EX-4.1 4 a06-16473_1ex4d1.htm EX-4.1

Exhibit 4.1

 

 

 

PLIANT CORPORATION

 

13% Senior Subordinated Notes due 2010

 

INDENTURE

 

Dated as of July 18, 2006

 

THE BANK OF NEW YORK TRUST COMPANY, N.A.,

 

as Trustee

 

 

 



 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

 

 

Page

 

 

 

ARTICLE 1

 

 

 

 

Definitions and Incorporation by Reference

 

 

 

 

SECTION 1.01

Definitions.

1

SECTION 1.02

Other Definitions.

22

SECTION 1.03

Incorporation by Reference of Trust Indenture Act

23

SECTION 1.04

Rules of Construction

23

 

 

 

ARTICLE 2

 

 

 

The Securities

 

 

 

SECTION 2.01

Form and Dating

24

SECTION 2.02

Execution and Authentication

24

SECTION 2.03

Registrar and Paying Agent

25

SECTION 2.04

Paying Agent to Hold Money in Trust

25

SECTION 2.05

Holder Lists

26

SECTION 2.06

Transfer and Exchange

26

SECTION 2.07

Replacement Securities

27

SECTION 2.08

Outstanding Securities

27

SECTION 2.09

Temporary Securities

28

SECTION 2.10

Cancellation

28

SECTION 2.11

Defaulted Interest

28

SECTION 2.12

CUSIP and ISIN Numbers

28

SECTION 2.13

Issuance of Additional Securities As Payment of Interest

28

 

 

 

ARTICLE 3

 

 

 

 

Redemption

 

 

 

 

SECTION 3.01

Notices to Trustee

29

SECTION 3.02

Selection of Securities To Be Redeemed

29

SECTION 3.03

Notice of Redemption

30

SECTION 3.04

Effect of Notice of Redemption

30

SECTION 3.05

Deposit of Redemption Price

31

SECTION 3.06

Securities Redeemed in Part

31

SECTION 3.07

Call Option

31

 

 

 

ARTICLE 4

 

 

 

 

Covenants

 

 

 

 

SECTION 4.01

Payment of Securities

31

 

i



 

SECTION 4.02

SEC Reports

32

SECTION 4.03

Limitation on Indebtedness

32

SECTION 4.04

Limitation on Restricted Payments

36

SECTION 4.05

Limitation on Restrictions on Distributions from Restricted Subsidiaries

39

SECTION 4.06

Limitation on Sales of Assets and Subsidiary Stock

41

SECTION 4.07

Limitation on Transactions with Affiliates

44

SECTION 4.08

Change of Control

45

SECTION 4.09

Compliance Certificate

46

SECTION 4.10

Further Instruments and Acts

47

SECTION 4.11

Future Note Guarantors

47

SECTION 4.12

Limitation on Lines of Business

47

 

 

 

ARTICLE 5

 

 

 

 

Successor Company

 

 

 

 

SECTION 5.01

When Company May Merge or Transfer Assets

47

 

 

 

ARTICLE 6

 

 

 

 

Defaults and Remedies

 

 

 

 

SECTION 6.01

Events of Default

48

SECTION 6.02

Acceleration

50

SECTION 6.03

Other Remedies

51

SECTION 6.04

Waiver of Past Defaults

51

SECTION 6.05

Control by Majority

51

SECTION 6.06

Limitation on Suits

51

SECTION 6.07

Rights of Holders to Receive Payment

52

SECTION 6.08

Collection Suit by Trustee

52

SECTION 6.09

Trustee May File Proofs of Claim

52

SECTION 6.10

Priorities

52

SECTION 6.11

Undertaking for Costs

53

SECTION 6.12

Waiver of Stay or Extension Laws

53

 

 

 

ARTICLE 7

 

 

 

 

Trustee

 

 

 

 

SECTION 7.01

Duties of Trustee

53

SECTION 7.02

Rights of Trustee

54

SECTION 7.03

Individual Rights of Trustee

55

SECTION 7.04

Trustee’s Disclaimer

56

SECTION 7.05

Notice of Defaults

56

SECTION 7.06

Reports by Trustee to Holders

56

SECTION 7.07

Compensation and Indemnity

56

 

ii



 

SECTION 7.08

Replacement of Trustee

57

SECTION 7.09

Successor Trustee by Merger

58

SECTION 7.10

Eligibility; Disqualification

58

SECTION 7.11

Preferential Collection of Claims Against the Company

58

 

 

 

ARTICLE 8

 

 

 

 

Discharge of Indenture; Defeasance

 

 

 

 

SECTION 8.01

Discharge of Liability on Securities; Defeasance

59

SECTION 8.02

Conditions to Defeasance

60

SECTION 8.03

Application of Trust Money

61

SECTION 8.04

Repayment to Company

61

SECTION 8.05

Indemnity for Government Obligations

61

SECTION 8.06

Reinstatement

61

 

 

 

ARTICLE 9

 

 

 

 

Amendments

 

 

 

 

SECTION 9.01

Without Consent of Holders

62

SECTION 9.02

With Consent of Holders

62

SECTION 9.03

Compliance with Trust Indenture Act

63

SECTION 9.04

Revocation and Effect of Consents and Waivers

63

SECTION 9.05

Notation on or Exchange of Securities

64

SECTION 9.06

Trustee to Sign Amendments

64

 

 

 

ARTICLE 10

 

 

 

 

Subordination

 

 

 

 

SECTION 10.01

Agreement to Subordinate

64

SECTION 10.02

Liquidation, Dissolution, Bankruptcy

65

SECTION 10.03

Default on Designated Senior Indebtedness

65

SECTION 10.04

Acceleration of Payment of Securities

66

SECTION 10.05

When Distribution Must Be Paid Over

66

SECTION 10.06

Subrogation

66

SECTION 10.07

Relative Rights

66

SECTION 10.08

Subordination May Not Be Impaired by Company

67

SECTION 10.09

Rights of Trustee and Paying Agent

67

SECTION 10.10

Distribution or Notice to Representative

67

SECTION 10.11

Article 10 Not to Prevent Events of Default or Limit Right To Accelerate

67

SECTION 10.12

Trust Monies Not Subordinated

67

SECTION 10.13

Trustee Entitled to Rely

67

SECTION 10.14

Trustee to Effectuate Subordination

68

SECTION 10.15

Trustee Not Fiduciary for Holders of Senior Indebtedness

68

 

iii



 

SECTION 10.16

Reliance by Holders of Senior Indebtedness on Subordination Provisions

68

 

 

 

ARTICLE 11

 

 

 

 

Note Guarantees

 

 

 

 

SECTION 11.01

Note Guarantees

68

SECTION 11.02

Limitation on Liability

71

SECTION 11.03

Successors and Assigns

71

SECTION 11.04

No Waiver

71

SECTION 11.05

Modification

72

SECTION 11.06

Execution of Supplemental Indenture for Future Note Guarantors

72

SECTION 11.07

Non-Impairment

72

 

 

 

ARTICLE 12

 

 

 

 

Subordination of the Note Guarantees

 

 

 

 

SECTION 12.01

Agreement To Subordinate

72

SECTION 12.02

Liquidation, Dissolution, Bankruptcy

72

SECTION 12.03

Default on Designated Senior Indebtedness of a Note Guarantor

73

SECTION 12.04

Demand for Payment

74

SECTION 12.05

When Distribution Must Be Paid Over

74

SECTION 12.06

Subrogation

74

SECTION 12.07

Relative Rights

74

SECTION 12.08

Subordination May Not Be Impaired by a Note Guarantor

75

SECTION 12.09

Rights of Trustee and Paying Agent

75

SECTION 12.10

Distribution or Notice to Representative

75

SECTION 12.11

Article 12 Not To Prevent Events of Default or Limit Right To Accelerate

75

SECTION 12.12

Trustee Entitled To Rely

75

SECTION 12.13

Trustee To Effectuate Subordination

76

SECTION 12.14

Trustee Not Fiduciary for Holders of Senior Indebtedness of a Note Guarantor

76

SECTION 12.15

Reliance by Holders of Senior Indebtedness of a Note Guarantor on Subordination Provisions

76

SECTION 12.16

Defeasance

76

 

 

 

ARTICLE 13

 

 

 

 

Miscellaneous

 

 

 

 

SECTION 13.01

Trust Indenture Act Controls

77

SECTION 13.02

Notices

77

SECTION 13.03

Communication by Holders with Other Holders

77

SECTION 13.04

Certificate and Opinion as to Conditions Precedent

78

 

iv




 

Reconciliation and tie between Indenture, dated as of July 18, 2006, and the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended.

 

Trust Indenture Act of 1939 Section

 

Indenture Section

 

 

 

310

(a)(1)

 

6.10; 6.11; 6.12

 

(a)(2)

 

6.12

 

(a)(3)

 

TIA

 

(a)(4)

 

Not applicable

 

(a)(5)

 

TIA

 

(b)

 

4.6; 6.4; 6.10; 6.12; TIA

 

 

 

 

311

(a)

 

6.4; 6.16; TIA

 

(b)

 

TIA

 

(c)

 

Not applicable

 

 

 

 

312

(a)

 

6.8

 

(b)

 

1.16; TIA

 

(c)

 

1.16; TIA

 

 

 

 

313

(a)

 

6.3; 6.7; TIA

 

(b)

 

6.3; 6.7; TIA

 

(c)

 

6.3; 6.7; TIA

 

(d)

 

6.3; 6.7; TIA

 

 

 

 

314

(a)

 

9.5; 9.7; TIA

 

(b)

 

Not applicable

 

(c)(1)

 

1.2; 4.1; 4.6; 5.7; 7.1; 9.5

 

(c)(2)

 

1.2; 4.1; 4.6; 7.1; 9.5

 

(c)(3)

 

Not applicable

 

(d)

 

Not applicable

 

(e)

 

9.8; TIA

 

(f)

 

TIA

 

 

 

 

315

(a)

 

6.1; 6.3; TIA

 

(b)

 

6.2

 

(c)

 

TIA

 

(d)(1)

 

TIA

 

(d)(2)

 

6.1; TIA

 

(d)(3)

 

6.1; TIA

 

(e)

 

6.10; TIA

 

 

 

 

316

(a)(last sentence)

 

1.1

 

(a)(1)(A)

 

5.2; 5.8

 

(a)(1)(B)

 

5.7

 

(b)

 

5.9; 5.10

 

(c)

 

1.4; TIA

 

vi



 

Trust Indenture Act of 1939 Section

 

Indenture Section

 

 

 

317

(a)(1)

 

5.3; 6.3

 

(a)(2)

 

5.4; 6.3

 

(b)

 

6.3; 9.3

 

 

 

 

318

(a)

 

1.11

 

(b)

 

TIA

 

(c)

 

1.11; TIA

 

 

 

This reconciliation and tie Section does not constitute part of the indenture.

 

 

 

vii



 

INDENTURE dated as of July 18, 2006, among PLIANT CORPORATION, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), PLIANT CORPORATION INTERNATIONAL, a Utah corporation, PLIANT FILM PRODUCTS OF MEXICO, INC., a Utah corporation, PLIANT SOLUTIONS CORPORATION, a Utah corporation, PLIANT PACKAGING OF CANADA, LLC, a Utah limited liability company, UNIPLAST HOLDINGS, INC., a Delaware corporation, UNIPLAST U.S., INC., a Delaware corporation, and UNIPLAST INDUSTRIES CO., a Nova Scotia unlimited company (collectively, the “Note Guarantors”) and THE BANK OF NEW YORK TRUST COMPANY, N.A., a national banking association, as trustee (the “Trustee”).

 

Each party agrees as follows for the benefit of the other parties and for the equal and ratable benefit of the Holders of the Company’s 13% Senior Subordinated Notes due 2010 issued on the date hereof (the “Securities”). Except as otherwise provided herein, the Securities will be limited to $35,000,000 in aggregate principal amount outstanding plus the amount of any additional Securities issued in lieu of payment of interest in cash in accordance with Section 2.13.

 

ARTICLE 1

 

Definitions and Incorporation by Reference

 

SECTION 1.01                    Definitions.

 

2000 Notes Closing Date” means May 31, 2000.

 

2003 Notes” means the $250,000,000 aggregate principal amount of the Company’s 11 1/8% senior secured notes due 2009 issued under the 2003 Notes Indenture.

 

2003 Notes Indenture” means the indenture dated as of May 30, 2003, among the Company, the guarantors named therein, and Wilmington Trust Company, as initial indenture trustee, and succeeded by Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as successor indenture trustee, under which the 2003 Notes were issued, as amended, modified, or supplemented from time to time.

 

2004 Notes” means the 11.85% (formerly 11 5/8%) senior secured notes due 2009 and the remaining 11.35% (formerly 11 1/8%) senior secured notes due 2009, each issued under the 2004 Notes Indenture.

 

2004 Notes Closing Date” means May 6, 2005.

 

2004 Notes Indenture” means the indenture dated as of February 17, 2004 (as amended and restated as of May 6, 2005 and further amended as of July 18, 2006), among the Company, the guarantors named therein, and Wilmington Trust Company, as indenture trustee, under which the 2004 Notes were issued, as amended, modified, or supplemented from time to time.

 

2004 Notes Original Issue Date” means February 17, 2004.

 



 

Additional Assets” means (a) any property or assets (other than Indebtedness and Capital Stock) to be used by the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary in a Permitted Business or any improvements to any property or assets that are used by the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary in a Permitted Business; (b) Capital Stock of a Person that becomes a Restricted Subsidiary as a result of the acquisition of such Capital Stock by the Company or another Restricted Subsidiary; or (c) Capital Stock constituting a minority interest in any Person that at such time is a Restricted Subsidiary; provided, however, that any such Restricted Subsidiary described in clauses (b) or (c) above is primarily engaged in a Permitted Business.

 

Affiliate” of any specified Person means any other Person, directly or indirectly, controlling or controlled by or under direct or indirect common control with such specified Person. For the purposes of this definition, “control” when used with respect to any Person means the power to direct the management and policies of such Person, directly or indirectly, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise; and the terms “controlling” and “controlled” have meanings correlative to the foregoing. For purposes of Sections 4.06 and 4.07 only, “Affiliate” shall also mean any beneficial owner of shares representing 10% or more of the total voting power of the Voting Stock (on a fully diluted basis) of the Company or of rights or warrants to purchase such Voting Stock (whether or not currently exercisable) and any Person who would be an Affiliate of any such beneficial owner pursuant to the first sentence hereof.

 

Asset Disposition” means any sale, lease (other than an operating lease entered into in the ordinary course of business), transfer or other disposition (or series of related sales, leases, transfers or dispositions) by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary, including any disposition by means of a merger, consolidation or similar transaction (each referred to for the purposes of this definition as a “disposition”), of (a) any shares of Capital Stock of a Restricted Subsidiary (other than directors’ qualifying shares or shares required by applicable law to be held by a Person other than the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary), (b) all or substantially all the assets of any division or line of business of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary or (c) any other assets of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary outside of the ordinary course of business of the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary (other than, in the case of (a), (b) and (c) above, (i) a disposition by a Restricted Subsidiary to the Company or by the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary to a Wholly Owned Subsidiary, (ii) for purposes of Section 4.06 only, the making of a Permitted Investment or a disposition that constitutes a Restricted Payment permitted by Section 4.04, (iii) sales of accounts receivable and related assets (including contract rights) of the type specified in the definition of “Qualified Securitization Transaction” to a Securitization Entity for the fair market value thereof, (iv) a disposition of obsolete or worn out property or equipment or property or equipment that is no longer used or useful in the conduct of business of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries, (v) any other disposition of assets with a fair market value, as conclusively determined by senior management of the Company in good faith, of less than $1.0 million, (vi) sales or grants of licenses to use the Company’s or any Restricted Subsidiary’s patents, trade secrets, know-how and technology to the extent that such license does not prohibit the licensor from using the patent, trade secret, know-how or technology or require the licensor to pay any fees for such use, (vii) the disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company in compliance with Section 5.01 and (viii) the disposition of any Capital Stock or other ownership interest in or assets or property of an Unrestricted Subsidiary.

 

2



 

Attributable Debt” in respect of a Sale/Leaseback Transaction means, as at the time of determination, the present value (discounted at the interest rate borne by the Securities, compounded annually) of the total obligations of the lessee for rental payments during the remaining term of the lease included in such Sale/Leaseback Transaction (including any period for which such lease has been extended).

 

Average Life” means, as of the date of determination, with respect to any Indebtedness or Preferred Stock, the quotient obtained by dividing (a) the sum of the products of the numbers of years from the date of determination to the dates of each successive scheduled principal payment of such Indebtedness or scheduled redemption or similar payment with respect to such Preferred Stock multiplied by the amount of such payment by (b) the sum of all such payments.

 

Bank Indebtedness” means any and all amounts payable under or in respect of the Credit Agreement and any Refinancing Indebtedness with respect thereto, as amended from time to time, including principal, premium (if any), interest (including interest accruing on or after the filing of any petition in bankruptcy or for reorganization relating to the Company whether or not a claim for post-filing interest is allowed in such proceedings), fees, charges, expenses, reimbursement obligations, guarantees and all other amounts payable thereunder or in respect thereof.

 

Board of Directors” means the Board of Directors of the Company or any committee thereof duly authorized to act on behalf of the Board of Directors of the Company.

 

Business Day” means each day which is not a Legal Holiday.

 

Capital Stock” of any Person means any and all shares, interests, rights to purchase, warrants, options, participations or other equivalents of or interests in (however designated) equity of such Person, including any Preferred Stock, but excluding any debt securities convertible into such equity.

 

Capitalized Lease Obligations” means an obligation that is required to be classified and accounted for as a capitalized lease for financial reporting purposes in accordance with GAAP, and the amount of Indebtedness represented by such obligation shall be the capitalized amount of such obligation determined in accordance with GAAP; and the Stated Maturity thereof shall be the date of the last payment of rent or any other amount due under such lease prior to the first date upon which such lease may be prepaid by the lessee without payment of a penalty.

 

Change of Control” means the occurrence of any of the following events:

 

(a)                                  prior to the first public offering of common stock of the Company, the Permitted Holders cease to be the “beneficial owner” (as defined in Rules 13d-3 and 13d-5 under the Exchange Act), directly or indirectly, of a majority in the aggregate of the total voting power of the Voting Stock of the Company, whether as a result of issuance of securities of the Company, any merger, consolidation, liquidation or dissolution of the Company, any direct or indirect transfer of securities by any Permitted Holder or otherwise (for purposes of this clause (a) and clause (b) below, the Permitted Holders

 

3



 

shall be deemed to beneficially own any Voting Stock of an entity (the “specified entity”) held by any other entity (the “parent entity”) so long as the Permitted Holders beneficially own (as so defined), directly or indirectly, in the aggregate a majority of the voting power of the Voting Stock of the parent entity);

 

(b)                                 (i) any “person” (as such term is used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the Exchange Act, including any group acting for the purpose of acquiring, holding or disposing of securities within the meaning of Rule 13d-5(b)(1) under the Exchange Act), other than one or more Permitted Holders, is or becomes the beneficial owner (as defined in clause (a) above, except that for purposes of this clause (b) a person (including a Permitted Holder) shall be deemed to have “beneficial ownership” of all shares that any such person has the right to acquire, whether such right is exercisable immediately, only after the passage of time, upon the happening of any event or otherwise), directly or indirectly, of more than 50% of the total voting power of the Voting Stock of the Company and (ii) the Permitted Holders “beneficially own” (as defined in clause (a) above), directly or indirectly, in the aggregate a lesser percentage of the total voting power of the Voting Stock of the Company than such other person and do not have the right or ability by voting power, contract or otherwise to elect or designate for election a majority of the Board of Directors of the Company (for the purposes of this clause (b), such other person shall be deemed to beneficially own any Voting Stock of a specified entity held by a parent entity, if such other person is the beneficial owner (as defined in this clause (b)), directly or indirectly, of more than 50% of the voting power of the Voting Stock of such parent entity and the Permitted Holders “beneficially own” (as defined in clause (a) above), directly or indirectly, in the aggregate a lesser percentage of the voting power of the Voting Stock of such parent entity and do not have the right or ability by voting power, contract or otherwise to elect or designate for election a majority of the Board of Directors of such parent entity);

 

(c)                                  during any period of two consecutive years, individuals who at the beginning of such period constituted the Board of Directors of the Company (together with any new directors (i) selected in accordance with the Stockholders Agreement so long as such agreement is in effect or otherwise nominated by the Permitted Holders or (ii) whose election by the Board of Directors of the Company or whose nomination for election by the stockholders of the Company was approved by a vote of at least a majority of the members of the Board of Directors of the Company, then still in office, who were either directors at the beginning of such period or whose election or nomination for election was previously so approved by the Board of Directors or in accordance with the Stockholders Agreement or otherwise by the Permitted Holders) cease for any reason to constitute a majority of the Board of Directors of the Company then in office;

 

(d)                                 the adoption of a plan relating to the liquidation or dissolution of the Company; or

 

(e)                                  the merger or consolidation of the Company with or into another Person or the merger of another Person with or into the Company, or the sale of all or substantially all the assets of the Company to another Person (other than a Person that is controlled by

 

4



 

the Permitted Holders), and, in the case of any such merger or consolidation, the securities of the Company that are outstanding immediately prior to such transaction and which represent 100% of the aggregate voting power of the Voting Stock of the Company are changed into or exchanged for cash, securities or property, unless pursuant to such transaction such securities are changed into or exchanged for, in addition to any other consideration, securities of the surviving Person or transferee that represent immediately after such transaction, at least a majority of the aggregate voting power of the Voting Stock of the surviving Person or transferee.

 

Closing Date” means the date of this Indenture.

 

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

 

Commodity Agreement” means any commodity futures contract, commodity option or other similar agreement or arrangement entered into by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries designed to protect the Company or any of its Subsidiaries against fluctuations in the price of commodities actually at the time used in the ordinary course of business of the Company or its Subsidiaries.

 

Company” means the party named as such in this Indenture until a successor replaces it and, thereafter, means the successor and, for purposes of any provision contained herein and required by the TIA, each other obligor on the indenture securities.

 

Consolidated Coverage Ratio” as of any date of determination means the ratio of (a) the aggregate amount of EBITDA for the period of the most recent four consecutive fiscal quarters for which financial statements are publicly available ending prior to the date of such determination to (b) Consolidated Interest Expense for such four fiscal quarters; provided, however, that (i) if the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary has Incurred any Indebtedness since the beginning of such period that remains outstanding on such date of determination or if the transaction giving rise to the need to calculate the Consolidated Coverage Ratio is an Incurrence of Indebtedness, EBITDA and Consolidated Interest Expense for such period shall be calculated after giving effect on a pro forma basis to such Indebtedness as if such Indebtedness had been Incurred on the first day of such period and the discharge of any other Indebtedness repaid, repurchased, defeased or otherwise discharged with the proceeds of such new Indebtedness as if such discharge had occurred on the first day of such period, (ii) if the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary has repaid, repurchased, defeased or otherwise discharged any Indebtedness since the beginning of such period or if any Indebtedness is to be repaid, repurchased, defeased or otherwise discharged (in each case other than Indebtedness Incurred under any revolving credit facility unless such Indebtedness has been permanently repaid and has not been replaced) on the date of the transaction giving rise to the need to calculate the Consolidated Coverage Ratio, EBITDA and Consolidated Interest Expense for such period shall be calculated on a pro forma basis as if such discharge had occurred on the first day of such period and as if the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary has not earned the interest income actually earned during such period in respect of cash or Temporary Cash Investments used to repay, repurchase, defease or otherwise discharge such Indebtedness, (iii) if since the beginning of such period the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary shall have made any Asset Disposition in excess of $10.0 million which constitutes all or substantially all of an operating unit of a

 

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business, the EBITDA for such period shall be reduced by an amount equal to the EBITDA (if positive) directly attributable to the assets that are the subject of such Asset Disposition for such period or increased by an amount equal to the EBITDA (if negative) directly attributable thereto for such period and Consolidated Interest Expense for such period shall be reduced by an amount equal to the Consolidated Interest Expense directly attributable to any Indebtedness of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary repaid, repurchased, defeased or otherwise discharged with respect to the Company and its continuing Restricted Subsidiaries in connection with such Asset Disposition for such period (or, if the Capital Stock of any Restricted Subsidiary is sold, the Consolidated Interest Expense for such period directly attributable to the Indebtedness of such Restricted Subsidiary to the extent the Company and its continuing Restricted Subsidiaries are no longer liable for such Indebtedness after such sale), (iv) if since the beginning of such period the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary (by merger or otherwise) shall have made an Investment in any Restricted Subsidiary (or any Person that becomes a Restricted Subsidiary or is merged with and into the Company) or an acquisition of assets, including any acquisition of assets occurring in connection with a transaction causing a calculation to be made hereunder, which constitutes all or substantially all of an operating unit of a business, EBITDA and Consolidated Interest Expense for such period shall be calculated after giving pro forma effect thereto (including the Incurrence of any Indebtedness) as if such Investment or acquisition occurred on the first day of such period and (v) if since the beginning of such period any Person (that subsequently became a Restricted Subsidiary or was merged with or into the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary since the beginning of such period) shall have made any Asset Disposition or any Investment or acquisition of assets that would have required an adjustment pursuant to clause (iii) or (iv) above if made by the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary during such period, EBITDA and Consolidated Interest Expense for such period shall be calculated after giving pro forma effect thereto as if such Asset Disposition, Investment or acquisition of assets occurred on the first day of such period. For purposes of this definition, whenever pro forma effect is to be given to an Investment or acquisition of assets, the amount of income or earnings relating thereto and the amount of Consolidated Interest Expense associated with any Indebtedness Incurred in connection therewith, the pro forma calculations shall be determined in good faith by a responsible financial or accounting Officer of the Company. Any such pro forma calculations may include operating expense reductions for such period resulting from the acquisition which is being given pro forma effect that (a) would be permitted pursuant to Article 11 of Regulation S-X under the Securities Act or (b) have been realized or for which the steps necessary for realization have been taken or are reasonably expected to be taken within six months following any such acquisition, including, but not limited to, the execution or termination of any contracts, the termination of any personnel or the closing (or approval by the Board of Directors of any closing) of any facility, as applicable, provided that, such adjustments are set forth in an Officers’ Certificate signed by the Company’s chief financial officer and another Officer which states (i) the amount of such adjustment or adjustments, (ii) that such adjustment or adjustments are based on the reasonable good faith beliefs of the officers executing such Officers’ Certificate at the time of such execution and (iii) that any related Incurrence of Indebtedness is permitted pursuant to this Indenture. If any Indebtedness bears a floating rate of interest and is being given pro forma effect, the interest expense on such Indebtedness shall be calculated as if the rate in effect on the date of determination had been the applicable rate for the entire period (taking into account any Interest Rate Agreement or Currency Agreement

 

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applicable to such Indebtedness if such Interest Rate Agreement or Currency Agreement has a remaining term as at the date of determination in excess of 12 months).

 

Consolidated Interest Expense” means, for any period, the total interest expense of the Company and its Consolidated Restricted Subsidiaries plus, to the extent Incurred by the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries in such period but not included in such interest expense, (a) interest expense attributable to Capitalized Lease Obligations and the interest expense attributable to operating leases constituting part of a Sale/Leaseback Transaction, (b) amortization of debt discount and debt issuance costs, (c) capitalized interest, (d) non-cash interest expense, (e) commissions, discounts and other fees and charges attributable to letters of credit and bankers’ acceptance financing, (f) interest accruing on any Indebtedness of any other Person to the extent such Indebtedness is Guaranteed by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary, (g) net costs associated with Hedging Obligations (including amortization of fees), provided, however, that if Hedging Obligations result in net benefits rather than costs, such benefits shall be credited in determining Consolidated Interest Expense unless, pursuant to GAAP, such net benefits are otherwise reflected in Consolidated Net Income, (h) dividends and distributions declared in respect of all Disqualified Stock of the Company and dividends and distributions declared and paid in respect of all Preferred Stock of any of the Subsidiaries of the Company that is not a Note Guarantor, to the extent held by Persons other than the Company or a Wholly Owned Subsidiary, (i) interest Incurred in connection with investments in discontinued operations and (j) the cash contributions to any employee stock ownership plan or similar trust to the extent such contributions are used by such plan or trust to pay interest or fees to any Person (other than the Company) in connection with Indebtedness Incurred by such plan or trust. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, commissions, discounts, yield and other fees and charges Incurred in connection with any transaction pursuant to which the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company may sell, convey or otherwise transfer or grant a security interest in any accounts receivable or related assets shall be included in Consolidated Interest Expense.

 

Consolidated Net Income” means, for any period, the net income (loss) of the Company and its Consolidated Subsidiaries for such period; provided, however, that there shall not be included in such Consolidated Net Income:

 

(a)                                  any net income (loss) of any Person (other than the Company) if such Person is not a Restricted Subsidiary, except that (i) subject to the limitations contained in clauses (d), (e) and (f) below, the Company’s equity in the net income of any such Person for such period shall be included in such Consolidated Net Income up to the aggregate amount of cash actually distributed by such Person during such period to the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary as a dividend or other distribution (subject, in the case of a dividend or other distribution made to a Restricted Subsidiary, to the limitations contained in clause (c) below) and (ii) the Company’s equity in a net loss of any such Person for such period shall be included in determining such Consolidated Net Income to the extent such loss has been funded with cash from the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary;

 

(b)                                 other than for purposes of clauses (iv) and (v) of the definition of Consolidated Coverage Ratio any net income (or loss) of any Person acquired by the

 

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Company or a Subsidiary in a pooling of interests transaction for any period prior to the date of such acquisition;

 

(c)                                  any net income (or loss) of any Restricted Subsidiary if such Restricted Subsidiary is subject to restrictions, directly or indirectly, on the payment of dividends or the making of distributions or loans or intercompany advances by such Restricted Subsidiary, directly or indirectly, to the Company, except that (i) subject to the limitations contained in clauses (d), (e) and (f) below, the Company’s equity in the net income of any such Restricted Subsidiary for such period shall be included in such Consolidated Net Income up to the aggregate amount of cash actually distributed, loaned or advanced by such Restricted Subsidiary during such period to the Company or another Restricted Subsidiary as a dividend, distribution, loan or advance (subject, in the case of a dividend, distribution, loan or advance made to another Restricted Subsidiary, to the limitation contained in this clause) and (ii) the Company’s equity in a net loss of any such Restricted Subsidiary for such period shall be included in determining such Consolidated Net Income;

 

(d)                                 any gain (loss) realized upon the sale or other disposition of any asset of the Company or its Consolidated Subsidiaries (including pursuant to any Sale/Leaseback Transaction) that is not sold or otherwise disposed of in the ordinary course of business and any gain (loss) realized upon the sale or other disposition of any Capital Stock of any Person;

 

(e)                                  any extraordinary gain or loss; and

 

(f)                                    the cumulative effect of a change in accounting principles.

 

Notwithstanding the foregoing, for the purposes of Section 4.04 only, there shall be excluded from Consolidated Net Income any dividends, repayments of loans or advances or other transfers of assets from Unrestricted Subsidiaries to the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary to the extent such dividends, repayments or transfers increase the amount of Restricted Payments permitted under such Section pursuant to clause (a)(iv)(3)(F) thereof.

 

Consolidation” means the consolidation of the amounts of each of the Restricted Subsidiaries with those of the Company in accordance with GAAP consistently applied; provided, however, that “Consolidation” shall not include consolidation of the accounts of any Unrestricted Subsidiary, but the interest of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary in an Unrestricted Subsidiary shall be accounted for as an investment. The term “Consolidated” has a correlative meaning.

 

Corporate Trust Office” means an office of the Trustee at which at any time its corporate trust business shall be administered, which office at the date hereof is located at 2 North LaSalle Street, Suite 1020, Chicago, IL 60602, Attention: Corporate Trust Administration, or such other address as the Trustee may designate from time to time by notice to the Holders and the Issuer, or the principal corporate trust office of any successor Trustee (or such other address as a successor Trustee may designate from time to time by notice to the Holders and the Company).

