PRICE ESCALATION/DE-ESCALATION (CPI) The County may allow a price escalation provision within this award. The original contract prices shall be firm for an initial one (1) year period. A price escalation/de-escalation will be considered at one (1) year intervals thereafter, provided the Contractor notifies the County, in writing, of the pending price escalation/de-escalation a minimum of sixty (60) days prior to the effective date. Price adjustments shall be based on the latest version of the Consumers Price Index (CPI-U) for All Urban Consumers, All Items, U.S. City Average, non-seasonal, as published by the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. This information is available at ▇▇▇.▇▇▇.▇▇▇. Price adjustment shall be calculated by applying the simple percentage model to the CPI data. This method is defined as subtracting the base period index value (at the time of initial award) from the index value at time of calculation (latest version of the CPI published as of the date of request for price adjustment), divided by the base period index value to identify percentage of change, then multiplying the percentage of change by 100 to identify the percentage change. Formula is as follows: Current Index – Base Index / Base Index = % of Change CPI for current period 232.945 Less CPI for base period 229.815 Equals index point change 3.130 Divided by base period CPI 229.815 Equals 0.0136 Result multiplied by 100 0.0136 x 100 Equals percent change 1.4% % of Change x 100 = Percentage Change CPI-U Calculation Example: A price increase may be requested only at each time interval specified above, using the methodology outlined in this section. To request a price increase, Contractor shall submit a letter stating the percentage amount of the requested increase and adjusted price to the Orange County Procurement Division. The letter shall include the complete calculation utilizing the formula above, and a copy of the CPI-U index table used in the calculation. The maximum allowable increase shall not exceed 4%, unless authorized by the Manager, Procurement Division. All price adjustments must be accepted by the Manager, Procurement Division and shall be memorialized by written amendment to this contract. No retroactive contract price adjustments will be allowed. Should the CPI-U for All Urban Consumers, All Items, U.S City Average, as published by the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics decrease during the term of the contract, or any renewals, the Contractor shall notify the Orange County Procurement Division of price decreases in the method outlined above. If approved, the price adjustment shall become effective on the contract renewal date. If the Contractor fails to pass the decrease on to the County, the County reserves the right to place the Contractor in default, cancel the award, and remove the Contractor from the County Vendor List for a period of time deemed suitable by the County. In the event of this occurrence, the County further reserves the right to utilize any options as stated herein.
Purchase Price Adjustment (a) If, for the twelve (12)-month period ended December 31, 2010 (the “Adjustment Period”):
(i) The EBITDA of the Nordic Business is less than $108,000,000 (the “EBITDA Floor”), Seller shall pay to Buyer as provided in Section 2.5(c)(iv) an amount equal to the excess of the EBITDA Floor over the EBITDA of the Nordic Business for the Adjustment Period; or
(ii) The EBITDA of the Nordic Business is greater than $118,000,000 (the “EBITDA Ceiling”), Buyer shall pay to Seller as provided in Section 2.5(c)(iv) an amount equal to the excess of EBITDA of the Nordic Business for the Adjustment Period over the EBITDA Ceiling (any payment required pursuant to Sections 2.5(a)(i) or (ii), the “Contingent Payment”). For the avoidance of doubt, no payment shall be required pursuant to this Section 2.5 if EBITDA of the Nordic Business for the Adjustment Period is greater than or equal to the EBITDA Floor and less than or equal to the EBITDA Ceiling.
(b) Except as may otherwise be agreed by the parties, as promptly as practicable, but in no event later than ninety (90) days after the end of the Adjustment Period, Buyer shall in good faith prepare and deliver to Seller a statement (the “Adjustment Statement”) setting forth Buyer’s calculation of the EBITDA of the Nordic Business for the Adjustment Period, calculated on a basis consistent with Schedule D (for the avoidance of doubt, such calculation shall be performed in local currency and shall be converted into U.S. Dollars using the exchange rates set forth in Schedule D), and Buyer’s calculation of the Contingent Payment, if any, with respect thereto; provided, however, if the Adjustment Period ends on or prior to the Closing Date, such Adjustment Statement shall be delivered as promptly as practicable after Closing, but in no event later than ninety (90) days after Closing (in which case, for the avoidance of doubt, after the end of the Adjustment Period and prior to the Closing, Seller shall, in accordance with Section 6.2, permit Buyer and its Representatives to have reasonable access to the books, records and other documents (including work papers) reasonably necessary for Buyer to begin to prepare the Adjustment Statement). For the avoidance of doubt, in no event shall the Contingent Payment be payable prior to the Closing.
