-----BEGIN PRIVACY-ENHANCED MESSAGE----- Proc-Type: 2001,MIC-CLEAR Originator-Name: webmaster@www.sec.gov Originator-Key-Asymmetric: MFgwCgYEVQgBAQICAf8DSgAwRwJAW2sNKK9AVtBzYZmr6aGjlWyK3XmZv3dTINen TWSM7vrzLADbmYQaionwg5sDW3P6oaM5D3tdezXMm7z1T+B+twIDAQAB MIC-Info: RSA-MD5,RSA, MuUoVRRh3/lwynH2aDGVF2ExHiayMRlDAGssnqkoBtJyei/FOitctCeHi3BLBcbf Bu130QLo2HNDY9vAqOAhKg== 0001104659-08-017372.txt : 20080313 0001104659-08-017372.hdr.sgml : 20080313 20080313154810 ACCESSION NUMBER: 0001104659-08-017372 CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE: 10-K PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT: 5 CONFORMED PERIOD OF REPORT: 20071231 FILED AS OF DATE: 20080313 DATE AS OF CHANGE: 20080313 FILER: COMPANY DATA: COMPANY CONFORMED NAME: BLOUNT INTERNATIONAL INC CENTRAL INDEX KEY: 0001001606 STANDARD INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION: ORDNANCE & ACCESSORIES, (NO VEHICLES/GUIDED MISSILES) [3480] IRS NUMBER: 630780521 STATE OF INCORPORATION: DE FISCAL YEAR END: 1231 FILING VALUES: FORM TYPE: 10-K SEC ACT: 1934 Act SEC FILE NUMBER: 001-11549 FILM NUMBER: 08686163 BUSINESS ADDRESS: STREET 1: 4909 S E INTERNATIONAL WAY CITY: PORT LAND STATE: OR ZIP: 97222-4679 BUSINESS PHONE: 503 653 8881 MAIL ADDRESS: STREET 1: P.O. BOX 22127 CITY: PORTLAND STATE: OR ZIP: 97269-2127 10-K 1 a08-2371_110k.htm 10-K

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

[X]  ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2007.

or

[ ]  TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934. For the transition period from _______________________ to ______________________________________

Commission file number 001-11549

BLOUNT INTERNATIONAL, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

  Delaware
(State of
Incorporation)
  63 0780521
(I.R.S. Employer
Identification No.)
 
  4909 SE International Way,
Portland, Oregon
(Address of principal executive offices)
 
97222-4679
(Zip Code)
 

 

Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (503) 653-8881

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

 
Title of each class
Common Stock, $.01 par value
  Name of each exchange
on which registered
New York Stock Exchange
 

 

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 [X] No

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Act. [ ] Yes [X] No

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. [X] Yes [ ] No

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of the Registrant's knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K, or any amendment to this Form 10-K. [ ]

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer or a non-accelerated filer (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act).

Large accelerated filer [ ]   Accelerated filer [X]   Non-accelerated filer [ ]   Smaller reporting company [ ]  

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act). [ ] Yes [X] No

At June 30, 2007, the aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting common stock held by non-affiliates, computed by reference to the last sales price ($13.08) as reported by the New York Stock Exchange, was $495,411,945.

The number of shares outstanding of $0.01 par value common stock as of March 6, 2008 was 47,305,647 shares.

Documents Incorporated By Reference

Portions of the Proxy Statement for the Annual Meeting of stockholders to be held on May 22, 2008, are incorporated by reference in Part III.



BLOUNT INTERNATIONAL, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

Table of Contents       Page  
PART I  
Item 1.   Business     3    
Item 1A.   Risk Factors     5    
Item 2.   Properties     9    
Item 3.   Legal Proceedings     10    
Item 4.   Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders     10    
PART II  
Item 5.   Market for Registrant's Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities     11    
Item 6.   Selected Consolidated Financial Data     12    
Item 7.   Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations     13    
Item 7A.   Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk     27    
Item 8.   Financial Statements and Supplementary Data     28    
Item 9.   Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure     57    
Item 9A.   Controls and Procedures     57    
Item 9B.   Other Information     57    
PART III  
Item 10.   Directors and Executive Officers of the Registrant     58    
Item 11.   Executive Compensation     58    
Item 12.   Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters     58    
Item 13.   Certain Relationships and Related Transactions     58    
Item 14.   Principal Accounting Fees and Services     58    
PART IV  
Item 15.   Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules     59    
Signatures         62    

 

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PART I

ITEM 1. BUSINESS

Blount International, Inc. ("Blount" or the "Company") is an international industrial company with one business segment: Outdoor Products. We also wholly-own and operate a manufacturer of gear-related products. During 2007, we sold our Forestry Division, which constituted the majority of our other business segment at the time. Our products are sold in over 100 countries and approximately 64% of our 2007 sales were made outside the United States of America ("U.S."). Our Company is headquartered in Portland, Oregon. We have manufacturing operations in the U.S., Canada, Brazil and the People's Republic of China ("China"). Additionally, we operate marketing, sales and distribution centers in other parts of the world.

Oregon, Windsor, Power-Match, INTENZ, Jet-Fit, ICS, Redzaw, PRK, SealPro and SpeedHook are registered or pending trademarks of Blount and its subsidiaries. Some forms of Windsor are used under license from affiliates of Snap-On, Inc.

Outdoor Products Segment

Overview. Our Outdoor Products Segment, accounted for 94% of our sales from continuing operations in 2007. This segment manufactures and markets cutting chain, guide bars, sprockets and accessories for chainsaw use, concrete-cutting equipment and accessories and lawnmower blades. This segment also markets branded parts and accessories for the lawn and garden equipment market. The segment's products are sold to original equipment manufacturers ("OEMs") for use on new chainsaws and yard care equipment, and to the retail replacement market through distributors, dealers and mass merchants. Oregon brand chainsaw cutting chain, guide bars and other items are currently sold to most of the chainsaw OEMs, and many of these products are privately branded for our OEM customers. During 2007, approximately 27% of the segment's sales were to OEMs, with the remainde r sold into the replacement market. Approximately 68% of the segment's sales were outside of the U.S. in 2007.

The segment headquarters is in Portland, Oregon. Marketing personnel are located throughout the U.S. and in a number of foreign countries. We manufacture our products in Portland, Oregon; Milan, Tennessee; Kansas City, Missouri; Guelph, Ontario, Canada; Curitiba, Parana, Brazil; and in Fuzhou, Fujian Province, China. A portion of our accessories and spare parts, as well as our concrete-cutting saws, are sourced from vendors in various locations around the world.

Oregon® Products. The Oregon® product line includes a broad range of cutting chain, chainsaw guide bars, cutting chain drive sprockets and maintenance tools used primarily on portable gasoline and electric chainsaws and mechanical timber harvesting equipment. The Oregon product line also includes various cutting attachments and spare parts to service the lawn and garden industry. These lawn and garden equipment parts include lawnmower blades to fit a variety of machines and cutting conditions, as well as replacement parts that meet product specifications of OEMs.

Windsor Products. The Windsor product line includes cutting chain, chainsaw guide bars and cutting chain drive sprockets, as well as products to support mechanical harvesting equipment.

ICS Products. The ICS branded product lines provide specialized concrete-cutting equipment for construction markets. The principal product in the ICS line-up is a proprietary diamond-segmented chain, which is used on gasoline and hydraulic powered saws and equipment. ICS also markets and distributes branded gasoline and hydraulic powered concrete-cutting chainsaws and circular saws to its customers. These saws are manufactured through an agreement with a third party.

Industry Overview. We believe we are the world leader in the production of cutting chain. Oregon and Windsor branded cutting chain and related products are used primarily by professional loggers, farmers, arborists and homeowners. Additionally, the Oregon line of lawnmower-related parts and accessories are used by commercial landscape companies and homeowners. Our ICS products are used by tool rental companies, contractors and concrete-cutting specialists.

Due to the high level of technical expertise and capital investment required to manufacture cutting chain and guide bars, we believe that we are able to produce durable, high-quality cutting chain and guide bars more efficiently than most of our competitors. We also work with our OEM customers to improve the design and specifications of cutting chain and bars used as original equipment on their chainsaws.

Weather and natural disasters influence our sales cycle. For example, severe weather patterns and events, such as hurricanes, tornadoes and storms, generally result in greater chainsaw use and, therefore, stronger sales of saw chain and guide bars. Seasonal rainfall plays a role in demand for our lawnmower blades and yard care-related products. Above-average rainfall drives greater demand for products in this category, while drought conditions tend to reduce demand for these products.

The Outdoor Products Segment's principal raw material, cold-rolled strip steel, is purchased from multiple intermediate steel processors and can be obtained from other sources. Changes in the price of steel can have a significant effect on the manufactured cost of our products and on the gross margin we earn from the sale of these products.

The segment's profitability is also affected by changes in currency exchange rates, changes in economic and political conditions in the various markets in which we

BLOUNT INTERNATIONAL, INC.
3



operate and changes in the regulatory environment in various jurisdictions.

The segment's competitors include Stihl, Carlton, G&B, Tri-Link, Rotary, Stens, and most major outdoor power equipment manufacturers such as Briggs & Stratton, MTD and John Deere. In addition, new and existing competitors are expanding capacity or contracting with suppliers in China and other low cost manufacturing locations. We also supply products or components to some of our competitors.

Gear Components

Our wholly-owned subsidiary, Gear Products, Inc. ("Gear Products"), was formerly included in our discontinued Industrial and Power Equipment Segment. Our primary gear-related products are rotation bearings, worm gear reducers, hydraulic pump drives, swing drives and winches. These products are used by heavy equipment OEMs for the forestry, construction and utility industries, and produced 6% of our consolidated 2007 sales. We also sell these products in the replacement parts market in addition to our sales to OEMs. For 2007, approximately 93% of Gear Products' sales were to OEMs and approximately 3% of sales were outside the U.S.

Discontinued Forestry Equipment Division

On November 5, 2007, we sold our Forestry Division, which constituted the majority of our Industrial and Power Equipment segment, to Caterpillar Forest Products Inc., a subsidiary of Caterpillar Inc. ("Caterpillar"), for gross proceeds of $79.1 million. We recognized a pretax gain of $26.0 million net of related transaction expenses on the sale in 2007. This division accounted for 32% of our 2005 consolidated sales, 26% of our 2006 consolidated sales and 21% of our consolidated sales for the first nine months of 2007. The Forestry Division is reported as discontinued operations for all periods presented. This division was headquartered in Zebulon, North Carolina and manufactured and marketed timber harvesting and handling equipment and industrial tractors and loaders. The division had manufacturing facilities in Owatonna, Minnesota; Prentice, Wisconsin; and Söderhamn, Sweden. We retained certain liabilities related to the b usiness, as well as a dormant manufacturing facility located in Menominee, Michigan. In December 2007, we sold the land and building in Menominee, Michigan for net cash proceeds of $0.5 million.

Discontinued Lawnmower Segment

On July 27, 2006, we sold our wholly-owned subsidiary Dixon Industries, Inc. ("Dixon"), which constituted our entire Lawnmower segment, to Husqvarna Professional Outdoor Products Inc. ("Husqvarna Professional Outdoor Products") for gross proceeds of $33.1 million. We recognized a pretax gain of $17.4 million net of related transaction expenses on the sale in 2006. This segment accounted for 7% of our sales in each of 2004, 2005 and the first six months of 2006. The Lawnmower Segment is reported as discontinued operations for all periods presented. Dixon was located in Coffeyville, Kansas, and manufactured zero-turn radius lawnmowers and related attachments. We retained certain liabilities and assets of the business, including land and buildings in Coffeyville, Kansas, following the sale. In September 2007, we sold the land and buildings in Coffeyville, Kansas for net cash proceeds of $1.5 million.

Capacity Utilization

Based on a five-day, three-shift work week, capacity utilization for the year ended December 31, 2007 was as follows:

    % of Capacity  
Outdoor Products segment     100 %  
Gear components     76 %  

 

Capacity for the Outdoor Products Segment has been expanded with our manufacturing plant in Fuzhou, Fujian Province, China, as well as investments in new machinery and equipment for the manufacturing plants in Portland, Oregon; Kansas City, Missouri; Guelph, Ontario Canada; and Curitiba, Parana, Brazil. To meet the fluctuation in demand for its products, this segment operates on an expanded work week basis from time to time at certain locations.

Backlog

The backlog for our continuing operations was as follows:

    December 31,  
(Amounts in thousands)   2007   2006   2005  
Outdoor Products Segment   $ 63,289     $ 54,785     $ 82,523    
Gear components     6,029       6,524       7,955    
Total backlog   $ 69,318     $ 61,309     $ 90,478    

 

The total backlog as of December 31, 2007 is expected to be completed and shipped within twelve months.

Employees

At December 31, 2007, we employed approximately 3,200 individuals. None of our domestic employees belongs to a union. The number of foreign employees who belong to unions is not significant. We believe our relations with our employees are satisfactory, and we have not experienced any significant labor-related work stoppages in the last three years with the exception of a one week period in June, 2007 at our Curitiba, Parana, Brazil location.

Environmental Matters

The Company's operations are subject to comprehensive U.S. and foreign laws and regulations relating to the protection of the environment, including those governing discharges of pollutants into the air and water, the management

BLOUNT INTERNATIONAL, INC.
4



and disposal of hazardous substances and the cleanup of contaminated sites. Permits and environmental controls are required for certain of those operations, including those required to prevent or reduce air and water pollution, and our permits are subject to modification, renewal and revocation by issuing authorities.

On an ongoing basis, we incur capital and operating costs to comply with environmental laws and regulations. In 2007, we spent approximately $1.3 million for environmental compliance, including approximately $0.2 million in capital expenditures. We expect to spend approximately $1.7 million to $2.5 million per year in capital and operating costs in years 2008 through 2010 for environmental compliance. The actual cost to comply with environmental laws and regulations may be greater than these estimated amounts.

Some of our current and former manufacturing facilities are located on properties with a long history of industrial use, including the use of hazardous substances. For certain of our former facilities, we retained responsibility for past environmental matters under the terms of the agreements by which we sold the properties to third party purchasers. We have identified soil and groundwater contamination from these historical activities at certain of our current and former facilities, which we are currently investigating, monitoring or remediating. Management believes that costs incurred to investigate, monitor and remediate known contamination at these sites will not have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations or cash flow. We cannot be sure, however, that we have identified all existing contamination on our current and former properties or that our operations will not cause contami nation in the future. As a result, we could incur material future costs to clean up contamination.

From time to time we may be identified as a potentially responsible party under the U.S. Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (commonly known as the Superfund law) or similar state statutes with respect to sites at which we may have disposed of wastes. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (or an equivalent state agency) can either (a) allow such parties to conduct and pay for a remedial investigation and feasibility study and remedial action or (b) conduct the remedial investigation and action on its own and then seek reimbursement from the parties. Each party can be held liable for all of the costs, but the parties can then bring contribution actions against each other or potentially responsible third parties. As a result, we may be required to expend amounts on such remedial investigations and actions, which amounts cannot be determined at the present time, but which may ultimately prove to be material to the consolidated financial statements.

For additional information regarding certain environmental matters, see Note 11 of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

Financial Information about Industry Segments and Foreign and Domestic Operations

For financial information about industry segments and foreign and domestic operations, see "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Results of Operations and Financial Condition" in Item 7 and Note 14 of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

Seasonality

The Company's operations are somewhat seasonal in nature. Year-to-year and quarter-to-quarter operating results are impacted by economic and business trends within the respective industries in which we compete, as well as seasonal weather patterns. See further discussion within the business descriptions above.

Available Information

Our website address is www.blount.com. You may obtain free electronic copies of our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, all amendments to those reports and other SEC filings by accessing the Investor Relations section of the Company's website under the heading "SEC Filings". These reports are available on our Investor Relations website as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file them with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC").

Once filed with the SEC, such documents may be read and/or copied at the SEC's Public Reference Room at 450 Fifth Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20549. Information regarding the operation of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330. In addition, the SEC maintains an internet site at www.sec.gov that contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers, including Blount, who file electronically with the SEC.

ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS

Substantial Leverage—Due to our substantial leverage, we may have difficulty operating our business and satisfying our debt obligations.

As of December 31, 2007, we have $466.1 million of total liabilities, $297.0 million of total debt and a stockholders' deficit of $54.1 million. While we have reduced our total debt from $494.2 million at the end of 2004, our debt remains significant. This substantial leverage may have important consequences for us, including the following:

<  Our ability to obtain additional financing for working capital, capital expenditures or other purposes may be

BLOUNT INTERNATIONAL, INC.
5



impaired, or such financing may not be available on terms favorable to us.

<  A significant portion of our cash flow from operations is dedicated to the payment of interest expense, which reduces the funds that would otherwise be available to us for operations and future business opportunities.

<  A substantial decrease in net operating income and cash flows or an increase in expenses may make it difficult for us to meet our debt service requirements or force us to modify our operations.

<  Our substantial leverage may make us more vulnerable to economic downturns and competitive pressures.

The agreements governing our senior credit facilities and the indenture for our 87/8% senior subordinated notes due 2012 contain restrictions that affect our operations, including our and certain of our subsidiaries' ability to incur indebtedness or make acquisitions or capital expenditures. However, these restrictions do not fully prohibit us or our subsidiaries from incurring additional indebtedness or making certain types of acquisitions. In addition, we have available borrowing capacity under the revolving portion of our existing senior credit facilities of $140.9 million as of December 31, 2007. If we or any of our subs idiaries incur additional indebtedness, the risks outlined above could worsen.

Our ability to make payments on our indebtedness and to fund planned capital expenditures and research and product development efforts will depend on our ability to generate cash in the future. Our ability to generate cash, to a certain extent, is subject to general economic, financial, competitive, legislative, regulatory and other factors that are beyond our control.

Our historical financial results have been, and we anticipate that our future financial results will be, subject to fluctuations. Our business may not be able to generate sufficient cash flow from our operations or future borrowings may not be available to us in an amount sufficient to enable us to service our indebtedness or to fund our other liquidity needs. Our inability to pay our debts would require us to pursue one or more alternative strategies, such as selling assets, refinancing or restructuring our indebtedness or selling equity capital. However, alternative strategies may not be feasible at the time or may not prove adequate, which could cause us to default on our obligations and would impair our liquidity. Also, some alternative strategies would require the prior consent of our secured lenders, which we may not be able to obtain. See also "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Ope rations."

Restrictive Covenants—The terms of our indebtedness contain a number of restrictive covenants, the breach of which could result in acceleration of payment of our senior credit facilities and our 87/8% senior subordinated notes.

The terms of our indebtedness contain a number of restrictive covenants, the breach of which could result in acceleration of our obligations to repay amounts owed under our senior credit facilities and our 87/8% senior subordinated notes. An acceleration of our repayment obligation under our senior credit facilities could result in a payment or distribution of substantially all of our assets to our secured lenders, which would materially impair our ability to operate our business as a going concern. The indenture and our senior credit facilities, among other things, restrict and/or limit our and certain of our subsidiaries' ability to:

<  borrow money and issue preferred stock;

<  guarantee indebtedness of others;

<  pay dividends on our stock;

<  purchase our stock or the stock of our "restricted subsidiaries", a defined term;

<  make certain types of investments;

<  use assets as security in other transactions;

<  sell certain assets or merge with or into other companies;

<  enter into sale and leaseback transactions;

<  enter into certain types of transactions with affiliates;

<  enter into new businesses; and

<  make certain payments in respect of subordinated indebtedness.

The senior credit facilities also restrict our ability to prepay principal in respect of the 87/8% senior subordinated notes and restrict our ability to engage in any business or operations other than those that are incidental to our ownership of the capital stock of Blount, Inc., our wholly-owned operating subsidiary. In addition, the senior credit facilities require us to maintain certain financial ratios and satisfy certain financial condition tests, which may require that we take actions to reduce debt or to act in a manner contrary to our business objectives. Our ability to meet those financial ratios and tests could be affected by events beyond our control, and there can be no assurance that we will meet those ratios and tests. A breach of any of these covenants could, if uncured, constitute an event of default or a default under the notes or the senior credit facilities. Upon the occurrence of an event of default under the senior credit facilities, the lenders could elect to declare all amounts outstanding under the senior credit facilities, together with any accrued interest and commitment fees, to be immediately due and payable. If we and certain of our subsidiaries were unable to repay those amounts, the lenders under the senior credit facilities could enforce the guarantees from the guarantors and proceed against the

BLOUNT INTERNATIONAL, INC.
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collateral securing the senior credit facilities. The assets of the applicable guarantors could be insufficient to repay in full that indebtedness and our other indebtedness.

Assets Pledged as Security on Credit Facilities—The majority of our assets and the capital stock of Blount, Inc. are pledged to secure obligations under our senior credit facilities.

The Company and all of its domestic subsidiaries other than Blount, Inc. guarantee Blount, Inc.'s obligations under the senior credit facilities. The obligations under the senior credit facilities are collateralized by a first priority security interest in substantially all of the assets of Blount, Inc. and its domestic subsidiaries, as well as a pledge of all of Blount, Inc.'s capital stock held by Blount International, Inc. and all of the stock of domestic subsidiaries held by Blount, Inc. Blount, Inc. has also pledged 65% of the stock of its non-domestic subsidiaries as additional collateral.

Further, our senior credit facilities provide that payments on the 87/8% notes and the guarantees thereof will be blocked in the event of a default under the senior credit facilities. In addition, upon any distribution to Blount, Inc.'s creditors or the creditors of the guarantors in a bankruptcy, liquidation, receivership, administration for the benefit of creditors or reorganization or similar proceeding relating to the property that constitutes security for the senior credit facilities, the lenders under the senior credit facilities will be entitled to be paid in full in cash before any payment may be made with respect to such notes or the guarantees.

While Blount International, Inc. and all of Blount, Inc.'s existing domestic subsidiaries guarantee the 87/8% senior subordinated notes, none of Blount, Inc.'s existing foreign subsidiaries guarantees these notes. We will not permit any of our non-guarantor restricted subsidiaries to guarantee or pledge any assets to secure the payment of our senior credit facilities, unless that subsidiary is a guarantor of those notes or that subsidiary becomes a guarantor. Any existing or future non-guarantor subsidiary of Blount International, Inc. that we properly designate as an unrestricted subsidiary or a receivables subsidiary will not guarantee those notes.

Competition—Competition may result in decreased sales, operating income and cash flow.

The markets in which we operate are competitive. We believe that design features, product quality, customer service and price are the principal factors considered by our customers. Some of our competitors may have greater financial resources, lower costs, superior technology or more favorable operating conditions than we do. For example, our competitors are expanding capacity or contracting with suppliers located in China and other low cost manufacturing locations as a means to lower costs. Although we have also established a manufacturing facility in China, international competition from emerging economies may nevertheless be formidable and negatively affect our business. We may not be able to compete successfully with our existing or any new competitors, and the competitive pressures we face may result in decreased sales, operating income and cash flows. Competitors could also obtain knowledge of our proprietary manufacturing techniques and processes and reduce our competitive advantage by copying such techniques and processes.

Key Customers—Loss of one or more key customers would substantially decrease our sales.

In 2007, $71.6 million (14%) of our sales were to one customer (Husqvarna AB) and our top five customers accounted for $115.4 million (22%) of our sales. Aside from our top customer, no other customer individually accounted for more than 3% of our sales. While we expect these business relationships to continue, the loss of any of these customers, or a substantial portion of their business, would most likely significantly decrease our sales, operating income and cash flows.

Key Suppliers and Raw Materials Costs—A loss of a few key suppliers or increases in raw materials costs could substantially decrease our sales or increase our costs.

We purchase important materials and parts from a limited number of suppliers that meet certain quality criteria. We generally do not operate under long-term written supply contracts with our suppliers. Although alternative sources of supply are available, the sudden elimination of certain suppliers could result in manufacturing delays, an increase in costs, a reduction in product quality and a possible loss of sales in the near term. In 2007, we purchased approximately $10.0 million of raw material from our largest supplier.

Some of these raw materials, in particular cold-rolled strip steel, are subject to price volatility over periods of time. We have not hedged against the price volatility of any raw materials within our operating segments. It has been our experience that such raw material price increases are difficult to recover from our customers in the short term through increased pricing. For example, we estimate that a 10% change in the price of steel would have affected 2007 income from continuing operations before taxes by an estimated $6.3 million.

Key Employees—The loss of key employees could adversely affect our manufacturing efficiency.

Many of our manufacturing processes require a high level of expertise. For example, we build our own complex dies for use in cutting and shaping steel into components for our products. The design and manufacture of such dies are highly dependent on the expertise of key employees. We have also developed numerous proprietary manufacturing techniques that rely on the expertise of key employees. Our manufacturing efficiency and cost could be adversely affected if we are unable to retain such key employees or continue to train them and their replacements.

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Foreign Sales and Operations—We have substantial foreign sales and operations, which could be adversely affected as a result of changes in local economic or political conditions, fluctuations in currency exchange rates, unexpected changes in regulatory environments or potentially adverse tax consequences.

In 2007, approximately 64% of our sales by country of destination occurred outside of the U.S. International sales are subject to inherent risks, including changes in local economic or political conditions, the imposition of currency exchange restrictions, unexpected changes in regulatory environments and potentially adverse tax consequences. Under some circumstances, these factors could result in significant declines in international sales. Some of our sales and expenses are denominated in local currencies that can be affected by fluctuations in currency exchange rates in relation to the U.S. Dollar. Historically, our principal exposures have been related to local currency manufacturing costs and expenses in Canada and Brazil, and local currency sales and expenses in Europe. From time to time, we manage some of our exposure to currency exchange rate fluctuations through derivative products. Any change in the exchange rates of c urrencies of jurisdictions into which we sell products or incur expenses could result in a significant decrease in reported sales and operating income. For example, we estimate that a 10% stronger Canadian Dollar in relation to the U.S. Dollar would have reduced our operating income by $6.0 million in 2007 and a 10% weaker Euro in relation to the U.S. Dollar would have reduced our sales by $4.3 million in 2007.

In addition, we own substantial manufacturing facilities outside the U.S. As of December 31, 2007, 639,730 square feet, or 51% of the total square feet of our owned facilities, were located outside of the U.S. Also, 32% of our leased square footage is located outside the U.S. This foreign-based property, plant and equipment is subject to inherent risks for the reasons cited above. Loss of these facilities or restrictions on our ability to use them would have an adverse effect on our manufacturing capabilities, and would result in reduced sales, operating income and cash flows.

Weather—Sales of many of our products are affected by weather patterns and the occurrence of natural disasters.

Sales of many of our products, such as yard care parts and accessories, including lawnmower blades, are influenced by weather patterns that are clearly outside our control. For example, drought conditions tend to reduce the demand for yard care products. Natural disasters such as hurricanes, typhoons, and ice and wind storms can stimulate demand for our chainsaw-related products. Conversely, a relative lack of severe weather and natural disasters can result in reduced demand for these same products.

General Economic Factors—We are subject to general economic factors that are largely out of our control, any of which could, among other things, result in a decrease in sales and net income and an increase in our interest expense.

Our business is subject to a number of general economic factors, many of which are largely out of our control, that may, among other things, result in a decrease in sales and net income and an increase in our interest expense. These include recessionary economic cycles and downturns in customers' business cycles, as well as downturns in the principal regional economies where our operations are located. Our senior credit facilities permit us to make borrowings at interest rates that are variable. Increases in interest rates could increase our interest expense payable under the senior credit facilities to levels in excess of what we currently expect. We estimate a one hundred basis point higher average level of interest rates on our variable rate debt would have increased our interest expense in 2007 by $1.8 million. Economic conditions may adversely affect our customers' business levels and the amount of products that they need. Furthermore, customers encountering adverse economic conditions may have difficulty in paying for our products and actual bad debts may exceed our allowances. Finally, terrorist activities, anti-terrorist efforts, war or other armed conflicts involving the U.S. or its interests abroad may result in a downturn in the U.S. and global economies and exacerbate the risks to our business described in this paragraph.

Litigation—We may have litigation liabilities that could result in significant costs to us.

Our historical and current business operations, including discontinued operations, have resulted in a number of litigation matters, including litigation involving personal injury or death, as a result of alleged design or manufacturing defects of our products. Some of these product liability suits seek significant or unspecified damages for serious personal injuries for which there are retentions or deductible amounts under our insurance policies. In the future, we may face additional lawsuits, and it is difficult to predict the amount and type of litigation that we may face. Litigation, insurance and other related costs could result in future liabilities that are significant and that could significantly reduce our cash flows and cash balances. See "Business—Legal Proceedings."

Environmental Matters—We face potential exposure to environmental liabilities and costs.

We are subject to various U.S. and foreign environmental laws and regulations relating to the protection of the environment, including those governing discharges of pollutants into the air and water, the management and disposal of hazardous substances and the cleanup of contaminated sites. Violations of, or liabilities incurred under, these laws and regulations could result in an assessment of significant costs to us, including civil or criminal penalties, claims by third parties for personal injury or property damage,

BLOUNT INTERNATIONAL, INC.
8



requirements to investigate and remediate contamination and the imposition of natural resource damages. Furthermore, under certain environmental laws, current and former owners and operators of contaminated property or parties who sent waste to the contaminated site can be held liable for cleanup, regardless of fault or the lawfulness of the disposal activity at the time it was performed. This potential exposure to environmental liabilities and costs can apply to both our current and former operating facilities.

Future events, such as the discovery of additional contamination or other information concerning past releases of hazardous substances at our or others' sites, changes in existing environmental laws or their interpretation and more rigorous enforcement by regulatory authorities may require additional expenditures by us to modify operations, install pollution control equipment, clean contaminated sites or curtail our operations. These expenditures could significantly reduce our net income and cash balances. See "Business—Environmental Matters" and "Business—Legal Proceedings."

Dividends—We may not pay dividends on our common stock in the future.

We have not paid dividends on our common stock since 1999. We intend to retain future earnings for debt service and for funding growth; therefore, we do not expect to pay any dividends in the near term. In addition, our senior credit facilities and the terms of the 87/8% senior subordinated notes limit our ability to pay dividends. See "Item 5, Market for Registrant's Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities."

Common Stock Sales—Future sales of our common stock in the public market could lower our stock price.

We may sell additional shares of common stock in subsequent public offerings, or our former majority owner, Lehman Brothers Merchant Banking Partners II, L.P. and its affiliates ("Lehman Brothers"), may sell a substantial number of the 8.9 million shares they own in a secondary stock offering or distribute some or all of their shares to investors in one or more of the investment funds they manage. Other stockholders with significant holdings of our common stock may also sell large amounts of shares they own in a secondary or open market stock offering. We may also issue additional shares of common stock to finance future transactions. We cannot predict the size of future issuances of our common stock or the effect, if any, that future issuances and sales of shares of our common stock will have on the market price of our common stock. Sales of substantial amounts of Blount International, Inc.'s common stock (including shares issu ed in connection with an acquisition or shares sold by existing stockholders), or the perception that such sales could occur, may adversely affect the prevailing market price of Blount International, Inc.'s common stock.

Common Stock Price—The price of our common stock may fluctuate significantly, and stockholders could lose all or part of their investment.

Volatility in the market price of our common stock may prevent stockholders from being able to sell their shares at or above the price paid for the shares. The market price of our common stock could fluctuate significantly for various reasons that include:

<  our quarterly or annual earnings or those of other companies in our industries;

<  the public's reaction to events and results contained in our press releases, our other public announcements and our filings with the SEC;

<  changes in earnings estimates or recommendations by research analysts who track our common stock or the stock of other comparable companies;

<  changes in general conditions in the U.S. and global economies, financial markets or forestry industry, including those resulting from war, incidents of terrorism or responses to such events;

<  sales of common stock by our largest stockholders, directors and executive officers; and

<  the other factors described in these "Risk Factors."

In addition, in recent years, the stock market has experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations. This volatility has had a significant impact on the market price of securities issued by many companies, including companies in our industries. The changes in prices frequently appear to occur without regard to the operating performance of these companies. For example, over the two preceding calendar years, our highest closing stock price has exceeded our lowest by 33% in 2007 and by 91% in 2006. The price of our common stock could fluctuate based upon factors that have little or nothing to do with our company, and these fluctuations could materially reduce our stock price.

ITEM 2. PROPERTIES

Our corporate headquarters occupy executive offices at 4909 SE International Way, Portland, Oregon 97222-4679. The other principal properties of the Company and its subsidiaries are as follows:

Cutting chain and accessories manufacturing plants are located in Portland, Oregon; Milan, Tennessee; Guelph, Ontario Canada; Curitiba, Parana, Brazil; and Fuzhou, Fujian Province, China. Sales offices and distribution centers are located in Kansas City, Missouri, Europe, Japan, Australia and Russia. Rotation bearings, worm gear reducers, hydraulic pump drives and swing drives are manufactured in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

All of these facilities are in good condition, are currently in normal operation and are generally suitable and adequate for the business activity conducted therein. The

BLOUNT INTERNATIONAL, INC.
9



approximate square footage of facilities located at the principal properties by business unit is as follows:

    Area in Square Feet  
    Owned   Leased  
Outdoor Products Segment     1,162,251       242,536    
Gear components     98,500          
Corporate     5,000          
Total     1,265,751       242,536    

 

ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

For information regarding legal proceedings see Note 11 of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

ITEM 4. SUBMISSION OF MATTERS TO A VOTE OF SECURITY HOLDERS

No matters were submitted to a vote of our stockholders during the quarter ended December 31, 2007.

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PART II

ITEM 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT'S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES

The Company's common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (ticker "BLT"). The following table presents the quarterly high and low closing prices for the Company's common stock for the last two years. Cash dividends have not been declared for the Company's common stock since 1999. The Company's senior credit facility and 87/8% senior subordinated note agreements limit our ability to pay dividends. See Item 7, "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations," for further discussion. The Company had approximately 10,000 stockholders of record as of December 31, 2007.

    Common Stock  
    High   Low  
Year Ended December 31, 2007:  
First quarter   $ 13.50     $ 11.36    
Second quarter     14.30       12.58    
Third quarter     14.00       11.36    
Fourth quarter     13.19       10.76    
Year Ended December 31, 2006:  
First quarter   $ 17.10     $ 15.27    
Second quarter     16.45       11.82    
Third quarter     12.28       8.96    
Fourth quarter     13.60       9.89    

 

On June 28, 2005, in conjunction with a public offering of our common stock, the Company purchased 382,380 shares of our common stock from a selling stockholder. These shares are held as treasury stock and we have accounted for this treasury stock as constructively retired in the consolidated financial statements.

Period   Total Number
of Shares
Purchased
  Average
Price Paid
per Share
  Total Number of
Shares Purchased
as Part of Publicly
Announced Plans
or Programs
  Maximum
Number of Shares
that May Yet Be
Purchased Under
existing Plans or
Programs
 
June 28, 2005     382,380     $ 16.05       382,380       0    

 

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ITEM 6. SELECTED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL DATA

    Year Ended December 31,  
(Amounts in thousands except per share data)   2007   2006   2005   2004   2003  
Statement of Income Data:                     (1 )     (2 )     (3 )  
Sales   $ 515,535     $ 487,494     $ 478,829     $ 445,340     $ 375,082    
Operating income     80,700       80,460       91,628       89,265       72,853    
Interest expense, net of interest income     31,706       35,404       36,707       59,019       65,406    
Income (loss) from continuing operations before taxes     48,173       46,391       53,958       (13,399 )     3,877    
Income (loss) from continuing operations     32,143       32,645       88,214       (11,533 )     (36,676 )  
Income from discontinued operations     10,714       9,901       18,401       17,802       6,626    
Net income (loss)     42,857       42,546       106,615       6,269       (30,050 )  
Earnings per share:  
Basic income (loss) per share:  
Continuing operations     0.68       0.69       1.91       (0.32 )     (1.19 )  
Discontinued operations     0.23       0.21       0.40       0.49       0.21    
Net income (loss)     0.91       0.90       2.31       0.17       (0.98 )  
Diluted income (loss) per share:  
Continuing operations     0.67       0.68       1.86       (0.30 )     (1.19 )  
Discontinued operations     0.22       0.21       0.38       0.46       0.21    
Net income (loss)     0.89       0.89       2.24       0.16       (0.98 )  
Shares used in earnings per share computations (in thousands):  
Basic     47,280       47,145       46,094       36,413       30,809    
Diluted     48,078       47,868       47,535       38,474       30,809    
Balance Sheet Data:  
Cash and cash equivalents   $ 57,589     $ 27,636     $ 12,937     $ 48,570     $ 35,194    
Working capital     128,588       117,862       112,214       97,986       86,924    
Property, plant and equipment, net     89,729       99,665       101,538       97,929       91,991    
Total assets     411,949       430,466       455,192       424,742       404,039    
Long-term debt     295,758       349,375       405,363       491,012       603,871    
Total debt     297,000       350,875       407,723       494,211       610,496    
Stockholders' deficit     (54,146 )     (105,291 )     (145,187 )     (256,154 )     (393,740 )  

 

The table above gives effect to the sale of the Company's Forestry Division on November 5, 2007 and the sale of the Company's Lawnmower segment on July 27, 2006 and their treatment as discontinued operations for all periods presented.

(1)  Income from continuing operations in 2005 includes a $55.5 million tax benefit from the reversal of a valuation allowance against deferred tax assets related to U.S. federal NOL carryforwards.

(2)  Loss from continuing operations before taxes in 2004 includes charges totaling $47.0 million related to refinancing transactions.

(3)  Loss from continuing operations in 2003 includes a tax provision of $47.2 million to establish a valuation allowance against deferred tax assets related to U.S. federal NOL carryforwards.

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ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

The following discussion and analysis should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this report, as well as the information in Item 6, "Selected Consolidated Financial Data".

Overview

We are an international industrial company that manufactures and markets branded products to OEMs and consumers. Our products are sold in over 100 countries. We believe we are a global leader in the sale of cutting chain, guide bars and accessories for chainsaws.

We have one operating and reporting segment, Outdoor Products, which accounted for 94% of our revenue in 2007. This segment manufactures and markets forestry-related cutting chain, guide bars, sprockets and accessories for chainsaw use, concrete-cutting equipment and accessories, and outdoor equipment parts that include lawnmower blades and other replacement parts and accessories. The segment's products are sold to OEMs for use on new chainsaws and landscaping equipment and to the retail replacement market through distributors, dealers and mass merchants. During 2007, approximately 27% of the segment's sales were to OEMs, with the remainder sold into the replacement market. Approximately 68% of the segment's sales were outside of the U.S. in 2007, up from 65% in 2006 and 64% in 2005. The Outdoor Products segment's performance can be impacted by trends in the forestry industry, weather patterns and natural disasters, including wi nd and ice storms, foreign currency fluctuations and general economic conditions. The segment faces price pressure from competitors on a worldwide basis. The maintenance of competitive selling prices is dependent on the segment's ability to efficiently manufacture its products and successfully market newly developed products, such as our replacement chain and bars and concrete-cutting saws. This segment operates three manufacturing plants in the U.S., one in Canada, one in Brazil and one in China, all of which are focused on continuous cost improvement. The Chinese facility was constructed in 2004, and manufacturing at this facility commenced in 2005. Production capacity for the Chinese facility was increased throughout 2005, 2006 and 2007, with further expansion expected in 2008. Timely capital investment into this segment's manufacturing plants for added capacity and cost reductions, as well as effectively sourcing critical raw materials at favorable prices, is required for us to remain competitive.

We also own and operate a gear components business specializing in the manufacture of mobile equipment rotation bearings, worm gear reducers, hydraulic pump drives and swing drives. Sales in this business accounted for 6% of our total sales in 2007. In 2007, 93% of these sales were made to OEMs, and 97% of sales were to customers in the U.S. This business's customers supply equipment primarily to the utility, construction and forestry markets. The performance of this unit is closely aligned with general economic trends and more specifically with business conditions for these three industries in North America.

We maintain a centralized administrative staff at our headquarters in Portland, Oregon. This centralized administrative staff provides the accounting, finance and information technology functions, administers various health and welfare plans and supervises the Company's capital structure and regulatory, compliance and legal matters.

In November 2007, we sold our Forestry Division to Caterpillar. The Forestry Division constituted the majority of the operations comprising our former Industrial and Power Equipment Segment. The Forestry Division manufactured timber harvesting equipment and industrial tractors and loaders and is reported as discontinued operations for all periods presented.

In July 2006, we sold our Lawnmower segment business, consisting of our Dixon subsidiary, to Husqvarna Professional Outdoor Products. The Lawnmower segment manufactured zero-turning radius riding lawnmowers and is reported as discontinued operations for all periods presented.

Our capital structure has experienced significant changes over the past three years. We began 2005 with $494.2 million in total debt and Lehman Brothers owning 33.4% of our common stock. In 2005, as a result of secondary public offerings of our stock, Lehman Brothers reduced its holdings to its current level of approximately 19% of our outstanding common stock. In 2005, 2006 and 2007, we made significant reductions in outstanding debt by utilizing cash generated from operations and the proceeds from the sale of our discontinued businesses. Debt outstanding at the end of 2007 was $297.0 million, representing a reduction of $197.2 million over the three-year period.

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Operating Results

Year ended December 31, 2007 compared to year ended December 31, 2006

The table below provides a summary of results and the primary contributing factors to the year over year change.

(Amounts in millions)   2007   2006   Change   Contributing Factor  
Sales   $ 515.5     $ 487.5     $ 28.0        
                            $10.0   Sales volume  
                            10.0   Price and mix  
                            8.0   Foreign currency translation  
Gross profit     175.0       173.7       1.3        
Gross margin     33.9 %     35.6 %         6.3   Sales volume  
                            10.0   Selling price and mix  
                            (13.2)   Product cost and mix  
                            (1.1)   Warehouse consolidation expenses  
                            (0.7)   Foreign currency translation  
Selling, general and administrative
Expenses ("SG&A")
    94.3       89.5       4.8        
                            2.0   Cash compensation expense  
                            0.7   Stock compensation expense  
                            0.8   Professional services  
                            (1.2)   Retirement benefits expense  
                            2.6   Foreign currency translation  
                            (0.1)   Other, net  
Operating income     80.7       80.5       0.2        
Operating margin     15.7 %     16.5 %         1.3   Increase in gross profit  
                            (4.8)   Increase in SG&A  
                            3.7   2006 retirement plan redesign  
Income from continuing operations     32.1       32.6       (0.5 )      
                            0.2   Increase in operating income  
                            3.7   Decrease in net interest expense  
                            (2.1)   Change in other income/expense  
                            (2.3)   Increase in income tax provision  
Income from discontinued operations     10.7       9.9       0.8        
                            8.6   Increase in gain on sale of net assets  
                            (2.9)   Decrease in operating results  
                            (4.9)   Increase in income tax provision  
Net income   $ 42.9     $ 42.5     $ 0.4        

 

Sales in 2007 increased $28.0 million (6%) from 2006, due to higher sales volume, price and mix improvements, and the favorable effect of translation of foreign currency denominated sales transactions, given the weaker U.S. Dollar in comparison to 2006, particularly in relation to the Euro. The Outdoor Products segment experienced a $31.7 million (7%) increase in sales during 2007 compared to 2006, while sales of our gear-related products decreased $3.7 million (11%) from 2006 to 2007. International sales increased $34.6 million (12%), but domestic sales declined $6.3 million (3%). Included in the international increase is the $8.0 million favorable impact from movement in foreign currency exchange rates compared to 2006. The decline in U.S. sales is attributed to weaker market conditions in the lawn care, forestry and construction industries. By product line, sales of saw chain, bars, sprockets and accessories increased 6% and sales of outdoor equipment parts were up 15%. Sales of concrete-cutting products increased 3% from 2006 to 2007, lead by strength in Europe.

Consolidated order backlog for continuing operations at December 31, 2007 was $69.3 million compared to $61.3 million at December 31, 2006. The year-over-year increase primarily occurred in the Outdoor Products segment.

Gross profit increased $1.3 million (1%) from 2006 to 2007. Gross margin in 2007 was 33.9% of sales compared to 35.6% in 2006. Higher sales volume and improved price and product mix were largely offset by increases in product costs, including higher freight and distribution costs, and $1.1 million incurred to consolidate our North American distribution centers. The increases in product costs include the effects of higher energy costs for utilities, annual wage increases to our manufacturing employees, $1.0 million in higher steel costs and the effects of inflation on other cost elements.

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Fluctuations in currency exchange rates decreased our gross profit in 2007 compared to 2006 by $0.7 million on a consolidated basis. The translation of stronger foreign currencies into a weaker U.S. Dollar resulted in higher manufacturing costs in Brazil and Canada, where local currencies strengthened compared to the U.S. Dollar, which were only partially offset by higher sales in Europe.

SG&A was $94.3 million in 2007 compared to $89.5 million in 2006, representing a year-over-year increase of $4.8 million (5%). As a percent of sales, SG&A remained at 18.3% in both 2007 and 2006. Cash-based compensation increased by $2.0 million year-over-year, reflecting annual merit increases for our employees and higher variable compensation expenses. Stock-based compensation expense increased $0.7 million in 2007 as we continued to expense stock compensation granted in 2006 over the three year vesting periods, as well as recognizing expense on 2007 grants. We expect stock compensation expense to increase again in 2008. Future levels of stock-based compensation expense will depend on many factors, including the quantity, type and vesting schedule of future grants, the price of our stock, the volatility of our stock and risk-free interest rates. Professional services expense increased $0.8 million, primarily due to hig her legal costs. Employee benefits expenses decreased $1.2 million primarily due to the redesign of the Company's U.S. retirement plans effective January 1, 2007. International operating expenses increased $2.6 million from the prior year due to the weaker U.S. Dollar and its effect on the translation of foreign expenses.

We maintain defined benefit pension plans for substantially all employees and retirees in the U.S., Canada and Belgium. In addition, we maintain post-retirement medical and other benefit plans covering most of our employees and retirees in the U.S. The costs of these benefit plans are included in cost of goods sold and SG&A. The accounting effects and funding requirements for these plans are subject to actuarial estimates, actual plan experience and the assumptions we make regarding future trends and expectations. See further discussion below of these key assumptions and estimates under "Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates". Total expense recognized for these pension and other post-retirement plans was $5.8 million and $14.3 million for the years ended December 31, 2007 and 2006, respectively. These amounts, which include amounts charged to both continuing and discontinued operations, also include pension curtailment charges of $0.2 million in 2007 related to our discontinued Forestry Division, and $3.6 million in 2006 to reflect the freezing of our U.S. defined benefit pension plan effective December 31, 2006. At December 31, 2007, we have $41.2 million of accumulated other comprehensive losses, related to our domestic and foreign pension and other post-employment benefit plans, that will be amortized to expense over future years, including $1.9 million to be expensed in 2008.