 

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Credit Agreement” means collectively that certain Working Capital Credit Agreement and Fixed Asset Credit Agreement, each dated as of July 18, 2006, among the Company and certain of its subsidiaries as borrowers, the lenders thereunder, Merrill Lynch Bank USA, as Administrative Agent, and Merrill Lynch Commercial Finance Corp., as Sole Lead Arranger and Book Manager, as each term is defined therein, together with related documents thereto including any guarantee agreements and security documents, as amended, modified, supplemented, restated, renewed, refunded, replaced, restructured, repaid or refinanced from time to time (including any agreement extending the maturity thereof or increasing the amount of available borrowings thereunder or adding Restricted Subsidiaries of the Company as additional borrowers or guarantors thereunder) whether with the original agents and lenders or otherwise and whether provided under the original credit agreement or other credit agreements or otherwise.

 

Currency Agreement” means with respect to any Person any foreign exchange contract, currency swap agreements or other similar agreement or arrangement to which such Person is a party or of which it is a beneficiary.

 

Default” means any event which is, or after notice or passage of time or both would be, an Event of Default.

 

Designated Senior Indebtedness” of the Company means (a) the Bank Indebtedness and (b) (i) Indebtedness under the 2003 Notes Indenture, (ii) Indebtedness under the 2004 Notes Indenture and (iii) any other Senior Indebtedness of the Company that, in the case of clauses (i) — (iii) hereof, at the date of determination, has an aggregate principal amount outstanding of, or under which, at the date of determination, the holders thereof are committed to lend up to, at least $15.0 million and is specifically designated by the Company in the instrument evidencing or governing such Senior Indebtedness as “Designated Senior Indebtedness” for purposes of this Indenture. “Designated Senior Indebtedness” of a Note Guarantor has a correlative meaning.

 

Disqualified Stock” means, with respect to any Person, any Capital Stock of such Person which by its terms (or by the terms of any security into which it is convertible or for which it is exchangeable or exercisable) or upon the happening of any event (a) matures or is mandatorily redeemable pursuant to a sinking fund obligation or otherwise, (b) is convertible or exchangeable for Indebtedness or Disqualified Stock (excluding Capital Stock convertible or exchangeable solely at the option of the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary, provided, that any such conversion or exchange shall be deemed an issuance of Indebtedness or an issuance of Disqualified Stock, as applicable) or (c) is redeemable at the option of the holder thereof, in whole or in part, in the case of clauses (a), (b) and (c), on or prior to 91 days after the Stated Maturity of the Securities; provided, however, that only the portion of Capital Stock that so matures or is mandatorily redeemable, is so convertible or exchangeable or is so redeemable at the option of the holder thereof prior to such date will be deemed Disqualified Stock; provided further, that any Capital Stock that would not constitute Disqualified Stock but for provisions thereof giving holders thereof the right to require such Person to repurchase or redeem such Capital Stock upon the occurrence of an “asset sale” or “change of control” shall not constitute Disqualified Stock if the “asset sale” or “change of control” provisions applicable to such Capital Stock provide that such Person may not repurchase or redeem such Capital Stock pursuant to

 

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such provisions unless such Person has first complied with the provisions of Sections 4.06 and 4.08, as applicable; and provided further that any class of Capital Stock of such Person that, by its terms, authorizes such Person to satisfy in full its obligations with respect to payment of dividends or upon maturity, redemption (pursuant to a sinking fund or otherwise) or repurchase thereof or other payment obligations or otherwise by delivery of Capital Stock that is not Disqualified Stock, and that is not convertible, puttable or exchangeable for Disqualified Stock or Indebtedness, shall not be deemed Disqualified Stock so long as such Person satisfies its obligations with respect thereto solely by the delivery of Capital Stock that is not Disqualified Stock.

 

Domestic Overdraft Facility” means an overdraft line of credit in a maximum principal amount of $10.0 million at any time outstanding.

 

Domestic Subsidiary” means any Restricted Subsidiary of the Company other than a Foreign Subsidiary.

 

EBITDA” for any period means the Consolidated Net Income for such period, excluding the following to the extent included in calculating such Consolidated Net Income: (a) income tax expense of the Company and its Consolidated Restricted Subsidiaries, (b) Consolidated Interest Expense, (c) depreciation expense of the Company and its Consolidated Restricted Subsidiaries, (d) amortization expense of the Company and its Consolidated Restricted Subsidiaries (but excluding amortization expense attributable to a prepaid cash item that was paid in a prior period), (e) other noncash charges of the Company and its Consolidated Restricted Subsidiaries (excluding any such noncash charge to the extent that it represents an accrual of or reserve for cash expenditures in any future period), (f) income or loss from discontinued operations, (g) plant closing costs (as defined by GAAP) and (h) noncash stock-based compensation expense. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the provision for taxes based on the income or profits of, and the depreciation and amortization and noncash charges of, a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company shall be added to Consolidated Net Income to compute EBITDA only to the extent (and in the same proportion) that the net income (loss) of such Restricted Subsidiary was included in calculating Consolidated Net Income and only if a corresponding amount would be permitted at the date of determination to be dividended, loaned or advanced to the Company by such Restricted Subsidiary without prior approval of Persons other than the Board of Directors or holders of the Company’s Capital Stock (that has not been obtained), pursuant to the terms of its charter and all agreements, instruments, judgments, decrees, orders, statutes, rules and governmental regulations applicable to such Restricted Subsidiary or its stockholders.

 

Equity Offering” means any public or private sale of the common stock of the Company, other than any public offering with respect to the Company’s common stock registered on Form S-8 or other issuances upon exercise of options by employees of the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries.

 

Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

 

Excluded Contribution” means net cash proceeds received by the Company from (a) contributions to its common equity capital and (b) the sale (other than to a Subsidiary of the

 

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Company or to any Company or Subsidiary management equity plan or stock option plan or any other management or employee benefit plan or agreement) of Capital Stock (other than Disqualified Stock) of the Company, in each case designated as Excluded Contributions pursuant to an Officers’ Certificate executed on the date such capital contributions are made or the date such Capital Stock is sold, as the case may be, which are excluded from the calculation set forth in Section 4.04(a)(iv)(3).

 

Existing Management Stockholders” means each of Harold C. Bevis, R. David Corey and Joseph J. Kwederis.

 

Foreign Subsidiary” means any Restricted Subsidiary of the Company organized, and conducting its principal operations, outside the United States of America.

 

Foreign Subsidiary Asset Disposition” means any direct or indirect sale, issuance, conveyance, transfer, lease, assignment or other transfer for value by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries (including any Sale/Leaseback Transaction) to any Person other than the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company of the Capital Stock of any Foreign Subsidiary or any of the property or assets of any Foreign Subsidiary.

 

GAAP” means generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America as in effect as of the Closing Date, including those set forth in (a) the opinions and pronouncements of the Accounting Principles Board of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, (b) statements and pronouncements of the Financial Accounting Standards Board, (c) such other statements by such other entities as are approved by a significant segment of the accounting profession and (d) the rules and regulations of the SEC governing the inclusion of financial statements (including pro forma financial statements) in periodic reports required to be filed pursuant to Section 13 of the Exchange Act, including opinions and pronouncements in staff accounting bulletins and similar written statements from the accounting staff of the SEC. All ratios and computations based on GAAP contained in this Indenture shall be computed in conformity with GAAP, unless expressly provided otherwise.

 

Guarantee” means any obligation, contingent or otherwise, of any Person directly or indirectly guaranteeing any Indebtedness of any other Person and any obligation, direct or indirect, contingent or otherwise, of such Person (a) to purchase or pay (or advance or supply funds for the purchase or payment of) such Indebtedness of such other Person (whether arising by virtue of partnership arrangements, or by agreement to keep-well, to purchase assets, goods, securities or services, to take-or-pay, or to maintain financial statement conditions or otherwise) or (b) entered into for purposes of assuring in any other manner the obligee of such Indebtedness of the payment thereof or to protect such obligee against loss in respect thereof (in whole or in part); provided, however, that the term “Guarantee” shall not include endorsements for collection or deposit in the ordinary course of business. The term “Guarantee” used as a verb has a corresponding meaning. The term “Guarantor” shall mean any Person Guaranteeing any obligation.

 

Hedging Obligations” of any Person means the obligations of such Person pursuant to any Commodity Agreement, Interest Rate Agreement or Currency Agreement.

 

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Holder” means the Person in whose name a Security is registered on the Registrar’s books.

 

Incur” means issue, assume, Guarantee, incur or otherwise become liable for; provided, however, that any Indebtedness or Capital Stock of a Person existing at the time such Person becomes a Subsidiary (whether by merger, consolidation, acquisition or otherwise) shall be deemed to be Incurred by such Subsidiary at the time it becomes a Subsidiary. The term “Incurrence” when used as a noun shall have a correlative meaning.

 

Indebtedness” means, with respect to any Person on any date of determination (without duplication):

 

(a)                                  the principal of and premium (if any) in respect of indebtedness of such Person for borrowed money;

 

(b)                                 the principal of and premium (if any) in respect of obligations of such Person evidenced by bonds, debentures, notes or other similar instruments;

 

(c)                                  all obligations of such Person in respect of letters of credit or other similar instruments (including reimbursement obligations with respect thereto);

 

(d)                                 all obligations of such Person to pay the deferred and unpaid purchase price of property or services (except Trade Payables and other accrued liabilities arising in the ordinary course of business), which purchase price is due more than six months after the date of placing such property in service or taking delivery and title thereto or the completion of such services;

 

(e)                                  all Capitalized Lease Obligations and all Attributable Debt of such Person;

 

(f)                                    all obligations of such Person with respect to the redemption, repayment or other repurchase of any Disqualified Stock or, with respect to any Subsidiary of such Person that is not a Note Guarantor, any Preferred Stock (but excluding, in each case, any accrued dividends);

 

(g)                                 all Indebtedness of other Persons secured by a Lien on any asset of such Person, whether or not such Indebtedness is assumed by such Person; provided, however, that the amount of Indebtedness of such Person shall be the lesser of (i) the fair market value of such asset at such date of determination and (ii) the amount of such Indebtedness of such other Persons;

 

(h)                                 to the extent not otherwise included in this definition, the net obligations under Hedging Obligations of such Person;

 

(i)                                     to the extent not otherwise included, the amount then outstanding (i.e., advanced, and received by, and available for use by, such Person) under any receivables financing (as set forth in the books and records of such Person and confirmed by the agent, trustee or other representative of the institution or group providing such receivables financing); and

 

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(j)                                     all obligations of the type referred to in clauses (a) through (i) of other Persons and all dividends of other Persons for the payment of which, in either case, such Person is responsible or liable, directly or indirectly, as obligor, guarantor or otherwise, including by means of any Guarantee.

 

Notwithstanding the foregoing, “Indebtedness” shall not include unsecured indebtedness of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries Incurred to finance insurance premiums in a principal amount not in excess of the insurance premiums to be paid by the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries for a three-year period beginning on the date of Incurrence of any such Indebtedness. The amount of Indebtedness of any Person at any date shall be the outstanding balance at such date of all unconditional obligations as described above and the maximum liability, upon the occurrence of the contingency giving rise to the obligation, of any contingent obligations at such date.

 

Indenture” means this Indenture as amended or supplemented from time to time.

 

Intangible Assets” means goodwill, patents, trademarks and other intangibles as determined in accordance with GAAP.

 

Interest Rate Agreement” means with respect to any Person any interest rate protection agreement, interest rate future agreement, interest rate option agreement, interest rate swap agreement, interest rate cap agreement, interest rate collar agreement, interest rate hedge agreement or other similar agreement or arrangement as to which such Person is party or a beneficiary.

 

Investment” in any Person means any direct or indirect advance, loan (other than advances to customers in the ordinary course of business that are recorded as accounts receivable on the balance sheet of the lender) or other extension of credit (including by way of Guarantee or similar arrangement) or capital contribution to (by means of any transfer of cash or other property (excluding Capital Stock of the Company) to others or any payment for property or services for the account or use of others), or any purchase or acquisition of Capital Stock, Indebtedness or other similar instruments issued by such Person. For purposes of the definition of “Unrestricted Subsidiary” and Section 4.04, (a) “Investment” shall include the portion (proportionate to the Company’s equity interest in such Subsidiary) of the fair market value of the net assets of any Subsidiary of the Company at the time that such Subsidiary is designated an Unrestricted Subsidiary; provided, however, that upon a redesignation of such Subsidiary as a Restricted Subsidiary, the Company shall be deemed to continue to have a permanent “Investment” in an Unrestricted Subsidiary in an amount (if positive) equal to (i) the Company’s “Investment” in such Subsidiary at the time of such redesignation less (ii) the portion (proportionate to the Company’s equity interest in such Subsidiary) of the fair market value of the net assets of such Subsidiary at the time of such redesignation; (b) any property transferred to or from an Unrestricted Subsidiary shall be valued at its fair market value at the time of such transfer, in each case as determined in good faith by (x) the senior management of the Company if the amount thereof is less than $2.0 million and (y) the Board of Directors if in excess thereof; and (c) the amount of any Investment shall be the original cost as of the date of determination of such Investment plus the cost of all additional Investments by the Company or any of its

 

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Restricted Subsidiaries, without any adjustments for increases or decreases in value or write-ups, write-downs or write-offs with respect to such Investments.

 

Issue Date” means the date on which the Securities are originally issued.

 

Lien” means any mortgage, pledge, security interest, encumbrance, lien or charge of any kind (including any conditional sale or other title retention agreement or lease in the nature thereof).

 

Material Subsidiary” means, at any date of determination, any Subsidiary of the Company that, together with its Subsidiaries, (a) for the most recent fiscal year of the Company accounted for more than 10.0% of the consolidated revenues of the Company or (b) as of the end of such fiscal year, was the owner of 10.0% of the consolidated assets of the Company, all as set forth on the most recently available consolidated financial statement of the Company and its consolidated Subsidiaries for such fiscal year prepared in conformity with GAAP.

 

Net Available Cash” from an Asset Disposition means cash payments received (including any cash payments received by way of deferred payment of principal pursuant to a note or installment receivable or otherwise and proceeds from the sale or other disposition of any securities received as consideration, but only as and when received, but excluding any other consideration received in the form of assumption by the acquiring Person of Indebtedness or other obligations relating to the properties or assets that are the subject of such Asset Disposition or received in any other non-cash form) therefrom, in each case net of (a) all legal, accounting, investment banking, title and recording tax expenses, commissions and other fees and expenses incurred, and all Federal, state, provincial, foreign and local taxes required to be paid or accrued as a liability under GAAP, as a consequence of such Asset Disposition, (b) all payments made on any Indebtedness which is secured by any assets subject to such Asset Disposition, in accordance with the terms of any Lien upon or other security agreement of any kind with respect to such assets, or which must by its terms, or in order to obtain a necessary consent to such Asset Disposition, or by applicable law be repaid out of the proceeds from such Asset Disposition, (c) all distributions and other payments required to be made to minority interest holders in Subsidiaries or joint ventures as a result of such Asset Disposition, (d) the decrease in proceeds from Qualified Securitization Transactions which results from such Asset Disposition and (e) appropriate amounts to be provided by the seller as a reserve, in accordance with GAAP, against any liabilities associated with the property or other assets disposed of in such Asset Disposition and retained by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary after such Asset Disposition.

 

Net Cash Proceeds”, with respect to any issuance or sale of Capital Stock, means the cash proceeds of such issuance or sale net of attorneys’ fees, accountants’ fees, underwriters’ or placement agents’ fees, discounts or commissions and brokerage, consultant and other fees and expenses actually incurred in connection with such issuance or sale and net of taxes paid or payable as a result thereof.

 

Note Guarantee” means each Guarantee of the obligations with respect to the Securities issued by a Person pursuant to the terms of this Indenture.

 

Note Guarantor” means any Person that has issued a Note Guarantee.

 

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Officer” means the Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer, the Chief Financial Officer, the President, any Vice President, the Treasurer, the Secretary or any Assistant Secretary of the Company.

 

Officers’ Certificate” means a certificate signed by two Officers.

 

Opinion of Counsel” means a written opinion from legal counsel. The counsel may be an employee of or counsel to the Company.

 

Permitted Business” means the design, manufacture and/or marketing of films and flexible packaging products for food, personal care, medical, retail, agricultural, industrial and other applications or any businesses that are reasonably related, ancillary or complementary thereto.

 

Permitted Holders” means each of (i) J.P. Morgan Partners, LLC and its Affiliates, (ii) Southwest Industrial Films, LLC and its Affiliates, (iii) the Christena Karen H. Durham Trust, (iv) the Existing Management Stockholders and their Related Parties and (v) any Person acting in the capacity of an underwriter in connection with a public or private offering of the Company’s Capital Stock

 

Permitted Investment” means an Investment by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary in: (a) the Company, a Restricted Subsidiary or a Person that will, upon the making of such Investment, become a Restricted Subsidiary; provided, however, that after giving effect to such Investment the Company is still in compliance with Section 4.12; (b) another Person if as a result of such Investment such other Person is merged or consolidated with or into, or transfers or conveys all or substantially all its assets to, the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary; provided, however, that after giving effect to such Investment the Company is still in compliance with Section 4.12; (c) Temporary Cash Investments; (d) receivables owing to the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary if created or acquired in the ordinary course of business and payable or dischargeable in accordance with customary trade terms; provided, however, that such trade terms may include such concessionary trade terms as the Company or any such Restricted Subsidiary deems reasonable under the circumstances; (e) payroll, travel and similar advances or loans to cover matters that are expected at the time of such advances ultimately to be treated as expenses for accounting purposes and that are made in the ordinary course of business; (f) loans or advances to officers, directors, consultants or employees made (A) in the ordinary course of business and not exceeding $3.0 million in any year or (B) to fund purchases of stock under the Company’s stock incentive plan and any similar plans or employment arrangements; (g) Capital Stock, obligations or other securities received in settlement of debts created in the ordinary course of business and owing to the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary or in satisfaction of judgments or pursuant to any plan of reorganization or similar arrangement upon the bankruptcy or insolvency of a debtor; (h) any Person to the extent such Investment represents the non- cash portion of the consideration received for an Asset Disposition that was made pursuant to and in compliance with Section 4.06; (i) any Investment by the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary in a Securitization Entity or any Investment by a Securitization Entity in any other Person in connection with a Qualified Securitization Transaction; provided that any Investment in a Securitization Entity is in the form of a purchase money note or an equity interest; (j) Hedging Obligations entered into in the ordinary course of business; (k) endorsements of negotiable

 

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instruments and documents in the ordinary course of business; (l) assets or securities of a Person acquired by the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary to the extent the consideration for such acquisition consists of Capital Stock (other than Disqualified Stock) of the Company; (m) Investments in existence on the Closing Date; (n) Investments of a Person or any of its Subsidiaries existing at the time such Person becomes a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company or at the time such Person merges or consolidates with the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries, in either case in compliance with this Indenture, provided that such Investments were not made by such Person in connection with, or in anticipation or contemplation of, such Person becoming a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company or such merger or consolidation; (o) Investments in Unrestricted Subsidiaries or joint ventures not to exceed $30.0 million since the 2004 Notes Original Issue Date plus (A) the aggregate net after-tax amount returned since the 2004 Notes Original Issue Date to the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary in cash on or with respect to any Investments made since the 2004 Notes Original Issue Date in Unrestricted Subsidiaries and joint ventures whether through interest payments, principal payments, dividends or other distributions or payments (including such dividends, distributions or payments made concurrently with such Investment), (B) the net after-tax cash proceeds received since the 2004 Notes Original Issue Date by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary from the disposition of all or any portion of such Investments (other than to the Company or a Subsidiary of the Company), and (C) upon redesignation since the 2004 Notes Original Issue Date of an Unrestricted Subsidiary as a Restricted Subsidiary, the fair market value of such Subsidiary, provided that any amounts included pursuant to the foregoing clauses (A), (B) and (C) are excluded from the calculation set forth in clause (a)(iv)(3) under Section 4.04; and (p) additional Investments since the 2004 Notes Original Issue Date in an aggregate amount not to exceed $15.0 million.

 

Person” means any individual, corporation, partnership, limited liability company, joint venture, association, joint-stock company, trust, unincorporated organization, government or any agency or political subdivision thereof or any other entity.

 

Plan” means that certain Debtors’ Fourth Amended Joint Plan of Reorganization filed on behalf of the Company and its subsidiaries with the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware on June 19, 2006.

 

Preferred Stock”, as applied to the Capital Stock of any Person, means Capital Stock of any class or classes (however designated) that is preferred as to the payment of dividends, or as to the distribution of assets upon any voluntary or involuntary liquidation or dissolution of such Person, over Capital Stock of any other class of such Person.

 

principal” of a Security means the principal of the Security plus the premium, if any, payable on the Security which is due or overdue or is to become due at the relevant time.

 

Public Market” means any time after (a) an Equity Offering has been consummated and (b) at least 15% of the total issued and outstanding common stock of the Company has been distributed by means of an effective registration statement under the Securities Act.

 

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Qualified Securitization Transaction” means any transaction or series of transactions that may be entered into by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries pursuant to which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries may sell, convey or otherwise transfer pursuant to customary terms to (a) a Securitization Entity (in the case of a transfer by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries) and (b) any other Person (in the case of a transfer by a Securitization Entity), or may grant a security interest in any accounts receivable (whether now existing or arising or acquired in the future) of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, and any assets related thereto including, without limitation, all collateral securing such accounts receivable, all contracts and contract rights and all guarantees or other obligations in respect of such accounts receivable, proceeds of such accounts receivable and other assets (including contract rights) which are customarily transferred or in respect of which security interests are customarily granted in connection with asset securitization transactions involving accounts receivable.

 

Qualified Stock” means any Capital Stock that is not Disqualified Stock.

 

Refinance” means, in respect of any Indebtedness, to refinance, extend, renew, refund, repay, prepay, redeem, defease or retire, or to issue other Indebtedness in exchange or replacement for, such Indebtedness. “Refinanced” and “Refinancing” shall have correlative meanings.

 

Refinancing Indebtedness” means Indebtedness that is Incurred to Refinance any Indebtedness of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary existing on the 2000 Notes Closing Date or not prohibited by this Indenture (including Indebtedness of the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary that Refinances Refinancing Indebtedness); provided, however, that: (a) the Refinancing Indebtedness (if Refinancing any Indebtedness existing on the 2000 Notes Closing Date) has a Stated Maturity no earlier than the Stated Maturity of the Indebtedness being Refinanced, (b) the Refinancing Indebtedness (if Refinancing any Indebtedness existing on the 2000 Notes Closing Date) has an Average Life at the time such Refinancing Indebtedness is Incurred that is equal to or greater than the Average Life of the Indebtedness being refinanced, (c) such Refinancing Indebtedness is Incurred in an aggregate principal amount (or if issued with original issue discount, an aggregate issue price) (whether in U.S. dollars or a foreign currency) that is equal to or less than the aggregate principal amount (or if issued with original issue discount, the aggregate accreted value) (in U.S. dollars or such foreign currency, as applicable) then outstanding (plus, without duplication, accrued interest, premium and defeasance costs required to be paid under the terms of the Indebtedness being Refinanced and the fees, expenses, discounts, commissions and other issuance costs incurred in connection with the Refinancing Indebtedness) of the Indebtedness being Refinanced and (d) if the Indebtedness being Refinanced is subordinated in right of payment to the Securities or a Note Guarantee of a Note Guarantor, such Refinancing Indebtedness is subordinated in right of payment to the Securities or the Note Guarantee at least to the same extent as the Indebtedness being Refinanced; provided further, however, that Refinancing Indebtedness shall not include:  (i) Indebtedness of a Restricted Subsidiary that is not a Note Guarantor that Refinances Indebtedness of the Company or (ii) Indebtedness of the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary that Refinances Indebtedness of an Unrestricted Subsidiary.

 

Related Parties” means with respect to a Person (a) that is a natural person (1) any spouse, parent or lineal descendant (including adopted children) of such Person or (2) the

 

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estate of such Person during any period in which such estate holds Capital Stock of the Company for the benefit of any person referred to in clause (a)(1) and (b) any trust, corporation, partnership, limited liability company or other entity, the beneficiaries, stockholders, partners, owners or Persons beneficially owning an interest of more than 50% of which consist of such Person and/or such other Persons referred to in the immediately preceding clause (a).

 

Representative” means the trustee, agent or representative (if any) for an issue of Senior Indebtedness.

 

Restricted Investment” means any Investment other than a Permitted Investment.

 

Restricted Subsidiary” means any Subsidiary of the Company other than an Unrestricted Subsidiary.

 

Sale/Leaseback Transaction” means an arrangement relating to property now owned or hereafter acquired by the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary whereby the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary transfers such property to a Person and the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary leases it from such Person, other than (a) leases between the Company and a Wholly Owned Subsidiary or between Wholly Owned Subsidiaries or (b) any arrangement whereby the transfer involves fixed or capital assets and is consummated within 120 days after the date the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary acquires or finishes construction of such fixed or capital assets.

 

SEC” means the Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

Secured Indebtedness” means any Indebtedness of the Company secured by a Lien. “Secured Indebtedness” of a Note Guarantor has a correlative meaning.

 

Securities” means the Securities issued under this Indenture.

 

Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

 

Securitization Entity” means a Wholly Owned Subsidiary of the Company (or another Person in which the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company makes an Investment and to which the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company transfers accounts receivable and related assets) which engages in no activities other than in connection with the financing of accounts receivable or equipment and which is designated by the Board of Directors of the Company (as provided below) as a Securitization Entity (a) no portion of the Indebtedness or any other obligations (contingent or otherwise) of which (i) is guaranteed by the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company (excluding guarantees of obligations (other than the principal of, and interest on, Indebtedness) pursuant to Standard Securitization Undertakings), (ii) is recourse to or obligates the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company in any way other than pursuant to Standard Securitization Undertakings or (iii) subjects any property or asset of the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company, directly or indirectly, contingently or otherwise, to the satisfaction thereof, other than pursuant to Standard Securitization Undertakings, (b) with which neither the Company nor any Subsidiary of the Company has any material contract, agreement, arrangement or understanding other than on terms no less favorable to the Company or such Subsidiary than those that might be obtained at the time from Persons that are not Affiliates of

 

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the Company, other than fees payable in the ordinary course of business in connection with servicing receivables of such entity and (c) to which neither the Company nor any Subsidiary of the Company has any obligation to maintain or preserve such entity’s financial condition or cause such entity to achieve certain levels of operating results. Any such designation by the Board of Directors of the Company shall be evidenced to the Trustee, by filing with the Trustee a certified copy of the resolution of the Board of Directors giving effect to such designation and an Officers’ Certificate certifying that such designation complied with the foregoing conditions.

 

Senior Indebtedness” of the Company or any Note Guarantor, as the case may be, means the principal of, premium (if any) and accrued and unpaid interest on (including interest accruing on or after the filing of any petition in bankruptcy or for reorganization of the Company or any Note Guarantor, as applicable, regardless of whether or not a claim for post-filing interest is allowed in such proceedings), and fees and all other amounts owing in respect of, Bank Indebtedness, Indebtedness under the 2003 Notes Indenture, Indebtedness under the 2004 Notes Indenture and all other Indebtedness of the Company or any Note Guarantor, as applicable, whether outstanding on the Closing Date or thereafter Incurred, unless in the instrument creating or evidencing the same or pursuant to which the same is outstanding it is provided that such obligations are not superior in right of payment to the Securities or such Note Guarantor’s Note Guarantee, provided, however, that Senior Indebtedness shall not include:  (a) any obligation of the Company to any Subsidiary of the Company or of any Note Guarantor to the Company or any other Subsidiary of the Company, (b) any liability for Federal, state, local or other taxes owed or owing by the Company or any Note Guarantor, (c) any accounts payable or other liability to trade creditors arising in the ordinary course of business (including Guarantees thereof or instruments evidencing such liabilities), (d) except with respect to any Indebtedness Incurred pursuant to the Credit Agreement, any Indebtedness or obligation of the Company or any Note Guarantor (and any accrued and unpaid interest in respect thereof) that by its terms is subordinate or junior in right of payment to any other Indebtedness or obligation of the Company or such Note Guarantor, as applicable, including any Senior Subordinated Indebtedness and any Subordinated Obligations, (e) any obligations with respect to any Capital Stock or (f) any Indebtedness Incurred in violation of this Indenture, unless such Indebtedness was Incurred based on an Officers’ Certificate of the Company (delivered in good faith after reasonable investigation) to the effect that the Incurrence of such Indebtedness did not violate the provisions of this Indenture.

 

Senior Subordinated Indebtedness” of the Company means the Securities and any other Indebtedness of the Company that specifically provides that such Indebtedness is to rank pari passu with the Securities in right of payment and is not subordinated by its terms in right of payment to any Indebtedness or other obligation of the Company which is not Senior Indebtedness. “Senior Subordinated Indebtedness” of a Note Guarantor has a correlative meaning.

 

Significant Subsidiary” means any Restricted Subsidiary that would be a “Significant Subsidiary” of the Company within the meaning of Rule 1-02 under Regulation S-X promulgated by the SEC.

 

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Standard Securitization Undertakings” means representations, warranties, covenants and indemnities entered into by the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company which are reasonably customary in an accounts receivable securitization transaction.

 

Stated Maturity” means, with respect to any security, the date specified in such security as the fixed date on which the final payment of principal of such security is due and payable, including pursuant to any mandatory redemption provision (but excluding any provision providing for the repurchase of such security at the option of the holder thereof upon the happening of any contingency beyond the control of the issuer unless such contingency has occurred).

 

Stockholders Agreement” means the Stockholders Agreement among the Company and the holders of the Company’s Capital Stock party thereto, as in effect at the Closing Date and as amended from time to time, so long as the Permitted Holders own a majority of the Capital Stock subject to such agreement.

 

Subordinated Obligation” means any Indebtedness of the Company (whether outstanding on the Closing Date or thereafter Incurred) that is subordinate or junior in right of payment to the Securities pursuant to a written agreement. “Subordinated Obligation” of a Note Guarantor has a correlative meaning.

 

Subsidiary” of any Person means any corporation, association, partnership, limited liability company or other business entity of which more than 50% of the total voting power of shares of Capital Stock or other interests (including partnership interests) entitled (without regard to the occurrence of any contingency) to vote in the election of directors, representatives, managers or trustees thereof is at the time owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by (a) such Person, (b) such Person and one or more Subsidiaries of such Person or (c) one or more Subsidiaries of such Person.

 

Tangible Assets” means Total Assets less Intangible Assets.

 

Temporary Cash Investments” means any of the following: (a) any investment in direct obligations of the United States of America or any agency or instrumentality thereof or obligations Guaranteed or insured by the United States of America or any agency or instrumentality thereof, (b) investments in checking accounts, savings accounts, time deposit accounts, certificates of deposit, bankers’ acceptances and money market deposits maturing within 360 days of the date of acquisition thereof issued by a bank or trust company that is organized under the laws of the United States of America, any state thereof or any foreign country recognized by the United States of America having capital, surplus and undivided profits aggregating in excess of $250,000,000 (or the foreign currency equivalent thereof) and whose long-term debt is rated “A” (or such similar equivalent rating) or higher by at least one nationally recognized statistical rating organization (as defined in Rule 436 under the Securities Act), (c) repurchase obligations with a term of not more than 30 days for underlying securities of the types described in clause (a) above entered into with a bank meeting the qualifications described in clause (b) above, (d) investments in commercial paper, maturing not more than 270 days after the date of acquisition, issued by a corporation (other than an Affiliate of the Company) organized and in existence under the laws of the United States of America or any foreign country

 

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recognized by the United States of America with a rating at the time as of which any investment therein is made of “P-1” (or higher) according to Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or “A-1” (or higher) according to Standard and Poor’s Ratings Service, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. (“S&P”), (e) investments in securities with maturities of six months or less from the date of acquisition issued or fully guaranteed by any state, commonwealth or territory of the United States of America, or by any political subdivision or taxing authority thereof, and rated at least “A” by S&P or “A” by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. and (f) investments in money market funds that invest substantially all of their assets in securities of the types described in clauses (a) through (e) above.

 

TIA” means the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 (15 U.S.C. Sections 77aaa-77bbbb) as in effect on the Closing Date.

