. The Company continuously monitors compliance with the covenants contained in the New Credit Agreement. The Company believes that it is probable that the Company will be able to comply with the financial covenants in the New Credit Agreement and that sufficient credit remains available under the New Credit Agreement to meet the Company's liquidity needs. However, such matters cannot be predicted with certainty.
Other Debt
The Company's other debt includes bank financing provided at the local subsidiary level used to support working capital requirements and fund capital expenditures. At December 31, 2022, there was an aggregate of approximately $4.6 million outstanding, payable at various times through 2030. Monthly payments range from $1 thousand to $15 thousand and interest rates range from 0.4 % to 3.5 %.
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| 2023 | $ | ||||
| 2024 | |||||
| 2025 | |||||
| 2026 | |||||
| 2027 | |||||
| Thereafter | |||||
| Total | $ | ||||
12. Fair Value Measurements
The Company performs fair value measurements in accordance with the guidance provided by ASC 820, Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures. ASC 820 defines fair value as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. It also establishes a three level hierarchy that prioritizes the inputs used to measure fair value. The three levels of the hierarchy are defined as follows:
Level 1 — Inputs are unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities that the Company has the ability to access at the measurement date.
Level 2 — Observable inputs other than quoted prices included in Level 1, including quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets, quoted prices for identical assets or liabilities in inactive markets, inputs other than quoted prices that are observable for the asset or liability and inputs derived principally from or corroborated by observable market data.
Level 3 — Unobservable inputs reflecting the Company’s own assumptions about inputs that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability based on the best information available.
Financial instruments measured at fair value on a recurring basis
The fair value of contingent consideration liabilities was estimated using a discounted cash flow technique with significant inputs that are not observable in the market and thus represents a Level 3 fair value measurement as defined in ASC 820. The significant inputs in the Level 3 measurement not supported by market activity include the probability assessments of expected future cash flows related to the acquisitions, appropriately discounted considering the uncertainties associated with the obligation, and as calculated in accordance with the terms of the applicable acquisition agreements.
| December 31, | ||||||||||||||
| 2022 | 2021 | |||||||||||||
| Balance at the beginning of the period: | $ | $ | ||||||||||||
| Acquisitions | ||||||||||||||
| Payments | ( | ( | ||||||||||||
| Accretion of liability | ||||||||||||||
| Revaluation | ||||||||||||||
| Foreign currency translation | ||||||||||||||
| Balance at the end of the period: | $ | $ | ||||||||||||
Financial instruments not measured at fair value on a recurring basis
The Company has evaluated current market conditions and borrower credit quality and has determined that the carrying value of its long-term debt approximates fair value. The fair value of the Company’s notes payable and finance lease obligations approximates their carrying amounts based on anticipated interest rates which management believes would currently be available to the Company for similar issuances of debt.
13. Share-Based Compensation
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The Company grants share-based incentive awards to its eligible employees and non-employee directors under two equity incentive plans: (i) the 2009 Long-Term Incentive Plan (the "2009 Plan") and (ii) the 2016 Long-Term Incentive Plan (the "2016 Plan"). No further awards may be granted under the 2009 Plan, and the remaining stock option award granted under the 2009 Plan expired during the three months ended March 31, 2022. Awards granted under the 2016 Plan may be in the form of stock options, restricted stock units and other forms of share-based incentives, including performance restricted stock units, stock appreciation rights and deferred stock rights. At the annual stockholders meeting on May 23, 2022, the Company’s stockholders approved an amendment to increase the total number of shares that may be issued under the 2016 Plan by 1.2 million, for a total of 4.9 million shares that are authorized for issuance under the 2016 plan, of which approximately 1,900,000 shares were available for future grants as of December 31, 2022.
Stock Options
For each of the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020, the Company did no one No unrecognized compensation costs remained related to the stock option awards. In addition, there were no stock options exercised during the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020.
The following table sets forth a summary of the stock option activity, weighted-average exercise prices and options outstanding as of December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020 as follows (in thousands, except per share amounts and years):
| For the years ended December 31, | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Common Stock Options | Weighted Average Exercise Price | Common Stock Options | Weighted Average Exercise Price | Common Stock Options | Weighted Average Exercise Price | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Outstanding at beginning of year: | $ | $ | $ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Granted | $ | $ | $ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Exercised | $ | $ | $ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Expired or forfeited | ( | $ | $ | $ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Outstanding at end of year: | $ | $ | $ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Restricted Stock Unit Awards
Restricted Stock Units generally vest ratably on each of the first anniversary dates of issuance. The Company recognized approximately $3.7 million, $3.5 million and $4.4 million of share-based compensation for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020, respectively, related to restricted stock unit awards. As of December 31, 2022, there were approximately $6.6 million of unrecognized compensation costs, net of estimated forfeitures, related to restricted stock unit awards, which are expected to be recognized over a remaining weighted average period of 2.6 years. Upon vesting, restricted stock units are generally net share-settled to cover the required minimum withholding tax and the remaining amount is converted into an equivalent number of shares of common stock.
A summary of the vesting activity of restricted stock unit awards, with the respective fair value of the awards, is as follows (in thousands):
| For the year ended December 31, | |||||||||||||||||
| 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | |||||||||||||||
| Restricted stock awards vested | |||||||||||||||||
| Fair value of awards vested | $ | $ | $ | ||||||||||||||
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| For the year ended December 31, | |||||||||||||||||
| 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | |||||||||||||||
| Awards issued | |||||||||||||||||
| Grant date fair value of awards issued | $ | $ | $ | ||||||||||||||
A summary of the Company's outstanding, non-vested restricted share units is as follows (in thousands, except per share amounts and years):
| For the year ended December 31, | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Units | Weighted Average Grant-Date Fair Value | Units | Weighted Average Grant-Date Fair Value | Units | Weighted Average Grant-Date Fair Value | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Outstanding at beginning of period: | $ | $ | $ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Granted | $ | $ | $ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Released | ( | $ | ( | $ | ( | $ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Forfeited | ( | $ | ( | $ | ( | $ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Outstanding at end of period: | $ | $ | $ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Performance Restricted Stock Units
The Company maintains Performance Restricted Stock Units (PRSUs) that have been granted to select executives and senior officers whose ultimate payout is based on the Company’s performance over a one-year period based on specific metrics approved by the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors of the Company.
For 2021, the Compensation Committee made changes to the Company’s equity incentive compensation plan for its executive officers and approved the new target awards for 2021. For 2021, the three metrics were:
1.Free Cash Flow net cash provided by operating activities less purchases of property, plant, equipment and intangible assets and is subject to adjustments approved by the Compensation Committee.
2.Adjusted EBITDA defined as net income attributable to the Company plus: interest expense, provision for income taxes, depreciation and amortization, share-based compensation expense and certain acquisition related costs (including transaction due diligence costs and adjustments to the fair value of contingent consideration), foreign exchange (gain) loss and, if applicable, certain special items which are noted).
3.Total Shareholder Return (TSR) measures the total return to shareholders of the Company during 2021 versus the total return to the shareholders of a predefined peer group of companies that provide inspection, testing, certification or similar industrial services. The return will be measured by the year over year percent change in share price. The share prices used to calculate the return are the average share price during the 20 -trading day period ending on the initial measurement date (the last 20 trading days of 2020), compared to the average share price during the 20 -trading day period ending on the final measurement date (the last 20 trading days of 2021). Any cash dividends or distributions paid in 2021 will be added to calculate the return to shareholders during the year. TSR is considered a market condition for which the fair value of PRSUs with this condition is determined using a Monte Carlo valuation model. Key assumptions in the Monte Carlo valuation model included:
a.Expected Volatility. Expected volatility of the Company’s common stock at the date of grant was estimated based on a historical average volatility rate for the approximate 1-year performance period.
b.Dividend Yield. The dividend yield assumption was based on historical and anticipated dividend payouts (assumed at zero ).
c.Risk-Free Interest Rate. The risk-free interest rate assumption was based on observed interest rates consistent with the approximate 1-year performance measurement period.
For 2022, the Compensation Committee retained the Company’s prior year equity incentive compensation plan for its executive officers including utilizing the same metrics, as defined above, and approved the new target awards for 2022.
PRSUs are equity-classified and compensation costs are initially measured using the fair value of the underlying stock at the date of grant. Compensation costs related to the PRSUs are subsequently adjusted for changes in the expected outcomes of the performance conditions. Compensation cost related to the PRSUs with a market condition is not reversed if the market
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condition is not achieved, provided the employee requisite service has been rendered. PRSUs generally vest ratably on each of the first anniversary dates upon completion of the performance period, for a total requisite service period of up to five years and have no dividend rights.
A summary of the Company's PRSU activity is presented as follows (in thousands, except per share amounts and years):
| For the year ended December 31, | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Units | Weighted Average Grant-Date Fair Value | Units | Weighted Average Grant-Date Fair Value | Units | Weighted Average Grant-Date Fair Value | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Outstanding at beginning of period: | $ | $ | $ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Granted | $ | $ | $ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Performance condition adjustments, net | ( | $ | ( | $ | ( | $ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Released | ( | $ | ( | $ | ( | $ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Forfeited | $ | $ | $ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Outstanding at end of period: | $ | $ | $ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
For the year ended December 31, 2022, 341,000 PRSUs were granted. There was a 376,000 net unit reduction to these awards, which represents Company performance below target, during the year ended December 31, 2022.
For the year ended December 31, 2021, 189,000 PRSUs were granted. There was a 56,000 unit reduction to these awards, which represents Company performance against target, during the year ended December 31, 2021.
For the year ended December 31, 2020, 292,000 PRSUs were granted. There was a 99,000 unit reduction to these awards, which represents Company performance against target, (including an increase of 1,000 units due to the Compensation Committee approving the final calculation of the award metrics for calendar year 2019), during the year ended December 31, 2020.
Compensation expense related to all PRSUs described above was $1.2 million, $1.4 million, and $1.2 million for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020, respectively. At December 31, 2022, there was $1.2 million of total unrecognized compensation costs related to approximately 280,000 unvested performance restricted stock units. These costs are expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of approximately 1.3 years.
14. Income Taxes
Income (loss) before provision (benefit) for income taxes is as follows (in thousands):
| For the year ended December 31, | |||||||||||||||||
| 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | |||||||||||||||
| Income (loss) before provision (benefit) for income taxes from: | |||||||||||||||||
| U.S. operations | $ | $ | $ | ( | |||||||||||||
| Foreign operations | ( | ||||||||||||||||
| Income (loss) before provision (benefit) for income taxes | $ | $ | $ | ( | |||||||||||||
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The provision (benefit) for income taxes consists of the following (in thousands):
| For the year ended December 31, | |||||||||||||||||
| 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | |||||||||||||||
| Current | |||||||||||||||||
| Federal | $ | ( | $ | ( | $ | ( | |||||||||||
| States and local | |||||||||||||||||
| Foreign | |||||||||||||||||
| Reserve for uncertain tax positions | ( | ( | |||||||||||||||
| Total current provision (benefit) | ( | ||||||||||||||||
| Deferred | |||||||||||||||||
| Federal | ( | ( | ( | ||||||||||||||
| States and local | ( | ( | |||||||||||||||
| Foreign | ( | ( | ( | ||||||||||||||
| Reserve for uncertain tax positions | |||||||||||||||||
| Total deferred benefit | ( | ( | ( | ||||||||||||||
| Net change in valuation allowance | |||||||||||||||||
| Net deferred benefit | ( | ( | ( | ||||||||||||||
| Total provision (benefit) for income taxes | $ | $ | $ | ( | |||||||||||||
The provision (benefit) for income taxes differs from the amount computed by applying the statutory federal tax rate to income tax as follows (in thousands):
| For the years ended December 31, | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Federal tax at statutory rate | $ | % | $ | % | $ | ( | % | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| State taxes, net of federal benefit | % | % | ( | % | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Foreign tax | % | % | ( | % | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Goodwill impairment | % | % | ( | % | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nondeductible compensation | % | % | ( | % | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| US taxation of foreign earnings | % | ( | ( | % | % | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Permanent differences | % | % | ( | % | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Research and Development Credit | ( | ( | % | ( | % | ( | % | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Federal loss carryback | % | % | ( | % | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Change in valuation allowance | % | % | ( | % | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Impact of foreign tax rate changes | ( | ( | % | % | ( | % | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other | % | % | ( | % | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total provision (benefit) for income taxes | $ | % | $ | % | $ | ( | % | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The permanent differences identified above include normal recurring differences, such as meals, entertainment, and parking fringe benefits as well as a portion of the goodwill impairment charge.
On June 28, 2019, the Canadian province of Alberta enacted the Job Creation Tax Cut which reduced the Alberta corporate income tax rate from 12% to 11% starting in 2019 with further annual reductions to 10% in 2020, 9% in 2021, and 8% in 2022. This rate reduction had a favorable impact of approximately $1.9 million on the Company’s net deferred tax liabilities in this jurisdiction in 2019. As part of Alberta’s Recovery plan associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, Alberta accelerated the decrease in income tax rates from 10% in 2020 to 8% effective July 1, 2020. The accelerated tax rate reduction did not have a material impact on the Company’s net deferred tax liabilities but did reduce current taxes.
On March 27, 2020, the United States enacted the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). The CARES Act is an approximately $2 trillion emergency economic stimulus package in response to the Coronavirus outbreak,
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which among other things contains numerous income tax provisions. Some of these tax provisions are effective retroactively for years ending before the date of enactment. The CARES Act provides a five-year carryback of net operating losses generated in years 2018 through 2020. As the statutory federal income tax rate applicable to certain years within the carryback period is 35%, carryback to those years of our estimated 2020 annual federal tax loss provides a tax benefit in excess of the current federal statutory rate of 21%, resulting in an increased income tax benefit of $1.9 million. The income tax effects of the CARES Act resulted in a cash refund of approximately $4.9 million in 2021 of taxes paid in prior years.
On December 27, 2020, the United States enacted the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, (the "Appropriations Act") an additional stimulus package providing financial relief for individuals and small business. The Appropriations Act contains a variety of tax provisions, including full expensing of business meals in 2021 and 2022, and expansion of the employee retention tax credit. The Appropriations Act did not have a material impact on our consolidated financial position, results of operations, and cash flows.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the American Rescue Plan Act was signed into law on March 11, 2021. This act, among other things, provides economic relief provisions to individuals and funding to certain businesses and programs. This guidance did not have a material impact on our consolidated financial position, results of operations, and cash flows.
In August 2022 the United States enacted the Inflation Reduction Act (“IRA”) of 2022 (Public Law No. 117-169), which includes a 15% book minimum tax on corporations with financial accounting profits over 1 billion US dollars (USD) and a 1% excise tax on certain stock buybacks. The IRA also contains numerous clean energy tax incentives related to electricity production, carbon sequestration, alternative vehicles and fuels, and residential and commercial energy efficiency. The company does not expect this act to have a material impact.
| December 31, | |||||||||||
| 2022 | 2021 | ||||||||||
| Deferred income tax assets | |||||||||||
| Allowance for doubtful accounts | $ | $ | |||||||||
| Inventory | |||||||||||
| Intangible assets | |||||||||||
| Accrued expenses | |||||||||||
| Net operating loss carryforward | |||||||||||
| Finance lease obligations | |||||||||||
| Deferred stock based compensation | |||||||||||
| Interest carryforward | |||||||||||
| Right-of-use liability | |||||||||||
| R&D Expense | |||||||||||
| Credits | |||||||||||
| Other | |||||||||||
| Deferred income tax assets | |||||||||||
| Valuation allowance | ( | ( | |||||||||
| Net deferred income tax assets | |||||||||||
| Deferred income tax liabilities | |||||||||||
| Property and equipment | ( | ( | |||||||||
| Goodwill | ( | ( | |||||||||
| Intangible assets | ( | ( | |||||||||
| Right-of-use asset | ( | ( | |||||||||
| Other | ( | ( | |||||||||
| Deferred income tax liabilities | ( | ( | |||||||||
| Net deferred income taxes | ( | ( | |||||||||
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As of December 31, 2022, the Company had no federal net operating loss carry forwards (NOLs). In addition, as of December 31, 2022, the Company had state and foreign NOLs of $20.6 million and $14.1 million, respectively. Approximately $6.6 million of the state NOLs expire at various times from 2031 to 2040, while the remainder of the Company's state NOLs do not expire. Approximately $1.8 million of the foreign NOLs expire at various times from 2023 to 2041, while the remainder of the Company's foreign NOLs do not expire.
In assessing the ability to realize deferred tax assets, management considers whether it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred tax assets will be realized. Valuation allowances are provided when management believes the Company's deferred tax assets are not recoverable based on future reversals of existing taxable temporary differences, taxable income in prior carryback year(s) if carryback is permitted under the tax law, and an assessment of estimated future taxable income, exclusive of reversing temporary differences and carryforwards, that incorporates ongoing, prudent and feasible tax planning strategies. At December 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021, the Company has a valuation allowance of approximately $7.8 million and $6.3 million, respectively, primarily against certain state and foreign NOLs and other specific deferred tax assets. The net increase in the valuation allowance of approximately $0.1 million is primarily attributable to state and foreign net operating losses and changes in foreign exchange rates, offset by a reduction of expiring losses. Except for those deferred tax assets subject to the valuation allowance, management believes that it will realize all deferred tax assets as a result of sufficient future taxable income in each tax jurisdiction in which the Company has deferred tax assets. .
The following table summarizes the changes in the Company’s gross unrecognized tax benefits, excluding interest and penalties (in thousands):
| For the year ended December 31, | |||||||||||
| 2022 | 2021 | ||||||||||
| Balance at beginning of period | $ | $ | |||||||||
| Additions for tax positions related to the current fiscal period | |||||||||||
| Additions for tax positions related to prior years | |||||||||||
| Reductions related to the expiration of statutes of limitations | ( | ( | |||||||||
| Balance at end of period | $ | $ | |||||||||
The Company has recorded the unrecognized tax benefits in other long-term liabilities in the consolidated balance sheets. As of December 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021, there were approximately $0.3 million and $0.3 million of unrecognized tax benefits, respectively, including penalties and interest. If the Company recognized these unrecognized tax benefits, approximately $0.3 million and $0.3 million would favorably affect the effective tax rate for both December 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021, respectively. Interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits are recorded in income tax expense and are not significant for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020. The Company anticipates a decrease to its unrecognized tax benefits of $0.1 million excluding interest and penalties within the next 12 months.
The Company is subject to taxation in the United States and various states and foreign jurisdictions. The Company is no longer subject to U.S. federal income tax examinations for years ending before December 31, 2017 and generally is no longer subject to state, local or foreign income tax examinations by tax authorities for years ending before December 31, 2016.
Net income (loss) of foreign subsidiaries was $5.8 million, $3.7 million, and $(55.7 ) million for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020, respectively. Generally, it has been the Company's practice and intention to reinvest the earnings of its non-U.S. subsidiaries in those operations. As previously noted, the Tax Act made significant changes to the taxation of undistributed earnings, requiring that all previously untaxed earnings and profits of the Company's controlled foreign operations be subjected to the transition tax. Since these earnings have now been subjected to U.S. federal tax, they would only be potentially subject to limited other taxes, including foreign withholding and certain state taxes. As of December 31, 2022, the Company has no t recognized a deferred tax liability for foreign withholdings and state taxes on its undistributed international earnings or losses of its foreign subsidiaries since it intends to indefinitely reinvest the earnings outside the United States. The Company has estimated that the amount of the unrecorded deferred tax liability related to undistributed international earnings is approximately $1.8 million.
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15. Employee Benefit Plans
The Company provides a 401(k) savings plan for eligible U.S. based employees. Employee contributions are discretionary up to the IRS limits each year and catch up contributions are allowed for employees 50 years of age or older. Under the 401(k) plan, employees become eligible to participate on the first day of the month after three months of continuous service. Under this plan, the Company matches 50 % of the employee’s contributions up to 4 % of the employee’s annual compensation, as defined by the plan. There is a five-year vesting schedule for the Company match.
During the third quarter of 2021, the Company re-installed the employer match which was previously suspended as part of the Company's cost reduction initiatives undertaken in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Company’s contribution to the plan was $3.0 million, $1.2 million, and $1.1 million for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020, respectively.
The Company's subsidiary participated with other employers in contributing to the Boilermaker-Blacksmith National Pension Trust (EIN 48-6168020) (“Boilermakers”) and Plumbers and Pipefitters National Pension Fund (EIN 52-6152779) (“Pipefitters”), multi-employer defined benefit pension plans, which covers certain U.S. based union employees. The plans provide multiple plan benefits with corresponding contribution rates that are collectively bargained between participating employers and their affiliated Boilermakers and Pipefitters local unions. Both the Boilermakers and Pipefitters plans are approximately 70 percent funded as of the latest Form 5500 filed, respectively. The Company did no
The Company has other benefit plans covering certain employees throughout the Company. Amounts charged to expense under these plans were not significant in any year.
16. Related Party Transactions
The Company leases its headquarters under an operating lease from a stockholder and director of the Company. On August 1, 2014, the Company extended its lease at its headquarters requiring monthly payments through October 2024. Total rent payments made during the year ended December 31, 2022 were approximately $1.0 million. See Note 17-Leases for further detail.
17. Leases
The Company leases certain office and operating facilities, machinery, equipment, and vehicles. Concurrent with the adoption of ASC 842, the Company recognized a right-of-use (ROU) asset and lease liability based on the present value of the future lease payments over the lease term for each lease agreement. The Company elected not to recognize a ROU asset and lease liability for leases with terms of 12 months or less and will continue to recognize lease expense for these leases on a straight-line basis over the lease term. The Company has leases with both lease components and non-lease components, such as common area maintenance, utilities, or other repairs and maintenance. For all asset classes, the Company decided to utilize the practical expedient to include both fixed lease components and fixed non-lease components in calculating the ROU asset and lease liability. The Company identified variable lease payments, such as maintenance payments based on actual activities performed or costs incurred, at lease commencement by assessing the nature of the payment provisions, including whether the payments are subject to a minimum charge. Many of the Company's leases include one or more options to renew. When it is reasonably certain that the Company will exercise the option, the Company will include the impact of the option in the lease term for purposes of determining future lease payments. As the Company is unable to determine the discount rate implicit in its lease agreements, the Company uses its incremental borrowing rate on the commencement date to calculate the present value of future payments.
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The Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheets include the following related to operating leases as of December 31, 2022 and 2021 (in thousands):
| Leases | Classification | 2022 | 2021 | |||||||||||||||||
| Assets: | ||||||||||||||||||||
| ROU assets | $ | $ | ||||||||||||||||||
| Liabilities: | ||||||||||||||||||||
| ROU liability - current | $ | $ | ||||||||||||||||||
| ROU liability - long-term | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Total ROU liabilities | $ | $ | ||||||||||||||||||
Included within the balance of operating leases is a lease for the Company’s headquarters which is with a related party. The ROU liability for this facility is approximately $1.8 million as of December 31, 2022 and $2.9 million as of December 31, 2021. Total rent payments for this facility were approximately $1.0 million and $1.3 million during the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021. An agreement was reached with the related party to reduce rental payments by 12.5 % for the lease of the Company’s headquarters, effective February 2022 as part of a voluntary reduction.
As of December 31, 2022 and 2021, the total ROU assets attributable to finance leases are approximately $13.0 million and $13.8 million, respectively, which is included in Property, plant, and equipment, net on the Consolidated Balance Sheets.
The components of lease costs for the year ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 are as follows (in thousands):
| Classification | 2022 | 2021 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Finance lease expense: | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Amortization of ROU assets | Depreciation and amortization | $ | $ | |||||||||||||||||
| Interest on lease liabilities | Interest expense | |||||||||||||||||||
| Operating lease expense | Cost of revenue; Selling, general & administrative expenses | |||||||||||||||||||
| Short-term lease expense | Cost of revenue; Selling, general & administrative expenses | |||||||||||||||||||
| Variable lease expense | Cost of revenue; Selling, general & administrative expenses | |||||||||||||||||||
| Total | $ | $ | ||||||||||||||||||
Additional information related to leases as of December 31, 2022 and 2021 is as follows:
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| 2022 | 2021 | |||||||||||||
| Cash paid for amounts included in the measurement of lease liabilities for finance and operating leases (in thousands): | ||||||||||||||
| Finance - financing cash flows | $ | $ | ||||||||||||
| Finance - operating cash flows | ||||||||||||||
| Operating - operating cash flows | ||||||||||||||
| ROU assets obtained in the exchange for lease liabilities: | ||||||||||||||
| Finance leases | $ | |||||||||||||
| Operating leases | ||||||||||||||
| Weighted-average remaining lease term (in years): | ||||||||||||||
| Finance leases | ||||||||||||||
| Operating leases | ||||||||||||||
| Weighted-average discount rate: | ||||||||||||||
| Finance leases | % | % | ||||||||||||
| Operating leases | % | % | ||||||||||||
| Finance | Operating | ||||||||||
| 2023 | $ | $ | |||||||||
| 2024 | |||||||||||
| 2025 | |||||||||||
| 2026 | |||||||||||
| 2027 | |||||||||||
| Thereafter | |||||||||||
| Total | |||||||||||
| Less: Present value discount | |||||||||||
| Lease liability | $ | $ | |||||||||
18. Commitments and Contingencies
Legal Proceedings and Government Investigations
The Company is periodically involved in lawsuits, investigations and claims that arise in the ordinary course of business. The Company cannot predict with certainty the ultimate resolution of lawsuits, investigations and claims asserted against it. Except for possible losses from the matters described below, the Company does not believe that any currently pending or threatened legal proceeding to which the Company is or is likely to become a party will have a material adverse effect on its business, results of operations, cash flows or financial condition. The costs incurred by the Company to defend lawsuits, investigations and claims and amounts the Company pays to other parties because of these matters may be covered by insurance in some circumstances.
Litigation and Commercial Claims
The Company was contracted to perform inspections of welds on various pipeline projects in Texas for a customer. As of December 31, 2022 approximately $1.4 million of past due receivables were outstanding from this customer. The customer provided the Company with notice in December 2019, alleging that the Company’s inspection of 66 welds (out of approximately 16,000 welds inspected) were not in compliance with the contract, claimed approximately $7.6 million in damages, and requested that the Company pay these damages and any other damages incurred. The Company filed a lawsuit in the District Court of Bexar County, Texas, 37th Judicial District, on December 17, 2019, in an action captioned Mistras Group, Inc. v. Epic Y-Grade Pipeline LP, to recover the $1.4 million and other amounts due to the Company. The customer filed a
74
counterclaim on March 6, 2020, alleging breach of contract and seeking recovery of its alleged damages. The Company believes that any successful claim by the customer regarding the Company’s workmanship will be covered by insurance, subject to payment of a deductible. At this time, the Company is unable to determine whether it has any liability in connection with this matter and if so, the amount or range of any such liability. In the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company recorded a charge of $0.1 million for a potential loss from this matter. The Company recorded a reserve in the amount of $1.4 million during the twelve months ended December 31, 2019 for these past due receivables.
Pension Related Contingencies
Certain of Company’s subsidiaries had significant reductions in their unionized workers in 2018. The collective bargaining agreements for the employees of this subsidiary required contributions for these employees to two national multi-employer pension funds. The reduction in employees resulted in the subsidiary incurring a complete withdrawal to one of the pension funds under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 ("ERISA"), which was fully satisfied in 2019. The Company has determined that the subsidiary is likely to incur partial or complete withdrawal liability to the other pension fund. The balance of the estimated total amount of this potential liability as of December 31, 2022 is approximately $2.5 million, which was incurred in 2018 and 2019.
Severance and labor disputes
During December 2019, the Company executed an agreement to sell the rights of certain customer "staff leasing" contracts related to its German subsidiary for total consideration of approximately $0.1 million, effective January 1, 2020. No other assets or liabilities other than those employee benefits related to employees working on the customer contracts were included in the sale. As of December 31, 2022, the Company has approximately $0.1 million of accrued estimated severance payment obligations, which takes into account the Company's estimate with respect to the employees that have been or will be transitioned to the German subsidiaries' other customers. The $0.1 million of estimated obligations is net of $0.4 million in payments made and $1.0 million in reversals due to employees being transitioned to customer contracts.
The Company was entitled to indemnification on certain labor claims from the sellers of a company acquired by its Brazilian subsidiary. The Company and the sellers entered into a settlement agreement for approximately $1.0 million, which provided for payment in two installments, the first for approximately 31 % of the settlement and the second for the remaining 69 %. The first installment in the amount of approximately $0.3 million was paid by the sellers in December 2020 and the Company recognized that amount as a gain in selling, general and administrative expenses in the same period. The remaining payment for $0.6 million was received in the first quarter of 2021 and the Company recognized that amount as a gain in selling, general and administrative expenses in the same period.
Acquisition and disposition related contingencies
The Company is liable for contingent consideration in connection with certain of its acquisitions. As of December 31, 2022, total potential acquisition-related contingent consideration ranged from zero to approximately $0.9 million.
During 2018, the Company sold a subsidiary in the Products and Systems segment. As part of the sale, the Company entered into a three-year agreement to purchase products from the buyer, with a cumulative commitment of $2.3 million. On August 3, 2021, the parties amended the agreement and extended the period by 12 months. As of December 31, 2022, the commitment was fully satisfied.
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19. Segment Disclosure
The Company’s three operating segments are:
•Services. This segment provides asset protection solutions predominantly in North America, with the largest concentration in the United States, followed by Canada, consisting primarily of NDT, inspection, mechanical and engineering services that are used to evaluate the safety, structural integrity and reliability of critical energy, industrial and public infrastructure and commercial aerospace components. Software, digital and data services are included in this segment.
•International. This segment offers services, products and systems, similar to those of the other segments, to select markets within Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and South America, but not to customers in China and South Korea, which are served by the Products and Systems segment.
•Products and Systems. This segment designs, manufactures, sells, installs and services the Company’s asset protection products and systems, including equipment and instrumentation, predominantly in the United States.
Costs incurred for general corporate services, including finance, legal, and certain other costs that are provided to the segments are reported within Corporate and eliminations. Sales to the International segment from the Products and Systems segment and subsequent sales by the International segment of the same items are recorded and reflected in the operating performance of both segments. Additionally, engineering charges and royalty fees charged to the Services and International segments by the Products and Systems segment are reflected in the operating performance of each segment.
The accounting policies of the reportable segments are the same as those described in Note 1-Summary of Significant Accounting Policies and Practices. Segment income from operations is one of the primary performance measures used by the chief operating decision maker, to assess the performance of each segment and make resource allocation decisions. Certain general and administrative costs such as human resources, information technology and training are allocated to the segments. Segment income from operations excludes interest and other financial charges and income taxes. Corporate and other assets are comprised principally of cash, deposits, property, plant and equipment, domestic deferred taxes, deferred charges and other assets. Corporate loss from operations consists of administrative charges related to corporate personnel and other charges that cannot be readily identified for allocation to a particular segment.
Selected consolidated financial information by segment for the periods shown was as follows (with intercompany transactions eliminated in Corporate and eliminations):
| For the year ended December 31, | |||||||||||||||||
| 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | |||||||||||||||
| Revenue | |||||||||||||||||
| Services | $ | $ | $ | ||||||||||||||
| International | |||||||||||||||||
| Products and Systems | |||||||||||||||||
| Corporate and eliminations | ( | ( | ( | ||||||||||||||
| $ | $ | $ | |||||||||||||||
| For the year ended December 31, | |||||||||||||||||
| 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | |||||||||||||||
| Gross profit | |||||||||||||||||
| Services | $ | $ | $ | ||||||||||||||
| International | |||||||||||||||||
| Products and Systems | |||||||||||||||||
| Corporate and eliminations | ( | ||||||||||||||||
| $ | $ | $ | |||||||||||||||
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Income (loss) from operations by operating segment includes intercompany transactions, which are eliminated in Corporate and eliminations.
| For the year ended December 31, | |||||||||||||||||
| 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | |||||||||||||||
| Income (loss) from operations | |||||||||||||||||
| Services | $ | $ | $ | ( | |||||||||||||
| International | ( | ||||||||||||||||
| Products and Systems | ( | ( | ( | ||||||||||||||
| Corporate and eliminations | ( | ( | ( | ||||||||||||||
| $ | $ | $ | ( | ||||||||||||||
| For the year ended December 31, | |||||||||||||||||
| 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | |||||||||||||||
| Depreciation and amortization | |||||||||||||||||
| Services | $ | $ | $ | ||||||||||||||
| International | |||||||||||||||||
| Products and Systems | |||||||||||||||||
| Corporate and eliminations | ( | ( | ( | ||||||||||||||
| $ | $ | $ | |||||||||||||||
| December 31, | |||||||||||
| 2022 | 2021 | ||||||||||
| Intangible assets, net | |||||||||||
| Services | $ | $ | |||||||||
| International | |||||||||||
| Products and Systems | |||||||||||
| Corporate and eliminations | |||||||||||
| $ | $ | ||||||||||
| December 31, | |||||||||||
| 2022 | 2021 | ||||||||||
| Total assets | |||||||||||
| Services | $ | $ | |||||||||
| International | |||||||||||
| Products and Systems | |||||||||||
| Corporate and eliminations | |||||||||||
| $ | $ | ||||||||||
| December 31, | |||||||||||
| 2022 | 2021 | ||||||||||
| Long-lived assets | |||||||||||
| United States | $ | $ | |||||||||
| Other Americas | |||||||||||
| Europe | |||||||||||
| $ | $ | ||||||||||
Refer to Note 2-Revenue, for revenues by segment and by geographic area for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021, and 2020.
20. Selected Quarterly Financial Information (unaudited)
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The following is a summary of the quarterly results of operations for calendar years 2022, 2021, and 2020 (in thousands).
| Quarter ended | December 31, 2022 | September 30, 2022 | June 30, 2022 | March 31, 2022 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Revenue | $ | $ | $ | $ | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Gross Profit | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Income (loss) from operations | ( | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Net income (loss) attributable to Mistras Group, Inc. | $ | $ | $ | $ | ( | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Earnings (loss) per common share: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Basic | $ | $ | $ | $ | ( | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Diluted | $ | $ | $ | $ | ( | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Quarter ended | December 31, 2021 | September 30, 2021 | June 30, 2021 | March 31, 2021 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Revenues | $ | $ | $ | $ | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Gross Profit | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Income (loss) from operations | ( | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Net income (loss) attributable to Mistras Group, Inc. | $ | ( | $ | $ | $ | ( | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Earnings (loss) per common share: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Basic | $ | $ | $ | $ | ( | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Diluted | $ | $ | $ | $ | ( | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Quarter ended | December 31, 2020 | September 30, 2020 | June 30, 2020 | March 31, 2020 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Revenues | $ | $ | $ | $ | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Gross Profit | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Income (loss) from operations | ( | ( | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Net income (loss) attributable to Mistras Group, Inc. | $ | $ | $ | ( | $ | ( | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Earnings (loss) per common share: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Basic | $ | $ | $ | ( | $ | ( | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Diluted | $ | $ | $ | ( | $ | ( | ||||||||||||||||||||
Item 9. CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE
None.
Item 9A. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES
Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
Pursuant to Rule 13a-15(b) under the Exchange Act, our management carried out an evaluation, under the supervision and with the participation of our President and Chief Executive Officer and our Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, of the effectiveness of the design and operation of our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 13a-15(e) under the Exchange Act). Based upon that evaluation, our President and Chief Executive Officer and our Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer concluded that, as of December 31, 2022, our disclosure controls and procedures were effective.
Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting, as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Exchange. Our internal control over financial reporting is a process designed by, or under the supervision of, our President and Chief Executive Officer and our Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, and effected by our board of directors, management and other personnel to provide reasonable assurance
78
regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.
Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with policies or procedures may deteriorate.
A material weakness is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting, such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of the Company’s annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis.
Our management assessed the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2022. In making this assessment, management used the criteria set forth by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO) in the updated Internal Control — Integrated Framework issued in 2013. Based on that assessment, our management concluded that, as of December 31, 2022, our internal control over financial reporting was effective.
The effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2022, has been audited by KPMG LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in their report which appears herein.
Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting
There has been no change in our internal control over financial reporting during the quarter ended December 31, 2022, that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.
Item 9B. OTHER INFORMATION
None.
Item 9C. DISCLOSURE REGARDING FOREIGN JURISDICTION THAT PREVENT INSPECTIONS
Not applicable.
PART III
ITEM 10. DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
Certain of the information concerning our executive officers required by this Item 10 is provided under the caption “Executive Officers” in Part I of this Annual Report. The remaining information required by Item 10 is incorporated herein by reference to the relevant information to be included in our definitive proxy statement related to our 2023 annual meeting of stockholders.
ITEM 11. EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
The information required by Item 11 is incorporated by reference to the relevant information to be included in our definitive proxy statement related to the 2023 annual meeting of stockholders.
ITEM 12. SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS
The information required by Item 12 is incorporated by reference to the relevant information to be included in our definitive proxy statement related to the 2023 annual meeting of stockholders.
ITEM 13. CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE
The information required by Item 13 is incorporated by reference to the relevant information to be included in our definitive proxy statement related to the 2023 annual meeting of stockholders.
ITEM 14. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES
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The information required by Item 14 is incorporated by reference to the information to be included in our definitive proxy statement related to the 2023 annual meeting of stockholders.
PART IV
ITEM 15. EXHIBITS AND FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES
(1) The following financial statements are filed herewith in Item 8 of Part II above:
| Page | |||||
(2) Financial Statement Schedules
All other schedules are omitted because of the absence of conditions under which they are required or because the required information is given in the financial statements or notes thereto.
(3) Exhibits
| Exhibit No. | Description | |||||||
| 3.1 | ||||||||
| 3.2 | ||||||||
| 3.3 | ||||||||
| 4.1 | ||||||||
| 10.1*⸸ | ||||||||
| 10.2 | ||||||||
| 10.3 | ||||||||
| 10.4 | ||||||||
| 10.5 | ||||||||
| 10.6 | ||||||||
| 10.7 | ||||||||
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| 10.8 | ||||||||
| 10.9 | ||||||||
| 10.1 | ||||||||
| 10.11 | ||||||||
| 21.1* | ||||||||
| 23.1* | ||||||||
| 24.1* | ||||||||
| 31.1* | ||||||||
| 31.2* | ||||||||
| 32.1** | ||||||||
| 32.2** | ||||||||
| 101.INS | XBRL Instance Document | |||||||
| 101.SCH | XBRL Schema Document | |||||||
| 101.CAL | XBRL Calculation Linkbase Document | |||||||
| 101.LAB | XBRL Labels Linkbase Document | |||||||
| 101.PRE | XBRL Presentation Linkbase Document | |||||||
| 101.DEF | XBRL Definition Linkbase Document | |||||||
_______________________
Exhibits 10.2 to 10.11 are management contracts or compensatory plans, contracts, or arrangements.
* Filed herewith.
** Furnished herewith.
⸸ This exhibit was originally filed as Exhibit 10.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K, filed August 1, 2022. The original filing had errors in the autonumbering of sections. The version filed herewith is identical to the version filed on August 1, 2022 other than to correct the numbering of the sections in the agreement.
ITEM 16. FORM 10-K SUMMARY
None.
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SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
| MISTRAS GROUP, INC. | ||||||||
| By: | /s/ Dennis Bertolotti | |||||||
| Dennis Bertolotti | ||||||||
| President and Chief Executive Officer | ||||||||
Date: March 15, 2023
We, the undersigned directors and officers of Mistras Group, Inc., hereby severally constitute Dennis Bertolotti, Edward J. Prajzner and Michael C. Keefe, and each of them singly, as our true and lawful attorneys with full power to each of them to sign for us, in our names in the capacities indicated below, any and all amendments to this Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
This power of attorney may only be revoked by a written document executed by the undersigned that expressly revokes this power by referring to the date and subject hereof.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
82
| Signature | Title | Date | ||||||||||||
| /s/ Dennis Bertolotti | President, Chief Executive Officer and Director (Principal Executive Officer) | March 15, 2023 | ||||||||||||
| Dennis Bertolotti | ||||||||||||||
| /s/ Edward J. Prajzner | Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer (Principal Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer) | March 15, 2023 | ||||||||||||
| Edward J. Prajzner | ||||||||||||||
| /s/ Dr. Sotirios J. Vahaviolos | Executive Chairman and Director | March 15, 2023 | ||||||||||||
| Dr. Sotirios J. Vahaviolos | ||||||||||||||
| /s/ Nicholas DeBenedictis | Director | March 15, 2023 | ||||||||||||
| Nicholas DeBenedictis | ||||||||||||||
| /s/ James J. Forese | Director | March 15, 2023 | ||||||||||||
| James J. Forese | ||||||||||||||
| /s/ Richard H. Glanton | Director | March 15, 2023 | ||||||||||||
| Richard H. Glanton | ||||||||||||||
| /s/ Michelle J. Lohmeier | Director | March 15, 2023 | ||||||||||||
| Michelle J. Lohmeier | ||||||||||||||
| /s/ Charles P. Pizzi | Director | March 15, 2023 | ||||||||||||
Charles P. Pizzi | ||||||||||||||
| /s/ Manuel N. Stamatakis | Director | March 15, 2023 | ||||||||||||
| Manuel N. Stamatakis | ||||||||||||||
EXECUTION VERSION
CREDIT AGREEMENT
dated as of August 1, 2022 among
MISTRAS GROUP, INC.,
as Borrower
The Lenders Party Hereto JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.,
as Administrative Agent and
BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.,
as Syndication Agent and
KEYBANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, TD BANK, N.A.
and
PNC BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION,
as Co-Documentation Agents
JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.,
and
BofA SECURITIES, INC.,
as Joint Bookrunners and Joint Lead Arrangers
LEGAL 4856-0290-8459v.15
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
SCHEDULES:
Schedule 2.01A Commitments
Schedule 2.01B Letter of Credit Commitments Schedule 2.06 Existing Letters of Credit Schedule 3.06 Litigation
Schedule 3.09 Environmental Compliance Schedule 3.12(c) ERISA Events
Schedule 3.12(d) Pension Plans
Schedule 3.13 Subsidiaries; Equity Interests Schedule 3.23 Responsible Officers Schedule 3.24(b) Intellectual Property
Schedule 3.24(c) Documents, Instruments and Tangible Chattel Paper Schedule 3.24(d)(i) Deposit Accounts and Securities Accounts Schedule 3.24(d)(ii) Electronic Chattel Paper and Letter of Credit Rights Schedule 3.24(e) Commercial Tort Claims
Schedule 3.24(f) Pledged Equity Interests Schedule 3.24(g) Properties
Schedule 5.19 Post-Closing Requirements Schedule 6.01 Existing Liens
Schedule 6.02 Existing Investments Schedule 6.03 Existing Indebtedness
EXHIBITS:
Exhibit A – Form of Assignment and Assumption Exhibit B – Form of Borrowing Request
Exhibit C – Form of Interest Election Request Exhibit D – Form of Increasing Lender Supplement Exhibit E – Form of Augmenting Lender Supplement Exhibit F – List of Closing Documents
Exhibit G-1 – U.S. Tax Certificate (For Non-U.S. Lenders that are not Partnerships for
U.S. Federal Income Tax Purposes)
Exhibit G-2 – U.S. Tax Certificate (For Non-U.S. Participants that are not Partnerships for
U.S. Federal Income Tax Purposes)
Exhibit G-3 – U.S. Tax Certificate (For Non-U.S. Participants that are Partnerships for
U.S. Federal Income Tax Purposes)
Exhibit G-4 – U.S. Tax Certificate (For Non-U.S. Lenders that are Partnerships for
U.S. Federal Income Tax Purposes)
Exhibit H – Form of Compliance Certificate
CREDIT AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”) dated as of August 1, 2022, among MISTRAS GROUP, INC., as Borrower, the LENDERS from time to time party hereto, JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., as Administrative Agent, and BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., as Syndication Agent.
The parties hereto agree as follows:
ARTICLE I
Definitions
SECTION 1.01. Defined Terms . As used in this Agreement, the following terms have the meanings specified below:
“ABR”, when used in reference to any Loan or Borrowing, refers to whether such Loan, or the Loans comprising such Borrowing, bear interest at a rate determined by reference to the Alternate Base Rate. All ABR Loans shall be denominated in Dollars.
“Acquisition” means any transaction, or any series of related transactions, consummated on or after the Effective Date, by which any Loan Party or Subsidiary (i) acquires any business or division of a Person or all or substantially all of the assets of any Person, whether through purchase of assets, merger or otherwise or (ii) directly or indirectly acquires (in one transaction or as the most recent transaction in a series of transactions) at least a majority (in number of votes) of the Equity Interests of a Person which has ordinary voting power for the election of directors or other similar management personnel of a Person (other than Equity Interests having such power only by reason of the happening of a contingency) or a majority of the outstanding Equity Interests of a Person.
“Acquisition Holiday Election” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 5.12(a).
“Acquisition Holiday Election Quarter” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 5.12(a).
“Add Back Amounts” means, for the purposes of calculating EBITDA, to the extent that the Borrower or one of its Subsidiaries makes a Permitted Acquisition, an amount to be included in such calculation of EBITDA, determined as follows: (a) for the first quarterly test date following such Acquisition, 100% of the TTM EBITDA with respect to such acquired Person or assets; (b) for the second quarterly test date following such Acquisition, 75% of the TTM EBITDA with respect to such acquired Person or assets; (c) for the third quarterly test date following such Acquisition, 50% of the TTM EBITDA with respect to such acquired Person or assets; and (d) for the fourth quarterly test date following such Acquisition, -0-% of the TTM EBITDA with respect to such acquired Person or assets.
“Additional Secured Obligations” means (a) all obligations arising under Secured Cash Management Agreements and Secured Hedge Agreements and (b) to the extent provided for in this Agreement and the other Loan Documents, all costs and expenses incurred in connection with enforcement and collection of the foregoing, including the fees, charges and disbursements of
1 | ||
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 Guarantor shall exclude any Excluded Swap Obligations with respect to such Guarantor.
“Adjusted Daily Simple RFR” means with respect to any RFR Borrowing denominated in in Dollars, an interest rate per annum equal to (a) the Daily Simple RFR for Dollars, plus (b) 0.10%; provided that if the Adjusted Daily Simple RFR as so determined would be less than the Floor, such rate shall be deemed to be equal to the Floor for the purposes of this Agreement.
“Adjusted EURIBOR Rate” means, with respect to any Term Benchmark Borrowing denominated in Euros for any Interest Period, an interest rate per annum equal to (a) the EURIBOR Rate for such Interest Period multiplied by (b) the Statutory Reserve Rate; provided that if the Adjusted EURIBOR Rate as so determined would be less than the Floor, such rate shall be deemed to be equal to the Floor for the purposes of this Agreement.
“Adjusted Term SOFR Rate” means, with respect to any Term Benchmark Borrowing denominated in Dollars for any Interest Period, an interest rate per annum equal to (a) the Term SOFR Rate for such Interest Period, plus (b) 0.10%; provided that if the Adjusted Term SOFR Rate as so determined would be less than the Floor, such rate shall be deemed to be equal to the Floor for the purposes of this Agreement.
“Adjusted TIBOR Rate” means, with respect to any Term Benchmark Borrowing denominated in Yen for any Interest Period, an interest rate per annum equal to (a) the TIBOR Rate for such Interest Period multiplied by (b) the Statutory Reserve Rate; provided that if the Adjusted TIBOR Rate as so determined would be less than the Floor, such rate shall be deemed to be equal to the Floor for the purposes of this Agreement.
“Administrative Agent” means JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. (or any of its designated branch offices or affiliates), in its capacity as administrative agent for the Lenders hereunder.
“Administrative Questionnaire” means an Administrative Questionnaire in a form supplied by the Administrative Agent.
“Affected Financial Institution” means (a) any EEA Financial Institution or (b) any UK Financial Institution.
“Affiliate” means, with respect to a specified 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.
“Agent Related Person” has the meaning assigned to it in Section 9.03(d). “Agreed Currencies” means (i) Dollars and (ii) each Foreign Currency.
2 | ||
“Agreement” has the meaning specified in introductory paragraph hereof.
“Alternate Base Rate” means, for any day, a rate per annum equal to the greatest of (a) the Prime Rate in effect on such day, (b) the NYFRB Rate in effect on such day plus ½ of 1% and (c) the Adjusted Term SOFR Rate for a one month Interest Period as published two U.S. Government Securities Business Days prior to such day (or if such day is not a U.S. Government Securities Business Day, the immediately preceding U.S. Government Securities Business Day) plus 1%; provided that for the purpose of this definition, the Adjusted Term SOFR Rate for any day shall be based on the Term SOFR Reference Rate at approximately 5:00 a.m. Chicago time on such day (or any amended publication time for the Term SOFR Reference Rate, as specified by the CME Term SOFR Administrator in the Term SOFR Reference Rate methodology). Any change in the Alternate Base Rate due to a change in the Prime Rate, the NYFRB Rate or the Adjusted Term SOFR Rate shall be effective from and including the effective date of such change in the Prime Rate, the NYFRB Rate or the Adjusted Term SOFR Rate, respectively. If the Alternate Base Rate is being used as an alternate rate of interest pursuant to Section 2.14 (for the avoidance of doubt, only until the Benchmark Replacement has been determined pursuant to Section 2.14(b)), then the Alternate Base Rate shall be the greater of clauses (a) and (b) above and shall be determined without reference to clause (c) above. For the avoidance of doubt, if the Alternate Base Rate as determined pursuant to the foregoing would be less than 1%, such rate shall be deemed to be 1% for purposes of this Agreement.
“Ancillary Document” has the meaning assigned to it in Section 9.06(b).
“Anti-Corruption Laws” means all laws, rules, and regulations of any jurisdiction applicable to the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries from time to time concerning or relating to bribery or corruption.
“Applicable Party” has the meaning assigned to it in Section 8.03(c).
“Applicable Percentage” means, with respect to any Lender, (a) with respect to Revolving Loans, LC Exposure or Swingline Loans, the percentage equal to a fraction the numerator of which is such Lender’s Revolving Commitment and the denominator of which is the aggregate Revolving Commitments of all Revolving Lenders (if the Revolving Commitments have terminated or expired, the Applicable Percentages shall be determined based upon the Revolving Commitments most recently in effect, giving effect to any assignments); provided that in the case of Section 2.20 when a Defaulting Lender shall exist, any such Defaulting Lender’s Revolving Commitment shall be disregarded in the calculation and (b) with respect to the Term Loans, a percentage equal to a fraction the numerator of which is such Lender’s outstanding principal amount of the Term Loans and the denominator of which is the aggregate outstanding principal amount of the Term Loans of all Term Lenders.
“Applicable Rate” means, for any day, with respect to any Term Benchmark Loan, any ABR Loan, any RFR Loan or with respect to the facility fees payable hereunder, as the case may be, the applicable rate per annum set forth below under the caption “Term Benchmark/RFR Spread”, ““ABR Spread,” or “Commitment Fee Rate”, as the case may be, based upon the Total Consolidated Debt Leverage Ratio applicable on such date:
3 | ||
Total Consolidated Debt Leverage Ratio | Term Benchmark/RFR Spread | ABR Spread | Commitment Fee Rate | |||||||||||
Category 1: | ≤ 1.25 to 1.00 | 1.25% | 0.25% | 0.15% | ||||||||||
Category 2: | > 1.25 to 1.00 but ≤ 1.75 to 1.00 | 1.50% | 0.50% | 0.175% | ||||||||||
Category 3: | > 1.75 to 1.00 but ≤ 2.25 to 1.00 | 1.625% | 0.625% | 0.20% | ||||||||||
Category 4: | > 2.25 to 1.00 but < 2.75 to 1.00 | 1.75% | 0.75% | 0.25% | ||||||||||
Category 5: | > 2.75 to 1.00 but < 3.25 to 1.00 | 2.00% | 1.00% | 0.275% | ||||||||||
Category 6: | > 3.25 to 1.00 but < 3.75 to 1.00 | 2.25% | 1.25% | 0.30% | ||||||||||
Category 7: | > 3.75 to 1.00 | 2.75% | 1.75% | 0.35% | ||||||||||
For purposes of the foregoing,
(i) if at any time the Borrower fails to deliver the Financials on or before the date the Financials are due pursuant to Section 5.01, Category 7 shall be deemed applicable for the period commencing three (3) Business Days after the required date of delivery and ending on the date which is three (3) Business Days after the Financials are actually delivered, after which the Category shall be determined in accordance with the table above as applicable;
(ii) adjustments, if any, to the Category then in effect shall be effective three (3) Business Days after the Administrative Agent has received the applicable Financials (it being understood and agreed that each change in Category shall apply during the period commencing on the effective date of such change and ending on the date immediately preceding the effective date of the next such change); and
(iii) notwithstanding the foregoing, Category 6 shall be deemed to be applicable until the Administrative Agent’s receipt of the applicable Financials for the Borrower’s first full fiscal quarter ending after the Effective Date (unless such
4 | ||
Financials demonstrate that Category 7 should have been applicable during such period, in which case such other Category shall be deemed to be applicable during such period) and adjustments to the Category then in effect shall thereafter be effected in accordance with the preceding paragraphs.
“Applicable Time” means, with respect to any Borrowings and payments in any Foreign Currency, the local time in the place of settlement for such Foreign Currency as may be determined by the Administrative Agent or the Issuing Bank, 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.
“Approved Electronic Platform” has the meaning assigned to it in Section 8.03(a). “Approved Fund” has the meaning assigned to it in Section 9.04(b).
“Arrangers” means JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. and BofA Securities, Inc. in their respective capacities as joint bookrunners and joint lead arrangers hereunder.
“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 9.04), and accepted by the Administrative Agent, in the form of Exhibit A or any other form (including electronic records generated by the use of an electronic platform) approved by the Administrative Agent.
“Attributable Indebtedness” means, on any date, (a) in respect of any capital 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, and (b) in respect of any Synthetic Lease Obligation, the capitalized amount of the remaining lease or similar payments under the relevant lease or other applicable agreement or instrument 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 or instrument were accounted for as a capital lease.
“Attributable Receivables Indebtedness” means, at any time, the principal amount of Indebtedness which (i) if a Permitted Receivables Facility is structured as a lending agreement or other similar agreement, constitutes the principal amount of such Indebtedness or (ii) if a Permitted Receivables Facility is structured as a purchase agreement or other similar agreement, would be outstanding at such time under the Permitted Receivables Facility if the same were structured as a lending agreement rather than a purchase agreement or such other similar agreement (whether such amount is described as “capital” or otherwise).
“Audited Financial Statements” means the audited Consolidated balance sheet of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021 and the related Consolidated statements of income or operations, shareholders’ equity and cash flows for such fiscal year of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries, including the notes thereto.
“Augmenting Lender” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 2.22.
5 | ||
“Availability Period” means the period from and including the Effective Date to but excluding the earlier of the Maturity Date and the date of termination of the Commitments.
“Available Revolving Commitment” means, at any time with respect to any Lender, the Revolving Commitment of such Lender then in effect minus the Revolving Credit Exposure of such Lender at such time; it being understood and agreed that any Lender’s Swingline Exposure shall not be deemed to be a component of the Revolving Credit Exposure for purposes of calculating the commitment fee under Section 2.12(a).
“Available Tenor” means, as of any date of determination and with respect to the then- current Benchmark for any Agreed Currency, as applicable, any tenor for such Benchmark (or component thereof) or payment period for interest calculated with reference to such Benchmark (or component thereof), as applicable, that is or may be used for determining the length of an Interest Period for any term rate or otherwise, for determining any frequency of making payments of interest calculated pursuant to this Agreement as of such date and not including, for the avoidance of doubt, any tenor for such Benchmark that is then-removed from the definition of “Interest Period” pursuant to clause (e) of Section 2.14.
“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, regulation rule 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).
“BANA LC Commitment Start Date” means the date after the Effective Date upon which JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as Issuing Bank hereunder, shall have issued at least $10,000,000 (without reduction for any draw, termination or expiration thereof) in aggregate face amount of Letters of Credit hereunder (including in connection with the issuance of Letters of Credit replacing the Existing Letters of Credit upon the stated maturity thereof as listed on Schedule 2.06 hereto).
“Banking Services” means each and any of the following bank services provided to the Borrower or any Subsidiary by any Lender or any of its Affiliates: (a) credit cards for commercial customers (including, without limitation, commercial credit cards and purchasing cards), (b) stored value cards, (c) merchant processing services and (d) treasury management services (including, without limitation, controlled disbursement, automated clearinghouse transactions, return items, any direct debit scheme or arrangement, overdrafts and interstate depository network services).
“Banking Services Agreement” means any agreement entered into by the Borrower or any Subsidiary in connection with Banking Services.
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“Banking Services Obligations” means any and all obligations of the Borrower or any Subsidiary, whether absolute or contingent and howsoever and whensoever created, arising, evidenced or acquired (including all renewals, extensions and modifications thereof and substitutions therefor) in connection with Banking Services.
“Bankruptcy Code” means Title 11 of the United States Code entitled “Bankruptcy”, as now and hereafter in effect, or any successor statute.
“Bankruptcy Event” means, with respect to any Person, such Person becomes the subject of a voluntary or involuntary bankruptcy or insolvency proceeding, or has had a receiver, conservator, trustee, administrator, custodian, assignee for the benefit of creditors or similar Person charged with the reorganization or liquidation of its business appointed for it, or, in the good faith determination of the Administrative Agent, has consented to, approved of, or acquiesced in, any such proceeding or appointment or has had any order for relief in such proceeding entered in respect thereof; provided that a Bankruptcy Event shall not result solely by virtue of any ownership interest, or the acquisition of any ownership interest, in such Person by a Governmental Authority or instrumentality thereof, unless such ownership interest results in or provides such Person 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 permits such Person (or such Governmental Authority or instrumentality) to reject, repudiate, disavow or disaffirm any contracts or agreements made by such Person.
“Benchmark” means, initially, with respect to any (i) RFR Loan in any Agreed Currency, the applicable Relevant Rate for such Agreed Currency or (ii) Term Benchmark Loan, the Relevant Rate for the applicable Agreed Currency; provided that if a Benchmark Transition Event and the related Benchmark Replacement Date have occurred with respect to the applicable Relevant Rate or the then-current Benchmark for such Agreed Currency, then “Benchmark” means the applicable Benchmark Replacement to the extent that such Benchmark Replacement has replaced such prior benchmark rate pursuant to clause (b) of Section 2.14.
“Benchmark Replacement” means, for any Available Tenor, the first alternative set forth in the order below that can be determined by the Administrative Agent for the applicable Benchmark Replacement Date; provided that, in the case of any Loan denominated in a Foreign Currency, “Benchmark Replacement” shall mean the alternative set forth in (2) below:
(1) in the case of any Loan denominated in Dollars, the sum of: (a) Daily Simple SOFR and (b) the related Benchmark Replacement Adjustment,
(2) the sum of: (a) the alternate benchmark rate that has been selected by the Administrative Agent and the Borrower as the replacement for the then-current Benchmark for the applicable Corresponding Tenor giving due consideration to (i) any selection or recommendation of a replacement benchmark rate or the mechanism for determining such a rate by the Relevant Governmental Body or (ii) any evolving or then-prevailing market convention for determining a benchmark rate as a replacement for the then-current Benchmark for syndicated credit facilities denominated in the applicable Agreed Currency at such time in the United States and (b) the related Benchmark Replacement Adjustment;
7 | ||
If the Benchmark Replacement as determined pursuant to clause (1) or (2) above would be less than the Floor, the Benchmark Replacement will be deemed to be the Floor for the purposes of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents.