Operating income increased slightly by $0.2 million from 2006 to 2007, resulting in an operating margin for 2007 of 15.7% of sales compared to 16.5% for 2006. The increase was due to higher gross profit and the non-recurrence of a $3.7 million charge to continuing operations in 2006 for the redesign of our U.S. retirement plans, partially offset by higher SG&A expenses in 2007.

Interest expense of $33.1 million in 2007 compared to $35.8 million in 2006.The decrease was largely due to lower average outstanding debt balances. Interest income increased by $1.0 million from 2006 to 2007, reflecting higher average balances of cash and cash equivalents.

Other expense of $0.8 million in 2007 compared to other income of $1.3 million in 2006. The net expense in 2007 reflects losses on the sale of idle real estate, as well as the write-off of deferred financing costs from the prepayment of principal on our term loans. The income in 2006 is largely due to proceeds from insurance settlements.

The following table summarizes our income tax provision for continuing operations in 2007 and 2006:

    Year Ended December 31,  
(Amounts in thousands)   2007   2006  
Income from continuing
operations before income taxes
  $ 48,173     $ 46,391    
Provision for income taxes     16,030       13,746    
Income from continuing operations   $ 32,143     $ 32,645    
Effective tax rate     33.3 %     29.6 %  

 

The increase in the effective tax rate from 2006 to 2007 is largely due to the discontinuation of a special deduction for U.S. export sales, partially offset by the phase-in of a new deduction for domestic production activities.

Our U.S. federal Net Operating Loss ("NOL") carryforward was fully utilized during 2007. We estimate our state NOL carryforwards are $30.3 million as of December 31, 2007. These carryforwards expire at various dates from 2008 through 2024. Additionally, we have a foreign tax credit carryforward of approximately $1.7 million that expires in 2010. We also have state tax credit carryforwards of approximately $0.2 million that expire at various dates from 2008 through 2021. Our federal research credits and alternative minimum tax credits are fully utilized as of December 31, 2007. The state NOL and other carryforwards are available to reduce cash taxes on future domestic taxable income, although a portion of the state NOL carryforwards are reduced by a valuation allowance reflecting the expectation that the carryforward period will expire before they can all be fully utilized.

Income from continuing operations in 2007 was $32.1 million, or $0.67 per diluted share, compared to $32.6 million, or $0.68 per diluted share, in 2006.

Income from discontinued operations in 2007 was $10.7 million, or $0.22 per diluted share, compared to $9.9 million, or $0.21 per diluted share in 2006. The 2007 results

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consisted solely of our discontinued Forestry Division through the disposition date of November 5, 2007. Results for 2006 include both the full year of activity of our Forestry Division and activity of our discontinued Lawnmower segment through July 26, 2006. The Lawnmower segment, consisting of our former wholly-owned subsidiary, Dixon, was sold on July 27, 2006.

Discontinued operations are summarized as follows:

    Year Ended December 31,  
(Amounts in millions)   2007   2006  
Sales   $ 111.9     $ 196.8    
Operating income (loss)     (0.2 )     2.7    
Gain on disposition of net assets     26.0       17.4    
Income before taxes from
discontinued operations
    25.8       20.1    
Income tax provision     15.1       10.2    
Income from discontinued operations   $ 10.7     $ 9.9    

 

Sales by the Forestry Division were $111.9 million in 2007 and $167.3 million in 2006. The Forestry Division incurred a net loss of $0.2 million in 2007 and contributed $8.5 million to operating income in 2006. The decline in year-over-year sales and earnings was primarily due to a deepening of the cyclical downturn in the North American forest products equipment market in 2007, as well as charges of $4.5 million incurred in 2007 for employee severance, employee benefits, transition and closure costs. Included in operating income from the Forestry Division in 2006 is a charge of $1.2 million for costs to shut down one of the Forestry Division's three manufacturing plants. The 2007 results reflect the $26.0 million pretax gain on the disposal of the Forestry Division's net assets. The net cash proceeds received in 2007 from the sale of the Forestry Division were approximately $68.3 million and were used to reduce outstanding debt . We expect to incur cash expenditures of approximately $15.0 million in 2008 for the payment of income taxes on the gain, as well as other liabilities associated with the discontinued business.

Sales by the Lawnmower segment for the partial 2006 year were $29.5 million. The Lawnmower segment recognized a loss from operations in 2006 of $5.3 million. The 2006 loss from operations was primarily due to expenses necessary to finalize the closure of the facility, including the termination of the majority of the Lawnmower segment employees, and to facilitate the transfer of assets sold to the buyer. These results included compensation, severance and benefits costs, a charge to write down assets we retained (primarily the land and building) and other expenses. The 2006 results reflect the $17.4 million pretax gain on the disposal of the segment's net assets. The net cash proceeds from the sale of the Lawnmower segment were approximately $32.4 million and were used to reduce outstanding debt.

Segment Results. The following table reflects segment sales and operating income for 2007 and 2006:

    Year Ended December 31,  
(Amounts in thousands)   2007   2006   2007 as
% of 2006
 
Sales:  
Outdoor Products   $ 486,739     $ 455,009       107 %  
Corporate and other     28,796       32,485       89 %  
Total sales   $ 515,535     $ 487,494       106 %  
Operating income  
Outdoor Products   $ 95,932     $ 97,805       98 %  
Corporate and other     (15,232 )     (13,598 )     112 %  
Retirement plan redesign           (3,747 )        
Operating income   $ 80,700     $ 80,460       100 %  

 

Outdoor Products Segment. Sales for the Outdoor Products segment increased $31.7 million (7%) in 2007 compared to 2006. Of this increase, $15.7 million was due to additional sales volume, primarily from an increase in sales of wood-cutting saw chain and outdoor equipment parts and, to a lesser extent, concrete-cutting saw chain. Improved price and product mix also contributed $7.9 million to the year-over-year sales increase. Fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates added another $8.0 million to segment sales in 2007 compared to 2006. International sales grew nearly 12% year over year, while domestic sales decreased about 2%. Sales to OEMs increased by 4% ,while replacement sales increased 5%. Sales of concrete-cutting products increased $0.8 million (3%). Order backlog increased by $8.5 million to $63.3 million at December 31, 2007.

Segment contribution to operating income decreased $1.9 million (2%) in 2007 compared to 2006. The favorable effects of increased sales volume ($7.9 million) and improved price and mix ($7.9 million) were offset by higher product cost and mix ($12.4 million), higher SG&A expenses ($2.0 million) and the net unfavorable effect of fluctuations in foreign currency translation rates ($3.3 million). The higher product cost and mix, excluding the foreign currency exchange effect, includes inflationary pressures of higher wages and other conversion costs, higher freight and shipping costs, $1.1 million incurred to

BLOUNT INTERNATIONAL, INC.
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consolidate the North American distribution center and $0.5 million in higher steel costs. The operating margin of 19.7% in 2007 compares to 21.5% in 2006.

Corporate and Other. The corporate and other category includes the activity of our gear components business, as well as the costs of certain centralized management and administrative functions. Sales of gear-related products decreased 11% from 2006 to 2007, with lower volume of $5.7 million partially offset by improved price and mix of $2.0 million. Weak market conditions in the construction and forestry equipment markets in the U.S. were partially offset by increased business in the utility equipment market. The contribution to operating income from our gear components business decreased $1.7 million (45%) year over year due to lower sales revenue. Corporate expense was flat year over year, with higher stock compensation costs ($0.7 million) and merit wage increases off-set by reduced legal and compliance costs.

Year ended December 31, 2006 compared to year ended December 31, 2005

The table below provides a summary of results and the primary contributing factors to the year over year change.

(Amounts in millions)   2006   2005   Change   Contributing Factor  
Sales   $ 487.5     $ 478.8     $ 8.7        
                            $7.2   Sales volume  
                            0.9   Price and mix  
                            0.6   Foreign currency translation  
Gross profit     173.7       181.1       (7.4 )      
Gross margin     35.6 %     37.8 %         3.3   Sales volume  
                            0.9   Selling price and mix  
                            (7.4)   Product cost and mix  
                            (4.2)   Foreign currency translation  
SG&A     89.5       89.5       0.0        
                            2.5   Stock compensation expense  
                            (2.1)   Cash compensation expense  
                            (1.6)   Legal and compliance costs  
                            0.5   Depreciation and advertising  
                            0.5   Foreign currency translation  
                            0.2   Other, net  
Operating income     80.5       91.6       (11.1 )      
Operating margin     16.5 %     19.1 %         (7.4)   Decrease in gross profit  
                            (3.7)   Retirement plan redesign  
Income from continuing operations     32.6       88.2       (55.6 )      
                            (11.1)   Decrease in operating income  
                            1.3   Decrease in net interest expense  
                            2.3   Change in other income/expense  
                            (48.0)   Change in income tax provision  
                            (0.1)   Other, net  
Income from discontinued operations     9.9       18.4       (8.5 )      
                            17.4   Gain on sale of net assets  
                            (26.7)   Decrease in operating results  
                            0.8   Decrease in income tax expense  
Net income   $ 42.5     $ 106.6     $ (64.1 )      

 

Sales in 2006 increased $8.7 million (2%) from 2005, primarily due to higher sales volume. The Outdoor Products segment experienced a $2.7 million (1%) increase in sales during 2006 compared to 2005. Sales of our gear-related products increased $6.0 million (23%) from 2005 to 2006. International sales increased $6.9 million (2%) and domestic sales increased $2.2 million (1%). Included in the international sales increase is a $0.6 million favorable impact from movement in foreign currency exchange rates compared to 2005, primarily from the stronger Canadian Dollar. The relatively flat U.S. sales growth is attributed to weaker market conditions in the lawn care and forestry industries, offset by stronger sales of our gear-related products. Sales of concrete-cutting products increased 10% from 2005 to 2006, lead by new product introductions and improved market penetration.

Consolidated order backlog for continuing operations at December 31, 2006 was $61.3 million compared to $90.5 million at December 31, 2005. The year-over-year decline is primarily due to improved production capacity and related responsiveness to customer orders in our Outdoor Products segment, which lead to shorter lead times on

BLOUNT INTERNATIONAL, INC.
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product delivery. We believe that prior to 2006, customers were ordering more than their short term needs to ensure product delivery.

Gross profit decreased $7.4 million (4%) from 2005 to 2006. Gross margin in 2006 was 35.6% of sales compared to 37.8% in 2005. Average selling prices increased slightly in 2006, primarily from shifts in product mix and price increases on selected products. The decrease related to product cost and mix includes the effect of higher energy costs for utilities, annual wage increases to our manufacturing employees and inflation on other cost elements. These product cost increases were partially offset by a decrease in steel costs estimated at $1.0 million compared to the previous year. Fluctuations in currency exchange rates decreased our gross profit in 2006 compared to 2005 by $4.2 million. The largest effects were in our plants in Canada and Brazil, which were impacted by higher manufacturing costs resulting from translation to the weaker U.S. Dollar estimated at $4.8 million. These higher translated costs were partially offset by a modest increase in sales, estimated at $0.6 million, due to currency exchange rates.

SG&A was $89.5 million in 2006 and in 2005. As a percent of sales, SG&A decreased slightly to 18.4% in 2006 compared to 18.7% in 2005. Stock-based compensation expense increased $2.5 million in 2006 following the adoption of a new accounting standard. Cash-based compensation decreased by $2.1 million year over year, reflecting lower incentive compensation cost and selected adjustments to work force levels partially offset by annual merit increases. Compliance-related and legal professional services decreased $1.6 million year-over-year. Depreciation and advertising expenses increased $0.5 million, primarily due to additional investments in infrastructure and administrative systems. International operating expenses increased $0.5 million from the prior year due to the weaker U.S. Dollar and its effect on the translation of foreign expenses.

Total expense recognized for our pension and other post-retirement plans was $14.3 million and $12.8 million for the years ended December 31, 2006 and 2005, respectively. These amounts, which include amounts charged to both continuing and discontinued operations, also include a pension curtailment charge of $3.6 million in 2006 to reflect the freezing of our U.S. defined benefit pension plan effective December 31, 2006 and the related write-off of unamortized prior service cost for plan participants. We also recognized an additional charge of $0.5 million for related fees and costs associated with the changes to our retirement plans.

Operating income decreased by $11.1 million (12%) from 2005 to 2006, resulting in an operating margin for 2006 of 16.5% of sales compared to 19.1% for 2005. The decrease was primarily due to lower gross profit and charges related to the redesign of our U.S. retirement plans.

Interest expense of $35.8 million in 2006 compares to $37.3 million in 2005. The decrease was largely due to lower average outstanding debt balances, partially offset by higher variable interest rates. The weighted average interest rate on our revolver and term loans increased by 42 basis points from December 31, 2005 to December 31, 2006. Interest income declined to $0.4 million for 2006 compared to $0.6 million in 2005, primarily due to a decline in average balances of cash and cash equivalents.

Other income of $1.3 million in 2006 compared to other expense of $1.0 million in 2005. The $2.3 million difference was largely due to the $3.0 million write-off of deferred financing costs in 2005 resulting from prepayment of principal on our term debt. Excluding this expense, other income for both periods was primarily related to proceeds from insurance settlements.

The following table summarizes our income tax provision for continuing operations in 2006 and 2005:

    Year Ended December 31,  
(Amounts in thousands)   2006   2005  
Income from continuing
operations before income taxes
  $ 46,391     $ 53,958    
Provision (benefit) for income taxes     13,746       (34,256 )  
Income from continuing operations   $ 32,645     $ 88,214    
Effective tax rate     29.6 %     (63.5 )%  

 

The $48.0 million year-over-year change in income taxes is largely due to the 2005 reversal of most of the valuation allowance established on our U.S. deferred income tax assets. The valuation allowance was originally established in the third quarter of 2003. Our domestic net operating loss carryforwards and other deferred tax assets were fully reserved with a valuation allowance until the reversal of the valuation allowance on December 31, 2005. Accordingly, we recognized minimal net federal domestic tax expense on our domestic income during 2005, except for incremental taxes on the repatriation of foreign earnings. Our remaining U.S. NOL carryforward of approximately $20.2 million as of December 31, 2006 was fully utilized during 2007.

Income from continuing operations for 2006 was $32.6 million, or $0.68 per diluted share, compared to income from continuing operations of $88.2 million, or $1.86 per diluted share, in 2005.

Income from discontinued operations of $9.9 million, or $0.21 per diluted share in 2006, compared to $18.4 million, or $0.38 per diluted share in 2005. These results consisted of both our discontinued Forestry Division, formerly making up the majority of our discontinued Industrial and Power Equipment segment, and our discontinued Lawnmower segment. Our Forestry Division was sold in November 2007. The Lawnmower segment, consisting of our former wholly-owned subsidiary, Dixon, was sold in

BLOUNT INTERNATIONAL, INC.
18



July 2006. Accordingly, both businesses are reported as discontinued operations for all periods presented.

Discontinued operations are summarized as follows:

    Year Ended December 31,  
(Amounts in millions)   2006   2005  
Sales   $ 196.8     $ 281.9    
Operating income     2.7       29.3    
Gain on disposition of net assets     17.4          
Income before taxes from
discontinued operations
    20.1       29.3    
Income tax provision     10.2       10.9    
Income from discontinued operations   $ 9.9     $ 18.4    

 

Full-year results for our Forestry Division are included in both 2005 and 2006 above. Sales by the Forestry Division were $167.3 million in 2006 and $227.5 million in 2005. The Forestry Division contributed $8.5 million to operating income in 2006, and $26.2 million to operating income in 2005. The decline in year-over-year sales and earnings was primarily due to a cyclical downturn in the North American forest products equipment market. Included in operating income for 2006 is a charge of $1.2 million for costs to shut down one of the Forestry Division's three manufacturing plants.

We operated the Lawnmower segment through July 26, 2006. Full year results for the Lawnmower segment are included in 2005 above, but only partial year results are included for 2006. Sales by the Lawnmower segment were $54.4 million in 2005 and for the partial 2006 year were $29.5 million. The Lawnmower segment contributed $3.1 million to operating income in 2005 but recognized a loss from operations in 2006 of $5.3 million. The 2006 loss from operations was primarily due to expenses necessary to finalize the closure of the facility, including the termination of the majority of the Lawnmower segment employees, and to facilitate the transfer of assets sold to the buyer. These results included compensation, severance and benefits costs, a charge to write down assets we retained (primarily the land and building) and other expenses. The 2006 results reflect the $17.4 million pretax gain on the disposal of the segment's net assets.

Segment Results. The following table reflects segment sales and operating income for 2006 and 2005:

    Year Ended December 31,  
(Amounts in thousands)   2006   2005   2006 as
% of 2005
 
Sales:  
Outdoor Products   $ 455,009     $ 452,334       101 %  
Corporate and other     32,485       26,495       123 %  
Total sales   $ 487,494     $ 478,829       102 %  
Operating income  
Outdoor Products   $ 97,805     $ 105,536       93 %  
Corporate and other     (13,598 )     (13,908 )     98 %  
Retirement plan redesign     (3,747 )              
Operating income   $ 80,460     $ 91,628       88 %  

 

Outdoor Products Segment. Sales for the Outdoor Products Segment increased $2.7 million (1%) in 2006 compared to 2005. Of this increase, $2.6 million was due to additional sales volume, coming primarily from an increase in sales of chainsaw guide bars and accessories outside the U.S. and from our concrete-cutting products and accessories. Price increases were realized in certain markets; however, the combination of selling prices and product mix resulted in a net decrease of $0.5 million compared to 2005. The net effect of foreign currency translation on sales was an increase of $0.6 million. Order backlog decreased to $54.8 million at December 31, 2006, compared to $82.5 million at December 31, 2005, a 34% decrease. The decrease in backlog compared to the prior year was partially due to increases in capacity and to improved delivery to customers, bot h of which have resulted in reduced order lead-times.

Sales of chainsaw guide-bars increased 11%, which was made possible by increased production capacity and continued strong demand. Unit sales of chainsaw parts and accessories used for forestry or wood-cutting applications increased a modest 1%. A decrease in chainsaw chain volume partially offset the gains in guide bars, parts and accessories. Sales of outdoor equipment parts, including lawnmower blades and other accessories for lawn and garden use, decreased 4%, largely due to adverse weather conditions in U.S. markets. Geographically, the weaker U.S. Dollar during 2006 provided an incremental advantage for our selling prices, contributing to a 2% increase in international sales on top of 12% growth in 2005 and 20% growth in 2004. Sales to OEMs increased by 3%, while replacement sales were flat on a year-over-year basis. Sales of concrete-cutting products increased $2.8 million, primarily from higher unit volume.

Segment contribution to operating income decreased $7.7 million (7%) in 2006 compared to 2005. The favorable effect of increased sales volume on contribution was

BLOUNT INTERNATIONAL, INC.
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approximately $2.1 million. This increase was offset by the net unfavorable effect of foreign currency translation, estimated at $4.7 million, driven primarily by the effect that stronger Canadian and Brazilian currencies had on our manufacturing costs and SG&A expenses. These higher costs were partially offset by the favorable net effect of a weaker U.S. Dollar on sales. Excluding the effects of currency exchange rates, the net unfavorable effect of cost and mix was $4.0 million. This net effect includes inflationary pressures of higher wages and other conversion costs, partially offset by an estimated $1.5 million year-over-year reduction in steel costs, and $1.0 million related to reductions in staffing levels. The operating margin of 21.5% in 2006 compares to 23.3% in 2005.

Corporate and Other. The corporate and other category above includes the activity of our gear components business, as well as the costs of certain centralized administrative functions. Sales of gear-related products increased 23% from 2005 to 2006, with 5% attributable to price and product mix, and 18% due to higher volume. Improvements in manufacturing efficiency lead to improved customer service and increased market share. Contribution to operating income from the gear components business increased $1.8 million from 2005 to 2006. Corporate expense increased $1.5 million (9%) in 2006 compared to 2005. This increase included a $2.5 million increase in stock-based compensation expense related to the adoption of a new accounting standard. Stock-based compensation expense is expected to increase gradually over the next several years as a result of the ef fects of additional stock compensation grants. The combination of wages and incentive compensation increased $0.5 million. These increases were partially offset by a $1.6 million decrease in legal and other compliance-related costs.

Financial Condition, Liquidity and Capital Resources

During the last three years we have significantly reduced our debt and related interest expense using cash flow from operations and the net proceeds from the sale of our Lawnmower Segment in 2006 and the sale of our Forestry Division in 2007. Total debt was $297.0 million at December 31, 2007 and $350.9 million at December 31, 2006, representing a reduction of $53.9 million during 2007. Outstanding debt as of December 31, 2007 consisted of a term loan balance of $122.0 million and 87/8% senior subordinated notes of $175.0 million. We had no principal outstanding on our revolving credit facility as of December 31, 2007.

87/8% Senior Subordinated Notes. We have one registered debt security, the 87/8% senior subordinated notes. The interest rate on these notes is fixed until their maturity on August 1, 2012. These notes are issued by Blount, Inc. and are fully and unconditionally, jointly and severally, guaranteed by the Company and all of its domestic subsidiaries ("guarantor subsidiaries") other than Blount, Inc. All guarantor subsidiaries of these 87/8% senior subordinated notes are 100% owned, directly or indirectly, by the Company. While the Company and all of its domestic subsidiaries guarantee these 87/8% senior subordina ted notes, none of our existing foreign subsidiaries ("non-guarantor subsidiaries") guarantee these notes.

Senior Credit Facilities. The Company, through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Blount, Inc., first entered into a credit agreement with General Electric Capital Corporation as Agent on May 15, 2003. The agreement was amended and restated on August 9, 2004, and has had several subsequent amendments. The senior credit facilities consist of a term loan facility and a revolving credit facility.

2006 Amendment to Credit Facilities. On March 23, 2006, we amended certain terms of the senior credit facilities. This amendment included the following changes:

<  Maximum availability under the revolving credit facility was increased from $100.0 million to $150.0 million.

<  Interest rates were reduced by 0.75% for the term loans and by 1.00% for the revolving credit facility.

<  Certain financial covenants were modified, including increases to the amounts that may be paid for acquisitions, dividends and repurchase of Company stock, as well as modifications to certain financial ratio requirements.

<  The Company incurred fees and third party costs of $0.7 million related to the amendment.

Immediately following the amendment, we completed the following transactions:

<  $82.1 million was borrowed under the revolving credit facility.

<  The total principal balance of $4.6 million was paid off on a Canadian term loan, and that loan was cancelled.

<  $77.5 million in principal was paid against the term loans, leaving a balance of $150.0 million outstanding.

2007 Amendment to Credit Facilities. On November 5, 2007, we amended certain terms of the senior credit facilities. No changes were made to the interest rates, principal amounts, maturity dates or payment schedules of the debt or to the availability of credit under the agreement. This amendment included the following changes:

<  The agreement was modified to allow the Company to sell our Forestry Division on the same day as the effective date of the amendment.

<  Certain covenants, terms and conditions were modified in the credit agreement, including an increased allowance for acquisitions, reduced reporting requirements and a reduction in the required senior leverage ratio.

<  The Company incurred fees and third party costs of $0.7 million related to the amendment.

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The revolving credit facility provides for total available borrowings up to $150.0 million, reduced by outstanding letters of credit and further restricted by a specific leverage ratio and first lien credit facilities leverage ratio. As of December 31, 2007, the Company had the ability to borrow an additional $140.9 million under the terms of the revolving credit agreement. The revolving credit facility bears interest at the LIBOR rate plus 1.75%, or at the prime rate, depending on the type of loan, and matures on August 9, 2009. Interest is payable monthly in arrears on any prime rate borrowing and at individual maturity dates for any LIBOR-based borrowing. Any outstanding principal is due in its entirety on the maturity date.

The term loan facility bears interest at the LIBOR rate plus 1.75%, or at the prime rate, depending on the type of loan, and matures on August 9, 2010. The term loan facility requires quarterly payments of $0.3 million, with a final payment of $118.6 million due on the maturity date. Once repaid, principal under the term loan facility may not be re-borrowed by the Company.

The amended and restated senior credit facilities contain financial covenant calculations relating to maximum capital expenditures, minimum fixed charge coverage ratio, maximum leverage ratio and maximum first lien credit facilities leverage ratio. In addition, there are covenants relating, among other categories, to investments, loans and advances, indebtedness, and the sale of stock or assets. We were in compliance with all debt covenants as of December 31, 2007. Non-compliance with these covenants, if it were to become an event of default under the terms of the credit agreement, could result in severe limitations to our overall liquidity, and the term loan lenders could require actions for immediate repayment of outstanding amounts, potentially requiring sale of our assets. Our debt is not subject to any triggers that would require early payment of debt due to any adverse change in our credit rating.

The amended and restated senior credit facilities may be prepaid at any time. There can also be additional mandatory repayment requirements related to the sale of Company assets, the issuance of stock under certain circumstances or upon the Company's annual generation of excess cash flow, as determined under the credit agreement.

Blount International, Inc. and all of its domestic subsidiaries other than Blount, Inc. guarantee Blount, Inc.'s obligations under the senior credit facilities. The obligations under the senior credit facilities are collateralized by a first priority security interest in substantially all of the assets of Blount, Inc. and its domestic subsidiaries, as well as a pledge of all of Blount, Inc.'s capital stock held by Blount International, Inc. and all of the stock of domestic subsidiaries held by Blount, Inc. Blount, Inc. has also pledged 65% of the stock of its non-domestic subsidiaries as additional collateral.

Interest expense has been reduced in each of the last three years primarily by the reduction in the principal amount of long term debt. The effects of these principal reductions have been further affected by changes in interest rates on our variable rate debt. The variable interest rates decreased by 11 basis points during 2007, but increased by a net amount of 42 basis points during 2006 after increasing by 161 basis points during 2005. Our annual interest expense may continue to vary in the future because the senior credit facility interest rates are not fixed. The weighted average interest rate on all our outstanding debt as of December 31, 2007 was 8.11%, compared with 7.99% as of December 31, 2006. Cash interest paid was $31.3 million in 2007, $33.0 million in 2006 and $31.3 million in 2005.

Our debt continues to be significant, and future debt service payments continue to represent substantial obligations. This degree of leverage may adversely affect our operations and could have important consequences. See Item 1A, Risk Factors, "Substantial Leverage" for further discussion. Over the longer term, we expect to meet our financial and capital needs, including payment of debt obligations, through a combination of cash flow from operations and amounts available under existing credit facilities, as well as the potential issuance of new debt, sale of additional shares of stock or establishment of new credit facilities. While there can be no assurance, management believes we will comply with all financial performance covenants during the next twelve months. Should we not comply wi th the covenants, additional significant actions may be required. These actions may include, among others, an attempt to renegotiate our debt facilities, sales of assets, restructuring and reductions in capital expenditures.

We intend to fund working capital, capital expenditures and debt service requirements for the next twelve months through expected cash flows generated from operations and the amounts available under our revolving credit agreement. Interest on our debt is payable in arrears according to varying interest rates and periods. We expect our financial resources will be sufficient to cover any additional increases in working capital and capital expenditures. There can be no assurance, however, that these resources will be sufficient to meet our needs. We may also consider other options available to us in connection with future liquidity needs.

Cash and cash equivalents at December 31, 2007 were $57.6 million compared to $27.6 million at December 31, 2006.

BLOUNT INTERNATIONAL, INC.
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Cash provided by operating activities is summarized as follows:

    Year Ended December 31,  
(Amounts in thousands)   2007   2006   2005  
Income from
continuing operations
  $ 32,143     $ 32,645     $ 88,214    
Non-cash items included
in net income
    37,060       36,099       (15,901 )  
Subtotal     69,203       68,744       72,313    
Changes in assets and
liabilities, net
    (32,653 )     (13,073 )     (42,491 )  
Discontinued operations     (5,209 )     4,345       35,290    
Cash provided by
operating activities
  $ 31,341     $ 60,016     $ 65,112    

 

Non-cash items consist of expense from the early extinguishment of debt, depreciation of property, plant and equipment, amortization and other non-cash charges, deferred income taxes and (gain) loss on disposal of property, plant and equipment. Changes in assets and liabilities, net, consists of those changes in assets and liabilities included in the cash flows from operating activities section of the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows.

2007 cash provided by operating activities of $31.3 million reflected the following significant items:

<  Income from continuing operations of $32.1 million;

<  Addition of non-cash items of $37.1 million, which included the following:

0  Depreciation expense of $17.6 million;

0  Amortization and write-off of deferred financing costs of $4.6 million;

0  Stock compensation costs of $3.2 million;

0  A deferred income tax provision of $11.1 million; and

0  A net loss of $0.7 million related to the disposal of property, plant and equipment.

<  Changes in assets and liabilities reduced cash flow from operations by $32.7 million, including the following items:

0  A decrease in accounts receivable of $3.6 million and an increase in accounts payable of $4.7 million;

0  An increase in inventories of $13.3 million;

0  An increase in other assets of $3.6 million;

0  A reduction in accrued expenses of $7.4 million; and

0  A reduction in other liabilities of $16.6 million, primarily related to pension funding in excess of the amount charged to expense.

0  Discontinued operations used $5.2 million, primarily for transition costs incurred in selling the Forestry Division.

2006 cash provided by operating activities of $60.0 million reflected the following significant items:

<  Income from continuing operations of $32.6 million;

<  Addition of non-cash items of $36.1 million, which included the following:

0  Depreciation expense of $15.1 million;

0  Amortization of deferred financing costs of $3.7 million;

0  Pension curtailment charge of $3.2 million;

0  Stock compensation costs of $2.6 million;

0  A deferred income tax provision of $13.0 million; and

0  A net gain of $0.8 million related to the disposal of property, plant and equipment.

<  Changes in assets and liabilities reduced cash flow from operations by $13.1 million, including the following items:

0  Decreases in accounts receivable of $1.5 million and inventory of $2.9 million;

0  An increase in other assets of $3.7 million;

0  An increase in accounts payable of $2.6 million;

0  A reduction in accrued expenses of $7.0 million; and

0  A reduction in other liabilities of $9.4 million, primarily related to pension funding in excess of the amount charged to expense.

<  Discontinued operations provided $4.3 million, primarily due to the full-year operating activities of our Forestry Division partially offset by transition costs incurred in selling the Lawnmower segment.

2005 cash provided by operating activities of $65.1 million, reflected the following significant items:

<  Net income from continuing operations of $88.2 million.

<  Reduction for non-cash items of $15.9 million, which included the following:

0  Depreciation expense of $13.2 million;

0  Amortization and write-off of deferred financing costs of $6.5 million;

0  A deferred income tax benefit recognized of $35.3 million, including the reversal of a valuation allowance on deferred tax assets; and

0  A net gain of $0.4 million related to the disposal of property, plant and equipment.

<  Changes in assets and liabilities used $42.5 million of net cash, including the following items:

0  An increase in accounts receivable of $17.3 million, primarily related to delayed collections from certain of our larger OEM customers at the end of 2005. These OEM customer receivables were collected in early 2006;

0  An increase in inventories of $4.7 million;

0  An increase in other assets of $4.9 million;

0  An increase in accounts payable of $1.1 million;

0  A decrease in accrued expenses of $10.3 million; and

0  A decrease in other liabilities of $6.5 million.

<  Discontinued operations provided $35.3 million, representing the Forestry Division and Lawnmower segment's cash flows from operating activities.

BLOUNT INTERNATIONAL, INC.
22



Cash contributions for all pension and post-retirement benefit plans were $22.9 million for 2007, $20.8 million for 2006 and $12.4 million for 2005. Funding requirements for post-retirement benefit plans fluctuate significantly from year to year. See further discussion following under "Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates." The Company intends to make contributions to our funded pension plans in 2008 of approximately $3.0 million to $4.0 million. The obligations under our other post-retirement benefit plans are made on a pay-as-you-go basis. We also make cash contributions to our U.S. 401(k) plan. In 2007, we contributed $2.6 million, and expect to contribute between $5.4 million and $5.6 million in 2008. The higher level of expected contributions in 2008 reflects the additional contribution implemented as part of our U.S. retirement plan restructuring and the freeze of our U.S. defined benefit pension plan undertaken in 2 006.

The American Jobs Creation Act of 2004 (the "Act"), signed into law October 22, 2004, included a one-time election to deduct 85% of certain foreign earnings that are repatriated, as defined in the Act. Any repatriation of foreign earnings was required to be completed by December 31, 2005. During the fourth quarter of 2005, we repatriated $24.9 million of our undistributed earnings of foreign subsidiaries. Management's intention is to reinvest remaining undistributed foreign earnings indefinitely.

Net cash income tax payments were $20.8 million in 2007, $9.9 million in 2006 and $14.3 million in 2005. Income tax payments prior to 2007 have been primarily the result of our foreign tax liability, with a portion also for state and local taxes and alternative minimum tax. In addition, incremental cash taxes on the repatriation of foreign earnings of $1.4 million were paid in 2005. In the years prior to 2007, U.S. taxable income has been offset by our domestic net operating loss carryforwards. As expected, we began paying cash income taxes in the U.S. in 2007.

Cash flows from investing activities are summarized as follows:

    Year Ended December 31,  
(Amounts in thousands)   2007   2006   2005  
Proceeds from sale of property,
plant and equipment
  $ 2,309     $ 1,244     $ 382    
Purchases of property, plant
and equipment
    (18,517 )     (21,653 )     (17,307 )  
Discontinued operations     69,071       30,900       (2,022 )  
Cash provided by (used in)
investing activities
  $ 52,863     $ 10,491     $ (18,947 )  

 

In 2007 we generated $52.9 million of cash from investing activities, inclusive of $69.1 million of net activity from discontinued operations. Discontinued operations in 2007 included net proceeds from the sale of our Forestry Division, reduced by amounts held in escrow and capital expenditures made by the Forestry Division prior to the sale on November 5, 2007. In 2006, we generated $10.5 million from investing activities, inclusive of $30.9 million of net activity from discontinued operations. Discontinued operations in 2006 included net proceeds from the sale of our Lawnmower segment, reduced by capital expenditures of our Forestry Division. In 2005 we used $18.9 million in investing activities, reflecting capital expenditures of $17.3 million for our continuing operations and capital expenditures of $2.0 million in our discontinued operations. Purchases of property, plant and equipment for all three years presented are prima rily for productivity improvements, expanded manufacturing capacity and replacement of consumable tooling. In the three year period we have invested $18.1 million for construction and equipment at our facility in China, with $5.4 million of the total expended in 2007. In 2008, we expect to increase purchases of property, plant and equipment to between $25 million and $30 million, primarily for ongoing productivity and cost improvements in our manufacturing processes and routine replacement of machinery and equipment, including tooling that is consumed in the production process, as well as incremental capacity expansion.

Cash flows from financing activities are summarized as follows:

    Year Ended December 31,  
(Amounts in thousands)   2007   2006   2005  
Net reduction of debt   $ (53,875 )   $ (56,848 )   $ (86,488 )  
Issuance, modification
and redemption costs
    (700 )     (700 )     (3,979 )  
Proceeds from the exercise
of stock options and warrants
    324       1,740       8,669    
Cash used by
financing activities
  $ (54,251 )   $ (55,808 )   $ (81,798 )  

 

2007 activity included the following:

<  Net debt reduction of $53.9 million, primarily funded with proceeds from the sale of our Forestry Division;

<  Expenditures of $0.7 million incurred with the November, 2007 amendment to our senior credit facilities; and

<  $0.2 million of proceeds from the exercise of stock options and a related $0.1 million tax benefit that is recognized as a financing activity under FAS No. 123(R).

2006 activity included the following:

<  Net debt reduction of $56.8 million, partially funded with proceeds from the sale of our Lawnmower segment, as well as cash flows from operations;

<  Expenditures of $0.7 million incurred with the March, 2006 amendment to our senior credit facilities; and

BLOUNT INTERNATIONAL, INC.
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<  $1.0 million of proceeds from the exercise of stock options and a related $0.7 million tax benefit.

2005 activity included the following:

<  Net debt reduction of $86.5 million, funded with cash flows from operations and the repatriation of cash from foreign subsidiaries;

<  Payment of previously recorded debt issuance costs of $2.6 million, and previously recorded stock issuance costs of $1.4 million, related to several 2004 refinancing transactions;

<  Proceeds from the issuance of stock that were in turn used for the purchase of treasury stock, each at $6.1 million and netting to zero; and

<  Proceeds from exercise of stock options and warrants of $8.7 million.

In June 2005, we and certain of our shareholders sold 7.5 million shares of our common stock in a public offering. We received cumulative net proceeds of $10 thousand for the following transactions:

<  Lehman Brothers sold 6,117,620 shares of our common stock, reducing its ownership to approximately 8.9 million shares, or approximately 19% of our outstanding common stock. We did not receive any proceeds from this sale;

<  We issued 382,380 shares of common stock and received net proceeds of $6.1 million;

<  We purchased 382,380 shares of common stock from certain stockholders for $6.1 million. These shares are held as treasury stock and we have accounted for this treasury stock as constructively retired in the consolidated financial statements; and

<  Warrants for 1,000,000 shares of common stock at $0.01 a share were exercised with net proceeds of $10 thousand received by the Company.

Of the amounts disbursed for debt and equity issuance costs in 2005, $3.2 million was paid to Lehman Brothers, which prior to December 2004 controlled more than 50% of our outstanding common stock.

Certain customers of the discontinued Lawnmower segment financed their purchases through third party financing companies. Under the terms of these financing arrangements, the Company may be required to repurchase certain equipment from the finance companies, or reimburse them for any financial loss incurred, should a customer default on payment. Since we discontinued the business, no new obligations have arisen, and the remaining outstanding commitment has decreased significantly. The aggregate repurchase or reimbursement obligation outstanding under the agreements as of December 31, 2007 was $0.8 million. These arrangements have not had a material adverse effect on the Company's operating results or cash flows in the past. The Company does not expect to incur any material charges related to these agreements in future periods based on past experience and because any repurchased equipment would most likely be resold for approxima tely the same value.

As of December 31, 2007, our contractual and estimated obligations are as follows (in thousands):

(Amounts in thousands)   Total   2008   2009-2010   2011-2012   Thereafter  
Debt obligations (1)   $ 297,000     $ 1,242     $ 120,758     $ 175,000          
Estimated interest payments (2)     100,635       23,897       45,676       31,062          
Purchase commitments (3)     125       125                      
Operating lease obligations (4)     5,156       1,079       1,841       755     $ 1,481    
Defined benefit pension obligations (5)     3,099       3,099                      
Other post-retirement obligations (6)     16,097       1,660       2,499       2,028       9,910    
Other long term liabilities (7)     425       25       200       200          
Total contractual obligations   $ 422,537     $ 31,127     $ 170,974     $ 209,045     $ 11,391    

 

(1) Scheduled minimum principal payments on debt. Additional voluntary prepayments may also be made from time to time. Additional mandatory principal payments are required under certain circumstances.

(2) Estimated future interest payments based on existing debt balances, timing of scheduled minimum principal payments and estimated variable interest rates.

(3) Does not include amounts recorded as current liabilities on the balance sheet.

(4) See also Note 11 to Consolidated Financial Statements.

(5) Current minimum funding requirements for defined benefit pension plans. Does not include estimated future funding requirements for defined benefit pension plans of approximately $8.3 million in 2009 and each year thereafter. Actual funding requirements may vary significantly from these estimates based on actual return on assets, changes in assumptions, plan modifications and actuarial gains and losses. See additional discussion of these key assumptions and estimates under "Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates" below. Additional voluntary funding payments may also be made.

(6) Estimated payments for various non-qualified retirement benefits. The Company also has benefit payment obligations due under its post-retirement medical plan that are not required to be funded in advance, but are pay-as-you-go, and are not included herein. See Note 10 to Consolidated Financial Statements for additional discussion.

(7) Advisory and consulting fees for certain current and former officers and directors of the Company.

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As of December 31, 2007, our recorded liability for uncertain tax positions was $28.0 million. Due to the high degree of uncertainty regarding the timing of potential future cash flows associated with uncertain tax positions, we are unable to make a reasonable estimate of the amounts and periods in which these remaining liabilities might be paid. It is reasonably possible that the estimate of uncertain tax positions could change materially in the near term.

Off Balance Sheet Arrangements

At December 31, 2007 and 2006, 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 for other contractually narrow or limited purposes. As such, we are not exposed to any financing, liquidity, market or credit risk that could arise if we had engaged in such relationships.

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

Management's discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations is based on the Company's consolidated financial statements that have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

The preparation of these financial statements requires us to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, equity components, revenues and expenses. We base our estimates on historical experience and various other assumptions that are believed to be reasonable and consistent with industry practice. Actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions. We believe the following critical accounting policies affect our more significant judgments and estimates in the preparation of our consolidated financial statements.

We record reductions to selling prices as products are shipped. These reductions are based on competitive and market conditions, in addition to specific customer contracts in some instances. These reductions are estimated and recorded at the time of shipment either through a reduction to the invoice total or the establishment of an accrual for payment at a later date. The amount accrued may increase or decrease prior to payment due to customer performance and market conditions.

We maintain an allowance for doubtful accounts for estimated losses against our recorded accounts receivable. Such allowance is based on an ongoing review of customer payments against terms and a review of customers' financial statements and conditions through monitoring services. Based on these reviews, additional allowances may be required and are recorded in the appropriate period.

Specific industry market conditions can significantly increase or decrease the level of inventory on hand in any of our business units. We adjust for changes in demand by reducing or increasing production levels. We estimate the required inventory reserves for excess or obsolete inventory by assessing inventory turns and market selling prices on a product by product basis. We maintain such reserves until a product is sold or market conditions require a change in the reserves.

We perform an annual review for impairment of goodwill at the reporting unit level. We also perform an impairment analysis of goodwill whenever circumstances indicate that impairment may have occurred. The impairment tests are performed by determining the fair values of the reporting units using a discounted projected cash flow model and comparing those fair values to the carrying values of the reporting units, including goodwill. If the carrying amount of the reporting unit's goodwill exceeds the implied fair value of that goodwill, an impairment loss is recognized in an amount equal to that excess. Events or changes in circumstances may occur that could create underperformance relative to projected future cash flows, which could create future impairments.

We offer certain warranties with the sale of our products. The warranty obligation is recorded at the point of revenue recognition as a charge to cost of goods sold and as a liability on the balance sheet, and is estimated based upon historic customer claims, supplier performance and new product reliability analysis. Should a change in trend occur in customer claims, an increase or decrease in the warranty liability may be necessary.

We incur expenses in connection with product liability claims as a result of alleged product malfunctions or defects. We maintain insurance for a portion of this exposure and record a liability for our non-insured obligations. We estimate our product liability obligations on a case by case basis, in addition to a review of product performance trends. These estimated obligations may be increased or decreased as more information on specific cases becomes available or performance trends change.

In 2006, we implemented FAS No. 123 (R) under the modified prospective approach. We expect to continue to incur significant stock compensation expense in future periods. Prior to 2006, we accounted for stock-based compensation under FAS No. 123 and provided pro-forma disclosure, but did not expense the majority of our stock-based compensation. Under the modified prospective application method, the results for prior periods have not been restated. None of our outstanding stock awards were modified in anticipation of the adoption of FAS No. 123 (R). We determine the fair value of stock based awards using the Black-Scholes model. We use the simplified method described in SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 107 ("SAB 107") for estimated lives of stock options

BLOUNT INTERNATIONAL, INC.
25



and SARs. Assumptions for the risk-free interest rate, expected volatility and dividend yield are based on historical information and management estimates.

We determine our post-retirement obligations on an actuarial basis that requires management to make certain assumptions. These assumptions include the long-term rate of return on plan assets, the discount rate to be used in calculating the applicable benefit obligation and the anticipated trend in health care costs. These assumptions are reviewed on an annual basis and consideration is given to market conditions, as well as to the requirements of FAS No. 158. The weighted average assumed rate of return on plan assets was 8.5% for 2007, and we anticipate using a lower assumed rate of return in 2008 and beyond, as we have shifted our weighting of investments slightly to a higher proportion of fixed securities and a lower proportion of equities. We believe this assumed rate of return is reasonable, given the asset composition and long-term historic trends. A weighted average discount rate assumption of 5.7% was used to determine ou r plan liabilities at December 31, 2007. We believe this discount rate is reasonable, given comparable rates for high quality corporate bonds with terms comparable to the projected cash flows for our respective plans. We have assumed that health care costs will increase by 10% in 2008, then decline by 1% per year until 5% is reached. Our annual post-retirement expenses can be impacted by changes in these assumptions. A 1% change in the return on assets assumption would change annual pension expense by $1.8 million in 2008. A 1% decrease in the discount rate would increase pension expense by $3.0 million in 2008, and a 1% increase in the discount rate would decrease pension expense by $1.4 million in 2008. A 1% increase in the health care cost trend assumption for 2008 and beyond would increase annual post-retirement medical costs by approximately $0.3 million per year and a 1% decrease in the health care cost trend assumption for 2008 and beyond would decrease annual post-retirement medical costs by approxim ately $0.2 million a year.

Effective January 1, 2007, we account for uncertain tax positions in accordance with FIN No. 48, which clarifies the accounting for uncertainty in income taxes recognized in an enterprise's financial statements in accordance with FASB Statement No. 109, "Accounting for Income Taxes." The application of income tax law is inherently complex. Laws and regulations in this area are voluminous and are often ambiguous. As such, we are required to make many assumptions and judgments regarding our income tax exposures. Interpretations of income tax laws and regulations and guidance surrounding them change over time. Changes in our assumptions and judgments can materially affect amounts recognized in the consolidated financial statements. See Note 8 to the consolidated financial statements for additional information on our uncertain tax positions and the impact of adopting FIN No. 48.

Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. Included in recorded tax liabilities are estimated amounts related to uncertain tax positions. Actual tax liabilities may differ materially from these estimates. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in income in the period that includes the enactment date. Valuation allowances are established when necessary to reduce deferred tax assets to the amounts expected to be realized. As of December 31, 2007, we have a deferred tax asset valuation allowance of $2.3 million, pr imarily related to state tax net operating loss carryforwards.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

In September 2006, the FASB issued FAS No. 157, "Fair Value Measurements" ("FAS No. 157"). FAS No. 157 defines fair value, establishes a framework for measuring fair value in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the U.S., and expands disclosures about fair value measurements. The provisions of FAS No. 157 are effective for the Company's fiscal year beginning January 1, 2008. We are currently evaluating the impact of the provisions of FAS No. 157.