 

Total Assets” means the total consolidated assets of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries, as shown on the most recent balance sheet of the Company.

 

Trade Payables” means, with respect to any Person, any accounts payable or any indebtedness or monetary obligation to trade creditors created, assumed or Guaranteed by such Person arising in the ordinary course of business in connection with the acquisition of goods or services.

 

Trustee” means the party named as such in this Indenture until a successor replaces it and, thereafter, means the successor.

 

Trust Officer” means, when used with respect to the Trustee, any officer within the corporate trust department of the Trustee, including any vice president, assistant treasurer, trust officer or any other officer of the Trustee who customarily performs functions similar to those performed by the Persons who at the time shall be such officers, respectively, or to whom any corporate trust matter is referred because of such person’s knowledge of and familiarity with the particular subject and who shall have direct responsibility for the administration of this Indenture.

 

Uniform Commercial Code” means the New York Uniform Commercial Code as in effect from time to time.

 

Unrestricted Subsidiary” means (a) Pliant Investment, Inc. and any Subsidiary of the Company that at the time of determination shall be designated an Unrestricted Subsidiary by the Board of Directors in the manner provided below and (b) any Subsidiary of an Unrestricted Subsidiary. The Board of Directors may designate any Subsidiary of the Company (including any newly acquired or newly formed Subsidiary of the Company) to be an Unrestricted Subsidiary unless such Subsidiary or any of its Subsidiaries owns any Capital Stock in or Indebtedness of, or owns or holds any Lien on any property of, the Company or any other Subsidiary of the Company that is not a Subsidiary of the Subsidiary to be so designated; provided, however, that either (i) the Subsidiary to be so designated at the time of designation has total Consolidated assets of $1,000 or less or (ii) if such Subsidiary has Consolidated assets greater than $1,000, then such designation would be permitted under Section 4.04. The Board of Directors may designate any Unrestricted Subsidiary to be a Restricted Subsidiary; provided,

 

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however, that immediately after giving effect to such designation (a) the Company could Incur $1.00 of additional Indebtedness under Section 4.03(a) and (b) no Default shall have occurred and be continuing. Any such designation of a Subsidiary as a Restricted Subsidiary or Unrestricted Subsidiary by the Board of Directors shall be evidenced to the Trustee by promptly filing with the Trustee a copy of the resolution of the Board of Directors giving effect to such designation and an Officers’ Certificate certifying that such designation complied with the foregoing provisions.

 

U.S. Government Obligations” means direct obligations (or certificates representing an ownership interest in such obligations) of the United States of America (including any agency or instrumentality thereof) for the payment of which the full faith and credit of the United States of America is pledged and which are not callable or redeemable at the issuer’s option.

 

Voting Stock” of a Person means all classes of Capital Stock or other interests (including partnership interests) of such Person then outstanding and normally entitled (without regard to the occurrence of any contingency) to vote in the election of directors, managers or trustees thereof.

 

Wholly Owned Subsidiary” means a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company all the Capital Stock of which (other than directors’ qualifying Capital Stock) is owned by the Company or another Wholly Owned Subsidiary.

 

SECTION 1.02                    Other Definitions.

 

Defined in Term

 

 

 

 

 

“Affiliate Transaction”

 

4.07(a)

“Appendix”

 

Preamble

“Bankruptcy Law”

 

6.01

“Blockage Notice”

 

10.03

“Call Option”

 

3.07

“Change of Control Offer”

 

4.08(b)

“covenant defeasance option”

 

8.01(b)

“Custodian”

 

6.01

“Definitive Securities”

 

Appendix A

“Event of Default”

 

6.01

“Global Securities”

 

Appendix A

“Guarantee Blockage Notice”

 

12.03

“Guarantee Payment Blockage Period”

 

12.03

“Guaranteed Obligations”

 

11.01

“incorporated provision”.

 

13.01

“legal defeasance option”

 

8.01(b)

“Legal Holiday”

 

13.08

“Notice of Default”

 

6.01

“Offer”

 

4.06(b)

“Offer Amount”

 

4.06(c)(ii)

 

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“Offer Period”

 

4.06(c)(ii)

“pay its Guarantee”

 

12.03

“pay the Securities”

 

10.03

“Paying Agent”

 

2.03

“Payment Blockage Period”.

 

10.03

“protected purchaser”

 

2.07

“Purchase Date”

 

4.06(c)(i)

“Registrar”

 

2.03

“Restricted Payment”.

 

4.04(a)

“Securities Custodian”

 

Appendix A

“Successor Company”

 

5.01(a)

 

SECTION 1.03                    Incorporation by Reference of Trust Indenture Act. This Indenture is subject to the mandatory provisions of the TIA, which are incorporated by reference in and made a part of this Indenture. The following TIA terms have the following meanings:

 

Commission” means the SEC.

 

indenture securities” means the Securities and the Note Guarantees.

 

indenture security holder” means a Holder.

 

indenture to be qualified” means this Indenture.

 

indenture trustee” or “institutional trustee” means the Trustee.

 

obligor” on the indenture securities means the Company, the Note Guarantors and any other obligor on the indenture securities.

 

All other TIA terms used in this Indenture that are defined by the TIA, defined by TIA reference to another statute or defined by SEC rule have the meanings assigned to them by such definitions.

 

SECTION 1.04                    Rules of Construction. Unless the context otherwise requires:

 

(a)                                  a term has the meaning assigned to it;

 

(b)                                 an accounting term not otherwise defined has the meaning assigned to it in accordance with GAAP;

 

(c)                                  “or” is not exclusive;

 

(d)                                 “including” means including without limitation;

 

(e)                                  words in the singular include the plural and words in the plural include the singular;

 

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(f)                                    unsecured Indebtedness shall not be deemed to be subordinate or junior to Secured Indebtedness merely by virtue of its nature as unsecured indebtedness;

 

(g)                                 the principal amount of any noninterest bearing or other discount security at any date shall be the principal amount thereof that would be shown on a balance sheet of the issuer dated such date prepared in accordance with GAAP; and

 

(h)                                 the principal amount of any Preferred Stock shall be (i) the maximum liquidation value of such Preferred Stock or (ii) the maximum mandatory redemption or mandatory repurchase price (not including, in either case, any redemption or repurchase premium) with respect to such Preferred Stock, whichever is greater.

 

ARTICLE 2

 

The Securities

 

SECTION 2.01                    Form and Dating. Provisions relating to the Securities are set forth in the Appendix, which is hereby incorporated in and expressly made a part of this Indenture. The Securities and the Trustee’s certificate of authentication shall each be substantially in the form of Exhibit A hereto, which is hereby incorporated in and expressly made a part of this Indenture. The Securities may have notations, legends or endorsements required by law, stock exchange rule, agreements to which the Company or any Note Guarantor is subject, if any, or usage (provided that any such notation, legend or endorsement is in a form acceptable to the Company). Each Security shall be dated the date of its authentication. The Securities shall be issuable only in registered form without interest coupons and only in denominations of $1,000 and integral multiples thereof; provided, that the aggregate principal amount of the Securities issued on the date of original issuance shall not exceed $35,000,000 and shall be issued pro rata to the holders of claims (as defined in Section 101(5) of title 11 of the United States Code) arising under or evidenced by the previously existing 13% Senior Subordinated Notes due 2010 being relinquished pursuant to the Plan, rounding down such pro rata amount to the nearest $1,000 or integral multiple thereof; provided further that additional Securities issued as payment of interest on the Securities in accordance with Section 2.13 shall be issued in denominations of $1.00 and integral multiples of $1.00, rounding down such interest payment to the nearest $1.00 or integral multiple thereof.

 

The Securities issued on the Issue Date and any additional Securities issued in lieu of payment of interest in cash in accordance with Section 2.13 shall be treated as a single class of Securities issued under this Indenture.

 

SECTION 2.02                    Execution and Authentication. Two Officers shall sign the Securities for the Company by manual or facsimile signature.

 

If an Officer whose signature is on a Security no longer holds that office at the time the Trustee authenticates the Security, the Security shall be valid nevertheless.

 

A Security shall not be valid until an authorized signatory of the Trustee manually signs the certificate of authentication on the Security. The signature shall be conclusive evidence that the Security has been authenticated under this Indenture.

 

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The Trustee shall authenticate and make available for delivery Securities as set forth in the Appendix.

 

The Trustee may appoint an authenticating agent reasonably acceptable to the Company to authenticate the Securities.  Any such appointment shall be evidenced by an instrument signed by a Trust Officer, a copy of which shall be furnished to the Company.  Unless limited by the terms of such appointment, an authenticating agent may authenticate Securities whenever the Trustee may do so.  Each reference in this Indenture to authentication by the Trustee includes authentication by such agent.  An authenticating agent has the same rights as any Registrar, Paying Agent or agent for service of notices and demands.

 

SECTION 2.03                    Registrar and Paying Agent.  (a)  The Company shall maintain an office or agency where Securities may be presented for registration of transfer or for exchange (the “Registrar”) and an office or agency where Securities may be presented for payment (the “Paying Agent”).  The Registrar shall keep a register of the Securities and of their transfer and exchange.  The Company may have one or more co-registrars and one or more additional paying agents.  The term “Paying Agent” includes any additional paying agent, and the term “Registrar” includes any co-registrars.  The Company initially appoints the Trustee as (i) Registrar and Paying Agent in connection with the Securities and (ii) the Securities Custodian with respect to the Global Securities.

 

(b)                                 The Company shall enter into an appropriate agency agreement with any Registrar or Paying Agent not a party to this Indenture, which shall incorporate the terms of the TIA.  The agreement shall implement the provisions of this Indenture that relate to such agent.  The Company shall notify the Trustee of the name and address of any such agent.  If the Company fails to maintain a Registrar or Paying Agent, the Trustee shall act as such and shall be entitled to appropriate compensation therefor pursuant to Section 7.07.  The Company or any of its domestically organized Wholly Owned Subsidiaries may act as Paying Agent or Registrar.

 

(c)                                  The Company may remove any Registrar or Paying Agent upon written notice to such Registrar or Paying Agent and to the Trustee; provided, however, that no such removal shall become effective until (i) acceptance of an appointment by a successor as evidenced by an appropriate agreement entered into by the Company and such successor Registrar or Paying Agent, as the case may be, and delivered to the Trustee or (ii) notification to the Trustee that the Trustee shall serve as Registrar or Paying Agent until the appointment of a successor in accordance with clause (i) above.  The Registrar or Paying Agent may resign at any time upon written notice to the Company and the Trustee.

 

SECTION 2.04                    Paying Agent to Hold Money in Trust.  Prior to each due date of the principal of and interest on any Security, the Company shall deposit with the Paying Agent (or if the Company or a Wholly Owned Subsidiary is acting as Paying Agent, segregate and hold in trust for the benefit of the Persons entitled thereto) a sum sufficient to pay such principal and interest when so becoming due.  The Company shall require each Paying Agent (other than the Trustee) to agree in writing that the Paying Agent shall hold in trust for the benefit of Holders or the Trustee all money held by the Paying Agent for the payment of principal of and interest on the Securities, and shall notify the Trustee of any default by the Company in making any such payment.  If the Company or a Subsidiary of the Company acts as

 

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Paying Agent, it shall segregate the money held by it as Paying Agent and hold it as a separate trust fund.  The Company at any time may require a Paying Agent to pay all money held by it to the Trustee and to account for any funds disbursed by the Paying Agent.  Upon complying with this Section, the Paying Agent shall have no further liability for the money delivered to the Trustee.

 

SECTION 2.05                    Holder Lists.  The Trustee shall preserve in as current a form as is reasonably practicable the most recent list available to it of the names and addresses of Holders.  If the Trustee is not the Registrar, the Company shall furnish, or cause the Registrar to furnish, to the Trustee, in writing at least five Business Days before each interest payment date and at such other times as the Trustee may request in writing, a list in such form and as of such date as the Trustee may reasonably require of the names and addresses of Holders.

 

SECTION 2.06                    Transfer and Exchange.  The Securities shall be issued in registered form and shall be transferable only upon the surrender of a Security for registration of transfer and in compliance with the Appendix.  When a Security is presented to the Registrar with a request to register a transfer, the Registrar shall register the transfer as requested if its requirements therefor are met.  When Securities are presented to the Registrar with a request to exchange them for an equal principal amount of Securities of other denominations, the Registrar shall make the exchange as requested if the same requirements are met.  To permit registration of transfers and exchanges, the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate Securities at the Registrar’s request.  The Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to pay all taxes, assessments or other governmental charges in connection with any transfer or exchange pursuant to this Section.  The Company shall not be required to make and the Registrar need not register transfers or exchanges of Securities selected for redemption (except, in the case of Securities to be redeemed in part, the portion thereof not to be redeemed) or any Securities for a period of 15 days before a selection of Securities to be redeemed.

 

Prior to the due presentation for registration of transfer of any Security, the Company, the Note Guarantors, the Trustee, the Paying Agent, and the Registrar may deem and treat the Person in whose name a Security is registered as the absolute owner of such Security for the purpose of receiving payment of principal of and (subject to paragraph 2 of the Securities) interest, if any, on such Security and for all other purposes whatsoever, whether or not such Security is overdue, and none of the Company, any Note Guarantor, the Trustee, the Paying Agent, or the Registrar shall be affected by notice to the contrary.

 

Any Holder of a Global Security shall, by acceptance of such Global Security, agree that transfers of beneficial interest in such Global Security may be effected only through a book-entry system maintained by (a) the Holder of such Global Security (or its agent) or (b) any Holder of a beneficial interest in such Global Security, and that ownership of a beneficial interest in such Global Security shall be required to be reflected in a book entry.

 

All Securities issued upon any transfer or exchange pursuant to the terms of this Indenture shall evidence the same debt and shall be entitled to the same benefits under this Indenture as the Securities surrendered upon such transfer or exchange.

 

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The Trustee shall have no obligation or duty to monitor, determine or inquire as to compliance with any restrictions on transfer imposed under this Indenture or under applicable law with respect to any transfer of any interest in any Security (including any transfers between or among Depositary Participants or beneficial owners of interests in any Global Security) other than to require delivery of such certificates and other documentation or evidence as are expressly required by, and to do so if and when expressly required by the terms of, this Indenture, and to examine the same to determine substantial compliance as to form with the express requirements hereof.

 

SECTION 2.07                    Replacement Securities.  If a mutilated Security is surrendered to the Registrar or if the Holder of a Security claims that the Security has been lost, destroyed or wrongfully taken, the Company shall issue and the Trustee shall authenticate a replacement Security if the requirements of Section 8-405 of the Uniform Commercial Code are met, such that the Holder (a) satisfies the Company or the Trustee within a reasonable time after such Holder has notice of such loss, destruction or wrongful taking and the Registrar does not register a transfer prior to receiving such notification, (b) makes such request to the Company or the Trustee prior to the Security being acquired by a protected purchaser as defined in Section 8-303 of the Uniform Commercial Code (a “protected purchaser”) and (c) satisfies any other reasonable requirements of the Trustee.  If required by the Trustee or the Company, such Holder shall furnish an indemnity bond sufficient in the judgment of the Trustee to protect the Company, the Trustee, the Paying Agent and the Registrar from any loss that any of them may suffer if a Security is replaced.  The Company and the Trustee may charge the Holder for their expenses in replacing a Security.  In the event any such mutilated, lost, destroyed or wrongfully taken Security has become or is about to become due and payable, the Company in its discretion may pay such Security instead of issuing a new Security in replacement thereof.

 

Every replacement Security is an additional obligation of the Company.

 

The provisions of this Section 2.07 are exclusive and shall preclude (to the extent lawful) all other rights and remedies with respect to the replacement or payment of mutilated, lost, destroyed or wrongfully taken Securities.

 

SECTION 2.08                    Outstanding Securities.  Securities outstanding at any time are all Securities authenticated by the Trustee except for those canceled by it, those delivered to it for cancelation and those described in this Section as not outstanding.  Subject to Section 13.06, a Security does not cease to be outstanding because the Company or an Affiliate of the Company holds the Security.

 

If a Security is replaced pursuant to Section 2.07, it ceases to be outstanding unless the Trustee and the Company receive proof satisfactory to them that the replaced Security is held by a protected purchaser.

 

If the Paying Agent segregates and holds in trust, in accordance with this Indenture, on a redemption date or maturity date money sufficient to pay all principal and interest payable on that date with respect to the Securities (or portions thereof) to be redeemed or maturing, as the case may be, and the Paying Agent is not prohibited from paying such money to

 

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the Holders on that date pursuant to the terms of this Indenture, then on and after that date such Securities (or portions thereof) cease to be outstanding and interest on them ceases to accrue.

 

SECTION 2.09                    Temporary Securities.  In the event that Definitive Securities are to be issued under the terms of this Indenture, until such Definitive Securities are ready for delivery, the Company may prepare and the Trustee shall authenticate temporary Securities.  Temporary Securities shall be substantially in the form of Definitive Securities but may have variations that the Company considers appropriate for temporary Securities.  Without unreasonable delay, the Company shall prepare and the Trustee shall authenticate Definitive Securities and deliver them in exchange for temporary Securities upon surrender of such temporary Securities at the office or agency of the Company, without charge to the Holder.

 

SECTION 2.10                    Cancellation.  The Company at any time may deliver Securities to the Trustee for cancellation.  The Registrar and the Paying Agent shall forward to the Trustee any Securities surrendered to them for registration of transfer, exchange or payment.  The Trustee and no one else shall cancel all Securities surrendered for registration of transfer, exchange, payment or cancelation and shall dispose of canceled Securities in accordance with its customary procedures or deliver canceled Securities to the Company pursuant to written direction by an Officer.  The Company may not issue new Securities to replace Securities it has redeemed, paid or delivered to the Trustee for cancellation.  The Trustee shall not authenticate Securities in place of canceled Securities other than pursuant to the terms of this Indenture.

 

SECTION 2.11                    Defaulted Interest.  If the Company defaults in a payment of interest on the Securities, the Company shall pay the defaulted interest (plus interest on such defaulted interest to the extent lawful) in any lawful manner.  The Company may pay the defaulted interest to the Persons who are Holders on a subsequent special record date.  The Company shall fix or cause to be fixed any such special record date and payment date to the reasonable satisfaction of the Trustee and shall promptly mail or cause to be mailed to each Holder a notice that states the special record date, the payment date and the amount of defaulted interest to be paid.

 

SECTION 2.12                    CUSIP and ISIN Numbers.  The Company in issuing the Securities may use “CUSIP” and “ISIN” numbers (if then generally in use) and, if so, the Trustee shall use “CUSIP” and “ISIN” numbers in notices of redemption as a convenience to Holders; provided, however, that any such notice may state that no representation is made as to the correctness of such numbers either as printed on the Securities or as contained in any notice of a redemption and that reliance may be placed only on the other identification numbers printed on the Securities, and any such redemption shall not be affected by any defect in or omission of such numbers.  The Company shall promptly notify the Trustee of any change in the CUSIP number.

 

SECTION 2.13                    Issuance of Additional Securities As Payment of Interest.  For the first two semi-annual interest payment dates occurring after the Issue Date, the Company shall be entitled to issue additional Securities under this Indenture as payment of interest on the Securities, which shall have identical terms as the underlying securities. The Securities issued on the Issue Date and any additional Securities issued as payment of interest on the Securities shall be treated as a single class for all purposes under this Indenture.  Any additional Securities so

 

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issued shall be dated the applicable interest payment date, shall bear interest from and after such date, and shall be governed by, and be subject to the terms of the Indenture and shall have the same rights and benefits as the Securities issued on the Issue Date.

 

With respect to any such Securities, on or before each such interest payment date, the Company shall deliver to the Trustee and the Paying Agent (i) with respect to Securities that are in global form, an order to increase the principal amount of the global Securities by the amount required to pay such interest (or, if requested by the Trustee or the Holder of the global Securities, to authenticate a new global Security executed by the Company with such increased principal amounts) or (ii) with respect to Securities that are in definitive form, definitive additional Securities in the amount required to pay such interest and an order to authenticate and deliver such additional Securities to the record Holder of the definitive Securities.  Any such Securities shall, after being executed and authenticated pursuant to Section 2.02, be (i) deposited into the account specified by the Holder or Holders thereof as of the relevant record date if the Securities are held in global form or otherwise according to the procedures of the depositary or (ii) mailed to the person entitled thereto as shown on the register for the Securities as of the relevant record date.  Alternatively, the Company may direct the Paying Agent to make the appropriate amendments to the schedule of principal amounts of the relevant Securities outstanding and arrange for deposit into the account specified by the Holder or Holders thereof as of the relevant record date.  Payment shall be made in such form and upon such terms as specified herein and the Company shall and Paying Agent may take additional steps as is necessary to effect such payment.

 

ARTICLE 3

 

Redemption

 

SECTION 3.01                    Notices to Trustee.  If the Company elects to redeem Securities pursuant to paragraph 5 of the Securities, it shall notify the Trustee in writing of the redemption date and the principal amount of Securities to be redeemed.

 

The Company shall give each notice to the Trustee provided for in this Section at least 60 days before the redemption date unless the Trustee consents in writing to a shorter period.  Such notice shall be accompanied by an Officers’ Certificate from the Company to the effect that such redemption will comply with the conditions herein.  Any such notice may be canceled at any time prior to notice of such redemption being mailed to any Holder and shall thereby be void and of no effect.

 

SECTION 3.02                    Selection of Securities To Be Redeemed.  If fewer than all the Securities are to be redeemed, the Trustee shall select the Securities to be redeemed pro rata or by lot or by a method that the Trustee in its sole discretion shall deem to be fair and appropriate.  The Trustee shall make the selection from outstanding Securities not previously called for redemption.  The Trustee may select for redemption portions of the principal of Securities that have denominations larger than $1,000.  Securities and portions of them the Trustee selects shall be in amounts of $1,000 or a whole multiple of $1,000.  Provisions of this Indenture that apply to Securities called for redemption also apply to portions of Securities called

 

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for redemption.  The Trustee shall notify the Company promptly of the method it has chosen for the selection of Securities or portions of Securities to be called for redemption.

 

SECTION 3.03                    Notice of Redemption.  (a)  At least 30 days but not more than 60 days before a date for redemption of Securities, the Company shall mail a notice of redemption by first-class mail to each Holder of Securities to be redeemed at such Holder’s registered address.

 

The notice shall identify the Securities to be redeemed and shall state:

 

(i)                                     the redemption date;
 
(ii)                                  the redemption price and the amount of accrued interest to the redemption date;
 
(iii)                               the name and address of the Paying Agent;
 
(iv)                              that Securities called for redemption must be surrendered to the Paying Agent to collect the redemption price;
 
(v)                                 if fewer than all the outstanding Securities are to be redeemed, the certificate numbers and principal amounts of the particular Securities to be redeemed;
 
(vi)                              that, unless the Company defaults in making such redemption payment or the Paying Agent is prohibited from making such payment pursuant to the terms of this Indenture, interest on Securities (or portion thereof) called for redemption ceases to accrue on and after the redemption date;
 
(vii)                           the CUSIP or ISIN number, if any, printed on the Securities being redeemed; and
 
(viii)                        that no representation is made as to the correctness or accuracy of the CUSIP or ISIN number, if any, listed in such notice or printed on the Securities.
 

(b)                                 At the Company’s request, the Trustee shall give the notice of redemption in the Company’s name and at the Company’s expense.  In such event, the Company shall provide the Trustee with the information required by this Section.

 

SECTION 3.04                    Effect of Notice of Redemption.  Once notice of redemption is mailed, Securities called for redemption become due and payable on the redemption date and at the redemption price stated in the notice.  Upon surrender to the Paying Agent, such Securities shall be paid at the redemption price stated in the notice, plus accrued interest to the redemption date; provided, however, that if the redemption date is after a regular record date and on or prior to the interest payment date, the accrued interest shall be payable to the Holder of the redeemed Securities registered on the relevant record date.  Failure to give notice or any defect in the notice to any Holder shall not affect the validity of the notice to any other Holder.

 

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SECTION 3.05                    Deposit of Redemption Price.  Prior to 11:00 a.m., New York City time, on the redemption date, the Company shall deposit with the Paying Agent (or, if the Company or a Wholly Owned Subsidiary is the Paying Agent, shall segregate and hold in trust) money sufficient to pay the redemption price of and accrued interest on all Securities or portions thereof to be redeemed on that date other than Securities or portions of Securities called for redemption that have been delivered by the Company to the Trustee for cancellation.  Concurrently with such deposit, the Company shall deliver an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel to the effect that the redemption complies with the conditions contained in this Indenture.  On and after the redemption date, interest shall cease to accrue on Securities or portions thereof called for redemption so long as the Company has deposited with the Paying Agent funds sufficient to pay the principal of, plus accrued and unpaid interest on, the Securities to be redeemed, unless the Paying Agent is prohibited from making such payment pursuant to the terms of this Indenture.

 

SECTION 3.06                    Securities Redeemed in Part.  Upon surrender of a Security that is redeemed in part, the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate for the Holder (at the Company’s expense) a new Security equal in principal amount to the unredeemed portion of the Security surrendered.

 

SECTION 3.07                    Call Option.  In addition to the redemption rights set forth above and in accordance with the procedures set forth in Section 3.03, for the period from the Issue Date through the first anniversary of the Issue Date, the Company may redeem the Securities in whole with the proceeds of Refinancing Indebtedness permitted by Section 4.03 at a redemption price equal to (i) $20,000,000 plus (ii) interest accrued through the redemption date on the principal amount of $20,000,000 minus (iii) interest, if any, previously paid in cash on the Securities, all as set forth in the Securities (the “Call Option”).  The Company shall have the right to assign the Call Option to any Person at its sole discretion and such Call Option shall remain binding on the Securities in accordance with the terms thereof, provided that any such assignee exercising the Call Option shall be permitted to utilize any available source of funds to redeem the Securities.

 

ARTICLE 4

 

Covenants

 

SECTION 4.01                    Payment of Securities.  The Company shall promptly pay the principal of and interest on the Securities on the dates and in the manner provided in the Securities and in this Indenture.  Subject to Section 2.13, principal and interest shall be considered paid on the date due if on such date the Trustee or the Paying Agent holds in accordance with this Indenture money sufficient to pay all principal and interest then due and the Trustee or the Paying Agent, as the case may be, is not prohibited from paying such money to the Holders on that date pursuant to the terms of this Indenture.

 

The Company shall pay interest on overdue principal at the rate borne by the Securities, and it shall pay interest on overdue installments of interest at the same rate to the extent lawful.

 

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SECTION 4.02                    SEC Reports.  Notwithstanding that the Company may not be subject to the reporting requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, the Company shall file with the SEC (if permitted by SEC practice and applicable law and regulations) and provide the Trustee and Holders and prospective Holders (upon request) within 15 days after it files them with the SEC (or if not permitted, within 15 days after it would have otherwise been required to file them with the SEC), copies of the Company’s annual report and the information, documents and other reports that are specified in Sections 13 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act.  In addition, following the existence of a Public Market, the Company shall furnish to the Trustee and the Holders, promptly upon their becoming available, copies of the annual report to shareholders and any other information provided by the Company to its shareholders generally.  The Company also shall comply with the other provisions of Section 314(a) of the TIA.

 

Delivery of such reports, information and documents to the Trustee is for informational purposes only and the Trustee’s receipt of such shall not constitute constructive notice of any information contained therein or determinable from information contained therein, including the Company’s compliance with any of its covenants hereunder (as to which the Trustee is entitled to rely exclusively on Officers’ Certificates).

 

SECTION 4.03                    Limitation on Indebtedness.  (a)  The Company shall not, and shall not permit any Restricted Subsidiary to, Incur, directly or indirectly, any Indebtedness; provided, however, that the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary that is a Note Guarantor may Incur Indebtedness if on the date of such Incurrence and after giving effect thereto the Consolidated Coverage Ratio would be greater than 2.25:1.00.

 

(b)                                 Notwithstanding Section 4.03(a), the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries may Incur the following Indebtedness:

 

(i)                                     Indebtedness Incurred pursuant to the Credit Agreement in an aggregate principal amount not to exceed $100.0 million at any one time outstanding less the aggregate amount of (1) all repayments of principal of such Indebtedness pursuant to Section 4.06 and (2) the aggregate principal amount of Indebtedness Incurred and at such time outstanding pursuant to Section 4.03(b)(ix);
 
(ii)                                  Indebtedness of the Company owed to and held by any Restricted Subsidiary or Indebtedness of a Restricted Subsidiary owed to and held by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary; provided, however, that (1) any subsequent issuance or transfer of any Capital Stock or any other event that results in any such Restricted Subsidiary ceasing to be a Restricted Subsidiary or any subsequent transfer of any such Indebtedness (except to the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary) shall be deemed, in each case, to constitute the Incurrence of such Indebtedness by the issuer thereof, (2) if the Company is the obligor on such Indebtedness, such Indebtedness is expressly subordinated to the prior payment in full in cash of all obligations with respect to the Securities, (3) if a Restricted Subsidiary is the obligor on such Indebtedness, such Indebtedness is made pursuant to an intercompany note and (4) if a Note Guarantor is the obligor on such Indebtedness and the Company is not the obligee, such Indebtedness is subordinated in right of payment to the Note Guarantee of such Note Guarantor;

 

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(iii)                               Indebtedness (1) represented by the Securities (including additional Securities issued pursuant to Section 2.13) and the Note Guarantees with respect thereto, (2) outstanding on the 2004 Notes Closing Date (other than the Indebtedness described in clauses (i) and (ii) above) including, without limitation, the 2003 Notes and the 2004 Notes and any additional securities, regardless of when issued, in lieu of payment of interest thereon, (3) consisting of Refinancing Indebtedness Incurred in respect of any Indebtedness described in this clause (iii) (including Refinancing Indebtedness) or Section 4.03(a) and (4) consisting of Guarantees of any Indebtedness otherwise permitted by the terms of this Indenture;
 
(iv)                              (1) Indebtedness of a Restricted Subsidiary Incurred and outstanding on or prior to the date on which such Restricted Subsidiary was acquired by the Company (other than Indebtedness Incurred as consideration in, or to provide all or any portion of the funds or credit support utilized to consummate, the transaction or series of related transactions pursuant to which such Restricted Subsidiary became a Subsidiary of or was otherwise acquired by the Company) and (2) Refinancing Indebtedness Incurred by a Restricted Subsidiary in respect of Indebtedness Incurred by such Restricted Subsidiary pursuant to this clause (iv);
 
(v)                                 Indebtedness of the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary (1) in respect of performance bonds, bankers’ acceptances, letters of credit and surety or appeal bonds provided by the Company and the Restricted Subsidiaries in the ordinary course of their business, and (2) under Commodity Agreements, Interest Rate Agreements and Currency Agreements entered into for bona fide hedging purposes of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary in the ordinary course of business; provided, however, that such Interest Rate Agreements or Currency Agreements do not increase the principal amount of Indebtedness of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries outstanding at any time other than as a result of fluctuations in interest rates or foreign currency exchange rates or by reason of fees, indemnities and compensation payable thereunder;
 
(vi)                              Indebtedness (including Capitalized Lease Obligations and Attributable Debt) Incurred by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries to finance the purchase, lease or improvement of property (real or personal), equipment or other assets (in each case whether through the direct purchase of assets or the Capital Stock of any Person owning such assets); provided that the aggregate principal amount of all Indebtedness Incurred pursuant to this clause (vi) and all Refinancing Indebtedness Incurred to refund, refinance or replace any Indebtedness Incurred pursuant to this clause (vi) at any time outstanding, does not exceed the greater of (x) 5.0% of Tangible Assets and (y) $30.0 million;
 
(vii)                           Indebtedness arising from the honoring by a bank or other financial institution of a check, draft or similar instrument drawn against insufficient funds in the ordinary course, provided that such Indebtedness is extinguished within five Business Days of Incurrence;
 
(viii)                        Indebtedness of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries arising from agreements of the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary providing for indemnification,

 

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adjustment of purchase price or similar obligations, in each case incurred or assumed in connection with the disposition of any business, assets or a Subsidiary of the Company in accordance with the terms of the Indenture, other than Guarantees by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary of Indebtedness Incurred by any Person acquiring all or any portion of such business, assets or a Subsidiary of the Company for the purpose of financing such acquisition; provided, however, that the maximum aggregate liability in respect of all such Indebtedness shall not exceed the gross proceeds, including the fair market value as determined in good faith by a majority of the Board of Directors of noncash proceeds (the fair market value of such noncash proceeds being measured at the time it is received and without giving effect to any subsequent changes in value), actually received by the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries in connection with such disposition;
 
(ix)                                the Incurrence by a Securitization Entity of Indebtedness in a Qualified Securitization Transaction that is not recourse to the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary of the Company (except for Standard Securitization Undertakings) in an aggregate principal amount, together with the aggregate principal amount of Indebtedness Incurred and at such time outstanding pursuant to Section 4.03(b)(i), not to exceed $100.0 million at any one time outstanding, less the aggregate amount of all repayments of all principal of Indebtedness Incurred pursuant to Section 4.03(b)(i) pursuant to Section 4.06;
 
(x)                                   Indebtedness of Foreign Subsidiaries; provided that the aggregate outstanding amount of Indebtedness incurred by such Foreign Subsidiaries under this clause (x) does not exceed at any one time an amount equal to the sum of (1) 80% of the consolidated book value of the accounts receivable of all Foreign Subsidiaries and (2) 60% of the consolidated book value of the inventory of all Foreign Subsidiaries;
 
(xi)                                Indebtedness under any Domestic Overdraft Facility; or
 
(xii)                             Indebtedness of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries (in addition to Indebtedness permitted to be Incurred pursuant to Section 4.03(a) or any other clause of this Section 4.03(b)); provided that the aggregate principal amount on the date of Incurrence, when added to all other Indebtedness Incurred pursuant to this clause (xii) and then outstanding, shall not exceed $20.0 million.
 

