NOTE 11. DEBT

Effective January 1, 2016, we adopted FASB amendments that require debt issuance costs related to a recognized debt liability be presented within the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the carrying amount of that debt liability, consistent with debt discounts. This reclassification of the presentation of deferred financing costs did not have a material impact on other long-term assets or long-term debt amounts reported in our condensed consolidated balance sheet and additionally would not have a material impact on such amounts reported in a prior period. These amendments have been reflected prospectively from the date of inception; prior period amounts have not been revised for the effects of this amendment. For line-of-credit arrangements, borrowers have the option of presenting debt issuance costs as an asset which is subsequently amortized ratably over the term of the line-of-credit arrangement, regardless of whether there are any related outstanding borrowings. As such, we continue to present deferred financing costs associated with our unsecured revolving credit facility within other long-term assets in the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets.

Credit Facility

In December 2015, we refinanced our existing $700 million unsecured revolving credit facility by entering into a second amended and restated credit agreement relating to a five-year unsecured revolving credit facility in the principal amount of $850 million with a syndicate of multinational banks, which matures on December 4, 2020 (the new credit facility and the prior credit facility are referred to collectively as the “Credit Facility”) and requires no scheduled prepayments before that date. Although the Credit Facility does not mature until December 4, 2020, all individual borrowings under the terms of the Credit Facility have a stated term between 30 and 180 days. At the end of each term, the obligation is either repaid or rolled over into a new borrowing. The Credit Facility contains a subjective material adverse event clause, which allows the debt holders to call the loans under the Credit Facility if we fail to provide prompt written notice to the syndicate of such an event. Based on the stated term and the existence of the subjective material adverse event clause, this Credit Facility is reflected in the current liabilities section of our consolidated balance sheets. At December 31, 2017, we had $655.0 million outstanding under our Credit Facility with a weighted average effective interest rate of 2.81 percent. At December 31, 2016, we had $611.0 million outstanding under our Credit Facility with a weighted average effective interest rate 1.95 percent. The funds available under the Credit Facility at December 31, 2017, and December 31, 2016, reflect a further reduction due to the issuance of a letter of credit for $1.0 million, which was issued in connection with our workers’ compensation policy.

Applicable interest rates on borrowings under the Credit Facility generally range from 0.875 to 1.375 percentage points (“Credit Spread”) above the London interbank offered rate, based on our leverage ratio, or the prevailing prime rate plus a maximum spread of up to 0.375 percent, based on our leverage ratio. We previously entered into forward fixed interest rate swap agreements to manage the economic effect of the first $80 million of variable interest rate borrowings. We designated the interest rate swaps as cash flow hedges. See Note 17 for a discussion of our derivative instruments and hedging activities. Under the Credit Facility, we pay quarterly commitment fees of 0.075 percent to 0.25 percent, based on our leverage ratio, on any unused commitment.

The obligations under the Credit Facility may be accelerated upon the occurrence of an event of default under the Credit Facility, which includes customary events of default including payment defaults, defaults in the performance of the affirmative, negative and financial covenants, the inaccuracy of representations or warranties, bankruptcy and insolvency related defaults, defaults relating to judgments, certain events related to employee pension benefit plans under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, the failure to pay specified indebtedness, cross-acceleration to specified indebtedness and a change of control default. The Credit Facility contains affirmative, negative, and financial covenants customary for financings of this type. The negative covenants include restrictions on liens, indebtedness of subsidiaries of the Company, fundamental changes, investments, transactions with affiliates and certain restrictive agreements. The sole financial covenant is a consolidated leverage ratio test that requires our ratio of debt to earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization, and share-based compensation defined as the consolidated leverage ratio under the terms of the Credit Facility, not to exceed 3.5-to-1. At December 31, 2017, we were in compliance with the covenants of the Credit Facility.

Senior Notes

In December 2013, we issued and sold through a private placement an aggregate principal amount of $150 million of unsecured senior notes consisting of $75 million of 3.94% Series A Senior Notes due December 11, 2023 (the “2023 Notes”) and $75 million of 4.04% Series B Senior Notes due December 11, 2025 (the “2025 Series B Notes” and together with the 2023 Notes, the “December Notes”) under a Note Purchase Agreement among the Company, New York Life Insurance Company and the accredited institutional purchasers named therein (the “December 2013 Note Agreement”).

In July 2014, we issued and sold through a private placement an aggregate principal amount of $125 million of unsecured senior notes consisting of $75 million of 3.76% Series B Senior Notes due July 21, 2024 (the “2024 Notes”) and $50 million of 3.32% Series A Senior Notes due July 21, 2021 (the “2021 Notes” and together with the 2024 Notes, the “Prudential Notes”) under a Note Purchase and Private Shelf Agreement among the Company, Prudential Investment Management, Inc. (“Prudential”) and the accredited institutional purchasers named therein (the “July 2014 Note Agreement”).