“Benchmark Replacement Adjustment” means, with respect to any replacement of the then-current Benchmark with an Unadjusted Benchmark Replacement for any applicable Interest Period and Available Tenor for any setting of such Unadjusted Benchmark Replacement, the spread adjustment, or method for calculating or determining such spread adjustment, (which may be a positive or negative value or zero) that has been selected by the Administrative Agent and the Borrower for the applicable Corresponding Tenor giving due consideration to (i) any selection or recommendation of a spread adjustment, or method for calculating or determining such spread adjustment, for the replacement of such Benchmark with the applicable Unadjusted Benchmark Replacement by the Relevant Governmental Body on the applicable Benchmark Replacement Date and/or (ii) any evolving or then-prevailing market convention for determining a spread adjustment, or method for calculating or determining such spread adjustment, for the replacement of such Benchmark with the applicable Unadjusted Benchmark Replacement for syndicated credit facilities denominated in the applicable Agreed Currency at such time.
“Benchmark Replacement Conforming Changes” means, with respect to any Benchmark Replacement and/or any Term Benchmark Loan denominated in Dollars, any technical, administrative or operational changes (including changes to the definition of “Alternate Base Rate,” the definition of “Business Day”, the definition of “U.S. Government Securities Business Day”, the definition of “RFR Business Day”, the definition of “Interest Period,” timing and frequency of determining rates and making payments of interest, timing of borrowing requests or prepayment, conversion or continuation notices, length of lookback periods, the applicability of breakage provisions, and other technical, administrative or operational matters) that the Administrative Agent decides may be appropriate to reflect the adoption and implementation of such Benchmark and to permit the administration thereof by the Administrative Agent in a manner substantially consistent with market practice (or, if the Administrative Agent decides that adoption of any portion of such market practice is not administratively feasible or if the Administrative Agent determines that no market practice for the administration of such Benchmark exists, in such other manner of administration as the Administrative Agent decides is reasonably necessary in connection with the administration of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents).
“Benchmark Replacement Date” means, with respect to any Benchmark, the earliest to occur of the following events with respect to such then-current Benchmark:
(1) in the case of clause (1) or (2) of the definition of “Benchmark Transition Event,” the later of (a) the date of the public statement or publication of information referenced therein and (b) the date on which the administrator of such Benchmark (or the published component used in the calculation thereof) permanently or indefinitely ceases to provide all Available Tenors of such Benchmark (or such component thereof); or
(2) in the case of clause (3) of the definition of “Benchmark Transition Event,” the first date on which such Benchmark (or the published component used in the calculation thereof) has been determined and announced by the regulatory supervisor for the administrator of such Benchmark (or such component thereof) to be no longer representative; provided, that such non-
8 | ||
representativeness will be determined by reference to the most recent statement or publication referenced in such clause (3) and even if any Available Tenor of such Benchmark (or such component thereof) continues to be provided on such date.
For the avoidance of doubt, (i) if the event giving rise to the Benchmark Replacement Date occurs on the same day as, but earlier than, the Reference Time in respect of any determination, the Benchmark Replacement Date will be deemed to have occurred prior to the Reference Time for such determination and (ii) the “Benchmark Replacement Date” will be deemed to have occurred in the case of clause (1) or (2) with respect to any Benchmark upon the occurrence of the applicable event or events set forth therein with respect to all then-current Available Tenors of such Benchmark (or the published component used in the calculation thereof).
“Benchmark Transition Event” means, with respect to any Benchmark, the occurrence of one or more of the following events with respect to such then-current Benchmark:
(1) a public statement or publication of information by or on behalf of the administrator of such Benchmark (or the published component used in the calculation thereof) announcing that such administrator has ceased or will cease to provide all Available Tenors of such Benchmark (or such component thereof), permanently or indefinitely, provided that, at the time of such statement or publication, there is no successor administrator that will continue to provide any Available Tenor of such Benchmark (or such component thereof);
(2) a public statement or publication of information by the regulatory supervisor for the administrator of such Benchmark (or the published component used in the calculation thereof), the Federal Reserve Board, the NYFRB, the CME Term SOFR Administrator, the central bank for the Agreed Currency applicable to such Benchmark, an insolvency official with jurisdiction over the administrator for such Benchmark (or such component), a resolution authority with jurisdiction over the administrator for such Benchmark (or such component), in each case, or a court or an entity with similar insolvency or resolution authority over the administrator for such Benchmark (or such component), in each case which states that the administrator of such Benchmark (or such component) has ceased or will cease to provide all Available Tenors of such Benchmark (or such component thereof) permanently or indefinitely; provided that, at the time of such statement or publication, there is no successor administrator that will continue to provide any Available Tenor of such Benchmark (or such component thereof); or
(3) a public statement or publication of information by the regulatory supervisor for the administrator of such Benchmark (or the published component used in the calculation thereof) announcing that all Available Tenors of such Benchmark (or such component thereof) are no longer, or as of a specified future date will no longer be, representative.
For the avoidance of doubt, a “Benchmark Transition Event” will be deemed to have occurred with respect to any Benchmark if a public statement or publication of information set forth above has occurred with respect to each then-current Available Tenor of such Benchmark (or the published component used in the calculation thereof).
“Benchmark Unavailability Period” means, with respect to any Benchmark, the period (if any) (x) beginning at the time that a Benchmark Replacement Date pursuant to clauses (1) or (2)
9 | ||
of that definition has occurred if, at such time, no Benchmark Replacement has replaced such then- current Benchmark for all purposes hereunder and under any Loan Document in accordance with Section 2.14 and (y) ending at the time that a Benchmark Replacement has replaced such then- current Benchmark for all purposes hereunder and under any Loan Document in accordance with Section 2.14.
“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”.
“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.
“Borrower” means Mistras Group, Inc., a Delaware corporation.
“Borrowing” means (a) a Revolving Borrowing, (b) a Term Loan Borrowing or (c) a Swingline Loan.
“Borrowing Request” means a request by the Borrower for a Revolving Borrowing in accordance with Section 2.03, which shall be substantially in the form of Exhibit B or any other form approved by the Administrative Agent.
“Business Day” means, any day (other than a Saturday or a Sunday) on which banks are open for business in New York City; provided that, in addition to the foregoing, a Business Day shall be (a) in relation to Loans denominated in Yen and in relation to the calculation or computation of TIBOR or the Japanese Prime Rate, any day (other than a Saturday or a Sunday) on which banks are open for business in Japan, (b) in relation to Loans denominated in Euros and in relation to the calculation or computation of EURIBOR, any day which is a TARGET Day, (c) in relation to Loans or other obligations denominated in Canadian Dollars and in relation to the calculation or computation of the CDOR Rate, any day (other than a Saturday or a Sunday) on which banks are open for business in Toronto, Canada, (d) in relation to RFR Loans and any interest rate settings, fundings, disbursements, settlements or payments of any such RFR Loan, or any other dealings in the applicable Agreed Currency of such RFR Loan, any such day that is only a RFR Business Day, and (d) in relation to Loans referencing the Adjusted Term SOFR Rate and any interest rate settings, fundings, disbursements, settlements or payments of any such Loans referencing the Adjusted Term SOFR Rate or any other dealings of such Loans referencing the Adjusted Term SOFR Rate, any such day that is a U.S. Government Securities Business Day.
“Canadian Dollars” means the lawful currency of Canada.
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“Canadian Prime” when used in reference to any Loan or Borrowing, refers to whether such Loan, or the Loans comprising such Borrowing, are bearing interest at a rate determined by reference to the Canadian Prime Rate.
“Canadian Prime Rate” means, on any day, a rate per annum determined by the Administrative Agent to be the higher of (i) the rate equal to the PRIMCAN Index rate that appears on the Bloomberg screen at 10:15 a.m. Toronto time on such day (or, in the event that the PRIMCAN Index is not published by Bloomberg, any other information services that publishes such index from time to time, as selected by the Administrative Agent in its reasonable discretion) and (ii) the CDOR Rate for a one month Interest Period at approximately 10:15 a.m., Toronto, Ontario time, on such day (and, if such day is not a Business Day, then on the immediately preceding Business Day (as adjusted by Administrative Agent after 10:15 a.m., Toronto, Ontario time to reflect any error in the posted rate of interest or in the posted average annual rate of interest)), rounded to the nearest 1/100th of 1% (with .005% being rounded up), plus 1% per annum; provided, that if any the above rates shall be less than 1% per annum, such rate shall be deemed to be 1% per annum for purposes of this Agreement. Any change in the Canadian Prime Rate due to a change in the PRIMCAN Index or the CDOR Rate shall be effective from and including the effective date of such change in the PRIMCAN Index or CDOR Rate, respectively. If the Canadian Prime Rate is being used as an alternate rate of interest pursuant to Section 2.14 (for the avoidance of doubt, only until the applicable Benchmark Replacement has been determined pursuant to Section 2.14(b)), then the Canadian Prime Rate shall be determined solely by reference to clause
(i) above and shall be determined without reference to clause (ii) above.
“Capital Lease Obligations” of any Person means the obligations of such Person to pay rent or other amounts under 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 capital leases or financing leases on a balance sheet of such Person under GAAP, and the amount of such obligations shall be the capitalized amount thereof determined in accordance with GAAP.
“CBR Loan” means a Loan that bears interest at a rate determined by reference to the Central Bank/Prime Rate.
“CBR Spread” means the Applicable Rate, applicable to such Loan that is replaced by a CBR Loan.
“CDOR Rate” means, with respect to any Term Benchmark Borrowing denominated in Canadian Dollars and for any Interest Period, the CDOR Screen Rate at approximately 10:15 a.m. Toronto local time on the first day of such Interest Period (and, if such day is not a Business Day, then on the immediately preceding Business Day (as adjusted by Administrative Agent after 10:15
a.m. Toronto, Ontario time to reflect any error in the posted rate of interest or in the posted average annual rate of interest)), rounded to the nearest 1/100th of 1% (with .005% being rounded up).
“CDOR Screen Rate” means, for any day and time, with respect to any Term Benchmark Borrowing denominated in Canadian Dollars and for any Interest Period, the annual rate of interest equal to the average rate applicable to Canadian dollar Canadian bankers’ acceptances for the applicable Interest Period that appears on the “Reuters Screen CDOR Page” as defined in the
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International Swap Dealer Association, Inc. definitions, as modified and amended from time to time (or, in the event such rate does not appear on such page or screen, on any successor or substitute page or screen that displays such rate, or on the appropriate page of such other information service that publishes such rate from time to time, as selected by the Administrative Agent in its reasonable discretion); provided that, if the CDOR Screen Rate shall be less than zero, the CDOR Screen Rate shall be deemed to be zero for purposes of this Agreement.
“Central Bank/Prime Rate” means, the greater of (I)(A) for any Loan denominated in (a) Euro, one of the following three rates as may be selected by the Administrative Agent in its reasonable discretion: (1) the fixed rate for the main refinancing operations of the European Central Bank (or any successor thereto), or, if that rate is not published, the minimum bid rate for the main refinancing operations of the European Central Bank (or any successor thereto), each as published by the European Central Bank (or any successor thereto) from time to time, (2) the rate for the marginal lending facility of the European Central Bank (or any successor thereto), as published by the European Central Bank (or any successor thereto) from time to time, or (3) the rate for the deposit facility of the central banking system of the Participating Member States, as published by the European Central Bank (or any successor thereto) from time to time, (b) Canadian Dollars, the Canadian Prime Rate, (c) Yen, the Japanese Prime Rate, and (d) any other Foreign Currency determined after the Effective Date, a central bank rate as determined by the Administrative Agent in its reasonable discretion plus (B) the applicable Central Bank/Prime Rate Adjustment and (II) the Floor.
“Central Bank/Prime Rate Adjustment” means for any day, for any Loan denominated in
(a) Euro, a rate equal to the difference (which may be a positive or negative value or zero) of (i) the average of the Adjusted EURIBOR Rate for the five most recent Business Days preceding such day for which the EURIBOR Screen Rate was available (excluding, from such averaging, the highest and the lowest Adjusted EURIBOR Rate applicable during such period of five Business Days) minus (ii) the Central Bank/Prime Rate in respect of Euro in effect on the last Business Day in such period, (b) Canadian Dollars or Japanese Yen, zero, and (c) any other Foreign Currency determined after the Effective Date, a Central Bank/Prime Rate Adjustment as determined by the Administrative Agent in its reasonable discretion. For purposes of this definition, (x) the term Central Bank/Prime Rate shall be determined disregarding clause (B) of the definition of such term and (y) the EURIBOR Rate on any day shall be based on the EURIBOR Screen Rate on such day at approximately the time referred to in the definition of such term for deposits in the applicable Agreed Currency for a maturity of one month.
“Change of Control” means, with respect to a specified Person, an event or series of events by which:
(a) any “person” or “group” (as such terms are used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, but excluding (i) Dr. Sotirios J. Vahaviolos or any Person Controlled by him, or any trust established for the sole benefit of, and Controlled by, him, his spouse, children or other lineal descendants and (ii) 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 Securities Exchange Act of 1934, 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,
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whether such right is exercisable immediately or only after the passage of time (hereinafter such right shall be referred to as an “option right”)), directly or indirectly, of more than thirty-five percent (35%) of the equity securities of such Person entitled to vote for members of the board of directors or equivalent governing body of such Person 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 twenty-four (24) consecutive months, a majority of the members of the board of directors or other equivalent governing body of such Person 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; or
(c) any individual(s) or entity(s) acting in concert shall have acquired by contract or otherwise, or shall have entered into a contract or arrangement that, upon consummation thereof, will result in its or their acquisition of the power to exercise, directly or indirectly, a controlling influence over the management or policies of such Person, or control over the equity securities of such Person entitled to vote for members of the board of directors or equivalent governing body of such Person on a fully-diluted basis (and taking into account all such securities that such individual(s) or entity(s) or group has the right to acquire pursuant to any option right) representing more than thirty-five percent (35%) of the combined voting power of such securities.
“Change in Law” means the occurrence, after the date of this Agreement (or, with respect to any Lender, such later date on which such Lender becomes a party to this Agreement), of (a) the adoption of 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) compliance by any Lender or Issuing Bank (or, for purposes of Section 2.15(b), by any lending office of such Lender or by such Lender’s or Issuing Bank’s holding company, if any) with any request, rule, guideline, requirement or directive (whether or not having the force of law) of any Governmental Authority made or issued after the date of this Agreement; provided that, notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, (x) the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and all requests, rules, guidelines, requirements or directives thereunder or issued in connection therewith or in the implementation thereof and
(y) all requests, rules, guidelines, requirements 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, issued or implemented.
“Charges” has the meaning assigned to it in Section 9.14.
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“Class” when used in reference to any Loan or Borrowing, refers to whether such Loan, or the Loans comprising such Borrowing, are Revolving Loans, Term Loans or Swingline Loans.
“CME Term SOFR Administrator” means CME Group Benchmark Administration Limited as administrator of the forward-looking term Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR) (or a successor administrator).
“Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.
“Collateral” means any and all property owned, leased or operated by a Person covered by the Collateral Documents and any and all other property of any Loan Party, now existing or hereafter acquired, that may at any time be or become subject to a security interest or Lien in favor of Administrative Agent, on behalf of itself and the Secured Parties, to secure the Secured Obligations.
“Collateral Documents” means, collectively, the Security Agreement, each Trademark and Patent Security Agreement, each Copyright Security Agreement and all other agreements, instruments and documents executed in connection with this Agreement that are intended to create, perfect or evidence Liens to secure the Secured Obligations, including, without limitation, all other security agreements, pledge agreements, mortgages, deeds of trust, loan agreements, notes, guarantees, subordination agreements, pledges, powers of attorney, consents, assignments, contracts, fee letters, notices, leases, financing statements and all other written matter whether heretofore, now, or hereafter executed by the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries and delivered to the Administrative Agent.
“Commitment” means, with respect to each Lender, the amount of such Lender’s Revolving Commitment and Term Loan Commitment as set forth on Schedule 2.01 opposite such Lender’s name, or in the Assignment and Assumption or other documentation or record (as such term is defined in Section 9-102(a)(70) of the New York Uniform Commercial Code) as provided in Section 9.04(b)(ii)(C), pursuant to which such Lender shall have assumed its Commitment, as applicable, and giving effect to (a) any reduction in such amount from time to time pursuant to Section 2.09 and (b) any reduction or increase in such amount from time to time pursuant to assignments by or to such Lender pursuant to Section 9.04; provided, that at no time shall the Revolving Credit Exposure of any Lender exceed its Commitment.
“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
“Communications” has the meaning assigned to it in Section 8.03(c).
“Compliance Certificate” means a certificate substantially in the form of Exhibit H attached hereto and made a part hereof.
“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.
“Consolidated” means, when used with reference to financial statements or financial
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statement items of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries or any other Person, such statements or items on a consolidated basis in accordance with the consolidation principles of GAAP.
“Consolidated Net Income” means, with reference to any period, the net income (or loss) of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries calculated in accordance with GAAP on a consolidated basis (without duplication) for such period; provided that there shall be excluded any income (or loss) of any Person other than the Borrower or a Subsidiary, but any such income so excluded may be included in such period or any later period to the extent of any cash dividends or distributions actually paid in the relevant period to the Borrower or any Subsidiary of the Borrower.
“Consolidated Total Assets” means, as of the date of any determination thereof, total assets of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries calculated in accordance with GAAP on a consolidated basis as of such date.
“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.
“Copyright Security Agreement” means any copyright security agreement entered into after the date of this Agreement by any Loan Party (as required by this Agreement or any other Loan Document) or any other Person and the Administrative Agent, for the benefit of the Administrative Agent and the other Secured Parties, in form and substance reasonably acceptable to the Administrative Agent, as the same may be amended, restated or otherwise modified from time to time.
“Corresponding Tenor” with respect to any Available Tenor means, as applicable, either a tenor (including overnight) or an interest payment period having approximately the same length (disregarding business day adjustment) as such Available Tenor.
“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).
“Covered Party” has the meaning assigned to it in Section 9.18.
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“Credit Event” means a Borrowing, the issuance, amendment, renewal or extension of a Letter of Credit, an LC Disbursement or any of the foregoing.
“Credit Exposure” means, as to any Lender at any time, the sum of (a) such Lender’s Revolving Credit Exposure at such time, plus (b) an amount equal to the aggregate principal amount of its Term Loans outstanding at such time.
“Credit Party” means the Administrative Agent, each Issuing Bank, the Swingline Lenders or any other Lender.
“Daily Simple RFR” means, for any day (an “RFR Interest Day”), an interest rate per annum equal to, for any RFR Loan denominated in Dollars, Daily Simple SOFR (following a Benchmark Transition Event and Benchmark Replacement Date with respect to the Term SOFR Rate).
“Daily Simple SOFR” means, for any day (a “SOFR Rate Day”), a rate per annum equal to SOFR for the day (such day “SOFR Determination Date”) that is five (5) RFR Business Days prior to (i) if such SOFR Rate Day is an RFR Business Day, such SOFR Rate Day or (ii) if such SOFR Rate Day is not an RFR Business Day, the RFR Business Day immediately preceding such SOFR Rate Day, in each case, as such SOFR is published by the SOFR Administrator on the SOFR Administrator’s Website. Any change in Daily Simple SOFR due to a change in SOFR shall be effective from and including the effective date of such change in SOFR without notice to the Borrower.
“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.
“Default” means any event or condition which constitutes an Event of Default or which upon notice, lapse of time or both would, unless cured or waived, become an Event of Default.
“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.
“Defaulting Lender” means any Lender that (a) has failed, within two (2) Business Days of the date required to be funded or paid, to (i) fund any portion of its Loans, (ii) fund any portion of its participations in Letters of Credit or Swingline Loans or (iii) pay over to any Credit Party any other amount required to be paid by it hereunder, unless, in the case of clause (i) above, such Lender notifies the Administrative Agent in writing that such failure is the result of such Lender’s good faith determination that a condition precedent to funding (specifically identified and including the particular default, if any) has not been satisfied, (b) has notified the Borrower or any Credit Party in writing, or has made a public statement to the effect, that it does not intend or expect to comply with any of its funding obligations under this Agreement (unless such writing or public statement indicates that such position is based on such Lender’s good faith determination that a condition precedent (specifically identified and including the particular default, if any) to funding a Loan under this Agreement cannot be satisfied) or generally under other agreements in which it commits to extend credit, (c) has failed, within three (3) Business Days after request by a
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Credit Party, acting in good faith, to provide a certification in writing from an authorized officer of such Lender that it will comply with its obligations (and is financially able to meet such obligations as of the date of certification) to fund prospective Loans and participations in then outstanding Letters of Credit and Swingline Loans under this Agreement, provided that such Lender shall cease to be a Defaulting Lender pursuant to this clause (c) upon such Credit Party’s receipt of such certification in form and substance satisfactory to it and the Administrative Agent, or (d) has become the subject of (A) a Bankruptcy Event or (B) a Bail-In Action.
“Disposition” or “Dispose” means the sale, transfer, license, lease or other disposition (in one transaction or in a series of transactions and whether effected pursuant to a division or otherwise) of any property by any Person (including any sale and leaseback transaction and any issuance of Equity Interests by a Subsidiary of such Person), including any sale, assignment, transfer or other disposal, with or without recourse, of any notes or accounts receivable or any rights and claims associated therewith.
“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 a Foreign Currency, the equivalent of such amount in Dollars determined by using the rate of exchange for the purchase of Dollars with the Foreign Currency last provided (either by publication or otherwise provided to the Administrative Agent) by Reuters on the Business Day (New York City time) immediately preceding the date of determination or if such service ceases to be available or ceases to provide a rate of exchange for the purchase of Dollars with the Foreign Currency, as provided by such other publicly available information service which provides that rate of exchange at such time in place of Reuters chosen by the Administrative Agent in its sole discretion (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 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 using any method of determination it deems appropriate in its sole discretion.
“Dollars”, “dollars” or “$” refers to lawful money of the United States of America. “Domestic Subsidiary” means a Subsidiary organized under the laws of a jurisdiction
located in the United States of America.
“EBITDA” means, with reference to any period, (a) Consolidated Net Income minus (b) income (or plus loss) from discontinued operations minus (c) unusual and non-recurring gains (or plus unusual and non-recurring losses), plus (d) income tax expenses, plus (e) interest expense, plus (f) depreciation, depletion, and amortization (including non-cash loss on retirement of assets), plus (g) stock compensation expense, minus (h) [reserved], plus (i) Add Back Amounts, if applicable, in an amount not to exceed $40,000,000, plus (j) amounts expended by the Borrower in connection with the closing of the credit facilities described in this Agreement, and adjusted for certain historical expenses, accounting adjustments, and other non-cash charges, plus (k) non-cash expenses which do not (in the current or any future period) represent a cash item (excluding any non-cash gains which increase net income), plus (l) non-recurring cash charges in an aggregate amount not to exceed $10,000,000 for the period of four consecutive fiscal quarters immediately preceding any date of determination, in respect of the following: (i) severance payments; (ii)
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general asset write-offs recorded during said period; (iii) lease termination payments; (iv) litigation settlement payments; and (v) multi-employer pension plan withdrawal liabilities; provided that (x) that each of the foregoing subtractions shall be made without duplication and to the extent included in Consolidated Net Income and (y) each of the foregoing additions shall be made without duplication and to the extent deducted from revenues in determining Consolidated Net Income.
“ECP” means an “eligible contract participant” as defined in Section 1(a)(18) of the Commodity Exchange Act or any regulations promulgated thereunder and the applicable rules issued by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and/or the SEC.
“EDGAR” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 5.01.
“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.
“Effective Date” means the date on which the conditions specified in Section 4.01 are satisfied (or waived in accordance with Section 9.02).
“Electronic Signature” means an electronic sound, symbol, or process attached to, or associated with, a contract or other record and adopted by a Person with the intent to sign, authenticate or accept such contract or record.
“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 the Borrower or any Subsidiary 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.
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“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.
“Equivalent Amount” means, for any amount of any Foreign Currency, at the time of determination thereof, (a) if such amount is expressed in such Foreign Currency, such amount and
(b) if such amount is expressed in Dollars, the equivalent of such amount in such Foreign Currency determined by using the rate of exchange for the purchase of such Foreign Currency with Dollars last provided (either by publication or otherwise provided to the Administrative Agent) by the applicable Reuters source on the Business Day (New York City time) immediately preceding the date of determination or if such service ceases to be available or ceases to provide a rate of exchange for the purchase of such Foreign Currency with Dollars, as provided by such other publicly available information service which provides that rate of exchange at such time in place of Reuters chosen by the Administrative Agent in its sole discretion (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 using any method of determination it deems appropriate in its sole discretion).
“ERISA” means the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended or modified from time to time, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
“ERISA Affiliate” means any trade or business (whether or not incorporated) under common control with the Borrower within the meaning of Section 4001 of ERISA or 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).
“ERISA Event” means (a) a Reportable Event with respect to a Pension Plan; (b) the withdrawal of the 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 the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate from a Multiemployer Plan; (d) the filing of a notice of intent to terminate, or the treatment of an amendment as a termination under Section 4041 or 4041A of ERISA of, a Pension Plan; (e) the institution by the PBGC of proceedings 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) the determination that any Pension Plan is considered an at-risk plan or a plan in endangered or critical status within the meaning of Sections 430, 431 and 432 of the Code or Sections 303, 304 and 305 of ERISA; (h) 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 the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate; or (i) a failure by the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate to meet all applicable requirements under the Pension Funding
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Rules in respect of a Pension Plan, whether or not waived, or the failure by the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate to make any required contribution to a Multiemployer Plan.
“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.
“EURIBOR Rate” means, with respect to any Term Benchmark Borrowing denominated in Euros and for any Interest Period, the EURIBOR Screen Rate two (2) TARGET Days prior to the commencement of such Interest Period.
“EURIBOR Screen Rate” means the euro interbank offered rate administered by the European Money Markets Institute (or any other person which takes over the administration of that rate) for the relevant period displayed (before any correction, recalculation or republication by the administrator) on page EURIBOR01 of the Thomson Reuters screen (or any replacement Thomson Reuters page which displays that rate) or on the appropriate page of such other information service which publishes that rate from time to time in place of Thomson Reuters as published at approximately 11:00 a.m. Brussels time two (2) TARGET Days prior to the commencement of such Interest Period. If such page or service ceases to be available, the Administrative Agent may specify another page or service displaying the relevant rate after consultation with the Borrower.
“Euro” and/or “€” means the single currency of the Participating Member States. “Eurocurrency Payment Office” of the Administrative Agent means, for each Foreign
Currency, the office, branch, affiliate or correspondent bank of the Administrative Agent for such currency as specified from time to time by the Administrative Agent to the Borrower and each Lender.
“Event of Default” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 7.01.
“Exchange Rate” means, for any Foreign Currency, the rate of exchange therefor as described in clause (b) of the definition of “Dollar Equivalent”.
“Excluded Swap Obligation” means, with respect to any Loan Party, any Specified Swap Obligation if, and to the extent that, all or a portion of the Guarantee of such Loan Party of, or the grant by such Loan Party of a security interest to secure, such Specified 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 of any thereof) by virtue of such Loan Party’s failure for any reason to constitute an ECP at the time the Guarantee of such Loan Party or the grant of such security interest becomes effective with respect to such Specified Swap Obligation. If a Specified Swap Obligation arises under a master agreement governing more than one swap, such exclusion shall apply only to the portion of such Specified Swap Obligation that is attributable to swaps for which such Guarantee or security interest is or becomes illegal.
“Excluded Taxes” means any of the following Taxes imposed on or with respect to a 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,
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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 applicable 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, Letter of Credit or Commitment pursuant to a law in effect on the date on which (i) such Lender acquires such interest in the Loan, Letter of Credit or Commitment (other than pursuant to an assignment request by the Borrower under Section 2.19(b)) or (ii) such Lender changes its lending office, except in each case to the extent that, pursuant to Section 2.17, amounts with respect to such Taxes were payable either to such Lender’s assignor immediately before such Lender acquired the applicable interest in a Loan, Letter of Credit or Commitment or to such Lender immediately before it changed its lending office, (c) Taxes attributable to such Recipient’s failure to comply with Section 2.17(f) and (d) any withholding Taxes imposed under FATCA.
“Existing Credit Agreement” means that certain Fifth Amended and Restated Credit Agreement dated as of December 13, 2018 among the Borrower, the lenders party thereto and Bank of America, N.A., as administrative agent (as amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified prior to the Effective Date).
“Existing Letter of Credit” means each letter of credit issued prior to the Effective Date by a Person that shall be an Issuing Bank and listed on Schedule 2.06.
“FATCA” means Sections 1471 through 1474 of the Code, as of the date of this Agreement (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 agreement 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 and implementing such Sections of the Code.
“Federal Funds Effective Rate” means, for any day, the rate calculated by the NYFRB based on such day’s federal funds transactions by depositary institutions, as determined in such manner as shall be set forth on the NYFRB’s Website from time to time, and published on the next succeeding Business Day by the NYFRB as the effective federal funds rate; provided that if the Federal Funds Effective Rate as so determined would be less than 0%, such rate shall be deemed to be 0% for the purposes of this Agreement.
“Federal Reserve Board” means the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System of the United States of America.
“Financial Officer” means the chief financial officer, principal accounting officer, treasurer or controller of the Borrower.
“Financials” means the annual or quarterly financial statements, and accompanying certificates and other documents, of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries required to be delivered pursuant to Section 5.01(a) or 5.01(b) (or, if prior to the date of the delivery of the first financial statements to be delivered pursuant to Section 5.01(a) or (b), the most recent financial statements referred to in Section 3.05(a) or (b)).
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“First Tier Foreign Subsidiary” means each Foreign Subsidiary with respect to which any one or more of the Borrower and its Domestic Subsidiaries directly owns or Controls more than 50% of such Foreign Subsidiary’s issued and outstanding Equity Interests.
“Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio” means the ratio, as of any date of determination thereof, of (a) (i) EBITDA for the twelve (12) month period immediately preceding said date of determination, taken together as one accounting period, less (ii) the aggregate amount of all Capital Expenditures made during said test period, less (iii) taxes paid in cash during said test period, and less (iv) Restricted Payments paid in cash during said test period, -to- (b) the sum of (i) all interest, premium payments, debt discount, fees, charges and related expenses of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries in connection with borrowed money (including capitalized interest) or in connection with the deferred purchase price of assets, in each case, to the extent treated as interest in accordance with GAAP and to the extent paid in cash during said test period, (ii) the aggregate principal amount of all redemptions or similar acquisitions for value of outstanding debt for borrowed money or regularly scheduled principal payments made during said test period, but excluding any such payments to the extent refinanced through the incurrence of additional Indebtedness otherwise expressly permitted under Section 6.03, and (iii) subject to and in accordance with Section 1.04(b), payments made during said test period under all leases that have been or should be, in accordance with GAAP, recorded as capitalized leases.
“Floor” means the benchmark rate floor, if any, provided in this Agreement initially (as of the execution of this Agreement, the modification, amendment or renewal of this Agreement or otherwise) with respect to the Adjusted Term SOFR Rate, CDOR Rate, Adjusted EURIBOR Rate, Adjusted TIBOR Rate, each Adjusted Daily Simple RFR or the Central Bank/Prime Rate as applicable. For the avoidance of doubt the initial Floor for each of Adjusted Term SOFR Rate, CDOR Rate, Adjusted EURIBOR Rate, Adjusted TIBOR Rate, each Adjusted Daily Simple RFR, or the Central Bank/Prime Rate shall be 0%.
“Foreign Currency” means Euros, Canadian Dollars, Yen and any additional currencies determined after the Effective Date by mutual agreement of the Borrower, Lenders, Issuing Bank and Administrative Agent; provided that each such currency is a lawful currency that is readily available, freely transferable and not restricted and able to be converted into Dollars.
“Foreign Currency LC Exposure” means, at any time, the sum of (a) the Dollar Equivalent of the aggregate undrawn and unexpired amount of all outstanding Foreign Currency Letters of Credit at such time plus (b) the aggregate principal Dollar Equivalent of all LC Disbursements in respect of Foreign Currency Letters of Credit that have not yet been reimbursed at such time.
“Foreign Currency Letter of Credit” means a Letter of Credit denominated in a Foreign Currency.
“Foreign Currency Sublimit” means an amount equal to the lesser of (a) $100,000,000 and (b) the total amount of the Revolving Commitments. The Foreign Currency Sublimit is part of, and not in addition to, the Revolving Commitments hereunder.
“Foreign Lender” means a Lender that is not a U.S. Person.
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“Foreign Subsidiary” means any Subsidiary which is not a Domestic Subsidiary. “GAAP” means generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America.
“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 any supra-national bodies such as the European Union or the European Central Bank).
“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.
“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.
“Increasing Lender” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 2.22. “Incremental Term Loan” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 2.22. “Incremental Term Loan Amendment” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section
2.22.
“Indebtedness” means, as to any Person at a particular time, without duplication, all of the
following, whether or not included as indebtedness or liabilities in accordance with GAAP:
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(a) all obligations of such Person for borrowed money and all obligations of such Person evidenced by bonds, debentures, notes, loan agreements or other similar instruments;
(b) the maximum amount of all direct or contingent obligations of such Person arising under letters of credit (including standby and commercial), bankers’ acceptances, bank guaranties, surety bonds and similar instruments;
(c) net obligations of such Person under any Swap Agreement;
(d) all obligations (including, without limitation, earnout obligations) of such Person to pay the deferred purchase price of property or services (other than trade accounts payable in the ordinary course of business and, in each case, not past due for more than ninety (90) days or such longer period as permitted in the ordinary course of business); provided, however, such obligations shall not include contingent purchase price amounts required to be recorded pursuant to GAAP until such time, if at all, as the Borrower has determined that such purchase price amounts are no longer contingent;
(e) indebtedness (excluding prepaid interest thereon) secured by a Lien on property owned or being purchased by such Person (including indebtedness arising under conditional sales or other title retention agreements), whether or not such indebtedness shall have been assumed by such Person or is limited in recourse;
(f) capital leases and Synthetic Lease Obligations; provided, however, that, notwithstanding the adoption of FASB ASU No. 2016-02 (Leases) to the contrary, existing and future leases commonly referred to as “operating leases” shall not constitute Indebtedness for any purpose hereunder;
(g) all obligations of such Person to purchase, redeem, retire, defease or otherwise make any payment in respect of any Equity Interest in such Person or any other Person or any warrant, right or option to acquire such Equity Interest, valued, in the case of a redeemable preferred interest, at the greater of its voluntary or involuntary liquidation preference plus accrued and unpaid dividends;
(h) all Attributable Receivables Indebtedness of such Person; and
(i) all Guarantees of such Person in respect of any of the foregoing.
For all purposes hereof, the Indebtedness of any Person shall include the Indebtedness of any partnership or joint venture (other than a joint venture that is itself a corporation or limited liability company) in which such Person is a general partner or a joint venturer, unless such Indebtedness is expressly made non-recourse to such Person. The amount of any net obligation under any Swap Agreement on any date shall be deemed to be the Swap Termination Value thereof as of such date. The amount of any capital lease or Synthetic Lease Obligation as of any date shall be deemed to be the amount of Attributable Indebtedness in respect thereof as of such date.
“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 (a) hereof, Other Taxes.
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“Indemnitee” has the meaning assigned to it in Section 9.03(c). “Ineligible Institution” has the meaning assigned to it in Section 9.04(b). “Information” has the meaning assigned to it in Section 9.12.
“Intercreditor Agreement” means any intercreditor agreement (including any Subordination Agreement) in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent entered into by the Borrower or any Subsidiary in connection with other Secured Debt or Subordinated Indebtedness, as any such intercreditor agreement may be from time to time amended, modified, extended, renewed, substituted, and/or supplemented.
“Interest Election Request” means a request by the Borrower to convert or continue a Borrowing in accordance with Section 2.08, which shall be substantially in the form of Exhibit C or any other form approved by the Administrative Agent.
“Interest Payment Date” means (a) with respect to any ABR Loan (other than a Swingline Loan), the last day of each March, June, September and December and the Maturity Date, (b) with respect to any Term Benchmark Loan, the last day of each Interest Period applicable to the Borrowing of which such Loan is a part and, in the case of a Term Benchmark Borrowing with an Interest Period of more than three months’ duration, each day prior to the last day of such Interest Period that occurs at intervals of three months’ duration after the first day of such Interest Period, and the Maturity Date, (c) with respect to any RFR Loan, (1) each date that is on the numerically corresponding day in each calendar month that is one month after the Borrowing of such Loan (or, if there is no such numerically corresponding day in such month, then the last day of such month) and (2) the Maturity Date, and (d) with respect to any Swingline Loan, the day that such Loan is required to be repaid and the Maturity Date.
“Interest Period” means, with respect to any Term Benchmark Borrowing, the period commencing on the date of such Borrowing and ending on the numerically corresponding day in the calendar month that is one, three or six months thereafter (in each case, subject to the availability for the Benchmark applicable to the relevant Loan or Commitment for any Agreed Currency or, in the case of Borrowings in Canadian Dollars, one, two or three months thereafter), as the Borrower may elect; provided, that (i) if any Interest Period would end on a day other than a Business Day, such Interest Period shall be extended to the next succeeding Business Day unless such next succeeding Business Day would fall in the next calendar month, in which case such Interest Period shall end on the next preceding Business Day, (ii) any Interest Period that commences on the last Business Day of a calendar month (or on a day for which there is no numerically corresponding day in the last calendar month of such Interest Period) shall end on the last Business Day of the last calendar month of such Interest Period and (iii) no tenor that has been removed from this definition pursuant to Section 2.14(e) shall be available for specification in such Borrowing Request or Interest Election Request. For purposes hereof, the date of a Borrowing initially shall be the date on which such Borrowing is made and, in the case of a Revolving Borrowing, thereafter shall be the effective date of the most recent conversion or continuation of such Borrowing.
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“Internal Control Event” means a material weakness in, or fraud that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the Borrower’s internal controls over financial reporting.
“Investment” means, as to any Person, any direct or indirect acquisition or investment by such Person, whether by means of (a) the purchase or other acquisition of capital stock or other securities of another Person, (b) a loan, advance or capital contribution to, Guarantee or assumption of debt of, or purchase or other acquisition of any other debt or equity participation or interest in, another Person, including any partnership or joint venture interest in such other Person and any arrangement pursuant to which the investor Guarantees Indebtedness of such other Person, or (c) the purchase or other acquisition (in one transaction or a series of transactions) of assets of another Person which constitute all or substantially all of the assets of such Person or of a division, line of business or other business unit of such Person. For purposes of covenant compliance, the amount of any Investment shall be the amount actually invested, without adjustment for subsequent increases or decreases in the value of such Investment.
“IRS” means the United States Internal Revenue Service.
“Issuing Bank” means JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., Bank of America, N.A. (solely with respect to the Existing Letters of Credit until the BANA LC Commitment Start Date) and any other Lender that agrees to act as an Issuing Bank (in each case, through itself or through one of its designated affiliates or branch offices), each in its capacity as the issuer of Letters of Credit hereunder, and its successors in such capacity as provided in Section 2.06(i). Any Issuing Bank may, in its discretion, arrange for one or more Letters of Credit to be issued by Affiliates of such Issuing Bank, in which case the term “Issuing Bank” shall include any such Affiliate with respect to Letters of Credit issued by such Affiliate. Each reference herein to the “Issuing Bank” in connection with a Letter of Credit or other matter shall be deemed to be a reference to the relevant Issuing Bank with respect thereto.
“Japanese Prime Rate” means for any Loan denominated in Yen the greater of (a) (i) the Japanese local bank prime rate plus (ii) the Japanese Prime Rate Adjustment and (b) the Floor.
“Japanese Prime Rate Adjustment” means, for any day, for any Loan denominated in Yen, a rate equal to the difference (which may be a positive or negative value or zero) of (i) the average of the Adjusted TIBOR Rate for the five most recent Business Days preceding such day for which the TIBOR Screen Rate was available (excluding, from such averaging, the highest and the lowest Adjusted TIBOR Rate applicable during such period of five Business Days) minus (ii) the Japanese Prime Rate in effect on the last Business Day in such period. For purposes of this definition, the TIBOR Rate on any day shall be based on the TIBOR Screen Rate on such day at approximately the time referred to in the definition of such term for deposits in Yen for a maturity of one month.
“Law” and “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
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permits of, and agreements with, any Governmental Authority, in each case whether or not having the force of law.
“LC Collateral Account” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 2.06(j).
“LC Disbursement” means a payment made by an Issuing Bank pursuant to a Letter of
Credit.
“LC Exposure” means, at any time, the sum of (a) the aggregate undrawn Dollar
Equivalent of all outstanding Letters of Credit at such time, plus (b) the aggregate Dollar Equivalent of all LC Disbursements that have not yet been reimbursed by or on behalf of the Borrower at such time. The LC Exposure of any Lender at any time shall be its Applicable Percentage of the LC Exposure at such time. 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 Article 29(a) of the Uniform Customs and Practice for Documentary Credits, International Chamber of Commerce Publication No. 600 (or such later version thereof as may be in effect at the applicable time) or Rule 3.13 or Rule 3.14 of the International Standby Practices, International Chamber of Commerce Publication No. 590 (or such later version thereof as may be in effect at the applicable time) or similar terms in the governing rules or laws or of the Letter of Credit itself, or if compliant documents have been presented but not yet honored, such Letter of Credit shall be deemed to be “outstanding” and “undrawn” in the amount so remaining available to be paid, and the obligations of the Borrower and each Lender shall remain in full force and effect until the Issuing Bank and the Lenders shall have no further obligations to make any payments or disbursements under any circumstances with respect to any Letter of Credit.
“LCT Election” has the meaning assigned to it in Section 1.04(d). “LCT Test Date” has the meaning assigned to it in Section 1.04(d).
“Lender Parent” means, with respect to any Lender, any Person as to which such Lender is, directly or indirectly, a subsidiary.
“Lender-Related Person” has the meaning assigned to it in Section 9.03(b).
“Lenders” means the Persons listed on Schedule 2.01A and any other Person that shall have become a party hereto pursuant to an Assignment and Assumption or otherwise, other than any such Person that ceases to be a party hereto pursuant to an Assignment and Assumption or otherwise. Unless the context otherwise requires, the term “Lenders” includes the Swingline Lenders and the Issuing Banks.
“Letter of Credit” means any letter of credit issued pursuant to this Agreement and shall include each Existing Letter of Credit. A Letter of Credit may be issued in Dollars or in any Foreign Currency.
“Letter of Credit Agreement” has the meaning assigned to it in Section 2.06(b).
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“Letter of Credit Commitment” means, with respect to each Issuing Bank, the commitment of such Issuing Bank to issue Letters of Credit hereunder. The initial amount of each Issuing Bank’s Letter of Credit Commitment is set forth on Schedule 2.01B, or if an Issuing Bank has entered into an Assignment and Assumption or has otherwise assumed a Letter of Credit Commitment after the Effective Date, the amount set forth for such Issuing Bank as its Letter of Credit Commitment in the Register maintained by the Administrative Agent. The Letter of Credit Commitment of an Issuing Bank may be modified from time to time by agreement between such Issuing Bank and the Borrower, and notified to the Administrative Agent.
“Liabilities” means any losses, claims (including intraparty claims), demands, damages or liabilities of any kind.
“Lien” means any mortgage, pledge, hypothecation, assignment, deposit arrangement, encumbrance, lien (statutory or otherwise), charge, or preference, priority or other security interest or preferential arrangement in the nature of a security interest of any kind or nature whatsoever (including any conditional sale or other title retention agreement, any easement, right of way or other encumbrance on title to real property, and any financing lease having substantially the same economic effect as any of the foregoing).
“Limited Condition Transaction” means any Acquisition or other Investment that the Borrower or one or more of its Subsidiaries is contractually committed to consummate (it being understood that such commitment may be subject to conditions precedent, which conditions precedent may be amended, satisfied or waived in accordance with the terms of the applicable agreement) and whose consummation is not conditioned on the availability of, or on obtaining, third party financing; provided that, in the event the consummation of any such Acquisition or Investment shall not have occurred within one hundred and twenty (120) days following the signing of the applicable contractual commitment (which time period may be extended to three hundred sixty-five (365) days following signing so long as the only remaining condition to consummation of such Acquisition or Investment after the 120th day is receipt of required regulatory approvals), such Acquisition or Investment shall no longer constitute a Limited Condition Transaction for any purpose.
“LLC” means any Person that is a limited liability company under the laws of its jurisdiction of formation.
“Loan Documents” means this Agreement, including schedules and exhibits hereto, and any agreements entered into in connection herewith by the Borrower or any Loan Party with or in favor of the Administrative Agent and/or the Lenders, including any promissory notes issued pursuant to Section 2.10(e), the Collateral Documents, the Subsidiary Guaranty, any Intercreditor Agreements, any amendments, modifications or supplements thereto or waivers thereof, legal opinions issued in connection with the other Loan Documents, UCC filings, flood determinations, letter of credit applications and any agreements between the Borrower and an Issuing Bank regarding the issuance by such Issuing Bank of Letters of Credit hereunder and/or the respective rights and obligations between the Borrower and such Issuing Bank in connection thereunder and any other documents prepared in connection with the other Loan Documents, if any.
“Loan Parties” means, collectively, the Borrower and each Subsidiary Guarantor.
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“Loans” means the loans made by the Lenders to the Borrower pursuant to this Agreement.
“Local Time” means (i) New York City time in the case of a Loan, Borrowing or LC Disbursement denominated in Dollars and (ii) local time in the case of a Loan, Borrowing or LC Disbursement denominated in a Foreign Currency.
“Majority-Owned Subsidiary” of the Borrower means a Subsidiary of which the Borrower owns, directly or indirectly through another Subsidiary, more than fifty percent (50%) of the issued and outstanding capital stock or other equity interests.
“Margin Stock” means margin stock within the meaning of Regulations T, U and X, as applicable.
“Material Adverse Effect” means (a) a material adverse change in, or a material adverse effect upon, the operations, business, properties, liabilities (actual or contingent), or condition (financial or otherwise) of the Borrower or the Borrower and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole; (b) a material impairment of the ability of the Borrower to perform its obligations under this Agreement; or (c) a material adverse effect upon the legality, validity, binding effect or enforceability against any Loan Party of any Loan Document to which it is a party which could reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect upon the rights of the Lenders hereunder.
“Material Domestic Subsidiary” means each Domestic Subsidiary that is a Majority- Owned Subsidiary (other than any Receivables Entity) (i) which, as of the most recent fiscal quarter of the Borrower, for the period of four consecutive fiscal quarters then ended, for which Financials have been delivered, contributed greater than five percent (5%) of Consolidated operating income for such period or (ii) which contributed greater than five percent (5%) of Consolidated Total Assets as of such date; provided that, if at any time the aggregate amount of Consolidated operating income or Consolidated Total Assets attributable to all Domestic Subsidiaries that are not Material Domestic Subsidiaries exceeds ten percent (10%) of Consolidated operating income of the Borrower and its Domestic Subsidiaries for any such period or ten percent (10%) of Consolidated Total Assets attributable to the Borrower and its Domestic Subsidiaries as of the end of any such fiscal quarter, the Borrower (or, in the event the Borrower has failed to do so within ten (10) days, the Administrative Agent) shall designate sufficient Domestic Subsidiaries (other than Receivables Entities) as “Material Domestic Subsidiaries” to eliminate such excess, and such designated Subsidiaries shall for all purposes of this Agreement constitute Material Domestic Subsidiaries.
“Maturity Date” means July 30, 2027.
“Maximum Rate” has the meaning assigned to it in Section 9.14. “Moody’s” means Moody’s Investors Service, Inc.
“Multiemployer Plan” means any employee benefit plan of the type described in Section 4001(a)(3) of ERISA, to which the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate makes or is obligated to make contributions, or during the preceding five (5) plan years, has made or been obligated to make contributions.
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“Multiple Employer Plan” means a Plan which has two or more contributing sponsors (including the 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.
“Net Proceeds” means, with respect to any event, (a) the cash proceeds received in respect of such event including (i) any cash received in respect of any non-cash proceeds (including any cash payments received by way of deferred payment of principal pursuant to a note or installment receivable or purchase price adjustment receivable or otherwise, but excluding any interest payments), but only as and when received, (ii) in the case of a casualty, insurance proceeds and
(iii) in the case of a condemnation or similar event, condemnation awards and similar payments, net of (b) the sum of (i) all reasonable fees and out-of-pocket expenses paid to third parties (other than Affiliates) in connection with such event, (ii) in the case of a sale, transfer or other disposition of an asset (including pursuant to a Sale and Leaseback transaction or a casualty or a condemnation or similar proceeding), the amount of all payments required to be made as a result of such event to repay Indebtedness (other than Loans) secured by such asset or otherwise subject to mandatory prepayment as a result of such event and (iii) the amount of all taxes paid (or reasonably estimated to be payable) and the amount of any reserves established to fund contingent liabilities reasonably estimated to be payable, in each case during the year that such event occurred or the next succeeding year and that are directly attributable to such event (as determined reasonably and in good faith by a Financial Officer).
“NYFRB” means the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
“NYFRB’s Website” means the website of the NYFRB at http://www.newyorkfed.org or any successor source.
“NYFRB Rate” means, for any day, the greater of (a) the Federal Funds Effective Rate in effect on such day and (b) the Overnight Bank Funding Rate in effect on such day (or for any day that is not a Business Day, for the immediately preceding Business Day); provided that if none of such rates are published for any day that is a Business Day, the term “NYFRB Rate” means the rate for a federal funds transaction quoted at 11:00 a.m. on such day received by the Administrative Agent from a federal funds broker of recognized standing selected by it; provided, further, that if any of the aforesaid rates as so determined would be less than 0%, such rate shall be deemed to be 0% for purposes of this Agreement.
“Obligations” means all advances to, and debts, liabilities, obligations, covenants and duties of, the Borrower and its Subsidiaries arising under any Loan Document, or to the Lenders or any of their Affiliates under any Swap Agreement or any Banking Services Agreement, or otherwise with respect to any Loan or Letter of Credit, 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 and fees that accrue after the commencement by or against the Borrower 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 and fees are allowed or allowable claims in such proceeding. Without limiting the foregoing, the Obligations include
(a) the obligation to pay principal, interest, Letter of Credit commissions, charges, expenses, fees, indemnities and other amounts payable by the Borrower under any Loan Document and (b) the obligation of the Borrower to reimburse any amount in respect of any of the foregoing that the
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Administrative Agent or any Lender, in each case in its sole discretion, may elect to pay or advance on behalf of the Borrower.
“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, as any of the foregoing may be from time to time amended, modified, substituted, and/or supplemented.
“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, Letter of Credit 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 2.19).
“Overnight Bank Funding Rate” means, for any day, the rate comprised of both overnight federal funds and overnight eurodollar transactions denominated in Dollars by U.S.-managed banking offices of depository institutions, as such composite rate shall be determined by the NYFRB as set forth on the NYFRB’s Website from time to time, and published on the next succeeding Business Day by the NYFRB as an overnight bank funding rate.
“Overnight Rate” means, for any day, (a) with respect to any amount denominated in Dollars, the NYFRB Rate and (b) with respect to any amount denominated in a Foreign Currency, an overnight rate determined by the Administrative Agent or the Issuing Banks, as the case may be, in accordance with banking industry rules on interbank compensation.
“Participant” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 9.04(c). “Participant Register” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 9.04(c).
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“Participating Member State” means any member state of the European Union that has euro as its lawful currency in accordance with legislation of the European Union relating to Economic and Monetary Union.
“Patriot Act” has the meaning assigned to it in Section 9.16. “Payment” has the meaning assigned to it in Section 8.06(c). “Payment Notice” has the meaning assigned to it in Section 8.06(c).
“PBGC” means the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation referred to and defined in ERISA and any successor entity performing similar functions.
“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 the Borrower and any ERISA Affiliate (or has at any time during the preceding 6 years been maintained or contributed to by the 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 Acquisition” means an Acquisition that satisfies the terms and conditions of Section 6.02(f).
“Permitted Receivables Facility” means a receivables facility or facilities created under the Permitted Receivables Facility Documents, providing for the sale, transfer and/or pledge by the Borrower and/or one or more other Receivables Sellers of Permitted Receivables Facility Assets (thereby providing financing to the Borrower and the Receivables Sellers) to a Receivables Entity (either directly or through another Receivables Seller), which in turn shall sell, transfer and/or pledge interests in the respective Permitted Receivables Facility Assets to third-party lenders or investors pursuant to the Permitted Receivables Facility Documents (with the Receivables Entity permitted to issue or convey purchaser interests, investor certificates, purchased interest certificates or other similar documentation evidencing interests in the Permitted Receivables Facility Assets) in return for the cash used by such Receivables Entity to acquire the Permitted Receivables Facility Assets from the Borrower and/or the respective Receivables Sellers, in each case as more fully set forth in the Permitted Receivables Facility Documents; provided that the Attributable Receivables Indebtedness thereunder shall not exceed an aggregate amount of $50,000,000 at any time outstanding.
“Permitted Receivables Facility Assets” means Receivables (whether now existing or arising in the future) of the Receivables Sellers which are transferred, sold and/or pledged to a Receivables Entity pursuant to a Permitted Receivables Facility and any related Permitted Receivables Related Assets which are also so transferred, sold and/or pledged to a Receivables Entity and all proceeds thereof.
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“Permitted Receivables Facility Documents” means each of the documents and agreements entered into in connection with any Permitted Receivables Facility, including all documents and agreements relating to the issuance, funding and/or purchase of certificates and purchased interests or the incurrence of loans, as applicable, all of which documents and agreements shall be in customary form and substance.
“Permitted Receivables Related Assets” means any assets that are customarily sold, transferred and/or pledged or in respect of which security interests are customarily granted in connection with asset securitization transactions involving receivables similar to Receivables and any collections or proceeds of any of the foregoing (including, without limitation, lock-boxes, deposit accounts, records in respect of Receivables and collections in respect of Receivables).
“Permitted Restricted Payment” means (i) a Restricted Payment deemed to occur upon the cash-less exercise of any option, warrant or other right to acquire an Equity Interest, or (ii) the declaration or payment of a ratable dividend or distribution by a Subsidiary to the holders of a class of its Equity Interests (including the Borrower or any other Subsidiary).
“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 the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate or any such Plan to which the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate is required to contribute on behalf of any of its employees.
“Plan Asset Regulations” means 29 CFR § 2510.3-101 et seq., as modified by Section 3(42) of ERISA, as amended from time to time.
“Pledge Subsidiary” means (i) each Domestic Subsidiary and (ii) each First Tier Foreign Subsidiary.
“Prepayment Event” means:
(a) any sale, transfer or other Disposition (including pursuant to a Sale and Leaseback Transaction) of any property or asset of the Borrower or any Subsidiary, other than dispositions described in Section 6.05(a) through (e) or (g) with a fair market value immediately prior to such event equal to or less than $500,000 for each individual event, or $5,000,000 in the aggregate for all such events in any fiscal year of the Borrower; or
(b) any casualty or other insured damage to, or any taking under power of eminent domain or by condemnation or similar proceeding of, any property or asset of the Borrower or any Subsidiary with a fair market value immediately prior to such event equal to or greater than $5,000,000.
“Prime Rate” means the rate of interest last quoted by The Wall Street Journal as the “Prime Rate” in the U.S. or, if The Wall Street Journal ceases to quote such rate, the highest per annum interest rate published by the Federal Reserve Board in Federal Reserve Statistical Release
H.15 (519) (Selected Interest Rates) as the “bank prime loan” rate or, if such rate is no longer
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quoted therein, any similar rate quoted therein (as determined by the Administrative Agent) or any similar release by the Federal Reserve Board (as determined by the Administrative Agent). Each change in the Prime Rate shall be effective from and including the date such change is publicly announced or quoted as being effective.
“Proceeding” means any claim, litigation, investigation, action, suit, arbitration or administrative, judicial or regulatory action or proceeding in any jurisdiction.
“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.
“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).
“QFC Credit Support” has the meaning assigned to it in Section 9.18.
“Receivables” means any right to payment created by or arising from sales of goods, leases of goods or the rendition of services rendered no matter how evidenced whether or not earned by performance (whether constituting accounts, general intangibles, chattel paper or otherwise).
“Receivables Entity” means a wholly-owned Subsidiary of the Borrower which engages in no activities other than in connection with the financing of accounts receivable of the Receivables Sellers and which is designated (as provided below) as a “Receivables Entity” (a) no portion of the Indebtedness or any other obligations (contingent or otherwise) of which (i) is guaranteed by the Borrower or any other Subsidiary of the Borrower, (ii) is recourse to or obligates the Borrower or any other Subsidiary of the Borrower in any way (other than pursuant to Standard Securitization Undertakings) or (iii) subjects any property or asset of the Borrower or any other Subsidiary of the Borrower, directly or indirectly, contingently or otherwise, to the satisfaction thereof, other than pursuant to Standard Securitization Undertakings, (b) with which neither the Borrower nor any of its Subsidiaries has any contract, agreement, arrangement or understanding (other than pursuant to the Permitted Receivables Facility Documents (including with respect to fees payable in the ordinary course of business in connection with the servicing of accounts receivable and related assets)) on terms less favorable to the Borrower or such Subsidiary than those that might be obtained at the time from persons that are not Affiliates of the Borrower, and (c) to which neither the Borrower nor any other Subsidiary of the Borrower has any obligation to maintain or preserve such entity’s financial condition or cause such entity to achieve certain levels of operating results (other than pursuant to Standard Securitization Undertakings). Any such designation shall be evidenced to the Administrative Agent by delivering to the Administrative Agent an officer’s certificate of the Borrower certifying that, to the best of such officer’s knowledge and belief after consultation with counsel, such designation complied with the foregoing conditions.
“Receivables Sellers” means the Borrower and those Subsidiaries that are from time to time party to the Permitted Receivables Facility Documents (other than any Receivables Entity).
“Recipient” means (a) the Administrative Agent, (b) any Lender and (c) any Issuing Bank, as applicable.
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“Reference Time” with respect to any setting of the then-current Benchmark means (1) if such Benchmark is the Term SOFR Rate, 5:00 a.m. (Chicago time) on the day that is two U.S. Government Securities Business Days preceding the date of such setting, (2) if such Benchmark is EURIBOR Rate, 11:00 a.m. Brussels time two TARGET Days preceding the date of such setting, (3) if such Benchmark is TIBOR Rate, 11:00 a.m. Japan time two Business Days preceding the date of such setting, (4) if, following a Benchmark Transition Event and Benchmark Replacement Date with respect to the Term SOFR Rate, the RFR for such Benchmark is Daily Simple SOFR, then four RFR Business Days prior to such setting or (5) if such Benchmark is none of the Term SOFR Rate, the EURIBOR Rate, the TIBOR Rate, or Daily Simple SOFR, the time determined by the Administrative Agent in its reasonable discretion.