(c)                                  Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company shall not incur any Indebtedness pursuant to Section 4.03(b) above if the proceeds thereof are used, directly or indirectly, to repay, prepay, redeem, defease, retire, refund or refinance any Subordinated Obligations unless such Indebtedness shall be subordinated to the Securities to at least the same extent as such Subordinated Obligations.  The Company shall not Incur any Indebtedness pursuant to Section 4.03(a) or 4.03(b) if such Indebtedness is subordinate or junior in right of payment to any Senior Indebtedness unless such Indebtedness is Incurred pursuant to the Credit Agreement or is Senior Subordinated Indebtedness or is expressly subordinated in right of payment to Senior Subordinated Indebtedness.  In addition, the Company shall not Incur any Secured Indebtedness which is not Senior Indebtedness unless contemporaneously therewith effective provision is made to secure the Securities equally and ratably with (or on a senior basis

 

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to, in the case of Indebtedness subordinated in right of payment to the Securities) such Secured Indebtedness for so long as such Secured Indebtedness is secured by a Lien, except for Senior Subordinated Indebtedness and Subordinated Obligations secured by Liens on the assets of any entity existing at the time such entity is acquired by, and becomes a Restricted Subsidiary of, the Company, whether by merger, consolidation, purchase of assets or otherwise, provided that such Liens (x) are not created, incurred or assumed in connection with, or in contemplation of such entity being acquired by the Company and (y) do not extend to any other assets of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries.  A Note Guarantor may not Incur any Indebtedness if such Indebtedness is by its terms expressly subordinate or junior in right of payment to any Senior Indebtedness of such Note Guarantor unless such Indebtedness is Incurred pursuant to the Credit Agreement or is Senior Subordinated Indebtedness of such Note Guarantor or is expressly subordinated in right of payment to Senior Subordinated Indebtedness of such Note Guarantor.  In addition, a Note Guarantor shall not Incur any Secured Indebtedness that is not Senior Indebtedness of such Note Guarantor unless contemporaneously therewith effective provision is made to secure the Note Guarantee of such Note Guarantor equally and ratably with (or on a senior basis to, in the case of Indebtedness subordinated in right of payment to such Note Guarantee) such Secured Indebtedness for as long as such Secured Indebtedness is secured by a Lien, except for Senior Subordinated Indebtedness and Subordinated Obligations of such Note Guarantor secured by Liens on the assets of any entity existing at the time such entity is acquired by such Note Guarantor, whether by merger, consolidation, purchase of assets or otherwise, provided that such Liens (x) are not created, incurred or assumed in connection with or in contemplation of such assets being acquired by such Note Guarantor and (y) do not extend to any other assets of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries.

 

(d)                                 Notwithstanding any other provision of this Section 4.03, the maximum amount of Indebtedness that the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary may Incur pursuant to this Section shall not be deemed to be exceeded solely as a result of fluctuations in the exchange rates of currencies.  For purposes of determining the outstanding principal amount of any particular Indebtedness Incurred pursuant to this Section 4.03, (i) Indebtedness Incurred pursuant to the Credit Agreement prior to or on the Closing Date shall be treated as Incurred pursuant to Section 4.03(b)(i) to the extent of availability thereunder, (ii) Guarantees of, or obligations in respect of letters of credit relating to, Indebtedness which is otherwise included in the determination of a particular amount of Indebtedness shall not be included, (iii) if obligations in respect of letters of credit are Incurred pursuant to the Credit Agreement and are being treated as Incurred pursuant to Section 4.03(b)(i) and the letters of credit relate to other Indebtedness, then such other Indebtedness shall not be included, (iv) the principal amount of any Disqualified Stock of the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary or Preferred Stock of a Restricted Subsidiary that is not a Note Guarantor will be equal to the greater of the maximum mandatory redemption or repurchase price (not including, in either case, any redemption or repurchase premium) or the maximum liquidation preference, (v) the principal amount of Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock of the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary or Preferred Stock of a Restricted Subsidiary that is not a Note Guarantor issued at a price less than the principal amount thereof, the maximum fixed redemption or repurchase price thereof or liquidation preference thereof, as applicable, will be equal to the amount of the liability or obligation in respect thereof determined in accordance with GAAP, (vi) if such Indebtedness is denominated in a currency other than U.S. dollars, the U.S. dollar equivalent principal amount thereof shall be calculated based on the relevant currency exchange rates in effect on the date such Indebtedness was Incurred, (vii) the accrual of interest,

 

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accrual of dividends, the accretion of accreted value, the payment of interest in the form of additional Indebtedness and the payment of dividends or distributions in the form of additional Capital Stock shall not be deemed an Incurrence of Indebtedness for purposes of this Section 4.03, (viii) Indebtedness permitted by this Section 4.03 need not be permitted solely by reference to one provision permitting such Indebtedness but may be permitted in part by one such provision and in part by one or more other provisions of this Section permitting such Indebtedness, and (ix) in the event that Indebtedness meets the criteria of more than one of the types of Indebtedness described in this Section 4.03, the Company, in its sole discretion, shall classify (or later reclassify) such Indebtedness and only be required to include the amount of such Indebtedness in one of such clauses.

 

SECTION 4.04                    Limitation on Restricted Payments.  (a)  The Company shall not, and shall not permit any Restricted Subsidiary, directly or indirectly, to (i) declare or pay any dividend or make any distribution of any kind on or in respect of its Capital Stock (including any payment in connection with any merger or consolidation involving the Company) or similar payment to the holders (solely in their capacities as such) of its Capital Stock except dividends or distributions payable solely in its Capital Stock (other than Disqualified Stock) and except dividends or distributions payable to the Company or another Restricted Subsidiary (and, if such Restricted Subsidiary has shareholders other than the Company or other Restricted Subsidiaries, to its other shareholders on a pro rata basis), (ii) purchase, redeem, retire or otherwise acquire for value any Capital Stock of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary held by Persons other than the Company or another Restricted Subsidiary, (iii) purchase, repurchase, redeem, defease or otherwise acquire or retire for value, prior to scheduled maturity, scheduled repayment or scheduled sinking fund payment any Subordinated Obligations (other than (1) the purchase, repurchase or other acquisition of Subordinated Obligations purchased in anticipation of satisfying a sinking fund obligation, principal installment or final maturity, in each case due within one year of the date of acquisition and (2) Indebtedness Incurred pursuant to Section 4.03(b)(ii)) or (iv) make any Investment (other than a Permitted Investment) in any Person (any such dividend, distribution, purchase, redemption, repurchase, defeasance, other acquisition, retirement or Investment being herein referred to as a “Restricted Payment”) if at the time the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary makes such Restricted Payment:

 

(1)                                  a Default shall have occurred and be continuing (or would result therefrom);
 
(2)                                  the Company could not Incur at least $1.00 of additional Indebtedness under Section 4.03(a); or
 
(3)                                  the aggregate amount of such Restricted Payment and all other Restricted Payments (the amount so expended, if other than in cash, to be determined in good faith by the Board of Directors, whose determination shall be conclusive and evidenced by a resolution of the Board of Directors) declared or made subsequent to the Closing Date would exceed the sum, without duplication, of:
 

(A)                              50% of the Consolidated Net Income accrued during the period (treated as one accounting period) from the beginning of the fiscal quarter immediately following the fiscal quarter during which the Closing Date occurred

 

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to the end of the most recent fiscal quarter ending prior to the date of such Restricted Payment for which consolidated financial statements of the Company are publicly available (or, in case such Consolidated Net Income shall be a deficit, minus 100% of such deficit);

 

(B)                                100% of the aggregate Net Cash Proceeds (other than in respect of an Excluded Contribution) received by the Company (x) as capital contributions to the Company after the Closing Date or (y) from the issue or sale of its Capital Stock (other than Disqualified Stock) subsequent to the Closing Date (other than a capital contribution from or an issuance or sale to (a) a Subsidiary of the Company or (b) an employee equity ownership or participation plan or other trust established by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries);

 

(C)                                100% of the fair market value (as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company) of shares of Qualified Stock of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary issued after the Closing Date to acquire assets from a third party;

 

(D)                               the amount by which Indebtedness of the Company or its Restricted Subsidiaries is reduced on the Company’s balance sheet upon the conversion or exchange (other than by a Subsidiary of the Company) subsequent to the Closing Date of any Indebtedness of the Company or its Restricted Subsidiaries issued after the Closing Date which is convertible or exchangeable for Capital Stock (other than Disqualified Stock) of the Company (less the amount of any cash or the fair market value of other property distributed by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary upon such conversion or exchange);

 

(E)                                 100% of the aggregate amount received by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary in cash from the sale or other disposition (other than to (x) the Company or a Subsidiary of the Company or (y) an employee equity ownership or participation plan or other trust established by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries) of Restricted Investments made by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary after the Closing Date and from repurchases and redemptions of such Restricted Investments from the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary by any Person (other than (x) the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or (y) an employee equity ownership or participation plan or other trust established by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries) and from repayments of loans or advances which constituted Restricted Investments;

 

(F)                                 the amount equal to the net reduction in Investments in Unrestricted Subsidiaries since the Closing Date resulting from (x) payments of dividends, repayments of the principal of loans or advances or other transfers of assets to the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary from Unrestricted Subsidiaries or (y) the redesignation of Unrestricted Subsidiaries as Restricted Subsidiaries (valued in each case as provided in the definition of “Investment”) not to exceed, in the case of any Unrestricted Subsidiary, the amount of Investments previously made by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary in

 

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such Unrestricted Subsidiary, which amount was included in the calculation of the amount of Restricted Payments; and

 

(G)                                $5.0 million.

 

(b)                                 The provisions of Section 4.04(a) shall not prohibit:

 

(i)                                     any purchase, repurchase, retirement or other acquisition or retirement for value of, or other distribution in respect of, Capital Stock of the Company made by exchange for, or out of the proceeds of the substantially concurrent sale of, Capital Stock of the Company or capital contributions to the Company after the Closing Date (other than Disqualified Stock and other than Capital Stock issued or sold to, or capital contribution from, a Subsidiary of the Company or an employee equity ownership or participation plan or other trust established by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries); provided, however, that (1) such Restricted Payment shall be excluded in the calculation of the amount of Restricted Payments and (2) the Net Cash Proceeds from such sale or capital contribution applied in the manner set forth in this clause (i) shall be excluded from the calculation of amounts under Section 4.04(a)(iv)(3)(B);
 
(ii)                                  any purchase, repurchase, redemption, defeasance or other acquisition or retirement for value of Subordinated Obligations of the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary made by exchange for, or out of the proceeds of the substantially concurrent sale of, (x) Capital Stock of the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary or (y) Subordinated Obligations of the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary that are permitted to be Incurred pursuant to Section 4.03; provided,  however, that such purchase, repurchase, redemption, defeasance or other acquisition or retirement for value shall be excluded in the calculation of the amount of Restricted Payments;
 
(iii)                               any purchase or redemption of Subordinated Obligations from Net Available Cash to the extent permitted by Section 4.06; provided, however, that such purchase or redemption shall be excluded in the calculation of the amount of Restricted Payments;
 
(iv)                              Investments that are made with Excluded Contributions; provided, however, that such Investments shall be excluded in the calculation of the amount of Restricted Payments;
 
(v)                                 dividends or other distributions paid to holders of, or redemptions from holders of, Capital Stock within 60 days after the date of declaration thereof, or the giving of formal notice of redemption, if at such date of declaration such dividends or other distributions or redemptions would have complied with this Section 4.04(a); provided, however, that such dividend, distribution or redemption shall be included in the calculation of the amount of Restricted Payments;
 
(vi)                              any repurchase of Capital Stock owned by former officers, directors, consultants or employees of the Company or its Subsidiaries or their assigns, estates and heirs or entities controlled by them; provided, however, that the amount of such repurchases since the Closing Date shall not, in the aggregate, exceed the sum of

 

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(1) $10.0 million (which amount shall be increased by the amount of any Net Cash Proceeds to the Company from (A) sales of Capital Stock of the Company to management, other employees or Permitted Holders subsequent to the Closing Date to the extent such amounts are not included under Section 4.04(a)(iv)(3)(B) and (B) any “key-man” life insurance policies which are used to make such repurchases) and (2) $2.0 million per fiscal year of the Company commencing with fiscal year 2006 (which amount may be used in a subsequent fiscal year to the extent not used during a fiscal year); provided further, however, that the cancelation of Indebtedness owing to the Company from such former officers, directors, consultants or employees of the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries in connection with a repurchase of Capital Stock of the Company shall not be deemed to constitute a Restricted Payment under the Indenture; provided further, however, that such repurchase shall be included in the calculation of the amount of Restricted Payments;
 
(vii)                           repurchases of Capital Stock deemed to occur upon the exercise of stock options, warrants or other convertible securities if such Capital Stock represents a portion of the exercise price thereof; provided, however, that such repurchases shall be excluded in the calculation of the amount of Restricted Payments; or
 
(viii)                        so long as no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, payments not to exceed $500,000 in the aggregate since the Closing Date to enable the Company to make payments to holders of its Capital Stock in lieu of the issuance of fractional shares of its Capital Stock; provided, however, that such payments shall be excluded in the calculation of the amount of Restricted Payments.
 

SECTION 4.05                    Limitation on Restrictions on Distributions from Restricted Subsidiaries.  The Company shall not, and shall not permit any Restricted Subsidiary to, create or otherwise cause or permit to exist or become effective any consensual encumbrance or restriction on the ability of any Restricted Subsidiary to (a) pay dividends or make any other distributions on its Capital Stock or pay any Indebtedness or other obligations owed to the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries (it being understood that the priority of any preferred stock in receiving dividends or liquidating distributions prior to dividends or liquidating distributions being paid on common stock shall not be deemed a restriction on the ability to make distributions on Capital Stock), (b) make any loans or advances to the Company (it being understood that the subordination of loans or advances made to the Company to other Indebtedness Incurred by the Company shall not be deemed a restriction on the ability to make loans or advances) or (c) transfer any of its property or assets to the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries, except:

 

(i)                                     any encumbrance or restriction pursuant to applicable law or any applicable rule, regulation or order, or an agreement in effect at or entered into on the Closing Date (including the Credit Agreement);
 
(ii)                                  any encumbrance or restriction with respect to a Restricted Subsidiary pursuant to an agreement relating to any Capital Stock or Indebtedness of such Restricted Subsidiary, in each case Incurred by such Restricted Subsidiary prior to the date on which such Restricted Subsidiary was acquired by the Company (other than Capital Stock or Indebtedness Incurred as consideration in, in contemplation of, or to provide all or any

 

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portion of the funds or credit support utilized to consummate the transaction or series of related transactions pursuant to which such Restricted Subsidiary became a Restricted Subsidiary or was otherwise acquired by the Company) and outstanding on such date;
 
(iii)                               any encumbrance or restriction pursuant to an agreement effecting a Refinancing of Indebtedness Incurred pursuant to an agreement referred to in clause (c)(i) or (c)(ii) of this Section 4.05 or this clause (iii) or contained in any amendment to an agreement referred to in clause (c)(i) or (c)(ii) of this Section 4.05 or this clause (c)(iii);  provided, however, that the encumbrances and restrictions contained in any such Refinancing agreement or amendment are no more restrictive, taken as a whole, than the encumbrances and restrictions contained in such predecessor agreements;
 
(iv)                              in the case of clause (c), any encumbrance or restriction (1) that restricts in a customary manner the assignment of any lease, license or similar contract or the subletting, assignment or transfer of any property or asset that is subject to a lease, license or similar contract, (2) that is or was created by virtue of any transfer of, agreement to transfer or option or right with respect to any property or assets of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary not otherwise prohibited by this Indenture, (3)  contained in security agreements securing Indebtedness of a Restricted Subsidiary to the extent such encumbrance or restriction restricts the transfer of the property subject to such security agreements, or (4) encumbrances or restrictions relating to Indebtedness permitted to be  Incurred pursuant to Section 4.03(b)(vi) for property acquired in the ordinary course of business that only imposes encumbrances or restrictions on the property so acquired (it being agreed that any such encumbrance or restriction may also secure other Indebtedness permitted to be Incurred by the Company and provided by the same financing source providing the Indebtedness Incurred pursuant to Section 4.03(b)(vi));
 
(v)                                 with respect to a Restricted Subsidiary, any restriction imposed pursuant to an agreement entered into for the sale or disposition of all or substantially all the Capital Stock or assets of such Restricted Subsidiary pending the closing of such sale or disposition;
 
(vi)                              customary provisions in joint venture agreements and other similar agreements entered into in the ordinary course of business;
 
(vii)                           Indebtedness or other contractual requirements of a Securitization Entity in connection with a Qualified Securitization Transaction; provided, that such restrictions apply only to such Securitization Entity;
 
(viii)                        net worth provisions in leases and other agreements entered into by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary in the ordinary course of business; and
 
(ix)                                any agreement or instrument governing Indebtedness (whether or not outstanding) of Foreign Subsidiaries of the Company permitted to be Incurred pursuant to Section 4.03(a) or Section 4.03(b)(x).

 

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SECTION 4.06                    Limitation on Sales of Assets and Subsidiary Stock.  (a)  The Company shall not, and shall not permit any Restricted Subsidiary to, make any Asset Disposition unless (i) the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary receives consideration (including by way of relief from, or by any other Person assuming sole responsibility for, any liabilities, contingent or otherwise) at the time of such Asset Disposition at least equal to the fair market value of the Capital Stock and assets subject to such Asset Disposition, (ii) at least 75% of the consideration thereof received by the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary is in the form of (1) cash or Temporary Cash Investments, (2) properties and assets to be owned by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary and used in a Permitted Business or (3) Capital Stock in one or more Persons engaged in a Permitted Business that are or thereby become Restricted Subsidiaries of the Company, and (iii) an amount equal to 100% of the Net Available Cash from such Asset Disposition is applied by the Company (or such Restricted Subsidiary, as the case may be):

 

(1)                                  first, (i) to the extent the Company elects (or is required by the terms of any Indebtedness), to prepay, repay, redeem or purchase (x)  Bank Indebtedness or (y) other Senior Indebtedness of the Company or Indebtedness (other than any Disqualified Stock) of a Restricted Subsidiary (in the case of clause (y), other than Indebtedness owed to the Company or an Affiliate of the Company and other than Preferred Stock of a Restricted Subsidiary that is not a Note Guarantor) or (ii) to the extent the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary elects, to reinvest in Additional Assets (including by means of an Investment in Additional Assets by a Restricted Subsidiary with Net Available Cash received by the Company or another Restricted Subsidiary or the application by the Company of the Net Available Cash received by a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company), in each case within 365 days (or, in the case of Foreign Subsidiary Asset Dispositions, 545 days) from the later of such Asset Disposition or the receipt of such Net Available Cash; provided that pending the final application of any such Net Available Cash, the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries may temporarily reduce Indebtedness or otherwise invest such Net Available Cash in any manner not prohibited by this Indenture;
 
(2)                                  second, within 365 days from the later of such Asset Disposition or the receipt of such Net Available Cash (or, in the case of Foreign Subsidiary Asset Dispositions, 545 days), to the extent of the balance of such Net Available Cash after such application in accordance with clause (1), to make an Offer (as defined below) to purchase Securities pursuant to and subject to the conditions set forth in Section 4.06(b); provided, however, that if the Company elects (or is required by the terms of any Senior Subordinated Indebtedness), such Offer may be made ratably to purchase the Securities and other Senior Subordinated Indebtedness of the Company; and
 
(3)                                  third, to the extent of the balance of such Net Available Cash after application in accordance with clauses (1) (other than the proviso thereof) and (2) for any general corporate purpose not restricted by the terms of this Indenture;
 

provided, however, that in connection with any prepayment, repayment or purchase of Indebtedness pursuant to clause (1) or (2) above, the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary

 

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shall retire such Indebtedness and shall cause the related loan commitment (if any) to be permanently reduced in an amount equal to the principal amount so prepaid, repaid or purchased.

 

Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 4.06, the Company and the Restricted Subsidiaries shall not be required to apply any Net Available Cash in accordance with this Section 4.06(a) except to the extent that the aggregate Net Available Cash from all Asset Dispositions since the Closing Date that is not applied in accordance with this Section 4.06(a) exceeds $10.0 million since the Closing Date.

 

For the purposes of this Section 4.06, the following are deemed to be cash: (A) the assumption of any liabilities of the Company (other than Disqualified Stock of the Company) or any Restricted Subsidiary and the release of the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary from all liability on such liabilities in connection with such Asset Disposition and (B) securities received by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary from the transferee that are promptly converted by the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary into cash.

 

(b)                                 In the event of an Asset Disposition that requires the purchase of Securities (and other Senior Subordinated Indebtedness) pursuant to Section 4.06(a)(iii)(2), the Company shall be required to purchase Securities (and other Senior Subordinated Indebtedness) tendered pursuant to an offer by the Company for the Securities (and other Senior Subordinated Indebtedness) (the “Offer”) at a purchase price of 100% of their principal amount plus accrued and unpaid interest to the date of purchase (subject to the right of Holders of record on the relevant record date to receive interest due on the relevant interest payment date) in accordance with the procedures (including prorating in the event of oversubscription) set forth in Section 4.06(c).  If the aggregate purchase price of Securities (and other Senior Subordinated Indebtedness) tendered pursuant to the Offer is less than the Net Available Cash allotted to the purchase of the Securities (and other Senior Subordinated Indebtedness), the Company shall apply the remaining Net Available Cash for any general corporate purpose not restricted by the terms of the Indenture.  The Company shall not be required to make an Offer for Securities (and other Senior Subordinated Indebtedness) pursuant to this Section 4.06 if the Net Available Cash available therefor (after application of the proceeds as provided in clause (1) of Section 4.06(a)(iii)) is less than $10.0 million for any particular Asset Disposition since the Closing Date (which lesser amount shall be carried forward for purposes of determining whether an Offer is required with respect to the Net Available Cash from any subsequent Asset Disposition).  Upon completion of the Offer, the amount of Net Available Cash shall be reduced to zero.

 

(c)                                  (i)  Promptly, and in any event within 10 days after the Company becomes obligated to make an Offer, the Company shall be obligated to deliver to the Trustee and send, by first-class mail to each Holder, a written notice stating that the Holder may elect to have his Securities purchased by the Company either in whole or in part (subject to prorating as hereinafter described in the event the Offer is oversubscribed) in integral multiples of $1,000 of principal amount, at the applicable purchase price.  The notice shall specify a purchase date not less than 30 days nor more than 60 days after the date of such notice (the “Purchase Date”) and shall contain such information concerning the business of the Company which the Company in good faith believes will enable such Holders to make an informed decision (which at a minimum shall include (1) the most recently filed Annual Report on Form 10-K (including audited consolidated financial statements) of the Company, the most recent subsequently filed Quarterly

 

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Report on Form 10-Q and any Current Report on Form 8-K of the Company filed subsequent to such Quarterly Report, other than Current Reports describing Asset Dispositions otherwise described in the offering materials (or corresponding successor reports), (2) a description of material developments in the Company’s business subsequent to the date of the latest of such reports, and (3) if material, appropriate pro forma financial information) and all instructions and materials necessary to tender Securities pursuant to the Offer, together with the address referred to in clause (c) (iii).

 

(ii)                                  Not later than the date upon which written notice of an Offer is delivered to the Trustee as provided above, the Company shall deliver to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate as to (1) the amount of the Offer (the “Offer Amount”), (2) the allocation of the Net Available Cash from the Asset Dispositions pursuant to which such Offer is being made and (3) the compliance of such allocation with the provisions of Section 4.06(a).  By no later than 11:00 a.m. New York City time on the Purchase Date, the Company shall irrevocably deposit with the Trustee or with a paying agent (or, if the Company is acting as its own paying agent, segregate and hold in trust) an amount equal to the Offer Amount or, if less, the purchase price of Securities (and other Senior Subordinated Indebtedness) tendered and accepted for payment in the Offer.  Upon the expiration of the period for which the Offer remains open (the “Offer Period”), the Company shall deliver to the Trustee for cancelation the Securities or portions thereof that have been properly tendered to and are to be accepted by the Company.  The Trustee (or the Paying Agent, if not the Trustee) shall, on the date of purchase, mail or deliver payment to each tendering Holder in the amount of the purchase price.
 
(iii)                               Holders electing to have a Security purchased shall be required to surrender the Security, with an appropriate form duly completed, to the Company at the address specified in the notice at least three Business Days prior to the Purchase Date.  Holders shall be entitled to withdraw their election if the Trustee or the Company receives not later than one Business Day prior to the Purchase Date, a telegram, telex, facsimile transmission or letter setting forth the name of the Holder, the principal amount of the Security which was delivered by the Holder for purchase and a statement that such Holder is withdrawing his election to have such Security purchased.  If at the expiration of the Offer Period the aggregate principal amount of Securities and any other Senior Subordinated Indebtedness included in the Offer surrendered by holders thereof exceeds the Offer Amount, the Company shall select the Securities and other Senior Subordinated Indebtedness to be purchased on a pro rata basis (with such adjustments as may be deemed appropriate by the Company so that only Securities and other Senior Subordinated Indebtedness in denominations of $1,000, or integral multiples thereof, shall be purchased).  Holders whose Securities are purchased only in part will be issued new Securities equal in principal amount to the unpurchased portion of the Securities surrendered.
 
(iv)                              At the time the Company delivers Securities to the Trustee which are to be accepted for purchase, the Company shall also deliver an Officers’ Certificate stating that such Securities are to be accepted by the Company pursuant to and in accordance with the terms of this Section.  A Security shall be deemed to have been accepted for purchase

 

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at the time the Trustee, directly or through an agent, mails or delivers payment therefor to the surrendering Holder.
 
(v)                                 The Company shall comply, to the extent applicable, with the requirements of Section 14(e) of the Exchange Act and any other securities laws or regulations in connection with the repurchase of Securities pursuant to this Section.  To the extent that the provisions of any securities laws or regulations conflict with provisions of this Section, the Company shall comply with the applicable securities laws and regulations and shall not be deemed to have breached its obligations under this Section by virtue thereof.
 

SECTION 4.07                    Limitation on Transactions with Affiliates.  (a)  The Company shall not, and shall not permit any Restricted Subsidiary to, directly or indirectly, enter into or conduct any transaction (including, the purchase, sale, lease or exchange of any property or the rendering of any service) with any Affiliate of the Company (an “Affiliate Transaction”) unless such Affiliate Transaction is on terms (i) that are no less favorable to the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary, as the case may be, than those that could be obtained at the time of such transaction in arm’s-length dealings with a Person who is not such an Affiliate, (ii) that, in the event that such Affiliate Transaction involves an aggregate amount in excess of $5.0 million, (1) are set forth in writing and (2) except as provided in Section 4.07(a)(iii), have been approved by a majority of the members of the Board of Directors having no personal stake in such Affiliate Transaction (if any such members exist) and (iii) that, in the event (1) such Affiliate Transaction involves an amount in excess of $10.0 million, or (2) if there are no members of the Board of Directors having no personal stake in such Affiliate Transaction and such Affiliate Transaction involves an aggregate amount in excess of $5.0 million, have been determined by a nationally recognized appraisal, accounting or investment banking firm to be fair, from a financial standpoint, to the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries.

 

(b)                                 The provisions of Section 4.07(a) shall not prohibit (i) any Restricted Payment permitted to be paid pursuant to Section 4.04, (ii) any issuance of securities, or other payments awards or grants in cash, securities or otherwise pursuant to, or the funding of, employment arrangements, options to purchase Capital Stock of the Company and equity ownership, restricted stock plans, long-term incentive plans, stock appreciation rights plans, participation plans or similar employee benefits plans approved by the Board of Directors, (iii) the grant of options (and the exercise thereof) to purchase Capital Stock of the Company or similar rights to employees and directors of the Company pursuant to plans approved by the Board of Directors, (iv) loans or advances to officers, directors or employees in the ordinary course of business, but in any event not to exceed $2.0 million in the aggregate outstanding at any one time, (v) the payment of reasonable fees to directors of the Company and its Subsidiaries who are not employees of the Company or its Subsidiaries and other reasonable fees, compensation, benefits and indemnities paid or entered into by the Company or its Restricted Subsidiaries in the ordinary course of business to or with the officers, directors or employees of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries, (vi) any transaction between the Company and a Restricted Subsidiary or between Restricted Subsidiaries, (vii) the provision by Persons who may be deemed Affiliates or stockholders of the Company (other than J.P. Morgan Partners, LLC and Persons directly or indirectly controlled by J.P. Morgan Partners, LLC) of investment banking, commercial banking, trust, lending or financing, investment, underwriting, placement agent,

 

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financial advisory or similar services to the Company or its Subsidiaries performed after the Closing Date, (viii) sales of Capital Stock to Permitted Holders approved by a majority of the members of the Board of Directors who do not have a material direct or indirect financial interest in or with respect to the transaction being considered, or (ix) the existence or performance by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary under any agreement as in effect as of the Closing Date or replacement agreement therefor or any transaction contemplated thereby (including pursuant to any amendment thereto or replacement agreement therefor) so long as such amendment or replacement is not more disadvantageous to the Holders of the Securities in any material respect than the original agreement as in effect on the Closing Date.

 

SECTION 4.08                    Change of Control.  (a)  Upon a Change of Control, each Holder shall have the right to require that the Company repurchase all or any part of such Holder’s Securities at a purchase price in cash equal to 101% of the principal amount thereof plus accrued and unpaid interest to the date of repurchase (subject to the right of Holders of record on the relevant record date to receive interest due on the relevant interest payment date), in accordance with the terms contemplated in Section 4.08(b); provided, however, that notwithstanding the occurrence of a Change of Control, the Company shall not be obligated to repurchase the Securities pursuant to this Section 4.08 in the event that it has exercised its right to redeem all the Securities under paragraph 5 of the Securities.  In the event that at the time of such Change of Control the terms of any agreement governing Bank Indebtedness of the Company or its Subsidiaries restrict or prohibit the repurchase of Securities pursuant to this Section 4.08, then prior to the mailing of the notice to Holders provided for in Section 4.08(b) below but in any event within 30 days following any Change of Control, the Company shall (i) repay in full all such Bank Indebtedness or offer to repay in full all such Bank Indebtedness and repay the Bank Indebtedness of each lender who has accepted such offer or (ii) obtain the requisite consent of the lenders under such agreements to permit the repurchase of the Securities as provided for in Section 4.08(b).