In February 2007, the FASB issued FAS No. 159, "Fair Value Option for Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities—Including an amendment of FASB Statement No. 115" ("FAS No. 159"). FAS No. 159 permits entities to choose to measure many financial instruments and certain other items at fair value. The provisions of FAS No. 159 are effective for us on January 1, 2008. We are currently evaluating the impact of the provisions of FAS No. 159.

In December 2007, the FASB issued FAS No. 141(R), "Business Combinations" ("FAS No. 141(R)"). FAS No. 141(R) replaces FSAS No. 141, Business Combinations and improves the relevance, representational faithfulness and comparability of the information that a reporting entity provides in its financial reports about a business combination and its effects. The provisions of FAS No. 141(R) are effective for us on January 1, 2009. The impact of adopting FAS No. 141(R) will depend on the nature, terms and size of business combinations completed after the effective date.

In December 2007, the FASB issued FAS No. 160, "Noncontrolling Interests in Consolidated Financial Statements" ("FAS No. 160"). FAS No 160 amends Accounting Research Bulletin No. 51, Consolidated Financial Statements, and improves the relevance, comparability, and transparency of the financial information that a reporting entity provides in its consolidated financial statements for those entities that have an outstanding noncontrolling interest in one or more subsidiaries or that deconsolidate a subsidiary. The provisions of FAS No. 160 are effective for us on

BLOUNT INTERNATIONAL, INC.
26



January 1, 2009. Earlier adoption is prohibited. The adoption of FAS No. 160 is not anticipated to have a material impact on our financial position and results of operations.

In December 2007, the SEC issued Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 110 ("SAB 110") which extended the continued use of the simplified method for estimating lives of stock options and SARs. We are continuing to use the simplified method in accounting for our stock-based compensation costs.

Related Party Transactions

In March 2005, we paid $3.2 million to Lehman Brothers, which previously controlled more than 50% of our outstanding common stock, for previously accrued advisory fees relating to the 2004 Refinancing Transactions. In May 2005, Lehman Brothers paid $0.3 million for previously accrued costs we incurred in conjunction with the secondary public offering that occurred in December 2004. In June 2005, as part of a secondary stock offering, we incurred $0.1 million in expenses that were reimbursed by Lehman Brothers in October 2005.

Forward Looking Statements

"Forward looking statements," as defined by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, used in this report, including without limitation our "outlook," "guidance," expectations," "beliefs," "plans," "indications," "estimates," "anticipations," and their variants, are based upon available information and upon assumptions that the Company believes are reasonable; however, these forward looking statements involve certain risks and uncertainties, including those set forth in Item 1A, "Risk Factors", and should not be considered indicative of actual results that the Company may achieve in the future. Specifically, issues concerning foreign currency exchange rates, the cost to the Company of commodities in general, and of steel in particular, the anticipated level of applicable interest rates, tax rates, discount rates and rates of return and the anticipated effects of discontinued operations involve estimates and assumptio ns. To the extent that these, or any other such assumptions, are not realized going forward, or other unforeseen factors arise, actual results for the periods subsequent to the date of this report may differ materially.

ITEM 7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK

Market Risk

We are exposed to market risk from changes in interest rates, foreign currency exchange rates and commodity prices. We manage our exposure to these market risks through our regular operating and financing activities, and, when deemed appropriate, through the use of derivatives. When utilized, derivatives are used as risk management tools and not for trading or speculative purposes. See "Interest Rate Risk and Commodity Price Risk" below for discussion of our expectations regarding future use of interest rate and commodity price derivatives.

Interest Rate Risk. We manage our ratio of fixed to variable rate debt with the objective of achieving a mix that management believes is appropriate. We have, on occasion, entered into interest rate swap agreements to exchange fixed and variable interest rates based on agreed upon notional amounts and we have entered into interest rate lock contracts to hedge the interest rate of an anticipated debt issue. A hypothetical 10% increase in interest rates would decrease the fair value of our fixed rate long-term debt outstanding by $5.6 million. A hypothetical 100 basis point increase in the interest rates on our variable rate long-term debt for the duration of one year would have increased interest expense by approximately $1.8 million in 2007. At December 31, 2007 and 2006, no derivative financial instruments were outstanding to hedge interest rate risk on debt. Additionally, the interest rates available in certain jurisdictions in which we hold excess cash may vary, thereby affecting the return we earn on cash equivalent investments. At December 31, 2007 we had derivative financial instruments outstanding representing variable-to-fixed interest rate swaps on cash equivalents in Brazil to protect the return on those investments. These contracts were not designated as hedging instruments. At December 31, 2006 no derivative financial instruments were outstanding related to interest rate risk on investments.

Foreign Currency Exchange Risk. Approximately 35% of our sales and 50% of our operating costs and expenses were transacted in foreign currencies in 2007. As a result, fluctuations in exchange rates impact the amount of our reported sales and operating income. Historically, our principal exposures have been related to local currency operating costs and expenses in Canada and Brazil, and local currency sales and expenses in Europe. In 2007, we used derivative instruments to protect the U.S. Dollar value of cash equivalents held in Brazil. At December 31, 2007 we had contracts outstanding to protect those investments from fluctuations in foreign currency. We may, in the future, decide to manage some of our exposure to currency exchange rate fluctuations through derivative products. The table below illustrates the estimated effect of a hypothetical immedi ate 10% change in major currencies (defined for us as the Euro, Canadian Dollar and Brazilian Real):

    Effect of 10% Weaker U.S. Dollar  
(Amounts in thousands)   Sales   Cost of
Sales
  Operating
Income
 
Euro   $ 4,311     $ (1,592 )   $ 1,728    
Canadian Dollar     1,313       (6,936 )     (5,988 )  
Brazilian Real           (1,946 )     (2,310 )  

 

BLOUNT INTERNATIONAL, INC.
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Commodity Price Risk. We secure raw materials through purchasing functions at each of our manufacturing locations. These functions are staffed by professionals who determine the sourcing of materials by assessing quality, availability, price and service of potential vendors. When possible, multiple vendors are utilized to ensure competitive prices and to minimize risk of lack of availability of materials. Some of these raw materials are subject to price volatility over time. We have not hedged against the price volatility of any raw materials by using any derivative instruments during 2007, 2006 or 2005.

Raw material price volatility has not had a significant impact on our results in recent years, with the exception of steel pricing, where prices rose sharply in 2004 and 2005, declined somewhat in 2006 and rose somewhat in 2007. We purchased approximately $63.4 million of steel in 2007, our largest sourced commodity. A hypothetical immediate 10% change in the price of steel would have had an estimated $6.3 million effect on pre-tax income in 2007. We utilize multiple suppliers to purchase steel. We estimate the impact of price changes on our cost of purchased steel would have been a decrease of $1.3 million from 2005 to 2006, followed by an increase of $1.0 million from 2006 to 2007. Partially to offset the net cost increase, some selling prices to our customers have been increased. We source many of our outdoor care products from Asia through brokers, and we anticipate expanding this practice in the future. For example, we beli eve that we can source certain components for gear-related products at a lower cost from international locations. Historically, we have not incurred any significant issues in sourcing internationally, in part due to the fact that there are multiple suppliers for each of the products we purchase.

ITEM 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA

Management of Blount International, Inc. is responsible for the information and representations contained in this report. The financial statements have been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles. Reasonable judgments and estimates have been made where necessary. Other financial information in this report is consistent with these financial statements.

Our accounting systems include controls designed to reasonably assure that assets are safeguarded from unauthorized use or disposition and that provide for the preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles. These systems are supplemented by the selection and training of qualified financial personnel and an organizational structure providing for appropriate segregation of duties.

Four directors of the Company, who are not members of management, serve as the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors and are the principal means through which the Board discharges its financial reporting responsibility. The Audit Committee is responsible for the appointment of the independent registered public accounting firm and reviews with the independent registered public accounting firm, management and the internal auditors, the scope and the results of the annual audit, the effectiveness of our internal controls over financial reporting, disclosure controls and procedures and other matters relating to financial reporting and the financial affairs of Blount International, Inc. as they deem appropriate. The independent registered public accounting firm and the internal auditors have full access to the Committee, with and without the presence of management, to discuss any appropriate matters.

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Management's Report on Internal Controls Over Financial Reporting

Management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting, as such term is defined in Securities Exchange Act Rules 13a -15(f). Under the supervision and with the participation of our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, our management conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting based upon the criteria set forth in Internal Control—Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission. Based on that evaluation, our management concluded that our internal control over financial reporting was effective as of December 31, 2007.

Internal control over financial reporting cannot provide absolute assurance of achieving financial reporting objectives because of their inherent limitations. Internal control over financial reporting is a process that involves human diligence and compliance and is subject to lapses in judgment and breakdowns resulting from human failures. Internal control over financial reporting also can be circumvented by collusion or improper management override. Because of such limitations, there is a risk that material misstatements may not be prevented or detected on a timely basis by internal control over financial reporting. However, these inherent limitations are known features of the financial reporting process. Therefore, it is possible to design into the process safeguards to reduce, though not eliminate, this risk.

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm that has audited the consolidated financial statements, has also audited the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2007 as stated in their report which appears herein.

/s/ James S. Osterman
Chairman and
Chief Executive Officer
  /s/ Calvin E. Jenness
Senior Vice President and
Chief Financial Officer
 

 

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REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

To the Board of Directors and Stockholders of Blount International, Inc.:

In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements listed in the index appearing under Item 15(a)(1) present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of Blount International Inc. and its subsidiaries at December 31, 2007 and December 31, 2006, and the results of their operations and their cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2007 in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. In addition, in our opinion, the financial statement schedules listed in the index appearing under Item 15(a)(2) present fairly, in all material respects, the information set forth therein when read in conjunction with the related consolidated financial statements. Also in our opinion, the Company maintained, in all m aterial respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2007, based on criteria established in Internal Control—Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). The Company's management is responsible for these financial statements and financial statement schedules, 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 opinions on these financial statements, on the financial statement schedules, and on the Company's internal control over financial reporting based on our integrated audits. We conducted our audits in accordance with the st andards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audits to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement and whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects. Our audits of the financial statements included examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements, assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, and evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. 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 n ecessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinions.

As discussed in Note 13 to the consolidated financial statements, the Company changed the manner in which it accounts for stock-based compensation in 2006. As discussed in Notes 9 and 10 to the consolidated financial statements, the Company changed the manner in which it accounts for defined benefit pension and other post-retirement benefit plans as of December 31, 2006. As discussed in Note 1 to the consolidated financial statements, the Company changed the manner in which it accounts for uncertain tax positions as of January 1, 2007.

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 (i) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (ii) 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 (iii) 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.

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.

/s/ PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

Portland, Oregon
March 12, 2008

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CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME

Blount International, Inc. and Subsidiaries

    Year Ended December 31,  
(Amounts in thousands, except per share data)   2007   2006   2005  
Sales   $ 515,535     $ 487,494     $ 478,829    
Cost of sales     340,578       313,815       297,747    
Gross profit     174,957       173,679       181,082    
Selling, general and administrative expenses     94,257       89,472       89,454    
Retirement plan redesign           3,747          
Operating income     80,700       80,460       91,628    
Interest income     1,360       378       622    
Interest expense     (33,066 )     (35,782 )     (37,329 )  
Other income (expense), net     (821 )     1,335       (963 )  
Income from continuing operations before income taxes     48,173       46,391       53,958    
Provision (benefit) for income taxes     16,030       13,746       (34,256 )  
Income from continuing operations     32,143       32,645       88,214    
Discontinued operations:  
Income before taxes from discontinued operations     25,794       20,055       29,319    
Income tax provision     15,080       10,154       10,918    
Income from discontinued operations     10,714       9,901       18,401    
Net income   $ 42,857     $ 42,546     $ 106,615    
Basic income per share:  
Continuing operations   $ 0.68     $ 0.69     $ 1.91    
Discontinued operations     0.23       0.21       0.40    
Net income   $ 0.91     $ 0.90     $ 2.31    
Diluted income per share:  
Continuing operations   $ 0.67     $ 0.68     $ 1.86    
Discontinued operations     0.22       0.21       0.38    
Net income   $ 0.89     $ 0.89     $ 2.24    
Weighted average shares used in per share calculation:  
Basic     47,280       47,145       46,094    
Diluted     48,078       47,868       47,535    

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

BLOUNT INTERNATIONAL, INC.
31



CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

Blount International, Inc. and Subsidiaries

    December 31,  
(Amounts in thousands, except share and per share data)   2007   2006  
Assets  
Current assets:  
Cash and cash equivalents   $ 57,589     $ 27,636    
Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts of $2,181 and $2,545 respectively     67,818       82,748    
Inventories, net     70,273       77,833    
Deferred income taxes     5,536       20,122    
Other current assets     16,393       8,342    
Total current assets     217,609       216,681    
Property, plant and equipment, net     89,729       99,665    
Goodwill     48,984       71,892    
Deferred financing costs     10,698       14,574    
Deferred income taxes     14,849       17,318    
Assets held for sale           2,700    
Other assets     30,080       7,636    
Total Assets   $ 411,949     $ 430,466    
Liabilities and Stockholders' Deficit  
Current liabilities:  
Current maturities of long-term debt   $ 1,242     $ 1,500    
Accounts payable     29,799       34,982    
Accrued expenses     57,447       62,140    
Deferred income taxes     533       197    
Total current liabilities     89,021       98,819    
Long-term debt, excluding current maturities     295,758       349,375    
Deferred income taxes           791    
Employee benefit obligations     48,948       71,724    
Other liabilities     32,368       15,048    
Total liabilities     466,095       535,757    
Commitments and contingent liabilities  
Stockholders' equity (deficit):  
Common stock: par value $0.01 per share, 100,000,000 shares authorized,
47,291,647 and 47,242,925 outstanding, respectively
    473       472    
Capital in excess of par value of stock     575,595       571,683    
Accumulated deficit     (618,147 )     (661,004 )  
Accumulated other comprehensive loss     (12,067 )     (16,442 )  
Total stockholders' (deficit)     (54,146 )     (105,291 )  
Total Liabilities and Stockholders' Deficit   $ 411,949     $ 430,466    

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

BLOUNT INTERNATIONAL, INC.
32



CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

Blount International, Inc. and Subsidiaries

    Year Ended December 31,  
(Amounts in thousands)   2007   2006   2005  
Cash flows from operating activities:  
Income from continuing operations   $ 32,143     $ 32,645     $ 88,214    
Adjustments to reconcile income from continuing operations to net
cash provided by operating activities:
 
Early extinguishment of debt     625       1       2,994    
Depreciation of property, plant and equipment     17,641       15,058       13,184    
Amortization, stock compensation and other non-cash charges     7,174       9,536       3,527    
Excess tax benefit from share-based compensation     (114 )     (747 )        
Deferred income taxes     11,059       13,025       (35,254 )  
Loss (gain) on disposal of property, plant, and equipment     675       (774 )     (352 )  
Changes in assets and liabilities:  
(Increase) decrease in accounts receivable     3,621       1,526       (17,247 )  
(Increase) decrease in inventories     (13,331 )     2,940       (4,713 )  
(Increase) decrease in other assets     (3,635 )     (3,720 )     (4,861 )  
Increase (decrease) in accounts payable     4,696       2,637       1,074    
Increase (decrease) in accrued expenses     (7,445 )     (7,022 )     (10,293 )  
Increase (decrease) in other liabilities     (16,559 )     (9,434 )     (6,451 )  
Discontinued operations     (5,209 )     4,345       35,290    
Net cash provided by operating activities     31,341       60,016       65,112    
Cash flows from investing activities:  
Proceeds from sale of property, plant and equipment     2,309       1,244       382    
Purchases of property, plant and equipment     (18,517 )     (21,653 )     (17,307 )  
Discontinued operations     69,071       30,900       (2,022 )  
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities     52,863       10,491       (18,947 )  
Cash flows from financing activities:  
Net borrowings (repayments) under revolving credit facility     (27,000 )     27,000          
Repayment of term debt principal     (26,875 )     (83,848 )     (86,488 )  
Issuance costs related to debt     (700 )     (700 )     (2,554 )  
Issuance costs related to stock                 (1,425 )  
Proceeds from issuance of stock                 6,123    
Purchase of treasury stock                 (6,123 )  
Excess tax benefit from share-based compensation     114       747          
Proceeds from exercise of stock options and warrants     210       993       8,669    
Net cash used in financing activities     (54,251 )     (55,808 )     (81,798 )  
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents     29,953       14,699       (35,633 )  
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year     27,636       12,937       48,570    
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year   $ 57,589     $ 27,636     $ 12,937    

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

BLOUNT INTERNATIONAL, INC.
33



CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY (DEFICIT)

Blount International, Inc. and Subsidiaries

(Amounts in thousands)   Shares
(in 000's)
  Common
Stock
  Capital in
Excess
of Par
  Accumulated
Deficit
  Accumulated
Other
Comprehensive
Income (Loss)
  Total  
Balance December 31, 2004     44,970     $ 450     $ 553,640     $ (810,165 )   $ (79 )   $ (256,154 )  
Net income                       106,615             106,615    
Other comprehensive income (loss):  
Foreign currency translation adjustment                             (2,609 )     (2,609 )  
Unrealized losses                             (70 )     (70 )  
Minimum pension liability adjustment                             (6,041 )     (6,041 )  
Comprehensive income, net                                   97,895    
Issuance of common stock     382       4       6,119                   6,123    
Purchase of treasury stock     (382 )     (4 )     (6,119 )                 (6,123 )  
Exercise of stock options     1,034       10       12,984                   12,994    
Exercise of stock warrants     1,000       10                         10    
Stock compensation expense                 68                   68    
Balance December 31, 2005     47,004       470       566,692       (703,550 )     (8,799 )     (145,187 )  
Net income                       42,546             42,546    
Other comprehensive income (loss):  
Foreign currency translation adjustment                             1,682       1,682    
Unrealized losses                             (27 )     (27 )  
Minimum pension liability adjustment                             2,957       2,957    
Comprehensive income, net                                   47,158    
Cumulative effect of adopting FAS No. 158                             (12,255 )     (12,255 )  
Exercise of stock options     239       2       1,738                   1,740    
Stock compensation expense                 3,253                   3,253    
Balance December 31, 2006     47,243       472       571,683       (661,004 )     (16,442 )     (105,291 )  
Net income                       42,857             42,857    
Other comprehensive income (loss):  
Foreign currency translation adjustment                             1,718       1,718    
Unrealized gains                             1,315       1,315    
Pension liability adjustment                             1,342       1,342    
Comprehensive income, net                                   47,232    
Exercise of stock options     49       1       323                   324    
Stock compensation expense                 3,589                   3,589    
Balance December 31, 2007     47,292     $ 473     $ 575,595     $ (618,147 )   $ (12,067 )   $ (54,146 )  

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

BLOUNT INTERNATIONAL, INC.
34




NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Blount International, Inc. and Subsidiaries

NOTE 1: BUSINESS AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Business. Headquartered in Portland, Oregon, Blount International, Inc. and its subsidiaries (the "Company") is a manufacturer of equipment, accessories and replacement parts to the global forestry, yard care and general contractor industries. The Company manufactures and markets branded products in focused end markets, serving professional loggers, construction workers, homeowners, equipment dealers and distributors and original equipment manufacturers ("OEMs"). The Company's products include cutting chain, guide bars, sprockets and accessories for chainsaws, accessories for lawn and garden equipment, concrete-cutting equipment and accessories, mobile equipment rotational bearings, worm gear reducers and swing drives. The Company maintains manufacturing facilities in the U.S., Canada, Brazil and The People's Republic of China.

Basis of Presentation. In the opinion of management, the consolidated financial statements contain all adjustments (consisting of only normal recurring adjustments) necessary to present fairly the financial position at December 31, 2007 and 2006, and the results of operations and cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2007.

Consolidation. The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its subsidiaries and are prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. All significant intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated.

Foreign Currency. For foreign subsidiaries whose operations are principally conducted in U.S. Dollars, monetary assets and liabilities are translated into U.S. Dollars at the current exchange rate, while other assets (principally property, plant and equipment and inventories) and related costs and expenses are generally translated at historic exchange rates. Sales and other costs and expenses are translated at the average exchange rate for the period and the resulting foreign exchange adjustments are recognized in income. Assets and liabilities of the remaining foreign operations are translated to U.S. Dollars at the current exchange rate and their statements of income are translated at the average exchange rate for the period. Gains and losses resulting from translation of the financial statements of these operations are reflected as "other comprehen sive income" in stockholders' equity (deficit). Foreign exchange adjustments to pretax income were not material in 2007, 2006 and 2005.

Use of Estimates. The preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities and the components of equity and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the dates of the financial statements, as well as the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting periods. Estimates are used when accounting for the allowance for doubtful accounts, inventory obsolescence, goodwill and other long-lived assets, product warranties, casualty insurance costs, product liability reserves and related expenses, other legal proceedings, employee benefit plans, income taxes and deferred tax assets and liabilities, discontinued operations and contingencies. It is reasonably possible that actual resu lts could differ materially from those estimates and assumptions and significant changes to estimates could occur in the near term.

Cash and Cash Equivalents. The Company considers cash equivalents to be all highly liquid temporary cash investments that are readily convertible to known amounts of cash and present minimal risk of changes in value because of changes in interest rates.

Inventories. Inventories are valued at the lower of cost or market. The Company determines the cost of most raw materials, work in process and finished goods inventories by the first in, first out ("FIFO") or average cost methods. The Company writes down its inventories for estimated obsolete or unmarketable inventory equal to the difference between the cost of inventory and the estimated market value based upon assumptions about future demand and market conditions.

Property, Plant and Equipment. Property, plant and equipment is stated at cost and is depreciated on the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the individual assets. The principal ranges of estimated useful lives for depreciation purposes are as follows: buildings and improvements: 10 to 45 years; machinery and equipment: 3 to 10 years; furniture, fixtures and office equipment: 3 to 10 years; software: 3 to 5 years; and transportation equipment: 3 to 15 years. Gains or losses on disposal are reflected in income. Property, plant and equipment under capital lease is capitalized with the related obligations stated at the principal portion of future lease payments.

Interest cost incurred during the period of construction of plant and equipment is capitalized. No material amounts of interest were capitalized on plant and equipment during the three years ended December 31, 2007.

Goodwill. The Company accounts for goodwill under Statement of Financial Accounting Standards ("FAS") No. 142, "Goodwill and other Intangible Assets" ("FAS No. 142"). Under the provisions of FAS No. 142, the Company performs an annual review for impairment at the

BLOUNT INTERNATIONAL, INC.
35



reporting unit level. The Company also performs an impairment analysis whenever circumstances indicate that an impairment may have occurred. The impairment tests are performed by determining the fair values of the reporting units using a discounted cash flow model and comparing those fair values to the carrying values of the reporting units, including goodwill. If the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying value, the Company then allocates the fair value of the unit to all the assets and liabilities of that unit, including any unrecognized intangible assets, as if the reporting unit's fair value was the price to acquire the reporting unit. The excess of the fair value of the reporting unit over the amounts assigned to its assets and liabilities is the implied fair value of the goodwill. If the carrying amount of the reporting unit's goodwill exceeds the implied fair value of that goodwill, an impairment loss is recognized in an amount equal to that excess. Events or changes in circumstances may occur that could create underperformance relative to projected future cash flows that would create future impairments. No goodwill impairments have been recognized in 2007, 2006 or 2005.

Deferred Financing Costs. The Company capitalizes costs incurred in connection with borrowings or establishment of credit facilities. These costs are amortized as an adjustment to interest expense over the life of the borrowing or life of the credit facility using the straight line method. In the case of early debt principal repayments, the Company adjusts the value of the corresponding deferred financing costs with a charge to other expense, and similarly adjusts the future amortization expense.

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets. The Company evaluates the carrying value of long-lived assets to be held and used, including finite lived intangible assets, whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value may not be recoverable. The carrying value of a long-lived asset is considered impaired when the total projected undiscounted cash flows from such asset are separately identifiable and are less than its carrying value. In that event, a loss is recognized based on the amount by which the carrying value exceeds the fair value of the long-lived asset. Fair value is determined primarily using the projected cash flows discounted at a rate commensurate with the risk involved. Losses on long-lived assets to be disposed of are determined in a similar manner, except that fair values are reduced for disposal costs. During 2006, th e Company recognized an impairment charge of $1.5 million on property, plant and equipment formerly used by its discontinued Lawnmower segment. Also in 2006, the Company recognized an impairment charge of $0.8 million on property, plant and equipment in Menominee, Michigan formerly used by its Industrial and Power Equipment Segment.

Income Taxes. In accordance with FAS No. 109, deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases. Included in recorded tax liabilities are estimated amounts related to uncertain tax positions. Actual tax liabilities may differ materially from these estimates. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in income in the period that includes the enactment date. Valuation allowances are established when necessary to reduce deferred tax assets to the a mounts expected to be realized. The American Jobs Creation Act of 2004 includes a deduction of up to 9 percent (when fully phased-in) of "qualified production activities income," as defined in the new law and subject to certain limitations. The benefit of this new deduction, if any, will be accounted for as a special deduction when realized in accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") Staff Position No. 109-1.

Effective January 1, 2007, the Company adopted Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") Interpretation No. 48, "Accounting for Uncertainty in Income Taxes" ("FIN No. 48"). There was no material adjustment to the net liability for uncertain tax positions as a result of the adoption of FIN No. 48 on January 1, 2007. However, uncertain tax positions that were previously netted on the balance sheet are reported separately since January 1, 2007. The Company recognizes interest and penalties related to uncertain tax positions as income tax expense. FIN No. 48 prescribes a recognition threshold and measurement attribute for the financial statement recognition and measurement of a tax position taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. It also provides guidance on de-recognition, classification, interest and penalties, accounting in interim periods, disclosure and transition.

Product Liability. The Company monitors claims that relate to the alleged malfunction or defects of its products that may result in an injury to the equipment operator or others. The Company records an accrued liability and charge to cost of sales for its estimated obligation as claims are incurred and evaluated. The accrual may increase or decrease as additional information regarding claims is developed.

Insurance Accruals. It is the Company's policy to retain a portion of expected losses related to general and product liability, workers' compensation and vehicle liability losses through retentions or deductibles under its risk management and insurance programs. Provisions for losses expected under these programs are recorded based

BLOUNT INTERNATIONAL, INC.
36



on estimates of the undiscounted aggregate liabilities for claims incurred.

Warranty. The Company offers certain warranties with the sale of its products. An estimate of warranty costs is recognized at the time the related revenue is recognized and the warranty obligation is recorded as a charge to cost of sales and as a liability on the balance sheet. Warranty cost is estimated using historical customer claims, supplier performance and new product performance. Should a change in trend occur in customer claims or supplier and new product performance, an increase or decrease in the warranty liability may be necessary.

Guarantees. The Company accounts for the initial recognition and measurement of guarantees in accordance with FASB Interpretation No. 45 "Guarantor's Accounting and Disclosure Requirements for Guarantees, Including Indirect Guarantees of Indebtedness of Others" ("FIN 45"). Under the provisions of FIN 45, at the time a guarantee is issued, the Company recognizes an initial liability for the fair value or market value of the obligation it assumes.

Derivative Financial Instruments. The Company accounts for derivative financial instruments in accordance with FAS No. 133, as amended by FAS 138 and FAS 149, "Accounting for Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities". The Company's earnings and cash flows are subject to fluctuations due to changes in foreign currency exchange rates, interest rates and commodity prices. The Company's risk management policy allows for the use of derivative financial instruments to manage foreign currency exchange rate, interest rate, and commodity price exposures prudently. The policy specifies that derivatives are not to be used for speculative purposes. Derivatives that are used are primarily foreign currency and interest rate swaps. All derivatives are recognized on the Consolidated Balance Sheets at their fair value. All derivative contracts held at December 31 , 2007 were non-hedging instruments (see also Note 17). There were no material derivative contracts held as of December 31, 2006. Changes in the fair value of non-hedging derivative instruments are reported in current earnings. Cash flows from non-hedging derivative financial instruments are included in the investing category on the Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows.

Revenue Recognition. Revenue is recognized when persuasive evidence that a sales arrangement exists, title and risk of loss have passed, the price to the customer is fixed or determinable and collectibility is reasonably assured, which has historically been upon the date of shipment of product for the majority of the Company's sales transactions. There are an insignificant amount of shipments with FOB destination terms, for which revenue is not recognized until delivery has occurred.

Shipping and Handling Costs. The Company incurs expenses for the shipment of goods to customers. These expenses are recognized in the period in which they occur and are classified as gross revenues if billed and cost of goods sold if incurred by the Company in accordance with the Emerging Issues Task Force's Issue (EITF) 00-10, "Accounting for Shipping and Handling Fees and Costs".

Sales Incentives. The Company provides various sales incentives to customers in the form of coupons, rebates, discounts, free product and advertising allowances. The estimated cost of such expenses is recorded at the time of revenue recognition and recorded as a reduction to revenue, with the exception that free product is recorded as cost of sales, in accordance with Emerging Issues Task Force ("EITF") 01-9, "Accounting for Consideration Given by a Vendor to a Customer".

Advertising. Advertising costs are expensed as incurred, except for cooperative advertising, which is accrued over the period the revenues are recognized, and sales materials, such as brochures and catalogs, which are accounted for as prepaid supplies and expensed over the period used. Advertising costs from continuing operations were $5.0 million, $4.7 million and $4.5 million for 2007, 2006 and 2005, respectively.

Research and Development. Expenditures for research and development are expensed as incurred and include costs of direct labor, indirect labor, materials and outside services. These costs were $6.5 million, $6.6 million and $6.2 million for 2007, 2006, and 2005, respectively.

Reclassifications. Certain amounts in the prior years' financial statements have been reclassified to conform to the current year presentation. Such reclassifications had no impact on previously reported net income or net stockholders' equity (deficit).

NOTE 2: DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS

Discontinued Forestry Division. On November 5, 2007, we sold our Forestry Division, which constituted the majority of our Industrial and Power Equipment segment, to Caterpillar Forest Products Inc., a subsidiary of Caterpillar Inc., for gross proceeds of $79.1 million. Under the terms of the related purchase agreement, $8.8 million of the gross proceeds are initially held in escrow for up to three years from the transaction date. We recognized a pretax gain of $26.0 million net of related transaction expenses on the sale in 2007. This division accounted for 32% of our 2005 consolidated sales, 26% of our 2006 consolidated sales and 21% of our consolidated sales for the first nine months of 2007. The Forestry Division is reported as discontinued operations for all periods presented. This division was headquartered in Zebulon, North Carolina and manufact ured and marketed timber harvesting and handling equipment and industrial tractors and loaders. The division had manufacturing facilities in Owatonna, Minnesota; Prentice, Wisconsin; and Söderhamn, Sweden. The sale included the

BLOUNT INTERNATIONAL, INC.
37



disposition of the Forestry Division's recorded goodwill in the amount of $22.9 million. The Company retained certain liabilities related to the business, as well as an idle manufacturing facility located in Menominee, Michigan. In December 2007, the land and building in Menominee, Michigan were sold for net cash proceeds of $0.5 million.

Discontinued Lawnmower Segment. On July 27, 2006, the Company sold certain of the assets and liabilities of Dixon Industries, Inc. ("Dixon") to Husqvarna Professional Outdoor Products, Inc. ("Husqvarna"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Husqvarna AB (Sweden). Dixon had previously been reported as the Company's Lawnmower Segment. The Company received gross proceeds of $33.1 million and recognized a pretax gain of $17.4 million net of related transaction expenses on the sale in 2006. The Lawnmower Segment is reported as discontinued operations for all periods presented. Dixon was located in Coffeyville, Kansas, and manufactured zero-turn radius riding lawnmowers and related attachments. The sale included the disposition of Dixon's recorded goodwill in the amount of $5.0 million. Certain liabilities of Dixon, as well as the land, building, building improvem ents, certain machinery and equipment and various other assets related to its Coffeyville, Kansas facility, were retained by the Company by merger of Dixon with and into 4520 Corp. Inc., an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company. The net property, plant and equipment associated with the discontinued operations of Dixon were carried at their estimated fair value and included in assets held for sale in the consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2006. The land and building were sold in September 2007 for net cash proceeds of $1.5 million.

Discontinued operations are summarized as follows:

    December 31,  
(Amounts in thousands)   2007   2006   2005  
Sales   $ 111,934     $ 196,826     $ 281,868    
Operating income (loss)     (195 )     2,689       29,319    
Gain on disposition of
net assets
    25,989       17,366          
Income before taxes from
discontinued operations
    25,794       20,055       29,319    
Income tax provision     15,080       10,154       10,918    
Income from discontinued
operations
  $ 10,714     $ 9,901     $ 18,401    

 

Included in the operating loss for 2007 are charges totaling $4.5 million for employee severance, employee benefits, transition and closure costs. Included in the operating income for 2006 are charges totaling $8.0 million for employee severance and benefits costs, impairment of assets and closure costs.

NOTE 3: INVENTORIES

Inventories consisted of the following:

    December 31,  
(Amounts in thousands)   2007   2006  
Raw materials and supplies   $ 9,297     $ 24,213    
Work in progress     14,701       14,034    
Finished Goods     46,275       39,586    
Total inventories   $ 70,273     $ 77,833    

 

As discussed in Note 2, the Company sold its Forestry Division business, including all related inventory, on November 5, 2007. The December 31, 2006 amounts in the preceding table include $20.9 million of inventories related to this discontinued operation.

NOTE 4: PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT

Property, plant and equipment consisted of the following:

    December 31,  
(Amounts in thousands)   2007   2006  
Land   $ 4,882     $ 5,399    
Buildings and improvements     51,251       62,090    
Machinery and equipment     186,076       187,735    
Furniture, fixtures and office
equipment
    28,419       35,412    
Transportation equipment     662       816    
Construction in progress     5,491       13,900    
Accumulated depreciation     (187,052 )     (205,687 )  
Total property, plant and
equipment, net
  $ 89,729     $ 99,665    

 

As discussed in Note 2, the Company sold its Forestry Division business, including all related property, plant and equipment, on November 5, 2007. The December 31, 2006 amounts in the preceding table include $10.6 million of property, plant and equipment, net, related to this discontinued operation.

NOTE 5: DEFERRED FINANCING COSTS

Deferred financing costs represent costs incurred in conjunction with the Company's debt financing activities and are amortized over the term of the related debt instruments. Deferred financing costs and the related amortization expense are adjusted when any pre-payments of principal are made to the related outstanding term loan. During the year ended December 31, 2007, the following occurred (see also note 7):

(Amounts in thousands)  
Balance at December 31, 2006   $14,574  
Financing costs deferred   700  
Write off during period due to prepayments
of principal
  (625)  
Amortization during period   (3,951)  
Balance at December 31, 2007   $10,698  

 

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38



Scheduled amortization, assuming no further prepayments of principal, is as follows:

(Amounts in thousands)   Estimated
Annual
Amortization
 
2008   $ 4,019    
2009     3,262    
2010     1,729    
2011     1,067    
2012 and beyond     621    
Total amortization   $ 10,698    

 

NOTE 6: ACCRUED EXPENSES

Accrued expenses consisted of the following:

    December 31,  
(Amounts in thousands)   2007   2006  
Salaries, wages and related withholdings   $ 26,455     $ 20,604    
Accrued interest     7,205       8,539    
Employee benefits     4,467       4,535    
Product liability     3,506       3,116    
Accrued customer incentives     2,277       7,166    
Accrued taxes     1,550       2,877    
Warranty reserve     160       3,269    
Other     11,827       12,034    
Total accrued expenses   $ 57,447     $ 62,140    

 

NOTE 7: DEBT AND FINANCING AGREEMENTS

Long-term debt consisted of the following:

    December 31,  
(Amounts in thousands)   2007   2006  
Revolving credit facility borrowings         $ 27,000    
Term loans   $ 122,000       148,875    
87/8% Senior subordinated notes     175,000       175,000    
Total debt     297,000       350,875    
Less current maturities     (1,242 )     (1,500 )  
Total long-term debt   $ 295,758     $ 349,375    

 

Minimum principal payments required are as follows:

(Amounts in thousands)   Payments      
2008   $ 1,242      
2009     1,242      
2010     119,516      
2011          
2012     175,000      
Total debt   $ 297,000      

 

The weighted average interest rate on outstanding debt as of December 31, 2007 was 8.11%. As of December 31, 2007 the Company did not have any material capital leases.

87/8% Senior Subordinated Notes. The Company has one registered debt security, the 87/8% senior subordinated notes. The interest rate on these notes is fixed until their maturity on August 1, 2012. These notes are i ssued by Blount, Inc. and are fully and unconditionally, jointly and severally, guaranteed by the Company and all of its domestic subsidiaries ("guarantor subsidiaries") other than Blount, Inc. All guarantor subsidiaries of these 87/8% senior subordinated notes are 100% owned, directly or indirectly, by the Company. While the Company and all of its domestic subsidiaries guarantee these 87/8% senior s ubordinated notes, none of Blount's existing foreign subsidiaries ("non-guarantor subsidiaries") guarantee these notes. See also Note 17.

Senior Credit Facilities. The Company, through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Blount, Inc., first entered into a credit agreement with General Electric Capital Corporation as Agent on May 15, 2003. The agreement was amended and restated on August 9, 2004, and has had several subsequent amendments. The senior credit facilities consist of a term loan facility and a revolving credit facility.

2006 Amendment to Credit Facilities. On March 23, 2006, the Company amended certain terms of the senior credit facilities. This amendment included the following changes:

<  Maximum availability under the revolving credit facility was increased from $100.0 million to $150.0 million;

<  Interest rates were reduced by 0.75% for the term loans and 1.00% for the revolving credit facility;

<  Certain financial covenants were modified, including increases to the amounts that may be paid for acquisitions, dividends and repurchase of Company stock, as well as modifications to certain financial ratio requirements; and

<  The Company incurred fees and third party costs of $0.7 million related to the amendment.

Immediately following the amendment, the Company completed the following transactions:

<  $82.1 million was borrowed under the revolving credit facility;

<  The total principal balance of $4.6 million was paid off on a Canadian term loan, and that loan was cancelled; and

<  $77.5 million in principal was paid against the term loans, leaving a balance of $150.0 million outstanding.

2007 Amendment to Credit Facilities. On November 5, 2007, the Company amended certain terms of the senior credit facilities. No changes were made to the interest rates, principal amounts, maturity dates or payment schedules of the debt or to the availability of credit under the agreement. This amendment included the following changes:

<  The agreement was modified to allow the Company to sell its Forestry Division on the same day as the effective date of the amendment;

BLOUNT INTERNATIONAL, INC.
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<  Certain covenants, terms and conditions were modified in the credit agreement, including an increased allowance for acquisitions, reduced reporting requirements and a reduction in the required senior leverage ratio; and

<  The Company incurred fees and third party costs of $0.7 million related to the amendment.

The revolving credit facility provides for total available borrowings up to $150.0 million, reduced by outstanding letters of credit and further restricted by a specific leverage ratio and first lien credit facilities leverage ratio. As of December 31, 2007, the Company had the ability to borrow an additional $140.9 million under the terms of the revolving credit agreement. The revolving credit facility bears interest at the LIBOR rate plus 1.75%, or at the prime rate, depending on the type of loan, and matures on August 9, 2009. Interest is payable monthly in arrears on any prime rate borrowing and at the individual maturity dates for any LIBOR-based borrowing. Any outstanding principal is due in its entirety on the maturity date.

The term loan facility bears interest at the LIBOR rate plus 1.75%, or at the prime rate, depending on the type of loan, and matures on August 9, 2010. The term loan facility requires quarterly payments of $0.3 million, with a final payment of $118.6 million due on the maturity date. Once repaid, principal under the term loan facility may not be re-borrowed by the Company.

The amended and restated senior credit facilities contain financial covenant calculations relating to maximum capital expenditures, minimum fixed charge coverage ratio, maximum leverage ratio and maximum first lien credit facilities leverage ratio. In addition, there are covenants relating, among other categories, to investments, loans and advances, indebtedness, and the sale of stock or assets. The Company was in compliance with all debt covenants as of December 31, 2007.

The amended and restated senior credit facilities may be prepaid at any time. There can also be additional mandatory repayment requirements related to the sale of Company assets, the issuance of stock under certain circumstances or upon the Company's annual generation of excess cash flow, as determined under the credit agreement.

Blount International, Inc. and all of its domestic subsidiaries other than Blount, Inc. guarantee Blount, Inc.'s obligations under the senior credit facilities. The obligations under the senior credit facilities are collateralized by a first priority security interest in substantially all of the assets of Blount, Inc. and its domestic subsidiaries, as well as a pledge of all of Blount, Inc.'s capital stock held by Blount International, Inc. and all of the stock of domestic subsidiaries held by Blount, Inc. Blount, Inc. has also pledged 65% of the stock of its non-domestic subsidiaries as additional collateral.

NOTE 8: INCOME TAXES

The provision (benefit) for income taxes was as follows:

    Year Ended December 31,  
(Amounts in thousands)   2007   2006   2005  
Current  
Federal   $ 15,155     $ 1,609     $ 3,478    
State     1,436       1,747       (2,671 )  
Foreign     1,511       7,520       11,109    
Deferred  
Federal     11,711       10,100       (30,622 )  
State     1,891       1,844       (5,653 )  
Foreign     (594 )     1,080       1,021    
Provision (benefit)
for income taxes
    31,110       23,900       (23,338 )  
The provision (benefit) is reported as follows:  
Continuing operations     16,030       13,746       (34,256 )  
Discontinued operations     15,080       10,154       10,918    
Provision (benefit)
for income taxes
  $ 31,110     $ 23,900     $ (23,338 )  

 

The Company also recorded the following deferred tax amounts directly to stockholders' equity (deficit):

    Year Ended December 31,  
(Amounts in thousands)   2007   2006   2005  
Pension liability
adjustment
  $ (2,896 )   $ 9,319     $ 1,338    
Change in unrealized
losses/gains
    785       91       101    
Stock options exercised     114       747       4,335    

 

Income from continuing operations before income taxes was as follows:

    Year Ended December 31,  
(Amounts in thousands)   2007   2006   2005  
Income before income taxes:  
Domestic   $ 33,943     $ 13,481     $ 19,750    
Foreign     14,230       32,910       34,208    
Total   $ 48,173     $ 46,391     $ 53,958    

 

A reconciliation of the provision (benefit) for income taxes from continuing operations to the amount computed by applying the statutory federal income tax rate to income

BLOUNT INTERNATIONAL, INC.
40



from continuing operations before income taxes was as follows:

    % of income (loss) before tax  
    2007   2006   2005  
Statutory tax rate     35.0 %     35.0 %     35.0 %  
Impact of earnings of
foreign operations
    (8.4 )     (6.1 )     (1.5 )  
Repatriation of foreign earnings     1.3       1.4       8.3    
Federal and state research tax credits     (0.2 )     (0.3 )     (4.1 )  
State income taxes, net of
federal tax benefit
    3.8       4.2       1.4    
Permanent differences     (0.9 )     (10.6 )        
Change in estimated contingencies     2.3       7.6       0.4    
Other     1.1       (0.5 )     (0.3 )  
Effective income tax rate
before valuation allowance
    34.0       30.7       39.2    
Valuation allowance     (0.7 )     (1.1 )     (102.7 )  
Effective income tax rate after
valuation allowance
    33.3 %     29.6 %     (63.5 )%  

 

The effective income tax rate increased in 2007 to 33.3%, from 29.6% in 2006, primarily due to the discontinued special deduction for U.S. export sales, partially offset by the domestic activities production deduction. The effective income tax rate increased in 2006 to 29.6%, from a negative 63.5% in 2005, primarily as a result of the reversal of a deferred tax asset valuation allowance in 2005, partially offset by additional tax expense recognized on repatriation of foreign earnings.

The components of deferred income tax assets (liabilities) applicable to temporary differences at December 31, 2007 and 2006 are as follows:

    December 31,  
(Amounts in thousands)   2007   2006  
Deferred tax assets:  
Employee benefits and compensation   $ 22,547     $ 27,608    
Other accrued expenses     4,282       10,673    
Net operating loss, capital loss
and credit carryforwards
    3,158       13,776    
Foreign     2,138       291    
Gross deferred tax assets     32,125       52,348    
Less valuation allowance     (2,318 )     (2,667 )  
Deferred tax assets net of
valuation allowance
    29,807       49,681    
Deferred tax liabilities:  
Property, plant and equipment
and intangible asset basis differences
    (8,603 )     (13,067 )  
Foreign     (533 )     (131 )  
Other     (819 )     (31 )  
Total deferred tax liabilities     (9,955 )     (13,229 )  
Net deferred tax asset   $ 19,852     $ 36,452    

 

In 2003, the Company recorded a valuation allowance against its deferred tax assets in the U.S. In 2005, the Company concluded that, except for a few specific deferred tax assets, it was more likely than not that the Company would realize the majority of these deferred tax assets. Factors supporting this change in expectations included:

<  The decrease in debt and interest expense resulting from refinancing transactions completed in 2004,

<  The 2005 early retirement of outstanding debt principal resulting in further reductions in expected interest expense,

<  Estimated use of a significant amount of deferred tax assets during 2005 resulting from increased U.S. taxable income, and

<  Expectations for continued U.S. taxable income over the next several years.

Therefore, the Company reversed the majority of the valuation allowance as of December 31, 2005. The remaining valuation allowances of $2.3 million and $2.7 million as of December 31, 2007 and 2006, respectively, pertain to certain tax credit and state NOL carryforwards, which are not expected to be realized before they expire.

As of December 31, 2007, the Company had no remaining U.S. NOL carryforwards but had state NOL carryforwards estimated at $30.3 million that expire at various dates from 2008 through 2024. Additionally, the Company has a foreign tax credit carryforward of approximately $1.7 million that expires in 2010. The Company also has state research and other tax credit carryforwards of approximately $0.2 million that expire at various dates from 2008 through 2021.

U.S. income taxes have not been provided on undistributed earnings of international subsidiaries. Management's intention is to reinvest these earnings indefinitely. As of December 31, 2007, undistributed earnings of international subsidiaries were $118.2 million. The American Jobs Creation Act of 2004, signed into law October 22, 2004 (the "Jobs Creation Act"), included a one-time election to deduct 85 percent of certain foreign earnings that are repatriated, as defined in the act. The Company repatriated $24.9 million of its undistributed earnings of foreign subsidiaries in 2005, under the provision of the Jobs Creation Act, and recorded incremental income taxes of $2.0 million on the dividend income recognized. Repatriation of foreign earnings in 2007 and 2006 pertained to current earnings of one foreign subsidiary.