“Register” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 9.04(b).
“Regulation D” means Regulation D of the Federal Reserve Board, as in effect from time to time and all official rulings and interpretations thereunder or thereof.
“Regulation U” means Regulation U of the Federal Reserve Board, as in effect from time to time and all official rulings and interpretations thereunder or thereof.
“Related Parties” means, with respect to any specified Person, such Person’s Affiliates and the respective directors, officers, employees, agents, advisors and representatives of such Person and such Person’s Affiliates.
“Relevant Governmental Body” means (i) with respect to a Benchmark Replacement in respect of Loans denominated in Dollars, the Federal Reserve Board and/or the NYFRB or a committee officially endorsed or convened by the Federal Reserve Board and/or the NYFRB or, in each case, any successor thereto, (ii) with respect to a Benchmark Replacement in respect of Loans denominated in Euros, the European Central Bank, or a committee officially endorsed or convened by the European Central Bank or, in each case, any successor thereto, (iii) with respect to a Benchmark Replacement in respect of Loans denominated in Yen, the Bank of Japan, or a committee officially endorsed or convened by the Bank of Japan or, in each case, any successor thereto, and (iv) with respect to a Benchmark Replacement in respect of Loans denominated in Canadian Dollars or with respect to a Benchmark Replacement in respect of Loans denominated in any other currency, (a) the central bank for the currency in which such Benchmark Replacement is denominated or any central bank or other supervisor which is responsible for supervising either
(1) such Benchmark Replacement or (2) the administrator of such Benchmark Replacement or (b) any working group or committee officially endorsed or convened by (1) the central bank for the currency in which such Benchmark Replacement is denominated, (2) any central bank or other supervisor that is responsible for supervising either (A) such Benchmark Replacement or (B) the administrator of such Benchmark Replacement, (3) a group of those central banks or other supervisors or (4) the Financial Stability Board or any part thereof.
“Relevant Rate” means (i) with respect to any Term Benchmark Borrowing denominated in Dollars, the Adjusted Term SOFR Rate, (ii) with respect to any Term Benchmark Borrowing denominated in Canadian Dollars, the CDOR Rate, (iii) with respect to any Term Benchmark Borrowing denominated in Euros, the Adjusted EURIBOR Rate, (iv) with respect to any Term Benchmark Borrowing denominated in Yen, the Adjusted TIBOR Rate, as applicable or (v) with
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respect to any RFR Borrowing denominated in Dollars, the Adjusted Daily Simple RFR, as applicable.
“Relevant Screen Rate” means (i) with respect to any Term Benchmark Borrowing denominated in Dollars, the Term SOFR Reference Rate, (ii) with respect to any Term Benchmark Borrowing denominated in Canadian Dollars, the CDOR Screen Rate, (iii) with respect to any Term Benchmark Borrowing denominated in Euros, the EURIBOR Screen Rate or (iv) with respect to any Term Benchmark Borrowing denominated in Yen, the TIBOR Screen Rate, as applicable.
“Reportable Event” means any of the events set forth in Section 4043(c) of ERISA, other than events for which the thirty (30) day notice period has been waived by regulations thereunder.
“Required Lenders” means, subject to Section 2.20, (a) at any time prior to the earlier of the Loans becoming due and payable pursuant to Section 7.01 or the Commitments terminating or expiring, Lenders having Credit Exposures and Unfunded Commitments (and unused Term Loan Commitments, as applicable) representing more than 50% of the sum of the Total Credit Exposure and Unfunded Commitments (and unused Term Loan Commitments, as applicable) at such time, provided that, solely for purposes of declaring the Loans to be due and payable pursuant to Section 7.01, the Unfunded Commitment of each Lender shall be deemed to be zero; and (b) for all purposes after the Loans become due and payable pursuant to Section 7.01 or the Commitments expire or terminate, Lenders having Credit Exposures representing more than 50% of the Total Credit Exposure at such time; provided that, in the case of clauses (a) and (b) above, (x) the Revolving Credit Exposure of any Lender that is a Swingline Lender shall be deemed to exclude any amount of its Swingline Exposure in excess of its Applicable Percentage of all outstanding Swingline Loans, adjusted to give effect to any reallocation under Section 2.20 of the Swingline Exposures of Defaulting Lenders in effect at such time, and the Unfunded Commitment of such Lender shall be determined on the basis of its Revolving Credit Exposure excluding such excess amount and (y) for the purpose of determining the Required Lenders needed for any waiver, amendment, modification or consent of or under this Agreement or any other Loan Document, any Lender that is the Borrower or an Affiliate of the Borrower shall be disregarded.
“Resolution Authority” means an EEA Resolution Authority or, with respect to any UK Financial Institution, a UK Resolution Authority.
“Responsible Officer” means the president, Financial Officer or other executive officer of the Borrower.
“Restricted Payment” means any dividend or other distribution (whether in cash, securities or other property) with respect to any Equity Interests in the Borrower 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 Equity Interests or any option, warrant or other right to acquire any such Equity Interests.
“Reuters” means, as applicable, Thomson Reuters Corp., Refinitiv, or any successor thereto.
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“Revaluation Date” shall mean (a) with respect to any Loan denominated in any Foreign Currency, each of the following: (i) the date of the Borrowing of such Loan and (ii) (A) with respect to any Term Benchmark Loan, each date of a conversion into or continuation of such Loan pursuant to the terms of this Agreement and (B) with respect to any RFR Loan, each date that is on the numerically corresponding day in each calendar month that is one month after the Borrowing of such Loan (or, if there is no such numerically corresponding day in such month, then the last day of such month); (b) with respect to any Letter of Credit denominated in a Foreign Currency, each of the following: (i) the date on which such Letter of Credit is issued, (ii) the first Business Day of each calendar month and (iii) the date of any amendment of such Letter of Credit that has the effect of increasing the face amount thereof; and (c) any additional date as the Administrative Agent may determine at any time when an Event of Default exists.
“Revolving Borrowing” means Revolving Loans of the same Type and Agreed Currency, made, converted or continued on the same date and, in the case of Term Benchmark Loans, as to which a single Interest Period is in effect.
Revolving Commitment” means, with respect to each Lender, the amount under the column “Revolving Commitment” set forth on Schedule 2.01A opposite such Lender’s name, or in the applicable documentation or record (as such term is defined in Section 9-102(a)(70) of the UCC) as provided in Section 9.04(b)(ii)(C), pursuant to which such Lender shall have assumed its Revolving Commitment pursuant to the terms hereof, as applicable, and giving effect to (a) any reduction in such amount from time to time pursuant to Section 2.09 and (b) any reduction or increase in such amount from time to time pursuant to assignments by or to such Lender pursuant to Section 9.04; provided, that at no time shall the Revolving Credit Exposure of any Lender exceed its Revolving Commitment. The initial aggregate amount of the Revolving Lenders’ Revolving Commitments is $190,000,000.
“Revolving Credit Exposure” means, with respect to any Lender at any time, the sum of the outstanding principal amount of such Lender’s Revolving Loans, its LC Exposure and its Swingline Exposure at such time.
“Revolving Lender” means, as of any date of determination, each Lender that has a Revolving Commitment or, if the Revolving Commitments have terminated or expired, a Lender with Revolving Credit Exposure.
Revolving Loan” means a Loan made by a Revolving Lender pursuant to Section 2.01(a). “RFR” means, for any RFR Loan denominated in Dollars, Daily Simple SOFR.
“RFR Administrator” means the SOFR Administrator.
“RFR Borrowing” means, as to any Borrowing, the RFR Loans comprising such Borrowing.
“RFR Business Day” means, for any Loan denominated in Dollars, a U.S. Government Securities Business Day.
“RFR Interest Day” has the meaning specified in the definition of “Daily Simple RFR”.
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RFR.
“RFR Loan” means a Loan that bears interest at a rate based on the Adjusted Daily Simple
“S&P” means Standard & Poor’s Rating Services, a Standard & Poor’s Financial Services
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LLC business.
“Sale and Leaseback Transaction” means any sale or other transfer of any property or asset by any Person with the intent to lease such property or asset as lessee.
“Sanctioned Country” means, at any time, a country, region or territory which is itself the subject or target of any Sanctions (at the time of this Agreement, the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic, the so-called Luhansk People’s Republic, the Crimea Region of Ukraine, Cuba, Iran, North Korea and Syria).
“Sanctioned Person” means, at any time, (a) any Person listed in any Sanctions-related list of designated Persons maintained by OFAC, the U.S. Department of State, the United Nations Security Council, the European Union, any European Union member state, Her Majesty’s Treasury of the United Kingdom or other relevant sanctions authority, (b) any Person operating, organized or resident in a Sanctioned Country, (c) any Person owned or controlled by any such Person or Persons described in the foregoing clauses (a) or (b), or (d) any Person otherwise the subject of any Sanctions.
“Sanctions” means all economic or financial sanctions or trade embargoes imposed, administered or enforced from time to time by (a) the U.S. government, including those administered by OFAC or the U.S. Department of State, or (b) the United Nations Security Council, the European Union, any European Union member state, Her Majesty’s Treasury of the United Kingdom or other relevant sanctions authority.
“SEC” means the Securities and Exchange Commission of the United States of America. “Secured Debt” means, as of any date of determination thereof, all outstanding
Indebtedness for borrowed money and other interest-bearing Indebtedness, including current and long term Indebtedness, that, as of such date, is secured by Liens on property or assets of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, but excluding (i) the capital lease between the Borrower and
S.J. Vahaviolos Partners L.L.C. relating to the Borrower’s occupancy of the premises located at
195 Clarksville Road, Princeton Junction, New Jersey and (ii) Attributable Receivables Indebtedness under any Permitted Receivables Facility.
“Secured Leverage Ratio” means, as of any date of determination, the ratio of (a) Secured Debt as of said date of determination -to- (b) EBITDA for the period of four consecutive fiscal quarters immediately preceding said date of determination, taken together as one accounting period.
“Secured Obligations” means all Obligations, together with all Swap Obligations and Banking Services Obligations owing to one or more Lenders or their respective Affiliates; provided that the definition of “Secured Obligations” shall not create or include any guarantee by any Loan Party of (or grant of security interest by any Loan Party to support, as applicable) any
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Excluded Swap Obligations of such Loan Party for purposes of determining any obligations of any Loan Party.
“Secured Parties” means the holders of the Secured Obligations from time to time and shall include (i) each Lender and the Issuing Bank in respect of its Loans and LC Exposure respectively, (ii) the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank and the Lenders in respect of all other present and future obligations and liabilities of the Borrower and each Subsidiary of every type and description arising under or in connection with this Agreement or any other Loan Document,
(iii) each Lender and Affiliate of such Lender in respect of Swap Agreements and Banking Services Agreements entered into with such Person by the Borrower or any Subsidiary, (iv) each indemnified party under Section 9.03 in respect of the obligations and liabilities of the Borrower to such Person hereunder and under the other Loan Documents, and (v) their respective successors and (in the case of a Lender, permitted) transferees and assigns.
“Securities Act” means the United States Securities Act of 1933.
“Securities Laws” means the Securities Act, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Sarbanes-Oxley and the applicable accounting and auditing principles, rules, standards and practices promulgated, approved or incorporated by the SEC or the PCAOB.
“Security Agreement” means that certain Security and Pledge Agreement (including any and all supplements thereto), dated as of the date hereof, between the Loan Parties and the Administrative Agent, for the benefit of the Administrative Agent and the other Secured Parties, and any other security agreement or pledge agreement entered into, after the date of this Agreement by any other Loan Party (as required by this Agreement or any other Loan Document), or any other Person, as the same may be amended, restated or otherwise modified from time to time.
“Senior Secured Debt” means, as of any date of determination thereof, all outstanding Indebtedness for borrowed money and other interest-bearing Indebtedness, including current and long term Indebtedness, that, as of such date, is secured by Liens on property or assets of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, but excluding (i) Subordinated Indebtedness, (ii) the capital lease between the Borrower and S.J. Vahaviolos Partners L.L.C. relating to the Borrower’s occupancy of the premises located at 195 Clarksville Road, Princeton Junction, New Jersey and
(iii) and (b) Attributable Receivables Indebtedness under any Permitted Receivables Facility.
“Senior Secured Leverage Ratio” means, as of any date of determination, the ratio of (a) Senior Secured Debt as of said date of determination -to- (b) EBITDA for the period of four consecutive fiscal quarters immediately preceding said date of determination, taken together as one accounting period.
“SOFR” means a rate equal to the secured overnight financing rate as administered by the SOFR Administrator.
“SOFR Administrator” means the NYFRB (or a successor administrator of the secured overnight financing rate).
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“SOFR Administrator’s Website” means the NYFRB’s Website, currently at http://www.newyorkfed.org, or any successor source for the secured overnight financing rate identified as such by the SOFR Administrator from time to time.
“SOFR Determination Date” has the meaning specified in the definition of “Daily Simple SOFR”.
“SOFR Rate Day” has the meaning specified in the definition of “Daily Simple SOFR”. “Solvent” or “Solvency” means, with respect to any Person on any date of determination,
that on such date (a) the fair value of the property of such Person is greater than the total amount of liabilities, including contingent liabilities, of such Person, (b) the present fair saleable value of the assets of such Person is not less than the amount that will be required to pay the probable liability of such Person on its debts as they become absolute and matured, (c) such Person does not intend to, and does not believe that it will, incur debts or liabilities beyond such Person’s ability to pay such debts and liabilities as they mature, (d) such Person is not engaged in business or a transaction, and is not about to engage in business or a transaction, for which such Person’s property would constitute an unreasonably small capital, and (e) such Person is able to pay its debts and liabilities, contingent obligations and other commitments as they mature in the ordinary course of business. The amount of contingent liabilities at any time shall be computed as the amount that, in the light of all the facts and circumstances existing at such time, represents the amount that can reasonably be expected to become an actual or matured liability.
“Specified Ancillary Obligations” means all obligations and liabilities (including interest and fees accruing during the pendency of any bankruptcy, insolvency, receivership or other similar proceeding, regardless of whether allowed or allowable in such proceeding) of any of the Subsidiaries, existing on the Effective Date or arising thereafter, direct or indirect, joint or several, absolute or contingent, matured or unmatured, liquidated or unliquidated, secured or unsecured, arising by contract, operation of law or otherwise, to the Lenders or any of their Affiliates under any Swap Agreement or any Banking Services Agreement.
“Specified Swap Obligation” 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 or any rules or regulations promulgated thereunder.
“Standard Securitization Undertakings” means representations, warranties, covenants and indemnities entered into by the Borrower or any Subsidiary thereof in connection with the Permitted Receivables Facility which are reasonably customary in an accounts receivable financing transaction.
“Statutory Reserve Rate” means a fraction (expressed as a decimal), the numerator of which is the number one and the denominator of which is the number one minus the aggregate of the maximum reserve percentage (including any marginal, special, emergency or supplemental reserves) expressed as a decimal established by the Federal Reserve Board to which the Administrative Agent is subject with respect to the Adjusted EURIBOR Rate or Adjusted TIBOR Rate, as applicable, for eurocurrency funding (currently referred to as “Eurocurrency liabilities”
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in Regulation D) or any other reserve ratio or analogous requirement of any central banking or financial regulatory authority imposed in respect of the maintenance of the Commitments or the funding of the Loans. Such reserve percentage shall include those imposed pursuant to Regulation
D. Term Benchmark Loans for which the associated Benchmark is adjusted by reference to the Statutory Reserve Rate (per the related definition of such Benchmark) shall be deemed to constitute eurocurrency funding and to be subject to such reserve requirements without benefit of or credit for proration, exemptions or offsets that may be available from time to time to any Lender under Regulation D or any comparable regulation. The Statutory Reserve Rate shall be adjusted automatically on and as of the effective date of any change in any reserve percentage.
“Subordination Agreement” and “Subordination Agreements” means any subordination agreement in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent entered into by the Borrower or any Subsidiary in connection with Subordinated Indebtedness, as any such subordination agreement may be from time to time amended, modified, extended, renewed, substituted, and/or supplemented.
“Subordinated Indebtedness” means a collective reference to any Indebtedness entered into by the Borrower or any Subsidiary the payment of which is subordinated to payment of the obligations under the Loan Documents, which Indebtedness is subject to a Subordination Agreement in favor of the Administrative Agent, for the benefit of the Secured Parties, as any such Indebtedness may be from time to time amended, modified, extended, renewed, substituted, and/or supplemented in accordance with the terms hereof, thereof and the applicable Subordination Agreement.
“subsidiary” means, with respect to any Person (the “parent”) at any date, any corporation, limited liability company, partnership, association or other entity the accounts of which would be consolidated with those of the parent in the parent’s consolidated financial statements if such financial statements were prepared in accordance with GAAP as of such date, as well as any other corporation, limited liability company, partnership, association or other entity (a) of which securities or other ownership interests representing more than 50% of the equity or more than 50% of the ordinary voting power or, in the case of a partnership, more than 50% of the general partnership interests are, as of such date, owned, Controlled or held, or (b) that is, as of such date, otherwise Controlled by the parent and/or one or more subsidiaries of the parent.
“Subsidiary” means any subsidiary of the Borrower.
“Subsidiary Guarantor” and “Subsidiary Guarantors” means, individually and collectively, as the context may require, (a) Mistras International Holdings Inc., a Delaware corporation, (b) West Penn Non-Destructive Testing, LLC, a Pennsylvania limited liability company, and (c) any additional guarantors added pursuant to the terms, conditions, and provisions of Section 5.13 hereof, all on a joint and several basis.
“Subsidiary Guaranty” means the Guaranty Agreement dated of even date herewith executed and delivered by the Subsidiary Guarantors, on a joint and several basis, in favor of Administrative Agent, for the benefit of the Secured Parties, as said Guaranty Agreement may be from time to time amended, modified, extended, renewed, substituted, and/or supplemented.
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“Supported QFC” has the meaning assigned to it in Section 9.18.
“Swap Agreement” 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, shall be hereinafter referred to as a “Master Agreement”), including any such obligations or liabilities under any Master Agreement.
“Swap Obligations” means any and all obligations of the Borrower or any Subsidiary, whether absolute or contingent and howsoever and whensoever created, arising, evidenced or acquired (including all renewals, extensions and modifications thereof and substitutions therefor), under (a) any and all Swap Agreements permitted hereunder with a Lender or an Affiliate of a Lender, and (b) any and all cancellations, buy backs, reversals, terminations or assignments of any such Swap Agreement transaction.
“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).
“Swingline Exposure” means, at any time, the aggregate principal amount of all Swingline Loans outstanding at such time. The Swingline Exposure of any Lender at any time shall be the sum of (a) its Applicable Percentage of the aggregate principal amount of all Swingline Loans outstanding at such time (excluding, in the case of any Lender that is a Swingline Lender, Swingline Loans made by such Lender in its capacity as a Swingline Lender that are outstanding at such time to the extent that the other Lenders shall not have funded their participations in such Swingline Loans), adjusted to give effect to any reallocation under Section 2.20 of the Swingline Exposure of Defaulting Lenders in effect at such time, and (b) in the case of any Lender that is a Swingline Lender, the aggregate principal amount of all Swingline Loans made by such Lender as a Swingline Lender outstanding at such time, less the amount of participations funded by the other Lenders in such Swingline Loans.
“Swingline Lenders” means JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. (or any of its designated branch offices or affiliates) in its capacity as a lender of Swingline Loans hereunder.
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“Swingline Loan” means a Loan made pursuant to Section 2.05. All Swingline Loans shall be denominated in Dollars.
“Syndication Agent” means Bank of America, N.A.
“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 application of any Debtor Relief Laws to 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), value added taxes, or any other goods and services, use or sales taxes, assessments, fees or other charges imposed by any Governmental Authority, including any interest, additions to tax or penalties applicable thereto.
“Term Benchmark” when used in reference to any Loan or Borrowing, refers to whether such Loan, or the Loans comprising such Borrowing, are bearing interest at a rate determined by reference to the Adjusted Term SOFR Rate, the CDOR Rate, the Adjusted EURIBOR Rate or the Adjusted TIBOR Rate.
“Term Lender” means, as of any date of determination, each Lender having a Term Loan Commitment or that holds Term Loans.
“Term Loan Borrowing” means Term Loans of the same Type, made, converted or continued on the same date and, in the case of Term Benchmark Loans, as to which a single Interest Period is in effect.
“Term Loan Commitment” means (a) as to any Term Lender, the amount under the column “Term Loan Commitment” set forth on Schedule 2.01A opposite such Lender’s name, or in the most recent Assignment Agreement or other documentation or record (as such term is defined in Section 9-102(a)(70) of the UCC) as provided in Section 9.04, executed by such Term Lender, and giving effect to any reduction or increase in such amount from time to time pursuant to assignments by or to such Lender pursuant to Section 9.04, and (b) as to all Term Lenders, the aggregate commitment of all Term Lenders to make Term Loans, which aggregate commitment shall be $125,000,000 on the date of this Agreement. After advancing the Term Loan, each reference to a Term Lender’s Term Loan Commitment shall refer to that Term Lender’s Applicable Percentage of the Term Loans.
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“Term Loans” means the term loans made by the Term Lenders to the Borrower pursuant to Section 2.01(b).
“Term SOFR Determination Day” has the meaning assigned to it under the definition of Term SOFR Reference Rate.
“Term SOFR Rate” means, with respect to any Term Benchmark Borrowing denominated in Dollars and for any tenor comparable to the applicable Interest Period, the Term SOFR Reference Rate at approximately 5:00 a.m., Chicago time, two U.S. Government Securities Business Days prior to the commencement of such tenor comparable to the applicable Interest Period, as such rate is published by the CME Term SOFR Administrator.
“Term SOFR Reference Rate” means, for any day and time (such day, the “Term SOFR Determination Day”), with respect to any Term Benchmark Borrowing denominated in Dollars and for any tenor comparable to the applicable Interest Period, the rate per annum published by the CME Term SOFR Administrator and identified by the Administrative Agent as the forward- looking term rate based on SOFR. If by 5:00 pm (New York City time) on such Term SOFR Determination Day, the “Term SOFR Reference Rate” for the applicable tenor has not been published by the CME Term SOFR Administrator and a Benchmark Replacement Date with respect to the Term SOFR Rate has not occurred, then, so long as such day is otherwise a U.S. Government Securities Business Day, the Term SOFR Reference Rate for such Term SOFR Determination Day will be the Term SOFR Reference Rate as published in respect of the first preceding U.S. Government Securities Business Day for which such Term SOFR Reference Rate was published by the CME Term SOFR Administrator, so long as such first preceding U.S. Government Securities Business Day is not more than five (5) U.S. Government Securities Business Days prior to such Term SOFR Determination Day.
“Threshold Amount” means $3,500,000.
“TIBOR Rate” means, with respect to any Term Benchmark Borrowing denominated in Yen and for any Interest Period, the TIBOR Screen Rate two Business Days prior to the commencement of such Interest Period.
“TIBOR Screen Rate” means the Tokyo interbank offered rate administered by the Ippan Shadan Hojin JBA TIBOR Administration (or any other person which takes over the administration of that rate) for the relevant currency and period displayed on page DTIBOR01 of the Reuters screen (or, in the event such rate does not appear on such Reuters page or screen, on any successor or substitute page on such screen that displays such rate, or on the appropriate page of such other information service that publishes such rate as selected by the Administrative Agent from time to time in its reasonable discretion) as published at approximately 1:00 p.m. Japan time two Business Days prior to the commencement of such Interest Period.
“Total Consolidated Debt” means, as of any date of determination thereof, all outstanding Indebtedness for borrowed money and other interest-bearing Indebtedness, in each case, whether senior, junior, or otherwise subordinate, including, without limitation, current and long term Indebtedness, any Subordinated Indebtedness and junior Secured Indebtedness, specifically excluding, however, (i) the capital lease between the Borrower and S.J. Vahaviolos Partners L.L.C.
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relating to the Borrower’s use and occupancy of the premises located at 195 Clarksville Road, Princeton Junction, New Jersey and (ii) Attributable Receivables Indebtedness under any Permitted Receivables Facility.
“Total Consolidated Debt Leverage Ratio” means, as of any date of determination, the ratio of (a) Total Consolidated Debt as of said date of determination, to (b) EBITDA for the period of four consecutive fiscal quarters immediately preceding said date of determination, taken together as one accounting period.
“Total Credit Exposure” means the sum of the Total Revolving Credit Exposure and the aggregate principal amount of all Term Loans outstanding at such time.
“Total Revolving Credit Exposure” means, at any time, the sum of (a) the outstanding principal amount of the Revolving Loans and Swingline Loans at such time and (b) the total LC Exposure at such time.
“TTM EBITDA” means an amount equal to the “Designated Percentage” (as such term is defined below) of the actual historical EBITDA of any Person acquired by the Borrower or one of its Subsidiaries in accordance with the terms, conditions, and provisions of this Agreement, as such EBITDA is calculated as agreed between the Borrower and the Administrative Agent, based on the Administrative Agent’s review of the acquired Person’s financial statements for the twelve
(12) month period immediately preceding the last day of the last fiscal quarter of the acquired Person occurring prior to the date of acquisition or such Person’s Federal tax returns covering all or any portion of said period. For the purposes of this definition, the term “Designated Percentage” shall mean (a) in the event the acquired Person’s financial statements are “audited” statements, one hundred percent (100%), (b) in the event the acquired Person’s financial statements are “reviewed” statements, seventy-five percent (75%), (c) in the event the acquired Person’s Federal tax returns are reviewed by the Administrative Agent, seventy-five percent (75%), and (d) in the event the acquired Person’s financial statements are “compiled” statements, fifty percent (50%).
“Trademark and Patent Security Agreement” means each Trademark and Patent Security Agreement (including any and all supplements thereto) between the Loan Parties signatory thereto and the Administrative Agent, for the benefit of the Administrative Agent and the other Secured Parties, or other substantially similar agreement entered into, on or after the date of this Agreement by any Loan Party (as required by this Agreement or any other Loan Document), or any other Person, in each case in form and substance reasonably acceptable to the Administrative Agent and as the same may be amended, restated or otherwise modified from time to time.
“Transactions” means the execution, delivery and performance by the Loan Parties of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents, the borrowing of Loans and other credit extensions, the use of the proceeds thereof and the issuance of Letters of Credit hereunder.
“Type”, when used in reference to any Loan or Borrowing, refers to whether the rate of interest on such Loan, or on the Loans comprising such Borrowing, is determined by reference to the Adjusted Term SOFR Rate, the Adjusted EURIBOR Rate, the CDOR Rate, the Adjusted
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TIBOR Rate, the Alternate Base Rate, the Adjusted Daily Simple RFR or the Central Bank/Prime Rate.
“UCC” means the Uniform Commercial Code as in effect from time to time in the State of New York or any other state the laws of which are required to be applied in connection with the issue of perfection of security interests.
“UK Financial Institutions” means any BRRD Undertaking (as such term is defined under the PRA Rulebook (as amended from time to time) promulgated by the United Kingdom Prudential Regulation Authority) or any person falling within 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.
“Unadjusted Benchmark Replacement” means the applicable Benchmark Replacement excluding the related Benchmark Replacement Adjustment.
“Unfunded Commitment” means, with respect to each Lender, the Revolving Commitment of such Lender less its Revolving Credit Exposure,
“Unliquidated Obligations” means, at any time, any Secured Obligations (or portion thereof) that are contingent in nature or unliquidated at such time, including any Secured Obligation that is: (i) an obligation to reimburse a bank for drawings not yet made under a letter of credit issued by it; (ii) any other obligation (including any guarantee) that is contingent in nature at such time; or (iii) an obligation to provide collateral to secure any of the foregoing types of obligations.
“U.S. Government Securities Business Day” means any day except for (i) a Saturday, (ii) a Sunday or (iii) a day on which the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association recommends that the fixed income departments of its members be closed for the entire day for purposes of trading in United States government securities.
“U.S. Person” means a “United States person” within the meaning of Section 7701(a)(30) of the Code.
“U.S. Special Resolution Regime” has the meaning assigned to it in Section 9.18.
“U.S. Tax Compliance Certificate” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 2.17(f)(ii)(B)(3).
“Wholly-Owned Subsidiary” of the Borrower means a Subsidiary of which the Borrower owns, directly or indirectly through another Subsidiary, ninety-five percent (95%) or more of the issued and outstanding capital stock or other equity interests.
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“Withdrawal Liability” means liability to a Multiemployer Plan as a result of a complete or partial withdrawal from such Multiemployer Plan, as such terms are defined in Part I of Subtitle E of Title IV of ERISA.
“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.
“Yen” or “¥” means the lawful currency of Japan.
SECTION 1.02. Classification of Loans and Borrowings. For purposes of this Agreement, Loans may be classified and referred to by Class (e.g., a “Revolving Loan”) or by Type (e.g., a “Term Benchmark Loan” or an “RFR Loan”) or by Class and Type (e.g., a “Term Benchmark Revolving Loan” or an “RFR Revolving Loan”). Borrowings also may be classified and referred to by Class (e.g., a “Revolving Borrowing”) or by Type (e.g., a “Term Benchmark Borrowing” or an “RFR Borrowing”) or by Class and Type (e.g., a “Term Benchmark Revolving Borrowing” or an “RFR Revolving Borrowing”).
SECTION 1.03. Terms Generally. 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”. The word “law” shall be construed as referring to all statutes, rules, regulations, codes and other laws (including official rulings and interpretations thereunder having the force of law or with which affected Persons customarily comply), and all judgments, orders and decrees, of all Governmental Authorities. Unless the context requires otherwise (a) any definition of or reference to any agreement, instrument or other document herein shall be construed as referring to such agreement, instrument or other document as from time to time amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified (subject to any restrictions on such amendments, restatements, supplements or modifications set forth herein), (b) any reference herein to any Person shall be construed to include such Person’s successors and assigns (subject to any restrictions on assignment set forth herein) and, in the case of any Governmental Authority, any other Governmental Authority that shall have succeeded to any or all functions thereof, (c) the words “herein”, “hereof” and “hereunder”, and words of similar import, shall be construed to refer to this Agreement in its entirety and not to any particular provision hereof, (d) all references herein to Articles, Sections, Exhibits and Schedules shall be construed to refer to Articles and Sections of, and Exhibits and Schedules to, this Agreement, (e) any reference to any law, rule or regulation herein shall, unless otherwise specified, refer to such law, rule or regulation as amended, modified or supplemented
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from time to time and (f) 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.
SECTION 1.04. Accounting Terms; GAAP; Pro Forma Calculations; Limited Condition Transactions. (a) Except as otherwise expressly provided herein, all terms of an accounting or financial nature shall be construed in accordance with GAAP, as in effect from time to time; provided that, if the Borrower notifies the Administrative Agent that the Borrower requests an amendment to any provision hereof to eliminate the effect of any change occurring after the date hereof in GAAP or in the application thereof on the operation of such provision (or if the Administrative Agent notifies the Borrower that the Required Lenders request an amendment to any provision hereof for such purpose), regardless of whether any such notice is given before or after such change in GAAP or in the application thereof, then such provision shall be interpreted on the basis of GAAP as in effect and applied immediately before such change shall have become effective until such notice shall have been withdrawn or such provision amended in accordance herewith. Notwithstanding any other provision contained herein, all terms of an accounting or financial nature used herein shall be construed, and all computations of amounts and ratios referred to herein shall be made, without giving effect to (i) any election under Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Codification 825 (or any other Financial Accounting Standard having a similar result or effect) to value any Indebtedness or other liabilities of the Borrower or any Subsidiary at “fair value”, as defined therein and (ii) any treatment of Indebtedness in respect of convertible debt instruments under Accounting Standards Codification 470-20 or 2015-03 (or any other Accounting Standards Codification or Financial Accounting Standard having a similar result or effect) to value any such Indebtedness in a reduced or bifurcated manner as described therein, and such Indebtedness shall at all times be valued at the full stated principal amount thereof.
(b) All pro forma computations required or permitted to be made hereunder giving effect to any Acquisition or Disposition, or issuance, incurrence or assumption of Indebtedness, or other transaction shall in each case be calculated giving pro forma effect thereto (and, in the case of any pro forma computation made hereunder to determine whether such Acquisition or Disposition, or issuance, incurrence or assumption of Indebtedness, or other transaction is permitted to be consummated hereunder, to any other such transaction consummated since the first day of the period covered by any component of such pro forma computation and on or prior to the date of such computation) as if such transaction had occurred on the first day of the period of four consecutive fiscal quarters ending with the most recent fiscal quarter for which financial statements shall have been delivered pursuant to Section 5.01(a) or 5.01(b) (or, prior to the delivery of any such financial statements, ending with the last fiscal quarter included in the financial statements referred to in Section 3.04(a)), and, to the extent applicable, to the historical earnings and cash flows associated with the assets acquired or disposed of (but without giving effect to any synergies or cost savings) and any related incurrence or reduction of Indebtedness, all in accordance with Article 11 of Regulation S-X under the Securities Act. If any Indebtedness bears a floating rate of interest and is being given pro forma effect, the interest on such Indebtedness shall be calculated as if the rate in effect on the date of determination had been the applicable rate for the entire period (taking into account any Swap Agreement applicable to such Indebtedness).
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(c) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in Section 1.04(a) or in the definition of “Capital Lease Obligations,” any change in accounting for leases pursuant to GAAP resulting from the adoption of Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Update No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842) (“FAS 842”), to the extent such adoption would require treating any lease (or similar arrangement conveying the right to use) as a capital lease where such lease (or similar arrangement) would not have been required to be so treated under GAAP as in effect on December 31, 2015, such lease shall not be considered a capital lease, and all calculations (including with respect to assets and liabilities associated with such lease) and deliverables under this Agreement or any other Loan Document shall be made or delivered, as applicable, in accordance therewith.
(d) In connection with any action being taken in connection with a Limited Condition Transaction, for purposes of:
(i) determining compliance with any provision of this Agreement which requires the calculation of any financial ratio or test, including the Total Consolidated Debt Leverage Ratio, the Senior Leverage Ratio or the Senior Secured Leverage Ratio;
(ii) testing availability under baskets set forth in this Agreement (including baskets measuredas a percentage of Consolidated operating income, EBITDA or Consolidated Total Assets); or
(iii) determining the accuracy of any representation or warranty or the existence of any Default or Event of Default
in each case, at the option of the Borrower (the Borrower’s election to exercise such option in connection with any Limited Condition Transaction, an “LCT Election”), the date of determination of whether any such action is permitted hereunder shall be deemed to be the date the definitive agreement for such Limited Condition Transaction is entered into (the “LCT Test Date”), and if, after giving pro forma effect to the Limited Condition Transaction, the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries would have been permitted to take such action on the relevant LCT Test Date in compliance with such ratio, test or basket or other provision, such ratio, test or basket shall be deemed to have been complied with; provided, that as of the effective date of any Limited Condition Transaction, no Event of Default under clause (a), (f) or (g) of Section 7.01 shall be permitted to be in existence immediately before or immediately after giving effect (including on a pro forma basis) to such Limited Condition Transaction. For the avoidance of doubt, if the Borrower has made an LCT Election and any of the ratios, tests or baskets or other provision for which compliance was determined or tested as of the LCT Test Date would have failed to have been satisfied as a result of fluctuations in any such ratio, test or basket or other provision, including due to fluctuations in EBITDA, Consolidated operating income or Consolidated Total Assets, at or prior to the consummation of the relevant transaction or action, such baskets, tests or ratios will not be deemed to have failed to have been satisfied as a result of such fluctuations (other than as described in the proviso to the immediately preceding sentence).
SECTION 1.05. Interest Rates; Benchmark Notification. The interest rate on a Loan denominated in Dollars or a Foreign Currency may be derived from an interest rate benchmark
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that may be discontinued or is, or may in the future become, the subject of regulatory reform. Upon the occurrence of a Benchmark Transition Event, Section 2.14(b) provides a mechanism for determining an alternative rate of interest. The Administrative Agent does not warrant or accept any responsibility for, and shall not have any liability with respect to, the administration, submission, performance or any other matter related to any interest rate used in this Agreement, or with respect to any alternative or successor rate thereto, or replacement rate thereof, including without limitation, whether the composition or characteristics of any such alternative, successor or replacement reference rate will be similar to, or produce the same value or economic equivalence of, the existing interest rate being replaced or have the same volume or liquidity as did any existing interest rate prior to its discontinuance or unavailability. The Administrative Agent and its affiliates and/or other related entities may engage in transactions that affect the calculation of any interest rate used in this Agreement or any alternative, successor or alternative rate (including any Benchmark Replacement) and/or any relevant adjustments thereto, in each case, in a manner adverse to the Borrower. The Administrative Agent may select information sources or services in its reasonable discretion to ascertain any interest rate used in this Agreement, any component thereof, or rates referenced in the definition thereof, in each case pursuant to the terms of this Agreement, and shall have no liability to the Borrower, any Lender or any other person or entity for damages of any kind, including direct or indirect, special, punitive, incidental or consequential damages, costs, losses or expenses (whether in tort, contract or otherwise and whether at law or in equity), for any error or calculation of any such rate (or component thereof) provided by any such information source or service.
SECTION 1.06. 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 available to be drawn at such time; provided that with respect to any Letter of Credit that, by its terms, provides for one or more automatic increases in the available amount thereof, the amount of such Letter of Credit shall be deemed to be the Dollar Equivalent of the maximum amount of such Letter of Credit after giving effect to all such increases, whether or not such maximum amount is available to be drawn at such time.
SECTION 1.07. Divisions. For all purposes under the Loan Documents, in connection with any division or plan of division under Delaware law (or any comparable event under a different jurisdiction’s laws): (a) if any asset, right, obligation or liability of any Person becomes the asset, right, obligation or liability of a different Person, then it shall be deemed to have been transferred from the original Person to the subsequent Person, and (b) if any new Person comes into existence, such new Person shall be deemed to have been organized and acquired on the first date of its existence by the holders of its Equity Interests at such time.
SECTION 1.08. Status of Obligations. In the event that the Borrower or any other Loan Party shall at any time issue or have outstanding any Subordinated Indebtedness, the Borrower shall take or cause such other Loan Party to take all such actions as shall be necessary to cause the Secured Obligations to constitute senior indebtedness (however denominated) in respect of such Subordinated Indebtedness and to enable the Administrative Agent and the Lenders to have and exercise any payment blockage or other remedies available or potentially available to holders of senior indebtedness under the terms of such Subordinated Indebtedness. Without limiting the foregoing, the Secured Obligations are hereby designated as “senior indebtedness” and as “designated senior indebtedness” and words of similar import under and in respect of any
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indenture or other agreement or instrument under which such Subordinated Indebtedness is outstanding and are further given all such other designations as shall be required under the terms of any such Subordinated Indebtedness in order that the Lenders may have and exercise any payment blockage or other remedies available or potentially available to holders of senior indebtedness under the terms of such Subordinated Indebtedness.
SECTION 1.09. Exchange Rates; Currency Equivalents. (a) The Administrative Agent or an Issuing Bank, as applicable, shall determine the Dollar Equivalent amounts of Term Benchmark Borrowings or RFR Borrowing or Letter of Credit extensions denominated in Foreign 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 the Borrower hereunder or calculating financial covenants hereunder or except as otherwise provided herein, the applicable amount of any Agreed Currency (other than Dollars) for purposes of the Loan Documents shall be such Dollar Equivalent amount as so determined by the Administrative Agent or an Issuing Bank, as applicable.
(b) Wherever in this Agreement in connection with a Borrowing, conversion, continuation or prepayment of a Term Benchmark Loan or an RFR 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, Loan or Letter of Credit is denominated in a Foreign Currency, such amount shall be the Dollar Equivalent of such amount (rounded to the nearest unit of such Foreign Currency, with 0.5 of a unit being rounded upward), as determined by the Administrative Agent or an Issuing Bank, as the case may be.
ARTICLE II
The Credits
SECTION 2.01. Commitments. Subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein,
(a) each Revolving Lender (severally and not jointly) agrees to make Revolving Loans to the Borrower in Dollars or in one or more Foreign Currencies from time to time during the Availability Period in an aggregate principal amount that will not result (after giving effect to any application of proceeds of such Borrowing pursuant to Section 2.10) in (i) the Dollar Equivalent of such Lender’s Revolving Credit Exposure exceeding such Lender’s Revolving Commitment or (ii) the Dollar Equivalent of the total outstanding Revolving Loans and LC Exposure, in each case denominated in Foreign Currencies, exceeding the Foreign Currency Sublimit, and (b) each Term Lender with a Term Loan Commitment (severally and not jointly) agrees to make a Term Loan to the Borrower in Dollars on the Effective Date, in an amount equal to such Lender’s Term Loan Commitment by making immediately available funds available to the Administrative Agent’s designated account, not later than the time specified by the Administrative Agent. Within the foregoing limits and subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, the Borrower may borrow, prepay and reborrow Revolving Loans. Amounts repaid or prepaid in respect of Term Loans may not be reborrowed.
SECTION 2.02. Loans and Borrowings. (a) Each Loan (other than a Swingline Loan) shall be made as part of a Borrowing consisting of Loans of the same Class and Type made by the applicable Lenders ratably in accordance with their respective Commitments of the
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applicable Class. The failure of any Lender to make any Loan required to be made by it shall not relieve any other Lender of its obligations hereunder; provided that the Commitments of the Lenders are several and no Lender shall be responsible for any other Lender’s failure to make Loans as required. Any Swingline Loan shall be made in accordance with the procedures set forth in Section 2.05. The Term Loans shall amortize as set forth in Section 2.10.
(b) Subject to Section 2.14, each Borrowing shall be comprised (A) in the case of Borrowings in Dollars, entirely of ABR Loans, Term Benchmark Loans or RFR Loans and (B) in the case of Borrowings in any other Agreed Currency, entirely of Term Benchmark Loans or RFR Loans, as applicable, in each case of the same Agreed Currency, as the Borrower may request in accordance herewith; provided that all Borrowings made on the Effective Date must be made as ABR Borrowings but may be converted into Term Benchmark Borrowings in accordance with Section 2.08 and each ABR Loan shall only be made in Dollars. Each Swingline Loan shall be an ABR Loan. Each Lender at its option may make any Term Benchmark Loan by causing any domestic or foreign branch or Affiliate of such Lender to make such Loan (and in the case of an Affiliate, the provisions of Sections 2.14, 2.15, 2.16 and 2.17 shall apply to such Affiliate to the same extent as to such Lender); provided that any exercise of such option shall not affect the obligation of the Borrower to repay such Loan in accordance with the terms of this Agreement.
(c) At the commencement of each Interest Period for any Term Benchmark Revolving Borrowing, such Borrowing shall be in an aggregate amount that is an integral multiple of the Dollar Equivalent of $1,000,000 and not less than the Dollar Equivalent of $500,000. At the time that each ABR Revolving Borrowing and/or RFR Borrowing is made, such Borrowing shall be in an aggregate amount that is an integral multiple of the Dollar Equivalent of $1,000,000 and not less than the Dollar Equivalent of $500,000; provided that an ABR Revolving Borrowing may be in an aggregate amount that is equal to the entire unused balance of the total Revolving Commitments or that is required to finance the reimbursement of an LC Disbursement as contemplated by Section 2.06(e). Each Swingline Loan shall be in an amount that is an integral multiple of $1,000,000 and not less than $500,000. Borrowings of more than one Type and Class may be outstanding at the same time; provided that there shall not at any time be more than a total of fifteen (15) Term Benchmark Revolving Borrowings or RFR Borrowings outstanding.
(d) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, the Borrower shall not be entitled to request, or to elect to convert or continue, any Borrowing if the Interest Period requested with respect thereto would end after the Maturity Date.
SECTION 2.03. Requests for Borrowings. To request a Borrowing, the Borrower shall notify the Administrative Agent of such request by submitting a Borrowing Request (a)(i)(x) in the case of a Term Benchmark Borrowing denominated in Dollars, not later than 11:00 a.m., New York City time, three U.S. Government Securities Business Days before the date of the proposed Borrowing or (y) in the case of an RFR Borrowing denominated in Dollars, not later than 11:00 a.m. New York City time, five U.S. Government Securities Business Days before the date of the proposed Borrowing, and (ii) in the case of a Term Benchmark Borrowing denominated in a Foreign Currency, not later than 11:00 a.m., New York City time, three Business Days before the date of the proposed Borrowing, or (b) in the case of an ABR Borrowing, not later than 11:00 a.m., New York City time, one (1) Business Day before the date of the proposed Borrowing; provided that any such notice of an ABR Revolving Borrowing to finance the
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reimbursement of an LC Disbursement as contemplated by Section 2.06(e) may be given not later than 10:00 a.m., New York City time, on the date of the proposed Borrowing. Each such Borrowing Request shall be irrevocable and shall be signed by a Responsible Officer of the Borrower. Each such Borrowing Request shall specify the following information in compliance with Section 2.02:
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Borrowing;
(i)
the Agreed Currency and aggregate amount of the requested
(ii) the date of such Borrowing, which shall be a Business Day;
(iii) whether such Borrowing is to be an ABR Borrowing or a Term
Benchmark Borrowing or an RFR Borrowing and whether such Borrowing is a Revolving Borrowing or a Term Loan Borrowing;
(iv) in the case of a Term Benchmark Borrowing, the initial Interest Period to be applicable thereto, which shall be a period contemplated by the definition of the term “Interest Period”; and
(v) the location and number of the Borrower’s account to which funds are to be disbursed, which shall comply with the requirements of Section 2.07.
If no election as to the currency of a Borrowing is specified, then the requested Borrowing shall be made in Dollars. If no election as to the Type of Borrowing is specified, then the requested Borrowing shall be an ABR Borrowing made in Dollars. If no Interest Period is specified with respect to any requested Term Benchmark Revolving Borrowing, then the Borrower shall be deemed to have selected an Interest Period of one month’s duration. Promptly following receipt of a Borrowing Request in accordance with this Section, the Administrative Agent shall advise each Lender of the details thereof and of the amount of such Lender’s Loan to be made as part of the requested Borrowing. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in no event shall the Borrower be permitted to request pursuant to this Section 2.03, a CBR Loan or, prior to a Benchmark Transition Event and Benchmark Replacement Date with respect to the Term SOFR Rate, a Daily Simple SOFR Loan (it being understood and agreed that a Central Bank/Prime Rate and Daily Simple SOFR shall only apply to the extent provided in Sections 2.08(e) (solely with respect to the Central Bank/Prime Rate), 2.14(a) and 2.14(f)).
SECTION 2.04. [Reserved.]
SECTION 2.05. Swingline Loans (a) Subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, from time to time during the Availability Period, each Swingline Lender severally may, but shall have no obligation to, make Swingline Loans in Dollars to the Borrower in an aggregate principal amount at any time outstanding that will not result in (i) the aggregate principal amount of outstanding Swingline Loans exceeding $20,000,000 or (ii) the Dollar Equivalent of the Swingline Lender’s Revolving Credit Exposure exceeding its Revolving Commitment; provided that a Swingline Lender shall not be required to make a Swingline Loan to refinance an outstanding Swingline Loan. Within the foregoing limits and subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, the Borrower may borrow, prepay and reborrow Swingline Loans.
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(b) To request a Swingline Loan, the Borrower shall submit a written notice to the Administrative Agent by telecopy or electronic mail not later than 12:00 noon, New York City time, on the day of a proposed Swingline Loan. Each such notice shall be in a form approved by the Administrative Agent, shall be irrevocable and shall specify the requested date (which shall be a Business Day) and amount of the requested Swingline Loan. The Administrative Agent will promptly advise the Swingline Lenders of any such notice received from the Borrower. The Swingline Lender shall make each Swingline Loan available to the Borrower by means of a credit to an account of the Borrower with the Administrative Agent designated for such purpose (or, in the case of a Swingline Loan made to finance the reimbursement of an LC Disbursement as provided in Section 2.06(e), by remittance to the Issuing Bank) by 3:00 p.m., New York City time, on the requested date of such Swingline Loan.
(c) The Swingline Lender may by written notice given to the Administrative Agent require the Revolving Lenders to acquire participations in all or a portion of its Swingline Loans outstanding. Such notice shall specify the aggregate amount of Swingline Loans in which Revolving Lenders will participate. Promptly upon receipt of such notice, the Administrative Agent will give notice thereof to each Revolving Lender, specifying in such notice such Lender’s Applicable Percentage of such Swingline Loans. Each Revolving Lender hereby absolutely and unconditionally agrees, promptly upon receipt of such notice from the Administrative Agent (and in any event, if such notice is received by 12:00 noon, New York City time, on a Business Day no later than 5:00 p.m. New York City time on such Business Day and if received after 12:00 noon, New York City time, on a Business Day shall mean no later than 10:00 a.m. New York City time on the immediately succeeding Business Day), to pay to the Administrative Agent, for the account of the Swingline Lender, such Lender’s Applicable Percentage of such Swingline Loans. Each Revolving Lender acknowledges and agrees that its obligation to acquire participations in Swingline Loans pursuant to this paragraph is absolute and unconditional and shall not be affected by any circumstance whatsoever, including the occurrence and continuance of a Default or reduction or termination of the Commitments, and that each such payment shall be made without any offset, abatement, withholding or reduction whatsoever. Each Revolving Lender shall comply with its obligation under this paragraph by wire transfer of immediately available funds, in the same manner as provided in Section 2.07 with respect to Loans made by such Lender (and Section 2.07 shall apply, mutatis mutandis, to the payment obligations of the Lenders), and the Administrative Agent shall promptly pay to the Swingline Lender the amounts so received by it from the Lenders. The Administrative Agent shall notify the Borrower of any participations in any Swingline Loan acquired pursuant to this paragraph, and thereafter payments in respect of such Swingline Loan shall be made to the Administrative Agent and not to the Swingline Lender. Any amounts received by the Swingline Lender from the Borrower (or other party on behalf of the Borrower) in respect of a Swingline Loan after receipt by the Swingline Lender of the proceeds of a sale of participations therein shall be promptly remitted to the Administrative Agent; any such amounts received by the Administrative Agent shall be promptly remitted by the Administrative Agent to the Revolving Lenders that shall have made their payments pursuant to this paragraph and to the Swingline Lender, as their interests may appear; provided that any such payment so remitted shall be repaid to the Swingline Lender or to the Administrative Agent, as applicable, if and to the extent such payment is required to be refunded to the Borrower for any reason. The purchase of participations in a Swingline Loan pursuant to this paragraph shall not relieve the Borrower of any default in the payment thereof.
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(d) The Swingline Lender may be replaced at any time by written agreement among the Borrower, the Administrative Agent, the replaced Swingline Lender and the successor Swingline Lender. The Administrative Agent shall notify the Lenders of any such replacement of the Swingline Lender. At the time any such replacement shall become effective, the Borrower shall pay all unpaid interest accrued for the account of the replaced Swingline Lender pursuant to Section 2.13(a). From and after the effective date of any such replacement, (x) the successor Swingline Lender shall have all the rights and obligations of the replaced Swingline Lender under this Agreement with respect to Swingline Loans made thereafter and (y) references herein to the term “Swingline Lender” shall be deemed to refer to such successor or to any previous Swingline Lender, or to such successor and all previous Swingline Lenders, as the context shall require. After the replacement of the Swingline Lender hereunder, the replaced Swingline Lender shall remain a party hereto and shall continue to have all the rights and obligations of a Swingline Lender under this Agreement with respect to Swingline Loans made by it prior to its replacement, but shall not be required to make additional Swingline Loans.
(e) Subject to the appointment and acceptance of a successor Swingline Lender, the Swingline Lender may resign as Swingline Lender at any time upon thirty days’ prior written notice to the Administrative Agent, the Borrower and the Lenders, in which case, the Swingline Lender shall be replaced in accordance with Section 2.05(d) above.
SECTION 2.06. Letters of Credit (a) General. Subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, the Borrower may request any Issuing Bank to issue Letters of Credit denominated in Agreed Currencies as the applicant thereof for the support of its or its Subsidiaries’ obligations, in a form reasonably acceptable to such Issuing Bank, at any time and from time to time during the Availability Period; provided, that Bank of America, N.A. shall not be required to issue any new Letter of Credit pursuant to this Section 2.06 (but shall continue to act as Issuing Bank in respect of the Existing Letters of Credit until the stated maturity thereof as of the Effective Date, as listed on Schedule 2.06 hereto) unless and until the BANA Commitment Start Date has occurred. Each Existing Letter of Credit shall be deemed to constitute a Letter of Credit issued hereunder on the Effective Date.
If (i) any letter of credit has been previously issued by an Issuing Bank, (ii) the reimbursement obligations of the account party (the “Original Letter of Credit Account Party”) relating to such letter of credit have been or are assumed in writing by the Borrower pursuant to a Permitted Acquisition or other transaction, in each case, permitted under this Agreement, (iii) after giving effect to the inclusion of such letter of credit as a Letter of Credit hereunder, the provisions of Section 2.06(b) shall not be contravened, (iv) such letter of credit satisfies all of the requirements of a Letter of Credit hereunder, and (v) the conditions of Sections 4.01 and 4.02 are satisfied, then upon the written request (which request shall include a statement that the foregoing requirements
(i) through (v), inclusive, have been satisfied) of the Borrower to such Issuing Bank (consented to in writing by such Issuing Bank) and the submission by the Borrower to the Administrative Agent of a copy of such request bearing such consent, such letter of credit shall be (from the date of such consent of such Issuing Bank) deemed a Letter of Credit for all purposes of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents and considered issued hereunder pursuant to the terms hereof (the terms hereof and of the other Loan Documents shall govern and prevail in the case of any conflict with the provisions of the agreement(s) pursuant to which such letter of credit had been issued (such agreement(s), the “Original Letter of Credit Agreements”), and such Issuing Bank shall be
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deemed to have released the Original Letter of Credit Account Party and the Borrower, as applicable, from the Original Letter of Credit Agreements to the extent of such conflict). Notwithstanding that any such assumed letter of credit is in support of any obligations of, or is for the account of, a Subsidiary, the Borrower agrees that it shall be obligated to reimburse the applicable Issuing Bank hereunder for any and all drawings under such letter of credit.
(b) Notice of Issuance, Amendment, Renewal, Extension; Certain Conditions. To request the issuance of a Letter of Credit (or the amendment, renewal or extension of an outstanding Letter of Credit, it being acknowledged and agreed that the Existing Letters of Credit shall not be permitted to be extended or renewed), the Borrower shall hand deliver or telecopy (or transmit by electronic communication, if arrangements for doing so have been approved by the respective Issuing Bank) to an Issuing Bank selected by it and to the Administrative Agent (reasonably in advance of the requested date of issuance, amendment, renewal or extension, but in any event no less than three (3) Business Days) a notice requesting the issuance of a Letter of Credit, or identifying the Letter of Credit to be amended, renewed or extended, and specifying the date of issuance, amendment or extension (which shall be a Business Day), the date on which such Letter of Credit is to expire (which shall comply with paragraph (c) of this Section), the amount of such Letter of Credit, the Agreed Currency applicable thereto, the name and address of the beneficiary thereof and such other information as shall be necessary to prepare, amend, renew or extend such Letter of Credit. In addition, as a condition to any such Letter of Credit issuance, the Borrower shall have entered into a continuing agreement (or other letter of credit agreement) for the issuance of letters of credit and/or shall submit a letter of credit application, in each case, as required by the respective Issuing Bank and using such Issuing Bank’s standard form (each, a “Letter of Credit Agreement”). In the event of any conflict between the terms and conditions of this Agreement and the terms and conditions of any Letter of Credit Agreement, the terms and conditions of this Agreement shall control. A Letter of Credit shall be issued, amended, renewed or extended only if (and upon issuance, amendment, renewal or extension of each Letter of Credit the Borrower shall be deemed to represent and warrant that), after giving effect to such issuance, amendment, renewal or extension (i) (x) the Dollar Equivalent of the aggregate undrawn amount of all outstanding Letters of Credit issued by any Issuing Bank at such time plus (y) the aggregate Dollar Equivalent of all LC Disbursements made by such Issuing Bank that have not yet been reimbursed by or on behalf of the Borrower at such time shall not exceed its Letter of Credit Commitment, (ii) the Dollar Equivalent of the LC Exposure shall not exceed the total Letter of Credit Commitments, (iii) no Lender’s Dollar Equivalent of Revolving Credit Exposure shall exceed its Revolving Commitment and (iv) the Dollar Equivalent of the total outstanding Revolving Loans and LC Exposure, in each case denominated in Foreign Currencies, shall not exceed the Foreign Currency Sublimit. The Borrower may, at any time and from time to time, reduce the Letter of Credit Commitment of any Issuing Bank with the consent of such Issuing Bank; provided that the Borrower shall not reduce the Letter of Credit Commitment of any Issuing Bank if, after giving effect of such reduction, the conditions set forth in clauses (i) through (iv) above shall not be satisfied.
An Issuing Bank shall not be under any obligation to issue any Letter of Credit if:
(i) any order, judgment or decree of any Governmental Authority or arbitrator shall by its terms purport to enjoin or restrain such Issuing Bank from issuing such Letter of Credit, or request that such Issuing Bank refrain from issuing such Letter of
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Credit, or any law applicable to such Issuing Bank shall prohibit the issuance of letters of credit generally or such Letter of Credit in particular, or any such order, judgment or decree, or law shall impose upon such Issuing Bank with respect to such Letter of Credit any restriction, reserve or capital or liquidity requirement (for which such Issuing Bank is not otherwise compensated hereunder) not in effect on the Effective Date, or shall impose upon such Issuing Bank any unreimbursed loss, cost or expense that was not applicable on the Effective Date and that such Issuing Bank in good faith deems material to it; or
(ii) the issuance of such Letter of Credit would violate one or more policies of such Issuing Bank applicable to letters of credit generally.
(c) Expiration Date. Each Letter of Credit shall expire (or be subject to termination by notice from the applicable Issuing Bank to the beneficiary thereof) at or prior to the close of business on the earlier of (i) the date one year after the date of the issuance of such Letter of Credit (or, in the case of any renewal or extension of the expiration date thereof, one year after such renewal or extension) and (ii) the date that is five (5) Business Days prior to the Maturity Date.