 

(b)                                 Within 30 days following any Change of Control (except as provided in the proviso to the first sentence of Section 4.08(a)), the Company shall mail a notice to each Holder with a copy to the Trustee (the “Change of Control Offer”) stating:

 

(i)                                     that a Change of Control has occurred and that such Holder has the right to require the Company to purchase all or a portion (in integral multiples of $1,000) of such Holder’s Securities at a purchase price in cash equal to 101% of the principal amount thereof, plus accrued and unpaid interest to the date of repurchase (subject to the right of Holders of record on the relevant record date to receive interest due on the relevant interest payment date);
 
(ii)                                  the circumstances and relevant facts and financial information regarding such Change of Control;
 
(iii)                               the repurchase date (which shall be no earlier than 30 days nor later than 60 days from the date such notice is mailed); and
 
(iv)                              the instructions determined by the Company, consistent with this Section, that a Holder must follow in order to have its Securities purchased.

 

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(c)                                  Holders electing to have a Security purchased shall be required to surrender the Security, with an appropriate form duly completed, to the Company at the address specified in the notice at least three Business Days prior to the purchase date.  Holders shall be entitled to withdraw their election if the Trustee or the Company receives not later than one Business Day prior to the purchase date a telegram, telex, facsimile transmission or letter setting forth the name of the Holder, the principal amount of the Security which was delivered for purchase by the Holder and a statement that such Holder is withdrawing his election to have such Security purchased.  Holders whose Securities are purchased only in part shall be issued new Securities equal in principal amount to the unpurchased portion of the Securities surrendered.

 

(d)                                 On the purchase date, all Securities purchased by the Company under this Section shall be delivered to the Trustee for cancellation, and the Company shall pay the purchase price plus accrued and unpaid interest to the Holders entitled thereto.

 

(e)                                  Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section, the Company shall not be required to make a Change of Control Offer upon a Change of Control if a third party makes the Change of Control Offer in the manner, at the times and otherwise in compliance with the requirements set forth in Section 4.08(b) applicable to a Change of Control Offer made by the Company and purchases all Securities validly tendered and not withdrawn under such Change of Control Offer.

 

(f)                                    At the time the Company delivers Securities to the Trustee which are to be accepted for purchase, the Company shall also deliver an Officers’ Certificate stating that such Securities are to be accepted by the Company pursuant to and in accordance with the terms of this Section 4.08.  A Security shall be deemed to have been accepted for purchase at the time the Trustee, directly or through an agent, mails or delivers payment therefor to the surrendering Holder.

 

(g)                                 Prior to any Change of Control Offer, the Company shall deliver to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate stating that all conditions precedent contained herein to the right of the Company to make such offer have been complied with.

 

(h)                                 The Company shall comply, to the extent applicable, with the requirements of Section 14(e) of the Exchange Act and any other securities laws or regulations in connection with the repurchase of Securities pursuant to this Section.  To the extent that the provisions of any securities laws or regulations conflict with provisions of this Section, the Company shall comply with the applicable securities laws and regulations and shall not be deemed to have breached its obligations under this Section by virtue thereof.

 

SECTION 4.09                    Compliance Certificate.  The Company shall deliver to the Trustee within 120 days after the end of each fiscal year of the Company an Officers’ Certificate (which certificate may be the same certificate required by TIA Section 314(a)(4)) stating that in the course of the performance by the signers of their duties as Officers of the Company they would normally have knowledge of any Default and whether or not the signers know of any Default that occurred during such period.  If they do, the certificate shall describe the Default, its status and what action the Company is taking or proposes to take with respect thereto.  The Company also shall comply with TIA Section 314(a)(4).

 

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SECTION 4.10                    Further Instruments and Acts.  Upon request of the Trustee or as otherwise necessary, the Company shall execute and deliver such further instruments and do such further acts as may be reasonably necessary or proper to carry out more effectively the purpose of this Indenture.

 

SECTION 4.11                    Future Note Guarantors.  The Company shall cause each Domestic Subsidiary and any other Restricted Subsidiary that guarantees any Senior Indebtedness (other than a Foreign Subsidiary that guarantees Senior Indebtedness Incurred by another Foreign Subsidiary) to become a Note Guarantor, and, if applicable, execute and deliver to the Trustee a supplemental indenture substantially in the form of Exhibit B pursuant to which such Domestic or other Restricted Subsidiary will Guarantee payment of the Securities.

 

SECTION 4.12                    Limitation on Lines of Business.  The Company shall not, and shall not permit any Restricted Subsidiary to, engage in any business, other than a Permitted Business, except that the Company and any of its Restricted Subsidiaries may engage in a new business so long as the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, remain substantially engaged in a Permitted Business.

 

ARTICLE 5

 

Successor Company

 

SECTION 5.01                    When Company May Merge or Transfer Assets.                             (a)    The Company shall not consolidate with or merge with or into, or convey, transfer or lease all or substantially all its assets to, any Person, unless:

 

(i)                                     the resulting, surviving or transferee Person (the “Successor Company”) shall be a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the United States of America, any State thereof or the District of Columbia and the Successor Company (if not the Company) shall expressly assume, by a supplemental indenture hereto, executed and delivered to the Trustee, in form satisfactory to the Trustee, all the obligations of the Company under the Securities and this Indenture;
 
(ii)                                  immediately after giving effect to such transaction (and treating any Indebtedness which becomes an obligation of the Successor Company or any Restricted Subsidiary as a result of such transaction as having been Incurred by the Successor Company or such Restricted Subsidiary at the time of such transaction), no Default shall have occurred and be continuing;
 
(iii)                               immediately after giving effect to such transaction, the Successor Company would be able to Incur an additional $1.00 of Indebtedness pursuant to Section 4.03(a); and
 
(iv)                              the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that such consolidation, merger or transfer and such supplemental indenture (if any) comply with this Indenture.

 

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The Successor Company shall succeed to, and be substituted for, and may exercise every right and power of, the Company under this Indenture, but the predecessor Company in the case of a conveyance, transfer or lease of all or substantially all its assets shall not be released from the obligation to pay the principal of and interest on the Securities.

 

(b)                                 The Company shall not permit any Note Guarantor to consolidate with or merge with or into any Person unless:

 

(i)                                     (1) the resulting, surviving or transferee Person will be a corporation, partnership or limited liability company organized and existing under the laws of the United States of America, any State thereof or the District of Columbia, and such Person (if not such Note Guarantor) shall expressly assume, by a supplemental indenture, executed and delivered to the Trustee, in form satisfactory to the Trustee, all the obligations of such Note Guarantor under its Note Guarantee; (2) immediately after giving effect to such transaction (and treating any Indebtedness which becomes an obligation of the resulting, surviving or transferee Person or any Restricted Subsidiary as a result of such transaction as having been Incurred by such Person or such Restricted Subsidiary at the time of such transaction), no Default shall have occurred and be continuing; and (3) the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that such consolidation, merger or transfer and such supplemental indenture (if any) comply with this Indenture; or
 
(ii)                                  such transaction results in the Company receiving cash or other property (other than Capital Stock representing a controlling interest in the successor entity), and the transaction is made in compliance with Section 4.06.
 

(c)                                  Notwithstanding the foregoing, (i) any Restricted Subsidiary may consolidate with, merge into or transfer or lease all or part of its properties and assets to the Company or a Subsidiary that is a Note Guarantor and (ii) the Company may merge with an Affiliate incorporated solely for (1) the purpose of incorporating the Company or (2) organizing the Company in another jurisdiction to realize tax or other benefits.

 

ARTICLE 6

 

Defaults and Remedies

 

SECTION 6.01                    Events of Default.  An “Event of Default” occurs if:

 

(a)                                  the Company defaults in any payment of interest on any Security when the same becomes due and payable, whether or not such payment shall be prohibited by Article 10, and such default continues for a period of 30 days;

 

(b)                                 the Company (i) defaults in the payment of the principal of any Security when the same becomes due and payable at its Stated Maturity, upon required redemption or repurchase, upon declaration or otherwise, whether or not such payment shall be prohibited by Article 10 or (ii) fails to redeem or purchase Securities when required pursuant to this Indenture or the Securities, whether or not such redemption or purchase shall be prohibited by Article 10;

 

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(c)                                  the Company or any Note Guarantor fails to comply with Section 5.01;

 

(d)                                 the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary fails to comply with Section 4.02, 4.03, 4.04, 4.05, 4.06, 4.07, 4.08, 4.11 or 4.12 (other than a failure to purchase Securities when required under Section 4.06 or 4.08) and such failure continues for 45 days after the written notice specified below;

 

(e)                                  the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary fails to comply with any of its agreements in the Securities or this Indenture (other than those referred to in (a), (b), (c) or (d) above) and such failure continues for 60 days after the written notice specified below;

 

(f)                                    the principal amount of any Indebtedness of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary is not paid within any applicable grace period after final maturity or the acceleration by the holders thereof because of a default and the aggregate principal amount of such Indebtedness unpaid or accelerated exceeds $10.0 million or its foreign currency equivalent at the time and such failure continues for 30 days after the written notice specified below;

 

(g)                                 the Company or any Significant Subsidiary pursuant to or within the meaning of any Bankruptcy Law:

 

(i)                                     commences a voluntary case;

 

(ii)                                  consents to the entry of an order for relief against it in an involuntary case;

 

(iii)                               consents to the appointment of a Custodian of it or for any substantial part of its property; or

 

(iv)                              makes a general assignment for the benefit of its creditors;

 

or takes any comparable action under any foreign laws relating to insolvency;

 

(h)                                 a court of competent jurisdiction enters an order or decree under any Bankruptcy Law that:

 

(i)                                     is for relief against the Company or any Significant Subsidiary in an involuntary case;

 

(ii)                                  appoints a Custodian of the Company or any Significant Subsidiary or for any substantial part of its property; or

 

(iii)                               orders the winding up or liquidation of the Company or any Significant Subsidiary;

 

or any similar relief is granted under any foreign laws and the order or decree remains unstayed and in effect for 60 days;

 

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(i)                                     any judgment or decree for the payment of money in excess of  $10.0 million (net of any amounts with respect to which a reputable and creditworthy insurance company has acknowledged liability in writing) or its foreign currency equivalent against the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary if such judgment or decree becomes final and nonappealable and remains outstanding for a period of 60 days following such judgment and is not discharged, waived or the execution thereof stayed; or

 

(j)                                     any Note Guarantee of a Material Subsidiary ceases to be in full force and effect (except as contemplated by the terms thereof) or any Note Guarantor or Person acting by or on behalf of such Note Guarantor denies or disaffirms its obligations under this Indenture or any Note Guarantee and such Default continues for 10 days after the written notice specified below.

 

The foregoing shall constitute Events of Default whatever the reason for any such Event of Default and whether it is voluntary or involuntary or is effected by operation of law or pursuant to any judgment, decree or order of any court or any order, rule or regulation of any administrative or governmental body.

 

The term “Bankruptcy Law” means Title 11, United States Code, or any similar Federal or state law for the relief of debtors.  The term “Custodian” means any receiver, trustee, assignee, liquidator, custodian or similar official under any Bankruptcy Law.

 

A Default under clause (d), (e), (f) or (j) above is not an Event of Default until the Trustee or the Holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the outstanding Securities notify the Company of the Default and the Company or the Note Guarantor, as applicable, does not cure such Default within the time specified after receipt of such notice.  Such notice must specify the Default, demand that it be remedied and state that such notice is a “Notice of Default”.

 

The Company shall deliver to the Trustee, within 30 days after the occurrence thereof, written notice in the form of an Officers’ Certificate of any event which is, or with the giving of notice or the lapse of time or both would become, an Event of Default, its status and what action the Company is taking or proposes to take with respect thereto.

 

SECTION 6.02                    Acceleration.  If an Event of Default (other than an Event of Default specified in Section 6.01(g) or (h) with respect to the Company) occurs and is continuing, the Trustee or the Holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the outstanding Securities by written notice (specifying the Event of Default and stating that the notice is a “notice of acceleration”) to the Company may declare the principal of and accrued but unpaid interest on all the Securities to be due and payable.  Upon such a declaration, such principal and interest shall be due and payable immediately.  If an Event of Default specified in Section 6.01(g) or (h) with respect to the Company occurs, the principal of and interest on all the Securities shall ipso facto become and be immediately due and payable without any declaration or other act on the part of the Trustee or any Holders.  The Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Securities by notice to the Trustee may rescind an acceleration and its consequences if the rescission would not conflict with any judgment or decree and if all existing Events of Default have been cured or waived except nonpayment of principal or interest that has

 

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become due solely because of acceleration.  No such rescission shall affect any subsequent Default or impair any right consequent thereto.

 

SECTION 6.03                    Other Remedies.  If an Event of Default occurs and is continuing, the Trustee may pursue any available remedy to collect the payment of principal of or interest on the Securities or to enforce the performance of any provision of the Securities or this Indenture.

 

The Trustee may maintain a proceeding even if it does not possess any of the Securities or does not produce any of them in the proceeding.  A delay or omission by the Trustee or any Holder in exercising any right or remedy accruing upon an Event of Default shall not impair the right or remedy or constitute a waiver of or acquiescence in the Event of Default.  No remedy is exclusive of any other remedy.  All available remedies are cumulative.

 

SECTION 6.04                    Waiver of Past Defaults.  The Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Securities by notice to the Trustee may waive an existing Default and its consequences except (a) a Default in the payment of the principal of or interest on a Security, (b) a Default arising from the failure to redeem or purchase any Security when required pursuant to the terms of this Indenture or (c) a Default in respect of a provision that under Section 9.02 cannot be amended without the consent of each Holder affected.  When a Default is waived, it is deemed cured, but no such waiver shall extend to any subsequent or other Default or impair any consequent right.

 

SECTION 6.05                    Control by Majority.  The Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Securities may direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the Trustee or of exercising any trust or power conferred on the Trustee.  However, the Trustee may refuse to follow any direction that conflicts with law or this Indenture or, subject to Section 7.01, that the Trustee determines is unduly prejudicial to the rights of other Holders or would involve the Trustee in personal liability; provided, however, that the Trustee may take any other action deemed proper by the Trustee that is not inconsistent with such direction.  Prior to taking any action hereunder, the Trustee shall be entitled to indemnification satisfactory to it in its sole discretion against all losses and expenses caused by taking or not taking such action.

 

SECTION 6.06                    Limitation on Suits.  (a)  Except to enforce the right to receive payment of principal, premium (if any) or interest when due, no Holder may pursue any remedy with respect to this Indenture or the Securities unless:

 

(i)                                     the Holder gives to the Trustee written notice stating that an Event of Default is continuing;
 
(ii)                                  the Holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the  Securities make a written request to the Trustee to pursue the remedy;
 
(iii)                               such Holder or Holders offer to the Trustee reasonable security or indemnity reasonably satisfactory to it against any loss, liability or expense;

 

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(iv)                              the Trustee does not comply with the request within 60 days after receipt of the request and the offer of security or indemnity; and
 
(v)                                 the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Securities do not give the Trustee a direction inconsistent with the request during such 60-day period.
 

(b)                                 A Holder may not use this Indenture to prejudice the rights of another Holder or to obtain a preference or priority over another Holder.

 

SECTION 6.07                    Rights of Holders to Receive Payment.  Notwithstanding any other provision of this Indenture, the right of any Holder to receive payment of principal of and interest on the Securities held by such Holder, on or after the respective due dates expressed or provided for in the Securities, or to bring suit for the enforcement of any such payment on or after such respective dates, shall not be impaired or affected without the consent of such Holder.

 

SECTION 6.08                    Collection Suit by Trustee.  If an Event of Default specified in Section 6.01(a) or (b) occurs and is continuing, the Trustee may recover judgment in its own name and as trustee of an express trust against the Company or any other obligor on the Securities for the whole amount then due and owing (together with interest on overdue principal and (to the extent lawful) on any unpaid interest at the rate provided for in the Securities) and the amounts provided for in Section 7.07.

 

SECTION 6.09                    Trustee May File Proofs of Claim.  The Trustee may file such proofs of claim and other papers or documents as may be necessary or advisable in order to have the claims of the Trustee and the Holders allowed in any judicial proceedings relative to the Company, any Subsidiary or Note Guarantor, their creditors or their property and, unless prohibited by law or applicable regulations, may vote on behalf of the Holders in any election of a trustee in bankruptcy or other Person performing similar functions, and any Custodian in any such judicial proceeding is hereby authorized by each Holder to make payments to the Trustee and, in the event that the Trustee shall consent to the making of such payments directly to the Holders, to pay to the Trustee any amount due it for the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and its counsel, and any other amounts due the Trustee under Section 7.07.

 

SECTION 6.10                    Priorities.  If the Trustee collects any money or property pursuant to this Article 6, it shall pay out the money or property in the following order:

 

FIRST:       to the Trustee for amounts due under Section 7.07;

 

SECOND:  to holders of Senior Indebtedness of the Company to the extent required by Article 10 and to holders of Senior Indebtedness of the Note Guarantors to the extent required by Article 12;

 

THIRD:  to Holders for amounts due and unpaid on the Securities for principal and interest, ratably, without preference or priority of any kind, according to the amounts due and payable on the Securities for principal and interest, respectively; and

 

FOURTH:  to the Company.

 

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The Trustee may fix a record date and payment date for any payment to Holders pursuant to this Section. At least 15 days before such record date, the Trustee shall mail to each Holder and the Company a notice that states the record date, the payment date and amount to be paid.

 

SECTION 6.11                    Undertaking for Costs. In any suit for the enforcement of any right or remedy under this Indenture or in any suit against the Trustee for any action taken or omitted by it as Trustee, a court in its discretion may require the filing by any party litigant in the suit of an undertaking to pay the costs of the suit, and the court in its discretion may assess reasonable costs, including reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses, against any party litigant in the suit, having due regard to the merits and good faith of the claims or defenses made by the party litigant. This Section does not apply to a suit by the Trustee, a suit by a Holder pursuant to Section 6.07 or a suit by Holders of more than 10% in principal amount of the Securities.

 

SECTION 6.12                    Waiver of Stay or Extension Laws. Neither the Company nor any Note Guarantor (to the extent it may lawfully do so) shall at any time insist upon, or plead, or in any manner whatsoever claim or take the benefit or advantage of, any stay or extension law wherever enacted, now or at any time hereafter in force, which may affect the covenants or the performance of this Indenture; and the Company and each Note Guarantor (to the extent that it may lawfully do so) hereby expressly waives all benefit or advantage of any such law, and shall not hinder, delay or impede the execution of any power herein granted to the Trustee, but shall suffer and permit the execution of every such power as though no such law had been enacted.

 

ARTICLE 7

 

Trustee

 

SECTION 7.01                    Duties of Trustee. (a)  If an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, the Trustee shall exercise the rights and powers vested in it by this Indenture and use the same degree of care and skill in their exercise as a prudent person would exercise or use under the circumstances in the conduct of such person’s own affairs.

 

(b)                                 Except during the continuance of an Event of Default:

 

(i)                                     the Trustee undertakes to perform such duties and only such duties as are specifically set forth in this Indenture and no implied covenants or obligations shall be read into this Indenture against the Trustee; and
 
(ii)                                  in the absence of bad faith on its part, the Trustee may conclusively rely, as to the truth of the statements and the correctness of the opinions expressed therein, upon certificates or opinions furnished to the Trustee and conforming to the requirements of this Indenture. However, with respect to any certificate or opinions required to be furnished to it hereunder, the Trustee shall examine the certificates and opinions to determine whether or not they conform to the requirements of this Indenture (but need not confirm or investigate the accuracy of mathematical calculations or other facts stated therein).

 

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(c)                                  The Trustee may not be relieved from liability for its own negligent action, its own negligent failure to act or its own willful misconduct, except that:

 

(i)                                     this paragraph does not limit the effect of paragraph (b) of this Section;
 
(ii)                                  the Trustee shall not be liable for any error of judgment made in good faith by a Trust Officer unless it is proved that the Trustee was negligent in ascertaining the pertinent facts; and
 
(iii)                               the Trustee shall not be liable with respect to any action it takes or omits to take in good faith in accordance with a direction received by it pursuant to Section 6.05.
 
(iv)                              No provision of this Indenture shall require the Trustee to expend or risk its own funds or otherwise incur financial liability in the performance of any of its duties hereunder or in the exercise of any of its rights or powers, if it shall have reasonable grounds to believe that repayment of such funds or adequate indemnity against such risk or liability is not reasonably assured to it.
 

(d)                                 Every provision of this Indenture that in any way relates to the Trustee is subject to paragraphs (a), (b) and (c) of this Section.

 

(e)                                  The Trustee shall not be liable for interest on any money received by it except as the Trustee may agree in writing with the Company.

 

(f)                                    Money held in trust by the Trustee need not be segregated from other funds except to the extent required by law.

 

(g)                                 Every provision of this Indenture relating to the conduct or affecting the liability of or affording protection to the Trustee shall be subject to the provisions of this Section and to the provisions of the TIA.

 

SECTION 7.02                    Rights of Trustee. (a)  The Trustee may conclusively rely on any document (whether in its original or facsimile form) believed by it to be genuine and to have been signed or presented by the proper person. The Trustee need not investigate any fact or matter stated in the document.

 

(b)                                 Before the Trustee acts or refrains from acting, it may require an Officers’ Certificate or an Opinion of Counsel. The Trustee shall not be liable for any action it takes or omits to take in good faith in reliance on the Officers’ Certificate or Opinion of Counsel.

 

(c)                                  The Trustee may act through agents and shall not be responsible for the misconduct or negligence of any agent appointed with due care.

 

(d)                                 The Trustee shall not be liable for any action it takes or omits to take in good faith which it believes to be authorized or within its rights or powers; provided, however, that the Trustee’s conduct does not constitute willful misconduct or negligence.

 

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(e)                                  The Trustee may consult with counsel of its selection, and the advice or opinion of such counsel with respect to legal matters relating to this Indenture and the Securities shall be full and complete authorization and protection from liability in respect of any action taken, omitted or suffered by it hereunder in good faith and in accordance with the advice or opinion of such counsel.

 

(f)                                    The Trustee shall not be bound to make any investigation into the facts or matters stated in any resolution, certificate, statement, instrument, opinion, report, notice, request, consent, order, approval, bond, debenture, note or other paper or document unless requested in writing to do so by the Holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of the Securities at the time outstanding, but the Trustee, in its discretion, may make such further inquiry or investigation into such facts or matters as it may see fit, and, if the Trustee shall determine to make such further inquiry or investigation, it shall be entitled to examine the books, records and premises of the Company, personally or by agent or attorney at the Company’s expense and shall incur no liability or additional liability of any kind by reason of such inquiry or investigation.

 

(g)                                 The rights, privileges, protections, immunities and benefits given to the Trustee, including, without limitation, its right to be indemnified, are extended to, and shall be enforceable by, the Trustee in each of its capacities hereunder, and to each agent, custodian and other Person employed to act hereunder.

 

(h)                                 The Trustee may request that the Company deliver a certificate setting forth the names of individuals and/or titles of officers authorized at such time to take specified actions pursuant to this Indenture, which Officers’ Certificate may be signed by any person authorized to sign an Officers’ Certificate, including any person specified as so authorized in any certificate previously delivered and not superseded.

 

(i)                                     The Trustee shall be under no obligation to exercise any of the rights or powers vested in it by this Indenture at the request or direction of any of the Holders pursuant to this Indenture, unless such Holders shall have offered to the Trustee security or indemnity satisfactory to the Trustee against the costs, expenses and liabilities which might be incurred by it in compliance with such request or direction.

 

(j)                                     In no event shall the Trustee be responsible or liable for special, indirect, or consequential loss or damage of any kind whatsoever (including, but not limited to, loss of profit) irrespective of whether the Trustee has been advised of the likelihood of such loss or damage and regardless of the form of action.

 

(k)                                  The Trustee shall not be deemed to have notice of any Default or Event of Default unless a Responsible Officer of the Trustee has actual knowledge thereof or unless written notice of any event which is in fact such a default is received by the Trustee at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee, and such notice references the Securities and this Indenture.

 

SECTION 7.03                    Individual Rights of Trustee. The Trustee in its individual or any other capacity may become the owner or pledgee of Securities and may otherwise deal

 

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with the Company or its Affiliates with the same rights it would have if it were not Trustee. Any Paying Agent or Registrar may do the same with like rights. However, the Trustee must comply with Sections 7.10 and 7.11.

 

SECTION 7.04                    Trustee’s Disclaimer. The Trustee shall not be responsible for and makes no representation as to the validity or adequacy of this Indenture, any Note Guarantee or the Securities, it shall not be accountable for the Company’s use of the proceeds from the Securities, and it shall not be responsible for any statement of the Company or any Note Guarantor in this Indenture or in any document issued in connection with the sale of the Securities or in the Securities other than the Trustee’s certificate of authentication. The Trustee shall not be charged with knowledge of any Default or Event of Default under Sections 6.01(c), (d), (e), (f), (i) or (j) or of the identity of any Significant Subsidiary unless either (a) a Trust Officer shall have actual knowledge thereof or (b) the Trustee shall have received notice thereof in accordance with Section 13.02 hereof from the Company, any Note Guarantor or any Holder at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee, such notice referencing the Securities and this Indenture.

 

SECTION 7.05                    Notice of Defaults. If a Default occurs and is continuing and if it is known to the Trustee, the Trustee shall mail to each Holder notice of the Default within the earlier of 90 days after it occurs or 30 days after it is actually known to a Trust Officer. Except in the case of a Default in payment of principal of or interest on any Security (including payments pursuant to the mandatory redemption provisions of such Security, if any), the Trustee may withhold the notice if and so long as a committee of its Trust Officers in good faith determines that withholding the notice is in the interests of Holders.

 

SECTION 7.06                    Reports by Trustee to Holders. As promptly as practicable after each May 15 beginning with the May 15 following the date of this Indenture, and in any event prior to July 15 in each year, the Trustee shall mail to each Holder a brief report dated as of such May 15 that complies with TIA Section 313(a) if and to the extent required thereby. The Trustee shall also comply with TIA Section 313(b) and 313(c).

 

A copy of each report at the time of its mailing to Holders shall be filed with the SEC and each stock exchange (if any) on which the Securities are listed. The Company agrees to notify promptly the Trustee whenever the Securities become listed on any stock exchange and of any delisting thereof.

 

SECTION 7.07                    Compensation and Indemnity. The Company shall pay to the Trustee from time to time reasonable compensation for its services as shall be agreed to in writing from time to time by the Company and the Trustee. The Trustee’s compensation shall not be limited by any law on compensation of a trustee of an express trust. The Company shall reimburse the Trustee upon request for all reasonable out-of- pocket expenses incurred or made by it, including costs of collection, in addition to the compensation for its services. Such expenses shall include the reasonable compensation and expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee’s agents, counsel, accountants and experts. The Company and each Note Guarantor, jointly and severally, shall indemnify the Trustee and any predecessor Trustee against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage or expense (including reasonable attorneys’ fees), including taxes (other than taxes based upon, measured by or determined by the income of the

 

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Trustee), incurred by or in connection with the administration of this trust and the performance of its duties hereunder. The Trustee shall notify the Company of any claim for which it may seek indemnity promptly upon obtaining actual knowledge thereof; provided, however, that any failure so to notify the Company shall not relieve the Company or any Note Guarantor of its indemnity obligations hereunder. The Company shall defend the claim and the indemnified party shall provide reasonable cooperation at the Company’s expense in the defense. Such indemnified parties may have separate counsel and the Company and the Note Guarantors, as applicable shall pay the fees and expenses of such counsel; provided, however, that the Company shall not be required to pay such fees and expenses if it assumes such indemnified parties’ defense and, in such indemnified parties’ reasonable judgment, there is no conflict of interest between the Company and the Note Guarantors, as applicable, and such parties in connection with such defense. The Company need not reimburse any expense or indemnify against any loss, liability or expense incurred by an indemnified party through such party’s own willful misconduct, negligence or bad faith.

 

To secure the Company’s payment obligations in this Section, the Trustee shall have a lien prior to the Securities on all money or property held or collected by the Trustee other than money or property held in trust to pay principal of and interest on particular Securities.

 

The Company’s payment obligations pursuant to this Section shall survive the satisfaction or discharge of this Indenture, any rejection or termination of this Indenture under any bankruptcy law or the resignation or removal of the Trustee. Without prejudice to any other rights available to the Trustee under applicable law, when the Trustee incurs expenses after the occurrence of a Default specified in Section 6.01(g) or (h) with respect to the Company, the expenses are intended to constitute expenses of administration under the Bankruptcy Law.

 

SECTION 7.08                    Replacement of Trustee. (a)  The Trustee may resign at any time by so notifying the Company. The Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Securities may remove the Trustee by so notifying the Trustee and may appoint a successor Trustee. The Company shall remove the Trustee if:

 

(i)                                     the Trustee fails to comply with Section 7.10;
 
(ii)                                  the Trustee is adjudged bankrupt or insolvent;
 
(iii)                               a receiver or other public officer takes charge of the Trustee or its property; or
 
(iv)                              the Trustee otherwise becomes incapable of acting.
 

(b)                                 If the Trustee resigns, is removed by the Company or by the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Securities and such Holders do not reasonably promptly appoint a successor Trustee, or if a vacancy exists in the office of Trustee for any reason (the Trustee in such event being referred to herein as the retiring Trustee), the Company shall promptly appoint a successor Trustee.

 

(c)                                  A successor Trustee shall deliver a written acceptance of its appointment to the retiring Trustee and to the Company. Thereupon the resignation or removal of the retiring

 

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Trustee shall become effective, and the successor Trustee shall have all the rights, powers and duties of the Trustee under this Indenture. The successor Trustee shall mail a notice of its succession to Holders. The retiring Trustee shall promptly transfer all property held by it as Trustee to the successor Trustee, subject to the lien provided for in Section 7.07.

 

(d)                                 If a successor Trustee does not take office within 30 days after the retiring Trustee resigns or is removed, the retiring Trustee or the Holders of 10% in principal amount of the Securities may petition, at the expense of the Company, any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a successor Trustee at the expense of the Company.

 

(e)                                  If the Trustee fails to comply with Section 7.10, unless the Trustee’s duty to resign is stayed as provided in TIA Section 310(b), any Holder who has been a bona fide holder of a Security for at least six months may petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the removal of the Trustee and the appointment of a successor Trustee.

 

(f)                                    Notwithstanding the replacement of the Trustee pursuant to this Section, the Company’s obligations under Section 7.07 shall continue for the benefit of the retiring Trustee.

 

SECTION 7.09                    Successor Trustee by Merger. If the Trustee consolidates with, merges or converts into, or transfers all or substantially all its corporate trust business or assets to, another corporation or banking association, the resulting, surviving or transferee corporation without any further act shall be the successor Trustee.

 

In case at the time such successor or successors by merger, conversion or consolidation to the Trustee shall succeed to the trusts created by this Indenture any of the Securities shall have been authenticated but not delivered, any such successor to the Trustee may adopt the certificate of authentication of any predecessor trustee, and deliver such Securities so authenticated; and in case at that time any of the Securities shall not have been authenticated, any successor to the Trustee may authenticate such Securities either in the name of any predecessor hereunder or in the name of the successor to the Trustee; and in all such cases such certificates shall have the full force which it is anywhere in the Securities or in this Indenture provided that the certificate of the Trustee shall have.

 

SECTION 7.10                    Eligibility; Disqualification. The Trustee shall at all times satisfy the requirements of TIA Section 310(a). The Trustee shall have a combined capital and surplus of at least $50,000,000 as set forth in its most recent published annual report of condition. The Trustee shall comply with TIA Section 310(b); subject to its right to apply for a stay of its duty to resign under the penultimate paragraph of TIA Section 310(b); provided, however, that there shall be excluded from the operation of TIA Section 310(b)(1) any indenture or indentures under which other securities or certificates of interest or participation in other securities of the Company are outstanding if the requirements for such exclusion set forth in TIA Section 310(b)(1) are met.

 

SECTION 7.11                    Preferential Collection of Claims Against the Company. The Trustee shall comply with TIA Section 311(a), excluding any creditor relationship listed in

 

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TIA Section 311(b). A Trustee who has resigned or been removed shall be subject to TIA Section 311(a) to the extent indicated.