The periods from 2001 through 2006 remain open for review by the Internal Revenue Service. In 2005, the Company entered into a Bilateral Advance Pricing Agreement (BAPA) negotiation with the Canada Revenue Agency ("CRA") and the Internal Revenue Service. This negotiation, now expected to take an additional six to twelve months to complete, is intended to eliminate taxation of the same profits by both governments. The Company is

BLOUNT INTERNATIONAL, INC.
41



pursuing the BAPA in order to bring certainty with respect to transfer pricing between the U.S. and Canada. The BAPA agreement will cover the years 2003 through 2008. For this reason, the Company released its reserve for contingency related to this matter in 2004.

A reconciliation of the beginning and ending amount of unrecognized tax benefits are as follows:

(Amounts in thousands)  
Balance at January 1, 2007   $27,264  
Decreases for tax positions taken during a prior period   (1,890)  
Increases for tax positions taken during the
current period
  2,650  
Settlements    
Statute of limitations expirations    
Balance at December 31, 2007   $28,024  

 

Unrecognized tax benefits are included in other assets and other liabilities on the consolidated balance sheets.

The Company recognizes interest and penalties related to uncertain tax positions in income tax expense. As of January 1, 2007 and December 31, 2007, the Company had recorded $2.8 million and $2.5 million of accrued interest and penalties related to uncertain tax positions, respectively.

The total amount of unrecognized tax benefits that would affect the Company's effective tax rate if recognized is $12.0 million as of December 31, 2007 and $11.2 million as of January 1, 2007. It is reasonably possible that unrecognized tax benefits could change significantly during 2008. The Company estimates that up to $0.8 million of unrecognized tax benefits could reverse during 2008.

NOTE 9: RETIREMENT PLANS

Funded Defined Benefit Pension Plans

The Company sponsors defined benefit pension plans covering substantially all of its employees in the U.S., Canada and Belgium. The changes in benefit obligations, plan assets and funded status of these plans for the years ended December 31, 2007 and 2006 were as follows:

    Pension Benefits  
(Amounts in thousands)   2007   2006  
Change in benefit obligations:  
Projected benefit obligations at
beginning of year
  $ (177,699 )   $ (184,910 )  
Service cost     (3,694 )     (6,545 )  
Interest cost     (10,085 )     (10,017 )  
Actuarial gains (losses)     (1,764 )     683    
Benefits and plan expenses paid     9,424       8,033    
Effect of amendment to U.S. plan           13,876    
Divestitures     (206 )     1,181    
Projected benefit obligations at
end of year
    (184,024 )     (177,699 )  
Change in plan assets:  
Fair value of plan assets at
beginning of year
    148,177       121,485    
Actual return on plan assets     18,478       16,310    
Company contributions     19,618       18,415    
Benefits and plan expenses paid     (9,424 )     (8,033 )  
Fair value of plan assets at
end of year
    176,849       148,177    
Net funded status at end of year   $ (7,175 )   $ (29,522 )  
Amounts recognized in the consolidated balance sheets:  
Non-current assets   $ 2,284          
Current liabilities              
Non-current liabilities     (9,459 )   $ (29,522 )  
Net liability recognized in
consolidated balance sheets
  $ (7,175 )   $ (29,522 )  

 

The accumulated benefit obligations for the above defined benefit pension plans at December 31, 2007 and 2006 totaled $163.4 million and $161.2 million, respectively.

The projected benefit payments for these plans over the next ten years are estimated as follows:

(Amounts in thousands)   Estimated
Benefit
Payments
 
2008   $ 8,872    
2009     8,321    
2010     8,978    
2011     10,790    
2012     10,373    
2013 – 2017     62,573    
Total estimated benefit payments   $ 109,907    

 

The Company expects to contribute approximately $3 million to $4 million to its funded pension plans in 2008.

Domestic Benefit Plans

The Company recorded pension curtailment charges of $0.2 million and $0.3 million, respectively, in discontinued operations in 2007 and 2006, representing the portion of unamortized prior service cost related to the former employees of the discontinued operations.

As of December 31, 2006, the Company implemented a redesign of its U.S. defined benefit pension plan and the associated nonqualified plan. As of January 1, 2007, employees who currently participate in the plans ceased accruing benefits and new employees are not eligible to participate. All retirement benefits accrued up to the time of the freeze were preserved.

Accordingly, the Company recorded a pension curtailment charge of $3.2 million in 2006 that represented the immediate recognition of the unamortized prior service cost for U.S. employees. The Company also incurred a total of approximately $0.5 million for related fees and costs associated with the changes to its retirement plans.

BLOUNT INTERNATIONAL, INC.
42



Unfunded Supplemental Non-Qualified Plans

The Company sponsors various supplemental non-qualified pension plans covering certain employees and former employees in the U.S. A rabbi trust, whose assets are not included in the table below, has been established to fund a portion of these non-qualified benefits, as well as certain other executive benefits. At December 31, 2007 and 2006, approximately $0.3 million and $1.1 million, respectively, were held in this trust, and this amount is included in other assets in the Consolidated Balance Sheets. The changes in benefit obligations, plan assets and funded status of these plans for the years ended December 31, 2007 and 2006 were as follows:

    Unfunded
Retirement Plans
 
(Amounts in thousands)   2007   2006  
Change in Benefit Obligations:  
Projected benefit obligations at
beginning of year
  $ (5,448 )   $ (6,655 )  
Service cost     (67 )     (84 )  
Interest cost     (310 )     (298 )  
Actuarial gains (losses)     47       917    
Benefits and plan expenses paid     464       464    
Effect of amendment to U.S. plan           208    
Projected benefit obligations at
end of year
    (5,314 )     (5,448 )  
Net funded status at end of year   $ (5,314 )   $ (5,448 )  
Amounts recognized in the consolidated balance sheets:  
Current liabilities   $ (450 )   $ (451 )  
Non-current liabilities     (4,864 )     (4,997 )  
Net liability recognized in
consolidated balance sheets
  $ (5,314 )   $ (5,448 )  

 

The Company accounts for its defined benefit pension plans in accordance with FAS No. 87, "Employers' Accounting for Pensions ("FAS No. 87") and FAS No. 158, "Employers Accounting for Defined Benefit Pension and Other Postretirement Plans" ("FAS No. 158"). FAS No. 158 was effective December 31, 2006 and requires the recognition of the funded status of the pension benefit plans in the Company's statement of financial position. The implementation of FAS No. 158 on December 31, 2006 resulted in an $8.5 million charge to accumulated other comprehensive income. As of December 31, 2007 and 2006, the net obligation for the Company's pension plans is included in employee benefit obligations on the consolidated balance sheets.

Periodic Benefit Costs and Other Comprehensive Income

The components of net periodic benefit cost and other comprehensive income and the weighted average assumptions used in accounting for funded and unfunded pension benefits follow:

    Pension Benefits
Year Ended December 31,
 
(Amounts in thousands)   2007   2006   2005  
Components of net periodic benefit cost:  
Service cost   $ 3,761     $ 6,629     $ 5,812    
Interest cost     10,395       10,315       9,540    
Expected return on plan assets     (13,297 )     (11,776 )     (9,580 )  
Amortization of actuarial losses     1,411       2,398       2,587    
Amortization of prior
service cost
    (10 )     195       373    
Net curtailment loss, including
discontinued operations
    206       3,570          
Total net periodic
benefit cost
  $ 2,466     $ 11,331     $ 8,732    
Other changes in benefit obligations recognized in
other comprehensive income:
 
Actuarial gains (losses)     n/a       n/a       7,428    
Total net periodic benefit
cost and other
comprehensive income
    n/a       n/a     $ 16,160    
Amount recognized in accumulated other
comprehensive income:
 
Actuarial (gains) losses   $ (5,909 )   $ 34,613       n/a    
Prior service cost     10       (46 )     n/a    
Total recognized in
accumulated other
comprehensive income
  $ (5,899 )   $ 34,567       n/a    
Weighted average assumptions:  
Discount rate used to
determine net periodic
benefit cost
    5.7 %     5.5 %     5.9 %  
Discount rate used to
determine year end
benefit obligations
    6.0 %     5.7 %     5.5 %  
Expected return on plan assets     8.5 %     8.9 %     8.9 %  
Rate of compensation increase     3.5 %     3.5 %     3.5 %  

 

The Company annually evaluates and selects the discount rates to be used for its pension plans. Consideration is given to relevant indices for high quality fixed rate debt securities, as well as comparable rates for high quality corporate bonds with terms comparable to the projected cash flows for our respective plans, as of the measurement date. The expected long-term rate of return on these assets was chosen from the range of likely results of compound average annual returns based on the current investment policies. The expected return and volatility for each asset class was based on historical equity, bond and cash returns over a twenty year time horizon. While this approach gives appropriate consideration to recent fund performance and historical returns, the assumption is primarily a long-term, prospective rate.

BLOUNT INTERNATIONAL, INC.
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The Company maintains target allocation percentages among various asset classes based on investment policies established for these plans. The target allocation is designed to achieve long term objectives of return, while mitigating against downside risk and considering expected cash flows. The weighted-average target allocation for 2007 is equity securities 62%, debt securities 37% and other 1%. The weighted-average allocation for both 2006 and 2005 was as follows: equity securities 64%, debt securities 35% and other 1%.

The amounts in accumulated other comprehensive income expected to be recognized as components of net periodic benefit cost in 2007 are actuarial losses of $1.0 million and prior service costs of $6 thousand.

Defined Contribution Plan

The Company also sponsors a defined contribution 401(k) plan covering substantially all U.S. employees and matches a portion of employee contributions. The expense for the match was $2.6 million, $2.7 million and $2.7 million in 2007, 2006 and 2005, respectively.

The Company's defined contribution 401(k) plan was amended in August, 2006 to provide an additional annual Company contribution, effective January 1, 2007, of 3%, 4% or 5% of base compensation, depending upon the participant's years of service. The new contribution will be made whether or not the employee contributes to the plan. The first annual contribution, totaling $2.8 million, was made in early 2008.

NOTE 10: OTHER POST-RETIREMENT BENEFIT PLANS

The Company sponsors various unfunded supplemental retirement and post-retirement medical programs covering many of its current and former employees. The changes in benefit obligations, plan assets and funded status of these plans for the years ended December 31, 2007 and 2006, were as follows:

    Other Post-Retirement
Benefits
 
(Amounts in thousands)   2007   2006  
Change in benefit obligations:  
Projected benefit obligations at
beginning of year
  $ (33,805 )   $ (42,750 )  
Service cost     (358 )     (376 )  
Interest cost     (2,082 )     (1,840 )  
Participant contributions     (1,295 )     (1,436 )  
Actuarial gains (losses)     (5,019 )     9,036    
Benefits and plan expenses paid     4,184       3,561    
Divestitures     2,399          
Projected benefit obligations at
end of year
    (35,976 )     (33,805 )  
Change in plan assets:  
Fair value of plan assets at
beginning of year
    111       309    
Actual return on plan assets     1       8    
Company contributions     2,776       1,919    
Participant contributions     1,295       1,436    
Benefits and plan expenses paid     (4,183 )     (3,561 )  
Fair value of plan assets at
end of year
          111    
Net funded status at end of year   $ (35,976 )   $ (33,694 )  
Amounts recognized in the consolidated balance sheets:  
Current liabilities   $ (2,779 )   $ (2,225 )  
Non-current liabilities     (33,197 )     (31,469 )  
Net liability recognized in
consolidated balance sheets
  $ (35,976 )   $ (33,694 )  

 

The projected benefit payments for these plans, net of the estimated Medicare Part D subsidy expected to be received by the Company, over the next ten years are estimated as follows:

(Amounts in thousands)   Estimated
Gross
Benefit
Payments
  Estimated
Medicare
Part D
Subsidy
  Estimated
Net Benefit
Payments
 
2008   $ 3,150     $ 286     $ 2,864    
2009     3,106       312       2,794    
2010     3,161       333       2,828    
2011     3,177       353       2,824    
2012     3,172       370       2,802    
2013 – 2017     15,490       1,977       13,513    
Total estimated
benefit payments
  $ 31,256     $ 3,631     $ 27,625    

 

The Company expects to meet funding requirements for its post-retirement medical plans on a pay-as-you-go basis during 2008.

The Company accounts for post-retirement medical plans in accordance with FAS No. 106, "Employers' Accounting for Postretirement Benefits Other Than Pensions" ("FAS No. 106") and FAS No. 158. The Company adopted FAS No. 158 effective December 31, 2006. FAS No. 158 requires the recognition of the funded status of other post-retirement benefit plans in the Company's statement of financial position. The implementation of FAS No. 158 on December 31, 2006 resulted in a $3.8 million charge to accumulated other comprehensive income. As of December 31, 2007 and 2006, the obligation for the other postretirement benefit plans has been reported in employee benefit obligations in the consolidated balance sheets.

Periodic Benefit Costs and Other Comprehensive Income

The components of net periodic benefit cost and other comprehensive income and the weighted average

BLOUNT INTERNATIONAL, INC.
44



assumptions used in accounting for other post-retirement benefits follow:

    Other Post-Retirement Benefits
Year Ended December 31,
 
(Amounts in thousands)   2007   2006   2005  
Components of net periodic benefit cost:  
Service cost   $ 358     $ 376     $ 449    
Interest cost     2,082       1,840       2,287    
Expected return on plan assets           (16 )     (44 )  
Amortization of actuarial losses     932       742       1,327    
Amortization of prior
service cost
    8       9       9    
Curtailment cost     3                
Total net periodic
benefit cost
  $ 3,383     $ 2,951     $ 4,028    
Amount recognized in accumulated other
comprehensive income:
 
Actuarial losses   $ 1,675     $ 10,843          
Prior service cost           18          
Total recognized in
accumulated other
comprehensive income
  $ 1,675     $ 10,861       n/a    
Weighted average assumptions:  
Discount rate used to
determine net periodic
benefit cost
    5.8 %     5.5 %     5.8 %  
Discount rate used to
determine year end
benefit obligations
    6.3 %     5.8 %     5.5 %  
Expected return on plan assets     2.0 %     9.0 %     9.0 %  

 

The amounts in accumulated other comprehensive income expected to be recognized as components of net periodic benefit cost in 2007 are actuarial losses of $0.9 million and prior service costs of $6 thousand.

The Company annually evaluates and selects the discount rates to be used for these plans. Consideration is given to relevant indices for high quality fixed rate debt securities, and to specific debt securities with maturity dates similar to the expected timing of cash outflows for the plans as of the measurement date. The annual rate of increase in the cost of health care benefits was assumed to be 9% in 2005, 8% in 2006 and 10% in 2007, declining by 1.0% per year until 5.0% is reached. A 1% change in assumed health care cost trend rates would have had the following effects for 2007:

(Amounts in thousands)   1% Increase   1% Decrease  
Effect on service and
interest cost components
  $ 336     $ (199 )  
Effect on other post-retirement
benefit obligations
    3,233       (2,679 )  

 

NOTE 11: COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENT LIABILITIES

The Company leases office space and equipment under operating leases expiring in one to 13 years. Most leases include renewal options and some contain purchase options and escalation clauses. Future minimum rental commitments required under operating leases having initial or remaining non-cancelable lease terms in excess of one year as of December 31, 2007, are as follows: 2008: $1.1 million; 2009: $0.9 million; 2010: $0.9 million; 2011: $0.5 million; 2012 $0.3 million; 2013 and beyond: $1.5 million. Rentals charged to costs and expenses for continuing operations under cancelable and non-cancelable lease arrangements were $2.0 million, $2.5 million and $2.0 million in 2007, 2006 and 2005, respectively.

Certain customers of the discontinued operations financed their purchases through third party financing companies. Under the terms of these financing arrangements, the Company may be required to repurchase certain equipment from the finance companies, or reimburse them for any financial loss incurred, should a customer default on payment. The aggregate remaining repurchase or reimbursement obligation outstanding under the agreements as of December 31, 2007 is $0.8 million. These arrangements have not had a material adverse effect on the Company's operating results or cash flows in the past. The Company does not expect to incur any material charges related to these agreements in future periods based on past experience and the assumption that any repurchased equipment would most likely be resold for approximately the same value.

Guarantees and other commercial commitments are as follows:

(Amounts in thousands)   December 31, 2007  
Product warranty   $ 160    
Letters of credit outstanding     4,800    
Total guarantees and
other commercial commitments 
from continuing operations
    4,960    
Third party financing projections
of discontinued operations (1)
    804    
Total guarantees and
other commercial commitments
  $ 5,764    

 

(1) Applicable to the third party financing agreements for customer equipment purchases.

In addition to these amounts, Blount International also guarantees certain debt of its subsidiaries (see Notes 7 and 18).

BLOUNT INTERNATIONAL, INC.
45



Changes in the warranty reserve were as follows:

    Year Ended December 31,  
(Amounts in thousands)   2007   2006   2005  
Balance at beginning of period   $ 3,269     $ 4,888     $ 4,926    
Warranty reserve related to
discontinued operations
    (2,496 )     (976 )        
Accrued warranty expense     1,536       2,778       4,125    
Payments made (in cash or
in-kind)
    (2,149 )     (3,421 )     (4,163 )  
Balance at end of period   $ 160     $ 3,269     $ 4,888    

 

The warranty reserve is included in accrued expenses on the consolidated balance sheet. The warranty reserve related to discontinued operations in 2007 was assumed by Caterpillar as part of the sale of the Forestry Division, and in 2006 was assumed by Husqvarna as part of the sale of Dixon Industries (see Note 2).

Other guarantees and claims arise during the ordinary course of business from relationships with suppliers and customers when we undertake an obligation to guarantee the performance of others if specified triggering events occur. Nonperformance of a contract could trigger an obligation of the Company. In addition, certain guarantees relate to contractual indemnification provisions in connection with transactions involving the purchase or sale of stock or assets. These claims include actions based upon intellectual property, environmental, product liability and other indemnification matters. The ultimate effect on future financial results is not subject to reasonable estimation because considerable uncertainty exists as to the occurrence or, if triggered, final outcome of these claims. However, while the ultimate liabilities resulting from such claims may be potentially significant to results of operations in the period recognize d, management does not anticipate they will have a material adverse effect on the Company's consolidated financial position or liquidity.

The Company reserves for product liability, environmental remediation and other legal matters as management becomes aware of such matters. A portion of these claims or lawsuits may be covered by insurance policies that generally contain both deductible and coverage limits. Management monitors the progress of each legal matter to ensure that the appropriate reserve for its obligation has been recognized and disclosed in the financial statements. Management also monitors trends in case types to determine if there are any specific issues that relate to the Company that may result in additional future exposure on an aggregate basis. As of December 31, 2007 and December 31, 2006, management believes the Company has appropriately recorded and disclosed all material costs for its obligations in regard to known matters. Management believes that the recoverability of the costs of claims from insurance companies will continue in the futur e. Management periodically assesses these insurance companies to monitor their ability to pay such claims.

The Company was named a potentially liable person ("PLP") by the Washington State Department of Ecology ("WDOE") in connection with the Pasco Sanitary Landfill Site ("Site"). This Site has been monitored by WDOE since 1988. From available records, the Company believes that it sent 26 drums of chromic hydroxide sludge in a non-toxic, trivalent state to the Site. The Company further believes that the Site contains more than 50,000 drums in total and millions of gallons of additional wastes, some potentially highly toxic in nature. Accordingly, based both on volume and on the nature of the waste, the Company believes that it is a de minimis contributor.

The current on-site monitoring program is being conducted and funded by certain PLPs, excluding the Company and several other PLPs, under the supervision of WDOE. During 2007, WDOE requested that the participating PLPs conduct further study and prepare a new "scope of work." It is likely that such new scope of work, once proposed by the participating PLPs and approved by WDOE, will result in additional work and costs in the future. The Company may or may not be required to contribute to the cost of this new or any subsequent studies or remediation, if any. The Company is unable to estimate such costs, or the likelihood of being assessed any portion thereof. As of December 31, 2007 and 2006, the Company had accrued $0.1 million for the potential costs of any clean-up at the Site. The Company incurred no costs during the years ended December 31, 2007, 2006 and 2005 in connection with the remediation efforts at the Site.

On September 12, 2003, the Company received a General Notice Letter as a Potentially Responsible De Minimis Party from Region IX of the EPA regarding the Operating Industries, Inc. Superfund Site in Monterey Park, California. The notice stated that the EPA would submit an offer to settle and an explanation as to why it believes the Company or a predecessor unit is a de minimis participant at the site. The Company was subsequently informed by the EPA that its report would be delayed, and on September 17, 2004, was notified of further delay in the process. The EPA has indicated that its de minimis settlement offer will be based on volume of waste at a uniform per gallon price among all de minimis parties. The site was operated as a landfill from 1948 to 1984, and received wastes from over 4,000 generators. At the present time, the Company has no knowledge as to which of its units, if any, was involved at the site, or the amounts, if any, that were sent there. However, based upon its current knowledge of the site, and its alleged status as a Potentially Responsible De Minimis Party, the Company does not believe that any settlement or participation in any remediation will have a materially adverse effect on its consolidated financial position, operating results or cash flows. The Company has received no further notice or explanation from Region IX of the EPA as of December 31, 2007.

BLOUNT INTERNATIONAL, INC.
46



On June 30, 2005, the Company was served with a "notice of meeting" on behalf of Williams Control, Inc. ("WCI") in connection with WCI's agreement with the State of Oregon Department of Environmental Quality ("DEQ") to enter into the voluntary cleanup program (the "Program") relating to WCI's facility located near Portland, Oregon (the "WCI Site"). The notice alleged that Blount, Inc. was responsible for some portion of any required cleanup or remediation related to the Program as a successor in interest to Omark Industries, Inc. ("Omark") through Omark's alleged operations at the WCI Site from 1968 through 1973. The Company is aware that other prior operators of the business, including the entity from which WCI purchased the business, Dana Corporation ("Dana"), and the landowner of the WCI Site, were also served with the notice. WCI alleged that a plume of chlorinated solvents, primarily TCE, is contained in groundwater at the Site and has migrated onto neighboring properties.

In late 2007, the Company, WCI and Dana reached a settlement apportioning the estimated costs of remediation among the three parties. The bankruptcy court with jurisdiction over Dana's estate approved the settlement and, in consideration of a release from WCI and other consideration, the Company reached final settlement by payment of an amount that was, after taking into account the reserve established for this matter, not material. Subsequently, the Company was reimbursed by insurance for much of this settlement amount and the related fees.

The Company is a defendant in a number of product liability lawsuits, some of which seek significant or unspecified damages, involving serious personal injuries for which there are retentions or deductible amounts under the Company's insurance policies. In addition, the Company is a party to a number of other suits arising out of the normal course of its business, including suits concerning commercial contracts, employee matters and intellectual property rights. In some instances the Company is the plaintiff, and is seeking recovery of damages. In others, the Company is a defendant against whom damages are being sought. While there can be no assurance as to their ultimate outcome, management does not believe these lawsuits will have a material adverse effect on the Company's consolidated financial position, operating results or cash flows. The Company recognized $0.7 million and $2.3 million of other income related to legal sett lements in 2006 and 2005, respectively.

The Company accrues, by a charge to income, an amount representing management's best estimate of the undiscounted probable loss related to any matter deemed by management and its counsel as a reasonably probable loss contingency in light of all of the then known circumstances. The Company does not accrue a charge to income for a matter deemed by management and its counsel to be a reasonably possible loss contingency in light of all of the current circumstances.

NOTE 12: CAPITAL STOCK AND EARNINGS PER SHARE DATA

The number of shares used in the denominators of the basic and diluted income per share computations was as follows:

Weighted Average Common Shares   Year Ended December 31,  
(In thousands)   2007   2006   2005  
Shares for basic income
per share computation –
weighted average common
shares outstanding
    47,280       47,145       46,094    
Dilutive effect of stock
options, stock appreciation
rights and warrants
    798       723       1,441    
Shares for diluted income
per share computation
    48,078       47,868       47,535    
Options and stock appreciation
rights excluded from
computation as anti-dilutive
    1,676       1,687       13    

 

No adjustment was required to reported amounts for inclusion in the numerators of the per share computations.

In June 2005, the Company and certain of its stockholders sold 7,500,000 shares of the Company's common stock in a public offering. The Company retained cumulative net proceeds of $10 thousand for the following transactions:

<  Lehman Brothers and certain affiliates sold 6,117,620 shares of the Company's common stock. The Company did not receive any proceeds from this sale. As of December 31, 2007, Lehman Brothers held 8,918,999 shares of the Company's common stock.

<  The Company issued 382,380 shares of common stock and received net proceeds of $6.1 million.

<  The Company purchased 382,380 shares of common stock from certain stockholders for $6.1 million. These shares are held as treasury stock. The Company has accounted for the treasury stock as constructively retired in the consolidated financial statements.

<  Warrants for 1,000,000 shares of common stock were exercised at $0.01 a share with net proceeds of $10 thousand received by the Company.

NOTE 13: STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION

Effective January 1, 2006, the Company adopted FAS No. 123(R), "Share-Based Payment" ("FAS No. 123(R)"). FAS No. 123(R) requires all share-based compensation to employees, directors and others who perform services for the Company to be valued at fair value on the date of grant and to be expensed over the applicable service period. Under FAS No. 123(R), pro forma disclosure of the income statement effects of share-based compensation is no longer an alternative to expense recognition. The adoption of FAS No. 123(R) resulted in a reduction in income before taxes of $3.3 million and a reduction in income from continuing operations and net income of $2.1 million in the year ended December 31, 2006. The adoption of FAS 123(R)

BLOUNT INTERNATIONAL, INC.
47



reduced basic and diluted earnings per share by $0.04 for the year ended December 31, 2006. Under the modified prospective application method, the results for prior periods have not been restated.

Under the Company's 1999 Stock Incentive Plan and 2000 Stock Incentive Plan, options to purchase the Company's common stock, and, by amendment, stock appreciation rights ("SARs") could be granted to employees, directors and other persons who perform services for the Company. Such options could be either incentive stock options or non-qualified stock options. Options and SARs generally vested in equal installments over a three year period and expire ten years from the date of grant. The number of shares that could have been issued under these two plans could not exceed an aggregate of 5,875,000 shares.

On April 25, 2006, the Company's stockholders approved the Blount International, Inc. 2006 Equity Incentive Plan (the "2006 Plan") and the 1999 and 2000 plans were replaced at that time. The 2006 Plan provides for substantially similar terms and conditions of stock-based awards to the predecessor plans, but also provides for the use of restricted stock awards, restricted stock unit grants and other forms of equity instruments. The maximum number of shares that may be awarded under the 2006 Plan is 4,236,919, of which 736,919 represent shares that remained unused under the 1999 and 2000 plans that were transferred to the 2006 Plan. The maximum number of incentive stock options that may be issued under the 2006 Plan is 1,750,000. Outstanding stock-based awards issued under the 1999 and 2000 plans remain unaffected by the adoption of the 2006 Plan.

The fair value of options and SARs was estimated on their respective grant dates using the Black-Scholes option valuation model. The estimated average life of SARs granted in 2006 and 2007 was derived from the "simplified" method described in SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 107 ("SAB 107"). The expected average life for options granted in 2005 was based on historical data and management estimate. The risk-free interest rate is based on the implied yield available on U.S. Treasury zero-coupon issues with the remaining term equal to the average life. The expected volatility factors used are based on the historical volatility of the Company's stock. The expected dividend yield is based on historical information and management estimate. Beginning in 2006, the expense recognized for each stock award is reduced by an estimated forfeiture rate of 5.6%. The estimated forfeiture rate is based on the historical forfeiture rate, and will be adjusted to the actual forfeiture rate over the life of the stock awards accounted for under FAS No. 123(R).

The following assumptions were used to estimate fair value of stock options and SARs:

    Year Ended December 31,  
    2007   2006   2005  
Estimated average lives     6 years       6 years       5 years    
Risk-free interest rate     4.5 %     4.6 %     3.8 %  
Expected volatility     29.1 %-29.5%     26.7 %     43.0 %-43.9%  
Weighted average volatility     29.3 %     26.7 %     43.3 %  
Dividend yield     0.0 %     0.0 %     0.0 %  
Weighted average grant date fair value   $ 4.50     $ 6.09     $ 7.22    

 

A summary of stock option and stock-settled SARs activity for the year December 31, 2007 is presented in the following table:

    Year Ended December 31, 2007  
    Shares
(in '000's)
 
Weighted
Average
Exercise Price
  Weighted
Average
Contractual
Life
  Aggregate
Intrinsic
Value
(in '000's)
 
Outstanding options and SARs at beginning of period     3,146     $ 11.00                
SARs granted     380       11.82                
Options exercised     (49 )     4.31              
Options forfeited     (31 )     15.40                
SARs forfeited     (124 )     14.57                
Outstanding options and SARs at end of period     3,322       11.01       5.4     $ 10,569    
Outstanding options at end of period     2,455       9.64       4.2       10,408    
Outstanding SARs at end of period     867       14.91       8.5       161    
Options exercisable at end of period     2,451       9.63       4.2       10,408    
SARs exercisable at end of period     193       16.76       8.1          

 

BLOUNT INTERNATIONAL, INC.
48



    Year Ended December 31,  
(Amounts in thousands)   2007   2006   2005  
Intrinsic value of options exercised   $ 436     $ 2,410     $ 2,123    
Estimated fair value of options and SARs that vested     2,310       1,357       1,200    
Share-based compensation cost recognized in income     3,589       3,253       67    
Total tax benefit related to share-based compensation recognized     1,168       1,179       11    
Total amount of cash received from options exercised     210       993       12,994    
Tax benefit realized from options exercised     114       747          
Cash used to settle equity instruments                    

 

As of December 31, 2007, the total compensation cost related to awards not yet recognized was $1.7 million. The weighted-average period over which this expense is expected to be recognized is one year. The Company's policy upon the exercise of options or SARs has been to issue new shares into the market place.

Under certain conditions, stock options, SARs, restricted stock and restricted stock units ("RSUs") granted by the Company are eligible for continued vesting upon a qualified retirement of the employee. FAS No. 123(R) clarifies that the fair value of such stock-based compensation should be expensed based on an accelerated service period, or immediately, rather than ratably over the vesting period stated in the grant, for employees who are eligible for a qualified retirement prior to the completion of the vesting period. Prior to the adoption of FAS No. 123(R), the Company's pro forma disclosure reflected the expense of such options ratably over the stated vesting period. The SEC has recently clarified that companies should continue to follow the expense amortization method that they have been using for pro forma disclosure prior to adoption of FAS No. 123(R), and then apply the accelerated amortization schedule to all subsequent grants to those employees that became eligible for a qualified retirement within the vesting period. Had the Company been accounting for such stock options using the accelerated amortization schedule for those employees that were eligible for such a retirement or became eligible for such a retirement within the vesting period, the effect on stock-based compensation expense in the pro forma disclosure for the year ended December 31, 2005 would not have been material. The effect of applying accelerated amortization of expense recognized for those employees who were eligible or became eligible for a qualified retirement within the vesting period during the year ended December 31, 2006 was an increase of $0.8 million and an increase of $0.3 million during the year ended December 31, 2007.

The following table shows the effect on net earnings and earnings per share had compensation cost been recognized based upon the fair value at the grant dates in accordance with FAS No. 123 and FAS No. 148 "Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation—Transition and Disclosure—an Amendment of FASB Statement No. 123."

(Amounts in thousands, except per share amounts)   Year Ended December 31, 2005  
Net income as reported   $ 106,615    
Add: stock-based employee compensation cost, net of tax,
included in the reported results
    56    
Deduct: total stock-based employee compensation cost, net of tax,
that would have been included in net income under fair value method
    (776 )  
Pro forma net income   $ 105,895    
Basic earnings per share as reported   $ 2.31    
Pro forma basic earnings per share     2.30    
Diluted earnings per share as reported     2.24    
Pro forma diluted earnings per share     2.23    

 

Restricted Stock Awards. On August 24, 2006, the Company awarded 35,256 shares of restricted stock to an executive officer. The restricted stock had a fair value of $0.3 million on the grant date and vests two thirds after two years and one third after three years from the grant date. This award resulted in the immediate recognition of $0.3 million in compensation expense on the grant date because the executive officer was eligible for a qualified retirement on the grant date.

On March 1, 2007, the Company awarded 45,000 shares of restricted stock and 136,000 RSUs under its 2006 equity compensation plan. The restricted stock and RSUs had a fair value of $2.1 million on the grant date and generally vest over a three year period. The Company recognized $1.7 million of expense related to these stock awards in 2007. The effect of applying accelerated amortization of expense on these stock awards for those employees that were retirement eligible or become retirement eligible prior to the completion of the vesting period was an increase of $1.1 million in 2007.

Tax Benefits. The Company has elected to use the transition short-cut method to determine its pool of windfall tax

BLOUNT INTERNATIONAL, INC.
49



benefits in accordance with FAS No. 123(R). Tax attributes are determined under the tax law ordering method.

NOTE 14: SEGMENT INFORMATION

The Company identifies operating segments primarily based on management responsibility. The Company has one operating and reportable segment: Outdoor Products. The corporate and other category includes centralized administrative functions and a gear components manufacturing business. See also Note 2 regarding the disposition of the primary operating unit making up the Company's former Industrial and Power Equipment segment, and the disposition of the former Lawnmower segment. Outdoor Products manufactures and markets cutting chain, bars, sprockets and accessories for chainsaw use, concrete-cutting equipment, lawnmower blades and accessories for yard care equipment.

The accounting policies of the segment are the same as those described in the summary of significant accounting policies.

    Year Ended December 31,  
(Amounts in thousands)   2007   2006   2005  
Sales:  
Outdoor Products   $ 486,739     $ 455,009     $ 452,334    
Corporate and other     28,796       32,485       26,495    
Total sales   $ 515,535     $ 487,494     $ 478,829    
Operating income (expense):  
Outdoor Products   $ 95,932     $ 97,805     $ 105,536    
Corporate and other     (15,232 )     (17,345 )     (13,908 )  
Total operating income   $ 80,700     $ 80,460     $ 91,628    
Depreciation and amortization:  
Outdoor Products   $ 16,796     $ 14,212     $ 12,459    
Corporate and other     4,796       4,575       4,185    
Total depreciation and amortization     21,592       18,787       16,644    
Other non-cash charges     3,223       5,807       67    
Total depreciation, amortization and other non-cash charges   $ 24,815     $ 24,594     $ 16,711    
Capital expenditures:  
Outdoor Products   $ 17,155     $ 20,630     $ 16,423    
Corporate and other     1,362       1,023       884    
Total capital expenditures   $ 18,517     $ 21,653     $ 17,307    
Sales by major product line:  
Chainsaw components and accessories   $ 381,839     $ 360,332     $ 357,318    
Outdoor equipment parts and accessories     74,276       64,856       67,995    
All others, less than 10% each     59,420       62,306       53,516    
Total sales   $ 515,535     $ 487,494     $ 478,829    
Sales by geographic region:  
United States   $ 185,793     $ 186,512     $ 188,731    
European Union     160,375       143,838       137,569    
Brazil     24,735       20,659       22,383    
Russian Federation     18,426       14,403       14,349    
Canada     17,526       18,199       20,946    
All others, less than 3% each     108,680       103,883       94,851    
Total sales   $ 515,535     $ 487,494     $ 478,829    

 

The geographic sales information is by country of destination. One customer, Husqvarna AB, accounted for approximately 14% of sales in 2007, 2006 and 2005. While we expect this business relationship to continue, the loss of this customer could significantly affect our operations.

BLOUNT INTERNATIONAL, INC.
50



    December 31,  
(Amounts in thousands)   2007   2006  
Identifiable assets:  
Outdoor Products   $ 316,834     $ 285,917    
Corporate and other     84,163       77,267    
Total assets from continuing operations     400,997       363,184    
Discontinued operations     10,952       67,282    
Total assets   $ 411,949     $ 430,466    
Goodwill:  
Outdoor Products   $ 43,819     $ 43,819    
Corporate and other     5,165       5,165    
Discontinued operations           22,908    
Total goodwill   $ 48,984     $ 71,892    
Property, plant and equipment, net:  
United States   $ 41,673     $ 51,805    
Canada     18,240       21,446    
China     15,310       11,507    
Brazil     11,201       11,951    
European Union     2,970       2,685    
All others, less than 1% each     335       271    
Total property, plant and equipment, net   $ 89,729     $ 99,665    

 

Property, plant and equipment is shown net of accumulated depreciation. Each of our business units purchases certain important materials from a limited number of suppliers that meet quality criteria. Although alternative sources of supply are available, the sudden elimination of certain suppliers could result in manufacturing delays, a reduction in product quality and a possible loss of sales in the near term.

NOTE 15: RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

Lehman Brothers and its affiliates maintained a controlling ownership interest in the Company until December 2004. Following a public offering of the Company's stock by the Company in August 2004, a secondary public offering of the Company's stock by Lehman Brothers in December 2004, and a secondary public offering of the Company's stock by Lehman Brothers in June 2005, Lehman Brothers and its affiliates owned approximately 19% of the Company's outstanding common stock as of December 31, 2007 and 2006.

In March 2005, $3.2 million was paid to Lehman Brothers for previously accrued advisory fees relating to the 2004 Refinancing Transactions. In May 2005, Lehman Brothers paid $0.3 million for previously accrued costs incurred by the Company in conjunction with the secondary public offering that occurred in December 2004. In June 2005, as part of a secondary stock offering, the Company incurred $0.1 million in expenses, which were reimbursed by Lehman Brothers in October 2005.

NOTE 16: SUPPLEMENTAL CASH FLOW INFORMATION

    Year Ended December 31,  
(Amounts in thousands)   2007   2006   2005  
Interest paid   $ 31,264     $ 33,044     $ 31,337    
Income taxes paid, net     20,753       9,873       14,255    

 

NOTE 17: FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS AND CREDIT RISK CONCENTRATION

The Company has manufacturing or distribution operations in Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Europe, Japan, Russia and the U.S. The Company sells to customers in these locations and other countries throughout the world. At December 31, 2007, approximately 32.8% of trade accounts receivable were from customers within the U.S. One customer accounted for 10.3% and 10.8% at December 31, 2007 and 2006, respectively, of the accounts receivable balance. No other customers accounted for 3% or more of accounts receivable at December 31, 2007 or 2006. Accounts receivable are principally from service and dealer groups, distributors, mass merchants, chainsaw manufacturers and other OEMs, and are normally not collateralized.

The carrying amount of cash and cash equivalents approximates fair value because of the short term maturity of those instruments. The carrying amount of accounts receivable approximates fair value because the maturity period is short and the Company has reduced the carrying amount to the estimated net realizable value with an allowance for doubtful accounts. The carrying amounts of the revolving credit facility and term debt approximate fair value because the interest rates are variable and the maturity periods for individual term borrowings are relatively

BLOUNT INTERNATIONAL, INC.
51



short. The fair market value of the fixed rate 87/8% senior subordinated notes is determined by reference to quoted market prices. The carrying amount of other financial instruments approximates fair value because of the short term maturity periods and variable interest rates associated with the instruments.

The estimated fair values of the 87/8% senior subordinated notes at December 31, 2007 and 2006 are as follows:

    2007   2006  
(Amounts in thousands)   Carrying
Amount
  Fair Value   Carrying
Amount
  Fair Value  
87/8% senior subordinated notes (see Note 7)   $ 175,000     $ 175,438     $ 175,000     $ 178,500    

 

Foreign currency exchange rate movements create a degree of risk by affecting the U.S. dollar value of certain balance sheet positions denominated in foreign currencies. Additionally, the interest rates available in certain jurisdictions in which the Company holds cash may vary, thereby affecting the return on cash equivalent investments. The Company's practice is to use foreign currency and interest rate swap agreements to manage exposure to foreign currency and interest rate changes. The objective is to minimize earnings volatility resulting from conversion and the re-measurement of foreign currency balance sheet positions to U.S. Dollars. Changes in the fair value of non-derivative instruments are reported in current earnings as a component of interest income and were $0.1 million in 2007. There were no such instruments used in 2006 and 2005.

NOTE 18: CONSOLIDATING FINANCIAL INFORMATION

See Note 7 for a discussion of the Company's guarantor subsidiaries. The following consolidating financial information sets forth condensed consolidating statements of operations, balance sheets and cash flows of Blount International, Inc., Blount, Inc., the guarantor subsidiaries and the non-guarantor subsidiaries.

Condensed Consolidating Statement of Operations Information

(Amounts in thousands)   Blount
International,
Inc.
  Blount,
Inc.
  Guarantor
Subsidiaries
  Non-
Guarantor
Subsidiaries
  Eliminations   Consolidated  
For the Year Ended December 31, 2007  
Sales         $ 375,561     $ 45,258     $ 327,975     $ (233,259 )   $ 515,535    
Cost of sales           252,856       37,734       283,052       (233,064 )     340,578    
Gross profit           122,705       7,524       44,923       (195 )     174,957    
Operating expenses           57,912       3,947       32,398             94,257    
Operating income           64,793       3,577       12,525       (195 )     80,700    
Other, net   $ (23,015 )     (10,202 )     (729 )     1,419             (32,527 )  
Income (loss) from continuing
operations before income taxes
    (23,015 )     54,591       2,848       13,944       (195 )     48,173    
Provision (benefit) for income taxes     (7,634 )     21,478       1,267       919             16,030    
Income (loss) from continuing operations     (15,381 )     33,113       1,581       13,025       (195 )     32,143    
Income (loss) from discontinued operations           11,477       (70 )     (693 )           10,714    
Equity in earnings of affiliated companies     58,238       13,648       320             (72,206 )        
Net income   $ 42,857     $ 58,238     $ 1,831     $ 12,332     $ (72,401 )   $ 42,857    
For the Year Ended December 31, 2006  
Sales         $ 347,982     $ 49,088     $ 284,634     $ (194,210 )   $ 487,494    
Cost of sales           245,617       40,478       220,565       (192,845 )     313,815    
Gross profit           102,365       8,610       64,069       (1,365 )     173,679    
Operating expenses           60,400       3,653       29,166             93,219    
Operating income           41,965       4,957       34,903       (1,365 )     80,460    
Other, net   $ (22,818 )     (10,703 )     (525 )     (23 )           (34,069 )  
Income (loss) from continuing
operations before income taxes
    (22,818 )     31,262       4,432       34,880       (1,365 )     46,391    
Provision (benefit) for income taxes     (8,671 )     11,880       1,666       8,871             13,746    
Income (loss) from continuing operations     (14,147 )     19,382       2,766       26,009       (1,365 )     32,645    
Income (loss) from discontinued operations           5,829       4,479       (407 )           9,901    
Equity in earnings of affiliated companies     56,693       31,482       209             (88,384 )        
Net income   $ 42,546     $ 56,693     $ 7,454     $ 25,602     $ (89,749 )   $ 42,546    

 

BLOUNT INTERNATIONAL, INC.
52



Condensed Consolidating Statement of Operations Information

(Amounts in thousands)   Blount
International,
Inc.
  Blount,
Inc.
  Guarantor
Subsidiaries
  Non-
Guarantor
Subsidiaries
  Eliminations   Consolidated  
For the Year Ended December 31, 2005  
Sales         $ 267,798     $ 122,583     $ 270,782     $ (182,334 )   $ 478,829    
Cost of sales           182,093       93,677       205,186       (183,209 )     297,747    
Gross profit           85,705       28,906       65,596       875       181,082    
Operating expenses           46,588       11,467       31,399             89,454    
Operating income           39,117       17,439       34,197       875       91,628    
Other, net   $ (18,386 )     (16,296 )     (2,211 )     (777 )           (37,670 )  
Income (loss) from continuing
operations before income taxes
    (18,386 )     22,821       15,228       33,420       875       53,958    
Provision (benefit) for income taxes     (6,913 )     (39,328 )     964       11,021             (34,256 )  
Income (loss) from continuing operations     (11,473 )     62,149       14,264       22,399       875       88,214    
Income (loss) from discontinued operations           16,493       1,908                   18,401    
Equity in earnings of affiliated companies     118,088       39,446       335             (157,869 )        
Net income   $ 106,615     $ 118,088     $ 16,507     $ 22,399     $ (156,994 )   $ 106,615    

 

Condensed Consolidating Balance Sheet Information

(Amounts in thousands)   Blount
International,
Inc.
  Blount,
Inc.
  Guarantor
Subsidiaries
  Non-
Guarantor
Subsidiaries
  Eliminations   Consolidated  
December 31, 2007  
Assets  
Cash and cash equivalents         $ 10,512     $ 121     $ 46,956           $ 57,589    
Accounts receivable, net           34,885       4,881       28,052             67,818    
Intercompany receivables           179,631       82,438       4,838     $ (266,907 )        
Inventories           41,877       6,860       21,884       (348 )     70,273    
Deferred income taxes           5,137             399             5,536    
Other current assets           8,706       216       7,471             16,393    
Total current assets           280,748       94,516       109,600       (267,255 )     217,609    
Investments in affiliated
companies
  $ 213,950       243,745       852       248       (458,795 )        
Property, plant and
equipment, net
          31,345       10,330       48,054             89,729    
Goodwill and other assets           82,046       11,893       12,559       (1,887 )     104,611    
Total Assets   $ 213,950     $ 637,884     $ 117,591     $ 170,461     $ (727,937 )   $ 411,949    
Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity (Deficit)  
Current maturities of long-term debt         $ 1,242                       $ 1,242    
Accounts payable           15,835     $ 3,857     $ 10,107             29,799    
Intercompany payables   $ 266,907                       $ (266,907 )        
Other current liabilities           39,264       3,568       15,148             57,980    
Total current liabilities     266,907       56,341       7,425       25,255       (266,907 )     89,021    
Long-term debt, excluding
current maturities
          295,758                         295,758    
Other liabilities     1,189       71,835             10,179       (1,887 )     81,316    
Total liabilities     268,096       423,934       7,425       35,434       (268,794 )     466,095    
Stockholders equity (deficit)     (54,146 )     213,950       110,166       135,027       (459,143 )     (54,146 )  
Total Liabilities and
Stockholders' Equity (Deficit)
  $ 213,950     $ 637,884     $ 117,591     $ 170,461     $ (727,937 )   $ 411,949    

 

BLOUNT INTERNATIONAL, INC.
53



Condensed Consolidating Balance Sheet Information

(Amounts in thousands)   Blount
International,
Inc.
  Blount,
Inc.
  Guarantor
Subsidiaries
  Non-
Guarantor
Subsidiaries
  Eliminations   Consolidated  
December 31, 2006  
Assets  
Cash and cash equivalents               $ 90     $ 29,398     $ (1,852 )   $ 27,636    
Accounts receivable, net         $ 51,660       5,817       25,271             82,748    
Intercompany receivables           153,923       83,240       17,415       (254,578 )        
Inventories           56,823       5,519       17,754       (2,263 )     77,833    
Deferred income taxes           20,035             87             20,122    
Other current assets           2,926       297       5,119             8,342    
Total current assets           285,367       94,963       95,044       (258,693 )     216,681    
Investments in affiliated
companies
  $ 150,652       229,533       532       248       (380,965 )        
Property, plant and
equipment, net
          41,370       10,421       47,874             99,665    
Goodwill and other assets           89,986       13,089       12,823       (1,778 )     114,120    
Total Assets   $ 150,652     $ 646,256     $ 119,005     $ 155,989     $ (641,436 )   $ 430,466    
Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity (Deficit)  
Current maturities of long-term debt         $ 1,500                       $ 1,500    
Accounts payable           23,319     $ 4,312     $ 9,203     $ (1,852 )     34,982    
Intercompany payables   $ 254,578                         (254,578 )        
Other current liabilities           41,815       4,820       15,702             62,337    
Total current liabilities     254,578       66,634       9,132       24,905       (256,430 )     98,819    
Long-term debt, excluding
current maturities
          349,375                         349,375    
Other liabilities     1,365       79,595             8,381       (1,778 )     87,563    
Total liabilities     255,943       495,604       9,132       33,286       (258,208 )     535,757    
Stockholders equity (deficit)     (105,291 )     150,652       109,873       122,703       (383,228 )     (105,291 )  
Total Liabilities and
Stockholders' Equity (Deficit)
  $ 150,652     $ 646,256     $ 119,005     $ 155,989     $ (641,436 )   $ 430,466    

 

Condensed Consolidating Cash Flows Information

(Amounts in thousands)   Blount
International,
Inc.
  Blount,
Inc.
  Guarantor
Subsidiaries
  Non-
Guarantor
Subsidiaries
  Eliminations   Consolidated  
For the Year Ended December 31, 2007  
Net cash provided by
(used in) operating activities
  $ 6,875     $ (3,145 )   $ (1,765 )   $ 27,524     $ 1,852     $ 31,341    
Proceeds from sale of property, plant & equipment           411       1,623       275             2,309    
Purchase of property, plant and equipment           (10,717 )     (1,496 )     (6,304 )           (18,517 )  
Discontinued operations           69,071                         69,071    
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities           58,765       127       (6,029 )           52,863    
Net borrowings under revolving credit facility           (27,000 )                       (27,000 )  
Repayment of long-term debt           (26,875 )                       (26,875 )  
Advances from (to) affiliates     (7,199 )     9,467       1,669       (3,937 )              
Other     324       (700 )                       (376 )  
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities     (6,875 )     (45,108 )     1,669       (3,937 )           (54,251 )  
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents           10,512       31       17,558       1,852       29,953    
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period                 90       29,398       (1,852 )     27,636    
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period   $     $ 10,512     $ 121     $ 46,956     $     $ 57,589    

 

BLOUNT INTERNATIONAL, INC.
54



Condensed Consolidating Cash Flows Information

For the Year Ended December 31, 2006  
(Amounts in thousands)   Blount
International,
Inc.
  Blount,
Inc.
  Guarantor
Subsidiaries
  Non-
Guarantor
Subsidiaries
  Eliminations   Consolidated  
Net cash provided by
(used in) operating activities
  $6,997   $31,265   $(5,512)   $28,281   $(1,015)   $60,016  
Proceeds from sale of property,
plant & equipment
    41   1   1,202     1,244  
Purchase of property, plant and equipment     (11,229)   (1,104)   (9,320)     (21,653)  
Discontinued operations     (919)   32,322   (503)     30,900  
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities     (12,107)   31,219   (8,621)     10,491  
Net borrowings under revolving credit facility     27,000         27,000  
Repayment of long-term debt     (79,195)     (4,653)     (83,848)  
Advances from (to) affiliates   (8,737)   33,694   (25,617)   660      
Other   1,740   (700)         1,040  
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities   (6,997)   (19,201)   (25,617)   (3,993)     (55,808)  
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents     (43)   90   15,667   (1,015)   14,699  
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period     43     13,731   (837)   12,937  
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period   $–   $–   $90   $29,398   $(1,852)   $27,636  
For the Year Ended December 31, 2005  
Net cash provided by
(used in) operating activities
  $6,091   $39,143   $3,008   $15,247   $1,623   $65,112  
Proceeds from sale of property,
plant & equipment
    351   1   30     382  
Purchase of property, plant and equipment     (4,416)   (2,423)   (10,468)     (17,307)  
Discontinued operations     (1,436)   (586)       (2,022)  
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities     (5,501)   (3,008)   (10,438)     (18,947)  
Repayment of long-term debt     (86,268)     (220)     (86,488)  
Advances from (to) affiliates   (13,335)   13,106     229      
Dividends from (to) affiliates     24,888     (24,888)      
Other   7,244   (2,554)         4,690  
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities   (6,091)   (50,828)     (24,879)     (81,798)  
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents     (17,186)     (20,070)   1,623   (35,633)  
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period     17,229     33,801   (2,460)   48,570  
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period   $–   $43   $–   $13,731   $(837)   $12,937  

 

NOTE 19: RECENT ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS

In September 2006, the FASB issued FAS No. 157, "Fair Value Measurements" ("FAS No. 157"). FAS No. 157 defines fair value, establishes a framework for measuring fair value in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the U.S., and expands disclosures about fair value measurements. The provisions of FAS No. 157 are effective for the Company's fiscal year beginning January 1, 2008. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the provisions of FAS No. 157.