(d) Participations. By the issuance of a Letter of Credit (or an amendment to a Letter of Credit increasing the amount or extending the term thereof) and without any further action on the part of the applicable Issuing Bank or the Revolving Lenders, such Issuing Bank hereby grants to each Revolving Lender, and each Revolving Lender hereby acquires from such Issuing Bank, a participation in such Letter of Credit equal to such Lender’s Applicable Percentage of the aggregate amount available to be drawn under such Letter of Credit. In consideration and in furtherance of the foregoing, each Revolving Lender hereby absolutely and unconditionally agrees to pay to the Administrative Agent, for the account of the respective Issuing Bank, such Lender’s Applicable Percentage of each LC Disbursement made by such Issuing Bank and not reimbursed by the Borrower on the date due as provided in paragraph (e) of this Section, or of any reimbursement payment required to be refunded to the Borrower for any reason, including after the Maturity Date. Each such payment shall be made without any offset, abatement, withholding or reduction whatsoever. Each Revolving Lender acknowledges and agrees that its obligation to acquire participations pursuant to this paragraph in respect of Letters of Credit is absolute and unconditional and shall not be affected by any circumstance whatsoever, including any amendment, renewal or extension of any Letter of Credit or the occurrence and continuance of a Default or reduction or termination of the Commitments.
(e) Reimbursement. If an Issuing Bank shall make any LC Disbursement in respect of a Letter of Credit, the Borrower shall reimburse such LC Disbursement by paying to the Administrative Agent an amount in the currency of such LC Disbursement equal to such LC Disbursement not later than 12:00 noon, New York City time, on the date that such LC Disbursement is made, if the Borrower shall have received notice of such LC Disbursement prior to 10:00 a.m., New York City time, on such date, or, if such notice has not been received by the Borrower prior to such time on such date, then not later than 12:00 noon, New York City time, on the Business Day immediately following the day that the Borrower receives such notice, if such notice is not received prior to such time on the day of receipt; provided that (x) if such LC Disbursement is denominated in Dollars and is not less than $1,000,000, the Borrower may, subject to the conditions to borrowing set forth herein, request in accordance with Section 2.03 or 2.05 that such payment be financed with an ABR Revolving Borrowing or Swingline Loan in an
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equivalent amount or (y) if such LC Disbursement is denominated in a Foreign Currency and the Dollar Equivalent thereof is not less than $1,000,000, the Borrower may, subject to the conditions to borrowings set forth herein, request in accordance with Section 2.03 that such payment be converted into an equivalent amount of an ABR Revolving Borrowing denominated in Dollars in an amount equal to the Dollar Equivalent of such Foreign Currency and, in each case, to the extent so financed, the Borrower’s obligation to make such payment shall be discharged and replaced by the resulting ABR Revolving Borrowing or Swingline Loan, as applicable. If the Borrower fails to make such payment when due, the Administrative Agent shall notify each Revolving Lender of the applicable LC Disbursement, the payment then due from the Borrower in respect thereof and such Lender’s Applicable Percentage thereof. Promptly following receipt of such notice, each Revolving Lender shall pay to the Administrative Agent its Applicable Percentage of the payment then due from the Borrower, in the same manner as provided in Section 2.07 with respect to Loans made by such Lender (and Section 2.07 shall apply, mutatis mutandis, to the payment obligations of the Revolving Lenders), and the Administrative Agent shall promptly pay to the respective Issuing Bank the amounts so received by it from the Revolving Lenders. Promptly following receipt by the Administrative Agent of any payment from the Borrower pursuant to this paragraph, the Administrative Agent shall distribute such payment to the respective Issuing Bank or, to the extent that Revolving Lenders have made payments pursuant to this paragraph to reimburse such Issuing Bank, then to such Lenders and such Issuing Bank as their interests may appear. Any payment made by a Revolving Lender pursuant to this paragraph to reimburse an Issuing Bank for any LC Disbursement (other than the funding of ABR Revolving Loans or a Swingline Loan as contemplated above) shall not constitute a Loan and shall not relieve the Borrower of its obligation to reimburse such LC Disbursement. If the Borrower’s reimbursement of, or obligation to reimburse, any amounts in any Foreign Currency would subject the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank or any Lender to any stamp duty, ad valorem charge or similar tax that would not be payable if such reimbursement were made or required to be made in Dollars, the Borrower shall, at its option, either (x) pay the amount of any such tax requested by the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank or the relevant Lender or (y) reimburse each LC Disbursement made in such Foreign Currency in Dollars, in an amount equal to the Dollar Equivalent thereof, calculated using the applicable Exchange Rates, on the date such LC Disbursement is made, of such LC Disbursement.
(f) Obligations Absolute. The Borrower’s obligation to reimburse LC Disbursements as provided in paragraph (e) of this Section shall be absolute, unconditional and irrevocable, and shall be performed strictly in accordance with the terms of this Agreement under any and all circumstances whatsoever and irrespective of (i) any lack of validity or enforceability of any Letter of Credit, any Letter of Credit Agreement or this Agreement, or any term or provision therein,
(ii) any draft or other document presented under a Letter of Credit proving to be forged, fraudulent or invalid in any respect or any statement therein being untrue or inaccurate in any respect,
(iii) payment by the respective Issuing Bank under a Letter of Credit against presentation of a draft or other document that does not comply with the terms of such Letter of Credit, (iv) any other event or circumstance whatsoever, whether or not similar to any of the foregoing, that might, but for the provisions of this Section, constitute a legal or equitable discharge of, or provide a right of setoff against, the Borrower’s obligations hereunder or (v) any adverse change in the relevant exchange rates or in the availability of the relevant Foreign Currency to the Borrower or any Subsidiary or in the relevant currency markets generally. Neither the Administrative Agent, the Revolving Lenders nor any Issuing Bank, nor any of their respective Related Parties, shall have any liability or responsibility by reason of or in connection with the issuance or transfer of any
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Letter of Credit or any payment or failure to make any payment thereunder (irrespective of any of the circumstances referred to in the preceding sentence), or any error, omission, interruption, loss or delay in transmission or delivery of any draft, document, notice or other communication under or relating to any Letter of Credit (including any document required to make a drawing thereunder), any error in interpretation of technical terms, any error in translation or any consequence arising from causes beyond the control of the respective Issuing Bank; provided that the foregoing shall not be construed to excuse an Issuing Bank from liability to the Borrower to the extent of any direct damages (as opposed to special, indirect, consequential or punitive damages, claims in respect of which are hereby waived by the Borrower to the extent permitted by applicable law) suffered by the Borrower that are caused by such Issuing Bank’s failure to exercise care when determining whether drafts and other documents presented under a Letter of Credit comply with the terms thereof. The parties hereto expressly agree that, in the absence of gross negligence or willful misconduct on the part of an Issuing Bank (as finally determined by a nonappealable judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction), such Issuing Bank shall be deemed to have exercised care in each such determination. In furtherance of the foregoing and without limiting the generality thereof, the parties agree that, with respect to documents presented which appear on their face to be in substantial compliance with the terms of a Letter of Credit, an Issuing Bank may, in its sole discretion, either accept and make payment upon such documents without responsibility for further investigation, regardless of any notice or information to the contrary, or refuse to accept and make payment upon such documents if such documents are not in strict compliance with the terms of such Letter of Credit.
(g) Disbursement Procedures. The Issuing Bank for any Letter of Credit shall, within the time allowed by applicable law or the specific terms of the Letter of Credit following its receipt thereof, examine all documents purporting to represent a demand for payment under such Letter of Credit. Such Issuing Bank shall promptly after such examination notify the Administrative Agent and the Borrower by telephone (confirmed by telecopy or electronic mail) of such demand for payment if such Issuing Bank has made or will make an LC Disbursement thereunder; provided that such notice need not be given prior to payment by the Issuing Bank and any failure to give or delay in giving such notice shall not relieve the Borrower of its obligation to reimburse such Issuing Bank and the Revolving Lenders with respect to any such LC Disbursement.
(h) Interim Interest. If the Issuing Bank for any Letter of Credit shall make any LC Disbursement, then, unless the Borrower shall reimburse such LC Disbursement in full in the applicable currency on the date such LC Disbursement is made, the unpaid amount thereof shall bear interest, for each day from and including the date such LC Disbursement is made to but excluding the date that the reimbursement is due and payable at the rate per annum then applicable to ABR Revolving Loans and such interest shall be due and payable on the date when such reimbursement is payable; provided that, if the Borrower fails to reimburse such LC Disbursement when due pursuant to paragraph (e) of this Section, then Section 2.13(d) shall apply. Interest accrued pursuant to this paragraph shall be for the account of such Issuing Bank, except that interest accrued on and after the date of payment by any Revolving Lender pursuant to paragraph (e) of this Section to reimburse such Issuing Bank for such LC Disbursement shall be for the account of such Lender to the extent of such payment.
(i) Replacement and Resignation of an Issuing Bank. (i) An Issuing Bank may be replaced at any time by written agreement among the Borrower, the Administrative Agent, the
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replaced Issuing Bank and the successor Issuing Bank. The Administrative Agent shall notify the Revolving Lenders of any such replacement of an Issuing Bank. At the time any such replacement shall become effective, the Borrower shall pay all unpaid fees accrued for the account of the replaced Issuing Bank pursuant to Section 2.12(b). From and after the effective date of any such replacement, (x) the successor Issuing Bank shall have all the rights and obligations of an Issuing Bank under this Agreement with respect to Letters of Credit to be issued by it thereafter and
(y) references herein to the term “Issuing Bank” shall be deemed to refer to such successor or to any previous Issuing Bank, or to such successor and all previous Issuing Banks, as the context shall require. After the replacement of an Issuing Bank hereunder, the replaced Issuing Bank shall remain a party hereto and shall continue to have all the rights and obligations of an Issuing Bank under this Agreement with respect to Letters of Credit then outstanding and issued by it prior to such replacement, but shall not be required to issue additional Letters of Credit or extend or otherwise amend any existing Letter of Credit.
(i) Subject to the appointment and acceptance of a successor Issuing Bank, any Issuing Bank may resign as an Issuing Bank at any time upon thirty days’ prior written notice to the Administrative Agent, the Borrower and the Lenders, in which case, such resigning Issuing Bank shall be replaced in accordance with Section 2.06(i)(i) above.
(j) Cash Collateralization. If any Event of Default shall occur and be continuing, on the Business Day that the Borrower receives notice from the Administrative Agent or the Required Lenders (or, if the maturity of the Loans has been accelerated, Revolving Lenders with LC Exposure representing greater than 50% of the total LC Exposure) demanding the deposit of cash collateral pursuant to this paragraph, the Borrower shall deposit in an account or accounts with the Administrative Agent, in the name of the Administrative Agent and for the benefit of the Revolving Lenders (the “Collateral Account”), an amount in cash equal to 105% of the Dollar Equivalent amount of the LC Exposure in the applicable currencies as of such date plus any accrued and unpaid interest thereon; provided that the obligation to deposit such cash collateral shall become effective immediately, and such deposit shall become immediately due and payable, without demand or other notice of any kind, upon the occurrence of any Event of Default with respect to the Borrower described in Section 7.01(f). The Borrower also shall deposit cash collateral pursuant to this paragraph as and to the extent required by Section 2.11(c). Such deposit shall be held by the Administrative Agent as collateral for the payment and performance of the obligations of the Borrower under this Agreement. In addition, and without limiting the foregoing or paragraph (c) of this Section, if any LC Exposure remain outstanding after the expiration date specified in said paragraph (c), the Borrower shall immediately deposit into the Collateral Account an amount in cash equal to 105% of such LC Exposure as of such date plus any accrued and unpaid interest thereon.
The Administrative Agent shall have exclusive dominion and control, including the exclusive right of withdrawal, over such account and the Borrower hereby grants the Administrative Agent a security interest in the Collateral Account. Other than any interest earned on the investment of such deposits, which investments shall be made at the option and sole discretion of the Administrative Agent and at the Borrower’s risk and expense, such deposits shall not bear interest. Interest or profits, if any, on such investments shall accumulate in such account. Moneys in such account shall be applied by the Administrative Agent to reimburse each Issuing Bank for LC Disbursements for which it has not been reimbursed, together with related fees, costs
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and customary processing charges, and, to the extent not so applied, shall be held for the satisfaction of the reimbursement obligations of the Borrower for the LC Exposure at such time or, if the maturity of the Loans has been accelerated (but subject to the consent of Revolving Lenders with LC Exposure representing greater than 50% of the total LC Exposure), be applied to satisfy other Secured Obligations. If the Borrower is required to provide an amount of cash collateral hereunder as a result of the occurrence of an Event of Default, such amount (to the extent not applied as aforesaid) shall be returned to the Borrower within three Business Days after all Events of Default have been cured or waived.
(k) Letters of Credit Issued for Account of Subsidiaries. Notwithstanding that a Letter of Credit issued or outstanding hereunder supports any obligations of, or is for the account of, a Subsidiary, or states that a Subsidiary is the “account party,” “applicant,” “customer,” “instructing party,” or the like of or for such Letter of Credit, and without derogating from any rights of the applicable Issuing Bank (whether arising by contract, at law, in equity or otherwise) against such Subsidiary in respect of such Letter of Credit, the Borrower (i) shall reimburse, indemnify and compensate the applicable Issuing Bank hereunder for such Letter of Credit (including to reimburse any and all drawings thereunder) as if such Letter of Credit had been issued solely for the account of the Borrower and (ii) irrevocably waives any and all defenses that might otherwise be available to it as a guarantor or surety of any or all of the obligations of such Subsidiary in respect of such Letter of Credit. The Borrower hereby acknowledges that the issuance of such Letters of Credit for its Subsidiaries inures to the benefit of the Borrower, and that the Borrower’s business derives substantial benefits from the businesses of such Subsidiaries.
(l) Issuing Bank Agreements. Unless otherwise requested by the Administrative Agent, each Issuing Bank shall report in writing to the Administrative Agent (i) promptly following the end of each calendar month, the aggregate amount of Letters of Credit issued by it and outstanding at the end of such month, (ii) on or prior to each Business Day on which such Issuing Bank expects to issue, amend, renew or extend any Letter of Credit, the date of such issuance, amendment, renewal or extension, and the aggregate face amount of the Letter of Credit to be issued, amended, renewed or extended by it and outstanding after giving effect to such issuance, amendment, renewal or extension occurred (and whether the amount thereof changed), it being understood that such Issuing Bank shall not permit any issuance, renewal, extension or amendment resulting in an increase in the amount of any Letter of Credit to occur without first obtaining written confirmation from the Administrative Agent that it is then permitted under this Agreement, (iii) on each Business Day on which such Issuing Bank makes any payment under any Letter of Credit, the date of such payment under such Letter of Credit and the amount of such payment, (iv) on any Business Day on which the Borrower fails to reimburse any payment under any Letter of Credit required to be reimbursed to such Issuing Bank on such day, the date of such failure and the amount of such payment and (v) on any other Business Day, such other information as the Administrative Agent shall reasonably request.
SECTION 2.07. Funding of Borrowings. (a) Each Lender shall make each Loan to be made by it hereunder on the proposed date thereof solely by wire transfer of immediately available funds (i) in the case of Loans denominated in Dollars, by 12:00 noon, New York City time, to the account of the Administrative Agent most recently designated by it for such purpose by notice to the Lenders and (ii) in the case of each Loan denominated in a Foreign Currency, by 12:00 noon, Local Time, in the city of the Administrative Agent’s Eurocurrency Payment Office
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for such currency and at such Eurocurrency Payment Office for such currency; provided that (i) Term Loans shall be made as provided in Section 2.01(b) and (ii) Swingline Loans shall be made as provided in Section 2.05. Except in respect of the provisions of this Agreement covering the reimbursement of Letters of Credit, the Administrative Agent will make such Loans available to the Borrower by promptly crediting the funds so received in the aforesaid account of the Administrative Agent to (x) an account of the Borrower maintained with the Administrative Agent in New York City or Chicago and designated by the Borrower in the applicable Borrowing Request, in the case of Loans Denominated in Dollars and (y) an account of the Borrower in the relevant jurisdiction and designated by the Borrower in the applicable Borrowing Request, in the case of Loans denominated in a Foreign Currency; provided that ABR Revolving Loans made to finance the reimbursement of an LC Disbursement as provided in Section 2.06(e) shall be remitted by the Administrative Agent to the Issuing Bank.
(b) Unless the Administrative Agent shall have received notice from a Lender prior to the proposed date of any Borrowing that such Lender will not make available to the Administrative Agent such Lender’s share of such Borrowing, the Administrative Agent may assume that such Lender has made such share available on such date in accordance with paragraph (a) of this Section and may, in reliance upon such assumption, make available to the Borrower a corresponding amount. In such event, if a Lender has not in fact made its share of the applicable Borrowing available to the Administrative Agent, then the applicable Lender and the Borrower severally agree to pay to the Administrative Agent forthwith on demand such corresponding amount with interest thereon, for each day from and including the date such amount is made available to the Borrower to but excluding the date of payment to the Administrative Agent, at (i) in the case of such Lender, the greater of the applicable Overnight Rate and a rate determined by the Administrative Agent in accordance with banking industry rules on interbank compensation or (ii) in the case of the Borrower, the interest rate applicable to ABR Loans, or in the case of Foreign Currencies, in accordance with such market practice, in each case, as applicable. If such Lender pays such amount to the Administrative Agent, then such amount shall constitute such Lender’s Loan included in such Borrowing.
SECTION 2.08. Interest Elections. (a) Each Borrowing initially shall be of the Type and Agreed Currency specified in the applicable Borrowing Request and, in the case of a Term Benchmark Revolving Borrowing, shall have an initial Interest Period as specified in such Borrowing Request. Thereafter, the Borrower may elect to convert such Borrowing to a different Type or to continue such Borrowing and, in the case of a Term Benchmark Borrowing, may elect Interest Periods therefor, all as provided in this Section. The Borrower may elect different options with respect to different portions of the affected Borrowing, in which case each such portion shall be allocated ratably among the Lenders holding the Loans comprising such Borrowing, and the Loans comprising each such portion shall be considered a separate Borrowing. This Section shall not apply to Swingline Borrowings, which may not be converted or continued.
(b) To make an election pursuant to this Section, the Borrower shall notify the Administrative Agent of such election by the time that a Borrowing Request would be required under Section 2.03 if the Borrower were requesting a Borrowing of the Type resulting from such election to be made on the effective date of such election. Each such Interest Election Request shall be irrevocable and shall be signed by a Responsible Officer of the Borrower. Notwithstanding any contrary provision herein, this Section shall not be construed to permit the Borrower to (i)
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change the currency of any Borrowing, (ii) elect an Interest Period for Term Benchmark Loans that does not comply with Section 2.02(d) or (iii) convert any Borrowing to a Borrowing of a Type not available under the Class of Commitments pursuant to which such Borrowing was made.
(c) Each Interest Election Request shall specify the following information in compliance with Section 2.02:
(i) the Agreed Currency and principal amount of the Borrowing to which such Interest Election Request applies and, if different options are being elected with respect to different portions thereof, the portions thereof to be allocated to each resulting Borrowing (in which case the information to be specified pursuant to clauses (iii) and
(iv) below shall be specified for each resulting Borrowing);
(ii) the effective date of the election made pursuant to such Interest Election Request, which shall be a Business Day;
(iii) whether the resulting Borrowing is to be an ABR Borrowing in the case of Borrowings denominated in Dollars, or a Term Benchmark Borrowing or an RFR Borrowing; and
(iv) if the resulting Borrowing is a Term Benchmark Borrowing, the Interest Period and Agreed Currency to be applicable thereto after giving effect to such election, which Interest Period shall be a period contemplated by the definition of the term “Interest Period”.
If any such Interest Election Request requests a Term Benchmark Borrowing but does not specify an Interest Period, then the Borrower shall be deemed to have selected an Interest Period of one month’s duration. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in no event shall the Borrower be permitted to request pursuant to this Section 2.08(c) a CBR Loan or, prior to a Benchmark Transition Event and Benchmark Replacement Date with respect to the Term SOFR Rate, a Daily Simple SOFR Loan (it being understood and agreed that a Central Bank/Prime Rate and Daily Simple SOFR shall only apply to the extent provided in Sections 2.08(e) (solely with respect to the Central Bank/Prime Rate), 2.14(a) and 2.14(f).
(d) Promptly following receipt of an Interest Election Request, the Administrative Agent shall advise each Lender of the details thereof and of such Lender’s portion of each resulting Borrowing.
(e) If the Borrower fails to deliver a timely Interest Election Request with respect to a Term Benchmark Revolving Borrowing in Dollars prior to the end of the Interest Period applicable thereto, then, unless such Borrowing is repaid as provided herein, at the end of such Interest Period such Borrowing shall be deemed to have an Interest Period that is one month. If the Borrower fails to deliver a timely and complete Interest Election Request with respect to a Term Benchmark Borrowing in a Foreign Currency prior to the end of the Interest Period therefor, then, unless such Term Benchmark Borrowing is repaid as provided herein, the Borrower shall be deemed to have selected that such Term Benchmark Borrowing shall automatically be continued as a Term Benchmark Borrowing in its original Agreed Currency with an Interest Period of one month at the end of such Interest Period. Notwithstanding any contrary provision hereof, if an Event of Default
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has occurred and is continuing and the Administrative Agent, at the request of the Required Lenders, so notifies the Borrower, then, so long as an Event of Default is continuing (i) no outstanding Borrowing may be converted to or continued as a Term Benchmark Borrowing and
(ii) unless repaid, (x) each Term Benchmark Borrowing and each RFR Borrowing, in each case denominated in Dollars, shall be converted to an ABR Borrowing at the end of the Interest Period applicable thereto and (y) each Term Benchmark Borrowing and each RFR Borrowing, in each case denominated in a Foreign Currency shall bear interest at the Central Bank/Prime Rate for the applicable Agreed Currency plus the CBR Spread; provided that, if the Administrative Agent determines (which determination shall be conclusive and binding absent manifest error) that the Central Bank/Prime Rate for the applicable Agreed Currency cannot be determined, any outstanding affected Term Benchmark Loans denominated in any Agreed Currency other than Dollars shall either be (1) converted to an ABR Borrowing denominated in Dollars (in an amount equal to the Dollar Equivalent of such Foreign Currency) at the end of the Interest Period, as applicable, therefor or (2) prepaid at the end of the applicable Interest Period, as applicable, in full; provided that if no election is made by the Borrower by the earlier of (A) the date that is three Business Days after receipt by the Borrower of such notice and (B) the last day of the current Interest Period for the applicable Term Benchmark Loan, the Borrower shall be deemed to have elected clause (1) above.
SECTION 2.09. Termination and Reduction of Commitments. (a) Unless previously terminated, (i) the Term Loan Commitments shall terminate at 3:00 p.m. (New York City time) on the Effective Date and (ii) all other Commitments shall terminate on the Maturity Date.
(b) The Borrower may at any time terminate, or from time to time reduce, the Revolving Commitments; provided that (i) each reduction of the Revolving Commitments shall be in an amount that is an integral multiple of $100,000 and not less than $1,000,000 and (ii) the Borrower shall not terminate or reduce the Revolving Commitments if, after giving effect to any concurrent prepayment of the Loans in accordance with Section 2.11, the Dollar Equivalent amount of any Lender’s Revolving Credit Exposure would exceed its Revolving Commitment.
(c) The Borrower shall notify the Administrative Agent of any election to terminate or reduce the Commitments under paragraph (b) of this Section at least three Business Days prior to the effective date of such termination or reduction, specifying such election and the effective date thereof. Promptly following receipt of any notice, the Administrative Agent shall advise the Lenders of the contents thereof. Each notice delivered by the Borrower pursuant to this Section shall be irrevocable; provided that a notice of termination of the Commitments delivered by the Borrower may state that such notice is conditioned upon the effectiveness of other credit facilities or other transactions specified therein, in which case such notice may be revoked by the Borrower (by notice to the Administrative Agent on or prior to the specified effective date) if such condition is not satisfied. Any termination or reduction of the Commitments shall be permanent. Each reduction of the Commitments shall be made ratably among the Lenders in accordance with their respective Commitments.
SECTION 2.10. Repayment and Amortization of Loans; Evidence of Debt. (a) The Borrower hereby unconditionally promises to pay (i) to the Administrative Agent for the account of each Revolving Lender the then unpaid principal amount of each Revolving Loan on the Maturity Date in the currency of such Loan, and (ii) to the Administrative Agent for the account
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of the Swingline Lenders the then unpaid principal amount of each Swingline Loan on the earlier of the Maturity Date and the fifth Business Days after such Swingline Loan is made; provided that on each date that a Revolving Borrowing is made, the Borrower shall repay all Swingline Loans then outstanding and the proceeds of any such Borrowing shall be applied by the Administrative Agent to repay any Swingline Loans outstanding. The Borrower shall repay Term Loans on each date set forth below in the aggregate principal amount set forth opposite such date (as adjusted from time to time pursuant to Section 2.11(a) and Section 2.11(f)):
| Fiscal Quarters Ending | Principal Amount of Term Loans to be repaid Per Fiscal Quarter | ||||
September 30, 2022 through and including June 30, 2024 | $1,562,500 | ||||
September 30, 2024 through and including June 30, 2025 | $2,343,750 | ||||
September 30, 2025 through and including the Maturity Date | $3,125,000 | ||||
To the extent not previously repaid, all unpaid Term Loans shall be paid in full in Dollars by the Borrower on the Maturity Date.
(b) Each Lender shall maintain in accordance with its usual practice an account or accounts evidencing the indebtedness of the Borrower to such Lender resulting from each Loan made by such Lender, including the amounts of principal and interest payable and paid to such Lender from time to time hereunder.
(c) The Administrative Agent shall maintain accounts in which it shall record (i) the amount of each Loan made hereunder, the Class, Agreed Currency and Type thereof and the Interest Period applicable thereto, (ii) the amount of any principal or interest due and payable or to become due and payable from the Borrower to each Lender hereunder and (iii) the amount of any sum received by the Administrative Agent hereunder for the account of the Lenders and each Lender’s share thereof.
(d) The entries made in the accounts maintained pursuant to paragraph (b) or (c) of this Section shall be prima facie evidence of the existence and amounts of the obligations recorded therein; provided that the failure of any Lender or the Administrative Agent to maintain such accounts or any error therein shall not in any manner affect the obligation of the Borrower to repay the Loans in accordance with the terms of this Agreement.
(e) Any Lender may request that Loans made by it be evidenced by a promissory note. In such event, the Borrower shall prepare, execute and deliver to such Lender a promissory note payable to such Lender (or, if requested by such Lender, to such Lender and its registered assigns) and in a form approved by the Administrative Agent. Thereafter, the Loans evidenced by such
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promissory note and interest thereon shall at all times (including after assignment pursuant to Section 9.04) be represented by one or more promissory notes in such form.
SECTION 2.11. Prepayment of Loans. (a) The Borrower shall have the right at any time and from time to time to prepay any Borrowing in whole or in part, subject to prior notice in accordance with paragraph (b) of this Section.
(b) The Borrower shall notify the Administrative Agent (and, in the case of prepayment of Swingline Loans, the Swingline Lenders) by telephone (confirmed by telecopy or electronic mail) of any prepayment hereunder (i) (w) in the case of prepayment of (1) a Term Benchmark Borrowing denominated in Dollars, not later than 11:00 a.m., New York City time, three Business Days before the date of prepayment or (2) an RFR Borrowing denominated in Dollars, not later than 11:00 a.m. New York City time, five Business Days before the date of prepayment, and (x) in the case of prepayment of a Term Benchmark Borrowing denominated in any a Foreign Currency, not later than 12:00 p.m., New York City time, three Business Days before the date of prepayment, (ii) in the case of prepayment of an ABR Borrowing, not later than 11:00 a.m., New York City time, one Business Day before the date of prepayment, or (iii) in the case of prepayment of a Swingline Loan, not later than 12:00 noon, New York City time, on the date of prepayment. Each such notice shall be irrevocable and shall specify the prepayment date and the principal amount of each Borrowing or portion thereof to be prepaid; provided that, if a notice of prepayment is given in connection with a conditional notice of termination of the Commitments as contemplated by Section 2.09, then such notice of prepayment may be revoked if such notice of termination is revoked in accordance with Section 2.09. Promptly following receipt of any such notice relating to a Borrowing, the Administrative Agent shall advise the Lenders of the contents thereof. Each partial prepayment of any Borrowing shall be in an amount that would be permitted in the case of an advance of a Borrowing of the same Type as provided in Section 2.02. Each prepayment of a Revolving Borrowing shall be applied ratably to the Revolving Loans included in the prepaid Revolving Borrowing, each voluntary prepayment of a Term Loan Borrowing shall be applied ratably to the Term Loans included in the prepaid Term Loan Borrowing in such order of application as directed by the Borrower, and each mandatory prepayment of a Term Loan Borrowing shall be applied in accordance with Section 2.11(f) Prepayments shall be accompanied by accrued interest to the extent required by Section 2.13 and any break funding payments required by Section 2.16.
(c) If the Administrative Agent notifies the Borrower at any time that, (i) other than as a result of fluctuations in currency exchange rates, (A) the sum of the aggregate principal Dollar Equivalent of all of the Revolving Credit Exposures (calculated, with respect to those Credit Events denominated in Foreign Currencies, as of the most recent Revaluation Date with respect to each such Credit Event) exceeds the aggregate Revolving Commitments or (B) the sum of the aggregate principal Dollar Equivalent of all of the outstanding Revolving Credit Exposures denominated in Foreign Currencies (the “Foreign Currency Exposure”) (so calculated), as of the most recent Revaluation Date with respect to each such Credit Event, exceeds the Foreign Currency Sublimit or (ii) solely as a result of fluctuations in currency exchange rates, (A) the sum of the aggregate principal Dollar Equivalent of all of the Revolving Credit Exposures (so calculated) exceeds 105% of the aggregate Revolving Commitments or (B) the Foreign Currency Exposure, as of the most recent Revaluation Date with respect to each such Credit Event, exceeds 105% of the Foreign Currency Sublimit, the Borrower shall in each case immediately repay
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Revolving Borrowings or cash collateralize LC Exposure in an account with the Administrative Agent pursuant to Section 2.06(j), as applicable, in an aggregate principal amount sufficient to cause (x) the aggregate Dollar Equivalent of all Revolving Credit Exposures (so calculated) to be less than or equal to the aggregate Revolving Commitments and (y) the Foreign Currency Exposure to be less than or equal to the Foreign Currency Sublimit, as applicable.
(d) In the event and on each occasion that any Net Proceeds are received by or on behalf of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries in respect of any Prepayment Event, the Borrower shall, immediately after such Net Proceeds are received, prepay the Obligations as set forth in Section 2.11(f) below in an aggregate amount equal to the Repayment Percentage of such Net Proceeds; provided that, if the Borrower shall deliver to the Administrative Agent a certificate of a Financial Officer to the effect that the Borrower or its relevant Subsidiaries intend to apply the Net Proceeds from such event (or a portion thereof specified in such certificate), within 18 months after receipt of such Net Proceeds, to acquire (or replace or rebuild) real property, equipment or other tangible assets (excluding inventory) to be used in the business of the Borrower and/or its Subsidiaries, and certifying that no Default has occurred and is continuing, then no prepayment shall be required pursuant to this paragraph in respect of the Net Proceeds specified in such certificate; provided further that to the extent of any such Net Proceeds therefrom that have not been so applied by the end of such 18 month period, at which time a prepayment shall be required in an amount equal to the Repayment Percentage of such Net Proceeds that have not been so applied. As used herein, “Repayment Percentage” means (x) 100% if the Senior Secured Leverage Ratio (as of the most recent date of delivery of Financials) is greater than or equal to
3.50 to 1.00 or if a Default has occurred and is continuing, and (y) 0% if no Default has occurred and is continuing and the Senior Secured Leverage Ratio (as of the most recent date of delivery of Financials) is less than 3.50 to 1.00.
(e) [Reserved].
(f) All such amounts pursuant to Sections 2.11(d) shall be applied to prepay the Term Loans in the inverse order of maturity, with any excess remaining to applied to the then outstanding Revolving Loans; provided that such prepayment of Revolving Loans pursuant to this Section 2.11(f) shall not reduce the Revolving Commitments.
SECTION 2.12. Fees. (a) The Borrower agrees to pay to the Administrative Agent for the account of each Revolving Lender a commitment fee, which shall accrue at the Applicable Rate on the daily amount of the Available Revolving Commitment of such Lender during the period from and including the Effective Date to but excluding the date on which such Revolving Commitment terminates; provided that, if such Lender continues to have any Revolving Credit Exposure after its Revolving Commitment terminates, then such commitment fee shall continue to accrue on the daily amount of such Lender’s Revolving Credit Exposure from and including the date on which its Revolving Commitment terminates to but excluding the date on which such Lender ceases to have any Revolving Credit Exposure. Commitment fees accrued through and including the last day of March, June, September and December of each year shall be payable in arrears on the fifteenth day following such last day and on the date on which the Revolving Commitments terminate, commencing on the first such date to occur after the date hereof; provided that any commitment fees accruing after the date on which the Revolving Commitments terminate shall be payable on demand. All commitment fees shall be computed on the basis of a year of
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360 days and shall be payable for the actual number of days elapsed (including the first day and the last day of each period but excluding the date on which the Commitments terminate).
(b) The Borrower agrees to pay (i) to the Administrative Agent for the account of each Revolving Lender a participation fee with respect to its participations in each outstanding Letter of Credit, which shall accrue on the Dollar Equivalent of the daily maximum stated amount then available to be drawn under such Letter of Credit at the same Applicable Rate used to determine the interest rate applicable to Term Benchmark Revolving Loans, during the period from and including the Effective Date to but excluding the later of the date on which such Lender’s Revolving Commitment terminates and the date on which such Lender ceases to have any LC Exposure, and (ii) to each Issuing Bank for its own account a fronting fee with respect to each Letter of Credit issued by such Issuing Bank, which shall accrue at the rate of 0.125% per annum on the Dollar Equivalent of the daily maximum stated amount then available to be drawn under such Letter of Credit, during the period from and including the Effective Date to but excluding the later of the date of termination of the Revolving Commitments and the date on which there ceases to be any LC Exposure with respect to Letters of Credit issued by such Issuing Bank, as well as such Issuing Bank’s standard fees with respect to the issuance, amendment or extension of any Letter of Credit and other processing fees, and other standard costs and charges, of such Issuing bank relating the Letters of Credit as from time to time in effect. Participation fees and fronting fees accrued through and including the last day of March, June, September and December of each year shall be payable on the fifteenth day following such last day, commencing on the first such date to occur after the Effective Date; provided that all such fees shall be payable on the date on which the Revolving Commitments terminate and any such fees accruing after the date on which the Revolving Commitments terminate shall be payable on demand. Any other fees payable to an Issuing Bank pursuant to this paragraph shall be payable within 10 days after demand. All participation fees and fronting fees shall be computed on the basis of a year of 360 days and shall be payable for the actual number of days elapsed (including the first day but excluding the last day).
(c) The Borrower agrees to pay to the Administrative Agent, for its own account, fees payable in the amounts and at the times separately agreed upon between the Borrower and the Administrative Agent.
(d) All fees payable hereunder shall be paid on the dates due, in Dollars in immediately available funds, to the Administrative Agent (or to an Issuing Bank, in the case of fees payable to it) for distribution, in the case of commitment fees and participation fees, to the Lenders. Fees paid shall not be refundable under any circumstances.
SECTION 2.13. Interest . (a) The Loans comprising each ABR Borrowing (including each Swingline Loan) shall bear interest at the Alternate Base Rate plus the Applicable Rate.
(b) The Loans comprising each Term Benchmark Borrowing shall bear interest at the Adjusted Term SOFR Rate, the CDOR Rate, the Adjusted EURIBOR Rate or the Adjusted TIBOR Rate, as applicable, for the Interest Period in effect for such Borrowing plus the Applicable Rate.
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(c) Each RFR Loan shall bear interest at a rate per annum equal to the applicable Adjusted Daily Simple RFR plus the Applicable Rate.
(d) Notwithstanding the foregoing, (i) during the occurrence and continuance of an Event of Default pursuant to clause (a), (f) or (g) of Section 7.01, all Loans shall bear interest at 2% plus the rate otherwise applicable to such Loans as provided in the preceding paragraphs of this Section and all Letter of Credit participation fees shall accrue at 2% plus the rate otherwise applicable to such fees hereunder, and (ii) if any principal of or interest on any Loan or any fee or other amount payable by the Borrower hereunder is not paid when due, whether at stated maturity, upon acceleration or otherwise, the Administrative Agent or the Required Lenders may, at their option, by notice to the Borrower (which notice may be revoked at the option of the Required Lenders notwithstanding any provision of Section 9.02 requiring the consent of “each Lender directly affected thereby” for reductions in interest rates), declare that such overdue amount shall bear interest, after as well as before judgment, at a rate per annum equal to (i) in the case of overdue principal of any Loan, 2% plus the rate otherwise applicable to such Loan as provided in the preceding paragraphs of this Section or (ii) in the case of any other amount, 2% plus the rate applicable to ABR Loans as provided in paragraph (a) of this Section.
(e) Accrued interest on each Loan shall be payable in arrears, in the same Agreed Currency as the applicable Loan, on each Interest Payment Date for such Loan and, in the case of Revolving Loans, upon termination of the Revolving Commitments; provided that (i) interest accrued pursuant to paragraph (d) of this Section shall be payable on demand, (ii) in the event of any repayment or prepayment of any Loan (other than a prepayment of an ABR Revolving Loan prior to the end of the Availability Period), accrued interest on the principal amount repaid or prepaid shall be payable on the date of such repayment or prepayment and (iii) in the event of any conversion of any Term Benchmark Revolving Loan prior to the end of the current Interest Period therefor, accrued interest on such Loan shall be payable on the effective date of such conversion.
(f) Interest computed by reference to the Alternate Base Rate (except when based on the Prime Rate), the Term SOFR Rate, the EURIBOR Rate or Daily Simple RFR with respect to Dollars hereunder shall be computed on the basis of a year of 360 days. Interest computed by reference to the TIBOR Rate, the CDOR Rate or the Alternate Base Rate only at times when the Alternate Base Rate is based on the Prime Rate shall be computed on the basis of a year of 365 days (or 366 days in a leap year). In each case interest shall be payable for the actual number of days elapsed (including the first day but excluding the last day). All interest hereunder on any Loan shall be computed on a daily basis based upon the outstanding principal amount of such Loan as of the applicable date of determination. A determination of the applicable Alternate Base Rate, Adjusted Term SOFR Rate, the CDOR Rate, Term SOFR Rate, or, Adjusted EURIBOR Rate, EURIBOR Rate, Adjusted TIBOR Rate, TIBOR Rate, Adjusted Daily Simple RFR or Daily Simple RFR shall be determined by the Administrative Agent, and such determination shall be conclusive absent manifest error.
SECTION 2.14. Alternate Rate of Interest. (a) Subject to clauses (b) (c), (d), (e) and
(f) of this Section 2.14, if:
(i) the Administrative Agent determines (which determination shall be conclusive absent manifest error) (A) prior to the commencement of any Interest
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Period for a Term Benchmark Borrowing, that adequate and reasonable means do not exist for ascertaining the Adjusted Term SOFR Rate, the CDOR Rate, the Adjusted EURIBOR Rate, or the Adjusted TIBOR Rate (including because the Relevant Screen Rate is not available or published on a current basis), for the applicable Agreed Currency and such Interest Period or (B) at any time, that adequate and reasonable means do not exist for ascertaining the applicable Adjusted Daily Simple RFR for the applicable Agreed Currency; or
(ii) the Administrative Agent is advised by the Required Lenders that (A) prior to the commencement of any Interest Period for a Term Benchmark Borrowing, the Adjusted Term SOFR Rate, the CDOR Rate, the Adjusted EURIBOR Rate or the Adjusted TIBOR Rate for the applicable Agreed Currency and such Interest Period will not adequately and fairly reflect the cost to such Lenders of making or maintaining their Loans included in such Borrowing for the applicable Agreed Currency and such Interest Period or (B) at any time, the applicable Adjusted Daily Simple RFR or RFR for the applicable Agreed Currency will not adequately and fairly reflect the cost to such Lenders of making or maintaining their Loans included in such Borrowing for the applicable Agreed Currency;
then the Administrative Agent shall give notice thereof to the Borrower and the Lenders by telephone, telecopy or electronic mail as promptly as practicable thereafter and, until (x) the Administrative Agent notifies the Borrower and the Lenders that the circumstances giving rise to such notice no longer exist with respect to the relevant Benchmark and (y) the Borrower delivers a new Interest Election Request in accordance with the terms of Section 2.08 or a new Borrowing Request in accordance with the terms of Section 2.03, (A) for Loans denominated in Dollars, (1) any Interest Election Request that requests the conversion of any Borrowing to, or continuation of any Borrowing as, a Term Benchmark Borrowing and any Borrowing Request that requests a Term Benchmark Revolving Borrowing shall instead be deemed to be an Interest Election Request or a Borrowing Request, as applicable, for (x) an RFR Borrowing denominated in Dollars so long as the Adjusted Daily Simple RFR for Dollar Borrowings is not also the subject of Section 2.14(a)(i) or (ii) above or (y) an ABR Borrowing if the Adjusted Daily Simple RFR for Dollar Borrowings also is the subject of Section 2.14(a)(i) or (ii) above and (2) any Borrowing Request that requests an RFR Borrowing shall instead be deemed to be a Borrowing Request, as applicable, for an ABR Borrowing and (B) for Loans denominated in a Foreign Currency, any Interest Election Request that requests the conversion of any Revolving Borrowing to, or continuation of any Revolving Borrowing as, a Term Benchmark Borrowing and any Borrowing Request that requests a Term Benchmark Revolving Borrowing or an RFR Borrowing, in each case, for the relevant Benchmark shall be ineffective; provided that if the circumstances giving rise to such notice affect only one Type of Borrowings, then all other Types of Borrowings shall be permitted. Furthermore, if any Term Benchmark Loan or RFR Loan in any Agreed Currency is outstanding on the date of the Borrower’s receipt of the notice from the Administrative Agent referred to in this Section 2.14(a) with respect to a Relevant Rate applicable to such Term Benchmark Loan or RFR Loan, then until
(x) the Administrative Agent notifies the Borrower and the Lenders that the circumstances giving rise to such notice no longer exist, with respect to the relevant Benchmark and (y) the Borrower delivers a new Interest Election Request in accordance with the terms of Section 2.08 or a new Borrowing Request in accordance with the terms of Section 2.03, (A) for Loans denominated in Dollars, (1) any Term Benchmark Loan shall on the last day of the Interest Period applicable to
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such Loan, be converted by the Administrative Agent to, and shall constitute, (x) an RFR Borrowing denominated in Dollars so long as the Adjusted Daily Simple RFR for Dollar Borrowings is not also the subject of Section 2.14(a)(i) or (ii) above or (y) an ABR Loan if the Adjusted Daily Simple RFR for Dollar Borrowings also is the subject of Section 2.14(a)(i) or (ii) above, on such day, and (2) any RFR Loan shall on and from such day be converted by the Administrative Agent to, and shall constitute an ABR Loan and (B) for Loans denominated in a Foreign Currency, (1) any Term Benchmark Loan shall, on the last day of the Interest Period applicable to such Loan bear interest at the Central Bank/Prime Rate for the applicable Foreign Currency plus the CBR Spread; provided, that, if the Administrative Agent determines (which determination shall be conclusive and binding absent manifest error) that the Central Bank/Prime Rate for the applicable Foreign Currency cannot be determined, any outstanding affected Term Benchmark Loans denominated in any Foreign Currency shall, at the Borrower’s election prior to such day: (A) be prepaid by the Borrower on such day or (B) solely for the purpose of calculating the interest rate applicable to such Term Benchmark Loan, such Term Benchmark Loan denominated in any Foreign Currency shall be deemed to be a Term Benchmark Loan denominated in Dollars and shall accrue interest at the same interest rate applicable to Term Benchmark Loans denominated in Dollars at such time, and (2) any RFR Loan shall bear interest at the Central Bank/Prime Rate for the applicable Foreign Currency plus the CBR Spread; provided that, if the Administrative Agent determines (which determination shall be conclusive and binding absent manifest error) that the Central Bank/Prime Rate for the applicable Foreign Currency cannot be determined, any outstanding affected RFR Loans denominated in any Foreign Currency, at the Borrower’s election, shall either (A) be converted into ABR Loans denominated in Dollars (in an amount equal to the Dollar Equivalent of such Foreign Currency) immediately or (B) be prepaid in full immediately.
(b) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein or in any other Loan Document , if a Benchmark Transition Event and its related Benchmark Replacement Date have occurred prior to the Reference Time in respect of any setting of the then-current Benchmark, then (x) if a Benchmark Replacement is determined in accordance with clause (1) of the definition of “Benchmark Replacement” with respect to Dollars for such Benchmark Replacement Date, such Benchmark Replacement will replace such Benchmark for all purposes hereunder and under any Loan Document in respect of such Benchmark setting and subsequent Benchmark settings without any amendment to, or further action or consent of any other party to, this Agreement or any other Loan Document and (y) if a Benchmark Replacement is determined in accordance with clause (2) of the definition of “Benchmark Replacement” with respect to any Agreed Currency for such Benchmark Replacement Date, such Benchmark Replacement will replace such Benchmark for all purposes hereunder and under any Loan Document in respect of any Benchmark setting at or after 5:00 p.m. (New York City time) on the fifth (5th) Business Day after the date notice of such Benchmark Replacement is provided to the Lenders without any amendment to, or further action or consent of any other party to, this Agreement or any other Loan Document so long as the Administrative Agent has not received, by such time, written notice of objection to such Benchmark Replacement from Lenders comprising the Required Lenders of each affected Class.
(c) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein or in any other Loan Document, the Administrative Agent will have the right to make Benchmark Replacement Conforming Changes from time to time and, notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein or in any other Loan Document, any amendments implementing such Benchmark Replacement Conforming
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Changes will become effective without any further action or consent of any other party to this Agreement or any other Loan Document.
(d) The Administrative Agent will promptly notify the Borrower and the Lenders of (i) any occurrence of a Benchmark Transition Event, (ii) the implementation of any Benchmark Replacement, (iii) the effectiveness of any Benchmark Replacement Conforming Changes, (iv) the removal or reinstatement of any tenor of a Benchmark pursuant to clause (e) below and (v) the commencement or conclusion of any Benchmark Unavailability Period. Any determination, decision or election that may be made by the Administrative Agent or, if applicable, any Lender (or group of Lenders) pursuant to this Section 2.14, including any determination with respect to a tenor, rate or adjustment or of the occurrence or non-occurrence of an event, circumstance or date and any decision to take or refrain from taking any action or any selection, will be conclusive and binding absent manifest error and may be made in its or their sole discretion and without consent from any other party to this Agreement or any other Loan Document, except, in each case, as expressly required pursuant to this Section 2.14.
(e) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein or in any other Loan Document, at any time (including in connection with the implementation of a Benchmark Replacement), (i) if the then-current Benchmark is a term rate (including the Term SOFR Rate, EURIBOR Rate, CDOR Rate or TIBOR Rate) and either (A) any tenor for such Benchmark is not displayed on a screen or other information service that publishes such rate from time to time as selected by the Administrative Agent in its reasonable discretion or (B) the regulatory supervisor for the administrator of such Benchmark has provided a public statement or publication of information announcing that any tenor for such Benchmark is or will be no longer representative, then the Administrative Agent may modify the definition of “Interest Period” for any Benchmark settings at or after such time to remove such unavailable or non-representative tenor and (ii) if a tenor that was removed pursuant to clause (i) above either (A) is subsequently displayed on a screen or information service for a Benchmark (including a Benchmark Replacement) or (B) is not, or is no longer, subject to an announcement that it is or will no longer be representative for a Benchmark (including a Benchmark Replacement), then the Administrative Agent may modify the definition of “Interest Period” for all Benchmark settings at or after such time to reinstate such previously removed tenor.
(f) Upon the Borrower’s receipt of notice of the commencement of a Benchmark Unavailability Period, the Borrower may revoke any request for a Term Benchmark Borrowing or RFR Borrowing of, conversion to or continuation of Term Benchmark Loans or RFR Loans to be made, converted or continued during any Benchmark Unavailability Period and, failing that, either
(x) the Borrower will be deemed to have converted any such request for (1) a Term Benchmark Borrowing denominated in Dollars into a request for a Borrowing of or conversion to (A) an RFR Borrowing denominated in Dollars so long as the Adjusted Daily Simple RFR for Dollar Borrowings is not the subject of a Benchmark Transition Event or (B) an ABR Borrowing if the Adjusted Daily Simple RFR for Dollar Borrowings is the subject of a Benchmark Transition Event or (y) any request relating to a Term Benchmark Borrowing or RFR Borrowing denominated in a Foreign Currency shall be ineffective. During any Benchmark Unavailability Period or at any time that a tenor for the then-current Benchmark is not an Available Tenor, the component of ABR based upon the then-current Benchmark or such tenor for such Benchmark, as applicable, will not be used in any determination of ABR. Furthermore, if any Term Benchmark Loan or RFR Loan
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in any Agreed Currency is outstanding on the date of the Borrower’s receipt of notice of the commencement of a Benchmark Unavailability Period with respect to a Relevant Rate applicable to such Term Benchmark Loan or RFR Loan, then until such time as a Benchmark Replacement for such Agreed Currency is implemented pursuant to this Section 2.14, (A) for Loans denominated in Dollars, (1) any Term Benchmark Loan shall on the last day of the Interest Period applicable to such Loan, be converted by the Administrative Agent to, and shall constitute, (x) an RFR Borrowing denominated in Dollars so long as the Adjusted Daily Simple RFR for Dollar Borrowings is not the subject of a Benchmark Transition Event or (y) an ABR Loan if the Adjusted Daily Simple RFR for Dollar Borrowings is the subject of a Benchmark Transition Event, on such day and (2) any RFR Loan shall on and from such day, be converted by the Administrative Agent to, and shall constitute an ABR Loan and (B) for Loans denominated in any Foreign Currency, (1) any Term Benchmark Loan shall, on the last day of the Interest Period applicable to such Loan bear interest at the Central Bank/Prime Rate for the applicable Foreign Currency plus the CBR Spread; provided that if the Administrative Agent determines (which determination shall be conclusive and binding absent manifest error) that the Central Bank/Prime Rate for the applicable Foreign Currency cannot be determined, any outstanding affected Term Benchmark Loans denominated in any Foreign Currency shall, at the Borrower’s election prior to such day: (A) be prepaid by the Borrower on such day or (B) solely for the purpose of calculating the interest rate applicable to such Term Benchmark Loan, such Term Benchmark Loan denominated in any Foreign Currency shall be deemed to be a Term Benchmark Loan denominated in Dollars and shall accrue interest at the same interest rate applicable to Term Benchmark Loans denominated in Dollars at such time and (2) any RFR Loan shall bear interest at the Central Bank/Prime Rate for the applicable Foreign Currency plus the CBR Spread; provided that, if the Administrative Agent determines (which determination shall be conclusive and binding absent manifest error) that the Central Bank/Prime Rate for the applicable Foreign Currency cannot be determined, any outstanding affected RFR Loans denominated in any Foreign Currency, at the Borrower’s election, shall either (A) be converted into ABR Loans denominated in Dollars (in an amount equal to the Dollar Equivalent of such Foreign Currency) immediately or (B) be prepaid in full immediately.
SECTION 2.15. Increased Costs . (a) If any Change in Law shall:
(i) impose, modify or deem applicable any reserve, special deposit, liquidity or similar requirement (including any compulsory loan requirement, insurance charge or other assessment) against assets of, deposits with or for the account of, or credit extended by, any Lender or Issuing Bank (except any such reserve requirement reflected in the Adjusted EURIBOR Rate, the CDOR Rate or the Adjusted TIBOR Rate, as applicable) or Issuing Bank;
(ii) impose on any Lender or Issuing Bank or the applicable offshore interbank market for the applicable Agreed Currency any other condition, cost or expense (other than Taxes) affecting this Agreement or Loans made by such Lender or any Letter of Credit or participation therein; or
(iii) 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,
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commitments, or other obligations, or its deposits, reserves, other liabilities or capital attributable thereto;
and the result of any of the foregoing shall be to increase the cost to such Lender or such other Recipient of making, continuing, converting or maintaining any Loan (or of maintaining its obligation to make any such Loan) or to increase the cost to such Lender, such Issuing Bank or such other Recipient of participating in, issuing or maintaining any Letter of Credit or to reduce the amount of any sum received or receivable by such Lender, such Issuing Bank or such other Recipient hereunder (whether of principal, interest or otherwise), then the Borrower will pay to such Lender, such Issuing Bank or such other Recipient, as the case may be, such additional amount or amounts as will compensate such Lender, such Issuing Bank or such other Recipient, as the case may be, for such additional costs incurred or reduction suffered.
(b) If any Lender or Issuing Bank determines that any Change in Law regarding capital or liquidity requirements has or would have the effect of reducing the rate of return on such Lender’s or the Issuing Bank’s capital or on the capital of such Lender’s or Issuing Bank’s holding company, if any, as a consequence of this Agreement or the Loans made by, or participations in Letters of Credit held by, such Lender, or the Letters of Credit issued by such Issuing Bank, to a level below that which such Lender or Issuing Bank or such Lender’s or Issuing Bank’s holding company could have achieved but for such Change in Law (taking into consideration such Lender’s or Issuing Bank’s policies and the policies of such Lender’s or Issuing Bank’s holding company with respect to capital adequacy and liquidity), then from time to time the Borrower will pay to such Lender or Issuing Bank, as the case may be, such additional amount or amounts as will compensate such Lender or Issuing Bank or such Lender’s or Issuing Bank’s holding company for any such reduction suffered.
(c) A certificate of a Lender or Issuing Bank setting forth the amount or amounts necessary to compensate such Lender or Issuing Bank or its holding company, as the case may be, as specified in paragraph (a) or (b) of this Section shall be delivered to the Borrower and shall be conclusive absent manifest error. The Borrower shall pay such Lender or Issuing Bank, as the case may be, the amount shown as due on any such certificate within 10 days after receipt thereof.
(d) Failure or delay on the part of any Lender or Issuing Bank to demand compensation pursuant to this Section shall not constitute a waiver of such Lender’s or Issuing Bank’s right to demand such compensation; provided that the Borrower shall not be required to compensate a Lender or Issuing Bank pursuant to this Section for any increased costs or reductions incurred more than 270 days prior to the date that such Lender or Issuing Bank, as the case may be, notifies the Borrower of the Change in Law giving rise to such increased costs or reductions and of such Lender’s or Issuing Bank’s intention to claim compensation therefor; provided further that, if the Change in Law giving rise to such increased costs or reductions is retroactive, then the 270-day period referred to above shall be extended to include the period of retroactive effect thereof.
SECTION 2.16. Break Funding Payments. (a) With respect to Loans that are not RFR Loans, in the event of (i) the payment of any principal of any Term Benchmark Loan other than on the last day of an Interest Period applicable thereto (including as a result of an Event of Default or an optional or mandatory prepayment of Loans), (ii) the conversion of any Term Benchmark Loan other than on the last day of the Interest Period applicable thereto, (iii) the failure
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to borrow, convert, continue or prepay any Term Benchmark Loan on the date specified in any notice delivered pursuant hereto (regardless of whether such notice may be revoked under Section 2.11(b) and is revoked in accordance therewith), (iv) the assignment of any Term Benchmark Loan other than on the last day of the Interest Period applicable thereto as a result of a request by the Borrower pursuant to Section 2.19 or (v) the failure by the Borrower to make any payment of any Loan or drawing under any Letter of Credit (or interest due thereon) denominated in a Foreign Currency on its scheduled due date or any payment thereof in a different currency, then, in any such event, the Borrower shall compensate each Lender for the loss, cost and expense attributable to such event. A certificate of any Lender setting forth any amount or amounts that such Lender is entitled to receive pursuant to this Section shall be delivered to the Borrower and shall be conclusive absent manifest error. The Borrower shall pay such Lender the amount shown as due on any such certificate within 10 days after receipt thereof.
(b) With respect to RFR Loans, in the event of (i) the payment of any principal of any RFR Loan other than on the Interest Payment Date applicable thereto (including as a result of an Event of Default or an optional or mandatory prepayment of Loans), (ii) the failure to borrow or prepay any RFR Loan on the date specified in any notice delivered pursuant hereto (regardless of whether such notice may be revoked under Section 2.11(b) and is revoked in accordance therewith), (iii) the assignment of any RFR Loan other than on the Interest Payment Date applicable thereto as a result of a request by the Borrower pursuant to Section 2.19 or (iv) the failure by the Borrower to make any payment of any Loan or drawing under any Letter of Credit (or interest due thereof) denominated in a Foreign Currency on its scheduled due date or any payment thereof in a different currency, then, in any such event, the Borrower shall compensate each Lender for the loss, cost and expense attributable to such event. A certificate of any Lender setting forth any amount or amounts that such Lender is entitled to receive pursuant to this Section shall be delivered to the Borrower and shall be conclusive absent manifest error. The Borrower shall pay such Lender the amount shown as due on any such certificate within 10 days after receipt thereof.
SECTION 2.17. Withholding of Taxes; Gross-Up. (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) 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 Borrower. 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, Other Taxes.
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(c) Evidence of Payments. As soon as practicable after any payment of Taxes by any Loan Party to a Governmental Authority pursuant to this Section, such Loan Party 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 the return reporting such payment or other evidence of such payment reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent.
(d) Indemnification by the Loan Parties. The Loan Parties shall jointly and severally indemnify each Recipient, within 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 the 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.
(e) Indemnification by the Lenders. Each Lender shall severally indemnify the Administrative Agent, within 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 9.04(c) 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 setoff 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 paragraph (e).
(f) Status of Lenders. (i) 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 Borrower and the Administrative Agent, at the time or times reasonably requested by the Borrower or the Administrative Agent, such properly completed and executed documentation reasonably requested by the Borrower 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 Borrower or the Administrative Agent, shall deliver such other documentation prescribed by applicable law or reasonably requested by the Borrower or the Administrative Agent as will enable the Borrower 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 2.17(f)(ii)(A), (ii)(B) and (ii)(D) below) shall not be required if in the Lender’s reasonable judgment such completion,
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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.
(i) Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, in the event that the Borrower is a U.S. Person,
(A) any Lender that is a U.S. Person shall deliver to the 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 the Borrower or the Administrative Agent), an executed copy 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 the 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 the Borrower or the Administrative Agent), whichever of the following is applicable:
(1) 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, an executed copy of IRS Form W-8BEN-E or IRS Form W-8BEN 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 IRS Form W-8BEN 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;
(2) in the case of a Foreign Lender claiming that its extension of credit will generate
U.S. effectively connected income, an executed copy of IRS Form W-8ECI;
(3) 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 G-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 the 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) an executed copy of IRS Form W-8BEN-E or IRS Form W-8BEN; or
(4) to the extent a Foreign Lender is not the beneficial owner, an executed copy of IRS Form W-8IMY, accompanied by IRS Form W-8ECI, IRS Form W-8BEN-E, IRS Form W-8BEN, a U.S. Tax Compliance Certificate substantially in the form of Exhibit G-2 or Exhibit G-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 G-4 on behalf of each such direct and indirect partner;
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(C) any Foreign Lender shall, to the extent it is legally entitled to do so, deliver to the 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 the 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 the Borrower or the Administrative Agent to determine the withholding or deduction required to be made; and
(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 the Borrower and the Administrative Agent at the time or times prescribed by law and at such time or times reasonably requested by the 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 the Borrower or the Administrative Agent as may be necessary for the 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 date of this Agreement.