In September 2014, we issued and sold through a private placement an aggregate principal amount of $75 million of unsecured 3.72% senior notes due September 4, 2026 (the “2026 Notes”) under a Note Purchase Agreement dated as of July 22, 2014, among the Company, New York Life Insurance Company and the accredited institutional purchasers named therein (the “September 2014 Note Agreement”).

In December 2014, we entered into a Multi-Currency Note Purchase and Private Shelf Agreement among the Company, Metropolitan Life Insurance Company (“MetLife”), and the accredited institutional purchasers named therein pursuant to which we agreed to issue and sell $75 million of its unsecured 3.25% Series A Senior Notes having a seven-year term, and $75 million of its unsecured 3.72% Series B Senior Notes having a twelve-year term. The issuance, sale and purchase of these notes occurred in February 2015 (the “MetLife Notes”). The agreement (the “December 2014 Note Agreement”) also provides for an uncommitted shelf facility by which we may request that MetLife purchase, over the subsequent three years, up to $50 million of additional senior promissory notes of the Company at a fixed interest rate to be determined at the time of purchase and with a maturity date not to exceed fifteen years.

In June 2015, we entered into an Amended and Restated Multi-Currency Note Purchase and Private Shelf Agreement (the “2015 Amended Agreement”), among the Company, Prudential Investment Management, Inc., and the accredited institutional purchasers named therein, which amends and restates the Note Purchase and Private Shelf Agreement dated July 21, 2014. We refer to the 2015 Amended Agreement together with the December 2013 Note Agreement, September 2014 Note Agreement, and December 2014 Note Agreement collectively as the “Senior Note Agreements.”)

Pursuant to the 2015 Amended Agreement, we issued and sold through a private placement a principal amount of €88.9 million of unsecured 1.785% Series C Senior Notes due June 18, 2025 (the “2025 Series C Notes”). We refer to the 2025 Series C Notes together with the Prudential Notes, December Notes, MetLife Notes and the 2026 Notes, collectively, as the “Senior Notes”). We used the net proceeds from this issuance and sale of the 2025 Notes for general corporate purposes, including repaying amounts outstanding under our Credit Facility.

The 2015 Amended Agreement also provides for an uncommitted shelf facility by which we may request that Prudential purchase, over the next three years, up to $75 million (or the foreign currency equivalent) of additional senior promissory notes of the Company at a fixed interest rate and with a maturity date not to exceed twelve years (the “Shelf Notes”). Prudential is under no obligation to purchase any of the Shelf Notes. The interest rate of any series of Shelf Notes will be determined at the time of purchase. The proceeds of any series of Shelf Notes are able to be used for general corporate purposes.

The Senior Note Agreements contain affirmative, negative, and financial covenants customary for agreements of this type. The negative covenants include restrictions on liens, indebtedness of our subsidiaries, priority indebtedness, fundamental changes, investments, transactions with affiliates, certain restrictive agreements, and violations of laws and regulations. The sole financial covenant is a consolidated leverage ratio test that requires our ratio of debt to earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization, and share-based compensation, as defined in the Senior Note Agreements, not to exceed 3.5-to-1. At December 31, 2017, we were in compliance with the covenants of the Senior Note Agreements.

Should we elect to prepay the Senior Notes, such aggregate prepayment will include the applicable make-whole amount(s), as defined within the applicable Senior Note Agreements. Additionally, in the event of a change in control of the Company or upon the disposition of certain assets of the Company the proceeds of which are not reinvested (as defined in the Senior Note Agreements), we may be required to prepay all or a portion of the Senior Notes. The obligations under the Senior Notes may be accelerated upon the occurrence of an event of default under the applicable Senior Note Agreement, each of which includes customary events of default including payment defaults, defaults in the performance of the affirmative, negative and financial covenants, the inaccuracy of representations or warranties, bankruptcy and insolvency related defaults, defaults relating to judgments, certain events related to employee pension benefit plans under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, the failure to pay specified indebtedness and cross-acceleration to specified indebtedness.

Interest paid for the periods ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, was $37.6 million, $31.8 million, and $27.2 million, respectively.

Annual principal payments on long-term debt at December 31, 2017, are as follows (in thousands):



Years Ending December 31,		Amount

2018		-
2019		-
2020		-
2021		50,000
2022		75,000
Thereafter		481,567
	$	606,567