(c) Without prejudice to any of Buyer’s rights hereunder, following delivery of the Adjustment Statement, the following provisions will apply:
(i) Buyer shall, and shall cause the Nordic Companies to, permit Seller and its Representatives to have reasonable access to the books, records and other documents (including work papers) pertaining to or used in connection with preparation of the Adjustment Statement and provide Seller with copies thereof (as reasonably requested by Seller). If Seller disagrees with Buyer’s calculation of the EBITDA of the Nordic Business for the Adjustment Period or the Contingent Payment, Seller shall, within sixty (60) days after Seller’s receipt of the Adjustment Statement, notify Buyer in writing of such disagreement by setting forth Seller’s calculation of the EBITDA of the Nordic Business for the Adjustment Period and the Contingent Payment, and describing in reasonable detail the basis for such disagreement (an “Adjustment Objection Notice”). If no Adjustment Objection Notice is delivered on or prior to the sixtieth (60th) day after Seller’s receipt of the Adjustment Statement, Buyer’s calculation of such EBITDA and the Contingent Payment shall be deemed to be binding on the parties hereto. If an Adjustment Objection Notice is timely delivered to Buyer, then Buyer and Seller shall negotiate in good faith to resolve their disagreements with respect to the computation of such EBITDA and the Contingent Payment. In the event that Buyer and Seller are unable to resolve all such disagreements within fifteen (15) days after Buyer’s receipt of such Adjustment Objection Notice, Buyer and Seller shall submit such remaining disagreements to the Auditor for resolution.
(ii) Buyer and Seller shall use their respective reasonable efforts to cause the Auditor to resolve all remaining disagreements with respect to the computation of the EBITDA of the Nordic Business for the Adjustment Period and the amount of any Contingent Payment as soon as practicable, but in any event shall direct the Auditor to render a determination within forty-five (45) days after its retention. The Auditor shall consider only those items and amounts in Buyer’s and Seller’s respective calculations of such EBITDA and Contingent Payment that are identified as being items and amounts to which Buyer and Seller have been unable to agree on. In resolving any disputed item, the Auditor shall act as an expert and not as an arbitrator and the Auditor may not assign a value to any item greater than the greatest value for such item claimed by either party or less than the smallest value for such item claimed by either party. The Auditor’s determination of such EBITDA and the amount of any Contingent Payment shall not be limited to the materials submitted by Buyer and Seller but may include any relevant accounting literature or guidance, and shall be based on Schedule D and the definition of “EBITDA” included herein. The determination of the Auditor shall be conclusive and binding upon the parties hereto.
(iii) The costs and expenses of the Auditor in determining the EBITDA of the Nordic Business for the Adjustment Period and the amount of any Contingent Payment shall be borne equally by Buyer and Seller.
(iv) Within five (5) Business Days after the EBITDA of the Nordic Business for the Adjustment Period and the amount of any Contingent Payment are finally determined pursuant to this Section 2.5, (A) if any Contingent Payment is payable pursuant to Section 2.5(a)(i), Seller shall pay the amount thereof by (x) wire transfer of immediately available funds to the account(s) designated by Buyer or (y) in a manner as otherwise agreed by the parties or (B) if any Contingent Payment is payable pursuant to Section 2.5(a)(ii), Buyer shall pay the amount thereof by (x) wire transfer of immediately available funds to the account(s) designated by Seller or (y) in a manner as otherwise agreed by the parties.
(d) Following the Closing, until December 31, 2010, Buyer shall manage and operate the Nordic Business in a commercially reasonable manner and consistent with the business plan for the applicable Nordic Company for the then current year previously delivered to Buyer (the “Business Plan”). Seller acknowledges and agrees that, following the Closing, Buyer shall, in its sole and absolute discretion, have complete control over all strategic and operational decisions concerning the Nordic Business and may manage and operate the Nordic Companies and their businesses as Buyer determines in a manner consistent with the Business Plan. Seller further agrees that (i) the right of Buyer to receive the Contingent Payment does not create in Seller any right to control or direct the management and operations of the Nordic Companies and (ii) Seller will have no claim against Buyer or any of its Affiliates (including the Nordic Companies) with respect to the management and operation of the Nordic Companies, including any impact thereof on the EBITDA of the Nordic Companies or on the amount of any Contingent Payment. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the impact of any change as a result of any deviation from the Business Plan shall be excluded from the calculation of EBITDA.
(e) All payments made pursuant to this Section 2.5 shall have the nature of adjustments to the Closing Purchase Price and shall be treated accordingly by all parties hereto (and all of their Affiliates) for all Tax purposes to the maximum extent permitted by applicable Law.