Each Lender agrees that if any form or certification it previously delivered expires or becomes obsolete or inaccurate in any respect, it shall update such form or certification or promptly notify the Borrower and the Administrative Agent in writing of its legal inability to do so.
(g) Treatment of Certain Refunds. If any party 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 pursuant to this Section 2.17 (including by the payment of additional amounts pursuant to this Section 2.17), it shall pay to the indemnifying party an amount equal to such refund (but only to the extent of indemnity payments made under this Section 2.17 with respect to the Taxes giving rise to such refund), net of all out-of-pocket expenses (including Taxes) of such indemnified party and without interest (other than any interest paid by the relevant Governmental Authority with respect to such refund). Such indemnifying party, upon the request of such indemnified party, shall repay to such indemnified party the amount paid over pursuant to this paragraph (g) (plus any penalties, interest or other charges imposed by the relevant Governmental Authority) in the event that such indemnified party is required to repay such refund to such Governmental Authority. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this paragraph (g), in no event will the indemnified party be required to pay any amount to an indemnifying party pursuant to this paragraph (g) the payment of which would place the indemnified party in a less favorable net after-Tax position than the indemnified party 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 paragraph shall not be construed to require any indemnified party to make available its Tax returns (or any
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other information relating to its Taxes that it deems confidential) to the indemnifying party or any other Person.
(h) Survival. Each party’s obligations under this Section 2.17 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 obligations under any Loan Document.
(i) Defined Terms. For purposes of this Section 2.17, the term “Lender” includes any Issuing Bank and the term “applicable law” includes FATCA.
SECTION 2.18. Payments Generally; Pro Rata Treatment; Sharing of Setoffs. (a) Except with respect to principal of and interest on Loans denominated in a Foreign Currency, the Borrower shall make each payment or prepayment required to be made by it hereunder (whether of principal, interest, fees or reimbursement of LC Disbursements, or of amounts payable under Section 2.15, 2.16 or 2.17, or otherwise) in Dollars prior to 12:00 noon, New York City time, on the date when due or the date fixed for any prepayment hereunder and all payments with respect to principal and interest on Loans denominated in a Foreign Currency shall be made in such Foreign Currency not later than the Applicable Time specified by the Administrative Agent on the dates specified herein, in each case, in immediately available funds, without setoff, recoupment or counterclaim. Any amounts received after such time on any date may, in the discretion of the Administrative Agent, be deemed to have been received on the next succeeding Business Day for purposes of calculating interest thereon. All such payments shall be made to the Administrative Agent at its offices at 383 Madison Avenue, New York, New York except payments to be made directly to Issuing Banks or Swingline Lenders as expressly provided herein and except that payments pursuant to Sections 2.15, 2.16, 2.17 and 9.03 shall be made directly to the Persons entitled thereto. The Administrative Agent shall distribute any such payments received by it for the account of any other Person to the appropriate recipient promptly following receipt thereof. If any payment hereunder shall be due on a day that is not a Business Day, the date for payment shall be extended to the next succeeding Business Day, and, in the case of any payment accruing interest, interest thereon shall be payable for the period of such extension. 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, the Borrower is prohibited by any law from making any required payment hereunder in a Foreign Currency, the Borrower shall make such payment in Dollars in the Dollar Equivalent of the Foreign Currency payment amount.
(b) At any time that payments are not required to be applied in the manner required by Section 7.03, if at any time (x) insufficient funds are received by and available to the Administrative Agent to pay fully all amounts of principal, unreimbursed LC Disbursements, interest and fees then due hereunder not constituting (i) a specific payment of principal, interest, fees or other sum payable under the Loan Documents (which shall be applied as specified by the Borrower or (ii) a mandatory prepayment (which shall be applied in accordance with Section 2.11) or (y) any funds are received by the Administrative Agent as proceeds of Collateral, such funds shall be applied ratably first, to pay any fees, indemnities, or expense reimbursements (other than those described in the next clause second), including amounts then due to the Administrative Agent and each Issuing Bank from the Borrower, second, to pay any fees or expense reimbursements then due to the Lenders from the Borrower, third, to pay interest then due and payable on the Loans
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ratably, fourth, to prepay principal on the Loans and unreimbursed LC Disbursements and any other amounts owing with respect to Banking Services Obligations and Swap Obligations ratably, fifth, to pay an amount to the Administrative Agent equal to one hundred five percent (105%) of the aggregate undrawn face amount of all outstanding Letters of Credit and the aggregate amount of any unpaid LC Disbursements, to be held as cash collateral for such Obligations and sixth, to the payment of any other Secured Obligation due to the Administrative Agent or any Lender by the Borrower. Notwithstanding the foregoing, amounts received from any Loan Party shall not be applied to any Excluded Swap Obligation of such Loan Party. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Agreement, unless so directed by the Borrower, or unless a Default is in existence, none of the Administrative Agent or any Lender shall apply any payment which it receives to any Term Benchmark Loan of a Class, except (a) on the expiration date of the Interest Period applicable to any such Term Benchmark Loan or (b) in the event, and only to the extent, that there are no outstanding ABR Loans of the same Class and, in any event, the Borrower shall pay the break funding payment required in accordance with Section 2.16. The Administrative Agent and the Lenders shall have the continuing and exclusive right to apply and reverse and reapply any and all such proceeds and payments to any portion of the Secured Obligations.
(c) At the election of the Administrative Agent, all payments of principal, interest, LC Disbursements, fees, premiums, reimbursable expenses (including, without limitation, all reimbursement for fees and expenses pursuant to Section 9.03), and other sums payable under the Loan Documents, may be paid from the proceeds of Borrowings made hereunder whether made following a request by the Borrower pursuant to Section 2.03 or a deemed request as provided in this Section or may be deducted from any deposit account of the Borrower maintained with the Administrative Agent. The Borrower hereby irrevocably authorizes (i) the Administrative Agent to make a Borrowing for the purpose of paying each payment of principal, interest and fees as it becomes due hereunder or any other amount due under the Loan Documents and agrees that all such amounts charged shall constitute Loans (including Swingline Loans) and that all such Borrowings shall be deemed to have been requested pursuant to Sections 2.03 or 2.05, as applicable and (ii) the Administrative Agent to charge any deposit account of the Borrower maintained with the Administrative Agent for each payment of principal, interest and fees as it becomes due hereunder or any other amount due under the Loan Documents.
(d) If, except as expressly provided herein, 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 its Loans or participations in LC Disbursements or Swingline Loans resulting in such Lender receiving payment of a greater proportion of the aggregate amount of its Loans and participations in LC Disbursements and Swingline Loans and accrued interest thereon than the proportion received by any other similarly situated Lender, then the Lender receiving such greater proportion shall purchase (for cash at face value) participations in the Loans and participations in LC Disbursements and Swingline Loans of other Lenders to the extent necessary so that the benefit of all such payments shall be shared by all such Lenders ratably in accordance with the aggregate amount of principal of and accrued interest on their respective Loans and participations in LC Disbursements and Swingline Loans; provided that (i) if any such participations are purchased and all or any portion of the payment giving rise thereto is recovered, such participations shall be rescinded and the purchase price restored to the extent of such recovery, without interest, and
(ii) the provisions of this paragraph shall not be construed to apply to any payment made by the Borrower pursuant to and in accordance with the express terms of this Agreement or any payment
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obtained by a Lender as consideration for the assignment of or sale of a participation in any of its Loans or participations in LC Disbursements and Swingline Loans to any assignee or participant, other than to the Borrower or any Subsidiary or Affiliate thereof (as to which the provisions of this paragraph shall apply). The Borrower 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 the Borrower rights of setoff and counterclaim with respect to such participation as fully as if such Lender were a direct creditor of the Borrower in the amount of such participation.
(e) Unless the Administrative Agent shall have received, prior to any date on which any payment is due to the Administrative Agent for the account of the Lenders or the Issuing Banks pursuant to the terms hereof or any other Loan Document (including any date that is fixed for prepayment by notice from the Borrower to the Administrative Agent pursuant to Section 2.11(b)), notice from the Borrower that the Borrower will not make such payment or prepayment, the Administrative Agent may assume that the Borrower has made such payment on such date in accordance herewith and may, in reliance upon such assumption, distribute to the Lenders or the Issuing Banks, as the case may be, the amount due. In such event, if the Borrower has not in fact made such payment, then each of the Lenders or the Issuing Banks, as the case may be, severally agrees to repay to the Administrative Agent forthwith on demand the amount so distributed to such Lender or Issuing Bank 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 applicable Overnight Rate.
SECTION 2.19. Mitigation Obligations; Replacement of Lenders. (a) If any Lender requests compensation under Section 2.15, or if the 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 2.17, then such Lender shall 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, such designation or assignment (i) would eliminate or reduce amounts payable pursuant to Sections 2.15 or 2.17, as the case may be, in the future and (ii) would not subject such Lender to any unreimbursed cost or expense and would not otherwise be disadvantageous to such Lender. The Borrower hereby agrees to pay all reasonable costs and expenses incurred by any Lender in connection with any such designation or assignment.
(b) If any Lender requests compensation under Section 2.15, or if the 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 2.17, or if any Lender becomes Defaulting Lender, or if any Lender does not consent to any proposed amendment, supplement, modification, consent or waiver of any provision of this Agreement or any other Loan Document that requires the consent of each of the Lenders or each of the Lenders affected thereby (so long as the consent of the Required Lenders (with the percentage in such definition being deemed to be 50% for this purpose) has been obtained), then the Borrower 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 Section 9.04), all its interests, rights (other than its existing rights to payments pursuant to Sections 2.15 or 2.17) and obligations under this Agreement and the other Loan Documents to an
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assignee that shall assume such obligations (which assignee may be another Lender, if a Lender accepts such assignment); provided that (i) the Borrower shall have received the prior written consent of the Administrative Agent (and if a Revolving Commitment is being assigned, the Issuing Banks and Swingline Lenders), which consent shall not unreasonably be withheld, (ii) such Lender shall have received payment of an amount equal to the outstanding principal of its Loans and participations in LC Disbursements and Swingline Loans, accrued interest thereon, accrued fees and all other amounts payable to it hereunder, from the assignee (to the extent of such outstanding principal and accrued interest and fees) or the Borrower (in the case of all other amounts) and (iii) in the case of any such assignment resulting from a claim for compensation under Section 2.15 or payments required to be made pursuant to Section 2.17, such assignment will result in a reduction in such compensation or payments. A Lender shall not be required to make any such assignment and delegation if, prior thereto, as a result of a waiver by such Lender or otherwise, the circumstances entitling the Borrower to require such assignment and delegation cease to apply. Each party hereto agrees that (i) an assignment required pursuant to this paragraph may be effected pursuant to an Assignment and Assumption executed by the Borrower, the Administrative Agent and the assignee (or, to the extent applicable, an agreement incorporating an Assignment and Assumption by reference pursuant to an Approved Electronic Platform as to which the Administrative Agent and such parties are participants), and (ii) the Lender required to make such assignment need not be a party thereto in order for such assignment to be effective and shall be deemed to have consented to an be bound by the terms thereof; provided that, following the effectiveness of any such assignment, the other parties to such assignment agree to execute and deliver such documents necessary to evidence such assignment as reasonably requested by the applicable Lender; provided that any such documents shall be without recourse to or warranty by the parties thereto.
SECTION 2.20. Defaulting Lenders. Notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to the contrary, if any Lender becomes a Defaulting Lender, then the following provisions shall apply for so long as such Lender is a Defaulting Lender:
(a) fees shall cease to accrue on the unfunded portion of the Commitment of such Defaulting Lender pursuant to Section 2.12(a);
(b) 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 Section 7.03 or otherwise) or received by the Administrative Agent from a Defaulting Lender pursuant to Section 9.08 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 any Issuing Bank or Swingline Lender hereunder; third, to cash collateralize LC Exposure with respect to such Defaulting Lender in accordance with this Section; fourth, as the Borrower 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 the Borrower, to be held in a deposit account and released pro rata in order to (x) satisfy such Defaulting Lender’s potential future funding obligations with respect to Loans under this Agreement and (y) cash collateralize future LC Exposure with respect to such Defaulting Lender with respect to future
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Letters of Credit issued under this Agreement, in accordance with this Section; sixth, to the payment of any amounts owing to the Lenders, the Issuing Banks or Swingline Lenders as a result of any judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction obtained by any Lender, the Issuing Banks or Swingline Lenders against such Defaulting Lender as a result of such Defaulting Lender’s breach of its obligations under this Agreement or under any other Loan Document; seventh, so long as no Default or Event of Default exists, to the payment of any amounts owing to the Borrower as a result of any judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction obtained by the Borrower against such Defaulting Lender as a result of such Defaulting Lender’s breach of its obligations under this Agreement or under any other Loan Document; 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 LC Disbursements in respect of which such Defaulting Lender has not fully funded its appropriate share, and (y) such Loans 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 LC Disbursements owed to, all non-Defaulting Lenders on a pro rata basis prior to being applied to the payment of any Loans of, or LC Disbursements owed to, such Defaulting Lender until such time as all Loans and funded and unfunded participations in the Borrower’s obligations corresponding to such Defaulting Lender’s LC Exposure and Swingline Loans are held by the Lenders pro rata in accordance with the Commitments without giving effect to clause (d) below. 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;
(c) the Commitments and Credit Exposure of such Defaulting Lender shall not be included in determining whether the Required Lenders have taken or may take any action hereunder (including any consent to any amendment, waiver or other modification pursuant to Section 9.02); provided that, except as otherwise provided in Section 9.02, this clause (c) shall not apply to the vote of a Defaulting Lender in the case of an amendment, waiver or other modification requiring the consent of such Lender or each Lender directly affected thereby;
(d) if any Swingline Exposure or LC Exposure exists at the time such Lender becomes a Defaulting Lender then:
(i) all or any part of the Swingline Exposure and LC Exposure of such Defaulting Lender (other than, in the case of a Defaulting Lender that is a Swingline Lender, the portion of such Swingline Exposure referred to in clause (b) of the definition of such term) shall be reallocated among the non-Defaulting Lenders in accordance with their respective Applicable Percentages but only to the extent that such reallocation does not, as to any non-Defaulting Lender, cause the Dollar Equivalent of such non-Defaulting Lender’s Revolving Credit Exposure to exceed its Revolving Commitment;
(ii) if the reallocation described in clause (i) above cannot, or can only partially, be effected, the Borrower shall within one Business Day following notice by the Administrative Agent (x) first, prepay such Swingline Exposure and (y) second, cash collateralize for the benefit of the Issuing Banks only the Borrower’s obligations corresponding to such Defaulting Lender’s LC Exposure (after giving effect to any partial
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reallocation pursuant to clause (i) above) in accordance with the procedures set forth in Section 2.06(j) for so long as such LC Exposure is outstanding;
(iii) if the Borrower cash collateralizes any portion of such Defaulting Lender’s LC Exposure pursuant to clause (ii) above, the Borrower shall not be required to pay any fees to such Defaulting Lender pursuant to Section 2.12(b) with respect to such Defaulting Lender’s LC Exposure during the period such Defaulting Lender’s LC Exposure is cash collateralized;
(iv) if the LC Exposure of the non-Defaulting Lenders is reallocated pursuant to clause (i) above, then the fees payable to the Lenders pursuant to Sections 2.12(a) and 2.12(b) shall be adjusted in accordance with such non-Defaulting Lenders’
Applicable Percentages; and
(v) if all or any portion of such Defaulting Lender’s LC Exposure is neither reallocated nor cash collateralized pursuant to clause (i) or (ii) above, then, without prejudice to any rights or remedies of any Issuing Bank or any other Lender hereunder, all commitment fees that otherwise would have been payable to such Defaulting Lender (solely with respect to the portion of such Defaulting Lender’s Commitment that was utilized by such LC Exposure) and letter of credit fees payable under Section 2.12(b) with respect to such Defaulting Lender’s LC Exposure shall be payable to the Issuing Banks until and to the extent that such LC Exposure is reallocated and/or cash collateralized; and
(e) so long as such Lender is a Defaulting Lender, no Swingline Lenders shall be required to fund any Swingline Loan and no Issuing Bank shall be required to issue, amend or increase any Letter of Credit, unless it is satisfied that the related exposure and the Defaulting Lender’s then outstanding LC Exposure will be 100% covered by the Revolving Commitments of the non-Defaulting Lenders and/or cash collateral will be provided by the Borrower in accordance with Section 2.20(d), and Swingline Exposure related to any newly made Swingline Loan or LC Exposure related to any newly issued or increased Letter of Credit shall be allocated among non- Defaulting Lenders in a manner consistent with Section 2.20(d)(i) (and such Defaulting Lender shall not participate therein).
If (i) a Bankruptcy Event or a Bail-In Action with respect to a Lender Parent shall occur following the date hereof and for so long as such event shall continue or (ii) any Swingline Lender or Issuing Bank has a good faith belief that any Lender has defaulted in fulfilling its obligations under one or more other agreements in which such Lender commits to extend credit, no Swingline Lender shall be required to fund any Swingline Loan and no Issuing Bank shall be required to issue, amend or increase any Letter of Credit, unless the Swingline Lenders or the Issuing Banks, as the case may be, shall have entered into arrangements with the Borrower or such Lender, satisfactory to such Swingline Lender or Issuing Bank, as the case may be, to defease any risk to it in respect of such Lender hereunder.
In the event that each of the Administrative Agent, the Borrower, each Swingline Lender and each Issuing Bank agrees that a Defaulting Lender has adequately remedied all matters that caused such Lender to be a Defaulting Lender, then the Swingline Exposure and LC Exposure of the Lenders shall be readjusted to reflect the inclusion of such Lender’s Commitment and on such
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date such Lender shall purchase at par such of the Loans of the other Lenders (other than Swingline Loans) as the Administrative Agent shall determine may be necessary in order for such Lender to hold such Loans in accordance with its Applicable Percentage.
SECTION 2.21. [Reserved] .
SECTION 2.22. Expansion Option. The Borrower may from time to time elect to increase the Revolving Commitments or enter into one or more tranches of term loans (each an “Incremental Term Loan”), in each case in minimum increments of $25,000,000 so long as, after giving effect thereto, the aggregate amount of such increases and all such Incremental Term Loans does not exceed $75,000,000. The Borrower may arrange for any such increase or tranche to be provided by one or more Lenders (each Lender so agreeing to an increase in its Revolving Commitment, or to participate in such Incremental Term Loans, an “Increasing Lender”), or by one or more new banks, financial institutions or other entities (each such new bank, financial institution or other entity, an “Augmenting Lender”; provided that no Ineligible Institution may be an Augmenting Lender), which agree to increase their existing Revolving Commitments, or to participate in such Incremental Term Loans, or provide new Revolving Commitments, as the case may be; provided that (i) each Augmenting Lender, shall be subject to the approval of the Borrower, the Administrative Agent and each Issuing Bank and Swingline Lender to the extent the consent of the Issuing Bank or the Swingline Lender would be required to effect an assignment under Section 9.04(b), and (ii) (x) in the case of an Increasing Lender, the Borrower and such Increasing Lender execute an agreement substantially in the form of Exhibit D hereto, and (y) in the case of an Augmenting Lender, the Borrower and such Augmenting Lender execute an agreement substantially in the form of Exhibit E hereto. No consent of any Lender (other than the Lenders participating in the increase or any Incremental Term Loan) shall be required for any increase in Revolving Commitments or Incremental Term Loan pursuant to this Section 2.22. Increases and new Revolving Commitments and Incremental Term Loans created pursuant to this Section 2.22 shall become effective on the date agreed by the Borrower, the Administrative Agent and the relevant Increasing Lenders or Augmenting Lenders, and the Administrative Agent shall notify each Lender thereof. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no increase in the Revolving Commitments (or in the Revolving Commitment of any Lender) or tranche of Incremental Term Loans shall become effective under this paragraph unless (subject to the next sentence of this Section 2.22 in respect of Limited Condition Transactions), (i) on the proposed date of the effectiveness of such increase or Incremental Term Loans, (A) the conditions set forth in paragraphs (a) and (b) of Section 4.02 shall be satisfied or waived by the Required Lenders and the Administrative Agent shall have received a certificate to that effect dated such date and executed by a Financial Officer of the Borrower and (B) the Borrower shall be in compliance (on a pro forma basis) with the covenants contained in Section 5.12 and (ii) the Administrative Agent shall have received documents and opinions consistent with those delivered on the Effective Date as to the organizational power and authority of the Borrower to borrow hereunder after giving effect to such increase. Notwithstanding the foregoing, with respect to any Incremental Term Loans incurred for the purpose of financing a Limited Condition Transaction (such Incremental Term Loans, “Specified Incremental Term Loans”), to the extent the Borrower has made an LCT Election in connection therewith, (x) clause (i)(A) of the immediately sentence shall be deemed to have been satisfied so long as (1) as of the applicable LCT Test Date, no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing or would result from entry into the definitive documentation in respect of the applicable Limited Condition Transaction, (2) as of the date of the
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borrowing of such Specified Incremental Term Loans, no Event of Default under clause (a), (f) or
(g) of Section 7.01 is in existence immediately before or immediately after giving effect (including on a pro forma basis) to such borrowing and to any concurrent transactions and any substantially concurrent use of proceeds thereof, (3) the representations and warranties set forth in Article III shall be true and correct in all material respects (except that any representation and warranty that is qualified by materiality or Material Adverse Effect shall be true and correct in all respects) as of the applicable LCT Test Date, except to the extent any such representation and warranty specifically refers to an earlier date, in which case such representation and warranty shall be true and correct in all material respects (or, with respect to any representation and warranty that is qualified by materiality or Material Adverse Effect, in all respects) as of such earlier date and (4) as of the date of the borrowing of such Specified Incremental Term Loans, customary “Sungard” representations and warranties (with such representations and warranties to be reasonably determined by the Lenders providing such Specified Incremental Term Loans) shall be true and correct in all material respects (except that any representation and warranty that is qualified by materiality or Material Adverse Effect shall be true and correct in all respects) immediately prior to, and immediately after giving effect to, the incurrence of such Specified Incremental Term Loans, except to the extent any such representation and warranty specifically refers to an earlier date, in which case such representation and warranty shall be true and correct in all material respects (or, with respect to any representation and warranty that is qualified by materiality or Material Adverse Effect, in all respects) as of such earlier date and (y) clause (i)(B) of the immediately preceding sentence shall be deemed to have been satisfied so long as the Company shall be in compliance (on a pro forma basis) with the covenants contained in Section 5.12 as of the applicable LCT Test Date. On the effective date of any increase in the Revolving Commitments or any Incremental Term Loans being made, (i) each relevant Increasing Lender and Augmenting Lender shall make available to the Administrative Agent such amounts in immediately available funds as the Administrative Agent shall determine, for the benefit of the other Lenders, as being required in order to cause, after giving effect to such increase and the use of such amounts to make payments to such other Lenders, each Lender’s portion of the outstanding Revolving Loans of all the Lenders to equal its Applicable Percentage of such outstanding Revolving Loans, and
(ii) except in the case of any Incremental Term Loans, the Borrower shall be deemed to have repaid and reborrowed all outstanding Revolving Loans as of the date of any increase in the Revolving Commitments (with such reborrowing to consist of the Types of Revolving Loans, with related Interest Periods if applicable, specified in a notice delivered by the Borrower in accordance with the requirements of Section 2.03). The deemed payments made pursuant to clause (ii) of the immediately preceding sentence shall be accompanied by payment of all accrued interest on the amount prepaid and, in respect of each Term Benchmark Loan, shall be subject to indemnification by the Borrower pursuant to the provisions of Section 2.16 if the deemed payment occurs other than on the last day of the related Interest Periods. The Incremental Term Loans (a) shall rank pari passu in right of payment with the Revolving Loans and the initial Term Loans, (b) shall not mature earlier than the Maturity Date (but may have amortization prior to such date) and (c) shall be treated substantially the same as (and in any event no more favorably than) the Revolving Loans and the initial Term Loans; provided that (i) the terms and conditions applicable to any tranche of Incremental Term Loans maturing after the Maturity Date may provide for material additional or different financial or other covenants or prepayment requirements applicable only during periods after the Maturity Date and (ii) the Incremental Term Loans may be priced differently than the Revolving Loans and the initial Term Loans. Incremental Term Loans may be made hereunder
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pursuant to an amendment or restatement (an “Incremental Term Loan Amendment”) of this Agreement and, as appropriate, the other Loan Documents, executed by the Borrower, each Increasing Lender participating in such tranche, each Augmenting Lender participating in such tranche, if any, and the Administrative Agent. The Incremental Term Loan Amendment may, without the consent of any other Lenders, effect such amendments to this Agreement and the other Loan Documents as may be necessary or appropriate, in the reasonable opinion of the Administrative Agent, to effect the provisions of this Section 2.22. Nothing contained in this Section 2.22 shall constitute, or otherwise be deemed to be, a commitment on the part of any Lender to increase its Revolving Commitment hereunder, or provide Incremental Term Loans, at any time. In connection with any increase of the Revolving Commitments or Incremental Term Loans pursuant to this Section 2.22, any Augmenting Lender becoming a party hereto shall
(1) execute such documents and agreements as the Administrative Agent may reasonably request and (2) in the case of any Augmenting Lender that is organized under the laws of a jurisdiction outside of the United States of America, provide to the Administrative Agent, its name, address, tax identification number and/or such other information as shall be necessary for the Administrative Agent to comply with “know your customer” and anti-money laundering rules and regulations, including without limitation, the Patriot Act.
SECTION 2.23. 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 the Borrower 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 the Borrower in the Agreement Currency, the Borrower 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 the Borrower (or to any other Person who may be entitled thereto under applicable law).
ARTICLE III
Representations and Warranties The Borrower represents and warrants to the Lenders that:
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SECTION 3.01. Existence, Qualification and Power. Each Loan Party (a) is duly organized or formed, validly existing and, as applicable, in good standing under the Laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation or organization, (b) has all requisite power and authority and all requisite governmental licenses, authorizations, consents and approvals to (i) own or lease its assets and carry on its business and (ii) execute, deliver and perform its obligations under the Loan Documents to which it is a party, and (c) is duly qualified and is licensed and, as applicable, in good standing under the Laws of each jurisdiction where its ownership, lease or operation of properties or the conduct of its business requires such qualification or license; except in each case referred to in clauses (b)(i) or (c) above, to the extent that failure to do so could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. The copy of the Organization Documents of each Loan Party provided to the Administrative Agent pursuant to the terms of this Agreement is a true and correct copy of each such document, each of which is valid and in full force and effect.
SECTION 3.02. Authorization; No Contravention. The execution, delivery and performance by each Loan Party of each Loan Document to which such Person is party, have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate or other organizational action, and do not and will not
(a) contravene the terms of any of such Person’s Organization Documents; (b) conflict with or result in any breach or contravention of, or the creation of (or the requirement to create) any Lien under, or require any payment to be made under (i) any Contractual Obligation to which such Person is a party or affecting such Person or the 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 applicable Law except in the case of subsections (b) and (c) where such breach, contravention or payment could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
SECTION 3.03. Governmental Authorization; Other Consents. 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, in any case, 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.
SECTION 3.04. 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 when so delivered will constitute, a legal, valid and binding obligation of such Loan Party, enforceable against each Loan Party that is party thereto in accordance with its terms subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other laws affecting creditors’ rights generally and subject to general principles of equity, regardless of whether considered in a proceeding in equity or at law.
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SECTION 3.05. Financial Statements; No Material Adverse Effect; No Internal Control Event.
(a) The Audited Financial Statements (i) were prepared in accordance with GAAP consistently applied throughout the period covered thereby, except as otherwise expressly noted therein; (ii) fairly present the Consolidated financial condition of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries as of the date thereof and their results of operations for the period covered thereby in accordance with GAAP consistently applied throughout the period covered thereby, except as otherwise expressly noted therein; and (iii) show all material indebtedness and other liabilities, direct or contingent, of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries on a Consolidated basis as of the date thereof, including liabilities for taxes, material commitments and Indebtedness.
(b) The unaudited Consolidated balance sheets of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries dated June 30, 2022, and the related Consolidated statements of income or operations, shareholders’ equity and cash flows for the fiscal quarter ended on that date (i) were prepared in accordance with GAAP consistently applied throughout the period covered thereby, except as otherwise expressly noted therein, and (ii) fairly present the Consolidated financial condition of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries as of the date thereof and their results of operations for the period covered thereby, subject, in the case of clauses (i) and (ii), to the absence of footnotes and to normal year-end audit adjustments.
(c) Since the date of the Audited Financial Statements and except as disclosed in the quarterly financial statements referenced in Section 5.05(b), there has been no event or circumstance, either individually or in the aggregate, that has had or could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(d) To the best knowledge of the Borrower, no Internal Control Event exists or has occurred since the date of the Audited Financial Statements that has resulted in or could reasonably be expected to result in a misstatement in any material respect, in any financial information delivered or to be delivered to the Administrative Agent or the Lenders, of (i) covenant compliance calculations provided hereunder or (ii) the assets, liabilities, financial condition or results of operations of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries on a Consolidated basis.
(e) The forecasted balance sheet and statements of income and cash flows of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries on a Consolidated basis delivered pursuant to Section 5.01(c) were prepared in good faith on the basis of the assumptions stated therein, which assumptions were fair in light of the conditions existing at the time of delivery of such forecasts, and represented, at the time of delivery, the Borrower’s best estimate of its future financial condition and performance.
SECTION 3.06. Litigation. There are no actions, suits, proceedings, claims or disputes pending or, to the knowledge of the Borrower after due and diligent investigation, threatened or contemplated, at law, in equity, in arbitration or before any Governmental Authority, by or against the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries or against any of their properties or revenues that (a) purport to affect or pertain to this Agreement or any other Loan Document, or any of the transactions contemplated hereby, or (b) except as specifically disclosed in Schedule 3.06, either individually or in the aggregate, if determined adversely, could reasonably be expected to have a
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Material Adverse Effect, and there has been no adverse change in the status, or financial effect on any Loan Party or any Subsidiary thereof, of the matters described on Schedule 3.06.
SECTION 3.07. No Default. Neither any Loan Party nor any Subsidiary thereof is in default under or with respect to any Contractual Obligation that could, either individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. No Default has occurred and is continuing or would result from the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or any other Loan Document.
SECTION 3.08. Ownership of Property; Liens. Each of the Borrower and each Subsidiary has good record and marketable title in fee simple to, or valid leasehold interests in, all real property necessary or used in the ordinary conduct of its business, except for such defects in title as could not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. The property of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries is subject to no Liens, other than Liens permitted by Section 6.01, including Liens listed on Schedule 6.01.
SECTION 3.09. Environmental Compliance. The Borrower 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 the Borrower has reasonably concluded that, except as specifically disclosed in Schedule 3.09, such Environmental Laws and claims could not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
SECTION 3.10. Insurance. The properties of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries are insured with financially sound and reputable insurance companies not Affiliates of Borrower, in such amounts (after giving effect to any self-insurance compatible with the following standards), with such deductibles and covering such risks as the Borrower reasonably believes appropriate. All insurance with respect to the Collateral shall (a) contain a breach of warranty clause in favor of the Administrative Agent, (b) provide that no cancellation, reduction in amount or change in coverage thereof shall be effective until at least ten (10) days after receipt by the Administrative Agent of written notice thereof (thirty (30) days for nonpayment of premium) and (c) be reasonably satisfactory in all material respects to the Administrative Agent.
SECTION 3.11. Taxes. The Borrower and its Subsidiaries have filed all foreign and domestic Federal, state and other material tax returns and reports required to be filed, and have paid all foreign and domestic Federal, state 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 diligently conducted and for which adequate reserves have been provided in accordance with GAAP. There is no proposed tax assessment against the Borrower or any Subsidiary that would, if made, have a Material Adverse Effect, nor is there any tax sharing agreement applicable to the Borrower or any Subsidiary.
SECTION 3.12. ERISA Compliance.
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(a) Each Plan is in compliance with the applicable provisions of ERISA, the Code and other Federal or state laws except for any failure to comply which, either individually or in the aggregate, could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. Each Pension Plan that is intended to be a qualified plan 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. To the best knowledge of the Borrower, nothing has occurred that would prevent or cause the loss of such tax-qualified status.
(b) There are no pending or, to the best knowledge of the Borrower, threatened claims, actions or lawsuits, or action by any Governmental Authority, with respect to any Plan that could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. There has been no prohibited transaction or violation of the fiduciary responsibility rules with respect to any Plan that has resulted or could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(c) Except as set forth and described on Schedule 3.12(c) attached hereto and made a part hereof, (i) no ERISA Event has occurred, and neither the 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) the Borrower and each ERISA Affiliate has 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 in respect of any Pension Plan; (iii) 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 neither the 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; (iv) neither the Borrower nor any ERISA Affiliate has incurred 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; (v) neither the 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) Neither the Borrower nor any ERISA Affiliate maintains or contributes to, or has any unsatisfied obligation to contribute to, or liability under, any active or terminated Pension Plan other than those listed on Schedule 3.12(d) attached hereto, and neither the execution, delivery nor performance of the Transactions, including the making of any Loan and the issuance of any Letter of Credit hereunder, will give rise to a non-exempt prohibited transaction under Section 406 of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code.
(e) The Borrower is not and will not be using “plan assets” (within the meaning of 29 CFR § 2510.3-101, as modified by Section 3(42) of ERISA) of one or more Benefit Plans in connection with the Loans, the Letters of Credit or the Commitments.
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SECTION 3.13. Subsidiaries; Equity Interests. As of the Effective Date, the Borrower has no Subsidiaries other than those specifically disclosed in Part (a) of Schedule 3.13, and the outstanding Equity Interests in such Subsidiaries have been validly issued, are fully paid and nonassessable and are owned by a Loan Party in the amounts specified on Part (a) of Schedule
3.13 free and clear of all Liens. Borrower has no equity investments in any other corporation or entity other than those specifically disclosed in Part (b) of Schedule 3.13.
SECTION 3.14. Margin Regulations; Investment Company Act.
(a) Neither the Borrower nor any Subsidiary is engaged or will engage, principally or as one of its important activities, in the business of purchasing or carrying margin stock (within the meaning of Regulation U issued by the Federal Reserve Board), or extending credit for the purpose of purchasing or carrying margin stock. 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 Borrower individually or of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries on a Consolidated basis) are or will be margin stock.
(b) None of the Borrower, any Person Controlling the Borrower, or any Subsidiary is or is required to be registered as an “investment company” under the Investment Company Act of 1940.
SECTION 3.15. Disclosure. The Borrower has disclosed to the Administrative Agent and the Lenders all agreements, instruments and corporate or other restrictions to which it or any of its Subsidiaries is subject, and all other matters known to it, that, individually or in the aggregate, could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. No report, financial statement, certificate or other information furnished (whether in writing or orally) by or on behalf of any Loan Party to the Administrative Agent or any Lender in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby and the negotiation of this Agreement or delivered hereunder or under any other Loan Document (in each case, as modified or supplemented by other information so furnished) contains any material misstatement of fact or omits to state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided that, with respect to projected financial information, the Borrower represents only that such information was prepared in good faith based upon assumptions believed to be reasonable at the time. The information included in the Beneficial Ownership Certification most recently provided to each Lender, if applicable, is true and correct in all respects.
SECTION 3.16. Compliance With Laws. Each Loan Party 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.
SECTION 3.17. Taxpayer Identification Number. The Borrower’s true and correct
U.S. taxpayer identification number is set forth is set forth in Section 9.01.
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SECTION 3.18. Intellectual Property; Licenses, Etc. The Borrower and its Subsidiaries own, or possess the right to use, all of the trademarks, service marks, trade names, copyrights, patents, patent rights, franchises, licenses and other intellectual property rights that are reasonably necessary for the operation of their respective businesses, without conflict with the rights of any other Person. To the best knowledge of the Borrower, no trademark, service mark, copyright, patent, slogan or other advertising device, product, process, method, substance, part or other material now employed, or now contemplated to be employed, by the Borrower or any Subsidiary infringes upon any rights held by any other Person. No claim or litigation regarding any of the foregoing is pending or, to the best knowledge of Borrower, threatened, which, either individually or in the aggregate, could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
SECTION 3.19. Rights in Collateral; Priority of Liens. The Borrower and each other Loan Party own the property granted by it as Collateral under the Collateral Documents, free and clear of any and all Liens in favor of third parties, other than Liens permitted under Section 6.01, including Liens set forth on Schedule 6.01. Upon the proper filing of UCC financing statements and copyright, trademark and patent assignment notices, the Liens granted pursuant to the Collateral Documents will constitute valid and enforceable first, prior and perfected Liens in favor of the Administrative Agent, for the ratable benefit of the Secured Parties on all collateral on which a lien may be perfected by the filing of such UCC financing statements and copyright, trademark and patent assignment notices, subject only to the Liens set forth on Schedule 7.01.
SECTION 3.20. Sanctions Concerns and Anti-Corruption Laws.The Borrower has implemented and maintains in effect policies and procedures designed to ensure compliance by the Borrower, its Subsidiaries and their respective directors, officers, employees and agents with Anti-Corruption Laws and applicable Sanctions, and the Borrower, its Subsidiaries and their respective officers and directors and to the knowledge of the Borrower, its employees and agents, are in compliance with Anti-Corruption Laws and applicable Sanctions in all material respects and are not knowingly engaged in any activity that could reasonably be expected to result in the Borrower being designated as a Sanctioned Person. None of (a) the Borrower, any Subsidiary, any of their respective directors or officers or to the knowledge of the Borrower or such Subsidiary, employees, or (b) to the knowledge of the Borrower, any agent of the Borrower or any Subsidiary that will act in any capacity in connection with or benefit from the credit facilities established hereby, is a Sanctioned Person. No Borrowing or Letter of Credit, use of proceeds or other Transactions will violate any Anti-Corruption Law or applicable Sanctions.
SECTION 3.21. Solvency . Each Loan Party is, individually and together with its Subsidiaries on a Consolidated basis, Solvent.
SECTION 3.22. Casualty, Etc. Neither the businesses nor the properties of any Loan Party or any of its Subsidiaries are affected by any fire, explosion, accident, strike, lockout or other labor dispute, drought, storm, hail, earthquake, embargo, act of God or of the public enemy or other casualty (whether or not covered by insurance) that, either individually or in the aggregate, could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
SECTION 3.23. Responsible Officers. Set forth on Schedule 3.23 attached hereto are Responsible Officers, holding the offices indicated next to their respective names, as of the Effective Date and as of the last date such Schedule was required to be updated in accordance with
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Sections 5.02(a), 5.13 and 5.15 and such Responsible Officers are the duly elected and qualified officers of such Loan Party and are duly authorized to execute and deliver, on behalf of the respective Loan Party, this Agreement, the Notes and the other Loan Documents.
SECTION 3.24. 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 (subject to Liens permitted pursuant to Section 6.01 below) on all rights, title and interests of the respective Loan Parties in the Collateral described therein. Except for filings completed prior to the Effective 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) Intellectual Property. Set forth on Schedule 3.24(b), as of the Effective Date and as of the last date such Schedule was required to be updated in accordance with Sections 5.02(a),
5.13 and 5.15, is a list of all intellectual property registered in the United States of America (including all registered copyrights, patents and trademarks and any applications for registration and issuance thereof) owned by each of the Loan Parties or that each of the Loan Parties has the right to (including the name/title, current owner, registration or application number, and registration or application date and such other information as reasonably requested by Administrative Agent).
(c) Documents, Instruments, and Tangible Chattel Paper. Set forth on Schedule 3.24(c), as of the Effective Date and as of the last date such Schedule 3.24(c) was required to be updated in accordance with Sections 5.02(a), 5.13 and 5.15, is a description of each “Document,” “Instrument,” and “Tangible Chattel Paper” (each as defined in the UCC) of the Loan Parties, in each case, in an amount in excess of $5,000,000 individually or $10,000,000 in the aggregate (including the Loan Party owning such Document, Instrument and Tangible Chattel Paper and such other information as reasonably requested by the Administrative Agent)
(d) Deposit Accounts, Electronic Chattel Paper, Letter of Credit Rights and Securities Accounts.
(i) Set forth on Schedule 3.24(d), as of the Effective Date and as of the last date such Schedule was required to be updated in accordance with Sections 5.02(a), 5.13 and 5.15, is a description of all “Deposit Accounts” and “Securities Accounts” (as each of the foregoing terms is defined in the UCC) of the Loan Parties in the United States of America, including the name of (A) the applicable Loan Party, and (B) in the case of a Deposit Account, the depository institution and average amount held in such Deposit Account and whether such account is a zero balance account or a payroll account.
(ii) Set forth on Schedule 3.24(d)(ii), as of the Effective Date and as of the last date such Schedule 3.24(d)(ii) was required to be updated in accordance with Sections 5.02(a), 5.13 and 5.15, is a description of all “Electronic Chattel Paper” and “Letter-of-Credit Rights” (each as defined in the UCC) of the Loan Parties, in each case, in an amount in excess of $5,000,000 individually or $10,000,000 in the
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aggregate, including the name of (A) the applicable Loan Party, (B) in the case of Electronic Chattel Paper (as defined in the UCC), the account debtor and (C) in the case of Letter-of-Credit Rights (as defined in the UCC), the issuer or nominated person, as applicable.
(e) Commercial Tort Claims. Set forth on Schedule 5.21(e), as of the Closing Date and as of the last date such Schedule 3.24(e) was required to be updated in accordance with Sections 5.02(a), 5.13 and 5.15, is a description of each “Commercial Tort Claim” (as defined in the UCC) of the Loan Parties in an amount in excess of $5,000,000 individually or $10,000,000 in the aggregate (detailing such Commercial Tort Claim in such detail as reasonably requested by the Administrative Agent)
(f) Pledged Equity Interests. Set forth on Schedule 3.24(f), as of the Effective Date and as of the last date such Schedule was required to be updated in accordance with Sections 5.02(a), 5.13 and 5.15, is a list of all Equity Interests pledged or required to be pledged to the Administrative Agent pursuant to this Agreement and/or the Collateral Documents, in each case, detailing the owner/pledgor, the Person whose Equity Interests are pledged, the number of shares of each class of Equity Interests, the certificate number and percentage ownership of outstanding shares of each class of Equity Interests and the class or nature of such Equity Interests (i.e. voting, non-voting, preferred, etc.).
(g) Properties. Set forth on Schedule 3.24(g), as of the Effective Date and as of the last date such Schedule was required to be updated in accordance with Sections 5.02(a), 5.13 and 5.15, is a list of (i) each principal place of business or chief executive office of the Loan Parties, and
(ii) each location where any personal property Collateral is located at any premises owned or leased by a Loan Party with a Collateral value in excess of $5,000,000 individually or $10,000,000 in the aggregate (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,
(3) the address of such property (including, the city, county, state and zip code).
SECTION 3.25. Affected Financial Institution. No Loan Party is an Affected Financial Institution.
ARTICLE IV
Conditions
SECTION 4.01. Effective Date. The obligations of the Lenders to make Loans and of the Issuing Banks to issue Letters of Credit hereunder shall not become effective until the date on which each of the following conditions is satisfied (or waived in accordance with Section 9.02):
(a) The Administrative Agent (or its counsel) shall have received from each party hereto a counterpart of this Agreement signed on behalf of such party (which, subject to Section 9.06(b), may include any Electronic Signatures transmitted by telecopy, emailed pdf, or any other electronic means that reproduces an image of an actual executed signature page.
(b) The Administrative Agent shall have received a favorable written opinion (addressed to the Administrative Agent and the Lenders and dated the Effective Date) of Kramer
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Levin Naftalis & Frankel, counsel for the Loan Parties, and Pennsylvania local counsel to the Loan Parties (which counsel shall be reasonably acceptable to the Administrative Agent), covering such matters relating to the Loan Parties, the Loan Documents or the Transactions as the Administrative Agent shall reasonably request. The Borrower hereby requests such counsel to deliver such opinion.
(c) The Administrative Agent shall have received such documents and certificates as the Administrative Agent or its counsel may reasonably request relating to the organization, existence and good standing of the initial Loan Parties, the authorization of the Transactions and any other legal matters relating to the Loan Parties, the Loan Documents or the Transactions, all in form and substance satisfactory to the Administrative Agent and its counsel and as further described in the list of closing documents attached as Exhibit F.
(d) The Administrative Agent shall have received a certificate, dated the Effective Date and signed by the President, a Vice President or a Financial Officer of the Borrower, confirming compliance with the conditions set forth in paragraphs (a) and (b) of Section 4.02.
(e) The Administrative Agent shall have received, to the extent invoiced, all fees and other amounts due and payable on or prior to the Effective Date, including reimbursement or payment of all out-of-pocket expenses required to be reimbursed or paid by the Borrower hereunder.
(f) The Administrative Agent shall have received (i) satisfactory audited consolidated financial statements of the Borrower for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2021, (ii) satisfactory unaudited interim consolidated financial statements of the Borrower for the fiscal quarter ended March 31, 2022, (iii) satisfactory preliminary consolidated financial statements of the Borrower for the fiscal quarter ended June 30, 2022, and (iv) satisfactory financial statement projections through and including the Borrower’s 2026 fiscal year, together with such information as the Administrative Agent and the Lenders shall reasonably request (including, without limitation, a detailed description of the assumptions used in preparing such projections).
(g) (i) The Administrative Agent shall have received, at least five days prior to the Effective Date, all documentation and other information regarding the Borrower requested in connection with applicable “know your customer” and anti-money laundering rules and regulations, including the Patriot Act, to the extent requested in writing of the Borrower at least 10 days prior to the Effective Date and (ii) to the extent the Borrower qualifies as a “legal entity customer” under the Beneficial Ownership Regulation, at least five days prior to the Effective Date, any Lender that has requested, in a written notice to the Borrower at least 10 days prior to the Effective Date, a Beneficial Ownership Certification in relation to the Borrower shall have received such Beneficial Ownership Certification (provided that, upon the execution and delivery by such Lender of its signature page to this Agreement, the condition set forth in this clause (ii) shall be deemed to be satisfied).
(h) All UCC financing statements and, subject to Section 5.19, federal intellectual property filings, pledged instruments and allonges and stock certificates (with related stock powers) required by the Collateral Documents or under law or reasonably requested by the
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Administrative Agent to be filed, registered, recorded or delivered on the Effective Date in order to create in favor of the Administrative Agent, for the benefit of the Secured Parties, a perfected Lien on the Collateral described therein, prior and superior in right to any other Person (other than with respect to Liens expressly permitted by Section 6.02 to the extent any such Liens would have priority over the Liens in favor of the Administrative Agent pursuant to any applicable law), shall be in proper form for filing, registration, recordation or delivery.
(i) The Administrative Agent shall have received such other documents as the Administrative Agent or the Required Lenders (through the Administrative Agent) may reasonably request (including the additional documents and deliverables described in the list of closing documents attached as Exhibit F hereto).
(j) The Administrative Agent shall have received evidence satisfactory to it that the credit facility evidenced by the Existing Credit Agreement shall have been terminated and cancelled and all indebtedness thereunder shall have been fully repaid (except to the extent being so repaid with the initial Loans and except for Existing Letters of Credit) and any and all Liens thereunder shall have been terminated (unless otherwise permitted pursuant to Section 5.19).
The Administrative Agent shall notify the Borrower and the Lenders of the Effective Date, and such notice shall be conclusive and binding.
SECTION 4.02. Each Credit Event . The obligation of each Lender to make a Loan on the occasion of any Borrowing, and of each Issuing Bank to issue, amend, renew or extend any Letter of Credit, is subject to the satisfaction of the following conditions:
(a) The representations and warranties of the Borrower set forth in this Agreement shall be true and correct in all material respects (except that any representation and warranty that is qualified by materiality or Material Adverse Effect shall be true and correct in all respects) on and as of the date of such Borrowing or the date of issuance, amendment, renewal or extension of such Letter of Credit, as applicable.
(b) At the time of and immediately after giving effect to such Borrowing or the issuance, amendment, renewal or extension of such Letter of Credit, as applicable, no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing.
Each Borrowing and each issuance, amendment, renewal or extension of a Letter of Credit shall be deemed to constitute a representation and warranty by the Borrower on the date thereof as to the matters specified in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this Section.
ARTICLE V
Affirmative Covenants
Until the Commitments have expired or been terminated and the principal of and interest on each Loan and all fees payable hereunder shall have been paid in full and all Letters of Credit shall have expired or terminated, in each case, without any pending draw, and all LC Disbursements shall have been reimbursed, the Borrower covenants and agrees with the Lenders that it will and will cause it Subsidiaries to:
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SECTION 5.01. Financial Statements and Other Information. Furnish to the Administrative Agent:
(a) promptly after being filed with the SEC, but in any event within seventy-five (75) days after the end of each fiscal year of Borrower (or within such shorter time period as the Borrower may be required to file the foregoing with the SEC), a Consolidated balance sheet of Borrower and its Subsidiaries as at the end of such fiscal year, and the related Consolidated statements of income or operations, shareholders’ equity and cash flows for such fiscal year, setting forth in each case in comparative form the figures for the previous fiscal year, all in reasonable detail and prepared in accordance with GAAP, such consolidated statements to be audited and accompanied by a report and opinion of KPMG US LLP or another independent certified public accounting firm of recognized standing reasonably acceptable to the Administrative Agent, which report and opinion shall be prepared in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards and applicable Securities Laws and shall not be subject to any “going concern” or like qualification or exception or any qualification or exception as to the scope of such audit or with respect to the absence of any material misstatement;
(b) promptly after being filed with the SEC, but in any event within forty-five (45) days after the end of each of the first three fiscal quarters of each fiscal year of Borrower, a Consolidated balance sheet of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries as at the end of such fiscal quarter, and the related Consolidated statements of income or operations, shareholders’ equity and cash flows for such fiscal quarter and for the portion of the Borrower’s fiscal year then ended, setting forth in each case in comparative form the figures for the corresponding fiscal quarter of the previous fiscal year and the corresponding portion of the previous fiscal year, all in reasonable detail, such Consolidated statements to be certified by the chief executive officer, chief financial officer, treasurer or controller of the Borrower as fairly presenting the financial condition, results of operations, shareholders’ equity and cash flows of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries in accordance with GAAP, subject only to normal year-end audit adjustments and the absence of footnotes; and
(c) as soon as available, but in any event at least fifteen (15) days before the end of each fiscal year of the Borrower, forecasts prepared by management of the Borrower, in form satisfactory to the Administrative Agent and the Required Lenders, of Consolidated balance sheets and statements of income or operations of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries for the immediately following fiscal year (including the fiscal year in which the Maturity Date occurs), prepared on an annual basis.
Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section to the contrary, the Borrower shall not be obligated to provide to the Administrative Agent and the Lenders any financial statements, reports or other information required herein which has been filed with or furnished to the SEC and which is publicly available through the SEC’s electronic data gathering and retrieval system (“EDGAR”).
SECTION 5.02. Certificates; Other Information. Deliver to Administrative Agent a sufficient number of copies for delivery by Administrative Agent to each Lender, in form and detail satisfactory to Administrative Agent and the Required Lenders:
(a) concurrently with the delivery of the financial statements referred to in
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Sections 5.01(a) and (b), a duly completed Compliance Certificate signed by the chief financial officer or president of the Borrower and, concurrently with the delivery of the financial statements referred to in Section 5.01(a), on an annual basis, the following updated Schedules to this Agreement (which may be attached to the Compliance Certificate) to the extent required to make the representation related to such Schedule true and correct as of the date of such Compliance Certificate: Schedules 3.12(d), 3.13, 3.23, 3.24(b), 3.24(c), 3.24(d)(i), 3.24(d)(ii), 3.24(e), 3.24(f),
and 3.24(g) and Schedules to the Security Agreement;
(b) promptly after any request by Administrative Agent or any Lender, copies of any detailed audit reports, management letters or recommendations submitted to the board of directors (or the audit committee of the board of directors) of the Borrower by independent accountants in connection with the accounts or books of the Borrower or any Subsidiary, or any audit of any of them;
(c) promptly after the same are available, copies of each annual report, proxy or financial statement, reporting notice, or other report or communication sent to the stockholders of Borrower, and copies of any annual, regular, periodic and special reports and registration statements which Borrower may file or be required to file with the SEC under Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and not otherwise required to be delivered to Administrative Agent pursuant hereto;
(d) promptly after the furnishing thereof, copies of any statement or report furnished to any holder of debt securities of any Loan Party or any Subsidiary thereof pursuant to the terms of any indenture, loan or credit or similar agreement and not otherwise required to be furnished to the Lenders pursuant to any other clause of this Section 5.01;
(e) promptly, and in any event within five (5) Business Days after receipt thereof by any Loan Party or any Subsidiary thereof, copies of each notice or other correspondence received from the Securities and Exchange Commission (or comparable agency in any applicable non-U.S. jurisdiction) concerning any investigation or possible investigation or other inquiry by such agency regarding financial or other operational results of any Loan Party or any Subsidiary thereof;
(f) promptly following any request therefor, provide information and documentation reasonably requested by Administrative Agent or any Lender for purposes of compliance with applicable “know your customer” and anti-money-laundering rules and regulations, including, without limitation, the PATRIOT Act and the Beneficial Ownership Regulation; and
(g) promptly, such additional information regarding the business, financial or corporate affairs of the Borrower or any Subsidiary, or compliance with the terms of the Loan Documents, as Administrative Agent or any Lender may from time to time reasonably request.
Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section to the contrary, the Borrower shall not be obligated to provide to the Administrative Agent and the Lenders any financial statements, reports or other information required herein which has been filed with or furnished to the SEC and which is publicly available through EDGAR.
SECTION 5.03. Notices of Material Events. Promptly, but in any event within five
(5) Business Days, notify the Administrative Agent and each Lender:
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(a) of the occurrence of any Default;
(b) of any matter that has resulted or could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect;
(c) of the occurrence of any ERISA Event;
(d) of any material change in accounting policies or financial reporting practices by the Borrower or any Subsidiary;
(e) of the Borrower’s determination at any time of the occurrence or existence of any Internal Control Event; and
(f) of any change in the Beneficial Ownership Certification most recently provided to each Lender.
Each notice pursuant to this Section 5.03 shall be accompanied by a statement of a Responsible Officer of the Borrower setting forth details of the occurrence referred to therein and, to the extent applicable, stating what action the Borrower has taken and proposes to take with respect thereto. Each notice pursuant to Section 5.03(a) shall describe with particularity any and all provisions of this Agreement and any other Loan Document that have been breached.
SECTION 5.04. Payment of Obligations. Pay and discharge as the same shall become due and payable, its obligations and liabilities in excess of $500,000, 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 diligently conducted and adequate reserves in accordance with GAAP are being maintained by the Borrower or such Subsidiary; (b) all lawful claims which, if unpaid, would by law become a Lien upon its property; and (c) all Indebtedness, as and when due and payable, but subject to any subordination provisions contained in any instrument or agreement evidencing such Indebtedness.
SECTION 5.05. 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 except in a transaction permitted by Section 6.04 or 6.05; (b) take all reasonable action to maintain all rights, privileges, permits, licenses and franchises necessary or desirable in the normal conduct of its business, except to the extent that failure to do so could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; and (c) preserve or renew any registered patents, trademarks, trade names and service marks, the non-preservation of which could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
SECTION 5.06. Maintenance of Properties. 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 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.
SECTION 5.07. Maintenance of Insurance . Maintain with financially sound and reputable insurance companies not Affiliates of the Borrower, insurance with respect to its
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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 (after giving effect to any self-insurance compatible with the following standards) as are customarily carried under similar circumstances by such other Persons and providing for not less than ten (10) days’ prior notice to the Administrative Agent of termination, lapse or cancellation of such insurance (thirty
(30) days for nonpayment of premium). The Borrower shall cause its carriers to name the Administrative Agent as additional insured and, in the case of property or casualty insurance for all tangible Collateral, first loss payee, and shall provide the Administrative Agent with a certificate or certificates evidencing such coverages and the payment of premiums therefore, on or before the Effective Date and at such times as the insurance in question is modified or renewed.
SECTION 5.08. Compliance with Laws . (a) 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 (i) such requirement of Law or order, writ, injunction or decree is being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings diligently conducted or (ii) the failure to comply therewith could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; and (b) maintain in effect and enforce policies and procedures designed to ensure compliance by the Borrower, its Subsidiaries and their respective directors, officers, employees and agents with Anti-Corruption Laws and applicable Sanctions.
SECTION 5.09. Books and Records. Maintain (a) proper books of record and account, in which full, true and correct entries in conformity with GAAP consistently applied shall be made of all financial transactions and matters involving the assets and business of the Borrower or such Subsidiary, as the case may be and (b) such books of record and account in material conformity with all applicable requirements of any Governmental Authority having regulatory jurisdiction over Borrower or such Subsidiary, as the case may be. The Borrower shall maintain at all times books and records pertaining to the Collateral in such detail, form and scope as the Administrative Agent or any Lender shall reasonably require.
SECTION 5.10. Inspection Rights.
(a) Permit representatives and independent contractors of the Administrative Agent and each Lender 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, all at the expense of Borrower and at such reasonable times during normal business hours and as often as may be reasonably desired, upon reasonable advance notice to the Borrower; 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 Borrower at any time during normal business hours and without advance notice.
(b) If requested by the Administrative Agent in its sole discretion, permit the Administrative Agent and its representatives, upon reasonable advance notice to the Borrower, to conduct, at the expense of the Borrower, an annual (i.e., not more frequently than once per twelve
(12) month period) field exam on the accounts receivable, inventory, payables, controls and systems of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries; provided, however, that at any time while an Event
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of Default has occurred and is continuing, the Administrative Agent shall not be limited to one such field exam per twelve (12) month period.
SECTION 5.11. Use of Proceeds. The proceeds of the Loans and Letter of Credit will be used only to finance the working capital and other lawful corporate purposes of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries, including, without limitation, refinancing Indebtedness under the Existing Credit Agreement and financing Permitted Acquisitions. No part of the proceeds of any Loan will be used, whether directly or indirectly, for any purpose that entails a violation of any of the regulations of the Federal Reserve Board, including Regulations T, U and X. The Borrower will not request any Borrowing or Letter of Credit, and the Borrower shall not use the proceeds of any Borrowing or Letter of Credit (A) in furtherance of an offer, payment, promise to pay, or authorization of the payment or giving of money, or anything else of value, to any Person in violation of any Anti- Corruption Laws, (B) for the purpose of funding, financing or facilitating any activities, business or transaction of or with any Sanctioned Person, or in any Sanctioned Country, except to the extent permitted for a Person required to comply with Sanctions, or (C) in any manner that would result in the violation of any Sanctions applicable to any party hereto.
SECTION 5.12. Financial Covenants.