 

ARTICLE 8

 

Discharge of Indenture; Defeasance

 

SECTION 8.01                    Discharge of Liability on Securities; Defeasance. (a)  When (i) all outstanding Securities (other than Securities replaced or paid pursuant to Section 2.07) have been canceled or delivered to the Trustee for cancelation or (ii) all outstanding Securities have become due and payable, whether at maturity or as a result of the mailing of a notice of redemption pursuant to Article 3 hereof, and the Company irrevocably deposits with the Trustee funds in an amount sufficient or U.S. Government Obligations, the principal of and interest on which will be sufficient, or a combination thereof sufficient, in the written opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants delivered to the Trustee (which delivery shall only be required if U.S. Government Obligations have been so deposited), to pay the principal of, premium (if any) and interest on the outstanding Securities when due at maturity or upon redemption of, including interest thereon to maturity or such redemption date (other than Securities replaced or paid pursuant to Section 2.07) and if in the case of both clause (i) and (ii) the Company pays all other sums payable hereunder by the Company, then this Indenture shall, subject to Section 8.01(c), cease to be of further effect. The Trustee shall acknowledge satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture on demand of the Company accompanied by an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel and at the cost and expense of the Company.

 

(b)                                 Subject to Sections 8.01(c) and 8.02, the Company at any time may terminate (i) all of its obligations under the Securities and this Indenture (“legal defeasance option”) or (ii) its obligations under Sections 4.02, 4.03, 4.04, 4.05, 4.06, 4.07, 4.08, 4.11 and 4.12 and the operation of Section 5.01(a)(iii), 6.01(d), 6.01(f), 6.01(g) (with respect to Significant Subsidiaries of the Company only), 6.01(h) (with respect to Significant Subsidiaries of the Company only) 6.01(i) and 6.01(j) (“covenant defeasance option”). The Company may exercise its legal defeasance option notwithstanding its prior exercise of its covenant defeasance option. In the event that the Company terminates all of its obligations under the Securities and this Indenture by exercising its legal defeasance option or its covenant defeasance option, the obligations under the Note Guarantees shall each be terminated simultaneously with the termination of such obligations.

 

If the Company exercises its legal defeasance option, payment of the Securities may not be accelerated because of an Event of Default. If the Company exercises its covenant defeasance option, payment of the Securities may not be accelerated because of an Event of Default specified in Section 6.01(d), 6.01(f), 6.01(g) (with respect to Significant Subsidiaries only), 6.01(h) (with respect to Significant Subsidiaries only), 6.01(i) or 6.01(j) or because of the failure of the Company to comply with Section 5.01(a)(iii).

 

Upon satisfaction of the conditions set forth herein and upon request of the Company, the Trustee shall acknowledge in writing the discharge of those obligations that the Company terminates.

 

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(c)                                  Notwithstanding clauses (a) and (b) above, the Company’s obligations in Sections 2.03, 2.04, 2.05, 2.06, 2.07, 2.08, 7.07, 7.08 and in this Article 8 shall survive until the Securities have been paid in full. Thereafter, the Company’s obligations in Sections 7.07, 8.04, 8.05 and 8.06 shall survive.

 

SECTION 8.02                    Conditions to Defeasance. (a)  The Company may exercise its legal defeasance option or its covenant defeasance option only if:

 

(i)                                     the Company irrevocably deposits in trust with the Trustee money in an amount sufficient or U.S. Government Obligations, the principal of and interest on which will be sufficient, or a combination thereof sufficient, to pay the principal of, premium (if any) and interest, on the Securities when due at maturity or redemption, as the case may be, including interest thereon to maturity or such redemption date;
 
(ii)                                  the Company delivers to the Trustee a certificate from a nationally recognized firm of independent accountants expressing their opinion that the payments of principal and interest when due and without reinvestment on the deposited U.S. Government Obligations plus any deposited money without investment will provide cash at such times and in such amounts as will be sufficient to pay principal, premium, if any, and interest when due on all the Securities to maturity or redemption, as the case may be;
 
(iii)                               123 days pass after the deposit is made and during the 123-day period no Default specified in Section 6.01(g) or (h) with respect to the Company occurs which is continuing at the end of the period;
 
(iv)                              the deposit does not constitute a default under any other agreement binding on the Company and is not prohibited by Article 10;
 
(v)                                 the Company delivers to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel to the effect that the trust resulting from the deposit does not constitute, or is qualified as, a regulated investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940;
 
(vi)                              in the case of the legal defeasance option, the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel stating that (1) the Company has received from, or there has been published by, the Internal Revenue Service a ruling, or (2) since the date of this Indenture there has been a change in the applicable Federal income tax law, in either case to the effect that, and based thereon such Opinion of Counsel shall confirm that, the Holders will not recognize income, gain or loss for Federal income tax purposes as a result of such deposit and legal defeasance and will be subject to Federal income tax on the same amounts, in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if such deposit and legal defeasance had not occurred;
 
(vii)                           in the case of the covenant defeasance option, the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel to the effect that the Holders will not recognize income, gain or loss for Federal income tax purposes as a result of such deposit and covenant defeasance and will be subject to Federal income tax on the same amounts, in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if such deposit and covenant defeasance had not occurred; and

 

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(viii)                        the Company delivers to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that all conditions precedent to the defeasance and discharge of the Securities as contemplated by this Article 8 have been complied with.
 

(b)                                 Before or after a deposit, the Company may make arrangements satisfactory to the Trustee for the redemption of Securities at a future date in accordance with Article 3.

 

(c)                                  Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Opinion of Counsel required by clause (vi) above need not be delivered if all Notes not theretofore delivered to the Trustee for cancelation have become due and payable.

 

SECTION 8.03                    Application of Trust Money. The Trustee shall hold in trust money or U.S. Government Obligations deposited with it pursuant to this Article 8. It shall apply the deposited money and the money from U.S. Government Obligations through the Paying Agent and in accordance with this Indenture to the payment of principal of and interest on the Securities. Money and securities so held in trust are not subject to Article 10 or 12.

 

SECTION 8.04                    Repayment to Company. The Trustee and the Paying Agent shall promptly turn over to the Company upon request any money or U.S. Government Obligations held by it as provided in this Article which, in the written opinion of nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants delivered to the Trustee (which delivery shall only be required if U.S. Government Obligations have been so deposited), are in excess of the amount thereof which would then be required to be deposited to effect an equivalent discharge or defeasance in accordance with this Article.

 

Subject to any applicable abandoned property law, the Trustee and the Paying Agent shall pay to the Company upon written request any money held by them for the payment of principal or interest that remains unclaimed for two years, and, thereafter, Holders entitled to the money must look to the Company for payment as general creditors, and the Trustee and the Paying Agent shall have no further liability with respect to such monies.

 

SECTION 8.05                    Indemnity for Government Obligations. The Company shall pay and shall indemnify the Trustee against any tax, fee or other charge imposed on or assessed against deposited U.S. Government Obligations or the principal and interest received on such U.S. Government Obligations.

 

SECTION 8.06                    Reinstatement. If the Trustee or Paying Agent is unable to apply any money or U.S. Government Obligations in accordance with this Article 8 by reason of any legal proceeding or by reason of any order or judgment of any court or governmental authority enjoining, restraining or otherwise prohibiting such application, the Company’s obligations under this Indenture and the Securities shall be revived and reinstated as though no deposit had occurred pursuant to this Article 8 until such time as the Trustee or Paying Agent is permitted to apply all such money or U.S. Government Obligations in accordance with this Article 8; provided, however, that, if the Company has made any payment of principal of or interest on, any Securities because of the reinstatement of its obligations, the Company shall be

 

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subrogated to the rights of the Holders of such Securities to receive such payment from the money or U.S. Government Obligations held by the Trustee or Paying Agent.

 

ARTICLE 9

 

Amendments

 

SECTION 9.01                    Without Consent of Holders. The Company, the Note Guarantors and the Trustee may amend this Indenture or the Securities without notice to or consent of any Holder:

 

(i)                                     to cure any ambiguity, omission, defect or inconsistency;
 
(ii)                                  to comply with Article 5;
 
(iii)                               to provide for uncertificated Securities in addition to or in place of certificated Securities; provided, however, that the uncertificated Securities are issued in registered form for purposes of Section 163(f) of the Code or in a manner such that the uncertificated Securities are described in Section 163(f)(2)(B) of the Code;
 
(iv)                              to make any change in Article 10 or Article 12 that would limit or terminate the benefits available to any holder of Senior Indebtedness of the Company or a Note Guarantor (or Representatives thereof) under Article 10 or Article 12, respectively;
 
(v)                                 to add additional Guarantees with respect to the Securities or to secure the Securities;
 
(vi)                              to add to the covenants of the Company for the benefit of the Holders or to surrender any right or power herein conferred upon the Company;
 
(vii)                           to comply with any requirement of the SEC in connection with qualifying, or maintaining the qualification of, this Indenture under the TIA; or
 
(viii)                        to make any change that does not materially and adversely affect the rights of any Holder under the provisions of this Indenture.
 

After an amendment under this Section 9.01 becomes effective, the Company shall mail to Holders a notice briefly describing such amendment. The failure to give such notice to all Holders, or any defect therein, shall not impair or affect the validity of an amendment under this Section 9.01.

 

SECTION 9.02                    With Consent of Holders. (a)  The Company, the Note Guarantors and the Trustee may amend this Indenture or the Securities without notice to any Holder but with the written consent of the Holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the Securities then outstanding (including consents obtained in connection with a tender offer or exchange for the Securities) and compliance with any provisions of this Indenture may be waived with the written consent of the Holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the Securities then outstanding (including consents obtained in connection with a tender offer or

 

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exchange offer for the Securities). However, without the consent of each Holder affected, an amendment or waiver may not:

 

(i)                                     reduce the amount of Securities whose Holders must consent to an amendment;
 
(ii)                                  reduce the rate of or extend the time for payment of interest on any Security;
 
(iii)                               reduce the principal of or extend the Stated Maturity of any Security;
 
(iv)                              reduce the premium payable upon the redemption of any Security or change the time at which any Security may be redeemed in accordance  with Article 3;
 
(v)                                 make any Security payable in money other than that stated in the Security;
 
(vi)                              make any change in Article 10 or Article 12 that adversely affects the rights of any Holder under Article 10 or Article 12;
 
(vii)                           make any change in Section 6.04 or 6.07 or the second sentence of this Section 9.02; or
 
(viii)                        modify the Note Guarantees in any manner adverse to the Holders.
 

It shall not be necessary for the consent of the Holders under this Section 9.02 to approve the particular form of any proposed amendment, but it shall be sufficient if such consent approves the substance thereof.

 

After an amendment under this Section 9.02 becomes effective, the Company shall mail to Holders a notice briefly describing such amendment. The failure to give such notice to all Holders, or any defect therein, shall not impair or affect the validity of an amendment under this Section 9.02.

 

SECTION 9.03                    Compliance with Trust Indenture Act. Every amendment to this Indenture or the Securities shall comply with the TIA as then in effect.

 

SECTION 9.04                    Revocation and Effect of Consents and Waivers. (a)  A consent to an amendment or a waiver by a Holder of a Security shall bind the Holder and every subsequent Holder of that Security or portion of the Security that evidences the same debt as the consenting Holder’s Security, even if notation of the consent or waiver is not made on the Security. However, any such Holder or subsequent Holder may revoke the consent or waiver as to such Holder’s Security or portion of the Security if the Trustee receives the notice of revocation before the date on which the Trustee receives an Officers’ Certificate from the Company certifying that the requisite number of consents have been received. After an amendment or waiver becomes effective, it shall bind every Holder. An amendment or waiver becomes effective upon the (i) receipt by the Company or the Trustee of the requisite number of consents, (ii) satisfaction of conditions to effectiveness as set forth in this Indenture and any

 

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indenture supplemental hereto containing such amendment or waiver and (iii) execution of such amendment or waiver (or supplemental indenture) by the Company and the Trustee.

 

(b)                                 The Company may, but shall not be obligated to, fix a record date for the purpose of determining the Holders entitled to give their consent or take any other action described above or required or permitted to be taken pursuant to this Indenture. If a record date is fixed, then notwithstanding the immediately preceding paragraph, those Persons who were Holders at such record date (or their duly designated proxies), and only those Persons, shall be entitled to give such consent or to revoke any consent previously given or to take any such action, whether or not such Persons continue to be Holders after such record date. No such consent shall be valid or effective for more than 120 days after such record date.

 

SECTION 9.05                    Notation on or Exchange of Securities. If an amendment changes the terms of a Security, the Trustee may require the Holder of the Security to deliver it to the Trustee. The Trustee may place an appropriate notation on the Security regarding the changed terms and return it to the Holder. Alternatively, if the Company or the Trustee so determines, the Company in exchange for the Security shall issue and the Trustee shall authenticate a new Security that reflects the changed terms. Failure to make the appropriate notation or to issue a new Security shall not affect the validity of such amendment.

 

SECTION 9.06                    Trustee to Sign Amendments. The Trustee shall sign any amendment authorized pursuant to this Article 9 if the amendment does not adversely affect the rights, duties, liabilities or immunities of the Trustee. If it does, the Trustee may but need not sign it. In signing such amendment the Trustee shall be entitled to receive indemnity reasonably satisfactory to it and shall be provided with, and (subject to Section 7.01) shall be fully protected in relying upon, an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel stating that such amendment is authorized or permitted by this Indenture and that such amendment is the legal, valid and binding obligation of the Company and the Note Guarantors enforceable against them in accordance with its terms, subject to customary exceptions, and complies with the provisions hereof (including Section 9.03).

 

ARTICLE 10

 

Subordination

 

SECTION 10.01              Agreement to Subordinate. The Company agrees, and each Holder by accepting a Security agrees, that the Indebtedness evidenced by the Securities is subordinated in right of payment, to the extent and in the manner provided in this Article 10, to the prior payment in full of all Senior Indebtedness of the Company and that the subordination is for the benefit of and enforceable by the holders of such Senior Indebtedness. The Securities shall in all respects rank pari passu with all other Senior Subordinated Indebtedness of the Company and shall rank senior to all existing and future Subordinated Obligations of the Company; and only Indebtedness of the Company that is Senior Indebtedness of the Company shall rank senior to the Securities in accordance with the provisions set forth herein. All provisions of this Article 10 shall be subject to Section 10.12.

 

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SECTION 10.02              Liquidation, Dissolution, Bankruptcy. Upon any payment or distribution of the assets of the Company to creditors upon a total or partial liquidation or a total or partial dissolution of the Company or in a bankruptcy, reorganization, insolvency, receivership or similar proceeding relating to the Company or its property:

 

(a)                                  holders of Senior Indebtedness of the Company shall be entitled to receive payment in full of such Senior Indebtedness before Holders shall be entitled to receive any payment of principal of or interest on the Securities; and

 

(b)                                 until the Senior Indebtedness of the Company is paid in full , any payment or distribution to which Holders would be entitled but for this Article 10 shall be made to holders of such Senior Indebtedness as their interests may appear, except that Holders of the Securities may receive Capital Stock and any debt securities that are subordinated to such Senior Indebtedness to at least the same extent as the Securities.

 

SECTION 10.03              Default on Designated Senior Indebtedness. The Company may not pay the principal of, premium (if any) or interest on the Securities or make any deposit pursuant to Section 8.01 and may not otherwise repurchase, redeem or otherwise retire any Securities (collectively, “pay the Securities”) if (a) any principal of, interest on, unpaid drawings for letters of credit in respect of, or regularly accruing fees with respect to any, Designated Senior Indebtedness of the Company is not paid when due or (b) any other default on such Designated Senior Indebtedness occurs and the maturity of such Designated Senior Indebtedness is accelerated in accordance with its terms unless, in either case, (i) the default has been cured or waived and any such acceleration has been rescinded or (ii) such amounts due under Designated Senior Indebtedness have been paid in full; provided, however, that the Company may pay the Securities without regard to the foregoing if the Company and a Trust Officer of the Trustee receive written notice approving such payment from the Representative of such Designated Senior Indebtedness with respect to which either of the events set forth in clause (a) or (b) of this sentence has occurred and is continuing. During the continuance of any default (other than a default described in clause (a) or (b) of the preceding sentence) with respect to any Designated Senior Indebtedness of the Company pursuant to which the maturity thereof may be accelerated immediately without further notice (except such notice as may be required to effect such acceleration) or the expiration of any applicable grace periods, the Company may not pay the Securities for a period (a “Payment Blockage Period”) commencing upon the receipt by a Trust Officer of the Trustee (with a copy to the Company) of written notice specified as a “notice of default” and describing with particularity the default under such Designated Senior Indebtedness (a “Blockage Notice”) of such default from the Representative of such Designated Senior Indebtedness specifying an election to effect a Payment Blockage Period and ending 179 days thereafter (or earlier if such Payment Blockage Period is terminated (a) by written notice to the Trustee and the Company from the Person or Persons who gave such Blockage Notice, (b) by repayment in full of such Designated Senior Indebtedness or (c) because the default giving rise to such Blockage Notice is no longer continuing). Notwithstanding the provisions described in the immediately preceding sentence (but subject to the provisions contained in the first sentence of this Section), unless the holders of such Designated Senior Indebtedness or the Representative of such holders shall have accelerated the maturity of such Designated Senior Indebtedness, the Company may resume payments on the Securities after the end of such Payment Blockage Period, including any missed payments. Not more than one Blockage Notice may be given in

 

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any consecutive 360-day period, irrespective of the number of defaults with respect to Designated Senior Indebtedness during such period; provided, however, that if any Blockage Notice within such 360-day period is given by or on behalf of any holders of Designated Senior Indebtedness other than the Bank Indebtedness, the Representative of the Bank Indebtedness may give another Blockage Notice within such period; provided further, however, that in no event may the total number of days during which any Payment Blockage Period or Periods is in effect exceed 179 days in the aggregate during any 360 consecutive day period. For purposes of this Section, no default or event of default that existed or was continuing on the date of the commencement of any Payment Blockage Period with respect to the Designated Senior Indebtedness initiating such Payment Blockage Period shall be, or be made, the basis of the commencement of a subsequent Payment Blockage Period by the Representative of such Designated Senior Indebtedness, whether or not within a period of 360 consecutive days, unless such default or event of default shall have been cured or waived for a period of not less than 90 consecutive days.

 

SECTION 10.04              Acceleration of Payment of Securities. If payment of the Securities is accelerated because of an Event of Default, the Company or the Trustee shall promptly notify the holders of the Designated Senior Indebtedness of the Company (or their Representative) of the acceleration. If any Designated Senior Indebtedness of the Company is outstanding, the Company may not pay the Securities until five Business Days after such holders or the Representative of such Designated Senior Indebtedness receive notice of such acceleration and, thereafter, may pay the Securities only if this Article 10 otherwise permits payment at that time.

 

SECTION 10.05              When Distribution Must Be Paid Over. If a payment or distribution is made to Holders that because of this Article 10 should not have been made to them, the Holders who receive the distribution shall hold such payment or distribution in trust for holders of Senior Indebtedness of the Company and pay it over to them as their interests may appear.

 

SECTION 10.06              Subrogation. After all Senior Indebtedness of the Company is paid in full and until the Securities are paid in full, Holders shall be subrogated to the rights of holders of such Senior Indebtedness to receive distributions applicable to Senior Indebtedness. A distribution made under this Article 10 to holders of such Senior Indebtedness which otherwise would have been made to Holders is not, as between the Company and Holders, a payment by the Company on such Senior Indebtedness.

 

SECTION 10.07              Relative Rights. This Article 10 defines the relative rights of Holders and holders of Senior Indebtedness of the Company. Nothing in this Indenture shall:

 

(a)                                  impair, as between the Company and Holders, the obligation of the Company, which is absolute and unconditional, to pay principal of and interest on the Securities in accordance with their terms; or

 

(b)                                 prevent the Trustee or any Holder from exercising its available remedies upon a Default, subject to the rights of holders of Senior Indebtedness of the Company to receive distributions otherwise payable to Holders.

 

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SECTION 10.08              Subordination May Not Be Impaired by Company. No right of any holder of Senior Indebtedness of the Company to enforce the subordination of the Indebtedness evidenced by the Securities shall be impaired by any act or failure to act by the Company or by its failure to comply with this Indenture.

 

SECTION 10.09              Rights of Trustee and Paying Agent. Notwithstanding Section 10.03, the Trustee or Paying Agent may continue to make payments on the Securities and shall not be charged with knowledge of the existence of facts that would prohibit the making of any such payments unless, not less than three Business Days prior to the date of such payment, a Trust Officer of the Trustee receives written notice satisfactory to it that payments may not be made under this Article 10. The Company, the Registrar, the Paying Agent, a Representative or a holder of Senior Indebtedness of the Company may give the notice; provided, however, that, if an issue of Senior Indebtedness of the Company has a Representative, only the Representative may give the notice.

 

The Trustee in its individual or any other capacity may hold Senior Indebtedness of the Company with the same rights it would have if it were not Trustee. The Registrar and the Paying Agent may do the same with like rights. The Trustee shall be entitled to all the rights set forth in this Article 10 with respect to any Senior Indebtedness of the Company which may at any time be held by it, to the same extent as any other holder of such Senior Indebtedness; and nothing in Article 7 shall deprive the Trustee of any of its rights as such holder. Nothing in this Article 10 shall apply to claims of, or payments to, the Trustee under or pursuant to Section 7.07 or any other Section of this Indenture.

 

SECTION 10.10              Distribution or Notice to Representative. Whenever a distribution is to be made or a notice given to holders of Senior Indebtedness of the Company, the distribution may be made and the notice given to their Representative (if any).

 

SECTION 10.11              Article 10 Not to Prevent Events of Default or Limit Right To Accelerate. The failure to make a payment pursuant to the Securities by reason of any provision in this Article 10 shall not be construed as preventing the occurrence of a Default. Nothing in this Article 10 shall have any effect on the right of the Holders or the Trustee to accelerate the maturity of the Securities.

 

SECTION 10.12              Trust Monies Not Subordinated. Notwithstanding anything contained herein to the contrary, payments from money or the proceeds of U.S. Government Obligations held in trust under Article 8 by the Trustee for the payment of principal of and interest on the Securities shall not be subordinated to the prior payment of any Senior Indebtedness of the Company or subject to the restrictions set forth in this Article 10, and none of the Holders shall be obligated to pay over any such amount to the Company or any holder of Senior Indebtedness of the Company or any other creditor of the Company.

 

SECTION 10.13              Trustee Entitled to Rely. Upon any payment or distribution pursuant to this Article 10, the Trustee and the Holders shall be entitled to rely (a) upon any order or decree of a court of competent jurisdiction in which any proceedings of the nature referred to in Section 10.02 are pending, (b) upon a certificate of the liquidating trustee or agent or other Person making such payment or distribution to the Trustee or to the Holders or (c) upon

 

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the Representatives for the holders of Senior Indebtedness of the Company for the purpose of ascertaining the Persons entitled to participate in such payment or distribution, the holders of such Senior Indebtedness and other Indebtedness of the Company, the amount thereof or payable thereon, the amount or amounts paid or distributed thereon and all other facts pertinent thereto or to this Article 10. In the event that the Trustee determines, in good faith, that evidence is required with respect to the right of any Person as a holder of Senior Indebtedness of the Company to participate in any payment or distribution pursuant to this Article 10, the Trustee may request such Person to furnish evidence to the reasonable satisfaction of the Trustee as to the amount of such Senior Indebtedness held by such Person, the extent to which such Person is entitled to participate in such payment or distribution and other facts pertinent to the rights of such Person under this Article 10, and, if such evidence is not furnished, the Trustee may defer any payment to such Person pending judicial determination as to the right of such Person to receive such payment. The provisions of Sections 7.01 and 7.02 shall be applicable to all actions or omissions of actions by the Trustee pursuant to this Article 10.

 

SECTION 10.14              Trustee to Effectuate Subordination. Each Holder by accepting a Security authorizes and directs the Trustee on his, her or its behalf to take such action as may be necessary or appropriate to acknowledge or effectuate the subordination between the Holders and the holders of Senior Indebtedness of the Company as provided in this Article 10 and appoints the Trustee as attorney-in-fact for any and all such purposes.

 

SECTION 10.15              Trustee Not Fiduciary for Holders of Senior Indebtedness. The Trustee shall not be deemed to owe any fiduciary duty to the holders of Senior Indebtedness of the Company and shall not be liable to any such holders if it shall mistakenly pay over or distribute to Holders or the Company or any other Person, money or assets to which any holders of Senior Indebtedness of the Company shall be entitled by virtue of this Article 10 or otherwise.

 

SECTION 10.16              Reliance by Holders of Senior Indebtedness on Subordination Provisions. Each Holder by accepting a Security acknowledges and agrees that the foregoing subordination provisions are, and are intended to be, an inducement and a consideration to each holder of any Senior Indebtedness of the Company, whether such Senior Indebtedness was created or acquired before or after the issuance of the Securities, to acquire and continue to hold, or to continue to hold, such Senior Indebtedness and such holder of such Senior Indebtedness shall be deemed conclusively to have relied on such subordination provisions in acquiring and continuing to hold, or in continuing to hold, such Senior Indebtedness.

 

ARTICLE 11

 

Note Guarantees

 

SECTION 11.01              Note Guarantees. (a)  Each Note Guarantor hereby jointly and severally and unconditionally guarantees, as a primary obligor and not merely as a surety, to each Holder and to the Trustee and its successors and assigns (i) the full and punctual payment when due, whether at Stated Maturity, by acceleration, by redemption or otherwise, of all obligations of the Company under this Indenture (including obligations to the Trustee) and the Securities, whether for payment of principal of or interest on the Securities and all other monetary obligations (to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law) of the Company under

 

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this Indenture and the Securities and (ii) the full and punctual performance within applicable grace periods of all other obligations of the Company whether for fees, expenses, indemnification or otherwise under this Indenture and the Securities (all the foregoing being hereinafter collectively called the “Guaranteed Obligations”). To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, each Note Guarantor further agrees that the Guaranteed Obligations may be extended or renewed, in whole or in part, without notice or further assent from each such Note Guarantor, and that each such Note Guarantor shall remain bound under this Article 11 notwithstanding any extension or renewal of any Guaranteed Obligation.

 

(b)                                 Each Note Guarantor waives presentation to, demand of payment from and protest to the Company of any of the Guaranteed Obligations and also waives notice of protest for nonpayment. Each Note Guarantor waives notice of any default under the Securities or the Guaranteed Obligations. The obligations of each Note Guarantor hereunder shall not be affected by (i) the failure of any Holder or the Trustee to assert any claim or demand or to enforce any right or remedy against the Company or any other Person under this Indenture, the Securities or any other agreement or otherwise; (ii) any extension or renewal of any thereof; (iii) any rescission, waiver, amendment or modification of any of the terms or provisions of this Indenture, the Securities or any other agreement; (iv) the release of any security held by any Holder or the Trustee for the Guaranteed Obligations or any of them; (v) the failure of any Holder or Trustee to exercise any right or remedy against any other guarantor of the Guaranteed Obligations; or (vi) any change in the ownership of such Note Guarantor, except as provided in Section 11.02(b).

 

(c)                                  Each Note Guarantor hereby waives any right to which it may be entitled to have its obligations hereunder divided among the Note Guarantors, such that such Note Guarantor’s obligations would be less than the full amount claimed. Each Note Guarantor hereby waives any right to which it may be entitled to have the assets of the Company first be used and depleted as payment of the Company’s or such Note Guarantor’s obligations hereunder prior to any amounts being claimed from or paid by such Note Guarantor hereunder. Each Note Guarantor hereby waives any right to which it may be entitled to require that the Company be sued prior to an action being initiated against such Note Guarantor.

 

(d)                                 Each Note Guarantor further agrees that its Note Guarantee herein constitutes a guarantee of payment, performance and compliance when due (and not a guarantee of collection) and waives any right to require that any resort be had by any Holder or the Trustee to any security held for payment of the Guaranteed Obligations.

 

(e)                                  The Note Guarantee of each Note Guarantor is, to the extent and in the manner set forth in Article 12, subordinated and subject in right of payment to the prior payment in full of the principal of and premium, if any, and interest on all Senior Indebtedness of the relevant Note Guarantor and is made subject to such provisions of this Indenture.

 

(f)                                    Except as expressly set forth in Sections 8.01(b), 11.02 and 11.06, the obligations of each Note Guarantor hereunder shall not be subject to any reduction, limitation, impairment or termination for any reason, including any claim of waiver, release, surrender, alteration or compromise, and shall not be subject to any defense of setoff, counterclaim, recoupment or termination whatsoever or by reason of the invalidity, illegality or

 

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unenforceability of the Guaranteed Obligations or otherwise. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the obligations of each Note Guarantor herein shall not be discharged or impaired or otherwise affected by the failure of any Holder or the Trustee to assert any claim or demand or to enforce any remedy under this Indenture, the Securities or any other agreement, by any waiver or modification of any thereof, by any default, failure or delay, willful or otherwise, in the performance of the obligations, or by any other act or thing or omission or delay to do any other act or thing which may or might in any manner or to any extent vary the risk of any Note Guarantor or would otherwise operate as a discharge of any Note Guarantor as a matter of law or equity.

 

(g)                                 Each Note Guarantor agrees that its Note Guarantee shall remain in full force and effect until payment in full of all the Guaranteed Obligations or such Note Guarantee is released upon the merger or the sale of all the Capital Stock or assets of the Note Guarantor in compliance with Section 4.06 or Article 5. Each Note Guarantor further agrees that its Note Guarantee herein shall, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, continue to be effective or be reinstated, as the case may be, if at any time payment, or any part thereof, of principal of or interest on any Guaranteed Obligation is rescinded or must otherwise be restored by any Holder or the Trustee upon the bankruptcy or reorganization of the Company or otherwise.

 

(h)                                 In furtherance of the foregoing and not in limitation of any other right which any Holder or the Trustee has at law or in equity against any Note Guarantor by virtue hereof, upon the failure of the Company to pay the principal of or interest on any Guaranteed Obligation when and as the same shall become due, whether at maturity, by acceleration, by redemption or otherwise, or to perform or comply with any other Guaranteed Obligation, each Note Guarantor hereby promises to and shall, upon receipt of written demand by the Trustee, forthwith pay, or cause to be paid, in cash, to the Holders or the Trustee an amount equal to the sum of (i) the unpaid principal amount of such Guaranteed Obligations, (ii) accrued and unpaid interest on such Guaranteed Obligations (but only to the extent not prohibited by law) and (iii) all other monetary obligations of the Company to the Holders and the Trustee.

 

(i)                                     Each Note Guarantor agrees that it shall not be entitled to any right of subrogation in relation to the Holders in respect of any Guaranteed Obligations guaranteed hereby until payment in full of all Guaranteed Obligations and all obligations to which the Guaranteed Obligations are subordinated as provided in Article 12. Each Note Guarantor further agrees that, as between it, on the one hand, and the Holders and the Trustee, on the other hand, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, (i) the maturity of the Guaranteed Obligations guaranteed hereby may be accelerated as provided in Article 6 for the purposes of any Note Guarantee herein, notwithstanding any stay, injunction or other prohibition preventing such acceleration in respect of the Guaranteed Obligations guaranteed hereby, and (ii) in the event of any declaration of acceleration of such Guaranteed Obligations as provided in Article 6, such Guaranteed Obligations (whether or not due and payable) shall forthwith become due and payable by such Note Guarantor for the purposes of this Section 11.01.

 

(j)                                     Each Note Guarantor also agrees to pay any and all costs and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses) incurred by the Trustee or any Holder in enforcing any rights under this Section 11.01.

 

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(k)                                  Upon request of the Trustee, each Note Guarantor shall execute and deliver such further instruments and do such further acts as may be reasonably necessary or proper to carry out more effectively the purpose of this Indenture.

 

SECTION 11.02              Limitation on Liability. (a)  Any term or provision of this Indenture to the contrary notwithstanding, the maximum aggregate amount of the Guaranteed Obligations guaranteed hereunder by any Note Guarantor shall not exceed the maximum amount that can be hereby guaranteed without rendering this Indenture, as it relates to such Note Guarantor, void or voidable under applicable law relating to fraudulent conveyance or fraudulent transfer or similar laws affecting the rights of creditors generally.