In February 2007, the FASB issued FAS No. 159, "Fair Value Option for Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities—Including an amendment of FASB Statement No. 115" ("FAS No. 159"). FAS No. 159 permits entities to choose to measure many financial instruments and certain other items at fair value. The provisions of FAS No. 159 are effective for us on January 1, 2008. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the provisions of FAS No. 159.

In December 2007, the FASB issued FAS No. 141(R), "Business Combinations" ("FAS No. 141(R)"). FAS No. 141(R) replaces FAS No. 141, Business Combinations and improves the relevance, representational faithfulness, and comparability of the information that a reporting entity provides in its financial reports about a business combination and its effects. The provisions of FAS No. 141(R) are effective for the Company on January 1, 2009. The impact of adopting FAS No. 141(R) will depend on the nature, terms and size of business combinations completed after the effective date.

BLOUNT INTERNATIONAL, INC.
55



In December 2007, the FASB issued FAS No. 160, "Noncontrolling Interests in Consolidated Financial Statements" ("FAS No. 160"). FAS No 160 amends Accounting Research Bulletin No. 51, Consolidated Financial Statements, and improves the relevance, comparability, and transparency of the financial information that a reporting entity provides in its consolidated financial statements for those entities that have an outstanding noncontrolling interest in one or more subsidiaries or that deconsolidate a subsidiary. The provisions of FAS No. 160 are effective for the Company on January 1, 2009. Earlier adoption is prohibited. The adoption of FAS No. 160 is not anticipated to have a material impact on the financial position and results of operations of the Company.

In December 2007, the SEC issued Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 110 ("SAB 110") which extended the continued use of the simplified method for estimating lives of stock options and SARs. We are continuing to use the simplified method in accounting for our stock-based compensation costs.

BLOUNT INTERNATIONAL, INC.
56



SUPPLEMENTARY DATA
QUARTERLY RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
(Unaudited)

The following tables set forth a summary of the unaudited quarterly results of operations for 2007 and 2006.

2007 results were as follows:

(Amounts in thousands except per share data)   1st Quarter   2nd Quarter   3rd Quarter   4th Quarter   Total 2007  
Sales   $ 118,316     $ 135,580     $ 129,853     $ 131,786     $ 515,535    
Gross profit     40,055       46,276       43,926       44,700       174,957    
Net income     4,666       11,182       9,443       17,566       42,857    
Net income per share:  
Basic   $ 0.10     $ 0.24     $ 0.20     $ 0.37     $ 0.91    
Diluted     0.10       0.23       0.20       0.37       0.89    

 

The fourth quarter includes $4.5 million in severance, impairment and closure costs and a pretax gain of $26.0 million related to the sale of our Forestry Division.

2006 results were as follows:

(Amounts in thousands except per share data)   1st Quarter   2nd Quarter   3rd Quarter   4th Quarter   Total 2006  
Sales   $ 121,887     $ 123,167     $ 119,754     $ 122,686     $ 487,494    
Gross profit     44,336       42,035       41,285       46,023       173,679    
Net income     8,957       9,427       15,124       9,038       42,546    
Net income per share:  
Basic   $ 0.19     $ 0.20     $ 0.32     $ 0.19     $ 0.90    
Diluted     0.19       0.20       0.32       0.19       0.89    

 

Net income includes pre-tax charges of $2.2 million in the second quarter and $4.7 million in the third quarter for employee severance and benefits costs, impairment of assets and transition costs related to discontinued operations. The third quarter also includes a pretax gain of $17.7 million related to the sale of net assets from discontinued operations. In addition, the third quarter includes $4.8 million in non-recurring charges related to the redesign of retirement plans and a plant closure.

ITEM 9. CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE

None.

ITEM 9A. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES

Company management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting as such term is defined under the Exchange Act rules. The Company maintains financial reporting and disclosure controls and procedures that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in the Company's Exchange Act reports is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the Securities and Exchange Commission's rules and forms, and that such information is accumulated and communicated to the Company's management, including its Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, as appropriate, to allow for timely decisions regarding required disclosure. In designing and evaluating the financial reporting and disclosure controls and procedures, management recognizes that any controls and procedures, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable assurance of achieving the desired control objectives, and management is required to apply its judgment in evaluating the cost-benefit relationship of possible controls and procedures.

The Company, under the supervision and with the participation of the Company's management, including the Company's Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, assessed the effectiveness of the design and operation of the Company's financial reporting and disclosure controls and procedures. The Committee of Sponsoring Organizations ("COSO") framework was applied in performing this assessment. Based on this assessment, the Company's Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that the Company's financial reporting and disclosure controls and procedures were effective at the reasonable assurance level as of the end of the period covered by this report.

Management's report on internal control over financial reporting and the related audit report of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP are included in Item 8 of this Report.

There have been no changes in the Company's internal control over financial reporting during the Company's most recent fiscal quarter that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company's internal control over financial reporting.

ITEM 9B. OTHER INFORMATION

None.

BLOUNT INTERNATIONAL, INC.
57



PART III

ITEM 10. DIRECTORS AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS OF THE REGISTRANT

See the "Election of Directors", "Executive Officers", "Audit Committee Disclosure" and "Filing Disclosure" sections of our Proxy Statement for the 2008 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, which sections are incorporated herein by reference.

ITEM 11. EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

See the "Executive Compensation", "Compensation of Directors", "Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation" and "Employment Contracts" sections of our Proxy Statement for the 2008 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, which sections are incorporated herein by reference.

ITEM 12. SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS

See the "Principal Stockholders" and "Equity Compensation Plan Information" sections of our Proxy Statement for the 2008 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, which sections are incorporated herein by reference.

ITEM 13. CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS

See the "Certain Transactions and Other Matters" section of our Proxy Statement for the 2008 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, which section is incorporated herein by reference.

ITEM 14. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTING FEES AND SERVICES

See the "Ratify the Appointment of Independent Auditors" section of our Proxy Statement for the 2008 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, which section is incorporated herein by reference.

BLOUNT INTERNATIONAL, INC.
58




PART IV

ITEM 15. EXHIBITS AND FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES

Page
Reference
 

 

(A)  Certain documents filed as part of Form 10-K

(1)  Financial Statements and Supplementary Data

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm     30    
Consolidated Statements of Income for the years ended
December 31, 2007, 2006 and 2005
    31    
Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2007 and 2006     32    
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the years ended
December 31, 2007, 2006 and 2005
    33    
Consolidated Statements of Changes in Stockholders' Equity (Deficit) for
the years ended December 31, 2007, 2006 and 2005
    34    
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements     35    
Supplementary Data     57    

 

(2)  Financial Statement Schedules

Schedule II – Valuation and qualifying accounts for the years ended
December 31, 2007, 2006 and 2005
    63    

 

All other schedules have been omitted because they are not required or because the information is presented in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

(B)  Exhibits required by Item 601 of Regulation S-K:

  *2(a)  Agreement and Plan of Merger and Recapitalization, dated as of April 18, 1999, between Blount International, Inc., and Red Dog Acquisition, Corp. (included as Appendix A to the Proxy Statement-Prospectus which forms a part of the Registration Statement) previously filed on July 15, 1999, by Blount International, Inc. (Reg. No. 333-82973).

  *3(a)  Post-Merger Restated Certificate of Incorporation of Blount International, Inc. (included as Exhibit A to the Agreement and Plan of Merger and Recapitalization which is Exhibit 2.1) filed as part of the Proxy Statement-Prospectus which forms a part of the Registration Statement on Form S-4 (Reg. No. 333-82973) previously filed on July 15, 1999, by Blount International, Inc.

  *3(b)  Post-Merger Bylaws of Blount International, Inc. (included as Exhibit B to the Agreement and Plan of Merger and Recapitalization which is Exhibit 2.1) filed as part of the Proxy Statement-Prospectus which forms a part of the Registration Statement on Form S-4 (Reg. No. 333-82973).

  *4(a)  Registration Rights and Stock Transfer Restriction agreement filed as part of Registration Statement on Form S-4 (Reg. No. 33-63141) of Blount International, Inc., including amendments and exhibits, which became effective on October 4, 1995 (Commission File No. 33-63141).

  *4(b)  Form of stock certificate of New Blount common stock filed as part of the Proxy Statement-Prospectus which forms a part of the Registration Statement on Form S-4 (Reg. No. 333-82973) filed by Blount International, Inc. on July 15, 1999.

  *4(c)  Registration Right Agreement by and among Blount, Inc., Blount International, Inc., BI Holdings Corp., Benjamin F. Shaw Company, BI. L.L.C., Blount Development Corp., Omark Properties, Inc., Gear Products, Inc., Dixon Industries, Inc., Frederick Manufacturing Corporation, Federal Cartridge Company, Simmons Outdoor

BLOUNT INTERNATIONAL, INC.
59



Corporation, Mocenplaza Development Corp., CTR Manufacturing, Inc., and Lehman Brothers, Inc. dated as of August 19, 1999, filed as Exhibit 4.2 to the report on Form 10-Q for the third quarter ended September 30, 1999.

  *4(d)  Amended and Restated Credit Agreement dated as of August 9, 2004 among Blount Inc., Dixon Industries, Inc., Fabtek Corporation, Frederick Manufacturing Corporation, Gear Products, Inc., Omark Properties, Inc., and Windsor Forestry Tools LLC, as US Borrowers, Blount Canada Ltd., as Canadian Borrower, the other credit parties signatory thereto, as Credit Parties, from time to time, as Lenders, General Electric Capital Corporation, as Administrative Agent and US Lender, and General Electric Capital Canada Inc., as Canadian Administrative Agent and Canadian Lender, GECC Capital Markets Group Inc., as Lead Arranger and Book Runner and BNP PARIBAS, as Syndication Agent, which was filed as Exhibit 99.1 to Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2004.

  *4(e)  Amendment No. 1 dated as of December 1, 2004 to the Amended and Restated Senior Credit Amendment dated August 9, 2004 among Blount Inc., Dixon Industries, Inc., Fabtek Corporation, Frederick Manufacturing Corporation, Gear Products, Inc., Omark Properties, Inc., and Windsor Forestry Tools LLC, as US Borrowers, Blount Canada Ltd., as Canadian Borrower, the other credit parties signatory thereto, as Credit Parties, from time to time, as Lenders, General Electric Capital Corporation, as Administrative Agent and US Lender, and General Electric Capital Canada Inc., as Canadian Administrative Agent and Canadian Lender, GECC Capital Markets Group Inc., as Lead Arranger and Book Runner and BNP PARIBAS, as Syndication Agent, which was filed as Exhibit 99.1 to the report on Form 8-K filed by Blount International, Inc., on December 3, 2004.

  *4(f)  Third amendment to Amended and Restated Credit Agreement and First Amendment to Amended and Restated US Security Agreement dated as of March 23, 2006, by and among Blount Inc., Dixon Industries, Inc., Fabtek Corporation, Frederick Manufacturing Corporation, Gear Products, Inc., Omark Properties, Inc., and Windsor Forestry Tools LLC, as US Borrowers, Blount Canada Ltd., as Canadian Borrower, the other credit parties signatory thereto, as Credit Parties, from time to time, as Lenders, General Electric Capital Corporation, as Administrative Agent and US Lender, and GE CFS Canada Holding Company, as Canadian Administrative Agent and Canadian Lender, which was filed as Exhibit 1.1 to the report on Form 8-K filed by Blount International, Inc., on March 23, 2006.

  *4(g)  Registration Statement on Form S-1 (Reg. No. 333-114840) with respect to the 87/8% Senior Subordinated Notes of Blount, Inc. which are guaranteed by BI, LLC, Omark Properties, Inc., 4520 Corp., Inc., Gear Products, Inc., Dixon Industries, Inc., Frederick Manufacturing Corporation, Fabtek Corporation and Windsor Forestry Tools LLC and 10,000,000 shares of common stock of Blount International, Inc. including amendments and exhibits, which became effective on August 3, 2004.

  *4(h)  Registration Statement on Form S-3 (Reg. No. 333-132024) with respect to 9,248,218 shares of common stock of Blount International, Inc., which became effective May 2, 2006.

  *9(a)  Stockholder Agreement, dated as of April 18, 1999, between Red Dog Acquisition, corp., a Delaware corporation and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Lehman Brothers Merchant Banking Partners II L.P., a Delaware limited partnership, and The Blount Holding Company, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership which was filed as Exhibit 9 to the Form 8-K/A filed April 20, 1999.

  *10(a)  Supplemental Retirement and Disability Plan of Blount, Inc. which was filed as Exhibit 10(e) to the Annual Report of Blount, Inc., on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended February 29, 1992 (Commission File No. 1-7002).

  *10(b)  Written description of the Blount International, Inc. 2006 Executive Management Annual Incentive Plan , Effective as of January 1, 2006, filed as Exhibit A to the Proxy Statement of Blount, International, Inc. for the Annual Meeting of Stockholders held April 25, 2006 (Commission File No. 001-11549).

  *10(c)  Supplemental Retirement Savings Plan of Blount, Inc. which was filed as Exhibit 10(i) to the Annual Report of Blount, Inc. on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended February 29, 1992 (Commission File No. 1-7002).

  *10(d)  Blount, Inc. Executive Benefit Plans Trust Agreement and Amendment to and Assumption of Blount, Inc. Executive Benefit Plans Trust which were filed as Exhibits 10(x)(i) and 10(x)(ii) to the Annual Report of Blount International, Inc. on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended February 29, 1996 (Commission File No. 001-11549).

BLOUNT INTERNATIONAL, INC.
60



  *10(e)  Blount, Inc. Benefits Protection Trust Agreement and Amendment To ad Assumption of Blount, Inc. Benefits Protection Trust which were filed as Exhibits 10(y)(i) and 10(y)(ii) to the Annual Report of Blount International, Inc. on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended February 29, 1996 (Commission File No. 001-11549).

  *10(f)  Blount International, Inc. 2006 Equity Incentive Plan filed as Exhibit B to the Proxy Statement of Blount, International, Inc. for the Annual Meeting of Stockholders held April 25, 2006 (Commission File No. 001-11549), and the Amendment to the Blount International, Inc. 2006 Equity Incentive Plan dated as of February 23, 2007, as part of exhibits to the Registration Statement on Form S-8 (Reg. No. 333-149584), which became effective on March 6, 2008.

  *10(g)  1999 Stock Incentive Plan and 2000 Stock Incentive Plan of Blount International, Inc. filed as part of Registration Statement on Form S-8 (Reg. No. 333-913-90) exhibits, which became effective June 27, 2002.

  *10(h)  The Blount Deferred Compensation Plan which was filed as Exhibit 10(cc) to the Annual Report of Blount International, Inc. on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1998 (Commission File No. 001-11549).

  *10(i)  Employment Agreement, dated as of April 18, 1999, between Blount International, Inc. and Richard H. Irving, III filed as part of Registration Statement on Form S-4 (Reg. No. 333-92481) of Blount International, Inc., including amendments and exhibits, which became effective January 19, 2000.

  *10(j)  Employee Stockholder Agreement dated as of August 19, 1999, among Blount International, Inc., Lehman Brothers Merchant Banking Partners II L.P. and Certain Employee Stockholders.

  *10(k)  Amendment to Employment Agreement between Blount Inc. and Kenneth O. Saito dated August 16, 2002.

  *10(l)  Amendment to Employment Agreement between Blount International and Richard H. Irving, III dated February 14, 2002.

  *10(m)  Amendment to Employment Agreement between Blount International and Richard H. Irving, III dated August 19, 2002.

  *10(n)  Employment Agreement between Blount, Inc. and Kenneth O. Saito dated June 1, 1999.

  *10(o)  Amended and Restated Employment Agreement between Blount International, Inc. and James S. Osterman dated February 2, 2004.

  *10(p)  Amended and Restated Employment Agreement between Blount International, Inc. and Calvin E. Jenness dated March 1, 2004.

  **10(q)  Asset Purchase Agreement by and among Caterpillar Forest Products Inc., Caterpillar Inc. and the Caterpillar Subsidiaries set forth therein and Blount, Inc., Blount International, Inc. and the Blount Subsidiaries set forth therein dated November 5, 2007.

  *14  Code of Ethics for Covered Officers as approved by Audit Committee on February 2, 2004.

  21  A list of the significant subsidiaries of Blount International, Inc. included herein on page 64.

  31.1  Certification pursuant to section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 by James O. Osterman, Chief Executive Officer included herein on page 65.

  31.2  Certification pursuant to section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 by Calvin E. Jenness Chief Financial Officer included herein on page 66.

  **32.1  Certification pursuant to section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 by James O. Osterman, Chief Executive Officer.

  **32.2  Certification pursuant to section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 by Calvin E. Jenness Chief Financial Officer.

* Incorporated by reference

** Filed electronically herewith. Copies of such exhibits may be obtained upon written request from:

Blount International, Inc.
P.O. Box 22127
Portland, Oregon 97269-2127

BLOUNT INTERNATIONAL, INC.
61



SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant had duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

BLOUNT INTERNATIONAL, INC.

  By:  /s/ Calvin E. Jenness

  Calvin E. Jenness
  Senior Vice President and
  Chief Financial Officer

  By:  /s/ Mark V. Allred

  Mark V. Allred
  Vice President and Controller
  (Principal Accounting Officer)

Dated: March 13, 2008

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report is signed below by the following persons on behalf of the Registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

Dated: March 13, 2008

/s/   Eliot M. Fried   Lead Director    
    Eliot M. Fried      
/s/   Harold E. Layman   Director    
    Harold E. Layman      
/s/   R. Eugene Cartledge   Director    
    R. Eugene Cartledge      
/s/   James S. Osterman   Chairman and Chief Executive Officer and Director    
    James S. Osterman      
/s/   Joshua L. Collins   Director    
    Joshua L. Collins      
/s/   E. Daniel James   Director    
    E. Daniel James      
/s/   Thomas J. Fruechtel   Director    
    Thomas J. Fruechtel      
/s/   Robert D. Kennedy   Director    
    Robert D. Kennedy      

 

BLOUNT INTERNATIONAL, INC.
62



SCHEDULE II

CONSOLIDATED SCHEDULE OF VALUATION AND QUALIFYING ACCOUNTS

Blount International, Inc. and Subsidiaries

(Dollar amounts in millions)  
Column A   Column B   Column C   Column D   Column E  
Description   Balance at
Beginning
of Period
  Additions
Charged to
Cost and
Expenses
  Deductions   Balance at
End of
Period
 
Year Ended December 31, 2007:  
Allowance for doubtful accounts receivable   $2,545   $(428)   $64   $2,181  
Valuation allowance for deferred tax assets   2,667     (349)   2,318  
Year Ended December 31, 2006:  
Allowance for doubtful accounts receivable   2,239   245   61   2,545  
Valuation allowance for deferred tax assets   2,907   272   (512)   2,667  
Year Ended December 31, 2005:  
Allowance for doubtful accounts receivable   2,371   271   (403)   2,239  
Valuation allowance for deferred tax assets   57,867   (54,033)   (927)   2,907  

 

BLOUNT INTERNATIONAL, INC.
63




EXHIBIT 21

SUBSIDIARIES OF THE REGISTRANT

At December 31, 2007, consolidated, directly or indirectly, wholly-owned Significant Subsidiaries of Blount International, Inc. were deemed as follows:

NAME OF SUBSIDIARY   PLACE OF INCORPORATION  
Blount, Inc.   Delaware  
Blount Canada Ltd.   Canada  
Blount Europe, S.A.   Belgium  
Blount Holdings Ltd.   Canada  
Blount Industrial LTDA   Brazil  

 

The names of certain subsidiaries have been omitted because when considered in the aggregate or as a single subsidiary they would not constitute a "Significant Subsidiary" as of December 31, 2007.

BLOUNT INTERNATIONAL, INC.
64



EXHIBIT 31.1

CERTIFICATIONS PURSUANT TO SECTION 302 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002

I, James S. Osterman, certify that:

  1.  I have reviewed this annual report on Form 10-K for the period ended December 31, 2007 of Blount International, Inc.;

  2.  Based on my knowledge, this annual 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 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 we 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 controls over financial reporting, or caused such internal controls 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 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 the registrant's board of directors:

     (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 controls.

Date: March 13, 2008

/s/ James S. Osterman  
James S. Osterman
Chairman and
Chief Executive Officer
 

 

BLOUNT INTERNATIONAL, INC.
65



EXHIBIT 31.2

CERTIFICATIONS PURSUANT TO SECTION 302 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002

I, Calvin E. Jenness, certify that:

  1.  I have reviewed this annual report on Form 10-K for the period ended December 31, 2007 of Blount International, Inc.;

  2.  Based on my knowledge, this annual 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 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 we 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 controls over financial reporting, or caused such internal controls 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 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 the registrant's board of directors:

     (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 controls.

Date: March 13, 2008

/s/ Calvin E. Jenness  
Calvin E. Jenness
Senior Vice President and
Chief Financial Officer
 

 

BLOUNT INTERNATIONAL, INC.
66




Rules adopted by the SEC require that the Company include in the annual report a line graph presentation comparing the cumulative five-year shareholder return on the Company's common stock on an indexed basis with the cumulative return of a broad equity market index that includes companies whose equity securities are traded on the same exchange as the Company's and either a published industry index or an index of peer companies selected by the Company. Since the Company is not included in the Standard and Poor's 500 Stock Index and its equity securities are traded on the New York Stock Exchange, the New York Stock Exchange Composite (US) Index was selected as the broad equity market index. (As a result of a change in New York Stock Exchange procedures, its Composite (US) Index has been manually recreated for years prior to December 31, 2003.) The Company created a peer group index with which to compare its own stock performance since a relevant published industry or line-of-business index does not exist. A list of these follows the graph below.*

COMPARISON OF 5 YEAR CUMULATIVE TOTAL RETURN*

Among Blount International, Inc., The NYSE Composite Index
and a Peer Group

* $100 invested on 12/31/02 in stock or index-including reinvestment of dividends.

Fiscal year ending December 31.

    12/02   12/03   12/04   12/05   12/06   12/07  
Blount International, Inc.     100.00       206.56       457.22       418.11       353.28       323.10    
NYSE Composite     100.00       131.73       151.45       165.62       199.52       217.21    
Peer Group     100.00       133.44       186.65       210.10       299.76       336.98    

 

The stock price performance included in this graph is not necessarily indicative of future stock price performance.

*The companies in the Peer Group are Actuant Corp., Kaydon Cap, Kennametal Inc, Lincoln Electric Holdings Company, Regal Beloit Corp., Snap-On Inc, Terex Corp. and Toro Corp.

BLOUNT INTERNATIONAL, INC.
67



EX-10.(Q) 2 a08-2371_1ex10dq.htm EX-10.(Q)

Exhibit 10.(q)

 

EXECUTION COPY

 

ASSET PURCHASE AGREEMENT

 

by and among

 

CATERPILLAR FOREST PRODUCTS INC.,

CATERPILLAR INC.

and the Caterpillar Subsidiaries set forth herein

 

and

 

BLOUNT, INC.,

BLOUNT INTERNATIONAL, INC.

and the Blount Subsidiaries set forth herein

 

November 5, 2007

 



 

SECTION 1

DEFINITIONS

1

 

 

 

SECTION 2

BASIC TRANSACTION

15

 

 

 

 

(a)

Purchase and Sale of Assets

15

 

(b)

Liabilities

15

 

(c)

Closing

16

 

(d)

Purchase Price

16

 

(e)

Net Working Capital Adjustment

16

 

(f)

Inventory Adjustment

16

 

(g)

Adjustment Calculation and Dispute Resolution

16

 

(h)

Post-Closing Accounting Practice; Access

17

 

(i)

Parent Guaranties

17

 

(j)

Purchase Price Allocation for Tax Purposes

18

 

 

 

 

SECTION 3

SELLER’S REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES

18

 

 

 

 

(a)

Organization of Blount

18

 

(b)

Authorization of Transaction

18

 

(c)

Non-contravention

19

 

(d)

Brokers’ Fees

19

 

(e)

Title to and Sufficiency and Condition of Assets

19

 

(f)

Financial Statements

19

 

(g)

Events Subsequent to December 31, 2006

20

 

(h)

Legal Compliance

21

 

(i)

Tax Matters

21

 

(j)

Real Property

21

 

(k)

Intellectual Property

23

 

(l)

Inventory

25

 

(m)

Contracts

25

 

(n)

Notes and Accounts Receivable

26

 

(o)

Litigation

26

 

(p)

Product Warranty

26

 

(q)

Employees

26

 

(r)

Employee Benefits

27

 

(s)

Environmental, Health, and Safety Matters

28

 

(t)

Customers and Suppliers

29

 

(u)

Bank Accounts

30

 

(v)

Permits

30

 

i



 

 

(w)

Improper and Other Payments

30

 

(x)

Accounting and Disclosure Controls

30

 

(y)

Contracts with Affiliates

30

 

(z)

Absence of Undisclosed Liabilities

30

 

(aa)

Disclosure of Evaluation Material

31

 

(bb)

No Further Representation or Warranty

31

 

 

 

 

SECTION 4

BUYER’S REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES

31

 

 

 

 

(a)

Organization of Buyer

31

 

(b)

Authorization of Transaction

31

 

(c)

Non-contravention

31

 

(d)

Brokers’ Fees

32

 

 

 

 

SECTION 5

POST-CLOSING COVENANTS

32

 

 

 

 

(a)

General

32

 

(b)

Assignment.

32

 

(c)

Litigation Support

33

 

(d)

Insurance

33

 

(e)

Transition

33

 

(f)

Confidentiality

33

 

(g)

Covenant Not to Compete and Nonsolicitation

34

 

(h)

Employment and Benefit Arrangements

34

 

(i)

Additional Tax Matters

40

 

(j)

Environmental Permits

41

 

(k)

Parts Buyback

42

 

(l)

Preparation of Closing Statements

42

 

 

 

 

SECTION 6

REMEDIES FOR BREACH OF THIS AGREEMENT; INDEMNITY

42

 

 

 

 

(a)

Survival

42

 

(b)

Indemnification by Seller

42

 

(c)

Indemnification by Buyer

43

 

(d)

No Materiality Qualifiers

43

 

(e)

Limitations on Liability

43

 

(f)

Matters Involving Third Parties

46

 

(g)

Additional Environmental Procedures, Control and Access

47

 

(h)

Recoupment Against General Escrow Amount and Specified Environmental Escrow Amount

49

 

(i)

Purchase Price Adjustments

49

 

ii



 

 

(j)

Mitigation

49

 

 

 

 

SECTION 7

MISCELLANEOUS

50

 

 

 

 

(a)

Press Releases and Public Announcements

50

 

(b)

No Third-Party Beneficiaries

50

 

(c)

Entire Agreement

50

 

(d)

Succession and Assignment

50

 

(e)

Counterparts

50

 

(f)

Headings

50

 

(g)

Notices

50

 

(h)

Applicable Law; Choice of Forum; Waiver of Jury Trial

51

 

(i)

Amendments and Waivers

51

 

(j)

Severability

52

 

(k)

Expenses

52

 

(l)

Construction

52

 

(m)

Incorporation of Exhibits and Schedules

52

 

(n)

Specific Performance

52

 

(o)

Joint and Several Obligations

53

 

(p)

Governing Language

53

 

(q)

Remittances

53

 

EXHIBITS

 

 

 

 

 

Exhibit A

 

Accounts Payable

Exhibit B

 

Accounts Receivable

Exhibit C

 

Accrued Expenses

Exhibit D

 

Prepaid Expenses

Exhibit E

 

Example Closing Statement of Net Working Capital

Exhibit F

 

Example Closing Statement of Inventory

Exhibit G

 

Target Business Financial Statements

Exhibit H

 

August 31, 2007 Financial Statements

Exhibit I

 

Certain Acquired Assets

Exhibit J

 

Excluded Contracts

Exhibit K

 

Transaction Agreements

 

iii



 

ASSET PURCHASE AGREEMENT

 

This Asset Purchase Agreement (this “Agreement”) is entered into as of November 5, 2007, by and among Caterpillar Forest Products Inc., a Delaware corporation (“CFPI”), Caterpillar Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Buyer Parent”), the direct and indirect subsidiaries of Buyer Parent set forth on the signature page hereto (the “Caterpillar Subsidiaries” and, together with CFPI, “Buyer”), Blount, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Blount”), Blount International, Inc., a Delaware Corporation (“Seller Parent”) and the direct and indirect subsidiaries of Blount set forth on the signature page hereto (the “Blount Subsidiaries” and, together with Blount, “Seller”).

 

This Agreement contemplates a transaction in which Buyer will purchase all of the assets (and assume certain of the liabilities) primarily relating to Seller’s Industrial Power Equipment Group – Forestry Division in return for cash.

 

Now, therefore, in consideration of the premises and the mutual promises herein made, and in consideration of the representations, warranties and covenants herein contained, the Parties agree as follows:

 

SECTION 1          DEFINITIONS

 

Accountants” means Deloitte & Touche LLP or, if Deloitte & Touche LLP is unable or unwilling to act, such other nationally recognized independent public accounting firm mutually selected in writing by Buyer and Seller.

 

Accounts Payable” means the accounts payable of the Target Business, calculated using line items and methodology consistent with the Target Business Financial Statements.  Such line items comprising “Accounts Payable” are set forth on Exhibit A.

 

Accounts Receivable” means the accounts receivable, and any other accounts, notes and other receivables, of the Target Business, calculated using line items and methodology consistent with the Target Business Financial Statements.  Such line items comprising “Accounts Receivable” are set forth on Exhibit B.

 

Accrued Expenses” means the accrued expenses of the Target Business, calculated (a) using line items and methodology consistent with the Target Business Financial Statements and (b) notwithstanding differences between actual line item values and reserves or other estimates, subject to normal and recurring year-end adjustments (to the extent Seller calculated such reserves or other estimates using methodology consistent with the Target Business Financial Statements).  Such line items comprising “Accrued Expenses” are set forth on Exhibit C; provided that “Accrued Expenses” do not include pension, retirement savings, professional services, product liability or Taxes other than accrued property Taxes (and Exhibit C does not include such items).

 

Acquired Assets” means all right, title and interest in and to all of the assets of Seller used by Seller primarily in the operation of the Target Business, including, but not limited to, (a) those assets listed on Exhibit I, (b) Accounts Receivable, (c) Bank Accounts, (d) Cash on Hand, (e) Inventory, (f) Prepaid Expenses, (g) Owned Real Property and Leased Real Property, (h) operating assets and other tangible personal property (such as machinery, equipment, assets held for sale, furniture, automobiles, trucks, tractors, trailers, tools, jigs and dies), in each case primarily related to the Target Business, (i) Intellectual Property of Seller held for use or used

 



 

primarily in connection with the operation of the Target Business throughout the world where the Target Business operates, the goodwill associated therewith, licenses and sublicenses granted and obtained with respect thereto, and rights thereunder, remedies against infringements thereof, and rights to protection of interests therein under the laws of any applicable jurisdictions, (j) leases and subleases and rights thereunder, in each case primarily related to the Target Business, (k) the rights of Seller under the Assumed Contracts, (l) claims, deposits, prepayments, refunds, causes of action, choses in action, rights of recovery, rights of set-off, and rights of recoupment (including any such item relating to the payment of Taxes, but only if and to the extent such Taxes are treated as Assumed Liabilities) in each case arising primarily from the operation of the Target Business, (m) franchises, approvals, permits, flex engine allowances, licenses, orders, registrations, certificates, variances, and similar rights obtained from governments and governmental agencies, in each case primarily relating to the Target Business, (n) copiers, data cabling and wiring, data communication circuits, desktop PCs, docking stations, external hard drives and other storage devices, facsimile machines, firewalls, laptop PCs, printers, routers, servers, switches, wireless access points, and other such devices along with the computer software, except where software licensing restrictions limit assignment, loaded on or used by the immediately preceding devices, in each case primarily relating to the Target Business, (o) books, records, ledgers, files, documents, correspondence, lists, plats, architectural plans, drawings, and specifications, advertising and promotional materials, studies, product support and training materials and other printed or written materials, in each case to the extent primarily related to the Target Business but not including personnel records (except as set forth in the parenthetical in clause (viii) below), and (p) all assets of, or assets relating to, any Employee Benefit Plan that are transferred to any employee benefit plan maintained by Buyer or any of its Affiliates, as expressly provided in Section 5(h); provided, however, that the Acquired Assets shall not include (i) the charter, qualifications to conduct business as a foreign entity, arrangements with registered agents relating to foreign qualifications, taxpayer and other identification numbers, seals, minute books, stock transfer books, blank stock certificates, and other documents relating to the organization, maintenance, and legal existence of any of Seller Parent, Blount or any Blount Subsidiary, (ii) any of the rights of Seller under this Agreement or any Transaction Agreement (or under any side agreement to which Seller Parent, Seller or any Blount Subsidiary, on the one hand, or CFPI or any Caterpillar Subsidiary, on the other hand, are parties that is entered into on or after the date of this Agreement), (iii) the assets primarily relating to Gear Products, (iv) the Menominee Facility, (v) the Excluded Contracts, (vi) marketable securities, (vii) the “Blount” tradename and the Argentina Trademarks, (viii) personnel records (other than (A) as required to be transferred to Buyer under applicable Law, (B) for which the applicable employee has consented to such transfer to Buyer or (C) as set forth on Section 1(a) of the Disclosure Schedule), (ix) documents, files and records related to pending, threatened, active or closed product liability actions and (x) all assets of or assets relating to any Employee Benefit Plan, except to the extent such assets are transferred to an employee benefit plan maintained by Buyer or any of its Affiliates, as expressly provided in Section 5(h).

 

Active Employee” has the meaning set forth in Section 5(h).

 

Adjusted Purchase Price” means the Purchase Price, as adjusted pursuant to Sections 2(d)(iii), 2(d)(iv), 2(d)(v), 2(e) and 2(f).

 

Affiliates” means, with respect to a Person, any legal entity directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by or under common control with such Person, where “control” means a direct or indirect ownership interest of more than 50% in such legal entity.

 

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Alliance Agreements” means the Marketing, Cooperation and Trademark Licensing Agreement and the Supply Agreement, each dated March 11, 2003 by and between Blount and Buyer Parent, including all amendments and side letter agreements related thereto.

 

Applicable Rate” means the blended prime rate as published daily by the Eastern edition of the Wall Street Journal.

 

Applicable Welfare Plan” has the meaning set forth in Section 5(h).

 

Argentina Trademarks” means the “PRENTICE OMARK INDUSTRIES & design” trademarks registered in Argentina (registration numbers 1,928,718 and 1,928,719).

 

Asbestos Liabilities” means any Liabilities arising from, relating to, or based on the exposure or alleged exposure to asbestos or asbestos-containing materials present or allegedly present (a) in any product manufactured, sold, marketed, installed, transported, or distributed by the Target Business on or prior to the Closing Date (regardless of whether any exposure to such asbestos or asbestos-containing materials occurred prior to, on or after the Closing Date), or (b) at any Real Property, or in any facility or structure thereat, to the extent any exposure to such asbestos or asbestos-containing materials occurred prior to or on the Closing Date, including the case of each of (a) and (b), any such Liabilities arising from, relating to or based on any personal or bodily injury or illness.

 

Assumed Contracts” means (a) all written contracts (and such oral or other contracts for which Seller provides Buyer a summary of the material terms within ten Business Days of the Closing Date)  primarily relating to the Target Business and having an aggregate value, or providing for obligations, contingent or otherwise, under $100,000, (b) the Material Contracts listed on Section 3(m)(i) of the Disclosure Schedule if a materially accurate and complete copy of each such Material Contract, including all material amendments thereto, has been delivered to Buyer within ten Business Days of the Closing, (c) all unfulfilled customer purchase orders listed on Section 3(m)(ii) of the Disclosure Schedule (except that orders for service parts need not be listed on such schedule to be deemed an Assumed Contract hereunder) and provided to Buyer within ten Business Days of the Closing Date and (d) all unfulfilled supplier purchase orders, but only to the extent listed on Section 3(m)(iii) of the Disclosure Schedule (except that orders for service parts need not be listed on such schedule to be deemed an Assumed Contract hereunder).  Notwithstanding the foregoing, “Assumed Contracts” do not include the Excluded Contracts.

 

Assumed Employee Benefit Agreement” means each Employee Benefit Agreement that is explicitly designated as an Assumed Employee Benefit Agreement in Section 3(q)(ii) of the Disclosure Schedule.

 

Assumed Liability” or “Assumed Liabilities” means only (a) the Accounts Payable, (b) the Accrued Expenses, (c) the Covered Employee Liabilities, (d) obligations in respect of the Bank Accounts, (e) subject to clause (viii) below, obligations of Seller under the Assumed Contracts, (f) Liabilities relating to the Target Business that arise after the Closing (including any Post-Closing Asbestos, Silica, and Welding Rod Liabilities and any Post-Closing Environmental Liabilities) and (g) Liabilities relating to the Target Business that arise after the Closing in connection with any breach of contract, tort or violation of any Law.  For clarification, “Assumed Liabilities” shall not include any other past, current or future Liability or Loss including, among other things, (i) contingent, off-balance sheet, unasserted claims or Liabilities of a type for which there is no provision for accrual (other than in respect of Assumed

 

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Contracts), in each case arising on or prior to the Closing, (ii) any Asbestos Liability, Silica Liability or Welding Rod Liability, (iii) any Pre-Closing Environmental Liabilities, (iv) any and all past, current or future Liability for product liability arising from products wholly manufactured on or prior to the Closing Date, (v)  Liabilities for infringement of third party Intellectual Property rights arising from products wholly manufactured on or prior to the Closing Date, (vi) any and all past, current or future Liability of Seller Parent or Seller for Taxes (other than Tax Liabilities relating to the Target Business that arise after the Closing), (vii) any and all past, current or future Liability of Seller Parent or Seller for unpaid Taxes of any Person under Reg. Section 1502-6 (or any similar provision of state, local, or foreign law), as a transferee or successor, by contract or otherwise (other than Tax Liabilities relating to the Target Business that arise after the Closing), (viii) Liabilities relating to the Target Business that arise prior to the Closing in connection with any breach of contract (other than a judgment or settlement (with the consent of Buyer, such consent not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed) for specific performance in respect of any Assumed Contract), tort or violation of any Law, (ix) any and all past, current or future obligation of Seller to indemnify any Person by reason of the fact that such Person was a director, officer, employee, or agent of Seller or was serving at the request of Seller as a partner, trustee, director, officer, employee, or agent of another entity (whether such indemnification is for judgments, damages, penalties, fines, costs, amounts paid in settlement, losses, expenses, or otherwise and whether such indemnification is pursuant to any statute, charter document, bylaw, agreement, or otherwise), (x) Transfer Fees, (xi) any and all past, current or future Liability of Seller Parent or Seller for costs and expenses incurred in connection with this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby, (xii) any Liability or obligation of Seller under this Agreement or the Transaction Agreements or under any side agreement to which Seller Parent, Blount or any Blount Subsidiary, on the one hand, or Buyer Parent, CFPI or any Caterpillar Subsidiary, on the other hand, are parties that is entered into on or after the date of this Agreement, (xiii) any insurance claim liability incurred on or prior to the Closing, except in connection with any Assumed Liability, (xiv) any and all past, current or future Liability relating to the Target Business arising out of Seller’s participation prior to the Closing in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency percent-of-production allowance flexibility or similar programs contained in 40 CFR 89.102, (xv) any and all past, current or future Liability of Seller to the extent relating to a warranty campaign not being transferred to Buyer hereunder or under any Transaction Agreement, including those warranty campaigns set forth on Section 1(b) of the Disclosure Schedule, (xvi) any and all past or current royalty payments due under the license agreements related to the Hamby patents, Quadco license agreements, Fabtek patents or the Stone and Wood patents, (xvii) any and all past, current or future Liability to the extent relating to the Menominee Facility, (xviii) any and all past, current or future Liability arising from the design and certification existing as of the Closing of Seller’s Rollover Protection Structure, Falling Object Protection Structure or Operator Protection System, as applicable, in each case not including materials and construction in respect thereof, (xix) any and all past, current or future Liability with respect to any Target Business Employee, other than the Covered Employee Liabilities, (xx) any and all past, current or future Liability arising from Seller’s failure to comply with any bulk transfer laws of any applicable jurisdiction in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby, (xxi) any and all past, current or future bonus or other payment related to successful completion of the transactions contemplated hereunder, (xxii) any other Liabilities relating to the Target Business that arise prior to the Closing except to the extent any such Liability would otherwise be an Assumed Liability hereunder, (xxii) any Losses resulting from the foregoing items (i) through (xxii), in each case other than Liabilities of Buyer or its Affiliates pursuant to the Alliance Agreements.  For further clarification, for purposes of the definition of “Assumed Liabilities”, a Liability shall be deemed to “arise” when the event giving rise to such Liability occurs.