(a) Senior Secured Leverage Ratio. The Borrower shall maintain, on a Consolidated basis as of the end of each of the Borrower’s fiscal quarters, commencing with the fiscal quarter ending September 30, 2022, a Senior Secured Leverage Ratio not exceeding (i) 4.00 to 1.00, determined as of the end of each of its fiscal quarters ending on September 30, 2022, December 31, 2022, March 31, 2023 and June 30, 2023, and (ii) 3.75 to 1.00, for each fiscal quarter ending thereafter; provided, that, at any time the Senior Secured Leverage Ratio is required to not exceed
3.75 to 1.00 pursuant to the preceding clause (ii), following a Permitted Acquisition for which the aggregate consideration in respect thereof equals or exceeds $25,000,000, the Borrower may, not more than one (1) time during the term of this Agreement, elect (an “Acquisition Holiday Election”) to increase the maximum Senior Secured Leverage Ratio permitted under this Section 5.12(a) to 4.25 to 1.00 for a period of four (4) consecutive fiscal quarters in connection with, and commencing with the first fiscal quarter ending after, an Acquisition (the “Acquisition Holiday Election Quarter”) (it being understood that the Senior Secured Leverage Ratio shall return to less than or equal to 3.75 to 1.00 no later than the fifth fiscal quarter following the Acquisition Holiday Election Quarter).
(b) Minimum Consolidated Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio. The Borrower shall maintain, on a Consolidated basis as of the end of each of the Borrower’s fiscal quarters, commencing with the fiscal quarter ending September 30, 2022, a Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio of not less than 1.25 to 1.
SECTION 5.13. Additional Guarantors; Pledges of Stock; Security Interests. Notify the Administrative Agent within thirty (30) days after the delivery of the financial statements referred to in Section 5.01(a) or (b), on an quarterly basis, if any Person becomes a Material Domestic Subsidiary or a Pledge Subsidiary and, promptly thereafter (and in any event within thirty (30) days, or such later date as may be agreed to by the Administrative Agent in its discretion):
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(a) cause any such Person that becomes a Material Domestic Subsidiary (i) to become a Subsidiary Guarantor by executing and delivering to the Administrative Agent a joinder to the Subsidiary Guaranty or such other document as the Administrative Agent may reasonably request for such purpose, (ii) to subject all of its tangible and intangible personal property now owned or hereafter acquired by it to a first priority, perfected Lien (subject to Liens permitted under the terms of Section 6.01 and the other Loan Documents) in favor of the Administrative Agent for the benefit of the Secured Parties to secure the Obligations pursuant to the terms and conditions of the Collateral Documents, and (iii) to deliver to the Administrative Agent (1) documents of the types referred to in clauses (iii) and (iv) of Section 4.01(a), (2) to the extent reasonably requested by the Administrative Agent, favorable opinions of counsel to such Person (which opinions shall cover, among other things, the legality, validity, binding effect and enforceability of the documentation referred to in the foregoing clause (i)), and (3) updated Schedules 3.12(d), 3.13, 3.23, 3.24(b), 3.24(c), 3.24(d)(i), 3.24(d)(ii), 3.24(e), 3.24(f), and 3.24(g) and Schedules to the Security Agreement, all in form, content and scope reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent; and/or
(b) take such action, and cause the appropriate Subsidiaries to take such action, from time to time as shall be necessary to ensure that one hundred percent (100%) (or, if such Subsidiary is a First Tier Foreign Subsidiary and a pledge of 100% of the voting Equity Interests of such Subsidiary would give rise to material adverse tax consequences for the Borrower and its Subsidiaries, sixty-five percent (65%) of the voting Equity Interests and one hundred percent (100%) of the non-voting Equity Interests in any such Person that becomes a Pledge Subsidiary shall be pledged, directly (if such Pledge Subsidiary is owned by a domestic Person) or indirectly (if such Pledge Subsidiary is owned by a foreign Person), to the Administrative Agent, for the benefit of the Lenders, (i) by executing and delivering to the Administrative Agent a pledge agreement (in the case of a First Tier Foreign Subsidiary, governed by local law upon the Administrative Agent’s request), supplement to the Security Agreement, or such other document as the Administrative Agent shall deem appropriate for such purpose, and (ii) by delivering to the Administrative Agent (1) documents of the types referred to in clauses (iii) and (iv) of Section 4.01(a) with respect to such Pledge Subsidiary, (2) to the extent reasonably requested by the Administrative Agent, favorable opinions of counsel to such Pledge Subsidiary and to such pledging Borrower or Subsidiary (which shall cover, among other things, the legality, validity, binding effect and enforceability of the documentation referred to in the foregoing clause (i)), and (3) updated Schedules 3.12(d), 3.13, 3.23, 3.24(b), 3.24(c), 3.24(d)(i), 3.24(d)(ii), 3.24(e), 3.24(f), and 3.24(g) and Schedules to the Security Agreement, all in form, content and scope reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent.
In the event that any Subsidiary of the Borrower is liable (whether as a primary obligor, a guarantor or otherwise) for any Indebtedness of a Loan Party (other than Indebtedness hereunder) having an aggregate principal amount of more than $10,000,000, then the Borrower shall be required to comply with the foregoing clauses (a) and (b) without giving effect to the grace period provided herein.
SECTION 5.14. Collateral Records. Execute and deliver promptly, and cause each other Loan Party to execute and deliver promptly, to the Administrative Agent, from time to time, solely for the Administrative Agent’s convenience in maintaining a record of the Collateral, such written statements and schedules as the Administrative Agent may reasonably require designating,
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identifying or describing the Collateral. The failure by the Borrower or any other Loan Party, however, to promptly give the Administrative Agent such statements or schedules shall not affect, diminish, modify or otherwise limit the Liens on the Collateral granted pursuant to the Collateral Documents.
SECTION 5.15. Security Interests; Landlord Subordination.
(a) To and to cause each other Loan Party to, (i) defend the Collateral against all claims and demands of all Persons at any time claiming the same or any interest therein, (ii) comply with the requirements of all United States state and federal laws in order to grant to the Administrative Agent and the Lenders valid and perfected security interests in the Collateral subject only to Liens set forth on Schedule 6.01, with perfection, in the case of any investment property, deposit account or letter of credit, being effected by giving the Administrative Agent control of such investment property or deposit account or letter of credit, rather than by the filing of a UCC financing statement with respect to such investment property, and (iii) do whatever the Administrative Agent may reasonably request, from time to time, to effect the purposes of this Agreement and other Loan Documents, including (1) filing notices of liens, UCC financing statements, fixture filings and amendments, renewals and continuations thereof, (2) cooperating with the Administrative Agent’s representatives, (3) keeping stock records, (4) using reasonable efforts to obtain waivers from landlords and mortgagees and from warehousemen and their landlords and mortgagees, (5) paying claims which might, if unpaid, become a lien on the Collateral, and (6) concurrently with the delivery of any Collateral pursuant to the terms of this Section, provide the Administrative Agent with the applicable updated Schedules 3.12(d), 3.13, 3.23, 3.24(b), 3.24(d), 3.24(e), 3.24(f), and 3.24(g) and Schedules to the Security Agreement, all in form, content and scope reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent. The Administrative Agent is hereby authorized by the Borrower to file any UCC financing statements covering the Collateral whether or not the Borrower’s signatures appear thereon.
(b) Subject to Section 5.19 hereof, in the case of (i) the headquarters location of the Borrower located at 195 Clarksville Road, Princeton Junction, New Jersey 08550 and (ii) each other domestic location of Collateral where the aggregate value of said Collateral has been deemed material by the Administrative Agent, in its reasonable discretion, said locations as of the Effective Date being set forth and described on Schedule 3.24(g) attached hereto and made a part hereof, the Loan Parties will use their respective commercially reasonable efforts to provide the Administrative Agent with a landlord subordination agreement in form and substance reasonably acceptable to the Administrative Agent from the landlords on such real property.
SECTION 5.16. [Reserved].
SECTION 5.17. Further Assurances. Promptly upon 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 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 and other instruments (including 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 in order to (i) carry out more effectively the purposes of the
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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.
SECTION 5.18. Anti-Corruption Laws; Sanctions. The Borrower shall conduct its business in compliance in all material respects 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.
SECTION 5.19. Post-Closing Requirements. Not later than the dates set forth in Schedule 5.19 (or such later dates as the Administrative Agent shall agree in its sole discretion) or as otherwise required thereunder, the Loan Parties shall take the actions set forth on Schedule 5.19.
ARTICLE VI
Negative Covenants
Until the Commitments have expired or terminated and the principal of and interest on each Loan and all fees payable hereunder have been paid in full and all Letters of Credit have expired or terminated, in each case, without any pending draw, and all LC Disbursements shall have been reimbursed, the Borrower covenants and agrees with the Lenders that Borrower shall not, nor shall it permit any Subsidiary to, directly or indirectly:
SECTION 6.01. 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:
(a) Liens pursuant to any Loan Document;
(b) Liens existing on the Effective Date and listed on Schedule 6.01 and any renewals or extensions thereof, provided that (i) the property covered thereby is not changed, (ii) the amount secured or benefited thereby is not increased except as expressly contemplated by Section 6.03(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 6.03(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;
(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
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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;
(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 7.01(h);
(i) Liens securing Indebtedness permitted under Section 6.03(e); provided that (i) such Liens do not at any time encumber any property other than the property financed by such Indebtedness 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) Liens existing solely with respect to cash or deposit account balances used to cash collateralize obligations of a Lender to the Issuing Bank, in accordance with the terms, conditions, and provisions of Section 2.06(j);
(k) Liens on Permitted Receivables Facility Assets arising under Permitted Receivables Facilities; and
(l) Liens securing Indebtedness permitted under Section 6.03(f) and Section 6.03(i); provided, however, with respect to any Liens securing Secured Debt permitted under Section 6.03(i) said Liens shall be subject to the terms, conditions, and provisions of the applicable Intercreditor Agreement(s).
SECTION 6.02. Investments. Make any Investments, except:
(a) Investments held by Borrower or such Subsidiary in the form of cash equivalents or short-term marketable debt securities;
(b) loans to officers, directors and employees of Borrower and Subsidiaries in an aggregate amount not to exceed $500,000 at any time outstanding;
(c) Investments by Borrower and/or any of its Subsidiaries in Borrower and/or any Subsidiary; provided, that not more than an aggregate amount of $5,000,000 in Investments may be made and remain outstanding, at any time, by Loan Parties to Subsidiaries which are not Loan Parties.
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(d) Investments of Borrower or its Subsidiaries for strategic purposes in non- Subsidiary joint ventures, not to exceed $4,000,000 individually in any twelve (12) month period;
(e) Investments consisting of extensions of credit in the nature of accounts receivable or notes receivable arising from the grant of trade credit 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;
(f) an Acquisition; provided that, with respect to each Acquisition made pursuant to this Section 6.02(f):
(i) in the case of an Acquisition of the Equity Interest of a Person (including as a result of a merger or consolidation), upon the consummation thereof, such Person will be wholly-owned directly by the Borrower or one or more of its Wholly-Owned Subsidiaries, and any such newly-created or acquired Subsidiary shall comply with the requirements of Section 5.13;
(ii) the lines of business of the Person to be (or the property of which is to be) so purchased or otherwise acquired shall be substantially the same lines of business as one or more of the principal businesses of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries in the ordinary course;
(iii) (A) immediately before and immediately after giving pro forma effect to any such Acquisition (or, if such Acquisition is a Limited Condition Transaction, at the time of signing the applicable Limited Acquisition Agreement), no Default shall have occurred and be continuing and (B) immediately after giving effect to such Acquisition, the Borrower and its Subsidiaries shall be in pro forma compliance with all of the covenants set forth in Section 5.12, such compliance to be evidenced by the Borrower to the reasonable satisfaction of the Administrative Agent and to be determined on a pro forma basis (for the avoidance of doubt, giving effect to any Indebtedness incurred or assumed in connection therewith) as if such Acquisition had been made on the first day of the most recent four fiscal quarter period for which Financials have been delivered; and
(iv) in the event the total cash and noncash consideration paid by or on behalf of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries for any such Acquisition exceeds $10,000,000, the Borrower shall have delivered to the Administrative Agent, at least five Business Days prior to the date on which any such Acquisition is to be consummated, written notice of such Acquisition, and, if requested by the Administrative Agent, all material purchase or acquisition documents related thereto;
(g) Guarantees permitted by Section 6.03;
(h) contributions of Permitted Receivables Facility Assets and cash deemed received from proceeds of Permitted Receivables Facility Assets to any Receivables Entity to the extent required or made pursuant to Permitted Receivables Facility Documents or to the extent necessary to keep such Receivables Entity properly capitalized to avoid insolvency or consolidation with a Loan Party or any of the Subsidiaries and (ii) loans or advances made by the Borrower or any
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Receivables Seller to the Receivables Entity for the purchase price of the Receivables and the Permitted Receivables Facility Assets; and
(i) other Investments (excluding Acquisitions); provided that (A) immediately before and immediately after giving pro forma effect to any such Investment, no Default shall have occurred and be continuing and (B) immediately after giving effect to such Investment, the Total Consolidated Debt Leverage Ratio shall not exceed 3.50 to 1.00, such compliance to be evidenced by the Borrower to the reasonable satisfaction of the Administrative Agent and to be determined on a pro forma basis (for the avoidance of doubt, giving effect to any Indebtedness incurred or assumed in connection therewith) as if such Investment had been made on the first day of the most recent four fiscal quarter period for which Financials have been delivered.
SECTION 6.03. Indebtedness. Create, incur, assume or suffer to exist any Indebtedness, except:
(a) Indebtedness under the Loan Documents;
(b) Indebtedness outstanding on the date hereof and listed on Schedule 6.03 and any refinancings, refundings, renewals or extensions 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, (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 of 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 refinancing, refunding, renewing or extending Indebtedness does not exceed the then applicable market interest rate and (iii) no Person that was not an obligor with respect to the original Indebtedness shall be an obligor on any such refinancing, refunding, renewing or extending of Indebtedness;
(c) Guarantees of Borrower or any Subsidiary in respect of Indebtedness otherwise permitted hereunder of Borrower or any Subsidiary;
(d) obligations (contingent or otherwise) of Borrower or any Subsidiary existing or arising under any Swap Agreement, 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 liabilities, commitments, investments, assets, or property held or reasonably anticipated by such Person, or changes in the value of securities issued by such Person, and not for purposes of speculation or taking a “market view” and (ii) such Swap Agreement does not contain any provision exonerating the non-defaulting party from its obligation to make payments on outstanding transactions to the defaulting party;
(e) Indebtedness in respect of capital leases, Synthetic Lease Obligations and purchase money obligations for fixed or capital assets within the limitations set forth in Section 6.01(i);
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provided, however, that the aggregate amount of all such Indebtedness at any one time outstanding shall not exceed $35,000,000;
(f) (i) Indebtedness assumed in connection with Permitted Acquisitions or (ii) Indebtedness incurred in connection with the payment of the purchase price for Permitted Acquisitions, which Indebtedness is unsecured and has been subordinated to the payment of the Obligations on terms approved by the Administrative Agent in writing, or is otherwise approved by the Administrative Agent in writing; provided that, (A) in the case of each of the foregoing clauses (i) and (ii), (1) immediately before and immediately after giving pro forma effect to any such incurrence of Indebtedness, no Default shall have occurred and be continuing, and (2) immediately after giving effect to such incurrence of Indebtedness, the Borrower and its Subsidiaries shall be in pro forma compliance with all of the covenants set forth in Section 5.12, and (B) in the case of the foregoing clause (ii), immediately after giving effect to such incurrence, the Total Consolidated Debt Leverage Ratio does not exceed 4.50 to 1.00, such compliance as described in the preceding clauses (A)(2) and (B), as applicable, to be evidenced by the Borrower to the reasonable satisfaction of the Administrative Agent and the Required Lenders on the basis of the financial information most recently delivered to the Administrative Agent and the Lenders pursuant to Section 5.01(a) or (b) as though such Acquisition had been consummated as of the first day of the fiscal period covered thereby;
(g) any earn-out obligation that comprises a portion of the consideration for an acquisition (whether consummated before, on, or after the date of this Agreement) or Indebtedness consisting of obligations under deferred compensation or other similar arrangements incurred in connection with a Permitted Acquisition (whether consummated before, on, or after the date of this Agreement);
(h) Indebtedness of the Borrower or any Subsidiary incurred pursuant to a Permitted Receivables Facility;
(i) additional Indebtedness of the Borrower or any Subsidiary in an aggregate amount not to exceed (A) the greater of $30,000,000 and 50% of EBITDA, plus, (B) an unlimited amount of (1) Indebtedness secured on a pari passu basis to the Secured Obligations if immediately after giving effect to such incurrence, the Senior Secured Leverage Ratio does not exceed 3.00 to 1.00, such compliance to be evidenced by the Borrower to the reasonable satisfaction of the Administrative Agent and to be determined on a pro forma basis as if such Indebtedness had been incurred on the first day of the most recent four fiscal quarter period for which Financials have been delivered, (2) Indebtedness secured on a junior basis to the Secured Obligations if immediately after giving effect to such incurrence, the Secured Leverage Ratio does not exceed 3.00 to 1.00, such compliance to be evidenced by the Borrower to the reasonable satisfaction of the Administrative Agent and to be determined on a pro forma basis as if such Indebtedness had been incurred on the first day of the most recent four fiscal quarter period for which Financials have been delivered and (3) unsecured Indebtedness (including Subordinated Indebtedness) if immediately after giving effect to such incurrence, the Total Consolidated Debt Leverage Ratio does not exceed 4.50 to 1.00, such compliance to be evidenced by the Borrower to the reasonable satisfaction of the Administrative Agent and to be determined on a pro forma basis as if such Indebtedness had been incurred on the first day of the most recent four fiscal quarter period for which Financials have been delivered; provided, that:
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(i) immediately before and immediately after giving pro forma effect to any such incurrence, no Default shall have occurred and be continuing;
(ii) the aggregate principal amount of any such Indebtedness incurred by Subsidiaries that are not Subsidiary Guarantors shall not exceed $20,000,000;
(iii) such Indebtedness does not mature prior to 91 days after the Maturity Date;
(iv) such Indebtedness does not have a shorter weighted average life to maturity than any term loans issued under this Agreement; and
(v) in the case of indebtedness of Loan Party, (x) such Indebtedness shall not be secured by any Lien on assets that do constitute Collateral and shall not be guaranteed by any Subsidiary that is not a Subsidiary Guarantor and (y) if such Indebtedness is Secured Debt or Subordinated Indebtedness, such Indebtedness shall be subject to the terms of an Intercreditor Agreement.
SECTION 6.04. 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 (including, in each case, pursuant to a Delaware LLC Division), except that, so long as no Default exists or would result therefrom:
(a) any Subsidiary may merge with (i) Borrower, provided that Borrower shall be the continuing or surviving Person, or (ii) any one or more other Subsidiaries, provided that when any Majority-Owned Subsidiary is merging with another Subsidiary, the Majority-Owned Subsidiary shall be the continuing or surviving Person, and provided further that if a Subsidiary Guarantor is merging with another Subsidiary, the Subsidiary Guarantor shall be the surviving Person; and
(b) any Subsidiary may Dispose of all or substantially all of its assets (upon voluntary liquidation or otherwise) to Borrower or to another Subsidiary; provided that if the transferor in such a transaction is a Majority-Owned Subsidiary, then the transferee must either be Borrower or a Majority-Owned Subsidiary and provided further that if the transferor of such assets is a Subsidiary Guarantor, the transferee must either be Borrower or a Subsidiary Guarantor.
SECTION 6.05. Dispositions. The Borrower shall not, nor shall it permit any Subsidiary to, directly or indirectly make any Disposition or enter into any agreement to make any Disposition, except:
(a) Dispositions of obsolete or worn out property or equipment, 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 to the extent that (i) such equipment is exchanged for credit against the purchase price of similar replacement equipment or (ii) the proceeds of such Disposition are reasonably promptly applied to the purchase price of such replacement equipment;
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(d) Dispositions of property by any Subsidiary to Borrower or to a Majority-Owned Subsidiary; provided that if the transferor of such property is a Subsidiary Guarantor, the transferee thereof must either be Borrower or a Subsidiary Guarantor;
(e) Dispositions permitted by Section 6.04;
(f) Dispositions of up to $5,000,000 individually or in a series of related Dispositions;
and
(g) the Borrower or any Subsidiary may transfer, sell and/or pledge Permitted
Receivables Related Assets under a Permitted Receivables Facility;
provided, however, that any Disposition pursuant to clauses (c) through (f) shall be for fair market value.
SECTION 6.06. Restricted Payments. Declare or make, directly or indirectly, any Restricted Payment (other than Permitted Restricted Payments), or incur any obligation (contingent or otherwise) to do so, except that, so long as no Default shall exist (a) at the time of any action described in this Section 6.06 above or (b) would result therefrom, the Borrower and its Subsidiaries may declare or make any Restricted Payment so long as the Total Consolidated Debt Leverage Ratio, calculated on a pro forma basis to include said Restricted Payment (and for the avoidance of doubt, giving effect to any Indebtedness incurred in connection therewith), does not exceed 3.50 to 1.00 , such compliance to be evidenced by the Borrower to the reasonable satisfaction of the Administrative Agent and to be determined on a pro forma basis as if such Restricted Payment had been made on the first day of the most recent four fiscal quarter period for which Financials have been delivered.
SECTION 6.07. Change in Nature of Business. Engage in any material line of business substantially different from those lines of business conducted by the Borrower and its Subsidiaries on the date hereof or any business substantially related or incidental thereto.
SECTION 6.08. Transactions With Affiliates. Enter into any transaction of any kind with any Affiliate of Borrower, whether or not in the ordinary course of business, other than on fair and reasonable terms substantially as favorable to the Borrower or such Subsidiary as would be obtainable by the Borrower or such Subsidiary at the time in a comparable arm’s length transaction with a Person other than an Affiliate, provided that the foregoing restriction shall not apply to (a) transactions between or among the Borrower and any Subsidiary Guarantor or between and among Subsidiary Guarantors, so long as the effect of such transactions is not to circumvent the limitations contained in Section 6.02 or (b) transactions contemplated by any Permitted Receivables Facility Documents.
SECTION 6.09. Burdensome Agreements. Enter into any Contractual Obligation (other than this Agreement or any other Loan Document) that (a) limits the ability (i) of any Subsidiary to make Restricted Payments to Borrower or any Subsidiary Guarantor or to otherwise transfer property to Borrower or any Subsidiary Guarantor, (ii) of any Subsidiary to Guarantee the Indebtedness of Borrower or (iii) of Borrower or any Subsidiary to create, incur, assume or suffer to exist Liens on property of such Person; provided, however, that this clause (iii) shall not prohibit any negative pledge incurred or provided in favor of any holder of Indebtedness permitted under
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Section 6.03(e) solely to the extent any such negative pledge relates to the property financed by or the subject of such Indebtedness; or (b) requires the grant of a Lien to secure an obligation of such Person if a Lien is granted to secure another obligation of such Person; provided that the foregoing shall not apply to customary restrictions and conditions contained in Permitted Receivables Facility Documents.
SECTION 6.10. [Reserved].
SECTION 6.11. Prepayment of Subordinated Indebtedness. Prepay any Subordinated Indebtedness; provided, however, that so long as no Default then exists or would result from any such prepayment, the Borrower may make any prepayment of any Subordinated Indebtedness at any time when the Total Consolidated Debt Leverage Ratio is less than 3.50 –to– 1.00, such compliance to be evidenced by the Borrower to the reasonable satisfaction of the Administrative Agent and to be determined on a pro forma basis to include such payment (and for the avoidance of doubt, giving effect to any Indebtedness incurred in connection therewith) as if such payment had been made on the first day of the most recent four fiscal quarter period for which Financials have been delivered.
ARTICLE VII
Events of Default
SECTION 7.01. Events of Default. The following events shall each constitute an “Event of Default” hereunder:
(a) Non-Payment. The Borrower or any other Loan Party fails to pay (i) when and as required to be paid herein, and in the Agreed Currency required hereunder, any amount of principal of any principal of any Loan or any reimbursement obligation in respect of any LC Disbursement, or (ii) within three (3) days after the same becomes due, any interest on any Loan or any fee or any other amount (other than an amount referred to in preceding clause (i)) due hereunder, or (iii) within five (5) days after the same becomes due, any other amount payable hereunder or under any other Loan Document; or
(b) Specific Covenants. The Borrower fails to perform or observe any term, covenant or agreement contained in any of Sections 5.01, 5.02, 5.03, 5.05, 5.07, 5.08, 5.10, 5.11, 5.12, 5.13 or 5.19; or the Borrower fails to perform or observe any term, covenant or agreement contained Article VI, or any “Event of Default” occurs under the Security Agreement, or any Subsidiary Guarantor fails to perform or observe any term, covenant or agreement contained in Article III of the Subsidiary Guaranty; or
(c) Other Defaults. Any Loan Party fails to perform or observe any other covenant or agreement (not specified in subsection (a) or (b) above) contained in this Agreement or any other Loan Document on its part to be performed or observed and such failure continues for thirty (30) days after written notice thereof from the Administrative Agent; provided, however, that if such failure is susceptible of cure but cannot reasonably be cured within such thirty (30) day period and provided further that the applicable Loan Party shall have commenced to cure such failure within such thirty (30) day period and thereafter diligently and expeditiously proceeds to cure the same,
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such thirty (30) day period shall be extended for such time as is reasonably necessary for such Loan Party, in the exercise of due diligence, to cure such failure (but in any event not more than ninety (90) days total from receipt of such written notice); or
(d) Representations and Warranties. Any representation, warranty, certification or statement of fact made or deemed made by or on behalf of the Borrower or any other Loan Party herein, in any other Loan Document, or in any document delivered in connection herewith or therewith, shall be (i) with respect to any such representation, warranty, certification or statement of fact which contains a materiality qualification or is qualified by the occurrence of a Material Adverse Effect or similar language, incorrect or misleading in any respect when made or deemed made, and (ii) with respect to any such representation, warranty, certification or statement of fact which does not contain a materiality qualification and is not qualified by the occurrence of a Material Adverse Effect or similar language, incorrect or misleading in any material respect when made or deemed made; or
(e) Cross-Default. (i) The Borrower or any Subsidiary (A) fails to make any payment when due (whether by scheduled maturity, required prepayment, acceleration, demand, or otherwise) in respect of any Indebtedness or Guarantee (other than Indebtedness hereunder and Indebtedness under Swap Agreements), such failed payment having an aggregate principal amount (including any payments owing due to acceleration caused by such failed payment) of more than the Threshold Amount, or (B) fails to observe or perform any other agreement or condition relating to any such Indebtedness or Guarantee or contained in any instrument or agreement evidencing, securing or relating thereto, or any other event occurs, the effect of which default or other event is to cause, or to permit the holder or holders of such Indebtedness or the beneficiary or beneficiaries of such Guarantee (or a trustee or Administrative Agent on behalf of such holder or holders or beneficiary or beneficiaries) to cause, with the giving of notice if required, such Indebtedness to be demanded or to become due or to be repurchased, prepaid, defeased or redeemed (automatically or otherwise), or an offer to repurchase, prepay, defease or redeem such Indebtedness to be made, prior to its stated maturity, or such Guarantee to become payable or cash collateral in respect thereof to be demanded; or (ii) there occurs under any Swap Agreement an Early Termination Date (as defined in such Swap Agreement) resulting from (A) any event of default under such Swap Contract as to which the Borrower or any Subsidiary is the “Defaulting Party” (as such term is defined in such Swap Agreement) or (B) any “Termination Event” (as so defined) under such Swap Agreement as to which the Borrower or any Subsidiary is an “Affected Party” (as so defined) and, in either event, the Swap Termination Value owed by the Borrower or such Subsidiary as a result thereof is greater than the Threshold Amount; or
(f) Insolvency Proceedings, Etc. Any Loan Party institutes or consents to the institution of any proceeding under any Debtor Relief Law, or makes an assignment for the benefit of creditors; or applies for or consents to the appointment of any receiver, trustee, custodian, conservator, liquidator, rehabilitator or similar officer for it or for all or any material part of its property; or any receiver, trustee, custodian, conservator, liquidator, rehabilitator or similar officer is appointed without the application or consent of such Person and the appointment continues undischarged or unstayed for sixty (60) calendar days; or any proceeding under any Debtor Relief Law relating to any such Person or to all or any material part of its property is instituted without the consent of such Person and continues undismissed or unstayed for sixty (60) calendar days, or an order for relief is entered in any such proceeding; or
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(g) Inability to Pay Debts; Attachment. (i) The Borrower or any Subsidiary becomes unable or admits in writing its inability or fails generally to pay its debts as they become due, or
(ii) any writ or warrant of attachment or execution or similar process is issued or levied against all or any material part of the property of any such Person and is not released, vacated or fully bonded within thirty (30) days after its issue or levy; or
(h) Judgments. There is entered against the Borrower or any Subsidiary (i) one or more final judgments or orders for the payment of money in an aggregate amount (as to all such judgments or orders) exceeding the Threshold Amount (to the extent not covered by independent third-party insurance as to which the insurer is rated at least “A” by A.M. Best Company, has been notified of the potential claim and does not dispute coverage), or (ii) any one or more non-monetary final judgments that have, or could reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect and, in either case, enforcement proceedings are commenced by any creditor upon such judgment or order and said judgment or order, as applicable, is not satisfied, stayed, or fully-bonded within thirty (30) days of the commencement of said enforcement proceedings; or
(i) 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 the Borrower under Title IV of ERISA to the Pension Plan, Multiemployer Plan or the PBGC which, either individually or in the aggregate, could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, or (ii) the 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 the Threshold Amount; or
(j) Invalidity of Loan Documents. This Agreement, any Collateral Document, or the Subsidiary Guaranty or any provision thereof, at any time after its execution and delivery and for any reason other than as expressly permitted hereunder or thereunder or satisfaction in full of all the Obligations, ceases to be in full force and effect; or any Loan Party or any other Person contests in any manner the validity or enforceability of any Loan Document or any provision thereof; or any 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 thereof; or
(k) Change of Control. There occurs any Change of Control with respect to the Borrower and/or any Subsidiary Guarantor except as expressly permitted by Section 6.04 or Section 6.05.
SECTION 7.02. Remedies Upon an Event of Default. If an Event of Default occurs (other than an event with respect to the Borrower described in Sections 7.01(f)), and at any time thereafter during the continuance of such Event of Default, the Administrative Agent may with the consent of the Required Lenders, and shall at the request of the Required Lenders, by notice to the Borrower, take any or all of the following actions, at the same or different times:
(a) terminate the Commitments, and thereupon the Commitments shall terminate immediately;
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(b) declare the Loans then outstanding to be due and payable in whole (or in part, in which case any principal not so declared to be due and payable may thereafter be declared to be due and payable), and thereupon the principal of the Loans so declared to be due and payable, together with accrued interest thereon and all fees and other Secured Obligations of the Borrower accrued hereunder and under any other Loan Document, shall become due and payable immediately, without presentment, demand, protest or other notice of any kind, all of which are hereby waived by the Borrower;
(c) require that the Borrower provide cash collateral as required in Section 2.06(j); and
(d) exercise on behalf of itself, the Lenders and the Issuing Banks all rights and remedies available to it, the Lenders and the Issuing Banks under the Loan Documents and applicable law.
If an Event of Default described in Sections 7.01(f) occurs with respect to the Borrower, the Commitments shall automatically terminate and the principal of the Loans then outstanding and cash collateral for the LC Exposure, together with accrued interest thereon and all fees and other Secured Obligations accrued hereunder and under any other Loan Document including any break funding payment or prepayment premium, shall automatically become due and payable, and the obligation of the Borrower to cash collateralize the LC Exposure as provided in clause (c) above shall automatically become effective, in each case, without presentment, demand, protest or other notice of any kind, all of which are hereby waived by the Borrower.
In addition to any other rights and remedies granted to the Administrative Agent and the Lenders in the Loan Documents, the Administrative Agent on behalf of the Secured Parties may exercise all rights and remedies of a secured party under the UCC or any other applicable law. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Administrative Agent, without demand of performance or other demand, presentment, protest, advertisement or notice of any kind (except any notice required by law referred to below) to or upon any Loan Party or any other Person (all and each of which demands, defenses, advertisements and notices are hereby waived by the Borrower on behalf of itself and its Subsidiaries), may in such circumstances forthwith collect, receive, appropriate and realize upon the Collateral, or any part thereof, or consent to the use by any Loan Party of any cash collateral arising in respect of the Collateral on such terms as the Administrative Agent deems reasonable, and/or may forthwith sell, lease, assign give an option or options to purchase or otherwise dispose of and deliver, or acquire by credit bid on behalf of the Lenders, the Collateral or any part thereof (or contract to do any of the foregoing), in one or more parcels at public or private sale or sales, at any exchange, broker’s board or office of the Administrative Agent or any Lender or elsewhere, upon such terms and conditions as it may deem advisable and at such prices as it may deem best, for cash or on credit or for future delivery, all without assumption of any credit risk. The Administrative Agent or any Lender shall have the right upon any such public sale or sales, and, to the extent permitted by law, upon any such private sale or sales, to purchase the whole or any part of the Collateral so sold, free of any right or equity of redemption in any Loan Party, which right or equity is hereby waived and released by the Borrower on behalf of itself and its Subsidiaries. The Borrower further agrees on behalf of itself and its Subsidiaries, at the Administrative Agent’s request, to assemble the Collateral and make it available to the Administrative Agent at places which the Administrative Agent shall reasonably select, whether at the premises of the Borrower, another Loan Party or elsewhere. The
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Administrative Agent shall apply the net proceeds of any action taken by it pursuant to this Article VII, after deducting all reasonable costs and expenses of every kind incurred in connection therewith or incidental to the care or safekeeping of any of the Collateral or in any other way relating to the Collateral or the rights of the Administrative Agent and the Lenders hereunder, including reasonable attorneys’ fees and disbursements, to the payment in whole or in part of the obligations of the Loan Parties under the Loan Documents, in such order as the Administrative Agent may elect, and only after such application and after the payment by the Administrative Agent of any other amount required by any provision of law, including Section 9-615(a)(3) of the UCC, need the Administrative Agent account for the surplus, if any, to any Loan Party. To the extent permitted by applicable law, the Borrower on behalf of itself and its Subsidiaries waives all Liabilities it may acquire against the Administrative Agent or any Lender arising out of the exercise by them of any rights hereunder. If any notice of a proposed sale or other disposition of Collateral shall be required by law, such notice shall be deemed reasonable and proper if given at least 10 days before such sale or other disposition.
SECTION 7.03. Application of Payments. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, following the occurrence and during the continuance of an Event of Default, and notice thereof to the Administrative Agent by the Borrower or the Required Lenders:
(a) all payments received on account of the Secured Obligations shall, subject to Section 2.20, be applied by the Administrative Agent as follows:
(i) first, to payment of that portion of the Secured Obligations constituting fees, indemnities, expenses and other amounts payable to the Administrative Agent (including fees and disbursements and other charges of counsel to the Administrative Agent payable under Section 9.03 and amounts pursuant to Section 2.12(c) payable to the Administrative Agent in its capacity as such);
(ii) second, to payment of that portion of the Secured Obligations constituting fees, expenses, indemnities and other amounts (other than principal, reimbursement obligations in respect of LC Disbursements, interest and Letter of Credit fees) payable to the Lenders and the Issuing Banks (including fees and disbursements and other charges of counsel to the Lenders and the Issuing Banks payable under Section 9.03) arising under the Loan Documents, ratably among them in proportion to the respective amounts described in this clause (ii) payable to them;
(iii) third, to payment of that portion of the Secured Obligations constituting accrued and unpaid Letter of Credit fees and charges and interest on the Loans and unreimbursed LC Disbursements, ratably among the Lenders and the Issuing Banks in proportion to the respective amounts described in this clause (iii) payable to them;
(iv) fourth, (A) to payment of that portion of the Secured Obligations constituting unpaid principal of the Loans and unreimbursed LC Disbursements and any other amounts owing with respect to Banking Services Obligations and Swap Obligations and (B) to cash collateralize that portion of LC Exposure comprising the undrawn amount of Letters of Credit to the extent not otherwise cash collateralized by the Borrower pursuant to Section 2.06 or 2.20, ratably among the Lenders and the Issuing Banks in proportion to
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the respective amounts described in this clause (iv) payable to them; provided that (x) any such amounts applied pursuant to subclause (B) above shall be paid to the Administrative Agent for the ratable account of the applicable Issuing Banks to cash collateralize Secured Obligations in respect of Letters of Credit, (y) subject to Section 2.06 or 2.20, amounts used to cash collateralize the aggregate amount of Letters of Credit pursuant to this clause (iv) shall be used to satisfy drawings under such Letters of Credit as they occur and
(z) upon the expiration of any Letter of Credit (without any pending drawings), the pro rata share of cash collateral shall be distributed to the other Obligations, if any, in the order set forth in this Section 7.03;
(v) fifth, to the payment in full of all other Secured Obligations, in each case ratably among the Administrative Agent, the Lenders and the Issuing Banks based upon the respective aggregate amounts of all such Secured Obligations owing to them in accordance with the respective amounts thereof then due and payable; and
(vi) finally, the balance, if any, after all Secured Obligations have been indefeasibly paid in full, to the Borrower or as otherwise required by law; and
(b) if any amount remains on deposit as cash collateral after all Letters of Credit have either been fully drawn or expired (without any pending drawings), such remaining amount shall be applied to the other Secured Obligations, if any, in the order set forth above.
ARTICLE VIII
The Administrative Agent
SECTION 8.01. Authorization and Action. (a) Each Lender and each Issuing Bank hereby irrevocably appoints the entity named as Administrative Agent in the heading of this Agreement and its successors and assigns to serve as the administrative agent and collateral agent under the Loan Documents and each Lender and each Issuing Bank authorizes the Administrative Agent to take such actions as agent on its behalf and to exercise such powers under this Agreement and the other Loan Documents as are delegated to the Administrative Agent under such agreements and to exercise such powers as are reasonably incidental thereto. Without limiting the foregoing, each Lender and each Issuing Bank hereby authorizes the Administrative Agent to execute and deliver, and to perform its obligations under, each of the Loan Documents to which the Administrative Agent is a party, and to exercise all rights, powers and remedies that the Administrative Agent may have under such Loan Documents.
(b) As to any matters not expressly provided for herein and in the other Loan Documents (including enforcement or collection), the Administrative Agent shall not be required to exercise any discretion or take any action, but shall be required to act or to refrain from acting (and shall be fully protected in so acting or refraining from acting) upon the written instructions of the Required Lenders (or such other number or percentage of the Lenders as shall be necessary, pursuant to the terms in the Loan Documents), and, unless and until revoked in writing, such instructions shall be binding upon each Lender and each Issuing Bank; provided, however, that the Administrative Agent shall not be required to take any action that (i) the Administrative Agent in good faith believes exposes it to liability unless the Administrative Agent receives an
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indemnification and is exculpated in a manner satisfactory to it from the Lenders and the Issuing Banks with respect to such action or (ii) is contrary to this Agreement or any other Loan Document or applicable law, including any action that may be in violation of the automatic stay under any requirement of law relating to bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization or relief of debtors or that may effect a forfeiture, modification or termination of property of a Defaulting Lender in violation of any requirement of law relating to bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization or relief of debtors; provided, further, that the Administrative Agent may seek clarification or direction from the Required Lenders prior to the exercise of any such instructed action and may refrain from acting until such clarification or direction has been provided. Except as expressly set forth in the Loan Documents, the Administrative Agent shall not have any duty to disclose, and shall not be liable for the failure to disclose, any information relating to the Borrower, any Subsidiary or any Affiliate of any of the foregoing that is communicated to or obtained by the Person serving as Administrative Agent or any of its Affiliates in any capacity. Nothing in this Agreement shall require the Administrative Agent to expend or risk its own funds or otherwise incur any financial liability in the performance of any of its duties hereunder or in the exercise of any of its rights or powers if it shall have reasonable grounds for believing that repayment of such funds or adequate indemnity against such risk or liability is not reasonably assured to it.
(c) In performing its functions and duties hereunder and under the other Loan Documents, the Administrative Agent is acting solely on behalf of the Lenders and the Issuing Banks (except in limited circumstances expressly provided for herein relating to the maintenance of the Register), and its duties are entirely mechanical and administrative in nature. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing:
(i) the Administrative Agent does not assume and shall not be deemed to have assumed any obligation or duty or any other relationship as the agent, fiduciary or trustee of or for any Lender, Issuing Bank or holder of any other obligation other than as expressly set forth herein and in the other Loan Documents, regardless of whether a Default or an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing (and it is understood and agreed that the use of the term “agent” (or any similar term) herein or in any other Loan Document with reference to the Administrative Agent is not intended to connote any fiduciary duty or other implied (or express) obligations arising under agency doctrine of any applicable law, and that such term is used as a matter of market custom and is intended to create or reflect only an administrative relationship between contracting parties); additionally, each Lender agrees that it will not assert any claim against the Administrative Agent based on an alleged breach of fiduciary duty by the Administrative Agent in connection with this Agreement and/or the transactions contemplated hereby; and
(ii) nothing in this Agreement or any Loan Document shall require the Administrative Agent to account to any Lender for any sum or the profit element of any sum received by the Administrative Agent for its own account;
(d) The Administrative Agent may perform any 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 of their respective duties and exercise their respective rights and powers through their respective Related Parties. The exculpatory provisions of this Article shall apply to any such sub-
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agent and to the Related Parties of the Administrative Agent and any such sub-agent, and shall apply to their respective activities pursuant to this Agreement. The Administrative Agent shall not be responsible for the negligence or misconduct of any sub-agent except to the extent that a court of competent jurisdiction determines in a final and nonappealable judgment that the Administrative Agent acted with gross negligence or willful misconduct in the selection of such sub-agent.
(e) None of any Syndication Agent or any Arranger shall have obligations or duties whatsoever in such capacity under this Agreement or any other Loan Document and shall incur no liability hereunder or thereunder in such capacity, but all such persons shall have the benefit of the indemnities provided for hereunder.
(f) In case of the pendency of any proceeding with respect to any Loan Party under any Federal, state or foreign bankruptcy, insolvency, receivership or similar law now or hereafter in effect, the Administrative Agent (irrespective of whether the principal of any Loan or any Reimbursement 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 the Borrower) shall be entitled and empowered (but not obligated) 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, LC Disbursements 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 Issuing Banks and the Administrative Agent (including any claim under Sections 2.12, 2.13, 2.15, 2.17 and 9.03) 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 proceeding is hereby authorized by each Lender, each Issuing Bank and each other Secured Party 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, the Issuing Banks or the other Secured Parties, to pay to the Administrative Agent any amount due to it, in its capacity as the Administrative Agent, under the Loan Documents (including under Section 9.03). 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 Issuing Bank any plan of reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or composition affecting the Obligations or the rights of any Lender or Issuing Bank or to authorize the Administrative Agent to vote in respect of the claim of any Lender or Issuing Bank in any such proceeding.
(g) The provisions of this Article are solely for the benefit of the Administrative Agent, the Lenders and the Issuing Banks, and, except solely to the extent of the Borrower’s rights to consent pursuant to and subject to the conditions set forth in this Article, none of the Borrower or any Subsidiary, or any of their respective Affiliates, shall have any rights as a third party beneficiary under any such provisions. Each Secured Party, whether or not a party hereto, will be
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deemed, by its acceptance of the benefits of the Collateral and of the Guarantees of the Secured Obligations provided under the Loan Documents, to have agreed to the provisions of this Article.
SECTION 8.02. Administrative Agent’s Reliance, Limitation of Liability, Etc. (a) Neither the Administrative Agent nor any of its Related Parties shall be (i) liable for any action taken or omitted to be taken by such party, the Administrative Agent or any of its Related Parties under or in connection with this Agreement or the other Loan Documents (x) with the consent of 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 to be necessary, under the circumstances as provided in the Loan Documents) or (y) in the absence of its own gross negligence or willful misconduct (such absence to be presumed unless otherwise determined by a court of competent jurisdiction by a final and non-appealable judgment) or (ii) responsible in any manner to any of the Lenders for any recitals, statements, representations or warranties made by any Loan Party or any officer thereof contained in this Agreement or any other Loan Document or in any certificate, report, statement or other document referred to or provided for in, or received by the Administrative Agent under or in connection with, this Agreement or any other Loan Document or for the value, validity, effectiveness, genuineness, enforceability or sufficiency of this Agreement or any other Loan Document (including, for the avoidance of doubt, in connection with the Administrative Agent’s reliance on any Electronic Signature transmitted by telecopy, emailed pdf, or any other electronic means that reproduces an image of an actual executed signature page) or for any failure of any Loan Party to perform its obligations hereunder or thereunder.
(b) The Administrative Agent shall be deemed not to have knowledge of any (i) notice of any of the events or circumstances set forth or described in Section 5.02 unless and until written notice thereof stating that it is a “notice under Section 5.02” in respect of this Agreement and identifying the specific clause under said Section is given to the Administrative Agent by the Borrower, or (ii) notice of any Default or Event of Default unless and until written notice thereof (stating that it is a “notice of Default” or a “notice of an Event of Default”) is given to the Administrative Agent by the Borrower, a Lender or an Issuing Bank. Further, the Administrative Agent shall not be responsible for or have any duty to ascertain or inquire into (i) any statement, warranty or representation made in or in connection with any Loan Document, (ii) the contents of any certificate, report or other document delivered thereunder or in connection therewith, (iii) the performance or observance of any of the covenants, agreements or other terms or conditions set forth in any Loan Document or the occurrence of any Default or Event of Default, (iv) the sufficiency, validity, enforceability, effectiveness or genuineness of any Loan Document or any other agreement, instrument or document, (v) the satisfaction of any condition set forth in Article IV or elsewhere in any Loan Document, other than to confirm receipt of items (which on their face purport to be such items) expressly required to be delivered to the Administrative Agent or satisfaction of any condition that expressly refers to the matters described therein being acceptable or satisfactory to the Administrative Agent, or (vi) the creation, perfection or priority of Liens on the Collateral. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Administrative Agent shall not be liable for, or be responsible for any Liabilities, costs or expenses suffered by the Borrower, any Subsidiary, any Lender or any Issuing Bank as a result of, any determination of the Revolving Credit Exposure, any of the component amounts thereof or any portion thereof attributable to each Lender or Issuing Bank, or any Exchange Rate or calculation of any Dollar Equivalent.
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(c) Without limiting the foregoing, the Administrative Agent (i) may treat the payee of any promissory note as its holder until such promissory note has been assigned in accordance with Section 9.04, (ii) may rely on the Register to the extent set forth in Section 9.04(b), (iii) may consult with legal counsel (including counsel to the Borrower), independent public accountants and other experts selected by it, and shall not be liable for any action taken or omitted to be taken in good faith by it in accordance with the advice of such counsel, accountants or experts, (iv) makes no warranty or representation to any Lender or Issuing Bank and shall not be responsible to any Lender or Issuing Bank for any statements, warranties or representations made by or on behalf of any Loan Party in connection with this Agreement or any other Loan Document, (v) in determining compliance with any condition hereunder to the making of a Loan, or the issuance of a Letter of Credit, that by its terms must be fulfilled to the satisfaction of a Lender or an Issuing Bank, may presume that such condition is satisfactory to such Lender or Issuing Bank unless the Administrative Agent shall have received notice to the contrary from such Lender or Issuing Bank sufficiently in advance of the making of such Loan or the issuance of such Letter of Credit and
(vi) shall be entitled to rely on, and shall incur no liability under or in respect of this Agreement or any other Loan Document by acting upon, any notice, consent, certificate or other instrument or writing (which writing may be a fax, any electronic message, Internet or intranet website posting or other distribution) or any statement made to it orally or by telephone and believed by it to be genuine and signed or sent or otherwise authenticated by the proper party or parties (whether or not such Person in fact meets the requirements set forth in the Loan Documents for being the maker thereof).
SECTION 8.03. Posting of Communications. (a) The Borrower agrees that the Administrative Agent may, but shall not be obligated to, make any Communications available to the Lenders and the Issuing Banks by posting the Communications on IntraLinksTM, DebtDomain, SyndTrak, ClearPar or any other electronic platform chosen by the Administrative Agent to be its electronic transmission system (the “Approved Electronic Platform”).
(b) Although the Approved Electronic Platform and its primary web portal are secured with generally-applicable security procedures and policies implemented or modified by the Administrative Agent from time to time (including, as of the Effective Date, a user ID/password authorization system) and the Approved Electronic Platform is secured through a per-deal authorization method whereby each user may access the Approved Electronic Platform only on a deal-by-deal basis, each of the Lenders, each of the Issuing Banks and the Borrower acknowledges and agrees that the distribution of material through an electronic medium is not necessarily secure, that the Administrative Agent is not responsible for approving or vetting the representatives or contacts of any Lender that are added to the Approved Electronic Platform, and that there may be confidentiality and other risks associated with such distribution. Each of the Lenders, each of the Issuing Banks and the Borrower hereby approves distribution of the Communications through the Approved Electronic Platform and understands and assumes the risks of such distribution.
(c) THE APPROVED ELECTRONIC PLATFORM AND THE COMMUNICATIONS ARE PROVIDED “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE”. THE APPLICABLE PARTIES (AS DEFINED BELOW) DO NOT WARRANT THE ACCURACY OR COMPLETENESS OF THE COMMUNICATIONS, OR THE ADEQUACY OF THE APPROVED ELECTRONIC PLATFORM AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIM LIABILITY FOR ERRORS OR OMISSIONS IN THE APPROVED ELECTRONIC PLATFORM AND THE
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COMMUNICATIONS. 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 THE APPLICABLE PARTIES IN CONNECTION WITH THE COMMUNICATIONS OR THE APPROVED ELECTRONIC PLATFORM. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT, ANY ARRANGER, ANY SYNDICATION AGENT OR ANY OF THEIR RESPECTIVE RELATED PARTIES (COLLECTIVELY, “APPLICABLE PARTIES”) HAVE ANY LIABILITY TO ANY LOAN PARTY, ANY LENDER, ANY ISSUING BANK OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY FOR DAMAGES OF ANY KIND, INCLUDING DIRECT OR INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, LOSSES OR EXPENSES (WHETHER IN TORT, CONTRACT OR OTHERWISE) ARISING OUT OF ANY LOAN PARTY’S OR THE ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT’S TRANSMISSION OF COMMUNICATIONS THROUGH THE INTERNET OR THE APPROVED ELECTRONIC PLATFORM.
“Communications” means, collectively, any notice, demand, communication, information, document or other material provided by or on behalf of any Loan Party pursuant to any Loan Document or the transactions contemplated therein which is distributed by the Administrative Agent, any Lender or any Issuing Bank by means of electronic communications pursuant to this Section, including through an Approved Electronic Platform.
(d) Each Lender and each Issuing Bank agrees that notice to it (as provided in the next sentence) specifying that Communications have been posted to the Approved Electronic Platform shall constitute effective delivery of the Communications to such Lender for purposes of the Loan Documents. Each Lender and Issuing Bank agrees (i) to notify the Administrative Agent in writing (which could be in the form of electronic communication) from time to time of such Lender’s or Issuing Bank’s (as applicable) email address to which the foregoing notice may be sent by electronic transmission and (ii) that the foregoing notice may be sent to such email address.
(e) Each of the Lenders, each of the Issuing Banks and the Borrower agrees that the Administrative Agent may, but (except as may be required by applicable law) shall not be obligated to, store the Communications on the Approved Electronic Platform in accordance with the Administrative Agent’s generally applicable document retention procedures and policies.
(f) Nothing herein shall prejudice the right of the Administrative Agent, any Lender or any Issuing Bank to give any notice or other communication pursuant to any Loan Document in any other manner specified in such Loan Document.
SECTION 8.04. The Administrative Agent Individually. With respect to its Commitment, Loans (including Swingline Loans), Letter of Credit Commitments and Letters of Credit, the Person serving as the Administrative Agent shall have and may exercise the same rights and powers hereunder and is subject to the same obligations and liabilities as and to the extent set forth herein for any other Lender or Issuing Bank, as the case may be. The terms “Issuing Banks”, “Lenders”, “Required Lenders” and any similar terms shall, unless the context clearly otherwise indicates, include the Administrative Agent in its individual capacity as a Lender, Issuing Bank or as one of the Required Lenders, as applicable. The Person serving as the Administrative Agent
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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 banking, trust or other business with, the Borrower, any Subsidiary or any Affiliate of any of the foregoing as if such Person was not acting as the Administrative Agent and without any duty to account therefor to the Lenders or the Issuing Banks.
SECTION 8.05. Successor Administrative Agent. (a) The Administrative Agent may resign at any time by giving 30 days’ prior written notice thereof to the Lenders, the Issuing Banks and the Borrower, whether or not a successor Administrative Agent has been appointed. Upon any such resignation, the Required Lenders shall have the right to appoint a successor Administrative Agent. If no successor Administrative Agent shall have been so appointed by the Required Lenders, and shall have accepted such appointment, within 30 days after the retiring Administrative Agent’s giving of notice of resignation, then the retiring Administrative Agent may, on behalf of the Lenders and the Issuing Banks, appoint a successor Administrative Agent, which shall be a bank with an office in New York, New York or an Affiliate of any such bank. In either case, such appointment shall be subject to the prior written approval of the Borrower (which approval may not be unreasonably withheld and shall not be required while an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing). Upon the acceptance of any appointment as Administrative Agent by a successor Administrative Agent, such successor Administrative Agent shall succeed to, and become vested with, all the rights, powers, privileges and duties of the retiring Administrative Agent. Upon the acceptance of appointment as Administrative Agent by a successor Administrative Agent, the retiring Administrative Agent shall be discharged from its duties and obligations under this Agreement and the other Loan Documents. Prior to any retiring Administrative Agent’s resignation hereunder as Administrative Agent, the retiring Administrative Agent shall take such action as may be reasonably necessary to assign to the successor Administrative Agent its rights as Administrative Agent under the Loan Documents.
(b) Notwithstanding paragraph (a) of this Section, in the event no successor Administrative Agent shall have been so appointed and shall have accepted such appointment within 30 days after the retiring Administrative Agent gives notice of its intent to resign, the retiring Administrative Agent may give notice of the effectiveness of its resignation to the Lenders, the Issuing Banks and the Borrower, whereupon, on the date of effectiveness of such resignation stated in such notice, (i) the retiring Administrative Agent shall be discharged from its duties and obligations hereunder and under the other Loan Documents; provided that, solely for purposes of maintaining any security interest granted to the Administrative Agent under any Collateral Document for the benefit of the Secured Parties, the retiring Administrative Agent shall continue to be vested with such security interest as collateral agent for the benefit of the Secured Parties, and continue to be entitled to the rights set forth in such Collateral Document and Loan Document, and, in the case of any Collateral in the possession of the Administrative Agent, shall continue to hold such Collateral, in each case until such time as a successor Administrative Agent is appointed and accepts such appointment in accordance with this Section (it being understood and agreed that the retiring Administrative Agent shall have no duty or obligation to take any further action under any Collateral Document, including any action required to maintain the perfection of any such security interest), and (ii) the Required Lenders shall succeed to and become vested with all the rights, powers, privileges and duties of the retiring Administrative Agent; provided that (A) all payments required to be made hereunder or under any other Loan Document to the Administrative Agent for the account of any Person other than the Administrative Agent shall be made directly to
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such Person and (B) all notices and other communications required or contemplated to be given or made to the Administrative Agent shall directly be given or made to each Lender and each Issuing Bank. Following the effectiveness of the Administrative Agent’s resignation from its capacity as such, the provisions of this Article and Section 9.03, as well as any exculpatory, reimbursement and indemnification provisions set forth in any other Loan Document, 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 while the retiring Administrative Agent was acting as Administrative Agent and in respect of the matters referred to in the proviso under clause (i) above.
SECTION 8.06. Acknowledgments of Lenders and Issuing Banks. (a) Each Lender and each Issuing Bank represents and warrants that (i) the Loan Documents set forth the terms of a commercial lending facility, (ii) it is engaged in making, acquiring or holding commercial loans and in providing other facilities set forth herein as may be applicable to such Lender or Issuing Bank, in each case in the ordinary course of business and not for the purpose of purchasing, acquiring or holding any other type of financial instrument (and each Lender and each Issuing Bank agrees not to assert a claim in contravention of the foregoing), (iii) it has, independently and without reliance upon the Administrative Agent, any Arranger, any Syndication Agent or any other Lender or Issuing Bank, or any of the Related Parties of any of the foregoing, and based on such documents and information as it has deemed appropriate, made its own credit analysis and decision to enter into this Agreement as a Lender, and to make, acquire or hold Loans hereunder and (iv) it is sophisticated with respect to decisions to make, acquire and/or hold commercial loans and to provide other facilities set forth herein, as may be applicable to such Lender or such Issuing Bank, and either it, or the Person exercising discretion in making its decision to make, acquire and/or hold such commercial loans or to provide such other facilities, is experienced in making, acquiring or holding such commercial loans or providing such other facilities. Each Lender and each Issuing Bank also acknowledges that it will, independently and without reliance upon the Administrative Agent, any Arranger, any Syndication Agent or any other Lender or Issuing Bank, or any of the Related Parties of any of the foregoing, and based on such documents and information (which may contain material, non-public information within the meaning of the United States securities laws concerning the Borrower and its Affiliates) 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.
(b) Each Lender, by delivering its signature page to this Agreement on the Effective Date, or delivering its signature page to an Assignment and Assumption or any other Loan Document pursuant to which it shall become a Lender hereunder, shall be deemed to have acknowledged receipt of, and consented to and approved, each Loan Document and each other document required to be delivered to, or be approved by or satisfactory to, the Administrative Agent or the Lenders on the Effective Date.
(c) (i) Each Lender hereby agrees that (x) if the Administrative Agent notifies such Lender that the Administrative Agent has determined in its sole discretion that any funds received by such Lender from the Administrative Agent or any of its Affiliates (whether as a payment, prepayment or repayment of principal, interest, fees or otherwise; individually and collectively, a “Payment”) were erroneously transmitted to such Lender (whether or not known to such Lender),
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and demands the return of such Payment (or a portion thereof), such Lender shall promptly, but in no event later than one Business Day thereafter, return to the Administrative Agent the amount of any such Payment (or portion thereof) as to which such a demand was made in same day funds, together with interest thereon in respect of each day from and including the date such Payment (or portion thereof) was received by such Lender to the date such amount is repaid to the Administrative Agent at the greater of the NYFRB Rate and a rate determined by the Administrative Agent in accordance with banking industry rules on interbank compensation from time to time in effect, and (y) to the extent permitted by applicable law, such Lender shall not assert, and hereby waives, as to the Administrative Agent, any claim, counterclaim, defense or right of set-off or recoupment with respect to any demand, claim or counterclaim by the Administrative Agent for the return of any Payments received, including without limitation any defense based on “discharge for value” or any similar doctrine. A notice of the Administrative Agent to any Lender under this Section 8.06(c) shall be conclusive, absent manifest error.