 

(b)                                 A Note Guarantee as to any Note Guarantor that is a Subsidiary of the Company shall terminate and be of no further force or effect and such Note Guarantor shall be deemed to be released from all obligations under this Article 11 upon (A) the merger or consolidation of such Note Guarantor with or into any Person other than the Company or a Subsidiary or Affiliate of the Company where such Note Guarantor is not the surviving entity of such consolidation or merger or (B) the sale by the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company (or any pledgee of the Company) of the Capital Stock of such Note Guarantor (or by any other Person as a result of a foreclosure of any lien on such Capital Stock securing Senior Indebtedness), where, after such sale, such Note Guarantor is no longer a Subsidiary of the Company; provided, however, that each such merger, consolidation or sale (or, in the case of a sale by such a pledgee, the disposition of the proceeds of such sale actually received by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries) shall (i) comply with Section 4.06 and Section 5.01(b) and (ii) be contingent upon such Note Guarantor being released from its Guarantee of, and all pledges and security interests granted in connection with, the Credit Agreement and any other Indebtedness of the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company.

 

(c)                                  In addition, a Note Guarantee of any Note Guarantor that is a Subsidiary of the Company shall terminate and be of no further force or effect and such Note Guarantor shall be deemed to be released from all obligations under this Article 11 upon the Issuer’s designation of such Note Guarantor as an Unrestricted Subsidiary, provided that such designation complies with the other applicable provisions of this Indenture.

 

At the request of the Company, the Trustee shall execute and deliver an appropriate instrument evidencing such release (in the form provided by the Company).

 

SECTION 11.03              Successors and Assigns. This Article 11 shall be binding upon each Note Guarantor and its successors and assigns and shall inure to the benefit of the successors and assigns of the Trustee and the Holders and, in the event of any transfer or assignment of rights by any Holder or the Trustee, the rights and privileges conferred upon that party in this Indenture and in the Securities shall automatically extend to and be vested in such transferee or assignee, all subject to the terms and conditions of this Indenture.

 

SECTION 11.04              No Waiver. Neither a failure nor a delay on the part of either the Trustee or the Holders in exercising any right, power or privilege under this Article 11 shall operate as a waiver thereof, nor shall a single or partial exercise thereof preclude any other or further exercise of any right, power or privilege. The rights, remedies and benefits of the

 

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Trustee and the Holders herein expressly specified are cumulative and not exclusive of any other rights, remedies or benefits which either may have under this Article 11 at law, in equity, by statute or otherwise.

 

SECTION 11.05              Modification. No modification, amendment or waiver of any provision of this Article 11, nor the consent to any departure by any Note Guarantor therefrom, shall in any event be effective unless the same shall be in writing and signed by the Trustee, and then such waiver or consent shall be effective only in the specific instance and for the purpose for which given. No notice to or demand on any Note Guarantor in any case shall entitle such Note Guarantor to any other or further notice or demand in the same, similar or other circumstances.

 

SECTION 11.06              Execution of Supplemental Indenture for Future Note Guarantors. Each Subsidiary which is required to become a Note Guarantor pursuant to Section 4.11 shall promptly execute and deliver to the Trustee a supplemental indenture in the form of Exhibit B hereto pursuant to which such Subsidiary shall become a Note Guarantor under this Article 11 and shall guarantee the Guaranteed Obligations. Concurrently with the execution and delivery of such supplemental indenture, the Company shall deliver to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel and an Officers’ Certificate to the effect that such supplemental indenture has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by such Subsidiary and that, subject to the application of bankruptcy, insolvency, moratorium, fraudulent conveyance or transfer and other similar laws relating to creditors’ rights generally and to the principles of equity, whether considered in a proceeding at law or in equity, the Note Guarantee of such Note Guarantor is a valid and binding obligation of such Note Guarantor, enforceable against such Note Guarantor in accordance with its terms and or to such other matters as the Trustee may reasonably request.

 

SECTION 11.07              Non-Impairment. The failure to endorse a Note Guarantee on any Security shall not affect or impair the validity thereof.

 

ARTICLE 12

 

Subordination of the Note Guarantees

 

SECTION 12.01              Agreement To Subordinate. Each Note Guarantor agrees, and each Holder by accepting a Security agrees, that the obligations of a Note Guarantor hereunder are subordinated in right of payment, to the extent and in the manner provided in this Article 12, to the prior payment in full of all Senior Indebtedness of such Note Guarantor and that the subordination is for the benefit of and enforceable by the holders of such Senior Indebtedness of such Note Guarantor. The obligations hereunder with respect to a Note Guarantor shall in all respects rank pari passu with all other Senior Subordinated Indebtedness of such Note Guarantor and shall rank senior to all existing and future Subordinated Obligations of such Note Guarantor; and only Indebtedness of such Note Guarantor that is Senior Indebtedness of such Note Guarantor shall rank senior to the obligations of such Note Guarantor in accordance with the provisions set forth herein.

 

SECTION 12.02              Liquidation, Dissolution, Bankruptcy. Upon any payment or distribution of the assets of a Note Guarantor to creditors upon a total or partial liquidation or

 

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a total or partial dissolution of such Note Guarantor or in a bankruptcy, reorganization, insolvency, receivership or similar proceeding relating to such Note Guarantor and its properties:

 

(a)                                  holders of Senior Indebtedness of such Note Guarantor shall be entitled to receive payment in full of such Senior Indebtedness before Holders shall be entitled to receive any payment pursuant to any Guaranteed Obligations from such Note Guarantor; and

 

(b)                                 until the Senior Indebtedness of such Note Guarantor is paid in full, any payment or distribution to which Holders would be entitled but for this Article 12 shall be made to holders of such Senior Indebtedness as their respective interests may appear, except that Holders may receive Capital Stock and any debt securities that are subordinated to such Senior Indebtedness to at least the same extent as the Note Guarantees.

 

SECTION 12.03              Default on Designated Senior Indebtedness of a Note Guarantor. A Note Guarantor may not make any payment pursuant to any of the Guaranteed Obligations or repurchase, redeem or otherwise retire any Securities (collectively, “pay its Guarantee”) if (a) any Designated Senior Indebtedness of such Note Guarantor is not paid when due or (b) any other default on Designated Senior Indebtedness of such Note Guarantor occurs and the maturity of such Designated Senior Indebtedness is accelerated in accordance with its terms unless, in either case, (i) the default has been cured or waived and any such acceleration has been rescinded or (ii) such Designated Senior Indebtedness has been paid in full; provided, however, that such Note Guarantor may pay its Guarantee without regard to the foregoing if such Note Guarantor and a Trust Officer of the Trustee receive written notice approving such payment from the Representative of the holders of such Designated Senior Indebtedness with respect to which either of the events in clause (a) or (b) of this sentence has occurred and is continuing. During the continuance of any default (other than a default described in clause (a) or (b) of the preceding sentence) with respect to any Designated Senior Indebtedness of a Note Guarantor pursuant to which the maturity thereof may be accelerated immediately without further notice (except such notice as may be required to effect such acceleration) or the expiration of any applicable grace periods, such Note Guarantor may not pay its Guarantee for a period (a “Guarantee Payment Blockage Period”) commencing upon the receipt by a Trust Officer of the Trustee (with a copy to such Note Guarantor and the Company) of written notice specified as a “notice of default” and describing with particularity the default under such Designated Senior Indebtedness (a “Guarantee Blockage Notice”) of such default from the Representative of the holders of the Designated Senior Indebtedness of such Note Guarantor specifying an election to effect a Guarantee Payment Blockage Period and ending 179 days thereafter (or earlier if such Guarantee Payment Blockage Period is terminated (a) by written notice to the Trustee (with a copy to such Note Guarantor and the Company) from the Person or Persons who gave such Guarantee Blockage Notice, (b) because such Designated Senior Indebtedness has been repaid in full or (c) because the default giving rise to such Guarantee Blockage Notice is no longer continuing). Notwithstanding the provisions described in the immediately preceding sentence (but subject to the provisions contained in the first sentence of this Section 12.03), unless the holders of such Designated Senior Indebtedness or the Representative of such holders shall have accelerated the maturity of such Designated Senior Indebtedness, such Note Guarantor may resume to paying its Note Guarantee after such Guarantee Payment Blockage Period, including

 

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any missed payments. Not more than one Guarantee Blockage Notice may be given with respect to a Note Guarantor in any consecutive 360-day period, irrespective of the number of defaults with respect to Designated Senior Indebtedness of such Note Guarantor during such period; provided, however, that if any Guarantee Blockage Notice within such 360-day period is given by or on behalf of any holders of Designated Senior Indebtedness of such Note Guarantor other than the Bank Indebtedness, the Representative of the Bank Indebtedness may give another Guarantee Blockage Notice within such period; provided further, however, that in no event may the total number of days during which any Guarantee Payment Blockage Period or Periods is in effect exceed 179 days in the aggregate during any 360 consecutive day period. For purposes of this Section 12.03, no default or event of default that existed or was continuing on the date of the commencement of any Guarantee Payment Blockage Period with respect to the Designated Senior Indebtedness initiating such Guarantee Payment Blockage Period shall be, or be made, the basis of the commencement of a subsequent Guarantee Payment Blockage Period by the Representative of such Designated Senior Indebtedness, whether or not within a period of 360 consecutive days, unless such default or event of default shall have been cured or waived for a period of not less than 90 consecutive days.

 

SECTION 12.04              Demand for Payment. If payment of the Securities is accelerated because of an Event of Default and a demand for payment is made on a Note Guarantor pursuant to Article 11, the Trustee (provided that a Trust Officer of the Trustee shall have received written notice from the Company, such Note Guarantor or a Representative identifying such Designated Senior Indebtedness, on which notice the Trustee shall be entitled to conclusively rely) shall promptly notify the holders of the Designated Senior Indebtedness of such Note Guarantor (or the Representative of such holders) of such demand. If any Designated Senior Indebtedness of such Note Guarantor is outstanding, such Note Guarantor may not pay its Guarantee until five Business Days after such holders or the Representative of the holders of the Designated Senior Indebtedness of such Note Guarantor receive notice of such demand and, thereafter, may pay its Guarantee only if this Article 12 otherwise permits payment at that time.

 

SECTION 12.05              When Distribution Must Be Paid Over. If a payment or distribution is made to Holders that because of this Article 12 should not have been made to them, the Holders who receive the payment or distribution shall hold such payment or distribution in trust for holders of the Senior Indebtedness of the relevant Note Guarantor and pay it over to them as their respective interests may appear.

 

SECTION 12.06              Subrogation. After all Senior Indebtedness of a Note Guarantor is paid in full and until the Securities are paid in full in cash, Holders shall be subrogated to the rights of holders of Senior Indebtedness of such Note Guarantor to receive distributions applicable to Designated Senior Indebtedness of such Note Guarantor. A distribution made under this Article 12 to holders of Senior Indebtedness of such Note Guarantor which otherwise would have been made to Holders is not, as between such Note Guarantor and Holders, a payment by such Note Guarantor on Senior Indebtedness of such Note Guarantor.

 

SECTION 12.07              Relative Rights. This Article 12 defines the relative rights of Holders and holders of Senior Indebtedness of a Note Guarantor. Nothing in this Indenture shall:

 

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(a)                                  impair, as between a Note Guarantor and Holders, the obligation of a Note Guarantor which is absolute and unconditional, to make payments with respect to the Guaranteed Obligations to the extent set forth in Article 11; or

 

(b)                                 prevent the Trustee or any Holder from exercising its available remedies upon a default by a Note Guarantor under its obligations with respect to the Guaranteed Obligations, subject to the rights of holders of Senior Indebtedness of such Note Guarantor to receive distributions otherwise payable to Holders.

 

SECTION 12.08              Subordination May Not Be Impaired by a Note Guarantor. No right of any holder of Senior Indebtedness of a Note Guarantor to enforce the subordination of the obligations of such Note Guarantor hereunder shall be impaired by any act or failure to act by such Note Guarantor or by its failure to comply with this Indenture.

 

SECTION 12.09              Rights of Trustee and Paying Agent. Notwithstanding Section 12.03, the Trustee or the Paying Agent may continue to make payments on the Guaranteed Obligations and shall not be charged with knowledge of the existence of facts that would prohibit the making of any such payments unless, not less than three Business Days prior to the date of such payment, a Trust Officer of the Trustee receives written notice satisfactory to it that payments may not be made under this Article 12. A Note Guarantor, the Registrar or co-registrar, the Paying Agent, a Representative or a holder of Senior Indebtedness of a Note Guarantor may give the notice; provided, however, that if an issue of Senior Indebtedness of a Note Guarantor has a Representative, only the Representative may give the notice.

 

The Trustee in its individual or any other capacity may hold Senior Indebtedness of a Note Guarantor with the same rights it would have if it were not Trustee. The Registrar and co-registrar and the Paying Agent may do the same with like rights. The Trustee shall be entitled to all the rights set forth in this Article 12 with respect to any Senior Indebtedness of a Note Guarantor which may at any time be held by it, to the same extent as any other holder of Senior Indebtedness of such Note Guarantor; and nothing in Article 7 shall deprive the Trustee of any of its rights as such holder. Nothing in this Article 12 shall apply to claims of, or payments to, the Trustee under or pursuant to Section 7.07 or any other Section of this Indenture.

 

SECTION 12.10              Distribution or Notice to Representative. Whenever a distribution is to be made or a notice given to holders of Senior Indebtedness of a Note Guarantor, the distribution may be made and the notice given to their Representative (if any).

 

SECTION 12.11              Article 12 Not To Prevent Events of Default or Limit Right To Accelerate. The failure of a Note Guarantor to make a payment on any of its Guaranteed Obligations by reason of any provision in this Article 12 shall not be construed as preventing the occurrence of a default by such Note Guarantor under such obligations. Nothing in this Article 12 shall have any effect on the right of the Holders or the Trustee to make a demand for payment on a Note Guarantor pursuant to Article 11.

 

SECTION 12.12              Trustee Entitled To Rely. Upon any payment or distribution pursuant to this Article 12, the Trustee and the Holders shall be entitled to rely (a) upon any order or decree of a court of competent jurisdiction in which any proceedings of the

 

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nature referred to in Section 12.02 are pending, (b) upon a certificate of the liquidating trustee or agent or other Person making such payment or distribution to the Trustee or to the Holders or (c) upon the Representatives for the holders of Senior Indebtedness of a Note Guarantor for the purpose of ascertaining the Persons entitled to participate in such payment or distribution, the holders of the Senior Indebtedness of a Note Guarantor and other Indebtedness of a Note Guarantor, the amount thereof or payable thereon, the amount or amounts paid or distributed thereon and all other facts pertinent thereto or to this Article 12. In the event that the Trustee determines, in good faith, that evidence is required with respect to the right of any Person as a holder of Senior Indebtedness of a Note Guarantor to participate in any payment or distribution pursuant to this Article 12, the Trustee may request such Person to furnish evidence to the reasonable satisfaction of the Trustee as to the amount of Senior Indebtedness of such Note Guarantor held by such Person, the extent to which such Person is entitled to participate in such payment or distribution and other facts pertinent to the rights of such Person under this Article 12, and, if such evidence is not furnished, the Trustee may defer any payment to such Person pending judicial determination as to the right of such Person to receive such payment. The provisions of Sections 7.01 and 7.02 shall be applicable to all actions or omissions of actions by the Trustee pursuant to this Article 12.

 

SECTION 12.13              Trustee To Effectuate Subordination. Each Holder by accepting a Security authorizes and directs the Trustee on his, her or its behalf to take such action as may be necessary or appropriate to acknowledge or effectuate the subordination between the Holders and the holders of Senior Indebtedness of each of the Note Guarantors as provided in this Article 12 and appoints the Trustee as attorney-in- fact for any and all such purposes.

 

SECTION 12.14              Trustee Not Fiduciary for Holders of Senior Indebtedness of a Note Guarantor. The Trustee shall not be deemed to owe any fiduciary duty to the holders of Senior Indebtedness of a Note Guarantor and shall not be liable to any such holders if it shall mistakenly pay over or distribute to Holders or the relevant Note Guarantor or any other Person, money or assets to which any holders of Senior Indebtedness of such Note Guarantor shall be entitled by virtue of this Article 12 or otherwise.

 

SECTION 12.15              Reliance by Holders of Senior Indebtedness of a Note Guarantor on Subordination Provisions. Each Holder by accepting a Security acknowledges and agrees that the foregoing subordination provisions are, and are intended to be, an inducement and a consideration to each holder of any Senior Indebtedness of a Note Guarantor, whether such Senior Indebtedness was created or acquired before or after the issuance of the Securities, to acquire and continue to hold, or to continue to hold, such Senior Indebtedness and such holder of Senior Indebtedness shall be deemed conclusively to have relied on such subordination provisions in acquiring and continuing to hold, or in continuing to hold, such Senior Indebtedness.

 

SECTION 12.16              Defeasance. The terms of this Article 12 shall not apply to payments from money or the proceeds of U.S. Government Obligations held in trust by the Trustee for the payment of principal of and interest on the Securities pursuant to the provisions described in Section 8.03.

 

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ARTICLE 13

 

Miscellaneous

 

SECTION 13.01              Trust Indenture Act Controls. If and to the extent that any provision of this Indenture limits, qualifies or conflicts with the duties imposed by, or with another provision (an “incorporated provision”) included in this Indenture by operation of, TIA Sections 310 to 318, inclusive, such imposed duties or incorporated provision shall control.

 

SECTION 13.02              Notices. Any notice or communication shall be in writing (which may be a facsimile with the original to follow) and delivered in person or mailed by first-class mail addressed as follows:

 

 

 

if to the Company:

 

 

 

 

 

Pliant Corporation

 

 

1515 Woodfield Road, Suite 600

 

 

Schaumburg, Illinois 60173

 

 

 

 

 

Attention of:

 

 

Chief Financial Officer

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If to the Trustee:

 

 

 

 

 

The Bank of New York Trust Company, N.A.

 

 

2 North LaSalle Street, Suite 1020

 

 

Chicago, IL 60602

 

 

 

 

 

Attention of:

 

 

Corporate Trust Administration

 

The Company or the Trustee by notice to the other may designate additional or different addresses for subsequent notices or communications.

 

Any notice or communication mailed to a Holder shall be mailed, first class mail, to the Holder at the Holder’s address as it appears on the registration books of the Registrar and shall be sufficiently given if so mailed within the time prescribed.

 

Failure to mail a notice or communication to a Holder or any defect in it shall not affect its sufficiency with respect to other Holders. If a notice or communication is mailed in the manner provided above, it is duly given, whether or not the addressee receives it.

 

SECTION 13.03              Communication by Holders with Other Holders. Holders may communicate pursuant to TIA Section 312(b) with other Holders with respect to their rights

 

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under this Indenture or the Securities. The Company, the Trustee, the Registrar and anyone else shall have the protection of TIA Section 312(c).

 

SECTION 13.04              Certificate and Opinion as to Conditions Precedent. Upon any request or application by the Company to the Trustee to take or refrain from taking any action under this Indenture, the Company shall furnish to the Trustee:

 

(a)                                  an Officers’ Certificate in form reasonably satisfactory to the Trustee stating that, in the opinion of the signers, all conditions precedent, if any, provided for in this Indenture relating to the proposed action have been complied with; and

 

(b)                                 an Opinion of Counsel in form reasonably satisfactory to the Trustee stating that, in the opinion of such counsel, all such conditions precedent have been complied with (provided, however, that such counsel may rely as to matters of fact on Officers’ Certificates).

 

SECTION 13.05              Statements Required in Certificate or Opinion. Each certificate or opinion with respect to compliance with a covenant or condition provided for in this Indenture (other than pursuant to Section 4.09) shall include:

 

(a)                                  a statement that the individual making such certificate or opinion has read such covenant or condition;

 

(b)                                 a brief statement as to the nature and scope of the examination or investigation upon which the statements or opinions contained in such certificate or opinion are based;

 

(c)                                  a statement that, in the opinion of such individual, he has made such examination or investigation as is necessary to enable him to express an informed opinion as to whether or not such covenant or condition has been complied with; and

 

(d)                                 a statement as to whether or not, in the opinion of such individual, such covenant or condition has been complied with.

 

SECTION 13.06              When Securities Disregarded. In determining whether the Holders of the required principal amount of Securities have concurred in any direction, waiver or consent, Securities owned by the Company, any Note Guarantor or by any Person directly or indirectly controlling or controlled by or under direct or indirect common control with the Company or any Note Guarantor (other than JP Morgan Securities, Inc.) shall be disregarded and deemed not to be outstanding, except that, for the purpose of determining whether the Trustee shall be protected in relying on any such direction, waiver or consent, only Securities which the Trustee knows are so owned shall be so disregarded. Subject to the foregoing, only Securities outstanding at the time shall be considered in any such determination.

 

SECTION 13.07              Rules by Trustee, Paying Agent and Registrar. The Trustee may make reasonable rules for action by or a meeting of Holders. The Registrar and the Paying Agent may make reasonable rules for their functions.

 

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SECTION 13.08              Legal Holidays. A “Legal Holiday” is a Saturday, a Sunday or other day on which banking institutions are not required by law or regulation to be open in the State of New York. If a payment date is a Legal Holiday, payment shall be made on the next succeeding day that is not a Legal Holiday, and no interest shall accrue for the intervening period. If a regular record date is a Legal Holiday, the record date shall not be affected.

 

SECTION 13.09              GOVERNING LAW. THIS INDENTURE AND THE SECURITIES SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH, THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK BUT WITHOUT GIVING EFFECT TO APPLICABLE PRINCIPLES OF CONFLICTS OF LAW TO THE EXTENT THAT THE APPLICATION OF THE LAWS OF ANOTHER JURISDICTION WOULD BE REQUIRED THEREBY.

 

SECTION 13.10              No Recourse Against Others. A director, officer, employee or stockholder, as such, of the Company or any of the Note Guarantors, shall not have any liability for any obligations of the Company or any of the Note Guarantors under the Securities or this Indenture or for any claim based on, in respect of or by reason of such obligations or their creation. By accepting a Security, each Holder shall waive and release all such liability. The waiver and release shall be part of the consideration for the issue of the Securities.

 

SECTION 13.11              Successors. All agreements of the Company and each Note Guarantor in this Indenture and the Securities shall bind its successors. All agreements of the Trustee in this Indenture shall bind its successors.

 

SECTION 13.12              Multiple Originals. The parties may sign any number of copies of this Indenture. Each signed copy shall be an original, but all of them together represent the same agreement. One signed copy is enough to prove this Indenture.

 

SECTION 13.13              Table of Contents; Headings. The table of contents, cross-reference sheet and headings of the Articles and Sections of this Indenture have been inserted for convenience of reference only, are not intended to be considered a part hereof and shall not modify or restrict any of the terms or provisions hereof.

 

SECTION 13.14              Waiver of Jury Trial. EACH OF THE COMPANY AND THE TRUSTEE HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ANY AND ALL RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY LEGAL PROCEEDING ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS INDENTURE, THE NOTES OR THE TRANSACTION CONTEMPLATED HEREBY.

 

SECTION 13.15              Force Majeure. In no event shall the Trustee be responsible or liable for any failure or delay in the performance of its obligations hereunder arising out of or caused by, directly or indirectly, forces beyond its control, including, without limitation, strikes, work stoppages, accidents, acts of war or terrorism, civil or military disturbances, nuclear or natural catastrophes or acts of God, and interruptions, loss or malfunctions of utilities, communications or computer (software and hardware) services; it being understood that the

 

79



 

Trustee shall use reasonable efforts which are consistent with accepted practices in the banking industry to resume performance as soon as practicable under the circumstances.

 

[Rest of page intentionally left blank]

 

80



 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused this Indenture to be duly executed as of the date first written above.

 

 

 

PLIANT CORPORATION,

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Joseph Kwederis

 

 

 

 

Joseph Kwederis

 

 

 

Senior Vice President and Chief Financial
Officer

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PLIANT CORPORATION INTERNATIONAL,

 

 

PLIANT FILM PRODUCTS OF MEXICO, INC.,

 

 

PLIANT SOLUTIONS CORPORATION,

 

 

UNIPLAST HOLDINGS, INC.,

 

 

UNIPLAST U.S., INC.,

 

 

UNIPLAST INDUSTRIES CO.,

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Joseph Kwederis

 

 

 

 

Joseph Kwederis

 

 

 

Executive Vice President and Chief Financial
Officer

 

 

 

 

 

 

PLIANT PACKAGING OF CANADA, LLC,

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Harold C. Bevis

 

 

 

 

Harold C. Bevis

 

 

 

President

 

 

 

 

 

THE BANK OF NEW YORK TRUST COMPANY,
N.A., as Trustee

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Judy Bartolini

 

 

 

 

Name:

J. Bartolini

 

 

 

 

Title:

Vice President

 

 

81


 


 

APPENDIX A
PROVISIONS RELATING TO SECURITIES

 

1.                                       Definitions

 

1.1                                 Definitions

 

For the purposes of this Appendix A the following terms shall have the meanings indicated below:

 

Definitive Security” means a certificated Security that does not include the Global Securities Legend.

 

Depositary” means The Depository Trust Company, its nominees and their respective successors.

 

Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

 

Global Securities Legend” means the legend set forth under that caption in Exhibit A to this Indenture.

 

Plan” means that certain Debtors’ Fourth Amended Joint Plan of Reorganization filed on behalf of the Company and its subsidiaries with the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware on June 19, 2006.

 

Securities Custodian” means the custodian with respect to a Global Security (as appointed by the Depositary) or any successor person thereto, who shall initially be the Trustee.

 

1.2                                 Other Definitions

 

Term:

 

Defined
in Section:

 

 

 

“Agent Members”

 

2.1(c)

“Global Security”

 

2.1(b)

 

2.                                       The Securities

 

2.1                                 Form and Dating

 

(a)                                  The Securities issued on the date hereof will be issued by the Company pursuant to the Plan. Such Securities may thereafter be transferred in accordance with applicable law.

 

(b)                                 Global Securities. The Securities shall be issued initially in the form of one or more permanent global Securities in definitive, fully registered form (collectively, the “Global Securities”), in each case without interest coupons and bearing the Global Securities Legend, which shall be deposited on behalf of the recipients of the Securities represented thereby

 



 

with the Securities Custodian, and registered in the name of the Depositary or a nominee of the Depositary, duly executed by the Company and authenticated by the Trustee as provided in this Indenture. The aggregate principal amount of the Global Securities may from time to time be increased or decreased by adjustments made on the records of the Trustee and the Depositary or its nominee and on the schedules thereto as hereinafter provided.

 

(c)                                  Book-Entry Provisions. This Section 2.1(c) shall apply only to a Global Security deposited with or on behalf of the Depositary.

 

The Company shall execute and the Trustee shall, in accordance with this Section 2.1(c) and Section 2.2 and pursuant to an order of the Company signed by two Officers, authenticate and deliver initially one or more Global Securities that (i) shall be registered in the name of the Depositary for such Global Security or Global Securities or the nominee of such Depositary and (ii) shall be delivered by the Trustee to such Depositary or pursuant to such Depositary’s instructions or held by the Trustee as Securities Custodian.

 

Members of, or participants in, the Depositary (“Agent Members”) shall have no rights under this Indenture with respect to any Global Security held on their behalf by the Depositary or by the Trustee as Securities Custodian or under such Global Security, and the Depositary may be treated by the Company, the Trustee and any agent of the Company or the Trustee as the absolute owner of such Global Security for all purposes whatsoever. Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing herein shall prevent the Company, the Trustee or any agent of the Company or the Trustee from giving effect to any written certification, proxy or other authorization furnished by the Depositary or impair, as between the Depositary and its Agent Members, the operation of customary practices of such Depositary governing the exercise of the rights of a holder of a beneficial interest in any Global Security.

 

(d)                                 Definitive Securities. Except as provided in Section 2.3 or 2.4, owners of beneficial interests in Global Securities will not be entitled to receive physical delivery of certificated Securities.

 

2.2                                 Authentication. The Trustee shall authenticate and make available for delivery, upon a written order of the Company signed by two Officers, Securities for original issue on the date hereof in an aggregate principal amount not to exceed $35,000,000. Such order shall specify the amount of the Securities to be authenticated and the date on which the original issue of Securities is to be authenticated. The aggregate principal amount of Securities outstanding at any time may not exceed $35,000,000, except as provided in Sections 2.07, 2.08 and 2.13 of this Indenture.

 

2.3                                 Transfer and Exchange. (a) Transfer and Exchange of Definitive Securities. When Definitive Securities are presented to the Registrar with a request:

 

(i)                                     to register the transfer of such Definitive Securities; or

 

(ii)                                  to exchange such Definitive Securities for an equal principal amount of Definitive Securities of other authorized denominations, the Registrar shall register the transfer or make the exchange as requested if its reasonable requirements for such transaction are met; provided, however, that the Definitive Securities surrendered for

 

2



 

transfer or exchange shall be duly endorsed or accompanied by a written instrument of transfer in form reasonably satisfactory to the Company and the Registrar, duly executed by the Holder thereof or his attorney duly authorized in writing.

 

(b)                                 Restrictions on Transfer of a Definitive Security for a Beneficial Interest in a Global Security. A Definitive Security may not be exchanged for a beneficial interest in a Global Security except upon satisfaction of the requirements set forth below. Upon receipt by the Trustee of a Definitive Security, duly endorsed or accompanied by a written instrument of transfer in form reasonably satisfactory to the Company and the Registrar, together with written instructions directing the Trustee to make, or to direct the Securities Custodian to make, an adjustment on its books and records with respect to such Global Security to reflect an increase in the aggregate principal amount of the Securities represented by the Global Security, such instructions to contain information regarding the Depositary account to be credited with such increase, then the Trustee shall cancel such Definitive Security and cause, or direct the Securities Custodian to cause, in accordance with the standing instructions and procedures existing between the Depositary and the Securities Custodian, the aggregate principal amount of Securities represented by the Global Security to be increased by the aggregate principal amount of the Definitive Security to be exchanged and shall credit or cause to be credited to the account of the Person specified in such instructions a beneficial interest in the Global Security equal to the principal amount of the Definitive Security so canceled. If no Global Securities are then outstanding and the Global Security has not been previously exchanged for certificated securities pursuant to Section 2.4, the Company shall issue and the Trustee shall authenticate, upon written order of the Company in the form of an Officers’ Certificate, a new Global Security in the appropriate principal amount.

 

(c)                                  Transfer and Exchange of Global Securities.

 

(i)                                     The transfer and exchange of Global Securities or beneficial interests therein shall be effected through the Depositary, in accordance with this Indenture (including applicable restrictions on transfer set forth herein, if any) and the procedures of the Depositary therefor. A transferor of a beneficial interest in a Global Security shall deliver a written order given in accordance with the Depositary’s procedures containing information regarding the participant account of the Depositary to be credited with a beneficial interest in such Global Security or another Global Security and such account shall be credited in accordance with such order with a beneficial interest in the applicable Global Security and the account of the Person making the transfer shall be debited by an amount equal to the beneficial interest in the Global Security being transferred.

 

(ii)                                  Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Appendix (other than the provisions set forth in Section 2.4), a Global Security may not be transferred as a whole except by the Depositary to a nominee of the Depositary or by a nominee of the Depositary to the Depositary or another nominee of the Depositary or by the Depositary or any such nominee to a successor Depositary or a nominee of such successor Depositary.

 

3



 

(d)                                 Legend.

 

(i)                                     Each Security certificate evidencing the Global Securities shall bear a legend in substantially the following form (each defined term in the legend being defined as such for purposes of the legend only):

 

“UNLESS THIS CERTIFICATE IS PRESENTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DEPOSITORY TRUST COMPANY, A NEW YORK CORPORATION (“DTC”), NEW YORK, NEW YORK, TO THE COMPANY OR ITS AGENT FOR REGISTRATION OF TRANSFER, EXCHANGE OR PAYMENT, AND ANY CERTIFICATE ISSUED IS REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF CEDE & CO. OR SUCH OTHER NAME AS IS REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC (AND ANY PAYMENT IS MADE TO CEDE & CO., OR TO SUCH OTHER ENTITY AS IS REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC), ANY TRANSFER, PLEDGE OR OTHER USE HEREOF FOR VALUE OR OTHERWISE BY OR TO ANY PERSON IS WRONGFUL INASMUCH AS THE REGISTERED OWNER HEREOF, CEDE & CO., HAS AN INTEREST HEREIN.