 

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August 31, 2007 Financial Statements” means the following documents attached hereto as Exhibit H: unaudited consolidated and consolidating balance sheets and statements of income and cash flows as of and for the eight-month and two-month periods ended August 31, 2007, in each case for the Target Business and prepared using methodology consistent with the Target Business Financial Statements (except for normal and recurring year-end adjustments).

 

August 31, 2007 Balance Sheet” means the balance sheet included within the August 31, 2007 Financial Statements.

 

August 31, 2007 Inventory” means the aggregate value of the Inventory set forth on the August 31, 2007 Balance Sheet.

 

August 31, 2007 Inventory Adjustment” means (a) if the August 31, 2007 Inventory is less than $21,000,000, a reduction of the Purchase Price by the amount that the August 31, 2007 Inventory is less than $21,000,000 on a dollar-for-dollar basis in accordance with Section 2(d)(iv) and (b) if the August 31, 2007 Inventory is greater than $21,000,000, an increase of the Purchase Price by the amount that the August 31, 2007 Inventory is greater than $21,000,000 on a dollar-for-dollar basis in accordance with Section 2(d)(iv); provided that such increase of the Purchase Price shall not exceed $4,000,000.

 

Bank Accounts” means those bank accounts, including all rights and obligations in respect thereof, of Blount or any of the Blount Subsidiaries that relate solely to the Target Business, other than payroll accounts and the bank account of Seller in Sweden, and that are set forth on Section 3(u) of the Disclosure Schedule.

 

Basis” means any past or present fact, situation, circumstance, status, condition, activity, practice, plan, occurrence, event, incident, action, failure to act, or transaction that forms or could form the basis for any specified consequence.

 

Books and Records” has the meaning set forth in Section 5(a).

 

Buyer” has the meaning set forth in the preamble.

 

Buyer Benefit Plans” has the meaning set forth in Section 5(h).

 

Buyer 401(k) Plan” has the meaning set forth in Section 5(h).

 

Buyer Indemnified Parties” means Buyer and its Affiliates and its and their directors, officers, employees, successors, and assigns.

 

Buyer’s Notice” has the meaning set forth in Section 2(h).

 

Buyer Parent” has the meaning set forth in the preamble.

 

Buyer Welfare Plan” has the meaning set forth in Section 5(h).

 

Cash on Hand” means Seller’s cash balance as reflected on its general ledger to the extent relating to the Target Business.

 

Caterpillar Contract Consent Costs” means any out-of-pocket costs (other than Contract Consent Fees) incurred by CFPI or its Affiliates solely in connection with the

 

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assignment by Seller to Buyer of the Assumed Contracts, but not including any payments, fees or expenses due as a result of rate changes or modifications to the terms of such Assumed Contracts.

 

Closing” means the transfer of the Acquired Assets and Assumed Liabilities from Seller to Buyer as set forth herein.

 

Closing Date” means the date of this Agreement.

 

Closing Inventory” means the aggregate value of the Inventory at the close of business on October 31, 2007 (as adjusted for activity occurring until immediately prior to the Closing), calculated (a) based upon the physical count of Inventory to be conducted by Seller (with the assistance of its accountants and in the presence of Buyer representatives and its accountants) using Seller’s historical methodology for conducting such a physical count and beginning on November 1, 2007 and (b) using methodology consistent with the Target Business Financial Statements (including with respect to accounting for reserves).

 

Closing Net Working Capital” means (a) Cash on Hand plus Accounts Receivable plus Prepaid Expenses minus (b) Accounts Payable plus Accrued Expenses (excluding any Liabilities not assumed by Buyer), in each case (i) at the close of business on the Business Day immediately preceding the Closing Date, (ii) calculated using methodology consistent with the Target Business Financial Statements and (iii) calculated without giving effect to any items related to Taxes other than property Taxes.

 

Closing Statement of Inventory” means a statement showing the computation of Closing Inventory.  An example Closing Statement of Inventory is attached as Exhibit F.

 

Closing Statement of Net Working Capital means a statement showing the computation of Closing Net Working Capital.  An example Closing Statement of Net Working Capital is attached as Exhibit E.

 

Closing Statements” means the Closing Statement of Net Working Capital and the Closing Statement of Inventory.

 

COBRA” means the requirements of Part 6 of Subtitle B of Title I of ERISA and Code Section 4980B and of any similar state law.

 

Code” means the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.

 

Confidentiality Agreement” means the Confidentiality Agreement relating to the transactions contemplated hereby dated as of April 5, 2007 between Blount and Buyer Parent.

 

Contract Consent Fees” means any fees paid or payable to parties to the Assumed Contracts other than Seller or Buyer solely in connection with the assignment by Seller to Buyer of the Assumed Contracts, but not including any payments, fees or expenses due as a result of rate changes or modifications to the terms of such Assumed Contracts.

 

Controlled Group Liability has the meaning set forth in Section 3(r).

 

Controlling Party” has the meaning set forth in Section 6(g).

 

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Covered Employee Liabilities” means all Liabilities with respect to the Target Business Employees that (a) CFPI has explicitly agreed to assume pursuant to Section 5(h) or (b) are Accrued Expenses.

 

Designated Contracts” means the contracts set forth on Section 1(c) of the Disclosure Schedule.

 

Designated Terminated Dealers” means the dealers set forth on Section 1(d) of the Disclosure Schedule.

 

Disclosure Schedule” means the disclosure schedule delivered by Seller to Buyer on the date hereof and initialed by the Parties.

 

Employee Benefit Agreement means each employment, consulting, retention, severance, termination, change in control, bonus or similar agreement or arrangement between Seller and any Target Business Employee, other than (a) any agreement or arrangement mandated by applicable Law and (b) any Employee Benefit Plan.

 

Employee Benefit Plan” means any “employee benefit plan” (as such term is defined in ERISA Section 3(3) and all applicable regulations) and any other employee benefit plan, program or arrangement of any kind, including any defined benefit or defined contribution plan, stock ownership plan, executive compensation program or arrangement, bonus plan, incentive compensation plan or arrangement, profit sharing plan or arrangement, deferred compensation plan or arrangement, supplemental retirement plan or arrangement, vacation pay, sickness, disability, or death benefit plan (whether provided through insurance, on a funded or unfunded basis or otherwise), medical or life insurance plan providing benefits to employees, retirees or former employees or any of their dependents, survivors, or beneficiaries, employee stock option or stock purchase plan, severance pay, termination, salary continuation or employee assistance plan, in each case, that Seller maintains or sponsors (or to which Seller contributes or has any obligation to contribute) for the benefit of any Target Business Employee, but excluding any plan, program or arrangement mandated by applicable Law.

 

Encumbrance Documents” means easements, covenants, conditions, restrictions or similar provisions in any instrument of record relating to the Real Property, or, to the extent its existence is within the Knowledge of Seller, any unrecorded easement, covenant, condition, restriction or similar agreement relating to the Real Property.

 

Environmental, Health, and Safety Requirements” means all applicable Laws concerning public or worker health and safety (to the extent relating to the exposure to Hazardous Materials), pollution or protection of the environment, including all such Laws relating to the presence, use, production, generation, handling, transportation, treatment, storage, disposal, distribution, labeling, testing, processing, discharge, release, threatened release, control, or cleanup of any Hazardous Materials.

 

Environmental Indemnification Claim” has the meaning set forth in Section 6(g).

 

ERISA” means the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, and all applicable regulations.

 

ERISA Affiliate” means each entity that is treated as a single employer with Seller for purposes of Code Section 414.

 

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Estimated Net Working Capital” means, based upon the August 31, 2007 Financial Statements, (a) Cash on Hand plus Accounts Receivable plus Prepaid Expenses minus (b) Accounts Payable plus Accrued Expenses (excluding any Liabilities not assumed by Buyer).

 

Estimated Net Working Capital Adjustment” means (a) if the Estimated Net Working Capital is a positive number, an increase of the Purchase Price by such number on a dollar-for-dollar basis in accordance with Section 2(d)(iii) and (b) if the Estimated Net Working Capital is a negative number, a reduction of the Purchase Price by such number (multiplied by negative one) on a dollar-for-dollar basis in accordance with Section 2(d)(iii).

 

Evaluation Material” has the meaning set forth in the Confidentiality Agreement.

 

Excluded Contracts” means (a) those contracts specifically listed or categorized on Exhibit J and (b) any other contract that is not an Assumed Contract.

 

Final Allocation” has the meaning set forth in Section 2(j).

 

Financial Statements” means (a) the Seller Parent Financial Statements and (b) the August 31, 2007 Financial Statements.

 

FSA Plans” has the meaning set forth in Section 5(h).

 

GAAP” means United States generally accepted accounting principles as in effect from time to time, consistently applied.

 

Gear Products” means Seller’s Industrial Power Equipment Group – Gear Division, which is held by Gear Products, Inc., an Oklahoma corporation and wholly owned subsidiary of Blount.

 

General Escrow Agent” means JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., in its capacity as escrow agent under the General Escrow Agreement

 

General Escrow Agreement” means the General Escrow Agreement dated as of the date hereof among Seller, Buyer and the General Escrow Agent.

 

General Escrow Amount” means $5,250,000.

 

Governmental Authority” means any federal, state, local or foreign government, governmental, regulatory or administrative authority, agency or commission, or any court, tribunal or judicial body.

 

Hazardous Material” means any product, substance, chemical, material or waste whose presence, nature, quantity and/or intensity of existence, use, manufacture, disposal, transportation, spill, release or effect is regulated as a contaminant, or as a threat or potential threat to human health, safety or the environment by any Environmental, Health, and Safety Requirement, including  hydrocarbons, petroleum, gasoline, crude oil or any products or by-products thereof, pentachlorophenol (“PCP”), chloromethane, benzene, naphthalene, lead and any other substances, metals, materials, wastes, pollutants and the like which are defined or characterized as hazardous or toxic by any applicable Environmental, Health, and Safety Requirement.

 

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Improvements” means buildings, structures, fixtures, building systems and equipment, and all components thereof, including the roof, foundation, load-bearing walls and other structural elements thereof, heating, ventilation, air conditioning, mechanical, electrical, plumbing and other building systems, environmental control, remediation and abatement systems, sewer, storm and waste water systems, irrigation and other water distribution systems, parking facilities, fire protection, security and surveillance systems, and wiring and cable installations, utility installations and landscaping present on any Real Property.

 

Inactive Employee” has the meaning set forth in Section 5(h).

 

Indemnified Party” means whomever of the Buyer Indemnified Parties, on the one hand, or the Seller Indemnified Parties, on the other hand, is asserting a claim of indemnification pursuant to Section 6.

 

Indemnifying Party” means a Party against whom a claim of indemnification is or may be asserted pursuant to Section 6.

 

Intellectual Property” means any patent (including all reissues, divisions, continuations and extensions thereof), patent application, patent right, trademark, trademark registration, trademark application, servicemark, trade name, business name, brand name, copyright, copyright registration, design, design registration, trade secret, know-how or any right to any of the foregoing.

 

Inventory” means raw materials and supplies, manufactured and purchased parts, goods in process and finished goods, service parts, consignment inventory and other inventory of the Target Business, in each case net of reserves.  For purposes of the Inventory Adjustment, “Inventory” shall be calculated using methodology consistent with the Target Business Financial Statements.

 

Inventory Adjustment” has the meaning set forth in Section 2(f).

 

Inventory Adjustment Interest” means interest at the Applicable Rate on the Inventory Adjustment, accrued from the Closing Date to the date of payment pursuant to Section 2(f); provided that such interest shall accrue only with respect to that portion of the Inventory Adjustment that is payable pursuant to Section 2(f).

 

Knowledge” means information or facts that a Party’s officers and responsible employees know or should have known after due inquiry and investigation.

 

Labor Organization” means any organization of any kind, including any union or any agency or employee representation committee, in which employees participate and which exists for the purpose, in whole or in part, of dealing with employers concerning labor grievances, labor disputes, wages, rates of pay, hours of employment, or conditions of work.

 

Landlord Leases” means all Leased Real Property Subleases and all Owned Real Property Leases.

 

Law” means any law (including any zoning law), statute, rule or regulation,  including engineering standards applicable to products manufactured by the Target Business having force and effect of law as of the date hereof (if any), and any judgment or order of any federal, state,

 

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local or foreign governmental agency, commission, bureau, authority, court or arbitration tribunal.

 

Lease Consents” means written consents for the assignment of each of the Leases, if required pursuant to any such Lease, and, if requested by Buyer’s lender, if any, a waiver of landlord liens, collateral assignment of lease or leasehold mortgage from the landlord or other party whose consent thereto is required under each such Lease.

 

Leased Real Property” means all leasehold or subleasehold estates and other rights to use or occupy any land or Improvements held by Seller primarily in connection with the operation of the Target Business.

 

Leased Real Property Subleases” means all leases, subleases, licenses, concession and other agreements (written or oral), including all amendments, extensions, renewals, and guaranties with respect thereto, pursuant to which Seller has conveyed an interest in, or right to use, any portion of the Leased Real Property.

 

Leases” means all leases, subleases, licenses, concessions and other agreements, including all amendments, extensions, renewals, guaranties, and other agreements with respect thereto, pursuant to which Seller holds any Leased Real Property, including the right to all security deposits and other amounts and instruments deposited by or on behalf of Seller or any of the Blount Subsidiaries thereunder.

 

Liabilities” means any and all liabilities or obligations of whatever kind or nature (whether known or unknown, whether asserted or unasserted, whether absolute or contingent, whether accrued or unaccrued, whether liquidated or unliquidated, and whether due or to become due (off-balance sheet or otherwise), including, but not limited to, any liability relating to operations, debt, property used, leased or owned, infringement, contracts, safety, product warranty, recalls, product improvement programs, product liability, environmental, Tax, litigation, dealer termination, pension and benefit plan funding or applicable regulations.

 

Lien” means any mortgage, pledge, lien, encumbrance, charge, or other security interest other than (a) liens for Taxes not yet due and payable or for Taxes that the taxpayer is contesting in good faith through appropriate proceedings that are properly reflected in the Financial Statements, (b) purchase money liens and liens securing rental payments under capital lease arrangements, (c) other liens arising in the Ordinary Course of Business and not incurred in connection with the borrowing of money and (d) liens that shall have terminated at or prior to the Closing.

 

Losses” means losses, Liabilities, costs, claims, damages, actions, suits, proceedings, hearings, investigations, charges, complaints, demands, injunctions, judgments, orders, decrees, rulings, dues, penalties, fines, costs, amounts paid in settlement, Taxes, Liens, expenses and fees, including court costs and reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses or any obligation to pay any of the foregoing.

 

Material Adverse Effect” or “Material Adverse Change” means any effect, change or event that would be (or could reasonably be expected to be) materially adverse to the business, assets, liabilities, condition (financial or otherwise), operating results or operations of the Target Business, taken as a whole.

 

Material Contract” has the meaning set forth in Section 3(m).

 

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Menominee Facility” means Seller’s real and personal property and facility located in Menominee, Michigan

 

Multiemployer Plan” has the meaning set forth in ERISA Section 3(37) and all applicable regulations.

 

Net Working Capital Adjustment” has the meaning set forth in Section 2(e).

 

Net Working Capital Adjustment Interest” means interest at the Applicable Rate on the Net Working Capital Adjustment, accrued from the Closing Date to the date of payment pursuant to Section 2(e).

 

Non-Assignable Asset” has the meaning set forth in Section 5(b).

 

Non-Controlling Party” has the meaning set forth in Section 6(g).

 

Ordinary Course of Business” means the ordinary course of business consistent with past custom and practice (including with respect to quantity, quality and frequency).

 

Owned Real Property” means all land, together with all Improvements thereon or thereto, and all easements and other rights and interests appurtenant thereto (including air, oil, gas, mineral, and water rights), owned by Seller and used primarily in the operation of the Target Business.  Owned Real Property does not include the Menominee Facility.

 

Owned Real Property Leases” means all leases, subleases, licenses, concessions and other agreements (written or oral), including all amendments, extensions, renewals, and guaranties with respect thereto, pursuant to which Seller has leased, licensed, or otherwise granted the right to use the Owned Real Property to another Person.

 

Party” means CFPI, Buyer Parent and the Caterpillar Subsidiaries, on the one hand, and Blount, Seller Parent and the Blount Subsidiaries, on the other hand.

 

Permits” means permits, approvals, consents or other authorizations required or granted by any Governmental Authority.

 

Permitted Encumbrances” means, with respect to each parcel of Real Property, (a) real estate taxes, assessments and other governmental levies, fees, or charges imposed with respect to such Real Property that are (i) not due and payable as of the Closing Date or (ii) being contested in good faith and for which appropriate reserves have been established in accordance with GAAP, (b) mechanics’ liens and similar liens for labor, materials, or supplies provided with respect to such Real Property incurred in the Ordinary Course of Business for amounts that are (i) not due and payable as of the Closing Date or (ii) being contested in good faith and for which appropriate reserves have been established in accordance with GAAP, (c) zoning, building codes and other land use laws that are regulating the use or occupancy of such Real Property or the activities conducted thereon which are imposed by any Governmental Authority having jurisdiction over such Real Property and are not violated by the current use or occupancy of such Real Property or the operation of the Target Business as currently conducted by Seller thereon, (d) easements, covenants, conditions, restrictions, and other similar matters of record affecting title to such Real Property that do not or would not impair the use or occupancy of such Real Property in the operation of the Target Business as currently conducted by Seller thereon and (e)

 

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liens that have been placed by any developer, landlord, or other third party on the Leased Real Property and subordination or similar agreements relating thereto.

 

Person” means an individual, a partnership, a corporation, a limited liability company, an association, a joint stock company, a trust, a joint venture, an unincorporated organization, any other business entity, or a governmental entity (or any department, agency, or political subdivision thereof).

 

Plan Transition Date” has the meaning set forth in Section 5(h).

 

Plan Transition Period” has the meaning set forth in Section 5(h).

 

Post-Retirement Amount” means $1,750,000.

 

Pre-Closing Environmental Liabilities” means any and all Liabilities arising under any applicable Environmental, Health, and Safety Requirements to the extent resulting from or in connection with the operation of the Target Business on or prior to the Closing, including any and all Liabilities arising out of (a) any non-compliance with any Environmental, Health, and Safety Requirements, or with any Permits required thereunder, to the extent resulting from or in connection with the operation of the Target Business on or prior to the Closing, (b) any presence or release of Hazardous Materials at, on, in or under any Real Property, to the extent existing or occurring on or prior to the Closing and (c) any off-site transportation or disposal, or arrangement for transportation or disposal, of any Hazardous Materials by or in connection with the operation of the Target Business on or prior to the Closing; provided that Pre-Closing Environmental Liabilities shall not include any Liabilities arising from or relating to any exposure or alleged exposure to asbestos, silica, welding rods or welding rod fumes.

 

Pre-Closing Tax Period” means any Tax period (or portion thereof) ending on or before the Closing Date.

 

Post-Closing Asbestos, Silica and Welding Rod Liabilities” means any Liabilities arising from, relating to, or based on the exposure or alleged exposure to asbestos or asbestos-containing materials, silica, or any Hazardous Materials in any welding rods or welding rod fumes present or allegedly present (a) in any product manufactured, sold, marketed, installed, transported or distributed by the Target Business after the Closing Date, or (b) at any Real Property, or in any facility or structure thereat, to the extent any exposure to such asbestos or asbestos-containing materials occurred after the Closing Date, including the case of each of (a) and (b), any such Liabilities arising from, relating to or based on any personal or bodily injury or illness.

 

Post-Closing Environmental Liabilities” means any and all Liabilities arising under any applicable Environmental, Health and Safety Requirements to the extent resulting from or in connection with the operation of the Target Business after the Closing, including any and all Liabilities arising out of (a) any non-compliance with any Environmental, Health and Safety Requirements, or with any permits required thereunder, to the extent resulting from or in connection with the operation of the Target Business after the Closing, (b) any presence or release of Hazardous Materials at, on, in or under any Real Property, to the extent arising or occurring after the Closing and (c) any off-site transportation or disposal, or arrangement for transportation or disposal, of any Hazardous Materials by or in connection with the operation of the Target Business after the Closing.

 

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Post-Closing Tax Period” means any Tax period (or portion thereof) beginning after the Closing Date.

 

Prepaid Expenses” means the prepaid expenses of the Target Business, calculated (a) using line items and methodology consistent with the Target Business Financial Statements and (b) notwithstanding differences between actual line item values and reserves or other estimates, subject to normal and recurring year-end adjustments (to the extent Seller calculated such reserves or other estimates using methodology consistent with the Target Business Financial Statements).  Such line items comprising “Prepaid Expenses” are set forth on Exhibit D.

 

Purchase Price” has the meaning set forth in Section 2(d).

 

Real Property” means all Owned Real Property and all Leased Real Property, collectively.

 

Real Property Impositions” means Taxes, assessments, fees, charges or similar costs or expenses imposed by any Governmental Authority, association or other entity having jurisdiction over the Owned Real Property.

 

Real Property Laws” means applicable building, zoning, subdivision, and other land use laws, affecting the Owned Real Property.

 

Real Property Permits” means certificates of occupancy, permits, licenses, franchises, approvals and authorizations of all Governmental Authorities, boards of fire underwriters, associations or any other entity having jurisdiction over the Real Property that are required to use or occupy the Real Property or operate the Target Business as currently conducted by Seller thereon.

 

Remedial Actions” has the meaning set forth in Section 6(g).

 

Seller” has the meaning set forth in the preamble.

 

Seller 401(k) Plan” has the meaning set forth in Section 3(r).

 

Seller Indemnified Parties” means Seller and its Affiliates and its and their directors, officers, employees, successors, and assigns.

 

Seller Parent” has the meaning set forth in the preamble.

 

Seller Parent Financial Statements” means the audited consolidated balance sheets and statements of income and cash flows of Seller Parent as of and for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2004, December 31, 2005, December 31, 2006.

 

Silica Liability” means any Liability arising from, relating to, or based on the exposure or alleged exposure of silica present or allegedly present (a) in any product manufactured, sold, marketed, installed, transported, or distributed by the Target Business on or prior to the Closing (regardless of whether any exposure to such Hazardous Materials occurred prior to, on or after the Closing), or (b) at any Real Property, or in any facility or structure thereat, to the extent any exposure to such silica occurred prior to or on the Closing Date, including in the case of each of (a) and (b) any Liability arising from, relating to or based on any personal or bodily injury or illness related to silica.

 

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Specified Employees” has the meaning set forth in Section 5(h).

 

Specified Environmental Escrow Agent” means JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., in its capacity as escrow agent under the Specified Environmental Escrow Agreement

 

Specified Environmental Escrow Agreement” means the Specified Environmental Escrow Agreement dated as of the date hereof among Seller, Buyer and the Specified Environmental Escrow Agent.

 

Specified Environmental Escrow Amount” means $3,500,000.

 

Specified Environmental Losses” means any Losses arising from any Pre-Closing Environmental Liabilities (a) at the Owned Real Property in Prentice, Wisconsin or (b) in connection with any release of Hazardous Materials at, on, in, or under any Owned Real Property in Zebulon, North Carolina or Owatonna, Minnesota, (i) to the extent such release, to the Knowledge of Seller as of the Closing Date, existed or occurred thereat and (ii) as to which Seller has, prior to the Closing, acknowledged in writing its obligation to provide indemnification therefor.

 

Straddle Period” has the meaning set forth in Section 5(i) of this Agreement.

 

Blount Subsidiary” has the meaning set forth in the preamble.

 

Target Business” means Seller’s Industrial Power Equipment Group – Forestry Division.  For the avoidance of doubt, “Target Business” shall not include (a) Gear Products, (b) any wire harness operations or assets owned by Blount (Fuzhou) Industries Co. Limited and (c) the Menominee Facility.

 

Target Business Employee” means (a) each current employee of Seller that, as of the Closing, is primarily engaged in the Target Business, other than the individuals set forth on Section 1(e) of the Disclosure Schedule, and (b) each individual who, as of the Closing Date, was an employee of Seller, and, as of the last day of such employee’s employment with Seller, was primarily engaged in the Target Business.

 

Target Business Financial Statements” means the financial statements of the Target Business as of and for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2006, as set forth in Exhibit G.

 

Tax” or “Taxes” means any federal, state, local, or foreign income, gross receipts, license, payroll, employment, excise, severance, stamp, occupation, premium, windfall profits, environmental (including taxes under Code Section 59A), customs, duties, capital stock, franchise, profits, withholding, social security (or similar), unemployment, disability, real property, personal property, sales, use, ad valorem, transfer, registration, value added, alternative or add-on minimum, estimated, or other tax of any kind whatsoever, including any interest, penalty, or addition thereto, whether disputed or not and including any obligations to indemnify or otherwise assume or succeed to the Tax liability of any other Person.

 

Tax Return” means any return, declaration, report, form, claim for refund, or information return or statement relating to Taxes, including any schedule, or attachment thereto, and including any amendment thereof.

 

Termination Costs” has the meaning set forth in Section 5(h).

 

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Third-Party Claim” means a claim, demand, suit, proceeding or investigation of a Person that is not a Party including, but not limited to, a federal state or local government agency (or instrumentality thereof) concerning any matter that may give rise to a claim for indemnification against a Party pursuant to the terms of Section 6.

 

Transaction Agreements” means those agreements entered into at Closing or otherwise in connection with this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby, including, but not limited to the agreements set forth on Exhibit K.

 

Transfer Fees” mean the Transfer Taxes and all transfer and consent fees paid or payable as a result of the transactions contemplated under this Agreement and the Transaction Agreements, including any Contract Consent Fees.

 

Transfer Taxes” means any federal, state, local or non-U.S. sales, conveyance, documentary transfer, stamp duty, recording, transfer, value added or similar Tax imposed in connection with any transfer of any Acquired Asset contemplated by this Agreement.

 

Transferred Employee” has the meaning set forth in Section 5(h).

 

WARN Act” means the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act of 1988, as amended, or any similar foreign, state, or local law, regulation, or ordinance.

 

Welding Rod Liability means any Liability arising from, relating to, or based on the exposure or alleged exposure of any Hazardous Materials in any welding rods or welding rod fumes present or allegedly present (a) in any product manufactured, sold, marketed, installed, transported, or distributed by the Target Business on or prior to the Closing Date (regardless of whether any exposure to such Hazardous Materials occurred prior to, on or after the Closing Date), or (b) at any Real Property, or in any facility or structure thereat, to the extent any exposure to such Hazardous Materials occurred prior to or on the Closing Date, including in the case of each of (a) and (b) any Liability arising from, relating to or based on any personal or bodily injury or illness related to welding rods or welding rod fumes.

 

Workers’ Compensation Event” has the meaning set forth in Section 5(h).

 

SECTION 2                               BASIC TRANSACTION

 

(a)          Purchase and Sale of Assets.  On and subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, Buyer hereby purchases and accepts from Seller, and Seller hereby sells, transfers, conveys, assigns and delivers to Buyer, all of the Acquired Assets in exchange for the consideration specified in this Section 2.

 

(b)         Liabilities.  On and subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, as of the Closing, Buyer hereby assumes and becomes responsible for the Assumed Liabilities.  Buyer will not assume or have any responsibility with respect to, and Seller shall retain, any Liability, Loss or obligation of Seller not expressly included within the definition of “Assumed Liabilities”.  In connection with Closing, Buyer and Seller each hereby agree to execute and deliver to the other Party or any applicable third party such assumption agreements or other instruments as may be necessary or reasonably requested by the other Party to effectuate the provisions of this Section 2(b) or to transfer and assign the Assumed Contracts.

 

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(c)          Closing.  The Closing shall occur simultaneously with the execution and delivery of this Agreement by the Parties.

 

(d)         Purchase Price.  Buyer agrees to pay to Seller at Closing by wire transfer or other delivery of immediately available funds to such bank account as Seller shall specify $84,000,000 (the “Purchase Price”):

 

(i)                                     minus the General Escrow Amount (which Buyer shall transfer to the General Escrow Agent pursuant to the terms and conditions of the General Escrow Agreement);

 

(ii)                                  minus the Specified Environmental Escrow Amount (which Buyer shall transfer to the Specified Environmental Escrow Agent pursuant to the terms and conditions of the Specified Environmental Escrow Agreement);

 

(iii)                               plus or minus the Estimated Net Working Capital Adjustment;

 

(iv)                              plus or minus the August 31, 2007 Inventory Adjustment;

 

(v)                                 minus the Post-Retirement Amount.

 

(e)          Net Working Capital Adjustment.  As used herein, the term “Net Working Capital Adjustment” means (a) the Closing Net Working Capital minus (b) the Estimated Net Working Capital.  If the Net Working Capital Adjustment is a positive number, then Buyer shall pay to Seller the Net Working Capital Adjustment plus the Net Working Capital Adjustment Interest.  If the Net Working Capital Adjustment is a negative number, then Seller shall pay to Buyer the Net Working Capital Adjustment (multiplied by negative one) plus the Net Working Capital Adjustment Interest.  In either case, such payment shall be made prior to the tenth Business Day following the final determination of the Closing Net Working Capital pursuant to Section 2(g) by wire transfer or other delivery of immediately available funds to such bank account as such other Party shall specify.

 

(f)            Inventory Adjustment.  As used herein, the term “Inventory Adjustment” means (i) the Closing Inventory minus (ii) the August 31, 2007 Inventory plus (iii) the excess, if any, of the August 31, 2007 Inventory over $25,000,000.  If the Inventory Adjustment is a positive number, then Buyer shall pay to Seller the Inventory Adjustment plus the Inventory Adjustment Interest; provided that the aggregate increase to the Purchase Price pursuant to Sections 2(d)(iv) and (f) shall not exceed $4,000,000 plus the Inventory Adjustment Interest.  If the Inventory Adjustment is a negative number, then Seller shall pay to Buyer the Inventory Adjustment (multiplied by negative one) plus the Inventory Adjustment Interest.  In either case, such payment shall be made prior to the tenth Business Day following the final determination of the Closing Inventory pursuant to Section 2(g) by wire transfer or other delivery of immediately available funds to such bank account as such other Party shall specify.

 

(g)         Adjustment Calculation and Dispute Resolution.  Seller will deliver each of the Closing Statements to Buyer within 60 days after the Closing Date.  If, within 30 days following delivery of a Closing Statement, Buyer has not given Seller a Buyer’s Notice (as defined below), then such Closing Statement shall be final, conclusive and binding on the Parties.  If, within 30 days of receiving a Closing Statement, Buyer delivers to Seller a written notice of an objection with respect to such Closing Statement (“Buyer’s Notice”), then the Parties will meet to discuss such objection and attempt in good faith to reach a mutually satisfactory resolution within 30

 

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days following the date of Buyer’s Notice.  Any Buyer’s Notice shall (i) specify in reasonable detail the nature of any objection so asserted and (ii) only include objections based on mathematical or factual errors or based on the Closing Net Working Capital not being calculated in accordance with Exhibit E or the Closing Inventory not being calculated in accordance with Exhibit F, as applicable; provided that, in the case of the Closing Statement of Inventory, Buyer shall not object to the results of the physical count of Inventory described in the definition of “Closing Inventory”.  If the Parties cannot resolve such issues within 30 days after the date of a Buyer’s Notice, then the Parties will submit the issues in dispute to the Accountants for resolution and final determination of Closing Net Working Capital or Closing Inventory, as applicable.  If the issues in dispute are submitted to the Accountants for resolution, (A) each Party will furnish to the Accountants such workpapers and other documents and information relating to the disputed issues as the Accountants may request and are available to that Party or its Affiliates (or its independent public accountants), and will be afforded the opportunity to present to the Accountants any material relating to the determination and, so long as a representative of the other Party is present, to discuss the determination with the Accountants, (B) the Accountants shall be instructed to render their determination of all matters submitted to it within 30 days following submission and (C) the determination by the Accountants, as set forth in a notice delivered to the Parties by the Accountants, will be binding and conclusive on the Parties.  The scope of the disputes to be resolved by the Accountants shall be limited to whether the Closing Net Working Capital was calculated consistently with Exhibit E or the Closing Inventory was calculated consistently with Exhibit F, as applicable, and whether there were mathematical or factual errors in the applicable Closing Statement, and the Accountants are not to make any other determination (including with respect to the physical count of Inventory described in the definition of “Closing Inventory”).  The fees and expenses of the Accountants incurred pursuant to this Section 2(g) shall be borne by Buyer and Seller in inverse proportion as they may prevail on matters resolved by the Accountants, which proportionate allocation also shall be determined by the Accountants at the time the determination of the Accountants is rendered on the merits of the matter submitted.  The fees and disbursements of Buyer’s accountants incurred in connection with their review of the Closing Statements and preparation and review of any Buyer’s Notice shall be borne by Buyer, and the fees and disbursements of Seller’s accountants incurred in connection with their preparation and review of the Closing Statements and review of any Buyer’s Notice shall be borne by Seller.

 

(h)         Post-Closing Accounting Practice; Access.  Following the Closing, neither Buyer nor Seller shall take any action that is not consistent with Seller’s past practices with respect to the accounting books and records of Seller on which the Closing Statements are to be based.  During the period of time from and after the Closing Date through the resolution of any adjustment to the Purchase Price contemplated by this Section 2, Buyer shall afford to Seller, and any accountants, counsel or financial advisers retained by Seller in connection with any adjustment to the Purchase Price contemplated by this Section 2, reasonable access during normal business hours to all the properties, books, contracts, personnel and records relevant to the Purchase Price adjustments contemplated by this Section 2.

 

(i)             Parent Guaranties.

 

(i)             Seller Parent hereby unconditionally guarantees the representations and warranties contained herein and the full and prompt payment and performance of all obligations, covenants and duties of Seller under and pursuant to this Agreement and the Transaction Agreements.

 

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(ii)          Buyer Parent hereby unconditionally guarantees the representations and warranties contained herein and the full and prompt payment and performance of all obligations, covenants and duties of Buyer, including the payment of the Purchase Price, under and pursuant to this Agreement and the Transaction Agreements.

 

(j)             Purchase Price Allocation for Tax Purposes.  Buyer shall prepare a proposed allocation of the Adjusted Purchase Price (and other capitalized costs) and Assumed Liabilities among the Acquired Assets in accordance with Code Section 1060 and the Treasury regulations thereunder (and any similar provision of state, local or foreign law, as appropriate).  Buyer shall deliver such proposed allocation to Seller not later than 120 days after the Closing Date.  If Seller and Buyer agree upon such proposed allocation, then such proposed allocation shall become the final allocation (the “Final Allocation”).  If Seller raises any objections in respect of the proposed allocation, then Seller and Buyer shall negotiate in good faith until they will have resolved all such objections and the so negotiated allocation shall become the Final Allocation.  Buyer and Seller and their Affiliates shall report, act and file Tax Returns (including Internal Revenue Service Form 8594) in all respects and for all purposes consistent with such Final Allocation.  Seller shall timely and properly prepare, execute, file and deliver all such documents, forms and other information as Buyer may reasonably request to prepare such Final Allocation.  Neither Buyer nor Seller (nor their Affiliates) shall take any position (whether in audits, Tax Returns or otherwise) that is inconsistent with such Final Allocation unless required to do so by applicable law.  If, after the proposed allocation becomes the Final Allocation, any event occurs that will result in an adjustment of the Adjusted Purchase Price (including any indemnity payments pursuant to this Agreement), then Seller and Buyer (and their respective Affiliates) shall amend the Final Allocation accordingly.

 

SECTION 3                               SELLER’S REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES

 

Seller represents and warrants to Buyer that the statements contained in this Section 3 are correct and complete as of the date hereof, except as set forth in the disclosure schedule accompanying this Agreement (the “Disclosure Schedule”).  Items disclosed under any particular Section shall be deemed as disclosed for other Sections where its relevance to such other Sections is obvious and clearly apparent on its face.  Nothing in the Disclosure Schedule shall be deemed adequate to disclose an exception to a representation or warranty made herein unless the reason for it being disclosed is obvious and clearly apparent.  The inclusion of an item on the Disclosure Schedule as an exception to a representation or warranty will not by itself be deemed an admission by Seller that such item is material or was required to be disclosed therein.

 

(a)          Organization of Blount.  Each of Seller Parent, Blount and each Blount Subsidiary has been duly organized, is validly existing and is in good standing under the laws of its jurisdiction of organization.

 

(b)         Authorization of Transaction.  Each of Seller Parent, Blount and each Blount Subsidiary has full power and authority to execute and deliver this Agreement and each Transaction Agreement to which it is a party and to perform its obligations hereunder and thereunder.  Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the board of directors of Seller Parent, Blount and each Blount Subsidiary have duly authorized the execution, delivery, and performance of this Agreement and each Transaction Agreement to which such entity is a party.  This Agreement and each Transaction Agreement to which it is a party has been duly executed and delivered by Seller Parent, Blount and each Blount Subsidiary and constitutes the valid and legally binding obligation of Seller Parent, Blount and each Blount Subsidiary, enforceable in accordance with its terms and conditions, except as such enforcement may be limited by (i) 

 

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bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other laws of general application affecting the rights and remedies of creditors and (ii) general principles of equity (regardless of whether such enforcement is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law).

 

(c)          Non-contravention.  Neither the execution and delivery of this Agreement nor the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby (including the assignments and assumptions referred to in Section 2) will (i) violate any constitution, statute, regulation, rule, injunction, judgment, order, decree, ruling, charge, or other restriction of any government, governmental agency, or court to which Blount or any of the Blount Subsidiaries is subject or any provision of the charter or bylaws of Blount or any of the Blount Subsidiaries, (ii) materially conflict with, result in a material breach of, constitute a material default under, result in the acceleration of, create in any party the right to accelerate, terminate, modify, or cancel, or require any notice under any agreement, contract, lease, license, instrument, or other arrangement to which Blount or any of the Blount Subsidiaries is a party or by which it is bound or to which any of its assets is subject (or result in the imposition of any Lien upon any of its assets) or (iii) conflict with, result in a breach of, constitute a default under, result in the acceleration of, create in any party the right to accelerate, terminate, modify, or cancel, or require any notice under any Assumed Contract.  Except for such authorizations, consents or approvals that have been obtained prior to Closing or are set forth on Section 3(c) of the Disclosure Schedule, none of Blount or the Blount Subsidiaries needs to give any notice to, make any filing with, or obtain any authorization, consent, or approval of any government or governmental agency in order for the Parties to consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, except where the failure to do so would not result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(d)         Brokers’ Fees.  Seller has no Liability to pay any fees or commissions to any broker, finder, or agent with respect to the transactions contemplated by this Agreement for which Buyer could become liable or obligated.

 

(e)          Title to and Sufficiency and Condition of Assets.  Seller has good and marketable title to, or a valid leasehold interest in, all of the Acquired Assets, free and clear of any Lien or restriction on transfer (other than Permitted Encumbrances in the case of Real Property).  Other than those assets expressly excluded from the definition of “Acquired Assets”, the Acquired Assets (i) constitute all of the assets, tangible and intangible, of any nature whatsoever, necessary to operate the Target Business in the manner presently operated by Seller, (ii) include all of the operating assets of Seller primarily used in the Target Business and (iii) are sufficient for the continued conduct of the Target Business by Buyer after the Closing in substantially the same manner as conducted by Seller prior to the Closing.  Each Acquired Asset that is a tangible asset having a net book value in excess of $30,000 (x) is in good working order (ordinary wear and tear excepted), (y) has been maintained in all material respects in accordance with the past practice of Seller and generally accepted industry practice and (z) is suitable for the purposes for which it presently is used in connection with the Target Business.

 

(f)            Financial Statements.  The Financial Statements (i) have been prepared (A) in the case of the Seller Parent Financial Statements, in accordance with GAAP consistently applied throughout the periods covered thereby and (B) in the case of the August 31, 2007 Financial Statements, using methodology consistent with the Target Business Financial Statements and consistently applied, (ii) present fairly the financial condition of the Seller Parent and Target Business, as applicable, as of such dates and for the periods covered thereby and (iii) are consistent with and based upon the books and records of the Seller Parent and Target Business (which books and records are correct and complete in all material respects); provided, however,

 

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that the August 31, 2007 Financial Statements are subject to normal and recurring year-end adjustments.

 

(g)         Events Subsequent to December 31, 2006.  Except as set forth on Section 3(g) of the Disclosure Schedule, since December 31, 2006, there has not been any Material Adverse Change and, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, with respect to the Target Business, since such date:

 

(i)                                     Seller has operated the Target Business in the Ordinary Course of Business;

 

(ii)                                  Seller has not sold, leased, transferred, or assigned any asset with a net book value in excess of $100,000 that would have constituted an Acquired Asset, tangible or intangible, other than for fair consideration in the Ordinary Course of Business;

 

(iii)                               no party (including Seller and any of the Blount Subsidiaries) has accelerated, terminated, materially modified or cancelled any agreement, contract, lease, or license involving more than $100,000 to which Blount or any of the Blount Subsidiaries is a party or by which any of them is bound or outside the Ordinary Course of Business;

 

(iv)                              Seller has not entered into any Material Contract having an aggregate value, or providing for obligations, in excess of $100,000 or outside the Ordinary Course of Business.

 

(v)                                 Seller has not imposed or permitted to exist any Lien upon any of its assets, tangible or intangible (other than Permitted Encumbrances with respect to Real Property);

 

(vi)                              Seller has not made any capital expenditure (or series of related capital expenditures) either involving more than $100,000 or outside the Ordinary Course of Business;

 

(vii)                           Seller has not made any capital investment in, any loan to, or any acquisition of the securities or assets of, any other Person (or series of related capital investments, loans, and acquisitions) either involving more than $100,000 or outside the Ordinary Course of Business;

 

(viii)                        Seller has not delayed or postponed the payment of accounts payable or any other Liabilities outside the Ordinary Course of Business;

 

(ix)                                There has been no individual occurrence in which Seller has experienced any damage, destruction or Loss (whether or not covered by insurance) in excess of $100,000 with respect to an Acquired Asset;

 

(x)                                   neither Seller nor any of the Blount Subsidiaries has made any loan that remains outstanding to, or entered into any other transaction with, any Target Business Employee outside the Ordinary Course of Business;

 

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(xi)                                Seller has not discharged any material Liability or Lien primarily relating to the Target Business outside the Ordinary Course of Business;

 

(xii)                             Seller has not cancelled, compromised, waived, or released any right or claim (or series of related rights and claims) involving more than $100,000 outside the Ordinary Course of Business;

 

(xiii)                          Seller has not entered into any agreement pertaining to the Target Business that concerns non-competition or exclusive dealing; and

 

(xiv)                         Seller has not committed to do any of the foregoing.

 

(h)         Legal Compliance.  Except as set forth on Section 3(h) of the Disclosure Schedule, with respect to the Target Business, Seller has materially complied with all applicable Laws.  This Section does not apply to environmental, health or safety matters which are exclusively the subject of Section 3(s).

 

(i)             Tax Matters.  Each of Blount and the Blount Subsidiaries has timely filed all employment, sales and use and property Tax Returns that relate to the Target Business that it was required to file under applicable laws and regulations.  All such employment, sales and use and property Tax Returns were correct and complete in all respects and were prepared in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations.  All such employment, sales and use and property Taxes due and owed by Blount or any of its Blount Subsidiaries have been paid.  There are no Tax liens on Acquired Assets, except (i) for such Tax liens wherein Blount or one of the Blount Subsidiaries is contesting such Taxes or (ii) for Taxes not yet due and payable.  To the Knowledge of Seller, with respect to the Target Business, Seller has not participated in a transaction that is of the type set forth in Code Section 6011 and the regulations promulgated thereto.

 

(j)             Real Property.

 

(i)                                     Section 3(j)(i) of the Disclosure Schedule sets forth the address and description of each parcel of Owned Real Property.  With respect to each parcel of Owned Real Property, (A) Blount or one of the Blount Subsidiaries has good and marketable indefeasible fee simple title, free and clear of all Liens, except Permitted Encumbrances, (B) except as set forth in Section 3(j)(i) of the Disclosure Schedule as being Owned Real Property Leases, neither Seller nor any of the Blount Subsidiaries has leased or otherwise granted to any Person the right to use or occupy such Owned Real Property or any portion thereof and (C) there are no outstanding options, rights of first offer or rights of first refusal to purchase such Owned Real Property or any portion thereof or interest therein.

 

(ii)                                  Section 3(j)(ii) of the Disclosure Schedule sets forth the address of each parcel of Leased Real Property, and a true and complete list of all Leases for each such parcel of Leased Real Property (including the date and name of the parties to such Lease document).  Seller has delivered to Buyer a true and complete copy of each such Lease document and, in the case of any oral Lease, a written summary of the material terms of such Lease.  Except as set forth in Section 3(j)(ii) of the Disclosure Schedule, with respect to each of the Leases, (A) such Lease is legal, valid, binding, and in full force and effect, (B) the transactions contemplated by this Agreement do not require the consent of any other party to such Lease (except for those Leases for which Lease

 

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Consents are required), will not result in a breach of or default under such Lease, and will not otherwise cause such Lease to cease to be legal, valid, binding, and in full force and effect on identical terms following the Closing, (C) Seller’s possession and quiet enjoyment of the Leased Real Property under such Lease has not been disturbed and there are no material disputes with respect to such Lease, (D) Seller is not in material breach of or default under such Lease, and no event has occurred or circumstance exists that, with the delivery of notice, the passage of time or both, would constitute such a material breach or default, or permit the termination, modification or acceleration of rent under such Lease, (E) no security deposit or portion thereof deposited with respect to such Lease has been applied in respect of a breach of or default under such Lease that has not been redeposited in full, (F) Seller does not owe, or will not owe in the future, any brokerage commissions or finder’s fees with respect to such Lease, (G) the other party to such Lease is not an Affiliate of, and otherwise does not have any known economic interest in, Seller, (H) Seller has not subleased, licensed or otherwise granted any Person the right to use or occupy the Leased Real Property or any portion thereof other than any Leased Real Property Sublease set forth in Section 3(j)(ii) of the Disclosure Schedule, (I) Seller has not collaterally assigned or granted any other Lien in such Lease or any interest therein and (J) there are no Liens on the estate or interest created by such Lease other than Permitted Encumbrances.