(ii) Each Lender hereby further agrees that if it receives a Payment from the Administrative Agent or any of its Affiliates (x) that is in a different amount than, or on a different date from, that specified in a notice of payment sent by the Administrative Agent (or any of its Affiliates) with respect to such Payment (a “Payment Notice”) or (y) that was not preceded or accompanied by a Payment Notice, it shall be on notice, in each such case, that an error has been made with respect to such Payment. Each Lender agrees that, in each such case, or if it otherwise becomes aware a Payment (or portion thereof) may have been sent in error, such Lender shall promptly notify the Administrative Agent of such occurrence and, upon demand from the Administrative Agent, it shall promptly, but in no event later than one Business Day thereafter, return to the Administrative Agent the amount of any such Payment (or portion thereof) as to which such a demand was made in same day funds, together with interest thereon in respect of each day from and including the date such Payment (or portion thereof) was received by such Lender to the date such amount is repaid to the Administrative Agent at the greater of the NYFRB Rate and a rate determined by the Administrative Agent in accordance with banking industry rules on interbank compensation from time to time in effect.
(iii) The Borrower and each other Loan Party hereby agrees that (x) in the event an erroneous Payment (or portion thereof) are not recovered from any Lender that has received such Payment (or portion thereof) for any reason, the Administrative Agent shall be subrogated to all the rights of such Lender with respect to such amount and (y) an erroneous Payment shall not pay, prepay, repay, discharge or otherwise satisfy any Obligations owed by the Borrower or any other Loan Party.
(iv) Each party’s obligations under this Section 8.06(c) shall survive the resignation or replacement of the Administrative Agent or any transfer of rights or obligations by, or the replacement of, a Lender, the termination of the Commitments or the repayment, satisfaction or discharge of all Obligations under any Loan Document.
SECTION 8.07. Collateral Matters. (a) Except with respect to the exercise of setoff rights in accordance with Section 9.08 or with respect to a Secured Party’s right to file a proof of claim in an insolvency proceeding, no Secured Party shall have any right individually to realize upon any of the Collateral or to enforce any Guarantee of the Secured Obligations, it being understood and agreed that all powers, rights and remedies under the Loan Documents may be
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exercised solely by the Administrative Agent on behalf of the Secured Parties in accordance with the terms thereof.
(b) In furtherance of the foregoing and not in limitation thereof, no arrangements in respect of Banking Services the obligations under which constitute Secured Obligations and no Swap Agreement the obligations under which constitute Secured Obligations, will create (or be deemed to create) in favor of any Secured Party that is a party thereto any rights in connection with the management or release of any Collateral or of the obligations of any Loan Party under any Loan Document. By accepting the benefits of the Collateral, each Secured Party that is a party to any Banking Services Agreement or Swap Agreement in respect of Swap Obligations, as applicable, shall be deemed to have appointed the Administrative Agent to serve as administrative agent and collateral agent under the Loan Documents and agreed to be bound by the Loan Documents as a Secured Party thereunder, subject to the limitations set forth in this paragraph.
(c) The Administrative Agent shall not be responsible for or have a duty to ascertain or inquire into any representation or warranty regarding the existence, value or collectability of the Collateral, the existence, priority or perfection of the Administrative Agent’s Lien thereon or any certificate prepared by any Loan Party in connection therewith, nor shall the Administrative Agent be responsible or liable to the Lenders or any other Secured Party for any failure to monitor or maintain any portion of the Collateral.
SECTION 8.08. Credit Bidding. 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 Obligations (including by accepting some or all of the Collateral in satisfaction of some or all of the 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 (a) at any sale thereof conducted under the provisions of the Bankruptcy Code, including under Sections 363, 1123 or 1129 of the Bankruptcy Code, or any similar laws in any other jurisdictions to which a Loan Party is subject, or (b) at any other sale, 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 Obligations owed to the Secured Parties shall be entitled to be, and shall be, credit bid by the Administrative Agent at the direction of the Required Lenders on a ratable basis (with Obligations with respect to contingent or unliquidated claims receiving contingent interests in the acquired assets on a ratable basis that shall 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) for the asset or assets so purchased (or for the equity interests or debt instruments of the acquisition vehicle or vehicles that are issued in connection with such purchase). In connection with any such bid, (i) the Administrative Agent shall be authorized to form one or more acquisition vehicles and to assign any successful credit bid to such acquisition vehicle or vehicles, (ii) each of the Secured Parties’ ratable interests in the Obligations which were credit bid shall be deemed without any further action under this Agreement to be assigned to such vehicle or vehicles for the purpose of closing such sale, (iii) the Administrative Agent shall be authorized 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, and the governing documents shall provide
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for, control by the vote of the Required Lenders or their permitted assignees under the terms of this Agreement or the governing documents of the applicable acquisition vehicle or vehicles, as the case may be, irrespective of the termination of this Agreement and without giving effect to the limitations on actions by the Required Lenders contained in Section 9.02 of this Agreement),
(iv) the Administrative Agent on behalf of such acquisition vehicle or vehicles shall be authorized to issue to each of the Secured Parties, ratably on account of the relevant Obligations which were credit bid, interests, whether as equity, partnership interests, limited partnership interests or membership interests, in any such acquisition vehicle and/or debt instruments issued by such acquisition vehicle, all without the need for any Secured Party or acquisition vehicle to take any further action, and (v) to the extent that 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 Obligations assigned to the acquisition vehicle exceeds the amount of Obligations credit bid by the acquisition vehicle or otherwise), such Obligations shall automatically be reassigned to the Secured Parties pro rata with their original interest in such Obligations and the equity interests and/or debt instruments issued by any acquisition vehicle on account of such Obligations shall automatically be cancelled, without the need for any Secured Party or any acquisition vehicle to take any further action. Notwithstanding that the ratable portion of the Obligations of each Secured Party are deemed assigned to the acquisition vehicle or vehicles as set forth in clause (ii) above, each Secured Party shall execute such documents and provide such information regarding the Secured Party (and/or any designee of the Secured Party which will receive interests in or debt instruments issued by such acquisition vehicle) as the Administrative Agent may reasonably request in connection with the formation of any acquisition vehicle, the formulation or submission of any credit bid or the consummation of the transactions contemplated by such credit bid
SECTION 8.09. 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 each Arranger and their respective Affiliates, and not, for the avoidance of doubt, to or for the benefit of the Borrower 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 the Plan Asset Regulations) of one or more Benefit Plans in connection with the Loans, the Letters of Credit or the Commitments,
(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,
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(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.
(b) In addition, unless sub-clause (i) in the immediately preceding clause (a) is true with respect to a Lender or such Lender has provided another representation, warranty and covenant as provided in sub-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 each Arranger and their respective Affiliates, and not, for the avoidance of doubt, to or for the benefit of the Borrower or any other Loan Party, that none of the Administrative Agent, or any Arranger, any Syndication Agent or any of their respective Affiliates is a fiduciary with respect to the Collateral or the assets of such Lender (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 IX
Miscellaneous
SECTION 9.01. Notices. (a) Except in the case of notices and other communications expressly permitted to be given by telephone (and subject to paragraph (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 telecopy, as follows:
(i) if to the Borrower, to it at Mistras Group, Inc., 195 Clarksville Road, Princeton Junction, NJ 08550, Attention: Edward Prajzner, EVP, CFO and Treasurer, (Telephone: 609-716-4102) (Email: Edward.prajzner@mistrasgroup.com) and Attention: Michael Keefe, EVP, General Counsel and Secretary (Telephone: 609-716-4128) (Email: Michael.keefe@mistrasgroup.com); with a copy to: Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP, 1177 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10036, Attention: Richard E. Farley (Telephone: (212) 715-9106) (E-mail: rfarley@kramerlevin.com);
(ii) if to the Administrative Agent, to JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., Loan and Agency Services Group, 10 South Dearborn, L2 Floor, Chicago, Illinois 60603,
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Attention of Tiara Smith (Facsimile No. 844-490-5663) (Email address for purposes of notices pursuant to Article II permitted to be delivered by electronic mail: tiara.n.smith@jpmorgan.com);(iii) 
if to JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. in its capacity as an Issuing Bank, to it at 10 South Dearborn, L2 Floor, Chicago, Illinois 60603, (Facsimile No. 214- 307- 6874) (Email address for purposes of notices pursuant to Article II permitted to be delivered by electronic mail: chicago.lc.agency.activity.team@jpmorgan.com);
if to JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. in its capacity as an Issuing Bank, to it at 10 South Dearborn, L2 Floor, Chicago, Illinois 60603, (Facsimile No. 214- 307- 6874) (Email address for purposes of notices pursuant to Article II permitted to be delivered by electronic mail: chicago.lc.agency.activity.team@jpmorgan.com);(iv) if to the Swingline Lender, to it at JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., 10 South Dearborn, L2 Floor, Chicago, Illinois 60603, Attention of Tiara Smith (Facsimile No. 844-490-5663) (Email address for purposes of notices pursuant to Article II permitted to be delivered by electronic mail: tiara.n.smith@jpmorgan.com); and
(v) if to any other Lender (including any other Issuing Bank or Swingline Lender), to it at its address (or telecopy number) set forth in its Administrative Questionnaire.
Notices sent by hand or overnight courier service, or mailed by certified or registered mail, shall be deemed to have been given when received; notices sent by facsimile 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 delivered through Approved Electronic Platforms, to the extent provided in paragraph (b) below, shall be effective as provided in said paragraph (b).
(b) Notices and other communications to the Borrower, any Loan Party, the Lenders and the Issuing Banks hereunder may be delivered or furnished by using Approved Electronic Platforms pursuant to procedures approved by the Administrative Agent; provided that the foregoing shall not apply to notices pursuant to Article II unless otherwise agreed by the Administrative Agent and the applicable Lender. The Administrative Agent or the Borrower 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.
(c) 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), 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; provided that, for both clauses (i) and (ii) above, if such notice, email 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.
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(d) Any party hereto may change its address or telecopy number for notices and other communications hereunder by notice to the other parties hereto.
SECTION 9.02. Waivers; Amendments. (a) No failure or delay by the Administrative Agent, any Issuing Bank or any Lender in exercising any right or power hereunder or under any other Loan Document shall operate as a waiver thereof, nor shall any single or partial exercise of any such right or power, or any abandonment or discontinuance of steps to enforce such a right or power, preclude any other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right or power. The rights and remedies of the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Banks and the Lenders hereunder and under the other Loan Documents are cumulative and are not exclusive of any rights or remedies that they would otherwise have. No waiver of any provision of this Agreement or consent to any departure by the Borrower therefrom shall in any event be effective unless the same shall be permitted by paragraph (b) of this Section, and then such waiver or consent shall be effective only in the specific instance and for the purpose for which given. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the making of a Loan or issuance of a Letter of Credit shall not be construed as a waiver of any Default, regardless of whether the Administrative Agent, any Lender or any Issuing Bank may have had notice or knowledge of such Default at the time.
(b) Except as provided in Section 2.22 with respect to an Incremental Term Loan Amendment, and subject to Section 2.14(b) and (c) and clauses (c) and (e) below, neither this Agreement nor any provision hereof may be waived, amended or modified except pursuant to an agreement or agreements in writing entered into by the Borrower and the Required Lenders or by the Borrower and the Administrative Agent with the consent of the Required Lenders; provided that no such agreement shall (i) increase the Commitment of any Lender without the written consent of such Lender, (ii) reduce the principal amount of any Loan or LC Disbursement or reduce the rate of interest thereon, or reduce any fees payable hereunder, without the written consent of each Lender directly affected thereby (except that any amendment or modification of the financial covenants in this Agreement (or defined terms used in the financial covenants in this Agreement) shall not constitute a reduction in the rate of interest or fees for purposes of this clause (ii)), (iii) postpone the scheduled date of payment of the principal amount of any Loan or LC Disbursement, or any interest thereon, or any fees payable hereunder, or reduce the amount of, waive or excuse any such payment, or postpone the scheduled date of expiration of any Commitment, without the written consent of each Lender directly affected thereby (other than any reduction of the amount of, or any extension of the payment date for, the mandatory prepayments required under Section 2.11(d), in each case which shall only require the approval of the Required Lenders), (iv) change Section 2.09(c) or 2.18(b) or (d) or any other provision of this Agreement that includes pro rata sharing provisions, in each case, in a manner that would alter the ratable reduction of Commitments or the pro rata sharing of payments required thereby, without the written consent of each Lender, (v) change the payment waterfall provisions of Section 2.20(b) or
7.03 or any other payment waterfall in this Agreement without the written consent of each Lender,
(vi) change any of the provisions of this Section or the definition of “Required Lenders” or any other provision hereof specifying the number or percentage of Lenders required to waive, amend or modify any rights hereunder or make any determination or grant any consent hereunder, without the written consent of each Lender (it being understood that, solely with the consent of the parties prescribed by Section 2.20 to be parties to an Incremental Term Loan Amendment, Incremental Term Loans may be included in the determination of Required Lenders on substantially the same basis as the Commitments and existing Loans are included on the Effective Date), (vii) (x) release
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the Borrower from its obligations under Article X or (y) release all or substantially all of the Subsidiary Guarantors from their obligations under the Subsidiary Guaranty, in each case, without the written consent of each Lender, (viii) except as provided in clause (d) of this Section or in any Collateral Document, release all or substantially all of the Collateral, without the written consent of each Lender, or (ix) (x) subordinate, or have the effect of subordinating, the Secured Obligations hereunder to any other Indebtedness or (y) subordinate, or have the effect of subordinating, the Liens securing the Secured Obligations to Liens securing any other Indebtedness, in each case, without the prior written consent of each Lender directly affected thereby; provided further that no such agreement shall amend, modify or otherwise affect the rights or duties of the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Banks or the Swingline Lenders hereunder without the prior written consent of the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Banks or the Swingline Lenders, as the case may be (it being understood that any change to Section 2.20 shall require the consent of the Administrative Agent, each Issuing Bank and each Swingline Lender); provided further that no such agreement shall amend or modify the provisions of Section 2.06 without the prior written consent of the Administrative Agent and the Issuing Banks. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no consent with respect to any amendment, waiver or other modification of this Agreement shall be required of any Defaulting Lender, except with respect to any amendment, waiver or other modification referred to in clause (i), (ii) or (iii) of the first proviso of this paragraph and then only in the event such Defaulting Lender shall be directly affected by such amendment, waiver or other modification.
(c) Notwithstanding the foregoing, this Agreement and any other Loan Document may be amended (or amended and restated) with the written consent of the Required Lenders, the Administrative Agent and the Borrower (x) to add one or more credit facilities (in addition to the Incremental Term Loans pursuant to an Incremental Term Loan Amendment) to this Agreement and to permit extensions of credit from time to time outstanding thereunder and the accrued interest and fees in respect thereof to share ratably in the benefits of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents with the Revolving Loans, the initial Term Loans, Incremental Term Loans and the accrued interest and fees in respect thereof and (y) to include appropriately the Lenders holding such credit facilities in any determination of the Required Lenders and Lenders.
(d) The Lenders hereby irrevocably authorize the Administrative Agent, at its option and in its sole discretion, to release any Liens granted to the Administrative Agent by the Loan Parties on any Collateral (i) upon the termination of all the Commitments, payment and satisfaction in full in cash of all Secured Obligations (other than Unliquidated Obligations), and the cash collateralization of all Unliquidated Obligations in a manner satisfactory to the Administrative Agent, (ii) constituting property being sold or disposed of if the Borrower certifies to the Administrative Agent that the sale or disposition is made in compliance with the terms of this Agreement (and the Administrative Agent may rely conclusively on any such certificate, without further inquiry), (iii) constituting property leased to the Borrower or any Subsidiary under a lease which has expired or been terminated in a transaction permitted under this Agreement, or (iv) as required to effect any sale or other disposition of such Collateral in connection with any exercise of remedies of the Administrative Agent and the Lenders pursuant to Article VII. Any such release shall not in any manner discharge, affect, or impair the Obligations or any Liens (other than those expressly being released) upon (or obligations of the Loan Parties in respect of) all interests retained by the Loan Parties, including the proceeds of any sale, all of which shall continue to constitute part of the Collateral.
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(e) If the Administrative Agent and the Borrower acting together identify any ambiguity, omission, mistake, typographical error or other defect in any provision of this Agreement or any other Loan Document, then the Administrative Agent and the Borrower shall be permitted to amend, modify or supplement such provision to cure such ambiguity, omission, mistake, typographical error or other defect, and such amendment shall become effective without any further action or consent of any other party to this Agreement.
SECTION 9.03. Expenses; Limitation of Liability; Indemnity, Etc.
(a) Expenses. The Borrower 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 and distribution (including, without limitation, via the internet or through a service such as Intralinks) of the credit facilities provided for herein, the preparation 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 any Issuing Bank 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 Issuing Bank or any Lender, including the fees, charges and disbursements of any counsel for the Administrative Agent, any Issuing Bank or any Lender, in connection with the enforcement or protection of its rights in connection with this Agreement and the other Loan Documents, including its rights under this Section, or 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.
(b) Limitation of Liability. To the extent permitted by applicable law (i) the Borrower and any Loan Party shall not assert, and the Borrower and each Loan Party hereby waives, any claim against the Administrative Agent, any Arranger, any Syndication Agent, any Issuing Bank and any Lender, and any Related Party of any of the foregoing Persons (each such Person being called a “Lender-Related Person”) for any Liabilities arising from the use by others of information or other materials (including, without limitation, any personal data) obtained through telecommunications, electronic or other information transmission systems (including the Internet), and (ii) no party hereto shall assert, and each such party hereby waives, any Liabilities against any other party hereto, 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 or thereby, the Transactions, any Loan or Letter of Credit or the use of the proceeds thereof; provided that, nothing in this Section 9.03(b) shall relieve the Borrower or any Loan Party of any obligation it may have to indemnify an Indemnitee, as provided in Section 9.03(c), against any special, indirect, consequential or punitive damages asserted against such Indemnitee by a third party.
(c) Indemnity. The Borrower shall indemnify the Administrative Agent, each Arranger, each Syndication Agent, each Issuing Bank and each Lender, 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 Liabilities and related expenses, including the fees,
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charges and disbursements of any counsel for any Indemnitee, incurred by or asserted against any Indemnitee 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, (ii) the performance by the parties hereto of their respective obligations hereunder or thereunder or the consummation of the Transactions or any other transactions contemplated hereby, (iii) any Loan or Letter of Credit or the use of the proceeds therefrom (including any refusal by an Issuing Bank 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), (iv) any actual or alleged presence or release of Hazardous Materials on or from any property owned or operated by the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, or any Environmental Liability related in any way to the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, or (v) any actual or prospective Proceeding relating to any of the foregoing, whether or not such Proceeding is brought by the Borrower or any other Loan Party or its or their respective equity holders, Affiliates, creditors or any other third Person and whether based on contract, tort or any other theory and regardless of whether any Indemnitee is a party thereto; provided that such indemnity shall not, as to any Indemnitee, be available to the extent that such Liabilities or related expenses are determined by a court of competent jurisdiction by final and nonappealable judgment to have resulted primarily from the gross negligence or willful misconduct of such Indemnitee. This Section 9.03(c) shall not apply with respect to Taxes other than any Taxes that represent losses, claims or damages arising from any non-Tax claim.
(d) Lender Reimbursement. Each Lender severally agrees to pay any amount required to be paid by the Borrower under paragraphs (a), (b) or (c) of this Section 9.03 to the Administrative Agent, each Issuing Bank and each Swingline Lender, and each Related Party of any of the foregoing Persons (each, an “Agent Related Person”) (to the extent not reimbursed by the Borrower and without limiting the obligation of the Borrower to do so), ratably according to their respective Applicable Percentage in effect on the date on which such payment is sought under this Section (or, if such payment is sought after the date upon which the Commitments shall have terminated and the Loans shall have been paid in full, ratably in accordance with such Applicable Percentage immediately prior to such date), and agrees to indemnify and hold each Agent-Related Person harmless from and against any and all Liabilities and related expenses, including the fees, charges and disbursements of any kind whatsoever that may at any time (whether before or after the payment of the Loans) be imposed on, incurred by or asserted against such Agent Related Person in any way relating to or arising out of the Commitments, this Agreement, any of the other Loan Documents or any documents contemplated by or referred to herein or therein or the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby or any action taken or omitted by such Agent Related Person under or in connection with any of the foregoing; provided that the unreimbursed expense or Liability or related expense, as the case may be, was incurred by or asserted against such Agent Related Person in its capacity as such; provided further that no Lender shall be liable for the payment of any portion of such Liabilities, costs, expenses or disbursements that are found by a final and nonappealable decision of a court of competent jurisdiction to have resulted primarily from such Agent Related Party’s gross negligence or willful misconduct. The agreements in this Section shall survive the termination of this Agreement and the payment of the Loans and all other amounts payable hereunder.
(e) Payments. All amounts due under this Section 9.03 shall be payable promptly after written demand therefor.
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SECTION 9.04. Successors and Assigns. (a) 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 (including any Affiliate of an Issuing Bank that issues any Letter of Credit), except that (i) the Borrower may not assign or otherwise transfer any of its rights or obligations hereunder without the prior written consent of each Lender (and any attempted assignment or transfer by the Borrower without such consent shall be null and void) and (ii) no Lender may assign or otherwise transfer its rights or obligations hereunder except in accordance with this Section. 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 (including any Affiliate of an Issuing Bank that issues any Letter of Credit), Participants (to the extent provided in paragraph (c) of this Section) and, to the extent expressly contemplated hereby, the Related Parties of each of the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Banks and the Lenders) any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or by reason of this Agreement.
(b) (i) Subject to the conditions set forth in paragraph (b)(ii) below, any Lender may assign to one or more Persons (other than an Ineligible Institution) all or a portion of its rights and obligations under this Agreement (including all or a portion of its Commitment, participations in Letters of Credit and the Loans at the time owing to it) with the prior written consent (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld) of:
(A) the Borrower; provided that, the Borrower shall be deemed to have consented to an assignment of all or a portion of the Loans or Commitments unless it shall have objected thereto by written notice to the Administrative Agent within ten
(10) Business Days after having received notice thereof, provided, further that no consent of the Borrower shall be required for an assignment to a Lender, an Affiliate of a Lender, an Approved Fund or, if an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, any other assignee;
(B) the Administrative Agent; provided that no consent of the Administrative Agent shall be required for an assignment of all or any portion of a Term Loan to a Lender, an Affiliate of a Lender or an Approved Fund;
(C) each Issuing Bank; provided that no consent of the Issuing Banks shall be required for an assignment of all or any portion of a Term Loan; and
(D) each Swingline Lender; provided that no consent of the Swingline Lenders shall be required for an assignment of all or any portion of a Term Loan.
(ii) Assignments shall be subject to the following additional conditions:
(A) except in the case of an assignment to a Lender or an Affiliate of a Lender or an Approved Fund or an assignment of the entire remaining amount of the assigning Lender’s Commitment or Loans of any Class, the amount of the Commitment or 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) shall not be less than $5,000,000 (or, in the case of a Term Loan,
$500,000) unless each of the Borrower and the Administrative Agent otherwise consent;
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provided that no such consent of the Borrower shall be required if an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing;
(B) 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; provided that this clause shall not be construed to prohibit the assignment of a proportionate part of all the assigning Lender’s rights and obligations in respect of one Class of Commitments or Loans;
(C) the parties to each assignment shall execute and deliver to the Administrative Agent (x) an Assignment and Assumption or (y) to the extent applicable, an agreement incorporating an Assignment and Assumption by reference pursuant to an Approved Electronic Platform as to which the Administrative Agent and the parties to the Assignment and Assumption are participants, together with a processing and recordation fee of $3,500, such fee to be paid by either the assigning Lender or the assignee Lender or shared between such Lenders; and
(D) the assignee, if it shall not be a Lender, shall deliver to the Administrative Agent an Administrative Questionnaire in which the assignee designates one or more Credit Contacts to whom all syndicate-level information (which may contain material non- public information about the Borrower, the Loan Parties and their related parties or their respective securities) will be made available and who may receive such information in accordance with the assignee’s compliance procedures and applicable laws, including Federal and state securities laws.
For the purposes of this Section 9.04(b), the terms “Approved Fund” and “Ineligible Institution” have the following meanings:
“Approved Fund” means any Person (other than a natural person) that is engaged in making, purchasing, holding or investing in bank loans and similar extensions of credit in the ordinary course of its business and 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.
“Ineligible Institution” means (a) a natural person, (b) a Defaulting Lender or its Lender Parent, (c) a holding company, investment vehicle or trust for, or owned and operated for the primary benefit of, a natural person or relative(s) thereof or (d) the Borrower, any of its Subsidiaries or any of its Affiliates; provided that, with respect to clause (c), such holding company, investment vehicle or trust shall not constitute an Ineligible Institution if it (x) has not been established for the primary purpose of acquiring any Loans or Commitments, (y) is managed by a professional advisor, who is not such natural person or a relative thereof, having significant experience in the business of making or purchasing commercial loans, and (z) has assets greater than $25,000,000 and a significant part of its activities consist of making or purchasing commercial loans and similar extensions of credit in the ordinary course of its business.
(iii) Subject to acceptance and recording thereof pursuant to paragraph (b)(iv) of this Section, from and after the effective date specified in each Assignment and Assumption the assignee thereunder shall be a party hereto and, to the
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extent of the interest assigned by such Assignment and Assumption, have the rights and obligations of a Lender under this Agreement, 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 2.15, 2.16, 2.17 and 9.03). Any assignment or transfer by a Lender of rights or obligations under this Agreement that does not comply with this Section 9.04 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 paragraph (c) of this Section.
(iv) The Administrative Agent, acting for this purpose as a non-fiduciary agent of the Borrower, shall maintain at one of its offices a copy of each Assignment and Assumption delivered to it and a register for the recordation of the names and addresses of the Lenders, and the Commitment of, and principal amount (and stated interest) of the Loans and LC Disbursements owing to, each Lender pursuant to the terms hereof from time to time (the “Register”). The entries in the Register shall be conclusive, and the Borrower, the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Banks 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 Borrower, any Issuing Bank and any Lender, at any reasonable time and from time to time upon reasonable prior notice.
(v) Upon its receipt of (x) a duly completed Assignment and Assumption executed by an assigning Lender and an assignee or (y) to the extent applicable, an agreement incorporating an Assignment and Assumption by reference pursuant to an Approved Electronic Platform as to which the Administrative Agent and the parties to the Assignment and Assumption are participants, the assignee’s completed Administrative Questionnaire (unless the assignee shall already be a Lender hereunder), the processing and recordation fee referred to in paragraph (b) of this Section and any written consent to such assignment required by paragraph (b) of this Section, the Administrative Agent shall accept such Assignment and Assumption and record the information contained therein in the Register; provided that if either the assigning Lender or the assignee shall have failed to make any payment required to be made by it pursuant to Section 2.05(c), 2.06(d) or (e), 2.07(b), 2.18(d) or 9.03(d), the Administrative Agent shall have no obligation to accept such Assignment and Assumption and record the information therein in the Register unless and until such payment shall have been made in full, together with all accrued interest thereon. No assignment shall be effective for purposes of this Agreement unless it has been recorded in the Register as provided in this paragraph.
(c) Any Lender may, without the consent of, or notice to, the Borrower, the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Banks or the Swingline Lenders, sell participations to one or more banks or other entities (a “Participant”), other than an Ineligible Institution, 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 owing to it); provided that (A) such Lender’s obligations under this Agreement shall remain unchanged; (B) such Lender shall remain solely responsible to the other
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parties hereto for the performance of such obligations; and (C) the Borrower, the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Banks and the other Lenders shall continue to deal solely and directly with such Lender in connection with such Lender’s rights and obligations under this Agreement. 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, modification or waiver described in the first proviso to Section 9.02(b) that affects such Participant. The Borrower agrees that each Participant shall be entitled to the benefits of Sections 2.15, 2.16 and 2.17 (subject to the requirements and limitations therein, including the requirements under Sections 2.17(f) (it being understood that the documentation required under Section 2.17(f) shall be delivered to the participating Lender and the information)) to the same extent as if it were a Lender and had acquired its interest by assignment pursuant to paragraph (b) of this Section; provided that such Participant (A) agrees to be subject to the provisions of Sections
2.18 and 2.19 as if it were an assignee under paragraph (b) of this Section; and (B) shall not be entitled to receive any greater payment under Section 2.15 or 2.17, with respect to any participation, than its participating Lender would have been entitled to receive, except to the extent such entitlement to receive a greater payment results from a Change in Law that occurs after the Participant acquired the applicable participation. Each Lender that sells a participation agrees, at the Borrower’s request and expense, to use reasonable efforts to cooperate with the Borrower to effectuate the provisions of Section 2.19(b) with respect to any Participant. To the extent permitted by law, each Participant also shall be entitled to the benefits of Section 9.08 as though it were a Lender; provided that such Participant agrees to be subject to Section 2.18(d) 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 Borrower, 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 (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) to any Person 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 under Section 5f.103- 1(c) of the United States Treasury Regulations. 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.
(d) Any Lender may at any time pledge or assign a security interest in all or any portion of its rights under this Agreement to secure obligations of such Lender, including any pledge or assignment to secure obligations to a Federal Reserve Bank, and this Section shall not apply to any such pledge or assignment of a security interest; provided that no such pledge or assignment of a security interest shall release a Lender from any of its obligations hereunder or substitute any such pledgee or assignee for such Lender as a party hereto.
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SECTION 9.05. Survival. All covenants, agreements, representations and warranties made by the Loan Parties in the Loan Documents and in the certificates or other instruments delivered in connection with or pursuant to this Agreement or any other Loan Documents shall be considered to have been relied upon by the other parties hereto and shall survive the execution and delivery of this Agreement and the making of any Loans and issuance of any Letters of Credit, regardless of any investigation made by any such other party or on its behalf and notwithstanding that the Administrative Agent, any Issuing Bank or any Lender may have had notice or knowledge of any Default or incorrect representation or warranty at the time any credit is extended hereunder, and shall continue in full force and effect as long as the principal of or any accrued interest on any Loan or any fee or any other amount payable under this Agreement or any other Loan Document is outstanding and unpaid or any Letter of Credit is outstanding and so long as the Commitments have not expired or terminated. The provisions of Sections 2.15, 2.16, 2.17 and 9.03 and Article VIII shall survive and remain in full force and effect regardless of the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby, the repayment of the Loans, the expiration or termination of the Letters of Credit and the Commitments or the termination of this Agreement or any other Loan Document or any provision hereof or thereof.
SECTION 9.06. Counterparts; Integration; Effectiveness; Electronic Execution. (a) This Agreement may be executed in counterparts (and by different parties hereto on different counterparts), each of which shall constitute an original, but all of which when taken together shall constitute a single contract. This Agreement, the other Loan Documents and any separate letter agreements with respect to (i) fees payable to the Administrative Agent and (ii) the reductions of the Letter of Credit Commitment of any Issuing Bank 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 which, when taken together, bear the signatures of each of the other parties hereto, and thereafter shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns.
(b) Delivery of an executed counterpart of a signature page of (x) this Agreement, (y) any other Loan Document and/or (z) any document, amendment, approval, consent, information, notice (including, for the avoidance of doubt, any notice delivered pursuant to Section 9.01), certificate, request, statement, disclosure or authorization related to this Agreement, any other Loan Document and/or the transactions contemplated hereby and/or thereby (each an “Ancillary Document”) that is an Electronic Signature transmitted by telecopy, emailed pdf. or any other electronic means that reproduces an image of an actual executed signature page shall be effective as delivery of a manually executed counterpart of this Agreement, such other Loan Document or such Ancillary Document, as applicable. The words “execution,” “signed,” “signature,” “delivery,” and words of like import in or relating to this Agreement, any other Loan Document and/or any Ancillary Document shall be deemed to include Electronic Signatures, deliveries or the keeping of records in any electronic form (including deliveries by telecopy, emailed pdf. or any other electronic means that reproduces an image of an actual executed signature page), each of which shall be of the same legal effect, validity or enforceability as a manually executed signature, physical delivery thereof or the use of a paper-based recordkeeping system, as the case may be; provided that nothing herein shall require the Administrative Agent to accept Electronic Signatures
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in any form or format without its prior written consent and pursuant to procedures approved by it; provided, further, without limiting the foregoing, (i) to the extent the Administrative Agent has agreed to accept any Electronic Signature, the Administrative Agent and each of the Lenders shall be entitled to rely on such Electronic Signature purportedly given by or on behalf of the Borrower or any other Loan Party without further verification thereof and without any obligation to review the appearance or form of any such Electronic signature and (ii) upon the request of the Administrative Agent or any Lender, any Electronic Signature shall be promptly followed by a manually executed counterpart. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Borrower and each Loan Party hereby (i) agrees that, for all purposes, including without limitation, in connection with any workout, restructuring, enforcement of remedies, bankruptcy proceedings or litigation among the Administrative Agent, the Lenders, the Borrower and the Loan Parties, Electronic Signatures transmitted by telecopy, emailed pdf. or any other electronic means that reproduces an image of an actual executed signature page and/or any electronic images of this Agreement, any other Loan Document and/or any Ancillary Document shall have the same legal effect, validity and enforceability as any paper original, (ii) the Administrative Agent and each of the Lenders may, at its option, create one or more copies of this Agreement, any other Loan Document and/or any Ancillary Document in the form of an imaged electronic record in any format, which shall be deemed created in the ordinary course of such Person’s business, and destroy the original paper document (and all such electronic records shall be considered an original for all purposes and shall have the same legal effect, validity and enforceability as a paper record),
(iii) waives any argument, defense or right to contest the legal effect, validity or enforceability of this Agreement, any other Loan Document and/or any Ancillary Document based solely on the lack of paper original copies of this Agreement, such other Loan Document and/or such Ancillary Document, respectively, including with respect to any signature pages thereto and (iv) waives any claim against any Lender-Related Person for any Liabilities arising solely from the Administrative Agent’s and/or any Lender’s reliance on or use of Electronic Signatures and/or transmissions by telecopy, emailed pdf. or any other electronic means that reproduces an image of an actual executed signature page, including any Liabilities arising as a result of the failure of the Borrower and/or any Loan Party to use any available security measures in connection with the execution, delivery or transmission of any Electronic Signature.
SECTION 9.07. Severability. Any provision of any Loan Document held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any jurisdiction shall, as to such jurisdiction, be ineffective to the extent of such invalidity, illegality or unenforceability without affecting the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions hereof or thereof; and the invalidity of a particular provision in a particular jurisdiction shall not invalidate such provision in any other jurisdiction.
SECTION 9.08. Right of Setoff. If an Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, each Lender, each Issuing Bank, and each of their respective Affiliates is hereby authorized at any time and from time to time, to the fullest extent permitted by law, to setoff and apply any and all deposits (general or special, time or demand, provisional or final and in whatever currency denominated) at any time held, and other obligations at any time owing, by such Lender, such Issuing Bank or any such Affiliate, to or for the credit or the account of the Borrower or any Subsidiary Guarantor against any and all of the Secured Obligations now or hereafter existing under this Agreement or any other Loan Document to such Lender or such Issuing Bank or their respective Affiliates, irrespective of whether or not such Lender, Issuing Bank or Affiliate shall have made any demand under this Agreement or any other Loan Document and although such
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obligations may be contingent or unmatured or are owed to a branch office or Affiliate of such Lender or such Issuing Bank different from the branch office or Affiliate 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 setoff shall be paid over immediately to the Administrative Agent for further application in accordance with the provisions of Section 2.20 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 Issuing Banks, and the Lenders, and (y) the Defaulting Lender shall provide promptly to the Administrative Agent a statement describing in reasonable detail the Obligations owing to such Defaulting Lender as to which it exercised such right of setoff. The rights of each Lender, each Issuing Bank and their respective Affiliates under this Section are in addition to other rights and remedies (including other rights of setoff) that such Lender, such Issuing Bank or their respective Affiliates may have. Each Lender and Issuing Bank agrees to notify the Borrower 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.
SECTION 9.09. Governing Law; Jurisdiction; Consent to Service of Process. (a) This Agreement and the other Loan Documents shall be construed in accordance with and governed by the law of the State of New York.
(b) Each of the Lenders and the Administrative Agent hereby irrevocably and unconditionally agrees that, notwithstanding the governing law provisions of any applicable Loan Document, any claims brought against the Administrative Agent by any Lender or Secured Party relating to this Agreement, any other Loan Document, the Collateral or the consummation or administration of the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby shall be construed in accordance with and governed by the law of the State of New York.
(c) Each of the parties hereto hereby irrevocably and unconditionally submits, for itself and its property, to the exclusive jurisdiction of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York sitting in the Borough of Manhattan (or if such court lacks subject matter jurisdiction, the Supreme Court of the State of New York sitting in the Borough of Manhattan), and any appellate court from any thereof, in any action or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or any other Loan Document or the transactions relating hereto or thereto, or for recognition or enforcement of any judgment, and each of the parties hereto hereby irrevocably and unconditionally agrees that all claims in respect of any such action or proceeding may (and any such claims, cross-claims or third party claims brought against the Administrative Agent or any of its Related Parties may only) be heard and determined in such Federal (to the extent permitted by law) or New York State court. Each of the parties hereto agrees that a final judgment in any such action 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 (i) affect any right that the Administrative Agent, any Issuing Bank or any Lender may otherwise have to bring any action or proceeding relating to this Agreement against the Borrower, any Loan Party or its properties in the courts of any jurisdiction, (ii) waive any statutory, regulatory, common law, or other rule, doctrine, legal restriction, provision or the like providing for the treatment of bank branches, bank agencies, or other bank offices as if they were separate juridical entities for certain purposes, including Uniform Commercial Code Sections 4-106, 4-A- 105(1)(b), and 5-116(b), UCP 600 Article 3 and ISP98 Rule 2.02, and URDG 758 Article 3(a), or
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(iii) affect which courts have or do not have personal jurisdiction over the issuing bank or beneficiary of any Letter of Credit or any advising bank, nominated bank or assignee of proceeds thereunder or proper venue with respect to any litigation arising out of or relating to such Letter of Credit with, or affecting the rights of, any Person not a party to this Agreement, whether or not such Letter of Credit contains its own jurisdiction submission clause.
(d) Each of the parties hereto hereby irrevocably and unconditionally waives, to the fullest extent it may legally and effectively do so, any objection which it may now or hereafter have to the laying of venue of any suit, action or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or any other Loan Document in any court referred to in paragraph (c) of this Section. Each of the parties hereto hereby irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by law, the defense of an inconvenient forum to the maintenance of such action or proceeding in any such court.
(e) Each party to this Agreement irrevocably consents to service of process in the manner provided for notices in Section 9.01. Nothing in this Agreement or any other Loan Document will affect the right of any party to this Agreement to serve process in any other manner permitted by law.
SECTION 9.10. WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL. EACH PARTY HERETO HEREBY 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, 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 PARTY HAS REPRESENTED, EXPRESSLY OR OTHERWISE, THAT SUCH OTHER PARTY 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 BY, AMONG OTHER THINGS, THE MUTUAL WAIVERS AND CERTIFICATIONS IN THIS SECTION.
SECTION 9.11. Headings. Article and Section headings and the Table of Contents used herein are for convenience of reference only, are not part of this Agreement and shall not affect the construction of, or be taken into consideration in interpreting, this Agreement.
SECTION 9.12. Confidentiality. Each of the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Banks and the Lenders agrees to maintain the confidentiality of the Information (as defined below), except that Information may be disclosed (a) to its Affiliates and its and their respective directors, officers, employees and agents, including accountants, legal counsel and other advisors (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 requested by any Governmental Authority (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 to this Agreement,
(e) in connection with the exercise of any remedies under this Agreement or any other Loan Document or any suit, action or proceeding relating to this Agreement or any other Loan Document
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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 (ii) any actual or prospective counterparty (or its advisors) to any swap or derivative transaction relating to the Borrower and its obligations, (g) on a confidential basis to (1) any rating agency in connection with rating the Borrower or its Subsidiaries or the credit facilities provided for herein or (2) the CUSIP Service Bureau or any similar agency in connection with the issuance and monitoring of identification numbers with respect to the credit facilities provided for herein,
(h) with the consent of the Borrower or (i) to the extent such Information (i) becomes publicly available other than as a result of a breach of this Section or (ii) becomes available to the Administrative Agent, any Issuing Bank or any Lender on a non-confidential basis from a source other than the Borrower. For the purposes of this Section, “Information” means all information received from the Borrower relating to the Borrower or its business, other than any such information that is available to the Administrative Agent, any Issuing Bank or any Lender on a non-confidential basis prior to disclosure by the Borrower and other than information pertaining to this Agreement routinely provided by arrangers to data service providers, including league table providers, that serve the lending industry; provided that, in the case of information received from the Borrower 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.
SECTION 9.13. Material Non-Public Information.
(a) EACH LENDER ACKNOWLEDGES THAT INFORMATION AS DEFINED IN SECTION 9.12 FURNISHED TO IT PURSUANT TO THIS AGREEMENT MAY INCLUDE MATERIAL NON-PUBLIC INFORMATION CONCERNING THE BORROWER AND ITS RELATED PARTIES OR THEIR RESPECTIVE SECURITIES, AND CONFIRMS THAT IT HAS DEVELOPED COMPLIANCE PROCEDURES REGARDING THE USE OF MATERIAL NON-PUBLIC INFORMATION AND THAT IT WILL HANDLE SUCH MATERIAL NON- PUBLIC INFORMATION IN ACCORDANCE WITH THOSE PROCEDURES AND APPLICABLE LAW, INCLUDING FEDERAL AND STATE SECURITIES LAWS.
(b) ALL INFORMATION, INCLUDING REQUESTS FOR WAIVERS AND AMENDMENTS, FURNISHED BY THE BORROWER OR THE ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT PURSUANT TO, OR IN THE COURSE OF ADMINISTERING, THIS AGREEMENT WILL BE SYNDICATE-LEVEL INFORMATION, WHICH MAY CONTAIN MATERIAL NON- PUBLIC INFORMATION ABOUT THE BORROWER, THE LOAN PARTIES AND THEIR RELATED PARTIES OR THEIR RESPECTIVE SECURITIES. ACCORDINGLY, EACH LENDER REPRESENTS TO THE BORROWER AND THE ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT THAT IT HAS IDENTIFIED IN ITS ADMINISTRATIVE QUESTIONNAIRE A CREDIT CONTACT WHO MAY RECEIVE INFORMATION THAT MAY CONTAIN MATERIAL NON-PUBLIC INFORMATION IN ACCORDANCE WITH ITS COMPLIANCE PROCEDURES AND APPLICABLE LAW.
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SECTION 9.14. Interest Rate Limitation. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, if at any time the interest rate applicable to any Loan, together with all fees, charges and other amounts which are treated as interest on such Loan under applicable law (collectively the “Charges”), shall exceed the maximum lawful rate (the “Maximum Rate”) which may be contracted for, charged, taken, received or reserved by the Lender holding such Loan in accordance with applicable law, the rate of interest payable in respect of such Loan hereunder, together with all Charges payable in respect thereof, shall be limited to the Maximum Rate and, to the extent lawful, the interest and Charges that would have been payable in respect of such Loan but were not payable as a result of the operation of this Section shall be cumulated and the interest and Charges payable to such Lender in respect of other Loans or periods shall be increased (but not above the Maximum Rate therefor) until such cumulated amount, together with interest thereon at the applicable Overnight Rate to the date of repayment, shall have been received by such Lender.]
SECTION 9.15. No Fiduciary Duty, etc. (a) The Borrower acknowledges and agrees, and acknowledges its Subsidiaries’ understanding, that no Credit Party will have any obligations except those obligations expressly set forth herein and in the other Loan Documents and each Credit Party is acting solely in the capacity of an arm’s length contractual counterparty to the Borrower with respect to the Loan Documents and the transactions contemplated herein and therein and not as a financial advisor or a fiduciary to, or an agent of, the Borrower or any other person. The Borrower agrees that it will not assert any claim against any Credit Party based on an alleged breach of fiduciary duty by such Credit Party in connection with this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby. Additionally, the Borrower acknowledges and agrees that no Credit Party is advising the Borrower as to any legal, tax, investment, accounting, regulatory or any other matters in any jurisdiction. The Borrower shall consult with its own advisors concerning such matters and shall be responsible for making its own independent investigation and appraisal of the transactions contemplated herein or in the other Loan Documents, and the Credit Parties shall have no responsibility or liability to the Borrower with respect thereto.
(b) The Borrower further acknowledges and agrees, and acknowledges its Subsidiaries’ understanding, that each Credit Party, together with its Affiliates, is a full service securities or banking firm engaged in securities trading and brokerage activities as well as providing investment banking and other financial services. In the ordinary course of business, any Credit Party may provide investment banking and other financial services to, and/or acquire, hold or sell, for its own accounts and the accounts of customers, equity, debt and other securities and financial instruments (including bank loans and other obligations) of, the Borrower and other companies with which the Borrower may have commercial or other relationships. With respect to any securities and/or financial instruments so held by any Credit Party or any of its customers, all rights in respect of such securities and financial instruments, including any voting rights, will be exercised by the holder of the rights, in its sole discretion.
(c) In addition, the Borrower acknowledges and agrees, and acknowledges its Subsidiaries’ understanding, that each Credit Party and its affiliates may be providing debt financing, equity capital or other services (including financial advisory services) to other companies in respect of which the Borrower or its Subsidiaries may have conflicting interests regarding the transactions described herein and otherwise. No Credit Party will use confidential information obtained from the Borrower by virtue of the transactions contemplated by the Loan Documents or its other relationships with the Borrower or its Subsidiaries in connection with the
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performance by such Credit Party of services for other companies, and no Credit Party will furnish any such information to other companies. The Borrower also acknowledges that no Credit Party has any obligation to use in connection with the transactions contemplated by the Loan Documents, or to furnish to the Borrower, confidential information obtained from other companies.
SECTION 9.16. USA PATRIOT Act. Each Lender that is subject to the requirements of the USA PATRIOT Act of 2001 (the “Patriot Act”) hereby notifies each Loan Party that pursuant to the requirements of the Patriot Act, it is required to obtain, verify and record information that identifies such Loan Party, which information includes the name and address of such Loan Party and other information that will allow such Lender to identify such Loan Party in accordance with the Patriot Act.
SECTION 9.17. Acknowledgment 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 Affected Financial Institution arising under any Loan Document 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 party hereto 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 entity, 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.
SECTION 9.18. Acknowledgment Regarding Any Supported QFCs. To the extent that the Loan Documents provide support, through a guarantee or otherwise, for Swap Agreements 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):
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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.
SECTION 9.19. Releases of Subsidiary Guarantors.
(a) A Subsidiary Guarantor shall automatically be released from its obligations under the Subsidiary Guaranty upon the consummation of any transaction permitted by this Agreement as a result of which such Subsidiary Guarantor ceases to be a Subsidiary; provided that, if so required by this Agreement, the Required Lenders shall have consented to such transaction and the terms of such consent shall not have provided otherwise. In connection with any termination or release pursuant to this Section, the Administrative Agent shall (and is hereby irrevocably authorized by each Lender to) execute and deliver to any Loan Party, at such Loan Party’s expense, all documents that such Loan Party shall reasonably request to evidence such termination or release. Any execution and delivery of documents pursuant to this Section shall be without recourse to or warranty by the Administrative Agent.
(b) Further, the Administrative Agent may (and is hereby irrevocably authorized by each Lender to), upon the request of the Borrower, release any Subsidiary Guarantor from its obligations under the Subsidiary Guaranty if such Subsidiary Guarantor is no longer a Material Domestic Subsidiary.
(c) At such time as the principal and interest on the Loans, all LC Disbursements, the fees, expenses and other amounts payable under the Loan Documents and the other Secured Obligations (other than Swap Obligations, Banking Services Obligations, and other Obligations expressly stated to survive such payment and termination) shall have been paid in full in cash, the Commitments shall have been terminated and no Letters of Credit shall be outstanding (or such Letters of Credit shall have been cash collateralized or otherwise supported in a manner acceptable to the applicable Issuing Bank), the Subsidiary Guaranty and all obligations (other than those expressly stated to survive such termination) of each Subsidiary Guarantor thereunder shall automatically terminate, all without delivery of any instrument or performance of any act by any Person.
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SECTION 9.20. Appointment for Perfection. Each Lender hereby appoints each other Lender as its agent for the purpose of perfecting Liens, for the benefit of the Administrative Agent and the Secured Parties, in assets which, in accordance with Article 9 of the UCC or any other applicable law can be perfected only by possession or control. Should any Lender (other than the Administrative Agent) obtain possession or control of any such Collateral, such Lender shall notify the Administrative Agent thereof, and, promptly upon the Administrative Agent’s request therefor shall deliver such Collateral to the Administrative Agent or otherwise deal with such Collateral in accordance with the Administrative Agent’s instructions.
ARTICLE X
Borrower Guarantee
In order to induce the Lenders to extend credit to the Borrower hereunder and for other good and valuable consideration (the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged), the Borrower hereby absolutely and irrevocably and unconditionally guarantees, as a primary obligor and not merely as a surety, the payment when and as due of the Specified Ancillary Obligations of the Subsidiaries. The Borrower further agrees that the due and punctual payment of such Specified Ancillary Obligations may be extended or renewed, in whole or in part, without notice to or further assent from it, and that it will remain bound upon its guarantee hereunder notwithstanding any such extension or renewal of any such Specified Ancillary Obligation.
The Borrower waives presentment to, demand of payment from and protest to any Subsidiary of any of the Specified Ancillary Obligations, and also waives notice of acceptance of its obligations and notice of protest for nonpayment. The obligations of the Borrower hereunder shall not be affected by (a) the failure of any applicable Lender (or any of its Affiliates) to assert any claim or demand or to enforce any right or remedy against any Subsidiary under the provisions of any Banking Services Agreement, any Swap Agreement or otherwise; (b) any extension or renewal of any of the Specified Ancillary Obligations; (c) any rescission, waiver, amendment or modification of, or release from, any of the terms or provisions of this Agreement, any other Loan Document, any Banking Services Agreement, any Swap Agreement or other agreement; (d) any default, failure or delay, willful or otherwise, in the performance of any of the Specified Ancillary Obligations; (e) the failure of any applicable Lender (or any of its Affiliates) to take any steps to perfect and maintain any security interest in, or to preserve any rights to, any security or collateral for the Specified Ancillary Obligations, if any; (f) any change in the corporate, partnership or other existence, structure or ownership of any Subsidiary or any other guarantor of any of the Specified Ancillary Obligations; (g) the enforceability or validity of the Specified Ancillary Obligations or any part thereof or the genuineness, enforceability or validity of any agreement relating thereto or with respect to any collateral securing the Specified Ancillary Obligations or any part thereof, or any other invalidity or unenforceability relating to or against any Subsidiary or any other guarantor of any of the Specified Ancillary Obligations, for any reason related to this Agreement, any other Loan Document, any Banking Services Agreement, any Swap Agreement, or any provision of applicable law, decree, order or regulation of any jurisdiction purporting to prohibit the payment by such Subsidiary or any other guarantor of the Specified Ancillary Obligations, of any of the Specified Ancillary Obligations or otherwise affecting any term of any of the Specified Ancillary Obligations; or (h) any other act, omission or delay to do any other act which may or might in any
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manner or to any extent vary the risk of the Borrower or otherwise operate as a discharge of a guarantor as a matter of law or equity or which would impair or eliminate any right of the Borrower to subrogation.
The Borrower further agrees that its agreement hereunder constitutes a guarantee of payment when due (whether or not any bankruptcy or similar proceeding shall have stayed the accrual or collection of any of the Specified Ancillary Obligations or operated as a discharge thereof) and not merely of collection, and waives any right to require that any resort be had by any applicable Lender (or any of its Affiliates) to any balance of any deposit account or credit on the books of the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank or any Lender in favor of any Subsidiary or any other Person.
The obligations of the Borrower hereunder shall not be subject to any reduction, limitation, impairment or termination for any reason, and shall not be subject to any defense or set-off, counterclaim, recoupment or termination whatsoever, by reason of the invalidity, illegality or unenforceability of any of the Specified Ancillary Obligations, any impossibility in the performance of any of the Specified Ancillary Obligations or otherwise.
The Borrower further agrees that its obligations hereunder shall constitute a continuing and irrevocable guarantee of all Specified Ancillary Obligations now or hereafter existing and shall continue to be effective or be reinstated, as the case may be, if at any time payment, or any part thereof, of any Specified Ancillary Obligation (including a payment effected through exercise of a right of setoff) is rescinded, or is or must otherwise be restored or returned by any applicable Lender (or any of its Affiliates) upon the insolvency, bankruptcy or reorganization of any Subsidiary or otherwise (including pursuant to any settlement entered into by a holder of Specified Ancillary Obligations in its discretion).
In furtherance of the foregoing and not in limitation of any other right which any applicable Lender (or any of its Affiliates) may have at law or in equity against the Borrower by virtue hereof, upon the failure of any Subsidiary to pay any Specified Ancillary Obligation when and as the same shall become due, whether at maturity, by acceleration, after notice of prepayment or otherwise, the Borrower hereby promises to and will, upon receipt of written demand by any applicable Lender (or any of its Affiliates), forthwith pay, or cause to be paid, to such applicable Lender (or any of its Affiliates) in cash an amount equal to the unpaid principal amount of such Specified Ancillary Obligations then due, together with accrued and unpaid interest thereon. The Borrower further agrees that if payment in respect of any Specified Ancillary Obligation shall be due in a currency other than Dollars and/or at a place of payment other than New York, Chicago or any other Eurocurrency Payment Office and if, by reason of any Change in Law, disruption of currency or foreign exchange markets, war or civil disturbance or other event, payment of such Specified Ancillary Obligation in such currency or at such place of payment shall be impossible or, in the reasonable judgment of any applicable Lender (or any of its Affiliates), disadvantageous to such applicable Lender (or any of its Affiliates) in any material respect, then, at the election of such applicable Lender, the Borrower shall make payment of such Specified Ancillary Obligation in Dollars (based upon the applicable Equivalent Amount in effect on the date of payment) and/or in New York, Chicago or such other Eurocurrency Payment Office as is designated by such applicable Lender (or its Affiliate) and, as a separate and independent obligation, shall indemnify
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such applicable Lender (and any of its Affiliates) against any losses or reasonable out-of-pocket expenses that it shall sustain as a result of such alternative payment.
Upon payment by the Borrower of any sums as provided above, all rights of the Borrower against any Subsidiary arising as a result thereof by way of right of subrogation or otherwise shall in all respects be subordinated and junior in right of payment to the prior indefeasible payment in full in cash of all the Specified Ancillary Obligations owed by such Subsidiary to the applicable Lender (or its applicable Affiliates).
Nothing shall discharge or satisfy the liability of the Borrower hereunder except the full performance and payment in cash of the Secured Obligations.
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IN WllNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be duly executed and delivered by their respective authorized officers as of the day and year first above written.
MISTRAS GROUP, INC.
By:Edward Prajzner
Chief Financial Officer
Signature Page to Mistras Group, Inc. Credit Agreement | ||
JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., individually and as Administrative Agent, Issuing Bank and Swingline Lender
By:
Signature Page to Mistras Group, Inc. Credit Agreement | ||
Name: Title:
Anthony Galea Executive Director
Signature Page to Mistras Group, Inc. Credit Agreement | ||
BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., individually as aLender and as J:l)f• on;gen'jnd_issuing Bank
By: (z_µ{j'vv'-
Name: Edward Macchi Title: Senior Vice President
Signature Page to Mistras Group, Inc. Credit Agreement | ||
KeyBank National Association, as a Lender
By:Name: Eric W. Domin Title: VP
Signature Page to
Mistras Group, Inc. Credit Agreement
TD BANK, N.A., as a Lender
By: Na Su Sc w tzTitle: Vice President
Signature Page to
Mistras Group, Inc. Credit Agreement
Internal
PNC Bank, National Association, as a Lender
By
Title: Vice President
Signature Page to Mistras Group, Inc. Credit Agreement | ||
CITIZENS BANK, N.A., as a Lender
By:Signature Page to Mistras Group, Inc. Credit Agreement | ||
City National Bank, as a Lender
By: x/J c'
Name: Khanh Le -- -·- · Title: Senior Vice President
Signature Page to
Mistras Group, Inc. Credit Agreement
SCHEDULE 2.01A
Commitments
LENDER REVOLVING
TERM LOAN
JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A. | COMMITMENT $ 40,714,285.71 | COMMITMENT $26,785,714.29 | ||||||
BANK OF AMERICA, N.A. | $ 40,714,285.71 | $26,785,714.29 | ||||||
KEYBANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION | $ 24,126,984.13 | $15,873,015.87 | ||||||
| TD BANK, N.A. | $24,126,984.13 | $15,873,015.87 | ||||||
| PNC BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION | $24,126,984.13 | $15,873,015.87 | ||||||
| CITIZENS BANK, N.A. | $18,095,238.10 | $11,904,761.90 | ||||||
| CITY NATIONAL BANK | $18,095,238.10 | $11,904,761.90 | ||||||
| AGGREGATE COMMITMENT | $190,000,000 | $125,000,000 | ||||||
SCHEDULE 2.01B
Letter of Credit Commitments
ISSUING BANK COMMITMENT
JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A. $10,000,000
BANK OF AMERICA, N.A. $10,000,000
AGGREGATE LETTER OF CREDIT COMMITMENT $20,000,000
SCHEDULE 2.06
Existing Letters of Credit
| Issuing Bank | LC # | Amount | Maturity Date | Name/Beneficiary | ||||||||||
| Bank of America, N.A. | T00000068059769 | $2,140,000.00 | 5/31/2023 | Travelers Indemnity | ||||||||||
| Bank of America, N.A. | T00000068104929 | $253,891.00 | 5/31/2023 | Ace America Insurance Co. | ||||||||||
| Bank of America, N.A. | T00000068125003 | $203,213.00 | 5/31/2023 | American Longshore Mutual | ||||||||||
| Bank of America, N.A. | T00000068173048 | $422,169.00 | 3/31/2023 | Bechtel Oil Gas and Chemicals | ||||||||||
SCHEDULE 3.06
Litigation
Disclosure regarding material litigation is set forth in the Borrower’s most quarterly report on Form 10-Q and/or annual report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and there have been no material changes in these matters since the most recent filing.
None.
SCHEDULE 3.09
Environmental Compliance
SCHEDULE 3.12(c)
ERISA Events
Quality Services Laboratories, Inc. (“QSL”), the Borrower’s wholly-owned subsidiary, contributed to two multi-employer pension plans pursuant to a collective bargaining agreement. Due to the loss of business and reduction in work force in 2018, QSL incurred or may incur multi- employer pension plan withdrawal liability. Its liability to one of the multi-employer plans has been paid in full. The Company recorded a charge of approximately $2.6 million for potential withdrawal liability of QSL to the other multi-employer pension plan, of which $2.5 million was recorded in 2018 and 2019 and $0.1 million was recorded in 2021. Information about this liability is disclosed in the Borrowers most recent annual report on Form 10-K and quarterly report on Form 10-Q. See Schedule 3.12(d) for a description of pension plans.