 

TRANSFERS OF THIS GLOBAL SECURITY SHALL BE LIMITED TO TRANSFERS IN WHOLE, BUT NOT IN PART, TO DTC, TO NOMINEES OF DTC OR TO A SUCCESSOR THEREOF OR SUCH SUCCESSOR’S NOMINEE AND TRANSFERS OF PORTIONS OF THIS GLOBAL SECURITY SHALL BE LIMITED TO TRANSFERS MADE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE RESTRICTIONS SET FORTH IN THE INDENTURE REFERRED TO ON THE REVERSE HEREOF.”

 

(e)                                  Cancelation or Adjustment of Global Security. At such time as all beneficial interests in a Global Security have either been exchanged for Definitive Securities, transferred, redeemed, repurchased or canceled, such Global Security shall be returned by the Depositary to the Trustee for cancelation or retained and canceled by the Trustee. At any time prior to such cancellation, if any beneficial interest in a Global Security is exchanged for Definitive Securities, redeemed, repurchased or canceled, the principal amount of Securities represented by such Global Security shall be reduced and an adjustment shall be made on the books and records of the Trustee (if it is then the Securities Custodian for such Global Security) with respect to such Global Security, by the Trustee or the Securities Custodian, to reflect such reduction.

 

(f)                                    Obligations with Respect to Transfers and Exchanges of Securities.

 

(i)                                     To permit registrations of transfers and exchanges, the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate, Definitive Securities and Global Securities at the Registrar’s request.

 

(ii)                                  No service charge shall be made for any registration of transfer or exchange, but the Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any transfer tax, assessments, or similar governmental charge payable in connection therewith (other than any such transfer taxes, assessments or similar governmental charge payable

 

4



 

upon exchanges to be registered in the name of the registered Holder effecting the exchange pursuant to Sections 2.06, 3.06, 4.06, 4.08 and 9.05 of this Indenture).

 

(iii)                               Prior to the due presentation for registration of transfer of any Security, the Company, the Trustee, the Paying Agent or the Registrar may deem and treat the person in whose name a Security is registered as the absolute owner of such Security for the purpose of receiving payment of principal of and interest on such Security and for all other purposes whatsoever, whether or not such Security is overdue, and none of the Company, the Trustee, the Paying Agent or the Registrar shall be affected by notice to the contrary.

 

(iv)                              All Securities issued upon any transfer or exchange pursuant to the terms of this Indenture shall evidence the same debt and shall be entitled to the same benefits under this Indenture as the Securities  surrendered upon such transfer or exchange.

 

(g)                                 No Obligation of the Trustee.

 

(i)                                     The Trustee shall have no responsibility or obligation to any beneficial owner of a Global Security, a member of, or a participant in the Depositary or any other Person with respect to the accuracy of the records of the Depositary or its nominee or of any participant or member thereof, with respect to any ownership interest in the Securities or with respect to the delivery to any participant, member, beneficial owner or other Person (other than the Depositary) of any notice (including any notice of redemption or repurchase) or the payment of any amount, under or with respect to such Securities. All notices and communications to be given to the Holders and all payments to be made to Holders under the Securities shall be given or made only to the registered Holders (which shall be the Depositary or its nominee in the case of a Global Security). The rights of beneficial owners in any Global Security shall be exercised only through the Depositary subject to the applicable rules and procedures of the Depositary. The Trustee may rely and shall be fully protected in relying upon information furnished by the Depositary with respect to its members, participants and any beneficial owners.

 

(ii)                                  The Trustee shall have no obligation or duty to monitor, determine or inquire as to compliance with any restrictions on transfer imposed under this Indenture or under applicable law with respect to any transfer of any interest in any Security (including any transfers between or among Depositary participants, members or beneficial owners in any Global Security) other than to require delivery of such certificates and other documentation or evidence as are expressly required by, and to do so if and when expressly required by, the terms of this Indenture, and to examine the same to determine substantial compliance as to form with the express requirements hereof.

 

2.4                                 Definitive Securities

 

(a)                                  A Global Security deposited with the Depositary or with the Trustee as Securities Custodian pursuant to Section 2.1 shall be transferred to the beneficial owners thereof in the form of Definitive Securities in an aggregate principal amount equal to the principal

 

5



 

amount of such Global Security, in exchange for such Global Security, only if such transfer complies with Section 2.3 and (i) the Depositary notifies the Company that it is unwilling or unable to continue as a Depositary for such Global Security or if at any time the Depositary ceases to be a “clearing agency” registered under the Exchange Act, and a successor depositary is not appointed by the Company within 90 days of such notice or after the Company becomes aware of such cessation, or (ii) an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing or (iii) the Company, in its sole discretion, notifies the Trustee in writing that it elects to cause the issuance of certificated Securities under this Indenture.

 

(b)                                 Any Global Security that is transferable to the beneficial owners thereof pursuant to this Section 2.4 shall be surrendered by the Depositary to the Trustee, to be so transferred, in whole or from time to time in part, without charge, and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, upon such transfer of each portion of such Global Security, an equal aggregate principal amount of Definitive Securities of authorized denominations. Any portion of a Global Security transferred pursuant to this Section shall be executed, authenticated and delivered only in denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiple thereof and registered in such names as the Depositary shall direct.

 

(c)                                  Subject to the provisions of Section 2.4(b), the registered Holder of a Global Security may grant proxies and otherwise authorize any Person, including Agent Members and Persons that may hold interests through Agent Members, to take any action which a Holder is entitled to take under this Indenture or the Securities.

 

(d)                                 In the event of the occurrence of any of the events specified in Section 2.4(a)(i), (ii) or (iii), the Company will promptly make available to the Trustee a reasonable supply of Definitive Securities in fully registered form without interest coupons.

 

6



 

EXHIBIT A

 

[FORM OF FACE OF 13% SENIOR SUBORDINATED NOTES DUE 2010]

 

[Global Securities Legend](1)

 

UNLESS THIS CERTIFICATE IS PRESENTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DEPOSITORY TRUST COMPANY, A NEW YORK CORPORATION (“DTC”), NEW YORK, NEW YORK, TO THE COMPANY OR ITS AGENT FOR REGISTRATION OF TRANSFER, EXCHANGE OR PAYMENT, AND ANY CERTIFICATE ISSUED IS REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF CEDE & CO. OR SUCH OTHER NAME AS IS REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC (AND ANY PAYMENT IS MADE TO CEDE & CO., OR TO SUCH OTHER ENTITY AS IS REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC), ANY TRANSFER, PLEDGE OR OTHER USE HEREOF FOR VALUE OR OTHERWISE BY OR TO ANY PERSON IS WRONGFUL INASMUCH AS THE REGISTERED OWNER HEREOF, CEDE & CO., HAS AN INTEREST HEREIN.

 

TRANSFERS OF THIS GLOBAL SECURITY SHALL BE LIMITED TO TRANSFERS IN WHOLE, BUT NOT IN PART, TO DTC, TO NOMINEES OF DTC OR TO A SUCCESSOR THEREOF OR SUCH SUCCESSOR’S NOMINEE AND TRANSFERS OF PORTIONS OF THIS GLOBAL SECURITY SHALL BE LIMITED TO TRANSFERS MADE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE RESTRICTIONS SET FORTH IN THE INDENTURE REFERRED TO ON THE REVERSE HEREOF.

 

FOR UNITED STATES FEDERAL INCOME TAX PURPOSES, THIS INSTRUMENT IS CONSIDERED TO BE ISSUED WITH ORIGINAL ISSUE DISCOUNT. FOR INFORMATION CONCERNING THE ISSUE PRICE, AMOUNT OF ORIGINAL ISSUE DISCOUNT, ISSUE DATE AND YIELD TO MATURITY OF THIS INSTRUMENT, CONTACT JOE KWEDERIS, SENIOR VICE-PRESIDENT FINANCE OF THE ISSUER AT 1475 WOODFIELD ROAD, SUITE 700, SCHAUMBURG, ILLINOIS 60173, TEL:  (847) 407-5117.

 

 

No.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

13% Senior Subordinated Note due 2010

 

 

 

 

 

CUSIP No.  

 

 

 

ISIN No.  

 

 


(1)          Insert the following two paragraphs if Security is to be issued in global form.

 



 

PLIANT CORPORATION, a Delaware corporation, promises to pay to Cede & Co., or registered assigns, the principal sum [listed on the Schedule of Increases or Decreases in Global Security attached hereto](2) [of $      ](3) on July 15, 2010.

 

Interest Payment Dates: January 15 and July 15.

 

Record Dates: January 1 and July 1.

 

Additional provisions of this Security are set forth on the other side of this Security.

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused this instrument to be duly executed.

 

 

PLIANT CORPORATION,

 

 

 

By:

 

 

 

 

Name:

 

 

Title:

 

 

 

 

 

By:

 

 

 

 

Name:

 

 

Title:

 

 

TRUSTEE’S CERTIFICATE OF

 

AUTHENTICATION

 

 

 

THE BANK OF NEW YORK TRUST
COMPANY, N.A.,

 

 

 

as Trustee, certifies

 

that this is one of

 

the Securities referred

 

to in the Indenture.

 

 

 

By:

 

 

 

 

Authorized Signatory

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dated:

 

 


(2)          Insert if Security is to be issued in global form.

(3)          Insert if Security is to be issued in definitive form.

 

2



 

[FORM OF REVERSE SIDE OF 13% SENIOR SUBORDINATED NOTES DUE 2010]

 

13% Senior Subordinated Note due 2010

 

1.                                       INTEREST

 

PLIANT CORPORATION, a Delaware corporation (such corporation, and its successors and assigns under the Indenture hereinafter referred to, being herein called the “Company”), promises to pay interest on the principal amount of this Security at the rate per annum shown above.

 

Interest on the Securities will accrue from the date of issuance at the rate of 13% per annum until maturity, and will be payable semiannually on each January 15 and July 15 commencing January 15, 2007, to holders of record on the immediately preceding  January 1 or July 1. Interest on the Securities shall accrue from the most recent date to which interest has been paid or duly provided for or, if no interest has been paid or duly provided for, from July 18, 2006 until the principal hereof is due. On each of the first two interest payment dates, the Company shall, in lieu of the payment of interest on the Securities in cash, pay interest on the Securities through the issuance of additional Securities in an aggregate principal amount equal to the aggregate amount of interest (rounded down to the nearest whole dollar) that would be payable with respect to the Securities if such interest were paid in cash. On or before each such interest payment date, the Company shall deliver to the Trustee and the Paying Agent [an order to increase the principal amount of this Security by the amount required to pay such interest (or, if requested by the Trustee or the Holder of this Security, to authenticate a new global Security executed by the Company with such increased principal amounts)](4) [additional Securities in the amount required to pay such interest and an order to authenticate and deliver such additional Securities to the record Holder of this Security](5). Any additional Securities so issued shall be dated the applicable interest payment date, shall bear interest from and after such date, shall mature on July 15, 2010 and shall be governed by, and be subject to the terms of the Indenture and shall have the same rights and benefits as the Securities. Interest shall be computed on the basis of a 360-day year of twelve 30-day months.

 

2.                                       METHOD OF PAYMENT

 

The Company shall pay interest on the Securities (except defaulted interest) to the Persons who are registered holders at the close of business on the January 1 or July 1 next preceding the interest payment date even if the Securities are canceled after the record date and on or before the interest payment date. Holders must surrender Securities to a Paying Agent to collect principal payments. The Company shall pay principal, premium, if any, and, except as set forth in paragraph 1, interest in money of the United States of America that at the time of payment is legal tender for payment of public and private debts. Payments in respect of the Securities represented by a Global Security (including principal, premium, if any, and interest) shall be made by wire transfer of immediately available funds to the accounts specified by The Depository Trust Company or any successor depositary; PROVIDED that any such payment in the form of additional Securities shall be made in accordance with paragraph 1. The Company

 


(4)          Insert if the Security is to be issued in global form.

(5)          Insert if the Security is to be issued in definitive form.

 

3



 

will make all payments in respect of a certificated Security (including principal, premium, if any, and interest), at the office of the Paying Agent, except that, at the option of the Company, payment of interest may be made by mailing a check to the registered address of each Holder thereof; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that payments on the Securities may also be made, in the case of a Holder of at least $1,000,000 aggregate principal amount of Securities, by wire transfer to a U.S. dollar account maintained by the payee with a bank in the United States if such Holder elects payment by wire transfer by giving written notice to the Trustee or the Paying Agent to such effect designating such account no later than 30 days immediately preceding the relevant due date for payment (or such other date as the Trustee may accept in its discretion); PROVIDED further that any such payment in the form of additional Securities shall be made in accordance with paragraph 1.

 

3.                                       PAYING AGENT AND REGISTRAR

 

Initially, The Bank of New York Trust Company, N.A., a national banking association (the “Trustee”), will act as Paying Agent and Registrar. The Company may appoint and change any Paying Agent or Registrar without notice. The Company or any of its domestically incorporated Wholly Owned Subsidiaries may act as Paying Agent or Registrar.

 

4.                                       INDENTURE

 

The Company issued the Securities under an Indenture dated as of July 18, 2006 (the “Indenture”), among the Company, the Note Guarantors and the Trustee. The terms of the Securities include those stated in the Indenture and those made part of the Indenture by reference to the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 (15 U.S.C. Sections 77aaa-77bbbb) as in effect on the date of the Indenture (the “TIA”). Terms defined in the Indenture and not defined herein have the meanings ascribed thereto in the Indenture. The Securities are subject to all terms and provisions of the Indenture, and Holders (as defined in the Indenture) are referred to the Indenture and the TIA for a statement of such terms and provisions.

 

The Securities are senior subordinated unsecured obligations of the Company limited to $35,000,000 aggregate principal amount at any one time outstanding (subject to Sections 2.07 and 2.08 of the Indenture) plus the amount of any additional Securities issued on the first two interest payment dates in lieu of payment of interest in cash in accordance with paragraph 1. This Security is one of the Securities referred to in the Indenture. The Securities and any additional Securities issued in accordance with paragraph 1 are treated as a single class of securities under the Indenture. The Indenture imposes certain limitations on the ability of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries to, among other things, make certain Investments and other Restricted Payments, pay dividends and other distributions, incur Indebtedness, enter into consensual restrictions upon the payment of certain dividends and distributions by such Restricted Subsidiaries, enter into or permit certain transactions with Affiliates and make Asset Sales. The Indenture also imposes limitations on the ability of the Company and each Note Guarantor to consolidate or merge with or into any other Person or the Company to convey, transfer or lease all or substantially all of its property.

 

To guarantee the due and punctual payment of the principal and interest on the Securities and all other amounts payable by the Company under the Indenture and the Securities

 

4



 

when and as the same shall be due and payable, whether at maturity, by acceleration or otherwise, according to the terms of the Securities and the Indenture, the Note Guarantors have jointly and severally unconditionally guaranteed the Guaranteed Obligations on a senior subordinated basis pursuant to the terms of the Indenture.

 

5.                                       OPTIONAL REDEMPTION

 

On or after July 18, 2006, the Securities (including any additional Securities issued in accordance with paragraph 1) shall be redeemable at the option of the Company, on not less than 30 nor more than 60 days prior notice: (a) in whole with the proceeds of Refinancing Indebtedness permitted by Section 4.03 of the Indenture commencing on July 18, 2006 and terminating on the close of business on July 18, 2007, at a redemption price equal to (i) $20,000,000 plus (ii) interest accrued at a rate of 13% per annum from July 18, 2006 through the redemption date on an aggregate principal amount of $20,000,000 minus (iii) interest, if any, previously paid in cash on the Securities (the “Call Option”); and (b) in whole or in part, commencing on or after July 19, 2007 at a redemption price equal to 100.00% of the aggregate principal amount of the Securities, plus accrued and unpaid interest, to the redemption date (subject to the right of holders of record on the relevant record date to receive interest due on the relevant interest payment date). The Company shall have the right to assign the Call Option to any Person at its sole discretion and such Call Option shall remain binding on the Securities, provided that any assignee of the Call Option shall comply with the notice requirements of Section 3.03 of the Indenture as if a party thereto, provided further that any such assignee exercising the Call Option shall be permitted to utilize any available source of funds to redeem the Securities.

 

6.                                       SINKING FUND

 

The Securities are not subject to any sinking fund.

 

7.                                       NOTICE OF REDEMPTION

 

Notice of redemption will be mailed by first-class mail at least 30 days but not more than 60 days before the redemption date to each Holder of Securities to be redeemed at his or her registered address. Securities in denominations larger than $1,000 principal amount may be redeemed in part but only in whole multiples of $1,000 principal amount. If money sufficient to pay the redemption price of and accrued and unpaid interest on all Securities (or portions thereof) to be redeemed on the redemption date is deposited with the Paying Agent on or before the redemption date and certain other conditions are satisfied, on and after such date interest ceases to accrue on such Securities (or such portions thereof) called for redemption.

 

8.                                       REPURCHASE OF SECURITIES AT THE OPTION OF HOLDERS UPON CHANGE OF CONTROL

 

Upon a Change of Control, any Holder of Securities will have the right, subject to certain conditions specified in the Indenture, to cause the Company to repurchase all or any part of the Securities of such Holder at a purchase price equal to 101% of the principal amount of the Securities to be repurchased plus accrued and unpaid interest to the date of repurchase (subject to the right of Holders of record on the relevant record date to receive interest due on the relevant

 

5



 

interest payment date that is on or prior to the date of purchase) as provided in, and subject to the terms of, the Indenture.

 

In accordance with Section 4.06 of the Indenture, the Company will be required to offer to purchase Securities upon the occurrence of certain events.

 

9.                                       SUBORDINATION

 

The Securities and Note Guarantees are subordinated to Senior Indebtedness, as defined in the Indenture. To the extent provided in the Indenture, Senior Indebtedness must be paid before the Securities may be paid. The Company and each Note Guarantor agrees, and each Holder by accepting a Security agrees, to the subordination provisions contained in the Indenture and authorizes the Trustee to give it effect and appoints the Trustee as attorney-in-fact for such purpose.

 

10.                                 DENOMINATIONS; TRANSFER; EXCHANGE

 

The Securities are in registered form without coupons in denominations of $1,000 principal amount and whole multiples of $1,000 principal amount; PROVIDED that the aggregate principal amount of the Securities issued on the date of original issuance shall not exceed $35,000,000 and shall be issued pro rata to the holders of claims (as defined in Section 101(5) of title 11 of the United States Code) arising under or evidenced by the previously existing 13% Senior Subordinated Notes due 2010 being relinquished pursuant to the Joint Plan of Reorganization of the Company and its subsidiaries, rounding down such pro rata amount to the nearest $1,000 or integral multiple thereof; PROVIDED further that additional Securities issued as payment of interest on the Securities shall be issued in denominations of $1.00 and integral multiples of $1.00, rounding down such interest payment to the nearest $1.00 or integral multiple thereof. A Holder may transfer or exchange Securities in accordance with the Indenture. Upon any transfer or exchange, the Registrar and the Trustee may require a Holder, among other things, to furnish appropriate endorsements or transfer documents and to pay any taxes required by law or permitted by the Indenture. The Registrar need not register the transfer of or exchange any Securities selected for redemption (except, in the case of a Security to be redeemed in part, the portion of the Security not to be redeemed) or to transfer or exchange any Securities for a period of 15 days prior to a selection of Securities to be redeemed or 15 days before an interest payment date.

 

11.                                 PERSONS DEEMED OWNERS

 

Except as provided in paragraph 2 hereof, the registered Holder of this Security may be treated as the owner of it for all purposes.

 

12.                                 UNCLAIMED MONEY

 

If money for the payment principal or interest remains unclaimed for two years, the Trustee and the Paying Agent shall pay the money back to the Company at its written request unless an abandoned property law designates another Person. After any such payment, Holders entitled to the money must look to the Company for payment and not to the Trustee for payment

 

6



 

as general creditors and the Trustee and the Paying Agent shall have no further liability with respect to such monies.

 

13.                                 DISCHARGE AND DEFEASANCE

 

Subject to certain conditions, the Company at any time may terminate some of or all its obligations under the Securities and the Indenture if the Company deposits with the Trustee money or U.S. Government Obligations for the payment of principal of, and interest on, the Securities to redemption or maturity, as the case may be.

 

14.                                 AMENDMENT; WAIVER

 

Subject to certain exceptions set forth in the Indenture, (i) the Indenture or the Securities may be amended without prior notice to any Holder but with the written consent of the Holders of at least a majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding Securities and (ii) any default or compliance with any provisions of the Indenture may be waived with the written consent of the Holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities. Subject to certain exceptions set forth in the Indenture, without the consent of any Holder, the Company, the Note Guarantors and the Trustee may amend the Indenture or the Securities (i) to cure any ambiguity, omission, defect or inconsistency; (ii) to comply with Article 5 of the Indenture; (iii) to provide for uncertificated Securities in addition to or in place of certificated Securities; (iv) to add Note Guarantees with respect to the Securities; (v) to secure the Securities; (vi) to add additional covenants or to surrender rights and powers conferred on the Company; (vii) to comply with the requirements of the SEC in order to effect or maintain the qualification of the Indenture under the TIA; (viii) to make any change that does not materially and adversely affect the rights of any Holder under the provisions of the Indenture; and (ix) to make any change in the subordination provisions of the Indenture that would limit or terminate the benefits available to any holder of Senior Indebtedness of the Company (or any Representative thereof) under such subordination provisions.

 

15.                                 DEFAULTS AND REMEDIES

 

If an Event of Default occurs (other than an Event of Default relating to certain events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization of the Company) and is continuing, the Trustee or the Holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the outstanding Securities may declare the principal of and accrued but unpaid interest on all the Securities to be due and payable. If an Event of Default relating to certain events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization of the Company occurs, the principal of and interest on all the Securities shall become immediately due and payable without any declaration or other act on the part of the Trustee or any Holders.  Under certain circumstances, the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities may rescind any such acceleration with respect to the Securities and its consequences.

 

If an Event of Default occurs and is continuing, the Trustee shall be under no obligation to exercise any of the rights or powers under the Indenture at the request or direction of any of the Holders unless such Holders have offered to the Trustee indemnity or security reasonably satisfactory to it against any loss, liability or expense and certain other conditions are

 

7



 

complied with. Except to enforce the right to receive payment of principal, premium (if any) or interest when due, no Holder may pursue any remedy with respect to the Indenture or the Securities unless (i) such Holder has previously given the Trustee notice that an Event of Default is continuing, (ii) Holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the outstanding Securities have requested the Trustee in writing to pursue the remedy, (iii) such Holders have offered the Trustee reasonable security or indemnity against any loss, liability or expense, (iv) the Trustee has not complied with such request within 60 days after the receipt of the request and the offer of security or indemnity and (v) the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities have not given the Trustee a direction inconsistent with such request within such 60-day period. Subject to certain restrictions, the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities are given the right to direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the Trustee or of exercising any trust or power conferred on the Trustee. The Trustee, however, may refuse to follow any direction that conflicts with law or the Indenture or that the Trustee determines is unduly prejudicial to the rights of any other Holder or that would involve the Trustee in personal liability. Prior to taking any action under the Indenture, the Trustee shall be entitled to indemnification reasonably satisfactory to it against all losses and expenses caused by taking or not taking such action.

 

16.                                 TRUSTEE DEALINGS WITH THE COMPANY

 

Subject to certain limitations imposed by the TIA, the Trustee under the Indenture, in its individual or any other capacity, may become the owner or pledgee of Securities and may otherwise deal with and collect obligations owed to it by the Company, a Note Guarantor or its Affiliates and may otherwise deal with the Company, a Note Guarantor or its Affiliates with the same rights it would have if it were not Trustee.

 

17.                                 NO RECOURSE AGAINST OTHERS

 

A director, officer, employee or stockholder, as such, of the Company or any Note Guarantor shall not have any liability for any obligations of the Company or any Note Guarantor under the Securities or the Indenture or for any claim based on, in respect of or by reason of such obligations or their creation. By accepting a Security, each Holder waives and releases all such liability. The waiver and release are part of the consideration for the issue of the Securities.

 

18.                                 AUTHENTICATION

 

This Security shall not be valid until an authorized signatory of the Trustee (or an authenticating agent) manually signs the certificate of authentication on the other side of this Security.

 

19.                                 ABBREVIATIONS

 

Customary abbreviations may be used in the name of a Holder or an assignee, such as TEN COM (=tenants in common), TEN ENT (=tenants by the entireties), JT TEN (=joint tenants with rights of survivorship and not as tenants in common), CUST (=custodian), and U/G/M/A (=Uniform Gift to Minors Act).

 

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20.                                 GOVERNING LAW

 

THIS SECURITY SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH, THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK BUT WITHOUT GIVING EFFECT TO APPLICABLE PRINCIPLES OF CONFLICTS OF LAW TO THE EXTENT THAT THE APPLICATION OF THE LAWS OF ANOTHER JURISDICTION WOULD BE REQUIRED THEREBY.

 

21.                                 CUSIP AND ISIN NUMBERS

 

The Company has caused CUSIP and ISIN numbers to be printed on the Securities and has directed the Trustee to use CUSIP and ISIN numbers in notices of redemption as a convenience to Holders. No representation is made as to the accuracy of such numbers either as printed on the Securities or as contained in any notice of redemption and reliance may be placed only on the other identification numbers placed thereon.

 

THE COMPANY WILL FURNISH TO ANY HOLDER OF SECURITIES UPON WRITTEN REQUEST AND WITHOUT CHARGE TO THE HOLDER A COPY OF THE INDENTURE.

 

ASSIGNMENT FORM

 

To assign this Security, fill in the form below:

 

I or we assign and transfer this Security to

 

(Print or type assignee’s name, address and zip code)

 

(Insert assignee’s soc. sec. or tax I.D. No.)

 

and irrevocably appoint                  agent to transfer this Security on the books of the Company. The agent may substitute another to act for him.

 

 

 

Date:

 

 

 

Your Signature:

 

 

 

 

 

(Sign exactly as your name appears on the other side of this Security.)

 

 

 

Signature Guarantee:

 

 

 

 

 

Date:

 

 

 

 

 

Signature must be guaranteed

 

Signature of Signature

by a participant in a

 

Guarantee

recognized signature guaranty

 

 

medallion program or other

 

 

signature guarantor acceptable

 

 

to the Trustee

 

 

 

9



 

OPTION OF HOLDER TO ELECT PURCHASE

 

IF YOU WANT TO ELECT TO HAVE THIS SECURITY PURCHASED BY THE COMPANY PURSUANT TO SECTION 4.06 (ASSET DISPOSITION) OR 4.08 (CHANGE OF CONTROL) OF THE INDENTURE, CHECK THE BOX:

 

ASSET DISPOSITION o  CHANGE OF CONTROL o

 

IF YOU WANT TO ELECT TO HAVE ONLY PART OF THIS SECURITY PURCHASED BY THE COMPANY PURSUANT TO SECTION 4.06 OR 4.08 OF THE INDENTURE, STATE THE AMOUNT ($1,000 OR AN INTEGRAL MULTIPLE THEREOF):

 

$

 

 

 

DATE:

 

 

YOUR SIGNATURE:

 

 

(SIGN EXACTLY AS YOUR NAME APPEARS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE SECURITY)

 

 

SIGNATURE GUARANTEE:

 

 

 

SIGNATURE MUST BE GUARANTEED BY A PARTICIPANT IN A RECOGNIZED SIGNATURE GUARANTY MEDALLION PROGRAM OR OTHER SIGNATURE GUARANTOR ACCEPTABLE TO THE TRUSTEE

 

10



 

[TO BE ATTACHED TO GLOBAL SECURITIES]

 

SCHEDULE OF INCREASES OR DECREASES IN GLOBAL SECURITY

 

The initial principal amount of this Global Security is $[     ]. The following increases or decreases in this Global Security have been made:

 

Date of
increase or
decrease in
principal
amount of
this Global
Security

 

Signature of authorized
signatory of securities
custodian of this Global
Security

 

Amount of
increase in
principal
amount of this
Global
Security

 

Amount of
decrease in
principal
amount of this
Global
Security

 

Principal
Amount of
this Global
Security
following
such increase
or decrease

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

11



 

EXHIBIT B

 

FORM OF SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE

 

SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE (this “Supplemental Indenture”) dated as of [      ], among [GUARANTOR] (the “New Guarantor”), a subsidiary of PLIANT CORPORATION (or its successor), a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), [OTHER EXISTING GUARANTORS] and THE BANK OF NEW YORK TRUST COMPANY, N.A., a national banking association, as trustee under the indenture referred to below (the “Trustee”).

 

W I T N E S S E T H :

 

WHEREAS the Company and [OLD GUARANTORS] (the “Existing Guarantors”) have heretofore executed and delivered to the Trustee an Indenture (the “Indenture”) dated as of July 18, 2006, providing for the issuance of an aggregate principal amount of up to $35,000,000 of 13% Senior Subordinated Notes due 2010 plus the amount of any additional securities issued in lieu of payment of interest in cash pursuant to Section 2.13 of the Indenture (the “Securities”);

 

WHEREAS Section 4.11 of the Indenture provides that under certain circumstances the Company is required to cause the New Guarantor to execute and deliver to the Trustee a supplemental indenture pursuant to which the New Guarantor shall unconditionally guarantee all the Company’s obligations under the Securities pursuant to a Note Guarantee on the terms and conditions set forth herein; and

 

WHEREAS pursuant to Section 9.01 of the Indenture, the Trustee, the Company and the Existing Guarantors are authorized to execute and deliver this Supplemental Indenture;

 

NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt of which is hereby acknowledged, the New Guarantor, the Company, the Existing Guarantors and the Trustee mutually covenant and agree for the equal and ratable benefit of the holders of the Securities as follows:

 

1.                                       Agreement to Guarantee. The New Guarantor hereby agrees, jointly and severally with all the Existing Guarantors, to unconditionally guarantee the Company’s obligations under the Securities on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in Articles 11 and 12 of the Indenture and to be bound by all other applicable provisions of the Indenture and the Securities.

 

2.                                       Ratification of Indenture; Supplemental Indentures Part of Indenture. Except as expressly amended hereby, the Indenture is in all respects ratified and confirmed and all the terms, conditions and provisions thereof shall remain in full force and effect. This Supplemental Indenture shall form a part of the Indenture for all purposes, and every holder of Securities heretofore or hereafter authenticated and delivered shall be bound hereby.

 

3.                                       Governing Law. THIS SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH, THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK BUT WITHOUT GIVING EFFECT TO APPLICABLE PRINCIPLES

 



 

OF CONFLICTS OF LAW TO THE EXTENT THAT THE APPLICATION OF THE LAWS OF ANOTHER JURISDICTION WOULD BE REQUIRED THEREBY.

 

4.                                       Trustee Makes No Representation. The recitals contained herein shall be taken as the statements of the Company, [NEW GUARANTOR] and the Existing Guarantors, and the Trustee assumes no responsibility for their correctness. The Trustee makes no representation as to the validity or sufficiency of this Supplemental Indenture.

 

5.                                       Counterparts. The parties may sign any number of copies of this Supplemental Indenture. Each signed copy shall be an original, but all of them together represent the same agreement.

 

6.                                       Effect of Headings. The Section headings herein are for convenience only and shall not effect the construction thereof.

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Supplemental Indenture to be duly executed as of the date first above written.

 

 

[NEW GUARANTOR],

 

 

 

By

 

 

 

 

Name:

 

 

Title:

 

 

 

 

 

PLIANT CORPORATION,

 

 

 

By

 

 

 

 

Name:

 

 

Title:

 

 

 

 

 

[OTHER EXISTING GUARANTORS],

 

 

 

 

By

 

 

 

 

Name:

 

 

Title:

 

 

 

 

 

THE BANK OF NEW YORK TRUST
COMPANY, N.A., as Trustee,

 

 

 

By

 

 

 

 

Name:

 

 

Title:

 

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