 

(iii)                               Section 3(j)(iii) of the Disclosure Schedule sets forth a true and complete list of all Owned Real Property Leases and Leased Real Property Subleases, including the date and name of the parties to each Landlord Lease document. Seller has delivered to Buyer a true and complete copy of each Landlord Lease document and, in the case of any oral Landlord Lease, a written summary of the material terms of such Lease. Except as set forth in Section 3(j)(iii) of the Disclosure Schedule, with respect to each of the Landlord Leases, (A) such Landlord Lease is legal, valid, binding, and in full force and effect, (B) neither Seller nor, to the Knowledge of Seller, any other party to such Landlord Lease is in material breach of or default thereunder, and, to the Knowledge of Seller, no event has occurred or circumstance exists that, with the delivery of notice, the passage of time or both, would constitute such a material breach of or default thereunder, (C) no security deposit or portion thereof deposited with respect to such Landlord Lease has been applied in respect of a breach or default under such Landlord Lease that has not been redeposited in full, (D) Seller does not owe, or will not owe in the future, any brokerage commissions or finder’s fees with respect to such Landlord Lease, (E) the other party to such Landlord Lease is not an Affiliate of, and otherwise does not have any known economic interest in, Seller, (F) to the Knowledge of Seller, the other party to such Landlord Lease has not subleased, licensed or otherwise granted any Person the right to use or occupy the premises demised thereunder or any portion thereof, (G) to the Knowledge of Seller, the other party has not collaterally assigned or granted any other Lien in such Landlord Lease and (H) to the Knowledge of Seller, there are no Liens on the estate or interest created by such Landlord Lease other than Permitted Encumbrances.

 

(iv)                              Seller is not party to any agreement (other than with Buyer) under which a third party has any right or option to purchase any of the Owned Real Property or any interest therein.

 

(v)                                 None of the Improvements contain any material structural defects and the Improvements are sufficient for the operation of the Target Business in the manner presently operated by Seller.

 

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(vi)                              To the Knowledge of Seller, there is no condemnation, expropriation or other proceeding in eminent domain, pending or threatened, affecting any parcel of Real Property or any portion thereof or interest therein.

 

(vii)                           Neither Seller nor any of the Blount Subsidiaries has received any written notice of violation of any Real Property Law and to Seller’s Knowledge, there is no Basis for the issuance of any such notice or the taking of any action for such violation.

 

(viii)                        Each parcel of Owned Real Property has direct vehicular and pedestrian access to a public street adjoining the Owned Real Property, or has vehicular and pedestrian access to a public street via an insurable, permanent, irrevocable and appurtenant easement benefiting such parcel of Owned Real Property, and such access is not dependent on any land or other real property interest that is not included in the Owned Real Property.  None of the Improvements or any portion thereof is dependent for its access, use or operation, as currently conducted thereat, on any land, building, improvement or other real property interest that is not included in the Owned Real Property.  To the Knowledge of Seller, each utility service enters the Owned Real Property from an adjoining public street or valid easement in favor of the supplier of such utility service or such utility service is appurtenant to such Real Property, and is not dependent for its access, use or operation on any land, building, improvement or other real property interest that is not included in the Real Property.

 

(ix)                                Section 3(j)(ix) of the Disclosure Schedule lists all material Real Property Permits held by Seller or any of the Blount Subsidiaries with respect to each parcel of Real Property.  Seller has delivered to Buyer a true and complete copy of all such material Real Property Permits.  Neither Seller nor any of the Blount Subsidiaries has received any written notice from any Governmental Authority having jurisdiction over the Real Property threatening a suspension, revocation, modification or cancellation of any material Real Property Permit and to Seller’s Knowledge, there is no Basis for the issuance of any such notice or the taking of any such action.  The material Real Property Permits are transferable to Buyer without the consent or approval of the issuing Governmental Authority, except where the failure to obtain such consent or approval would not result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(x)                                   The current use and occupancy of the Real Property and the operation of the Target Business as currently conducted thereon do not violate, in any material respect, any Encumbrance Documents.  Neither Seller nor any of the Blount Subsidiaries has received any written notice of violation of any Encumbrance Documents, and to Seller’s Knowledge, there is no Basis for the issuance of any such notice or the taking of any action for such violation.

 

(xi)                                With respect to each Owned Real Property, to the Knowledge of Seller, other than as set forth in the title commitments and surveys ordered by Buyer and other than as may be set forth in Section 3(j)(xi) of the Disclosure Schedule, there are no encroachments by the Improvements on any land that is not included in such Owned Real Property, there are no Real Property Impositions that are delinquent, and no portion of such Owned Real Property is located in a “special flood hazard” (as such term is defined by the Federal Emergency Management Agency).

 

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(k)          Intellectual Property.

 

(i)                                     Section 3(k)(i) of the Disclosure Schedule sets forth a true and complete list of all Intellectual Property of Seller (and licenses or other permissions granted by Seller with respect thereto) held for use or used primarily in the operation of the Target Business, other than (A) copyrights and unregistered trademarks that, individually and in the aggregate, are not material to the conduct of the Target Business as presently conducted, (B) unregistered designs and (C) trade secrets and know-how.  Seller has taken all necessary and desirable action to maintain and protect each such item of Intellectual Property that is necessary to operate the Target Business as presently conducted.

 

(ii)                                  Section 3(k)(ii) of the Disclosure Schedule sets forth a true and complete list of all Intellectual Property of any third party, other than an Affiliate of Seller Parent or Buyer Parent, that Seller holds for use or uses primarily in the operation of the Target Business and is material to the operation of the Target Business as presently conducted by Seller.

 

(iii)                               Except as set forth on Section 3(k)(iii) of the Disclosure Schedule, (A) to the Knowledge of Seller, all the Intellectual Property set forth on Section 3(k)(i) of the Disclosure Schedule has been duly registered in, filed in or issued by the appropriate Governmental Authority where such registration, filing or issuance is necessary or appropriate for the conduct of the Target Business as presently conducted, (B) to the Knowledge of Seller, Seller is the sole and exclusive owner of, and Seller has the right to use, execute, reproduce, display, perform, modify, enhance, distribute, prepare derivative works of and sublicense, without payment to any other person, all such Intellectual Property and the consummation of the transaction contemplated hereby and in the Transaction Agreements do not and will not conflict with, alter or impair any such rights and (C) since December 31, 2005, Seller has not received any written communication from any person asserting any ownership interest in any such Intellectual Property.  The Intellectual Property of Seller referred to in clause (i) of the definition of “Acquired Assets” (other than the “Blount” tradename and the Argentina Trademarks) constitutes all of the Intellectual Property (other than Intellectual Property of any third parties) necessary to operate the Target Business in the manner presently operated by Seller.

 

(iv)                              With respect to the Intellectual Property set forth on Section 3(k)(i) of the Disclosure Schedule, Seller has delivered or transferred to Buyer materially correct and complete copies of evidencing ownership and prosecution (if applicable) of (A) each issued patent (including utility, model and design patents, supplementary protection certificates, certificates of invention and the like) and registered trademark (including service marks) that has been issued to Seller, (B) each pending patent application (including utility, model and design patents, supplementary design certificates, certificates of invention and the like) and each application for trademark and service mark registration that Seller has made and (C) each license, sublicense, agreement or other permission that Seller has granted to any third party.

 

(v)                                 Seller’s present operation of the Target Business does not, and the continued operation of the Target Business as presently conducted will not, interfere with, infringe upon, misappropriate or otherwise come into conflict with any third party Intellectual Property rights, and Seller has received no notice regarding any of the foregoing.

 

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(l)             Inventory.  Each item of Inventory (i) is, subject to industry standards, free of any material defect or deficiency, (ii) is in good, usable and currently marketable condition in the Ordinary Course of Business of the Target Business (subject, in the case of raw materials and work-in-process, to the completion of the production process) and (iii) is reflected on the August 31, 2007 Financial Statements (subject to Seller’s operation of the Target Business in the Ordinary Course of Business since August 31, 2007) at the lesser of cost and fair market value, with adequate obsolescence reserves, all as determined in accordance with the past practices of the Target Business.  Except as set forth on Section 3(l) of the Disclosure Schedule, since August 31, 2007, there have not been any write-downs of the value of, or establishment of any reserves against, any Inventory, except for write-downs and reserves in the Ordinary Course of Business.  Section 3(l) of the Disclosure Schedule sets forth the accurate amount, in units, of the “flex” production engines held by Seller.  To the extent that, after the Closing, Buyer conducts the Target Business as it is presently conducted by Seller, there are no facts or circumstances relating to engines emissions compliance that would reasonably be expected to materially restrict or prevent production, shipment or sales of prime product during the period from the date hereof until December 31, 2008.

 

(m)       ContractsSection 3(m)(i) of the Disclosure Schedule sets forth a complete and accurate list of each of the following agreements (whether oral or written), in each case other than any customer purchase order or supplier purchase order (each, a “Material Contract”):

 

(i)                                     any letter of intent, agreement, contract, lease, or license primarily relating to the Target Business having an aggregate value, or providing for obligations, contingent or otherwise, in excess of $100,000, in each case other than any dealer agreement disclosed pursuant to clause (viii) below;

 

(ii)                                  each Assumed Employee Benefit Agreement;

 

(iii)                               any agreement primarily relating to the Target Business under which Seller has created, incurred, assumed or guaranteed any indebtedness for borrowed money or any capitalized lease obligation having an aggregate value, or providing for obligations, in excess of $100,000;

 

(iv)                              any agreement primarily relating to the Target Business concerning a partnership or joint venture, in each case other than any dealer agreement disclosed pursuant to clause (viii) below;

 

(v)                                 any agreement primarily relating to the Target Business concerning confidentiality or non-competition or exclusive dealing;

 

(vi)                              any agreement primarily relating to the Target Business for the sale, license or development of Intellectual Property;

 

(vii)                           any agreement under which the consequences of a default or termination could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; and

 

(viii)                        any dealer agreement or other agreement under which products of the Target Business are distributed, anywhere in the world, regardless of brand.

 

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, no customer purchase order or supplier purchase order shall be a “Material Contract”.  Seller has delivered to Buyer an accurate and

 

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complete copy of each Material Contract.  Except as set forth on Section 3(m)(i) of the Disclosure Schedule, (A) each Material Contract is the legal, valid, binding and enforceable obligation of Blount and/or the Blount Subsidiary party thereto and, to the Knowledge of Seller, of the other parties thereto, in each case except as such enforcement may be limited by (1) bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other laws of general application affecting the rights and remedies of creditors and (2) general principles of equity (regardless of whether such enforcement is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law), (B) each Material Contract is in full force and effect, (C) Seller is not, and, to the Knowledge of Seller, no other party is, in material breach or default of any Material Contract, and no event has occurred that with notice or lapse of time would constitute a material breach or default by Seller or, to the Knowledge of Seller, any other party, or permit termination, modification or acceleration of any Material Contract other than by Seller or, to the Knowledge of Seller, by any other party and (D) no party has repudiated any provision of any Material Contract.

 

(n)         Notes and Accounts Receivable.  To the extent relating to the Target Business, all notes and accounts receivable of Seller are reflected properly on their books and records and are good and collectible at the aggregate recorded amounts thereof, net of any applicable reserves for doubtful accounts reflected on the August 31, 2007 Balance Sheet, as adjusted for the passage of time through the Closing Date in accordance with the past custom and practice of Seller.

 

(o)         LitigationSection 3(o) of the Disclosure Schedule sets forth each instance with respect to the Target Business in which Seller is subject to, a party to or, to the Knowledge of Seller, is threatened to be made a party to, any outstanding action, suit, proceeding, hearing, known investigation, charge, complaint, claim, demand, notice, Tax audit (in respect of employment, sales and use or property Taxes), injunction, judgment, order, decree, ruling or charge of, in, or before any court or quasi-judicial or administrative agency of any federal, state, local, or foreign jurisdiction or before any arbitrator.

 

(p)         Product Warranty.  To the extent relating to the Target Business, each product manufactured, sold, leased or delivered by Seller has been in conformity with all applicable contractual commitments and all express and implied warranties, and Seller has no Liability (and there is no Basis for any action, suit, proceeding, hearing, investigation, charge, complaint, claim, or demand against Seller giving rise to any Liability) for replacement or repair thereof or other damages in connection therewith, subject only to the reserve for product warranty claims reflected in the August 31, 2007 Balance Sheet as adjusted for the passage of time through the Closing Date in accordance with the past custom and practice of Seller.  Such reserve for product warranty claims was established in good faith based on reasonable investigation as to exposure and using methodology consistent with the Target Business Financial Statements (subject to normal and recurring year-end adjustments).  Except as set forth on Section 3(p) of the Disclosure Schedule, there are no open or pending before or after warranty failure service letters.  No product manufactured, sold, leased or delivered by Seller is subject to any guaranty, warranty or other indemnity beyond the applicable standard terms and conditions of sale or lease set forth in Section 3(p) of the Disclosure Schedule.

 

(q)         Employees.

 

(i)                                     With respect to the Target Business: (A) other than as set forth in Section 3(q)(i) of the Disclosure Schedule, there is no collective bargaining agreement with any Labor Organization, and to the Knowledge of Seller, no Labor Organization has, following an election or by any other means, been recognized or certified as the

 

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exclusive representative of all the employees in any unit deemed appropriate for purposes of collective bargaining; (B) other than as set forth in Section 3(q)(i) of the Disclosure Schedule, to the Knowledge of Seller, no Labor Organization or group of employees has filed any representation petition or made any written or oral demand for recognition; (C) other than as set forth in Section 3(q)(i) of the Disclosure Schedule, to the Knowledge of Seller, (1) no organizing campaign or decertification efforts involving any Labor Organization are underway or threatened and (2) no other question concerning representation with respect to, or recognition of the bargaining status of, any Labor Organization exists; (D) no labor strike, work stoppage, slowdown or other material labor dispute has occurred within the past 12 months, and none is underway or, to the Knowledge of Seller, threatened; (E) there is no workmen’s compensation liability, experience, or matter that could have a Material Adverse Effect; and (F) to the Knowledge of Seller, there is no charge, complaint, grievance, investigation, inquiry or obligation of any kind, pending or threatened in any forum, involving a Target Business Employee and relating to an alleged violation or breach by Seller or any of its Blount Subsidiaries (or its or their officers or directors) of any law, regulation or contract.

 

(ii)                                  Section 3(q)(ii) of the Disclosure Schedule lists, as of the date of this Agreement, each Employee Benefit Agreement.  Seller has heretofore made available to Buyer a true and complete copy, or a representative form of agreement (in the case of non-U.S. employment agreements), as of the date of this Agreement, of each Employee Benefit Agreement, other than any Employee Benefit Agreements that Seller is prohibited from making available to Buyer as the result of Laws relating to the safeguarding of data privacy, all of which prohibitions are set forth in Section 3(q)(ii) of the Disclosure Schedule.

 

(iii)                               With respect to the transactions contemplated hereby, any notice required under any law or collective bargaining agreement to be given to the Target Business Employees has been given, and all bargaining obligations with any employee representative have been satisfied.  Seller has not taken any actions that would cause the Buyer or any of its Affiliates to have any Liability under the WARN Act with respect to the Target Business Employees.

 

(iv)                              Section 3(q)(iv) of the Disclosure Schedule sets forth the name and total compensation (including accrued bonuses) of each Target Business Employee whose total compensation for 2007 is expected to exceed $100,000, except for any such information that Seller is prohibited from making available to Buyer as the result of Laws relating to the safeguarding of data privacy, all of which prohibitions are set forth in Section 3(q)(iv) of the Disclosure Schedule.

 

(v)                                 Section 3(q)(v) of the Disclosure Schedule sets forth the name of each Inactive Employee.

 

(r)            Employee Benefits.

 

(i)                                     Section 3(r)(i) of the Disclosure Schedule lists, as of the date of this Agreement, each material Employee Benefit Plan.

 

(ii)                                  Except as set forth on Section 3(r)(ii) of the Disclosure Schedule, Seller has made available to Buyer correct and complete copies of the plan documents and

 

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summary plan descriptions, in each case with respect to each material Employee Benefit Plan.

 

(iii)                               There does not exist, nor do any circumstances exist that would reasonably be expected to result in, any Controlled Group Liability of Seller and its Affiliates that would reasonably be expected to become a Liability, at or after the Closing, of Buyer or any entity that, together with Buyer, is treated as a single employer under Code Section 414.  For purposes of this Agreement, “Controlled Group Liability” means any and all Liabilities (A) under Title IV of ERISA, (B) under Section 302 of ERISA, (C) under Code Section 412(n) or 4971 or (D) for violation of the continuation coverage requirements of COBRA.  Neither Seller nor any of its Affiliates is obligated to contribute to any Multiemployer Plan on behalf of any Target Business Employees.

 

(iv)                              Section 3(r)(iv) of the Disclosure Schedule identifies each Employee Benefit Plan that is a defined contribution plan that includes a qualified cash or deferred arrangement within the meaning of Code Section 401(a) (each, a “Seller 401(k) Plan”).  The Internal Revenue Service has issued a favorable determination letter with respect to each Seller 401(k) Plan and the related trust that has not been revoked.

 

(v)                                 Other than as set forth in Section 3(r)(v) of the Disclosure Schedule, and provided that Buyer and its Affiliates comply with all of their obligations under this Agreement, neither the execution and delivery of this Agreement nor the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby shall (A) result in any payment (including severance, change in control or otherwise) becoming due to any Target Business Employee under any Employee Benefit Plan or Employee Benefit Agreement, (B) increase any benefits otherwise payable under any Employee Benefit Plan or Employee Benefit Agreement to any Target Business Employee, or (C) result in the acceleration of time of payment or vesting of any such benefits under any Employee Benefit Plan or Employee Benefit Agreement to any extent, except, in the case of the foregoing clauses (A), (B) and (C), for any payments or benefits for which Seller shall be solely liable.

 

(s)          Environmental, Health, and Safety Matters.  Except as set forth in Section 3(s) of the Disclosure Schedule and except for any matters, individually or in the aggregate that would not be reasonably expect to have a Material Adverse Effect:

 

(i)                                     The Target Business is in compliance with all Environmental, Health, and Safety Requirements.

 

(ii)                                  In connection with the Target Business and except for any matters that have been resolved, Seller has not received any written notice, report or other request for information regarding any actual or alleged violation of, or Liability under, Environmental, Health, and Safety Requirements.

 

(iii)                               To the Knowledge of Seller, the Real Property does not have any (A) underground storage tanks containing Hazardous Materials, (B) asbestos-containing material in any form or condition, (C) materials or equipment containing polychlorinated biphenyls, or (D) landfills, surface impoundments, or disposal areas, or (E) toxic mold.

 

(iv)                              To the Knowledge of Seller, the Target Business has not treated, stored, disposed of, arranged for or permitted the disposal of, transported, handled,

 

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manufactured, distributed, or released any Hazardous Material in a manner that would be reasonably likely to result in any Liabilities pursuant to any Environmental, Health, and Safety Requirements.

 

(v)                                 Neither this Agreement nor the consummation of the transactions that are contemplated by this Agreement will result in any obligations for site investigation or cleanup, or notification to or consent of Governmental Authority or third parties, pursuant to any of the so-called “transaction-triggered” or “responsible property transfer” Environmental, Health, and Safety Requirements.

 

(vi)                              To the Knowledge of Seller, the Target Business has not manufactured, sold, marketed, installed, or distributed products or other items containing asbestos.

 

(vii)                           To the Knowledge of Seller, the Target Business has not assumed or undertaken any Liability of any other Person relating to Environmental, Health, and Safety Requirements.

 

(viii)                        To the Knowledge of Seller, in connection with the Target Business there are no facts, events or conditions relating to the past or present facilities, properties or operations of the Target Business that  will prevent, hinder or limit continued compliance with Environmental, Health, and Safety Requirements,  or give rise to any other Liabilities pursuant to Environmental, Health, and Safety Requirements, including any relating to on-site or off-site releases or threatened releases of Hazardous Materials, substances or wastes, personal injury, property damage or natural resources damage.

 

(ix)                                Seller has furnished to Buyer all environmental audits, reports and other environmental documents relating to the Target Business that are (A) dated not more than five years prior to the date hereof and (B) in Seller’s possession or under Seller’s reasonable control.

 

(x)                                   To the Knowledge of Seller, the Target Business has not manufactured, sold, marketed, installed or distributed products or other items containing welding rods or that could result in fumes from welding rods.

 

(xi)                                To the Knowledge of Seller, the Target Business has not manufactured, sold, marketed, installed or distributed products or other items containing silica.

 

(t)            Customers and Suppliers.

 

(i)                                     Section 3(t)(i) of the Disclosure Schedule lists the five largest dealers with respect to the products of the Target Business for the 2006 fiscal year and for the first half of the 2007 fiscal year and sets forth opposite the name of each such dealer the percentage of consolidated net sales attributable to such dealer for such period.

 

(ii)                                  Since August 31, 2007, no supplier that accounted for more than 10% of the aggregate cost of goods and services purchased by the Target Business in the 2006 fiscal year has indicated that it shall stop, or decrease the rate of, supplying materials, products or services to the Target Business, and no dealer listed on Section 3(t)(i) of the Disclosure Schedule has indicated that it shall stop, or decrease the rate of, buying products from the Target Business.

 

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(u)         Bank AccountsSection 3(u) of the Disclosure Schedule sets forth a true, correct and complete list of the names and locations of each bank or other financial institution at which Blount or any of the Blount Subsidiaries has a Bank Account (giving the account numbers) or safe deposit box and the names of all persons authorized to draw thereon or have access thereto, and the names of all persons, if any, now holding powers of attorney or comparable delegation of authority from Blount or any Blount Subsidiary and a summary statement of the balance thereof.

 

(v)         PermitsSection 3(v) of the Disclosure Schedule sets forth a true, correct and complete list of all material Permits held by Seller in connection with the Target Business.  All of the Permits so listed are in full force and effect and Seller has not received any notice that any such Permit may be revoked or canceled.  None of the Permits set forth on Section 3(v) of the Disclosure Schedule have been modified in any way that would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.  Except for the Permits set forth on Section 3(v) of the Disclosure Schedule, there are no material Permits, whether federal, state, local or foreign, that are necessary for the lawful operation of the Target Business as currently operated by Seller.

 

(w)       Improper and Other Payments.  With respect to the Target Business, except as set forth on Section 3(w) of the Disclosure Schedule, (i) neither Seller nor, to the Knowledge of Seller, any director, officer, employee, agent or representative of Blount or any of the Blount Subsidiaries, or Person acting on behalf of any of them, has made, paid or received any bribes, kickbacks or other similar payments to or from any Person, whether lawful or unlawful, (ii) no unlawful contributions have been made by Seller, directly or indirectly, to a domestic or foreign political party or candidate, (iii) no unlawful foreign payment (as defined in the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, 15 U.S.C. 78dd-1 et seq.) has been made by Seller or, to the Knowledge of Seller, any director, officer, employee, agent or representative of Seller, or any Person acting on behalf of any of them and (iv) the internal accounting controls of Blount and the Blount Subsidiaries are adequate to provide reasonable assurance that material instances of any of the foregoing are detected in a timely manner.

 

(x)           Accounting and Disclosure Controls.  Except as set forth on Section 3(x) of the Disclosure Schedule, Seller Parent has (i) established and maintained disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) and designed such disclosure controls and procedures to ensure that material information relating to it, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to management by others within it and such subsidiaries and (ii) established and maintained internal controls over financial reporting (as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15(d)-15(f) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934), and designed such internal controls over financial reporting to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes.

 

(y)         Contracts with Affiliates.  Except as set forth on Section 3(y) of the Disclosure Schedule, there are no Material Contracts between Seller Parent, Blount or any Blount Subsidiary, on the one hand, and any of Seller Parent, Blount, any Blount Subsidiary or any Affiliate of any of the foregoing, on the other hand, that will continue in effect after the Closing.

 

(z)           Absence of Undisclosed Liabilities.  The Target Business has no Liabilities except (i) as reflected or reserved against in the August 31, 2007 Financial Statements, (ii) Liabilities that have arisen since August 31, 2007 in the Ordinary Course of Business or that are disclosed on Section 3(g) of the Disclosure Schedule, (iii)(A) contingent liabilities not disclosed on the August 31, 2007 Financial Statements but, to the extent material as of August 31, 2007, set forth on Section 3(z) of the Disclosure Schedule, (B) certain environmental matters disclosed on

 

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Section 3(s) of the Disclosure Schedule, (C) differences between the Liabilities, accruals and reserves on the August 31, 2007 Balance Sheet and the Liabilities actually incurred in the Ordinary Course of Business or (D) obligations arising from fulfilling or paying for purchase orders relating to the Target Business or (iv) as otherwise set forth on Section 3(z) of the Disclosure Schedule.

 

(aa)    Disclosure of Evaluation Material.  Except as set forth on Section 3(aa) of the Disclosure Schedule, with respect to the Target Business, Seller has not disclosed any Evaluation Material (i) since December 31, 2006, outside the Ordinary Course of Business (other than to any prospective buyer of the Target Business) and (ii) since July 26, 2007, to any prospective buyer of the Target Business (other than Buyer, its Affiliates or its representatives).

 

(bb)  No Further Representation or Warranty.  Except for the representations and warranties contained in this Agreement and the Transaction Agreements, none of Seller Parent, Blount, any Blount Subsidiary or any of their Affiliates makes any representations or warranties, and Seller Parent, Blount and each Blount Subsidiary hereby disclaim any other representations or warranties, whether made by Seller Parent, Seller, any Blount Subsidiary or any of their Affiliates, or any of their officers, directors, employees, agents or representatives, with respect to the execution and delivery of this Agreement or any Transaction Agreement, the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby or the Target Business.

 

SECTION 4                               BUYER’S REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES

 

Buyer represents and warrants to Seller that the statements contained in this Section 4 are correct and complete as of the date hereof.

 

(a)          Organization of Buyer.  Each of Buyer Parent, CFPI and each Caterpillar Subsidiary has been duly organized, is validly existing, and is in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation.

 

(b)         Authorization of Transaction.  Each of Buyer Parent, CFPI and each Caterpillar Subsidiary has full power and authority to execute and deliver this Agreement and each Transaction Agreement to which it is a party and to perform its obligations hereunder and thereunder.  Each of this Agreement and each Transaction Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by each of Buyer Parent, CFPI and each Caterpillar Subsidiary which is a party thereto and constitutes the valid and legally binding obligation of each of Buyer Parent, CFPI and each such Caterpillar Subsidiary, enforceable in accordance with its terms and conditions, except as such enforcement may be limited by (i) bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other laws of general application affecting the rights and remedies of creditors and (ii) general principles of equity (regardless of whether such enforcement is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law).  The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement, each Transaction Agreement to which it is a party and each other agreement, document or instrument necessary to effectuate the transactions contemplated hereby have been duly authorized by each of Buyer Parent, CFPI and each Caterpillar Subsidiary.

 

(c)          Non-contravention.  Neither the execution and delivery of this Agreement and any Transaction Agreement to which it is a party nor the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby (including the assignments and assumptions referred to in Section 2) will (i) violate any constitution, statute, regulation, rule, injunction, judgment, order, decree, ruling, charge, or other restriction of any government, governmental agency, or court to which Buyer Parent, CFPI or any Caterpillar Subsidiary is subject or any provision of Buyer Parent’s, CFPI ‘s or

 

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any Caterpillar Subsidiary’s charter, bylaws, or other governing documents or (ii) conflict with, result in a breach of, constitute a default under, result in the acceleration of, create in any party the right to accelerate, terminate, modify, or cancel, or require any notice under any agreement, contract, lease, license, instrument, or other arrangement to which Buyer Parent, CFPI or any Caterpillar Subsidiary is a party or by which Buyer Parent, CFPI or such Caterpillar Subsidiary is bound or to which any of Buyer Parent’s, CFPI’s or such Caterpillar Subsidiary’s assets are subject.  None of Buyer Parent,  CFPI or any Caterpillar Subsidiary needs to give any notice to, make any filing with, or obtain any authorization, consent, or approval of any government or governmental agency in order for the Parties to consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement (including the assignments and assumptions referred to in Section 2) in compliance with applicable law.

 

(d)         Brokers’ Fees.  None of Buyer Parent,  CFPI or any Caterpillar Subsidiary has any Liability to pay any fees or commissions to any broker, finder, or agent with respect to the transactions contemplated by this Agreement for which Seller could become liable or obligated.

 

SECTION 5                               POST-CLOSING COVENANTS

 

The Parties agree as follows with respect to the period following the Closing:

 

(a)          General.  In case at any time after the Closing any further actions are necessary or desirable to carry out the purposes of this Agreement or any Transaction Agreement, each of the Parties agrees to (i) take such further commercially reasonable actions (including the execution and delivery of such further instruments and documents) as any other Party may reasonably request, all, subject to Section 7(k), at the cost and expense of the requesting Party (unless the requesting Party is entitled to indemnification therefor under Section 6) and (ii) use commercially reasonable efforts with respect to the physical count of Inventory described in the definition of “Closing Inventory”.  Seller acknowledges and agrees that from and after the Closing Buyer will be entitled to possession of all documents, books, files, records (including Tax records), agreements and financial data of any sort (collectively, “Books and Records”) to the extent relating to the Target Business after the Closing.  Buyer acknowledges and agrees that, from and after the Closing, Seller will be entitled, subject to Section 5(f), to reasonable access to Books and Records to the extent relating to the Target Business (prior to the Closing and after the Closing) during normal business hours to the extent necessary for Seller to conduct its business after the Closing, and Buyer agrees to retain such Books and Records from loss or damage and to maintain such information in accordance with its record retention policy.  Upon the request of Buyer, Seller agrees to provide to Buyer (at Buyer’s expense) copies of Books and Records related to any active product liability action relating to the Target Business.  Seller further agrees to use commercially reasonable efforts to (i) transfer to Buyer any permit applications primarily relating to the Target Business to the extent such transfer would be customary and permitted by the applicable Governmental Authority and (ii) withdraw the Argentina Trademarks.

 

(b)         Assignment.

 

(i)                                     Notwithstanding anything contained herein or otherwise to the contrary, this Agreement shall not constitute an assignment of any contract or permit that would otherwise be assigned to Buyer hereunder, or any claim or right or any benefit or obligation thereunder or resulting therefrom, if such assignment requires the consent of a third party thereto and such consent has not been obtained as of the date hereof (each

 

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such contract or permit, a Non-Assignable Asset”); provided that this sentence shall not limit or otherwise affect the terms of Section 3(c) or 4(c).

 

(ii)                                  During the period between the Closing and the earlier of (A) the effective assignment to Buyer of a Non-Assignable Asset and (B) February 5, 2008, the Parties shall cooperate with each other in any commercially reasonable arrangement requested by the other to (x) obtain any third party consent necessary for the assignment to Buyer of such Non-Assignable Asset and (y) assign to Buyer the benefits and/or obligations under or in respect of such Non-Assignable Asset.

 

(iii)                               Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Section 5(b), during the period between the Closing and the earlier of (A) the effective assignment to Buyer of a Designated Contract and (B) February 5, 2008, Seller shall use its reasonable best efforts to (x) obtain any third party consent necessary for the assignment to Buyer of such Designated Contract and (y) assign to Buyer the benefits and/or obligations under or in respect of such Designated Contract.

 

(iv)                              With respect to clauses (ii)(x) and (iii)(x) above, Seller shall pay all Contract Consent Fees and up to $100,000 in the aggregate of Caterpillar Contract Consent Costs, in each case to the extent Buyer provides Seller documentation thereof.  Buyer shall pay any other fees, payments, expenses or costs (including any Caterpillar Contract Consent Costs in excess of $100,000 in the aggregate) incurred in connection with the assignment to Buyer of any Assumed Contract.

 

(c)          Litigation Support.  In the event and for so long as any Party actively is contesting or defending against any action, suit, proceeding, hearing, investigation, charge, complaint, claim, or demand in connection with (i) any transaction consummated pursuant to this Agreement or any Transaction Agreement or (ii) the Target Business, each of the other Parties will provide commercially reasonable cooperation to the other or its counsel in such contest or defense (including by making available its personnel and providing such testimony and access to its Books and Records as shall be reasonably necessary in connection with such contest or defense), all at the sole cost and expense of the contesting or defending Party (unless the contesting or defending Party is entitled to indemnification therefor under Section 6 and except with respect to the compensation of the other Party’s personnel).

 

(d)          Insurance.  Seller covenants to maintain its standard product liability insurance, consistent with its past practice, for a period of two years after the Closing.

 

(e)          Transition.  Subject to Section 5(g), (i) Seller will not take, nor shall Seller permit any of its subsidiaries to take, any action that is designed or intended to have the effect of discouraging any lessor, licensor, customer, supplier, or other business associate of Seller from maintaining the same business relationships with the Target Business after the Closing as it maintained with the Target Business prior to the Closing and (ii) for a period of four years from and after the Closing, Seller will refer all customer inquiries relating to the Target Business to Buyer.  In addition, after the Closing, Buyer agrees to use a manufacturer’s name other than “Blount, Inc.” on any product serial number plate.

 

(f)            Confidentiality.  The Parties agree that the terms of the Confidentiality Agreement are herein incorporated by reference; provided that, except as set forth in this Section 5(f), such terms shall continue in full force and effect until the date that is two years after the date hereof.  After the Closing, as it relates to Buyer, the term “Evaluation Material” shall not include any

 

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information, Books and Records or other materials to the extent relating to the Target Business, but shall include any information, Books and Records or other materials to the extent relating to Seller or its Affiliates, but not to the Target Business.  After the Closing, Seller shall be bound by Buyer’s obligations under the Confidentiality Agreement prior to the Closing with respect to the confidentiality and disclosure of the Evaluation Material to the extent relating to the Target Business; provided that, for the avoidance of doubt, such obligations shall cease with respect to any such Evaluation Material that has been publicly disclosed by Buyer or its Affiliates or at the direction of Buyer or its Affiliates.

 

(g)         Covenant Not to Compete and Nonsolicitation.  For a period of four years from and after the Closing, neither Seller nor any of its Affiliates will engage in, or own more than 5% of the equity interests of, any business the principal business and activities of which are substantially similar to the principal business and activities of the Target Business as of the Closing Date; provided, however, that any purchaser of more than 25% of the equity interests of Blount or Seller Parent shall not be bound by the provisions of this Section 5(g).  The Parties hereby acknowledge and agree that, other than the Target Business, no current business or activity of Seller, or any business or activity reasonably related thereto, reflected in Seller’s federal securities filings is substantially similar to the principal business and activities of the Target Business as of the Closing for purposes of this Section 5(g). If the final judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction declares that any term or provision of this Section 5(g) is invalid or unenforceable, the Parties agree that the court making the determination of invalidity or unenforceability shall have the power to reduce the scope, duration, or area of the term or provision, to delete specific words or phrases, or to replace any invalid or unenforceable term or provision with a term or provision that is valid and enforceable and that comes closest to expressing the intention of the invalid or unenforceable term or provision, and this Agreement shall be enforceable as so modified after the expiration of the time within which the judgment may be appealed.  Seller Parent, Seller and their respective directors and officers agree that they will not solicit or hire any Transferred Employee for a period of two years following the date hereof; provided that neither Seller Parent nor Seller shall be prohibited from hiring any such employee who responds to a general solicitation by Seller Parent or Seller or initiates contact with Seller Parent or Seller.

 

(h)         Employment and Benefit Arrangements.

 

(i)                                     CFPI  shall, or shall cause its Affiliates to, continue to employ (where employment continues automatically by operation of Law), or, where employment does not continue automatically by operation of Law, CFPI  shall, or shall cause its Affiliates to, make offers of employment (which shall include CFPI’s compliance with CFPI’s covenants set forth in this Section 5(h)), effective as of the Closing, to each Target Business Employee who is an Active Employee (other than James Blasek) in accordance with the provisions of this Section 5(h).  For purposes of this Agreement, the term “Active Employee” shall mean any Target Business Employee who is actively at work on the date hereof and any Target Business Employee who is not actively at work on the date hereof due to vacation, holiday, sick leave, short-term disability leave, military leave, jury duty, bereavement leave, and, in jurisdictions where employment continues automatically by operation of Law, any other leave of absence.  With respect to each Target Business Employee who is not an Active Employee (an “Inactive Employee”), CFPI, in accordance with applicable Law and any applicable collective bargaining agreement, shall make offers of employment (which shall include CFPI’s compliance with CFPI’s covenants set forth in this Section 5(h)) to each such Inactive Employee, effective as of the date on which such Inactive Employee presents himself or herself to

 

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CFPI for active employment following the Closing.  CFPI shall, or shall cause its Affiliates to, make an offer of employment (which shall include CFPI’s compliance with CFPI’s covenants set forth in this Section 5(h)) to James Blasek, effective as of the date on which James Blasek repatriates to the United States.  The offers of employment pursuant to this Section 5(h) (or, where applicable, the continuation of employment) shall be at a base salary or hourly rate of pay that is no less than that in effect immediately prior to the date hereof and, subject to Section 5(h)(v), on terms and conditions that are substantially comparable in the aggregate to those applicable to similarly situated employees of CFPI and its subsidiaries.  CFPI and Blount hereby acknowledge that the terms and conditions of the offers of employment for James W. Cox, Bruce Narveson and Richard Planisek (the “Specified Employees”) are substantially comparable in the aggregate to those applicable to the Specified Employees immediately prior to the date hereof.  In addition, with respect to Target Business Employees who, as of the date hereof, are based primarily outside the United States, such offers (or, where applicable, the continuation of employment) shall be on terms sufficient to avoid statutory or common law severance or separation benefits, any contractual or other severance or separation benefits, or any other legally mandated payment obligations; provided that Blount has provided CFPI with any notice and information regarding the Target Business Employees that is reasonably necessary and sufficient to enable CFPI to comply with this covenant.  Blount and CFPI intend that for purposes of any employment, severance or termination benefit plan, program, policy, agreement or arrangement of Seller, the transactions contemplated by this Agreement shall not constitute a severance of employment of any Target Business Employee offered employment by CFPI prior to or upon the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby, and that the Target Business Employees offered employment by CFPI will have continuous and uninterrupted employment immediately before and immediately after the Closing.  Notwithstanding any other provision of this Section 5(h) to the contrary, CFPI shall be solely responsible for, and shall assume all Liabilities in respect of, claims arising on or after the Closing made by any Target Business Employees who, as of the date hereof, are based primarily outside the United States for any statutory or contractual severance benefits, termination indemnity, redundancy, compensation or other termination benefits (including claims for unjustified or wrongful dismissal, notice of termination of employment or pay in lieu of notice and reasonable attorney-client costs in defending any claim) (collectively, “Termination Costs”) to the extent arising out of CFPI’s failure to offer employment to, or continue the employment of, any such Target Business Employee on terms and conditions that would preclude any claims of constructive dismissal or similar claims; provided that Seller shall be solely responsible for (A) any such Termination Costs resulting from any such Target Business Employee’s decision not to accept CFPI’s employment offer and (B) any such Termination Costs to the extent arising out of Blount’s failure to provide CFPI with any notice and information regarding the Target Business Employees that is reasonably necessary and sufficient to enable CFPI to make offers that are sufficient to prevent such Termination Costs from arising.  Notwithstanding any other provision of this Section 5(h) to the contrary, Seller shall be solely responsible for, and shall assume all Liabilities in respect of, claims arising on or after the Closing for any Termination Costs made by any Target Business Employees who, as of the date hereof, are based primarily inside the United States.

 

(ii)                                  Each Target Business Employee who continues in or accepts employment with CFPI or any of its Affiliates as of the Closing (or, in the case of an Inactive Employee, as of such later date that such Inactive Employee commences

 

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employment with CFPI or any of its Affiliates, or in the case of James Blasek, as of the date on which he repatriates to the United States), is referred to herein as a “Transferred Employee”.  If any Transferred Employee requires a visa, work permit or employment pass or other approval for his or her employment to transfer to or continue with CFPI or its Affiliates following the Closing, CFPI shall use its reasonable efforts to see that any necessary applications are promptly made and to secure the necessary visa, permit, pass or other approval.

 

(iii)                               CFPI shall give or cause to be given to each Transferred Employee full credit for purposes of eligibility to participate and vesting of benefits under any employee benefit plans and arrangements and employment-related entitlements provided, sponsored, maintained or contributed to by CFPI and its Affiliates, and for purposes of level of benefits and benefit accruals under any such plans, arrangements or entitlements that are vacation or severance plans or policies, for such Transferred Employee’s service with Seller and with any predecessor employer, in each case to the same extent recognized by Seller as of the date hereof, except to the extent such credit would result in duplication of benefits for the same period of service.  For purposes of further clarification, CFPI and its Affiliates shall not be required to provide credit for such service for benefit accrual purposes under (A) any employee benefit plan of CFPI or its Affiliates that is a defined benefit pension plan and (B) any employee benefit plan of CFPI or its Affiliates that provides post-retirement benefits.

 

(iv)                              Except (A) with respect to Losses under the Assumed Employee Benefit Agreements, (B) with respect to Losses that automatically transfer to CFPI or its Affiliates pursuant to applicable Law or (C) as otherwise specifically provided in this Section 5(h), Seller shall retain liability and responsibility for all employment and employee benefits-related Losses incurred, or arising out of a period ending, on or prior to the Closing that relate to the Target Business Employees (or any dependent or beneficiary of any Target Business Employee) (including any obligations under the Employee Benefit Plans), and CFPI shall have no liability or responsibility for any such Losses.  Except as specifically provided in this Section 5(h), effective after the Closing, (1) CFPI shall be solely responsible for all employment and employee benefits-related Losses that are incurred or arise after the Closing and relate to any Transferred Employee (or any dependent or beneficiary of any Transferred Employee) and (2) Seller shall have no liability with respect to any Transferred Employee (or any dependent or beneficiary of any Transferred Employee) that relates to such Transferred Employee’s employment with CFPI or any of its Affiliates.

 

(v)                                 Effective as of the Closing and except as otherwise provided in this Section 5(h), each Transferred Employee shall cease to be an employee of Seller and shall cease to participate in any Employee Benefit Plan.  CFPI shall establish or have in effect benefit plans, programs and arrangements for the benefit of Transferred Employees (collectively, “Buyer Benefit Plans”) in accordance with this Section 5(h).  During the period from the day after the Closing through December 31, 2007, Buyer Benefit Plans providing flexible spending account benefits (“FSA Plans”) shall provide each Transferred Employee with benefits that are substantially the same as the benefits provided by the corresponding Employee Benefit Plan providing flexible spending account benefits.  During the period from the day after the Closing through March 31, 2008 (such period, the “Plan Transition Period”), (i) Buyer Benefit Plans providing health, dental, vision or prescription drug benefits (other than post-retirement welfare benefits and other than the FSA Plans) to Transferred Employees (such plans, the

 

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Applicable Welfare Plans”) shall provide each Transferred Employee with benefits that are substantially the same as the benefits provided by the corresponding Employee Benefit Plans and (ii) Buyer Benefit Plans other than the Applicable Welfare Plans and other than the FSA Plans shall provide each Transferred Employee with benefits that are substantially comparable in the aggregate to the benefits provided to similarly situated employees of CFPI and its subsidiaries; provided that CFPI shall not be required to maintain the Buyer 401(k) plan during the Plan Transition Period.  As of April 1, 2008 (the “Plan Transition Date”), Buyer Benefit Plans (including the Applicable Welfare Plans and the Buyer 401(k) Plan) shall provide each Transferred Employee with benefits that are substantially comparable in the aggregate to the benefits provided to similarly situated employees of CFPI and its subsidiaries.  Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, effective as of the day after Closing, Buyer Benefit Plans shall provide Transferred Employees with postretirement welfare benefits that are substantially comparable to the post-retirement welfare benefits provided to similarly situated employees of CFPI and its subsidiaries.  Subject to the previous sentence, Blount and CFPI hereby agree that an amount equal to the Post-Retirement Amount shall be used for the purpose of providing such benefits.  CFPI shall inform the Transferred Employees that Blount has requested CFPI to provide such post-retirement welfare benefits pursuant to the transactions contemplated hereby.  At and after the Closing, CFPI shall, or shall cause its Affiliates to, assume and honor each Assumed Employee Benefit Agreement in accordance with its existing terms.

 

(vi)                              With respect to each Buyer Benefit Plan that is an “employee welfare benefit plan” within the meaning of Section 3(1) of ERISA (a “Buyer Welfare Plan”), CFPI shall waive all limitations as to waiting periods with respect to participation and coverage requirements applicable to the Transferred Employees and their dependents and beneficiaries, to the extent waived under the applicable corresponding Employee Benefit Plan immediately prior to the date hereof.

 

(vii)                           Except as otherwise required by applicable Law, Seller shall be responsible in accordance with its respective Employee Benefit Plans that are “employee welfare benefit plans” within the meaning of Section 3(1) of ERISA for all reimbursement claims (such as medical and dental claims) for expenses incurred, and for all non-reimbursement claims (such as life insurance claims) incurred, under such plans on or prior to the Closing by Transferred Employees and their dependents.  CFPI shall not have any obligation to contribute to or reimburse the Employee Benefit Plans or Seller for any costs, premiums, fees, assessments or other charges or payments associated with any Employee Benefit Plan.  CFPI shall be responsible in accordance with the applicable Buyer Welfare Plans for all reimbursement claims (such as medical and dental claims) for expenses incurred, and for all non-reimbursement claims (such as life insurance claims) incurred, after the Closing by Transferred Employees and their dependents.  For purposes of this Section 5(h)(vii), a claim shall be deemed to be incurred as follows:  (A) life, accidental death and dismemberment, disability and business travel accident insurance benefits, upon the death or accident, or the occurrence of the injury or condition, giving rise to such benefits and (B) health, dental, vision or prescription drug benefits (including in respect of any hospital confinement), upon provision of such services, materials or supplies.

 

(viii)                        For purposes of determining the number of vacation or annual leave days to which each Transferred Employee shall be entitled following the Closing, CFPI shall assume and honor all vacation or annual leave days accrued or earned but not yet

 

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taken by such Transferred Employee as of the date hereof; provided that all such obligations have been accrued to the extent required under GAAP in determining Closing Working Capital.  To the extent that a Transferred Employee is entitled under any applicable Law or any policy of Seller to be paid for any vacation or annual leave days accrued or earned but not yet taken by such Transferred Employee as of the date hereof, CFPI shall assume the Liability to pay for such vacation or annual leave days; provided that all such obligations have been accrued to the extent required under GAAP in determining Closing Working Capital.