QSL NDT Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of the Borrower, formerly belonged to a local chapter of the International Union of Operating Engineers and as a result contributed to the Central Pension Fund of the International Union of Operating Engineers (“CPF”), a multi-employer pension plan. QSL NDT’s union participation terminated in January 2019 as did its contributions to the CPF. No withdrawal liability has been assessed against QSL NDT by the CPF, nor is any anticipated.
SCHEDULE 3.12(d)
Pension Plans
QSL contributes to the United Association National Pension Fund (formerly the Plumbers and Pipefitters National Pension Fund) for a small number of employees in California who participate in the Local 250 of the Southern California Pipe Trade District Council 16.
The Borrower contributes to a 401(k) savings plan for its employees, a defined contribution plan.
SCHEDULE 3.13
Subsidiaries; Equity Interests
Part (a). Subsidiaries.
| Aetos Group, Inc. | Mistras International Holdings Inc. | ||||
| 2324617 Alberta Ltd. | Mistras KAA Partners Inc. | ||||
| 2385943 Alberta Ltd. | Mistras Properties Ltd. | ||||
| Assistances Controles Technologies | Mistras Quebec Holdings Inc. | ||||
| BluForce Integrity Solutions Ltd. | Mistras Real Estate GmbH | ||||
| CISMIS Springfield Corp. | Mistras Ropeworks Training, LLC. (fka Virtual Media Integration, Ltd.) | ||||
Conam Inspection and Engineering Services, Inc. | Mistras Services Inc. | ||||
| Controles Insustriels de L’entang | Mistras South America Comercio e Servicos Ltda. | ||||
| Garscot | Mistras Tekra Limited. | ||||
| GMA Aeronautica S.L.U. | Mistras Western Canada Holdings Inc. | ||||
| GMA Holding B.V. | MKB NDE Equipment Rental, Ltd. | ||||
| GMA Werkstoffprufung GmbH | MWC Management Inc. | ||||
| Mistras Arizona Inspection Services, LLC | Onstream Pipeline Inspections Services, Inc. | ||||
| Mistras Canada, Inc. | Physical Acoustics Ltd. | ||||
Mistras Engineering Services, Inc. fka Carmagen Engineering, Inc. | Physical Acoustics India Private Ltd. | ||||
| Mistras ETS Ltd. | QSL NDT Inc. | ||||
| Mistras Group B.V. | QSL Quebec Inc. | ||||
| Mistras Group BVBA | Quality Services Laboratories, Inc. | ||||
| Mistras Group Hellas A.B.E.E. | R.A.C. Group Inc. | ||||
| Mistras Group Holding GmbH | Rope Access Calgary, Inc. | ||||
| Mistras Group Limited | Titan Non-Destructive Examination Services Ltd. | ||||
| Mistras Group SAS | University of Ultrasonics LLC | ||||
| Mistras Group South America Ltda. | West Penn Non-Destructive Testing, LLC | ||||
| Mistras Civil Infrastructure Services LLC | |||||
Note: Information regarding the ownership of each entity and jurisdiction of formation are included in the organizational chart.
Material Domestic Subsidiaries*:
West Penn Non-Destructive Testing, LLC Mistras International Holdings, Inc.
Material Foreign Subsidiaries*:
Mistras Group GmbH
Onstream Pipeline Inspection Services, Inc. Mistras Group S.A.S
Mistras Group, Ltd.
Part (b). Other Equity Investments.
Through Mistras KAA Partners Inc., an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of the Borrower, the Borrower has a 49% interest in Mikisew-Mistras Limited Partnership, an Alberta limited partnership, and has a 49% interest in M&M Ltd., an Alberta corporation and the general partner of Mikisew-Mistras Limited Partnership.
* These designations do not mean or imply that any of these subsidiaries are material subsidiaries for purposes of reporting under the Securities Act of 1933, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 or regulations promulgated thereunder.
SCHEDULE 3.23
Responsible Officers
Dennis Bertolotti President and Chief Executive Officer
Edward Prajzner Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, and Treasurer Michael C. Keefe Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary
SCHEDULE 3.24(b)
Intellectual Property
The Borrower owns and uses the following U.S. patents:
Application No. | Filing Date | Patent No. | Issue Date | Status | Title | Country | ||||||||||||||
| 16/208,459 | 12/3/2018 | 10,783,623 | 9/22/2020 | Issued | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR INSPECTING PIPELINES USING A ROBOTIC IMAGING SYSTEM | US | ||||||||||||||
| 17/021,815 | 9/15/2020 | 10,929,968 | 2/23/2021 | Issued | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR INSPECTING PIPELINES USING A ROBOTIC IMAGING SYSTEM | US | ||||||||||||||
| 17/169,097 | 2/5/2021 | Pending | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR INSPECTING PIPELINES USING A ROBOTIC IMAGING SYSTEM | US | ||||||||||||||||
| 16/544,790 | 8/19/2019 | 10,890,505 | 1/12/2021 | Issued | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR INSPECTING PIPELINES USING A ROBOTIC IMAGING SYSTEM | US | ||||||||||||||
| 16/208,466 | 12/3/2018 | 11,146,599 | 10/12/2021 | Issued | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR INSPECTING PIPELINES USING A PIPELINE INSPECTION ROBOT | US | ||||||||||||||
| 17/498,097 | 10/11/2021 | Pending | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR INSPECTING PIPELINES USING A PIPELINE INSPECTION ROBOT | US | ||||||||||||||||
| 16/774,701 | 1/28/2020 | 11,391,698 | 7/19/2022 | Allowed - scheduled to be issued 07/19/22 | DOME-SHAPE TUNING FORK TRANSDUCERS FOR CORROSION MONITORING | US | ||||||||||||||
| 16/450,892 | 6/4/2019 | 11,168,668 | 11/9/2021 | Issued | WIND TURBINE BLADE MONITORING SYSTEMS | US | ||||||||||||||
| 17/518,538 | 11/3/2021 | Pending | WIND TURBINE BLADE MONITORING SYSTEMS | US | ||||||||||||||||
| 16/877,530 | 5/19/2020 | Pending | ONLINE MONITORING OF ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING USING ACOUSTIC EMISSION METHODS | US | ||||||||||||||||
| 16/788,236 | 2/11/2020 | 11,126,170 | 7/20/2021 | Issued | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR REMOTE STRUCTURAL HEALTH MONITORING | US | ||||||||||||||
| 17/373,685 | 7/12/2021 | Pending | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR REMOTE STRUCTURAL HEALTH MONITORING | US | ||||||||||||||||
| 17/402,248 | 8/13/2021 | Pending | AUTOMATED CIRCUMFERENTIAL PIPE SCANNING SYSTEM | US | ||||||||||||||||
Note: The Borrower has a license to use Patent No.: 7,257,496 for SF6 gas leak detection but stopped using this patent several years ago. This patent expires in 2026.
U.S. Registered Trademarks:
Application No. | Application Date | Registration No. | Registration Date | Status | Title | Country | ||||||||||||||
| 85/829,408 | 1/22/2013 | 4,500,463 | 3/25/2014 | Registered | MISTRAS | US | ||||||||||||||
85/144,435 | 10/4/2010 | 4,104,058 | 2/28/2012 | Registered | ONE SOURCE FOR ASSET PROTECTION SOLUTIONS | US | ||||||||||||||
85/074,997 | 6/30/2010 | 4,047,706 | 11/1/2011 | Registered | PAC PHYSICAL ACOUSTICS CORPORATION & Design | US | ||||||||||||||
| 85/075,019 | 6/30/2010 | 4,033,563 | 10/4/2011 | Registered | POCKET UT | US | ||||||||||||||
| 85/075,505 | 6/30/2010 | 4,027,789 | 9/20/2011 | Registered | TANKPAC | US | ||||||||||||||
| 85/074,762 | 6/30/2010 | 3,992,380 | 7/12/2011 | Registered | POCKET AE | US | ||||||||||||||
| 85/041,727 | 5/18/2010 | 3,992,175 | 7/12/2011 | Registered | MISTRAS (Stylized) | US | ||||||||||||||
| 85/041,712 | 5/18/2010 | 3,992,173 | 7/12/2011 | Registered | Design (Globe logo, no color) | US | ||||||||||||||
| 85/074,701 | 6/30/2010 | 3,988,547 | 7/5/2011 | Registered | UTWIN | US | ||||||||||||||
| 85/074,679 | 6/30/2010 | 3,988,546 | 7/5/2011 | Registered | AEWIN | US | ||||||||||||||
| 86/078,569 | 9/30/2013 | 4,587,519 | 8/19/2014 | Registered | ROPEWORKS | US | ||||||||||||||
| 88/577,044 | 8/13/2019 | 6,116,660 | 8/4/2020 | Registered | PCMS | US | ||||||||||||||
| 88/577,052 | 8/13/2019 | 6,116,661 | 8/4/2020 | Registered | PCMS & Design | US | ||||||||||||||
| 87/420,694 | 4/21/2017 | 5,345,580 | 11/28/2017 | Registered | CALIPERAY | US | ||||||||||||||
| 87/420,702 | 4/21/2017 | 5,345,581 | 11/28/2017 | Registered | CALIPERAY & Design | US | ||||||||||||||
| 88/482,039 | 6/20/2019 | 5,994,720 | 2/25/2020 | Registered | MISTRAS DIGITAL | US | ||||||||||||||
| 90/799,266 | 6/28/2021 | Pending | ONESUITE | US | ||||||||||||||||
| 90/799,280 | 6/28/2021 | Pending | SENSORIA | US | ||||||||||||||||
| 77/377,912 | 1/22/2008 | 3,713,812 | 11/24/2009 | Registered | ONSTREAM & Design | US | ||||||||||||||
SCHEDULE 3.24(d)(i)
Deposit Accounts and Securities Accounts
Legal Name on Account | Bank Name | Bank Acct# | Description of Account - ZBA/Payroll/Deposit/Etc. | Average Balance | ||||||||||
| Mistras Group, Inc. | Bank of America N.A. | 002240000995 | Controlled Disbursement Account | $0 | ||||||||||
| Mistras Group, Inc. | Bank of America N.A. | 003812670214 | Mistras operating account | $500,000 | ||||||||||
| Mistras Group, Inc. | Bank of America N.A. | 003812670175 | Services operating, zero balance account (ZBA) | $0 | ||||||||||
| Mistras Group, Inc. | Bank of America N.A. | 002240001014 | Controlled disbursement account (CDA) Services | $0 | ||||||||||
| Mistras Group, Inc. | Bank of America N.A. | 002240016970 | Corporate Controlled Disbursement Account | $0 | ||||||||||
| Mistras Group, Inc. | Bank of America N.A. | 381032772931 | Payroll Operating account | $0 | ||||||||||
West Penn Non- Destructive Testing, LLC | Bank of America N.A. | 2240073338 | Controlled Disbursement Account | $0 | ||||||||||
West Penn Non- Destructive Testing, LLC | Bank of America N.A. | 381032765715 | Operating account | $0 | ||||||||||
| Mistras Group, Inc. | JP Morgan Chase Bank | 6014006753 | Deposit Account | $25,000 | ||||||||||
Mistras International Holdings Inc | JP Morgan Chase Bank | 578161932 | Deposit Account | $5,000 | ||||||||||
SCHEDULE 3.24(d)(ii)
Electronic Chattel Paper and Letter of Credit Rights
None.
SCHEDULE 3.24(e)
Commercial Tort Claims
None.
SCHEDULE 3.24(f)
Pledged Equity Interests
1. 100% of the Shares of Aetos Group, Inc., a company organized under the laws of the state of Delaware.
2. 100% of the Shares of Mistras Engineering Services Inc., (fka Camagen Engineering, Inc.) a company organized under the laws of the state of New Jersey.
3. 100% of the Shares of CISMIS Springfield Corp., a company organized under the laws of the state of Delaware.
4. 100% of the Shares of Conam Inspection & Engineering Services, Inc., a company organized under the laws of the state of Delaware.
5. 100% of the equity interests of Mistras Arizona Inspection Services LLC, a company organized under the laws of the state of Delaware.
6. 100% of the Shares of QSL NDT Inc, a company organized under the laws of the state of Delaware.
7. 100% of the Shares of Quality Services Laboratories, Inc., a company organized under the laws of the state of Delaware.
8. 100% of the equity interests of University of Ultrasonics LLC, organized under the laws of the state of Delaware.
9. 100% of the equity interests of Mistras Ropeworks Training LLC, organized under the laws of the state of Delaware.
10. 100% of the equity interests of West Penn Non-Destructive Testing, LLC, organized under the laws of the state of Pennsylvania.
11. 100% of the Shares of Mistras International Holdings Inc., organized under the laws of the state of Delaware.
12. 65% of the Shares of Mistras Group Limited (f/k/a Physical Acoustics Limited), a company organized under the laws of England and Wales.
13. 65% of the Shares of Mistras Canada, Inc., a company organized under the laws of the Province of Alberta, Canada.
14. 65% of the Shares of Mistras Group GmbH, a company organized under the laws of Germany.
15. 65% of the Shares of Mistras Group SAS, a company organized under the laws of France.
16. 65% of the Shares of Mistras Quebec Holdings, Inc., a company organized under the laws of the Province of Quebec, Canada.
17. 65% of the Shares of Mistras Western Canada Holdings Inc., a company organized under the laws of the Province of Alberta, Canada
18. 65% of the Shares of 2324617 Alberta Ltd., a company organized under the laws of the Province of Alberta, Canada.
19. 65% of the Shares of 2385943 Alberta Ltd., a company organized under the laws of the Province of Alberta, Canada.
20. 65% of the Shares of MWC Management Inc., a company organized under
the laws of the Province of Alberta, Canada.
21. 65% of the equity interests of Mistras South America Comercio e Servicos LTDA, a company organized under the laws of Brazil.
22. 65% of the equity interests of Mistras Southern America LTDA, a company organized under the laws of Brazil.
SCHEDULE 3.24(g)
Properties
1. Headquarters Location of Borrower - 195 Clarksville Road, Princeton Junction, New Jersey 08550 Landlord: S.J. Vahaviolos Partners, LLC
Other properties:
i. Mistras Arizona Inspection Services Inc. 3027 E. Washington Street
Phoenix, AZ 85034
Landlord: Naiman Phoenix Ltd
ii. Mistras Group, Inc. 5430 Fairbanks Street Anchorage, AK 99518
Landlord: Active Realty Investments, LLC
iii. Mistras Group, Inc. 8427 Atlantic Avenue Cudahy, CA 90201
Landlord: Julie Dykstra Trustee of the Restated Beverly A. Barber Trust Agreement dated 07/31/1997
iv. Mistras Group, Inc. 16F International Drive East Granby CT 06026
Landlord: Griffin Industrial Realty, Inc. (f/k/a
v. Mistras Group, Inc. 111 E. Angus Drive Youngsville, LA 70592
Landlord: Anatori, LLC
vi. Mistras Group, Inc. 2 Millbury Street Auburn, MA 01501
Landlord: JEM Realty
vii. Mistras Group, Inc. 1480 James Parkway Heath, OH 43056
Landlord: Heath-Newark-Licking County Port Authority
viii. Mistras Group, Inc.
10980 Metronome
Houston, TX 77043
Landlord: HMBB Properties, LLC
ix. Mistras Group, Inc.
7223 Empire Central Drive Houston, TX 77040
Landlord: Nickson Brookhollow West
x. Mistras Group, Inc.
7820 South 210th St.
Suite 110
Kent, WA 98032
Landlord: PS Business Parks, LP
xi. West Penn Non-Destructive Testing, LLC 1001 Oracal Pkwy
Ellabell, GA 31308
Landlord: Development Authority of Bryan County
xii. West Penn Non-Destructive Testing, LLC 1010 Industrial Blvd
New Kensington, PA 15068 Landlord: Campbell Holdings, LLC
xiii. West Penn Non-Destructive Testing, LLC 795 Old Richburg Road
Richburg, South Carolina 29729 Landlord: Campbell Holdings, LLC
SCHEDULE 5.19
Post-Closing Matters
The Borrower shall deliver to the Administrative Agent the following items no later than the dates specified below:
1. Within five (5) Business Days of the Effective Date (or such later date as the Administrative Agent may agree in its sole discretion), pledged instruments and allonges and stock certificates and stock powers executed in blank, in each case to the extent required pursuant to the Credit Agreement and the Collateral Documents.
2. Within ten (10) days of the Effective Date (or such later date as the Administrative Agent may agree in its sole discretion), a Trademark and Patent Security Agreement entered into by the Borrower and other applicable Loan Parties, if any, in favor of the Administrative Agent in proper form for recordation with the U.S. patent and trademark office.
3. Within thirty (30) days of the Effective Date (or such later date as the Administrative Agent may agree in its sole discretion), documentation evidencing the termination and release of all foreign law governed “Collateral Documents” or other foreign law lien documentation (including, without limitation, pursuant to the laws of Germany, France, or Quebec) in effect pursuant to the Existing Credit Agreement, each in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent.
4. Within thirty (30) days of the Effective Date (or such later date as the Administrative Agent may agree in its sole discretion), termination letters signed by Bank of America,
N.A. as administrative agent pursuant to the Existing Credit Agreement (the “Existing Agent”), terminating each landlord subordination agreement that was entered into in favor of the Existing Agent, and each in appropriate form for delivery to the applicable landlord thereunder.
5. Within sixty (60) days of the Effective Date (or such later date as the Administrative Agent may agree in its sole discretion), certificates of Insurance listing the Administrative Agent as (x) lender loss payee for the property casualty insurance policies of the Loan Parties, together with separate lender loss payable endorsements and (y) additional insured with respect to the liability insurance of the Loan Parties, together with separate additional insured endorsements.
6. Within sixty (60) days of the Effective Date (or such later date as the Administrative Agent may agree in its sole discretion), landlord subordination agreements as required pursuant to Section 5.14(b) of the Credit Agreement.
SCHEDULE 6.01
Existing Liens
MISTRAS GROUP, INC., et al.
Summary of UCC Lien Searches 07/25/22
Mistras Group, Inc. - Delaware
| UCC Filing Number | Secured Party | |||||||
| 1. | 2019 0403147 | Bank of America Leasing & Capital, LLC | ||||||
| 2. | 2015 0737931 | Citibank, N.A. | ||||||
| 3. | 2019 2231905 | Citibank, N.A. | ||||||
| 4. | 2019 2231913 | Citibank, N.A. | ||||||
| 5. | 2020 9039886 | Citibank, N.A. | ||||||
| 6. | 2017 7219944 | U.S. Bank Equipment Finance | ||||||
| 7. | 2019 5858159 | Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. | ||||||
| 8. | 2021 3936839 | Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. | ||||||
| 9. | 2020 0196206 | MUFG Union Bank, N.A. | ||||||
| 10. | 2020 4442711 | Somerset Trust Company | ||||||
SCHEDULE 6.02
Existing Investments
Though Mistras KAA Partners Inc., an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of the Borrower, the Borrower has a 49% interest in Mikisew-Mistras Limited Partnership, an Alberta limited partnership, and has a 49% interest in M&M Ltd., an Alberta corporation and the general partner of Mikisew-Mistras Limited Partnership.
SCHEDULE 6.03
Existing Indebtedness
Balance as of 7/25/22 Capital Leases (as of 6/30/22) | $ 11,563,307.00 | ||||
International Subsidiaries Debt and Capital Leases (as of 6/30/22) | $ 6,888,341.00 | ||||
| Total Existing Indebtedness | $ 18,451,648.00 | ||||
EXHIBIT A ASSIGNMENT AND ASSUMPTION
This Assignment and Assumption (the “Assignment and Assumption”) is dated as of the Effective Date set forth below and is entered into by and between [Insert name of Assignor] (the “Assignor”) and [Insert name of Assignee] (the “Assignee”). Capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the meanings given to them in the Credit Agreement identified below (as amended, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, the “Credit Agreement”), receipt of a copy of which is hereby acknowledged by the Assignee. The Standard Terms and Conditions set forth in Annex 1 attached hereto are hereby agreed to and incorporated herein by reference and made a part of this Assignment and Assumption as if set forth herein in full.
For an agreed consideration, the Assignor hereby irrevocably sells and assigns to the Assignee, and the Assignee hereby irrevocably purchases and assumes from the Assignor, subject to and in accordance with the Standard Terms and Conditions and the Credit Agreement, as of the Effective Date inserted by the Administrative Agent as contemplated below (i) all of the Assignor’s rights and obligations in its capacity as a Lender under the Credit Agreement and any other documents or instruments delivered pursuant thereto to the extent related to the amount and percentage interest identified below of all of such outstanding rights and obligations of the Assignor under the respective facilities identified below (including any letters of credit, guarantees, and swingline loans included in such facilities) and (ii) to the extent permitted to be assigned under applicable law, all claims, suits, causes of action and any other right of the Assignor (in its capacity as a Lender) against any Person, whether known or unknown, arising under or in connection with the Credit Agreement, any other documents or instruments delivered pursuant thereto or the loan transactions governed thereby or in any way based on or related to any of the foregoing, including contract claims, tort claims, malpractice claims, statutory claims and all other claims at law or in equity related to the rights and obligations sold and assigned pursuant to clause (i) above (the rights and obligations sold and assigned pursuant to clauses (i) and (ii) above being referred to herein collectively as the “Assigned Interest”). Such sale and assignment is without recourse to the Assignor and, except as expressly provided in this Assignment and Assumption, without representation or warranty by the Assignor.
1. Assignor:
2. Assignee:
[and is an Affiliate/Approved Fund of [identify Lender]1 ]
3. Borrower[(s)]: Mistras Group, Inc.
4. Administrative Agent: JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as the administrative agent
under the Credit Agreement
1 Select as applicable.
1 | ||
5. Credit Agreement: The $315,000,000 Credit Agreement dated as of August 1,
2022 among Mistras Group, Inc., the Lenders parties thereto, JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as Administrative Agent, and the other agents parties thereto
6. Assigned Interest:
Facility Assigned2 | Aggregate Amount of Commitment/Loans for all Lenders | Amount of Commitment/Loans Assigned | Percentage Assigned of Commitment/Loans3 | ||||||||
| $ | $ | % | |||||||||
| $ | $ | % | |||||||||
| $ | $ | % | |||||||||
Effective Date: , 20 [TO BE INSERTED BY ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT AND WHICH SHALL BE THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF RECORDATION OF TRANSFER IN THE REGISTER THEREFOR.]
The Assignee agrees to deliver to the Administrative Agent a completed Administrative Questionnaire in which the Assignee designates one or more Credit Contacts to whom all syndicate-level information (which may contain material non-public information about the Borrower, the Loan Parties and their Related Parties or their respective securities) will be made available and who may receive such information in accordance with the Assignee’s compliance procedures and applicable laws, including Federal and state securities laws.
The terms set forth in this Assignment and Assumption are hereby agreed to:
ASSIGNOR
[NAME OF ASSIGNOR]
By: Title:
2 Fill in the appropriate terminology for the types of facilities under the Credit Agreement that are being assigned under this Assignment (e.g., “Revolving Commitment,” “Term Loan Commitment,” etc.)
3 Set forth, to at least 9 decimals, as a percentage of the Commitment/Loans of all Lenders thereunder.
2 | ||
ASSIGNEE
[NAME OF ASSIGNEE]
By: Title:
3 | ||
[Consented to and]4 Accepted:
JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., as Administrative Agent
By: Title:
[Consented to:]5
[NAME OF RELEVANT PARTY]
By: Title:
4 To be added only if the consent of the Administrative Agent is required by the terms of the Credit Agreement.
5 To be added only if the consent of the Borrower and/or other parties (e.g. Swingline Lenders, Issuing Banks) is required by the terms of the Credit Agreement.
4 | ||
ANNEX 1
[ ]6
STANDARD TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR ASSIGNMENT AND ASSUMPTION
1. Representations and Warranties.
1.1 Assignor. The Assignor (a) represents and warrants that (i) it is the legal and beneficial owner of the Assigned Interest, (ii) the Assigned Interest is free and clear of any lien, encumbrance or other adverse claim and (iii) it has full power and authority, and has taken all action necessary, to execute and deliver this Assignment and Assumption and to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby; and (b) assumes no responsibility with respect to (i) any statements, warranties or representations made in or in connection with the Credit Agreement or any other Loan Document, (ii) the execution, legality, validity, enforceability, genuineness, sufficiency or value of the Credit Agreement or any collateral thereunder, (iii) the financial condition of the Borrower, any of its Subsidiaries or Affiliates or any other Person obligated in respect of any Loan Document, (iv) any requirements under applicable law for the Assignee to become a lender under the Credit Agreement or to charge interest at the rate set forth therein from time to time or (v) the performance or observance by the Borrower, any of its Subsidiaries or Affiliates or any other Person of any of their respective obligations under any Loan Document.
1.2. Assignee. The Assignee (a) represents and warrants that (i) it has full power and authority, and has taken all action necessary, to execute and deliver this Assignment and Assumption and to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby and to become a Lender under the Credit Agreement, (ii) it satisfies the requirements, if any, specified in the Credit Agreement and under applicable law that are required to be satisfied by it in order to acquire the Assigned Interest and become a Lender, (iii) from and after the Effective Date, it shall be bound by the provisions of the Credit Agreement as a Lender thereunder and, to the extent of the Assigned Interest, shall have the obligations of a Lender thereunder, (iv) it is sophisticated with respect to decisions to acquire assets of the type represented by the Assigned Interest and either it, or the Person exercising discretion in making its decision to acquire the Assigned Interest, is experienced in acquiring assets of such type, (v) it has received a copy of the Credit Agreement, together with copies of the most recent financial statements delivered pursuant to Section 5.01 thereof, as applicable, and such other documents and information as it has deemed appropriate to make its own credit analysis and decision to enter into this Assignment and Assumption and to purchase the Assigned Interest on the basis of which it has made such analysis and decision independently and without reliance on the Administrative Agent, any Arranger, the Assignor or any other Lender or any of their respective Related Parties, and (vi) attached to the Assignment and Assumption is any documentation required to be delivered by it pursuant to the terms of the Credit Agreement, duly completed and executed by the Assignee; and (b) agrees that (i) it will, independently and without reliance on the Administrative Agent, any Arranger, or Syndication Agent, the Assignor or any other Lender or any of their respective Related Parties, and based on such documents and information as it shall deem appropriate at the time, continue to make its own credit decisions in
6 Describe Credit Agreement at option of Administrative Agent.
1 | ||
taking or not taking action under the Loan Documents, and (ii) it will perform in accordance with their terms all of the obligations which by the terms of the Loan Documents are required to be performed by it as a Lender.
2. Payments. From and after the Effective Date, the Administrative Agent shall make all payments in respect of the Assigned Interest (including payments of principal, interest, fees and other amounts) to the Assignor for amounts which have accrued to but excluding the Effective Date and to the Assignee for amounts which have accrued from and after the Effective Date.
3. General Provisions. This Assignment and Assumption shall be binding upon, and inure to the benefit of, the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns. This Assignment and Assumption may be executed in any number of counterparts, which together shall constitute one instrument. Acceptance and adoption of the terms of this Assignment and Assumption by the Assignee and the Assignor by Electronic Signature or delivery of an executed counterpart of a signature page of this Assignment and Assumption by any Approved Electronic Platform shall be effective as delivery of a manually executed counterpart of this Assignment and Assumption. This Assignment and Assumption shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the law of the State of New York.
2 | ||
EXHIBIT B
[FORM OF] BORROWING REQUEST
JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as Administrative Agent [ADDRESS]
Telephone: [ ]
Email: [ ]
Fax: [ ] Attention: [ ] Copy to:
JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as Administrative Agent [ADDRESS]
Attention: [ ] [Date]Ladies and Gentlemen:
Reference is hereby made to the Credit Agreement dated as of August 1, 2022 (as amended, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, the “Credit Agreement”), among Mistras Group, Inc., each lender from time to time party thereto and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. as Administrative Agent. Unless otherwise defined herein, terms defined in the Credit Agreement and used herein shall have the meanings given to them in the Credit Agreement. This notice constitutes a Borrowing Request and the Borrower hereby gives you notice, pursuant to [Section 2.03] of the Credit Agreement, that it requests a Borrowing under the Credit Agreement, and in that connection the Borrower specifies the following information with respect to such Borrowing:
(A) Aggregate principal amount of Borrowing:7 $
(B) Currency of Borrowing:
(C) Date of Borrowing8 (which is a Business Day):
7 Must comply with Section 2.02(c) of the Credit Agreement.
8 For Daily Simple RFR Loans, the date should be 5 Business Days after the date of the Borrowing Request.
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(D) Type of Borrowing:9
(E) Interest Period:10
(F) Location and number of the Borrower’s account to which proceeds of the requested Borrowing are to be disbursed: [NAME OF BANK] (Account No.: )]
The Borrower hereby certifies that the conditions specified in paragraphs (a) and (b) of Section
4.02 of the Credit Agreement have been satisfied and that, after giving effect to the Borrowing requested hereby, the Total Revolving Credit Exposure shall not exceed the maximum amount thereof specified in Section 2.01 of the Credit Agreement.
Very truly yours, MISTRAS GROUP, INC.,
By: Name:
Title:
9 Specify ABR Borrowing or Term Benchmark Borrowing. If no election as to the Type of Borrowing is specified, then the requested Borrowing shall be an ABR Borrowing.
10 Applicable to Term Benchmark Borrowings only. Shall be subject to the definition of “Interest Period” and can be a period of one, three or six months. Cannot extend beyond the Maturity Date. If an Interest Period is not specified, then the Borrower shall be deemed to have selected an Interest Period of one month’s duration.
2 | ||
EXHIBIT C
[FORM OF] INTEREST ELECTION REQUEST
JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as Administrative Agent [ADDRESS]
Telephone: [ ]
Email: [ ]
Fax: [ ] Attention: [ ] Copy to:
JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as Administrative Agent [ADDRESS]
Attention: [ ] [Date]Ladies and Gentlemen:
Reference is hereby made to the Credit Agreement dated as of August 1, 2022 (as amended, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, the “Credit Agreement”), among Mistras Group, Inc., each lender from time to time party thereto and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as Administrative Agent. Unless otherwise defined herein, terms defined in the Credit Agreement and used herein shall have the meanings given to them in the Credit Agreement. This notice constitutes an Interest Election Request and the Borrower hereby gives you notice, pursuant to [Section 2.08] of the Credit Agreement, that it requests to convert an existing Borrowing under the Credit Agreement, and in that connection the Borrower specifies the following information with respect to such conversion requested hereby:
(A) List date, Type, Class, principal amount, currency and Interest Period (if applicable) of existing Borrowing:
(B) Aggregate principal amount of resulting Borrowing:11
$
(C) Effective date of interest election (which is a Business Day):
11 Must comply with Section 2.02(c) of the Credit Agreement.
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(D) Type of Borrowing:12
(E) Interest Period and last day thereof (if a Term Benchmark Borrowing):13
Very truly yours, MISTRAS GROUP, INC.,
By: Name:
Title:
12 Specify ABR Borrowing, RFR Borrowing or Term Benchmark Borrowing.
13 Applicable to Term Benchmark Borrowings only. Shall be subject to the definition of “Interest Period” and can be a period of one, three or six months. Cannot extend beyond the Maturity Date. If an Interest Period is not specified, then the Borrower shall be deemed to have selected an Interest Period of one month’s duration.
2 | ||
EXHIBIT D
FORM OF INCREASING LENDER SUPPLEMENT
INCREASING LENDER SUPPLEMENT, dated , 20
(this
“Supplement”), by and among each of the signatories hereto, to the Credit Agreement, dated as of August 1, 2022 (as amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, the “Credit Agreement”), among Mistras Group, Inc. (the “Borrower”), the Lenders party thereto and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as administrative agent (in such capacity, the “Administrative Agent”).
W I T N E S S E T H
WHEREAS, pursuant to Section 2.22 of the Credit Agreement, the Borrower has the right, subject to the terms and conditions thereof, to effectuate from time to time an increase in the aggregate Revolving Commitments and/or one or more tranches of Incremental Term Loans under the Credit Agreement by requesting one or more Lenders to increase the amount of its Revolving Commitment and/or to participate in such a tranche;
WHEREAS, the Borrower has given notice to the Administrative Agent of its intention to [increase the aggregate [Revolving] Commitments] [and] [enter into a tranche of Incremental Term Loans] pursuant to such Section 2.22; and
WHEREAS, pursuant to Section 2.22 of the Credit Agreement, the undersigned Increasing Lender now desires to [increase the amount of its [Revolving] Commitment] [and] [participate in a tranche of Incremental Term Loans] under the Credit Agreement by executing and delivering to the Borrower and the Administrative Agent this Supplement;
NOW, THEREFORE, each of the parties hereto hereby agrees as follows:
1. The undersigned Increasing Lender agrees, subject to the terms and conditions of the Credit Agreement, that on the date of this Supplement it shall [have its
[Revolving] Commitment increased by $[its total [Revolving] Commitments equal to $[
], thereby making the aggregate amount of
]] [and] [participate in a tranche of
Incremental Term Loans with a commitment amount equal to $[ ] with respect
thereto].
2. The Borrower hereby represents and warrants that no Default or Event of Default has occurred and is continuing on and as of the date hereof.
3. Terms defined in the Credit Agreement shall have their defined meanings when used herein.
4. This Supplement shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York.
5. This Supplement may be executed in any number of counterparts and by different parties hereto in separate counterparts, each of which when so executed shall be deemed to be an original and all of which taken together shall constitute one and the same document.
2 | ||
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each of the undersigned has caused this Supplement to be executed and delivered by a duly authorized officer on the date first above written.
[INSERT NAME OF INCREASING LENDER]
By: Name:
Title:
Accepted and agreed to as of the date first written above: MISTRAS GROUP, INC.
By: Name:
Title:
Acknowledged as of the date first written above: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
as Administrative Agent
By: Name:
Title:
3 | ||
EXHIBIT E
FORM OF AUGMENTING LENDER SUPPLEMENT AUGMENTING LENDER SUPPLEMENT, dated , 20
(this
1 | ||
“Supplement”), by and among each of the signatories hereto, to the Credit Agreement, dated as of August 1, 2022 (as amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, the “Credit Agreement”), among Mistras Group, Inc. (the “Borrower”), the Lenders party thereto and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as administrative agent (in such capacity, the “Administrative Agent”).
W I T N E S E T H
WHEREAS, the Credit Agreement provides in Section 2.22 thereof that any bank, financial institution or other entity may [extend [Revolving] Commitments] [and] [participate in tranches of Incremental Term Loans] under the Credit Agreement subject to the approval of the Borrower and the Administrative Agent, by executing and delivering to the Borrower and the Administrative Agent a supplement to the Credit Agreement in substantially the form of this Supplement; and
WHEREAS, the undersigned Augmenting Lender was not an original party to the Credit Agreement but now desires to become a party thereto;
NOW, THEREFORE, each of the parties hereto hereby agrees as follows:
1. The undersigned Augmenting Lender agrees to be bound by the provisions of the Credit Agreement and agrees that it shall, on the date of this Supplement, become a Lender for all purposes of the Credit Agreement to the same extent as if originally a party thereto, with a
[[Revolving] Commitment of $[ ]] [and] [a commitment with respect to Incremental
Term Loans of $[ ]].2. The undersigned Augmenting Lender (a) represents and warrants that it is legally authorized to enter into this Supplement; (b) confirms that it has received a copy of the Credit Agreement, together with copies of the most recent financial statements delivered pursuant to Section 5.01 thereof, as applicable, and has reviewed such other documents and information as it has deemed appropriate to make its own credit analysis and decision to enter into this Supplement; (c) agrees that it will, independently and without reliance upon the Administrative Agent or any other Lender and based on such documents and information as it shall deem appropriate at the time, continue to make its own credit decisions in taking or not taking action under the Credit Agreement or any other instrument or document furnished pursuant hereto or thereto; (d) appoints and authorizes the Administrative Agent to take such action as agent on its behalf and to exercise such powers and discretion under the Credit Agreement or any other instrument or document furnished pursuant hereto or thereto as are delegated to the Administrative Agent by the terms thereof, together with such powers as are incidental thereto; and (e) agrees that it will be bound by the provisions of the Credit Agreement and will perform in accordance with its terms all the obligations which by the terms of the Credit Agreement are required to be performed by it as a Lender.
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3. The undersigned’s address for notices for the purposes of the Credit Agreement is as follows:
[ ]
4. The Borrower hereby represents and warrants that no Default or Event of Default has occurred and is continuing on and as of the date hereof.
5. Terms defined in the Credit Agreement shall have their defined meanings when used herein.
6. This Supplement shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York.
7. This Supplement may be executed in any number of counterparts and by different parties hereto in separate counterparts, each of which when so executed shall be deemed to be an original and all of which taken together shall constitute one and the same document.
[remainder of this page intentionally left blank]
3 | ||
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each of the undersigned has caused this Supplement to be executed and delivered by a duly authorized officer on the date first above written.
[INSERT NAME OF AUGMENTING LENDER]
By: Name:
Title:
Accepted and agreed to as of the date first written above: MISTRAS GROUP, INC.
By: Name:
Title:
Acknowledged as of the date first written above: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
as Administrative Agent
By: Name:
Title:
4 | ||
EXHIBIT F
LIST OF CLOSING DOCUMENTS MISTRAS GROUP, INC. CREDIT FACILITIES
August 1, 2022
LIST OF CLOSING DOCUMENTS1
A. LOAN DOCUMENTS
1. Credit Agreement (the “Credit Agreement”) by and among Mistras Group, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Borrower”), the institutions from time to time parties thereto as Lenders (the “Lenders”) and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., in its capacity as Administrative Agent for itself and the other Lenders (the “Administrative Agent”), evidencing a revolving credit facility to the Borrower from the Revolving Lenders in an initial aggregate principal amount of $190,000,000 and a term loan facility to the Borrower from the Term Lenders in an initial aggregate principal amount of $125,000,000.
SCHEDULES
Schedule 2.01A Commitments
Schedule 2.01B Letter of Credit Commitments
Schedule 2.06 Existing Letters of Credit
Schedule 3.06 Litigation
Schedule 3.09 Environmental Compliance
Schedule 3.12(c) Schedule 3.12(d)
ERISA Events Pension Plans
Schedule 3.13 Subsidiaries; Equity Interests
Schedule 3.23 Responsible Officers
Schedule 3.24(b) Intellectual Property
Schedule 3.24(c) Documents, Instruments and Tangible Chattel Paper
Schedule 3.24(d)(i) Deposit Accounts and Securities Accounts
Schedule 3.24(d)(ii) Electronic Chattel Paper and Letter of Credit Rights Schedule 3.24(e) Commercial Tort Claims
Schedule 3.24(f) Pledged Equity Interests
Schedule 3.24(g) Properties
Schedule 5.19 Post-Closing Requirements
Schedule 6.01 Existing Liens
Schedule 6.02 Existing Investments
1 Each capitalized term used herein and not defined herein shall have the meaning assigned to such term in the above-defined Credit Agreement. Items appearing in bold and italics shall be prepared and/or provided by the Borrower and/or Borrower’s counsel.
Schedule 6.03 Existing Indebtedness
EXHIBITS
| Exhibit A | -- | Form of Assignment and Assumption | ||||||
| Exhibit B | -- | Form of Borrowing Request | ||||||
| Exhibit C | -- | Form of Interest Election Request | ||||||
| Exhibit D | -- | Form of Increasing Lender Supplement | ||||||
| Exhibit E | -- | Form of Augmenting Lender Supplement | ||||||
| Exhibit F | -- | List of Closing Documents | ||||||
| Exhibit G-1 | -- | Form of U.S. Tax Certificate (Foreign Lenders That Are Not | ||||||
Exhibit G-2 | -- | Partnerships) Form of U.S. Tax Certificate (Foreign Participants That Are | ||||||
Exhibit G-3 | -- | Not Partnerships) Form of U.S. Tax Certificate (Foreign Participants That Are | ||||||
Exhibit G-4 | -- | Partnerships) Form of U.S. Tax Certificate (Foreign Lenders That Are | ||||||
Exhibit H | -- | Partnerships) Form of Compliance Certificate | ||||||
2. Notes executed by the Borrower in favor of each of the Lenders, if any, which has requested a note pursuant to Section 2.10(e) of the Credit Agreement.
3. Guaranty executed by the initial Subsidiary Guarantors (collectively with the Borrower, the “Loan Parties”) in favor of the Administrative Agent.
4. Security and Pledge Agreement executed by the Loan Parties, together with pledged instruments and allonges, stock certificates, stock powers executed in blank, pledge instructions and acknowledgments, as appropriate (subject to Section 5.19 of the Credit Agreement).
| Schedule 3.1(a) | -- | Jurisdiction of Debtors’ Formation or Organization | ||||||
| Schedule 3.1(b) | -- | Fictitious Names of Debtors | ||||||
| Schedule 3.1(f) | -- | Location of Equipment and Inventory | ||||||
| Schedule 3.1(f)-1 | _ | List of United States Locations of Equipment where the aggregate value of said Equipment has been deemed material by Administrative Agent | ||||||
| Schedule 5.2 | _ | Exceptions to “No Restrictions on Transfer” Representation | ||||||
B. UCC DOCUMENTS
5. UCC, tax lien and name variation search reports naming each Loan Party from the appropriate offices in relevant jurisdictions.
6. UCC financing statements naming each Loan Party as debtor and the Administrative Agent as secured party as filed with the appropriate offices in applicable jurisdictions.
C. CORPORATE DOCUMENTS
7. Certificate of the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of each Loan Party certifying
(i) that there have been no changes in the Certificate of Incorporation or other charter document of such Loan Party, as attached thereto and as certified as of a recent date by the Secretary of State (or analogous governmental entity) of the jurisdiction of its organization, since the date of the certification thereof by such governmental entity,
(ii) the By-Laws or other applicable organizational document, as attached thereto, of such Loan Party as in effect on the date of such certification, (iii) resolutions of the Board of Directors or other governing body of such Loan Party authorizing the execution, delivery and performance of each Loan Document to which it is a party, and
(iv) the names and true signatures of the incumbent officers of each Loan Party authorized to sign the Loan Documents to which it is a party, and (in the case of each Borrower) authorized to request a Borrowing or the issuance of a Letter of Credit under the Credit Agreement.
8. Good Standing Certificate (or analogous documentation if applicable) for each Loan Party from the Secretary of State (or analogous governmental entity) of the jurisdiction of its organization, to the extent generally available in such jurisdiction.
D. OPINIONS
9. Opinion of Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel, counsel for the Loan Parties.
10. Opinion of local Pennsylvania counsel for the Loan parties.
E. CLOSING CERTIFICATES AND MISCELLANEOUS
11. A Certificate signed by the President, a Vice President or a Financial Officer of the Borrower certifying the following: (i) that all of the representations and warranties contained in Article III of the Credit Agreement are true and correct and (ii) that no Default or Event of Default has occurred and is then continuing.
12. A Certificate of the chief financial officer of the Borrower in form and substance satisfactory to the Administrative Agent supporting the conclusions that, after giving effect to the Transactions, the Borrower and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, are Solvent and will be Solvent subsequent to incurring the indebtedness in connection with the Transactions.
13. Payoff documentation providing evidence satisfactory to the Administrative Agent that the Existing Credit Agreement has been terminated and cancelled (along with all of the agreements, documents and instruments delivered in connection therewith) and all Indebtedness owing thereunder has been repaid and any and all liens thereunder have been terminated (other than any such liens permitted to be provided on a post-closing basis pursuant to Section 5.19 of the Credit Agreement).
F. POST-CLOSING
14. Within sixty (60) days of the Effective Date, certificates of Insurance listing the Administrative Agent as (x) lender loss payee for the property casualty insurance policies of the Loan Parties, together with separate lender loss payable endorsements and
(y) additional insured with respect to the liability insurance of the Loan Parties, together with separate additional insured endorsements.
15. Within five (5) Business Days of the Effective Date, pledged instruments and allonges and stock certificates and stock powers executed in blank, in each case to the extent required pursuant to the Credit Agreement and the Collateral Documents.
16. Within sixty (60) days of the Effective Date, landlord subordination agreements as required pursuant to Section 5.15(b) of the Credit Agreement.
17. Within ten (10) days of the Effective Date, Trademark and Patent Security Agreement by the Loan Parties in favor of the Administrative Agent for the benefit of the Secured Parties.
| Schedule A-1 | -- | Patents in Use | ||||||
| Schedule A-2 | _ | Unused Patents | ||||||
| Schedule B-1 | _ | Trademarks in Use | ||||||
| Schedule B-2 | _ | Unused Trademarks | ||||||
18. Within thirty (30) days of the Effective Date (or such later date as the Administrative Agent may agree in its sole discretion), documentation evidencing the termination and release of all foreign law governed “Collateral Documents” or other foreign law lien documentation (including, without limitation, pursuant to the laws of Germany, France, or Quebec) in effect pursuant to the Existing Credit Agreement, each in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent.
19. Within thirty (30) days of the Effective Date (or such later date as the Administrative Agent may agree in its sole discretion), termination letters signed by Bank of America,
N.A. as administrative agent pursuant to the Existing Credit Agreement (the “Existing Agent”), terminating each landlord subordination agreement that was entered into in favor of the Existing Agent, and each in appropriate form for delivery to the applicable landlord thereunder.
EXHIBIT G-1
[FORM OF]
U.S. TAX COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATE
(For Foreign Lenders That Are Not Partnerships For U.S. Federal Income Tax Purposes)
Reference is hereby made to the Credit Agreement, dated as of August 1, 2022 (as amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, the “Credit Agreement”), among Mistras Group, Inc. (the “Borrower, the Lenders party thereto and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as administrative agent (in such capacity, the “Administrative Agent”).
Pursuant to the provisions of Section 2.17 of the Credit Agreement, the undersigned hereby certifies that (i) it is the sole record and beneficial owner of the Loan(s) (as well as any promissory note(s) evidencing such Loan(s)) in respect of which it is providing this certificate, (ii) it is not a bank within the meaning of Section 881(c)(3)(A) of the Code, (iii) it is not a ten percent shareholder of the Borrower within the meaning of Section 871(h)(3)(B) of the Code and (iv) it is not a controlled foreign corporation related to the Borrower as described in Section 881(c)(3)(C) of the Code.
The undersigned has furnished the Administrative Agent and the Borrower with a certificate of its non-U.S. Person status on IRS Form W-8BEN or IRS Form W-8BEN-E. By executing this certificate, the undersigned agrees that (1) if the information provided on this certificate changes, the undersigned shall promptly so inform the Borrower and the Administrative Agent, and (2) the undersigned shall have at all times furnished the Borrower and the Administrative Agent with a properly completed and currently effective certificate in either the calendar year in which each payment is to be made to the undersigned, or in either of the two calendar years preceding such payments.
Unless otherwise defined herein, terms defined in the Credit Agreement and used herein shall have the meanings given to them in the Credit Agreement.
[NAME OF LENDER]
By: Name:
Title:
Date: , 20[ ]
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EXHIBIT G-2
[FORM OF]
U.S. TAX COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATE
(For Foreign Participants That Are Not Partnerships For U.S. Federal Income Tax Purposes)
Reference is hereby made to the Credit Agreement, dated as of August 1, 2022 (as amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, the “Credit Agreement”), among Mistras Group, Inc. (the “Borrower, the Lenders party thereto and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as administrative agent (in such capacity, the “Administrative Agent”).
Pursuant to the provisions of Section 2.17 of the Credit Agreement, the undersigned hereby certifies that (i) it is the sole record and beneficial owner of the participation in respect of which it is providing this certificate, (ii) it is not a bank within the meaning of Section 881(c)(3)(A) of the Code, (iii) it is not a ten percent shareholder of the Borrower within the meaning of Section 871(h)(3)(B) of the Code, and (iv) it is not a controlled foreign corporation related to the Borrower as described in Section 881(c)(3)(C) of the Code.
The undersigned has furnished its participating Lender with a certificate of its non-U.S. Person status on IRS Form W-8BEN or IRS Form W-8BEN-E. By executing this certificate, the undersigned agrees that (1) if the information provided on this certificate changes, the undersigned shall promptly so inform such Lender in writing, and (2) the undersigned shall have at all times furnished such Lender with a properly completed and currently effective certificate in either the calendar year in which each payment is to be made to the undersigned, or in either of the two calendar years preceding such payments.
Unless otherwise defined herein, terms defined in the Credit Agreement and used herein shall have the meanings given to them in the Credit Agreement.
[NAME OF PARTICIPANT]
By: Name:
Title:
Date: , 20[ ]
1 | ||
EXHIBIT G-3
[FORM OF]
U.S. TAX COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATE
(For Foreign Participants That Are Partnerships For U.S. Federal Income Tax Purposes)
Reference is hereby made to the Credit Agreement, dated as of August 1, 2022 (as amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, the “Credit Agreement”), among Mistras Group, Inc. (the “Borrower, the Lenders party thereto and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as administrative agent (in such capacity, the “Administrative Agent”).
Pursuant to the provisions of Section 2.17 of the Credit Agreement, the undersigned hereby certifies that (i) it is the sole record owner of the participation in respect of which it is providing this certificate, (ii) its direct or indirect partners/members are the sole beneficial owners of such participation, (iii) with respect such participation, neither the undersigned nor any of its direct or indirect partners/members is a bank extending credit pursuant to a loan agreement entered into in the ordinary course of its trade or business within the meaning of Section 881(c)(3)(A) of the Code,
(iv) none of its direct or indirect partners/members is a ten percent shareholder of the Borrower within the meaning of Section 871(h)(3)(B) of the Code and (v) none of its direct or indirect partners/members is a controlled foreign corporation related to the Borrower as described in Section 881(c)(3)(C) of the Code.
The undersigned has furnished its participating Lender with IRS Form W-8IMY accompanied by one of the following forms from each of its partners/members that is claiming the portfolio interest exemption: (i) an IRS Form W-8BEN or IRS Form W-8BEN-E or (ii) an IRS Form W-8IMY accompanied by an IRS Form W-8BEN or IRS Form W-8BEN-E from each of such partner’s/member’s beneficial owners that is claiming the portfolio interest exemption. By executing this certificate, the undersigned agrees that (1) if the information provided on this certificate changes, the undersigned shall promptly so inform such Lender and (2) the undersigned shall have at all times furnished such Lender with a properly completed and currently effective certificate in either the calendar year in which each payment is to be made to the undersigned, or in either of the two calendar years preceding such payments.
Unless otherwise defined herein, terms defined in the Credit Agreement and used herein shall have the meanings given to them in the Credit Agreement.
[NAME OF PARTICIPANT]
By: Name:
Title:
Date: , 20[ ]
1 | ||
EXHIBIT G-4
[FORM OF]
U.S. TAX COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATE
(For Foreign Lenders That Are Partnerships For U.S. Federal Income Tax Purposes)
Reference is hereby made to the Credit Agreement, dated as of August 1, 2022 (as amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, the “Credit Agreement”), among Mistras Group, Inc. (the “Borrower, the Lenders party thereto and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as administrative agent (in such capacity, the “Administrative Agent”).
Pursuant to the provisions of Section 2.17 of the Credit Agreement, the undersigned hereby certifies that (i) it is the sole record owner of the Loan(s) (as well as any promissory note(s) evidencing such Loan(s)) in respect of which it is providing this certificate, (ii) its direct or indirect partners/members are the sole beneficial owners of such Loan(s) (as well as any promissory note(s) evidencing such Loan(s)), (iii) with respect to the extension of credit pursuant to this Credit Agreement or any other Loan Document, neither the undersigned nor any of its direct or indirect partners/members is a bank extending credit pursuant to a loan agreement entered into in the ordinary course of its trade or business within the meaning of Section 881(c)(3)(A) of the Code,
(iv) none of its direct or indirect partners/members is a ten percent shareholder of the Borrower within the meaning of Section 871(h)(3)(B) of the Code and (v) none of its direct or indirect partners/members is a controlled foreign corporation related to the Borrower as described in Section 881(c)(3)(C) of the Code.
The undersigned has furnished the Administrative Agent and the Borrower with IRS
Form
W-8IMY accompanied by one of the following forms from each of its partners/members that is claiming
the portfolio interest exemption: (i) an IRS Form W-8BEN or Form W-8BEN-E or (ii) an IRS Form
W-8IMY accompanied by an IRS Form W-8BEN or IRS W-8BEN-E from each of such partner’s/member’s beneficial owners that is claiming the portfolio interest exemption. By executing this certificate, the undersigned agrees that (1) if the information provided on this certificate changes, the undersigned shall promptly so inform the Borrower and the Administrative Agent, and (2) the undersigned shall have at all times furnished the Borrower and the Administrative Agent with a properly completed and currently effective certificate in either the calendar year in which each payment is to be made to the undersigned, or in either of the two calendar years preceding such payments.
Unless otherwise defined herein, terms defined in the Credit Agreement and used herein shall have the meanings given to them in the Credit Agreement.
[NAME OF LENDER]
By:
1 | ||
Name:
Title:
Date: , 20[ ]
2 | ||
EXHIBIT H
[FORM OF] COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATE
[ON FILE WITH THE ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT]
Exhibit 21.1
The following is a list of subsidiaries of the registrant. The list omits some subsidiaries which, in the aggregate, would not constitute a significant subsidiary.
| Name | Jurisdiction of Organization | |||||||
| Aetos Group, Inc. | Delaware | |||||||
| Assistances Controles Technologies | France | |||||||
| CISMIS Springfield Corp. | Delaware | |||||||
| Conam Inspection and Engineering Services, Inc. | Delaware | |||||||
| Controles Industriels de L'entang | France | |||||||
| GMA Aeronautica S.L.U. | Germany | |||||||
| GMA Holding B.V. | The Netherlands | |||||||
| GMA Werkstoffprufung GmbH | Germany | |||||||
| Mistras Arizona Inspection Services LLC | Delaware | |||||||
| Mistras Canada, Inc. | Canada | |||||||
| Mistras Engineering Services Inc. | New Jersey | |||||||
| Mistras Group B.V. | The Netherlands | |||||||
| Mistras Group BVBA | Belgium | |||||||
| Mistras Group Holding GmbH | Germany | |||||||
| Mistras Group Hellas A.B.E.E. | Greece | |||||||
| Mistras Group Limited | England and Wales | |||||||
| Mistras Group SAS | France | |||||||
| Mistras International Holdings Inc. | Delaware | |||||||
| Mistras KAA Partners Inc. | Canada | |||||||
| Mistras Mexico Holdings Inc. | Delaware | |||||||
| Mistras Onstream S. de R.L. de C.V. | Mexico | |||||||
| Mistras Quebec Holdings Inc. | Canada | |||||||
| Mistras Ropeworks Training LLC | Delaware | |||||||
| Mistras Services Inc. | Canada | |||||||
| Mistras South America Ltda. | Brazil | |||||||
| Mistras Western Canada Holdings Inc. | Canada | |||||||
| MWC Management Inc. | Canada | |||||||
| NDT do Brasil Ltd. | Brazil | |||||||
| Onstream Pipeline Inspection Services Inc. | Canada | |||||||
| Physical Acoustics India Private Ltd. | India | |||||||
| Quality Services Laboratories, Inc. (1) | Delaware | |||||||
| QSL NDT Inc. | Delaware | |||||||
| QSL Quebec Inc. | Canada | |||||||
| R.A.C. Group Inc. | Canada | |||||||
| Rope Access Calgary Inc. | Canada | |||||||
| West Penn Non-Destructive Testing, LLC | Pennsylvania | |||||||
(1) Also does business under the names QSL and QSL Plus.
Exhibit 23.1
Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
We consent to the incorporation by reference in the registration statements (No. 333-164688 and 333-217047) on Form S-8 of our report dated March 15, 2023, with respect to the consolidated financial statements of Mistras Group, Inc. and the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting.
/s/ KPMG LLP
Short Hills, New Jersey
March 15, 2023
Exhibit 31.1
CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO RULE 13A-14(a) OR 15D-14(a) OF THE SECURITIES
EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934, AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO SECTION 302 OF THE
SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002
I, Dennis Bertolotti, certify that:
1. I have reviewed this Annual Report on Form 10-K of Mistras Group, Inc.;
2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;
3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;
4. The registrant’s other certifying officer(s) and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have:
a. designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;
b. designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;
c. evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and
d. disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and
5. The registrant’s other certifying officer(s) and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):
a. all significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and
b. any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.
March 15, 2023
| By: | /s/ DENNIS BERTOLOTTI | |||||||
| Dennis Bertolotti | ||||||||
President, Chief Executive Officer and Director (Principal Executive Officer) | ||||||||
Exhibit 31.2
CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO RULE 13A-14(a) OR 15D-14(a) OF THE SECURITIES
EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934, AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO SECTION 302 OF THE
SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002
I, Edward J. Prajzner, certify that:
1. I have reviewed this Annual Report on Form 10-K of Mistras Group, Inc.;
2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;
3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;
4. The registrant’s other certifying officer(s) and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have:
a. designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;
b. designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;
c. evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and
d. disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and
5. The registrant’s other certifying officer(s) and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):
a. all significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and
b. any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.
March 15, 2023
| By: | /s/ EDWARD J. PRAJZNER | |||||||
| Edward J. Prajzner | ||||||||
| Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer) | ||||||||
Exhibit 32.1
CERTIFICATION BY PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICER
PURSUANT TO 18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350,
AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO SECTION 906
OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002
In connection with the Annual Report on Form 10-K of Mistras Group, Inc. (the Company) for the year ended December 31, 2022, I, Dennis Bertolotti, President and Chief Executive Officer, hereby certify pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, to the best of my knowledge and belief, that:
(1) such Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended; and
(2) the information contained in such Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Company.
The foregoing certification is being furnished solely to accompany such Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 1350, and is not being filed for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and is not to be incorporated by reference into any filing of the Company, whether made before or after the date hereof, regardless of any general incorporation language in such filing.
| Date: | March 15, 2023 | /s/ DENNIS BERTOLOTTI | ||||||
| Dennis Bertolotti | ||||||||
| President, Chief Executive Officer and Director | ||||||||
| (Principal Executive Officer) | ||||||||
Exhibit 32.2
CERTIFICATION BY PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICER
PURSUANT TO 18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350,
AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO SECTION 906
OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002
In connection with the accompanying Annual Report on Form 10-K of Mistras Group, Inc. (the Company) for the year ended December 31, 2022, I, Edward J. Prajzner, Principal Financial and Accounting Officer, hereby certify pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, to the best of my knowledge and belief, that:
(1) such Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended; and
(2) the information contained in such Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Company.
The foregoing certification is being furnished solely to accompany such Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 1350, and is not being filed for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and is not to be incorporated by reference into any filing of the Company, whether made before or after the date hereof, regardless of any general incorporation language in such filing.
| Date: | March 15, 2023 | /s/ EDWARD J. PRAJZNER | ||||||
| Edward J. Prajzner | ||||||||
| Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, and Treasurer | ||||||||
| (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer) | ||||||||