 

(ix)                                Without limiting the generality of Section 5(h)(v), CFPI shall, or shall cause its Affiliates to, (A) assume all Liabilities with respect to the Transferred Employees under the sales commission plans or arrangements of Seller set forth on Section 5(h)(ix) of the Disclosure Schedule for those participants set forth on Section 5(h)(ix) of the Disclosure Schedule that relate to any periods during 2007 that include the Closing Date to the extent taken into account in determining Closing Working Capital, (B) maintain such plans or arrangements pursuant to their respective terms as in effect as of the date hereof for such Transferred Employees with respect to such periods and (C) at the times prescribed by such plans or arrangements as in effect as of the date hereof, make payments to the Transferred Employees in accordance with the terms of such plans or arrangements as in effect as of the date hereof; provided that no payments are required to be made under such plans or arrangements with respect to the portions of such periods following the Closing.

 

(x)                                   Except as expressly provided herein, or provided under applicable Law, nothing contained in this Section 5(h), express or implied, is intended to confer upon any Target Business Employee any right to employment or continued employment or to specific terms and conditions of employment with CFPI or Seller or any of their respective Affiliates, or any right to any benefits by reason of this Agreement.

 

(xi)                                Special U.S. Provisions.

 

(A)  References to “Target Business Employees” and “Transferred Employees” in this Section 5(h)(xi) shall refer only to Target Business Employees and Transferred Employees, as the case may be, who, as of the date hereof, are primarily based in the United States.

 

(B)  Notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to the contrary, following the Closing, Seller shall retain, or shall cause the applicable Employee Benefit Plans to retain, (1) all assets and Liabilities that relate to benefits accrued by Target Business Employees prior to the Closing with respect to any Employee Benefit Plan that is a defined benefit pension plan and (2) all Liabilities with respect to any Employee Benefit Plan that is a post-retirement welfare benefit plan, and in the case of each of clauses (1) and (2), shall make payments to Target Business Employees with rights thereunder in accordance with the terms of the applicable Employee Benefit Plan, as in effect from time to time.  CFPI shall have no Liability under or with respect to any such Employee Benefit Plans.

 

(C)  Effective not later than the Plan Transition Date, CFPI or its Affiliates shall have in effect one or more defined contribution plans that include a qualified cash or deferred arrangement within the meaning of Code Section 

 

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401(k) (and a related trust exempt from tax under Code Section 501(a)) (as applicable, the “Buyer 401(k) Plan”).  Each Transferred Employee participating in a Seller 401(k) Plan immediately prior to the Closing shall become a participant in the corresponding Buyer 401(k) Plan as of the Plan Transition Date, and each Transferred Employee who would have become eligible to participate in a Seller 401(k) Plan shall become a participant in the Buyer 401(k) Plan no later than the later of such time as he or she would have become eligible to participate in any Seller 401(k) Plan and the Plan Transition Date (or, in the case of any Transferred Employee who is not an Active Employee, the date such Transferred Employee commences employment with CFPI, if later).  CFPI agrees to cause the Buyer 401(k) Plan to allow each Transferred Employee to make a “direct rollover” to such Buyer 401(k) Plan of the account balances of such Transferred Employee (including promissory notes evidencing any outstanding loans) under any Seller 401(k) Plan in which such Transferred Employee participated prior to the Closing if such direct rollover is elected in accordance with applicable Law by such Transferred Employee.  Following such transfer of account balances, Seller shall have no Liability for any costs, expenses or damages that may result from any claim for any benefit alleged to be payable under any Seller 401(k) Plan with respect to Transferred Employees and their beneficiaries who have transferred their account balances from any Seller 401(k) Plan to the Buyer 401(k) Plan, other than any costs, expenses or damages that may result from any claim for any benefit alleged to be payable under any Seller 401(k) Plan arising out of the failure by Seller to administer any Seller 401(k) Plan in compliance with applicable Law.

 

(D)  Effective as of the Closing, Seller shall be responsible for providing continuation coverage within the meaning of COBRA to Target Business Employees and their eligible dependents to the extent required by COBRA with respect to any “qualifying event” (as defined in COBRA) occurring on or prior to the Closing (including as a result of the transactions contemplated hereby), and CFPI shall be responsible for providing continuation coverage within the meaning of COBRA to Transferred Employees and their eligible dependents to the extent required by COBRA with respect to any qualifying event occurring after the Closing.

 

(E)  Seller shall be responsible for all claims for workers’ compensation benefits that are incurred on or prior to the Closing by Transferred Employees.  CFPI shall be responsible for all claims for workers’ compensation benefits that are incurred after the Closing by Transferred Employees.  For purposes of this Section 5(h)(xi)(E), a claim for workers’ compensation benefits shall be deemed to be incurred when the event giving rise to the claim occurs (the “Workers’ Compensation Event”).  If the Workers’ Compensation Event occurs over a period both preceding and following the Closing, the claim shall be the joint responsibility and liability of Seller and CFPI and shall be equitably apportioned between Seller on the one hand, and CFPI, on the other hand, based upon the relative periods of time that the Workers’ Compensation Event transpired preceding and following the Closing.

 

(F)  CFPI agrees to provide any required notice under the WARN Act, and to otherwise comply with the WARN Act, with respect to any “plant closing” or “mass layoff” (as defined in the WARN Act) or group termination or

 

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similar event affecting Target Business Employees and occurring after the Closing.  CFPI shall not take any action that would cause any termination of employment of any employees by Seller that occurred on or before the Closing to constitute a “plant closing” or “mass layoff” or group termination under the WARN Act, or that would create any Liability or penalty to Seller for any employment terminations under applicable Law.

 

(G)  With respect to the CY 2007 Middle Management Incentive Plan and the CY 2007 Executive Management Annual Incentive Plan, Seller shall make payments to the Transferred Employees with respect to the period between January 1, 2007 and the Closing Date in accordance with the terms of such plans as in effect as of the date hereof.

 

(H)  Prior to November 30, 2007, Seller shall contribute to the Seller 401(k) Plans the “Retirement Savings Plus” contributions that would have been required to have made by Seller in January 2008 to the Seller 401(k) Plans on behalf of the Transferred Employees with respect to the period from January 1, 2007, through the Closing Date, had the transactions contemplated by this Agreement not occurred, pursuant to the terms of the Seller 401(k) Plans in effect on October 26, 2006; provided that such contributions shall be fully vested.  Prior to December 31, 2007, Buyer shall provide each Transferred Employee who has made an election prior to October 26, 2007, to participate in any Seller 401(k) Plan with respect to 2007 with a lump-sum cash amount equal on an after-tax basis to the matching contributions that Seller would have been required to make to such Seller 401(k) Plan on behalf of such Transferred Employee with respect to the period between the Closing Date and December 31, 2007, had the transactions contemplated by this Agreement not occurred, pursuant to the terms of the Seller 401(k) Plan in effect on the date hereof and based on the applicable deferral election of such Transferred Employee in effect on the date hereof; provided that, for purposes of computing such amount, such matching contributions shall be deemed to be required to be made on a dollar-for-dollar basis and the limit on such matching contributions shall be deemed to be 6%, rather than 4.5%, of Compensation (as defined in such Seller 401(k) Plan).

 

(xii)                             Special Non-U.S. Provisions.

 

(A)  Without limiting the generality of Section 5(h)(i) or 5(h)(v), with respect to any Transferred Employees who are employed primarily outside the United States, following the Closing, CFPI shall, or shall cause its Affiliates to, provide such Transferred Employees with terms and conditions of employment in accordance with all applicable Laws.

 

(B)  CFPI shall, or shall cause its Affiliates to, pay any repatriation expenses of James Blasek pursuant to James Blasek’s International Assignment Provisions.

 

(i)             Additional Tax Matters.

 

(i)                                     Seller shall prepare and file any employment, sales and use and property Tax Returns with respect to Tax periods that end (or are deemed to end) on or before the

 

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Closing Date. Buyer shall prepare all property Tax Returns with respect to Tax periods that begin before the Closing Date and end after the Closing Date (“Straddle Period”) in a manner consistent with prior filings of such property Tax Returns (unless Seller has already prepared and filed any such property Tax Returns).  Seller shall be responsible for the timely filing and distribution (taking into account any extensions received from the relevant Tax authorities) of any wage related Tax Returns for the period covering January 1, 2007 through the Closing Date, which are required to meet federal, state and local requirements; including, but not limited to, federal forms 940, 941, W-2s and corresponding W-3s and state unemployment quarterly and annual returns, whether due to be filed prior to, or after the Closing Date and shall be responsible for payment of Taxes, if any, shown thereon.  Buyer and Seller agree to utilize the standard method set forth in Revenue Procedure 2004-53 with respect to wage reporting.

 

(ii)                                  In case of a Straddle Period, (A) all income and gross receipt Taxes shall be apportioned between the Pre-Closing Tax Period and the Post-Closing Tax Period based upon a “closing of the books” on the Closing Date and (B) all Taxes other than Taxes based on income or gross receipts (e.g., property Taxes) shall be apportioned between the Pre-Closing Tax Period and the Post-Closing Tax Period on a per diem basis.

 

(iii)                               From time to time after the Closing Date, each Party shall permit reasonable access, and shall cause its accountants and other representatives to permit reasonable access, to the other Party, to the information that it or its accountants or other representatives have within their control and that may be reasonably necessary in connection with the preparation of any Tax Return or the examination by any Tax authority or other administrative or judicial proceeding relating to any Tax Return.  Each Party shall retain, or cause to be retained, until the applicable statute of limitations (including any extensions) have expired, copies of all Tax Returns for all Tax periods beginning before the Closing Date, together with supporting work schedules and other records or information that may be relevant for such Tax Returns.  No new elections with respect to Taxes, or any changes in current elections with respect to Taxes, affecting any of the Acquired Assets shall be made by Seller after the date of this Agreement.

 

(iv)                              Seller shall prepare and file all Tax Returns that relate to Transfer Taxes.  Buyer shall cooperate with Seller in good faith in respect of any such Tax return filings.  Seller and Buyer shall also cooperate in good faith in respect of obtaining any applicable exemptions from Transfer Taxes.

 

(v)                                 If, after the Closing Date, any Tax authority commences a Tax audit or similar proceeding that relates to the Target Business and if such Tax audit or similar proceeding could result in a liability of Seller vis-à-vis Buyer under this Agreement, then Buyer shall, as soon as reasonably practicable, notify Seller in writing about such Tax audit or similar proceeding.  Seller and Buyer shall cooperate in good faith in order to resolve and/or settle any such Tax audit or similar proceeding, and Buyer shall not settle any such Tax audit or similar proceeding without the prior written consent of Seller.  This Section 5(i)(v) rather than Section 6(e) shall apply to Tax matters.

 

(j)             Environmental Permits.  Buyer shall use commercially reasonable efforts to obtain or effect the transfer as promptly as practicable of all Permits required under Environmental, Health, and Safety Requirements to conduct the Target Business as presently conducted by

 

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Seller.  Seller shall use commercially reasonable efforts to cooperate with Buyer in obtaining or transferring such Permits, including by providing Buyer and/or the appropriate Governmental Authority, as applicable, all required information and/or documents in connection therewith.

 

(k)          Parts Buyback.  After the Closing, to the extent Seller repurchases from any Designated Terminated Dealer any repair parts which meet the requirements of the Target Business’ Return Parts Policy, except for the 10% dollar limitation, Buyer agrees to promptly purchase from Seller such repair parts at 85% of the then current dealer net price.

 

(l)             Preparation of Closing Statements.  Seller shall prepare the Closing Statements (i) using methodology consistent with the Target Business Financial Statements, (ii) such that they present fairly the Closing Inventory and Closing Net Working Capital, as applicable, and (iii) are consistent with and based upon the books and records of the Seller Parent and Target Business as of the Closing; provided that, notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, the sole remedies of Buyer for any breach of or failure by Seller to perform the covenants and obligations set forth in this Section 5(l) shall be the remedies available to Seller under Section 2(g).

 

SECTION 6                               REMEDIES FOR BREACH OF THIS AGREEMENT; INDEMNITY

 

(a)          Survival.  The representations and warranties of the Parties contained herein and in the Transaction Agreements shall survive the Closing for a period of two (2) years after the Closing; provided that (i) the representations and warranties contained in Sections 3(a), 3(b), 4(a) and 4(b) shall survive in perpetuity and not expire, (ii) the representations and warranties contained in Sections 3(c), 3(e) and 3(s) shall survive for a period of five years after the Closing, and (iii) the representations and warranties contained in Sections 3(i) and 3(r) shall survive until the expiration of any applicable statute of limitations (after giving effect to any extension or waiver) plus 45 days.  Neither Buyer nor Seller shall have any liability with respect to claims first asserted in connection with any representation or warranty after the survival period specified therefor in this Section 6(a); provided, however, that notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing herein shall be deemed to limit any Party’s rights to recover any or all Losses incurred or suffered by it relating to or arising out of or in connection with fraud or intentional misrepresentation, it being understood and agreed that the right to recover such Losses shall survive forever.

 

(b)         Indemnification by Seller.  Seller agrees to defend and indemnify the Buyer Indemnified Parties against, and to hold the Buyer Indemnified Parties harmless from, any and all Losses incurred or suffered by any Buyer Indemnified Party arising out of or relating to any of the following:

 

(i)                                     subject to Section 6(a), any breach of or any inaccuracy in any representation or warranty made by Seller in this Agreement or any Transaction Agreement;

 

(ii)                                  any breach of or failure by Seller to perform any covenant or obligation of Seller set out in this Agreement or any Transaction Agreement;

 

(iii)                               any asset of Seller or its Affiliates that is not an Acquired Asset or any Liability of Seller or its Affiliates that is not an Assumed Liability; and

 

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(iv)                              any Liability or Loss arising from the Acquired Assets or Target Business on or before the Closing Date, except to the extent such Liability or Loss is an Assumed Liability; provided that this clause (iv) shall not apply to the extent such Liability or Loss is in respect of any breach of or any inaccuracy in any representation or warranty made by Seller in this Agreement or any Transaction Agreement.

 

(c)          Indemnification by Buyer.  Buyer agrees to defend and indemnify the Seller Indemnified Parties against, and to hold the Seller Indemnified Parties harmless from, any and all Losses incurred or suffered by any Seller Indemnified Party arising out of or relating to any of the following:

 

(i)                                     subject to Section 6(a), any breach of or any inaccuracy in any representation or warranty made by Buyer in this Agreement or any Transaction Agreement;

 

(ii)                                  any breach of or failure by Buyer to perform any covenant or obligation of Buyer set out in this Agreement or any Transaction Agreement; and

 

(iii)                               any Acquired Asset (to the extent such Loss arises after the Closing) or any Assumed Liability; provided that this clause (iii) shall not apply to the extent such Liability or Loss is in respect of any breach of or any inaccuracy in any representation or warranty made by Buyer in this Agreement or any Transaction Agreement.

 

(d)         No Materiality Qualifiers.  After it has been determined that a representation or warranty has been breached, taking into account any materiality qualification therein (including any reference to “material”, “Material Adverse Effect”, “in all material respects” and similar qualifications as to materiality), any such materiality qualification shall be disregarded or purposes of calculating the amounts for which the Parties shall be liable under Sections 6(b)(i) and (c)(i).

 

(e)          Limitations on Liability.  Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement:

 

(i)             The Buyer Indemnified Parties shall have the right to payment by Seller under Section 6(b)(i) only if the Buyer Indemnified Parties shall have incurred as to all inaccuracies and breaches indemnifiable Losses in excess of $500,000 (the “Deductible”); provided that, once the Buyer Indemnified Parties have incurred such indemnifiable Losses in excess of the Deductible, they shall have the right to payment by Seller only to the extent such indemnifiable Losses exceed $250,000; provided, further, that the maximum aggregate obligation of Seller to the Buyer Indemnified Parties under Section 6(b)(i) shall not exceed $42,000,000 (the “Cap”).  Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, the limitations contained in the provisos above shall not apply to (A) any indemnification for any Losses incurred by the Buyer Indemnified Parties for any intentional misrepresentation or fraudulent breach of a representation or warranty contained herein or in any Transaction Agreement, (B) any indemnification for any Losses incurred by the Buyer Indemnified Parties in connection with any Liability indemnified by Seller under Sections 6(b)(ii), (iii) and (iv) or (C) any indemnification for Losses incurred by the Buyer Indemnified Parties in connection with any Liability for breaches of Sections 3(a), (b), (c), (e) and (l).

 

(ii)                                  The Seller Indemnified Parties shall have the right to payment by Buyer under Section 6(c)(i) only if the Seller Indemnified Parties shall have incurred as to all

 

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inaccuracies and breaches indemnifiable Losses in excess of the Deductible; provided that, once the Seller Indemnified Parties have incurred such indemnifiable Losses in excess of the Deductible, they shall have the right to payment by Buyer only to the extent such indemnifiable Losses exceed $250,000.  Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, the limitation contained in the proviso above shall not apply to (A) any indemnification for any Losses incurred by the Seller Indemnified Parties for any intentional misrepresentation or fraudulent breach of a representation or warranty contained herein or in any Transaction Agreement, (B) any indemnification for any Losses incurred by the Seller Indemnified Parties in connection with any Liability indemnified by Seller under Sections 6(c)(ii) and (iii) or (C) any indemnification for Losses incurred by the Buyer Indemnified Parties in connection with any Liability for breaches of Sections 4(a), (b) and (c).

 

(iii)                               The indemnification provided in this Section 6 shall be the sole and exclusive remedy after the Closing for damages available to the Parties for breach of any of the representations and warranties, covenants (other than Sections 6(f) and 6(g)) or other obligations of the Parties contained herein; provided, however, that this exclusive remedy for damages does not preclude a Party from pursuing remedies under applicable Law for fraud or intentional misrepresentation.

 

(iv)                              Notwithstanding anything contained in this Agreement to the contrary, no Party shall be liable to the other Party or its Affiliates for special, consequential, punitive or exemplary Losses or damages; provided, however, that the forgoing shall not preclude (A) recovery by an Indemnified Party in respect of Losses directly incurred from Third-Party Claims or (B) a Party from pursuing remedies under applicable Law for fraud or intentional misrepresentation.

 

(v)                                 The amounts for which the Parties shall be liable under Sections 6(b) and 6(c) shall be net of (A) any insurance recovered by the Indemnified Parties from their own insurance policies (it be understood that no such Indemnified Party shall be required make a claim with its insurance carrier for any such recovery) and (B) the amount of the applicable Loss arising out of any item which a Party can demonstrate was included as an Account Payable or Accrued Expense in calculating Closing Net Working Capital.  For the avoidance of doubt, no indemnification shall be required under this Agreement for any differences between reserves, estimates or accruals related to any item and the actual value or level of such item.

 

(vi)                              Notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to the contrary, nothing in this Agreement shall eliminate, limit or prohibit any Seller rights, and Seller shall retain all its rights, pursuant to Law, including common law and any applicable Environmental, Health, and Safety Requirements, to recover from any third party any Losses that are or may become the subject of any claim for indemnification by any Buyer Indemnified Parties; provided that, upon the written request and at the direction of Seller, Buyer Indemnified Parties shall promptly and diligently pursue, at Seller’s expense, all remedies Buyer Indemnified Parties may have against any third parties for any such Losses, unless such remedies have no reasonable chance of success; provided, further, that, the amounts for which Seller shall be liable for such Losses under Section 6(b) shall be net of any amounts recovered by the Buyer Indemnified Parties from any third parties.

 

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(vii)                           Notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to the contrary, Seller shall not be required to indemnify any Buyer Indemnified Parties, and shall not have any Liability for any Pre-Closing Environmental Liabilities, any breaches of the representations and warranties contained in Section 3(s) or Section 3(v) or any other matters pursuant to Environmental, Health and Safety Requirements to the extent (A) any Buyer Indemnified Parties (1) incur any costs resulting or arising from any investigation of or Remedial Action with respect to environmental conditions (including drilling or sampling) following the Closing other than any investigation or other Remedial Action reasonably required by Environmental, Health and Safety Requirements; provided that, without limiting any other provision of this Agreement (including the procedures in Section 6(g)(x)), this Section 6(e)(vii)(A)(1) shall not apply to (x) Phase II sampling conducted for the purpose of reasonably identifying a known or suspected release of Hazardous Materials at the Target Business’ Soderhamn, Sweden facility to the extent such sampling is reasonably recommended by a Phase I environmental site assessment commenced within 30 days of the Closing Date and conducted to applicable ASTM standards by or on behalf of the Buyer and to the extent such sampling is permitted by the legal owner of the Soderhamn, Sweden facility (provided that, Buyer shall provide Seller with a reasonable opportunity to review and comment on a draft of any such Phase I report prior to its finalization and on the scope and workplan of any such Phase II sampling prior to conducting such sampling), (y) Phase II sampling conducted for the purpose of reasonably identifying a known or suspected release of Hazardous Materials at the Real Properties in Prentice, Wisconsin, Owatonna, Minnesota or Zebulon, North Carolina to the extent reasonably recommended by a Phase I environmental site assessment conducted to applicable ASTM standards and to the extent conducted by or on behalf, and at the reasonable request, of a bone fide prospective purchaser of the relevant Real Property from the Buyer for the purpose of reasonably establishing a legal defense to liability for such a release of Hazardous Materials pursuant to applicable Environmental, Health and Safety Requirements (provided that, Buyer shall provide Seller with a reasonable opportunity to review and comment on a draft of any such Phase I report prior to its finalization and on the scope and workplan of any such Phase II sampling prior to conducting such sampling) and (z) a release of Hazardous Materials discovered solely as a result of commercially reasonable construction activities by Buyer at any Real Property in connection with an expansion of current Target Business operations (provided that, commercially reasonable construction activities shall in no case include any activities conducted for the purpose of identifying or assessing known, unknown or suspected environmental conditions, including any release of Hazardous Materials, excluding activities solely conducted for a commercially reasonable geotechnical, architectural and/or engineering purpose in connection with construction activities), (2) incur any costs in excess of the costs to comply with industrial cleanup standards or other applicable minimum standards, including the use of environmental land use restrictions, or otherwise in excess of the minimum costs necessary to bring a condition into compliance with Environmental, Health and Safety Requirements or to satisfy the reasonable requirements of a Governmental Authority or (3) contribute to or  exacerbate any environmental condition or other Pre-Closing Environmental Liability after the Closing, (B) such Liability arises out of the cessation of or change in operations at, or the closure or demolition of, a facility of the Target Business, (C) such Liability results or arises from the removal of asbestos-containing materials or lead paint, except to the extent such asbestos-containing materials or lead paint were in a condition at or prior to the Closing not in compliance with Environmental, Health, and Safety Requirements or (D) such Liability arises out of any post-Closing exposure to any Hazardous Material,

 

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except to the extent provided under Section 6(b)(iii) with respect to any Asbestos Liability, Silica Liability or Welding Rod Liability or to the extent such Liability constitutes a Pre-Closing Environmental Liability.

 

(f)            Matters Involving Third Parties.

 

(i)                                     If any third party notifies an Indemnified Party with respect to a Third-Party Claim, then the Indemnified Party shall promptly notify each Indemnifying Party thereof in writing; provided, however, that no delay on the part of the Indemnified Party in notifying any Indemnifying Party shall relieve the Indemnifying Party from any obligation hereunder unless (and then solely to the extent) the Indemnifying Party is thereby prejudiced.

 

(ii)                                  Any Indemnifying Party will have the right to defend the Indemnified Party against the Third-Party Claim with counsel of its choice reasonably satisfactory to the Indemnified Party so long as (A) the Indemnifying Party notifies the Indemnified Party in writing within 15 days after the Indemnified Party has given notice of the Third-Party Claim that the Indemnifying Party will indemnify the Indemnified Party from and against any and all Losses the Indemnified Party may suffer arising out of or relating to the Third-Party Claim, (B) the Indemnifying Party provides the Indemnified Party with evidence reasonably acceptable to the Indemnified Party that the Indemnifying Party will have the financial resources to defend against the Third-Party Claim and fulfill its indemnification obligations hereunder, (C) the Third-Party Claim involves money damages and to the extent the Third-Party Claim does not seek an injunction or other equitable relief and (D) the Indemnifying Party conducts the defense of the Third-Party Claim actively and diligently.

 

(iii)                               So long as the Indemnifying Party is conducting the defense of the Third-Party Claim in accordance with Section 6(e)(ii), (A) the Indemnified Party may retain separate co-counsel at its sole cost and expense and participate in the defense of the Third-Party Claim, (B) the Indemnified Party will not consent to the entry of any judgment on or enter into any settlement with respect to the Third-Party Claim without the prior written consent of the Indemnifying Party (not to be unreasonably withheld) and (C) the Indemnifying Party will not consent to the entry of any judgment on or enter into any settlement with respect to the Third-Party Claim without the prior written consent of the Indemnified Party (not to be unreasonably withheld).

 

(iv)                              In the event any of the conditions in Section 6(e)(ii) is or becomes unsatisfied, upon at least 10 Business Days’ prior written notice to the Indemnifying Party setting forth in reasonable detail the unsatisfied condition and the Basis under which the Indemnified Party believes such condition to be unsatisfied, (A) the Indemnified Party may defend against, and consent to the entry of any judgment on or enter into any settlement with respect to, the Third-Party Claim in any manner it may deem appropriate (and the Indemnified Party need not consult with, or obtain any consent from, any Indemnifying Party in connection therewith), (B) the Indemnifying Party will reimburse the Indemnified Party promptly and periodically for the costs of defending against the Third-Party Claim (including attorneys’ fees and expenses) and (C) the Indemnifying Party will remain responsible for any Losses the Indemnified Party may suffer arising out of or relating to the Third-Party Claim to the fullest extent provided in this Section 6.

 

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(g)   Additional Environmental Procedures, Control and Access.

 

(i)            If any Indemnified Party becomes aware of any claim, the occurrence of any event, or the existence of any facts, which could become the subject of an indemnification claim under this Agreement arising out of or relating to, in the case of a claim by a Buyer Indemnified Party, any Pre-Closing Environmental Liabilities or breaches of the representations and warranties contained in Section 3(s) or Section 3(v) or, in the case of a claim by a Seller Indemnified Party, any Post-Closing Environmental Liabilities (in each case, an “Environmental Indemnification Claim”), the Indemnified Party shall promptly notify each Indemnifying Party thereof in writing; provided, however, that no delay on the part of the Indemnified Party in such notification to any Indemnifying Party shall relieve the Indemnifying Party from any obligation hereunder unless (and then solely to the extent that) the Indemnifying Party is actually prejudiced thereby.

 

(ii)           After receipt of a notice of an Environmental Indemnification Claim submitted by any Buyer Indemnified Party, in addition to any rights Seller may have under Section 6(f), and any indemnity limitations provided under Section 6(e), Seller shall have the right, but not the obligation, upon written notice to the Buyer Indemnified Party, to assume the management, control and/or performance of any investigation, cleanup or other remedial or corrective action (together, “Remedial Actions”) relating to any such Environmental Indemnification Claim, including having sole authority to make all final decisions and determinations with respect to any such Remedial Action; provided that Seller must notify the Buyer Indemnified Party that it intends to exercise such right within 120 days of receipt of such notice of an Environmental Indemnification Claim, and the Buyer Indemnified Party shall manage, control and/or perform such Remedial Action during the 120 day period prior to any notice by Seller; provided, however, that Seller shall have the right, but not the obligation, upon written notice to such Buyer Indemnified Party, to assume such management, control and/or performance of such Remedial Action at anytime after such 120 day period where (y) the indemnifiable costs relating to any such Environmental Indemnification Claim exceed, or are reasonably expected to exceed, on a cumulative basis $400,000 or (z) the Environmental Indemnification Claim involves a Third Party Claim.

 

(iii)          After receipt of any notice of any Environmental Indemnification Claim submitted by any Seller Indemnified Party, in addition to any rights Buyer may have under Section 6(f), Buyer shall assume the management, control and/or performance of any Remedial Actions relating to any such Environmental Indemnification Claim; provided however, in the case of any Remedial Action conducted in response to or otherwise in connection with both a Pre-Closing Environmental Liability and a Post-Closing Environmental Liability, this Section 6(g)(iii) shall not apply, and the management, control and performance of such Remedial Action shall be determined pursuant to the provisions of
Section 6(g)(ii).

 

(iv)          The party that manages, controls and/or performs any Remedial Actions relating to any Environmental Indemnification Claim (the “Controlling Party”) shall (A) keep the other party (the “Non-Controlling Party”) reasonably informed of the progress and status of such Remedial Actions, (B) keep accurate records of the costs of all such Remedial Actions and (C) provide the Non-Controlling Party with copies of such records upon request.

 

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(v)           The Controlling Party shall provide the Non-Controlling Party with drafts of all proposed remediation plans or other written submissions relating to any Remedial Action managed, controlled and/or performed hereunder not less than ten business days prior to the date on which they are to be submitted and shall give the Non-Controlling Party a reasonable opportunity to comment thereon.  The Non-Controlling Party shall have the reasonable opportunity to attend any meetings with Governmental Authorities with respect to such Remedial Actions; provided that Controlling Party shall have the sole right to negotiate with any Governmental Authority with respect to the timing, scope and other conditions, and final resolution of any such Remedial Action.

 

(vi)          The selection by the Controlling Party of (A) any consultants involved in any Remedial Actions and (B) the type and scope of any Remedial Action and any related workplans, including the location of any recovery, monitoring or other remedial wells, shall be subject to the approval of the Non-Controlling Party, which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed.

 

(vii)         Notwithstanding any approval required under Section 6(g)(vi) above, any Remedial Actions conducted in connection with any Environmental Indemnification Claim shall (A) be conducted in accordance with all applicable Environmental, Health, and Safety Requirements and in a workmanlike manner and (B) where Seller is the Controlling Party, to the extent reasonably practicable from an economic and engineering standpoint, avoid undue interference with the ongoing business operations of the Target Business; provided that, where the Seller is the Indemnifying Party, in no case shall the Seller be required to conduct, or indemnify any Buyer Indemnified Party for, any Remedial Action other than in accordance with the standards and limitations provided in Section 6(e)(vii).

 

(viii)        The Parties shall use their reasonable best efforts to cooperate with each other in all matters relating to any Environmental Indemnification Claim, or any claims by or against third parties relating thereto, including access provided by Buyer to information or copies of documentation necessary to respond to any request by any Governmental Authority; provided that, if such access would require the Parties to reveal information that would otherwise be protected by attorney-client privilege or any attorney work product doctrine, or other privilege pertaining to confidentiality, then Buyer and Seller shall enter into a reasonable confidentiality agreement, joint defense or similar agreement governing the terms and conditions of such access and reasonably calculated to preserve confidentiality and the applicable privileges.

 

(ix)           In connection with any Environmental Indemnification Claim, Buyer shall provide access to, and Seller shall have the right, but not the obligation, at reasonable times and after reasonable notice, to enter on, the applicable Real Property (A) if Seller is the Controlling Party, to conduct any Remedial Action (subject to the terms of this Section 6(g)) and (B) if Seller is the Non-Controlling Party, to monitor Buyer’s performance of any Remedial Action, including taking split samples at its own expense.

 

(x)            In the event of a disagreement between the Controlling Party and the Non-Controlling Party regarding that type and scope of any Remedial Action, the Parties shall consult with their respective responsible executives who will undertake reasonable best efforts to resolve the disagreement in good faith.

 

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(xi)           Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary herein, without the Indemnifying Party’s written consent, which shall not be unreasonably withheld, Indemnified Party shall have no right to (A) enter into any orders or other legally-binding agreements with any Governmental Authorities, any settlements with any third parties, or any voluntary cleanup program, or (B) except as required by any Environmental Law, submit any report to any Governmental Authority, with respect to any presence or release of Hazardous Materials, non-compliance with Environmental Law, or other environmental conditions at or relating to any Real Property or the Target Business that, in each of case (A) and (B) is or may reasonably become the subject of, in whole or in part, any Environmental Indemnification Claim; provided that, where Seller is both the Indemnifying Party and the Controlling Party, Seller shall not, without Buyer’s written consent, which shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed, enter into any orders or other legally binding agreements with any Governmental Authorities or any settlements with third parties with respect to such presence, release, non-compliance or environmental condition.

 

(h)   Recoupment Against General Escrow Amount and Specified Environmental Escrow Amount.

 

(i)            Any indemnification to which Buyer is entitled under this Agreement as a result of any Losses, other than Specified Environmental Losses relating to the Owned Real Property in Prentice, Wisconsin, shall first be made as a payment to Buyer from the General Escrow Amount pursuant to the terms and conditions of the General Escrow Agreement and, to the extent that the aggregate amount of such indemnification exceeds the General Escrow Amount, Seller shall be responsible therefor.

 

(ii)           Any indemnification to which Buyer is entitled under this Agreement as a result of any Specified Environmental Losses relating to the Owned Real Property in (A) Prentice, Wisconsin or (B) to the extent the General Escrow Amount has been fully exhausted and/or returned to Seller, in whole or in part, pursuant to the terms and conditions of the General Escrow Agreement, Zebulon, North Carolina or Owatonna, Minnesota, shall first be made as a payment to Buyer from the Specified Environmental Escrow Amount pursuant to the terms and conditions of the Specified Environmental Escrow Agreement and, to the extent that the aggregate amount of such indemnification exceeds the Specified Environmental Escrow Amount, Seller shall be responsible therefor.

 

(i)    Purchase Price Adjustments.  For Tax purposes, to the extent permitted by applicable law, any amounts payable under Section 6(b) or (c) shall be treated by Buyer and Seller as an adjustment to the Adjusted Purchase Price.

 

(j)    Mitigation.  Buyer and Seller shall cooperate with each other with respect to resolving any claim or Liability with respect to which one Party is obligated to provide indemnification hereunder, including by using commercially reasonable efforts to mitigate or resolve any such claim or Liability; provided that prior to the Closing, Buyer shall not be deemed to have relied on any representation or warranty of Buyer other than those expressly set forth in this Agreement.

 

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SECTION 7          MISCELLANEOUS

 

(a)   Press Releases and Public Announcements.  For a period of thirty (30) calendar days following the Closing Date, no Party shall issue any press release or make any public announcement relating to the transactions contemplated hereby without the prior written approval of the other Party; provided, however, that any Party may (i) make any public disclosure it believes in good faith is required by applicable law or any listing or trading agreement concerning its publicly traded securities (in which case the disclosing Party will use its commercially reasonable efforts to advise the other Party prior to making the disclosure) and (ii) cause its officers, directors or employees to respond to inquiries relating to the transactions contemplated hereby to the extent such Party reasonably believes that its failure to respond to any such inquiry could directly or indirectly materially adversely effect such Party’s or such Party’s Affiliate’s market reputation.

 

(b)   No Third-Party Beneficiaries.  This Agreement shall not confer any rights or remedies upon any Person other than the Parties, and to the extent expressly set forth herein, their Affiliates, the Buyer Indemnified Parties, the Seller Indemnified Parties, and all of their respective successors and permitted assigns.

 

(c)   Entire Agreement.  This Agreement, together with the Transaction Agreements, constitutes the entire agreement among the Parties and supersedes any prior understandings, agreements, or representations by or among the Parties, written or oral, to the extent they relate in any way to the subject matter hereof.

 

(d)   Succession and Assignment.  This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the Parties named herein and their respective successors and permitted assigns.  None of Buyer Parent, CFPI or any Caterpillar Subsidiary, on the one hand, or Seller Parent, Blount or any Blount Subsidiary, on the other hand, may assign either this Agreement or any of its rights, interests or obligations hereunder without the prior written approval of Blount, in the case of Buyer Parent, CFPI or any Caterpillar Subsidiary, or CFPI, in the case of Seller Parent, Blount or any Blount Subsidiary.

 

(e)   Counterparts.  This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts (including by means of facsimile), each of which shall be deemed an original but all of which together will constitute one and the same instrument, except no Party shall be bound unless all Parties have delivered their signatures to the other Parties.  Facsimile transmission of a counterpart hereto shall constitute an original hereof.

 

(f)    Headings.  The section headings contained in this Agreement are inserted for convenience only and shall not affect in any way the meaning or interpretation of this Agreement.

 

(g)   Notices.  Any notice, request, instruction or other document to be given hereunder by a Party shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been given (i) when received if given in person or by courier or a courier service, (ii) on the date of transmission if sent by telex, facsimile, electronic mail or other wire transmission (receipt confirmed (other than with respect to electronic mail)) or (iii) five business days after being deposited in the mail, certified or registered, postage prepaid:

 

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If to Buyer:

 

                Caterpillar Forest Products Inc.
100 S. L. White Blvd.
LaGrange, GA 30241
Attn:  John Carpenter – President
Facsimile:  (706) 880-4328

 

with a copy to:

 

                Caterpillar Inc.
100 N.E. Adams St.
Peoria, Illinois 61629-9600
Attn:  Deputy General Counsel
Facsimile:  (309) 675-1795

 

If to Seller:

 

                Blount, Inc.
4909 S.E. International Way
Portland, OR  97222-4679
Attn:  Richard H. Irving, III, Esq.
Facsimile:  (503) 653-4592

 

or such other address as any Party may from time to time specify by notice to the other Parties in the manner herein set forth.

 

(h)   Applicable Law; Choice of Forum; Waiver of Jury Trial.  This Agreement shall be governed by and construed and enforced in accordance with the domestic laws of the State of Delaware, United States of America, without giving effect to any choice or conflict of law provision or rule (whether of the State of Delaware or any other jurisdiction) that would cause the application of laws of any jurisdiction other than the State of Delaware, United States of America.  The Parties agree that any suit, action or proceeding brought by the Parties in connection with or arising out of this Agreement shall be brought solely in the United States District Court of the District of Delaware or, if such court lacks jurisdiction, in the Delaware Court of Chancery.  Each Party consents to the jurisdiction and venue of each such court.  Each Party hereby waives, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any right it may have to a trial by jury in respect to any litigation directly or indirectly arising out of, under or in connection with this Agreement, any Transaction Agreement or any transaction contemplated hereby or thereby.  Each Party (i) 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 that foregoing waiver and (ii) acknowledges that it and the other Parties hereto have been induced to enter into this Agreement and the Transaction Agreements, as applicable, by, among other things, the mutual waivers and certifications in this Section 7(h).

 

(i)    Amendments and Waivers.  No amendment of any provision of this Agreement shall be valid unless the same shall be in writing and signed by Buyer and Seller. No waiver by any Party of any provision of this Agreement or any default, misrepresentation, or breach of warranty or covenant hereunder, whether intentional or not, shall be valid unless the same shall be in writing and signed by the Party making such waiver nor shall such waiver be deemed to extend to any prior or subsequent default, misrepresentation, or breach of warranty or covenant

 

51



 

hereunder or affect in any way any rights arising by virtue of any prior or subsequent such default, misrepresentation, or breach of warranty or covenant.

 

(j)    Severability.  Any term or provision of this Agreement that is invalid or unenforceable in any situation in any jurisdiction shall not affect the validity or enforceability of the remaining terms and provisions hereof or the validity or enforceability of the offending term or provision in any other situation or in any other jurisdiction.

 

(k)   Expenses.  Except as otherwise provided herein, each Party shall bear its own costs and expenses (including legal fees and expenses) incurred in connection with this Agreement, the Transaction Agreements and the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby; provided that (i) all fees (including any penalties and interest thereon) owed to any Governmental Authority in Sweden in connection with the transfer of employment of Swedish Transferred Employees from Seller to Buyer shall be paid by Seller when due, (ii) all title fees (including any penalties and interest thereon) owed as of the date hereof in respect of Owned Real Property shall be paid by Seller when due, (iii) all survey fees (including any penalties and interest thereon) owed as of the date hereof in respect of Owned Real Property shall be paid by Buyer when due and (iv) all Transfer Fees (including any penalties and interest thereon) incurred in connection with the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the Transaction Agreements shall be paid by Seller when due.  Buyer shall use commercially reasonable efforts to minimize any such Transfer Fees.

 

(l)    Construction.  The Parties have participated jointly in the negotiation and drafting of this Agreement.  In the event an ambiguity or question of intent or interpretation arises, this Agreement shall be construed as if drafted jointly by the Parties and no presumption or burden of proof shall arise favoring or disfavoring any Party by virtue of the authorship of any of the provisions of this Agreement.  Any reference to any federal, state, local, or foreign statute or law shall mean such statute or law, as amended, codified, replaced, or re-enacted, in whole or in part, and shall also be deemed to refer to all rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, unless the context requires otherwise.  Unless the context requires otherwise, singular includes plural and vice versa and any gender includes every gender, and where any word or phrase is given a defined meaning, any other grammatical form of that word or phrase will have a correlative meaning.  The word “including” shall mean including without limitation.  The Parties intend that each representation, warranty, and covenant contained herein shall have independent significance.  If any Party has breached any representation, warranty, or covenant contained herein in any respect, the fact that there exists another representation, warranty, or covenant relating to the same subject matter (regardless of the relative levels of specificity) that the Party has not breached shall not detract from or mitigate the fact that the Party is in breach of the first representation, warranty, or covenant.  Except as provided in Section 6(j), any due diligence review, audit or other investigation or inquiry undertaken or performed by or on behalf of Buyer shall not limit, qualify, modify or amend the representations, warranties or covenants of, or indemnities by, Seller made pursuant to this Agreement, irrespective of the knowledge and information received (or which should have been received) therefrom by Buyer.

 

(m)  Incorporation of Exhibits and Schedules.  The Exhibits and Schedules to this Agreement are incorporated herein by reference and made a part hereof.

 

(n)   Specific Performance.  Except as otherwise provided in Section 6(e)(iii), each Party acknowledges and agrees that the other Party would be damaged irreparably in the event any provision of this Agreement is not performed in accordance with its specific terms or otherwise is breached, so that a Party shall be entitled to injunctive relief to prevent breaches of this

 

52



 

Agreement and to enforce specifically this Agreement and the terms and provisions hereof in addition to any other remedy to which such Party may be entitled, at law or in equity.  In particular, except as otherwise provided in Section 6(e)(iii), the Parties acknowledge that the Target Business is unique and recognize and affirm that in the event Seller breaches this Agreement, money damages would be inadequate and Buyer would have no adequate remedy at law, so that Buyer shall have the right, in addition to any other rights and remedies existing in its favor, to enforce its rights and the other Parties’ obligations hereunder not only by action for damages but also by action for specific performance, injunctive, and/or other equitable relief.

 

(o)   Joint and Several ObligationsThe obligations under this Agreement of Blount and the Blount Subsidiaries, on the one hand, and CFPI and the Caterpillar Subsidiaries, on the other hand, shall be joint and several; provided that neither any Blount Subsidiary nor any Caterpillar Subsidiary shall have any Liability hereunder for damages in excess of the amount set forth next to its name on Section 7(o) of the Disclosure Schedule.  For the avoidance of doubt, the obligations under this Agreement of each of Blount, on the one hand, and CFPI, on the other hand, shall be joint and several without limitation.

 

(p)   Governing Language.  This Agreement has been negotiated and executed by the Parties in English.  In the event any translation of this Agreement is prepared for convenience or any other purpose, the provisions of the English version shall prevail.

 

(q)   Remittances.  All remittances, payments, mail and other communications relating to the Acquired Assets or the Assumed Liabilities received by Seller at any time after the Closing Date shall be promptly turned over to Buyer by Seller. All remittances, payments, mail and other communications relating to any asset that is not an Acquired Asset or any liability that is not an Assumed Liability received by Buyer at any time after the Closing Date shall be promptly turned over to Seller by Buyer.

 

[Signatures appear on the next page.]

 

53



 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties hereto have executed this Agreement as of this 5th day of November, 2007.

 

 

Blount, Inc

 

Blount International, Inc.

 

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Calvin E. Jenness

 

By:

/s/ Calvin E. Jenness

Name:

Calvin E. Jenness

 

Name:

Calvin E. Jenness

Title:

Senior Vice President and
Chief Financial Officer

 

Title:

Senior Vice President and
Chief Financial Officer

 

 

 

 

 

 

 “Blount Subsidiaries

 

 

 

 

 

Omark Properties, Inc.

 

OOO Blount

 

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Richard H. Irving, III

 

By:

/s/ Richard H. Irving, III

Name:

Richard H. Irving, III

 

Name:

Richard H. Irving, III

Title:

Vice President

 

Title:

Authorized Signatory

 

 

 

Blount Industriales Ltda

 

Svenska Blount AB

 

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Calvin E. Jenness 

 

By:

/s/ Kenneth O. Saito

Name:

Calvin E. Jenness

 

Name:

Kenneth O. Saito

Title:

Authorized Signatory

 

Title:

Director

 

[Signature page to the Asset Purchase Agreement]

 

54



 

Caterpillar Forest Products Inc. 

 

Caterpillar Inc.

 

 

 

 

 

 

By:  

/s/ John T. Carpenter

 

By:

/s/ John T. Carpenter

Name:

John T. Carpenter

 

Name:

John T. Carpenter

Title:

President

 

Title:

General Manager - Caterpillar Forest
Products

 

 

 

Caterpillar Subsidiaries

 

 

 

 

 

Caterpillar Brasil Ltda.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Natal Garcia

 

 

Name:

Natal Garcia

 

 

Title:

CBL Managing Director

 

 

 

[Signature page to the Asset Purchase Agreement]

 

55


EX-32.1 3 a08-2371_1ex32d1.htm EX-32.1

Exhibit 32.1

 

CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO

SECTION 906 OF

THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002

 

In connection with the Annual Report of Blount International, Inc. (the “Company”) on Form 10-K for the period ended December 31, 2007 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on the date hereof (the “Report”), I, James S. Osterman, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company, certify, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that:

 

(i)            The Report fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and

 

(ii)           The information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Company as of the dates and for the periods expressed in the report.

 

A signed original of this written statement required by Section 906 has been provided to Blount International, Inc. and will be retained by Blount International, Inc. and furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission or its staff upon request.

 

 

Date: March 13, 2008

 

 

/s/ James S. Osterman

 

James S. Osterman

Chairman and

Chief Executive Officer

 


EX-32.2 4 a08-2371_1ex32d2.htm EX-32.2

Exhibit 32.2

 

CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO

SECTION 906 OF

THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002

 

In connection with the Annual Report of Blount International, Inc. (the “Company”) on Form 10-K for the period ended December 31, 2007 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on the date hereof (the “Report”), I, Calvin E. Jenness, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of the Company, certify, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that:

 

(i)            The Report fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and

 

(ii)           The information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Company as of the dates and for the periods expressed in the report.

 

A signed original of this written statement required by Section 906 has been provided to Blount International, Inc. and will be retained by Blount International, Inc. and furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission or its staff upon request.

 

 

Date: March 13, 2008

 

 

/s/ Calvin E. Jenness

 

Calvin E. Jenness

Senior Vice President and

Chief Financial Officer

 


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-----END PRIVACY-ENHANCED MESSAGE-----